Toll the Hounds

Malazan Book of the Fallen, Book 8

By: Steven Erikson

Narrated by: Michael Page

In Darujhistan, the city of blue blue fire, it is said that Love and Death shall arrive dancing. It is summer, and the heat is oppressive, but for the small, rotund man in the faded red waistcoat discomfiture is not just because of the sun. All is not well. Dire portents plague his nights and haunt the city streets like fiends of shadow. Assassins skulk in alleyways, but the quarry has turned, and the hunters become the hunted. Hidden hands pluck the strings of tyranny like a fell chorus. While the bards sing their tragic tales, somewhere in the distance can be heard the baying of hounds...and in the distant city of Black Coral, ruled by Anomander Rake, Son of Darkness, ancient crimes awaken, intent on revenge. It seems Love and Death are indeed about to arrive...hand in hand, dancing.

A thrilling, harrowing novel of war, intrigue, and dark, uncontrollable magic, Toll the Hounds is the next chapter in Erikson's monumental series - epic fantasy at its most imaginative and storytelling at its most exciting.

"This novel and all others in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series follow my own pronunciations of Malazan words and names. My thanks to Michael and Jane and everyone at Brilliance Audio." (Steven Erikson, Victoria, B.C. Canada, January 2014)

©2008 Steven Erikson (P)2015 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"Extraordinarily enjoyable.... Erikson is a master of lost and forgotten epochs, a weaver of ancient epics." ( Salon)

"Truly epic in scope, Erikson has no peer when it comes to action and imagination, and joins the ranks of Tolkien and Donaldson in his mythic vision and perhaps then goes one better." ( SF Site)

Series low point, but still far better than most.

Story: huge blocks of exposition drug it down
Performance: while some voices were spot on (Murillio for example), some were incredibly inappropriate, showing a lack of understanding of the characters. Also a lack of range for the large cast.

another good instalment

here is another good instalment on both the aurator with his many voices and the penmanship of this epic journey.

What a wonderful series

Laugh, cry, swell with pride. Do all these and more as a wonderful story is told by a most gifted and skillful narrator. None other than Kruppe of Darujhistan!

Complex. Fun. Endearing. Unforgettable.

The only series I will listen to again and then again. Its like treasure hunting.

great story but bad narratir

It is honestly such a shame that this series lost its original narrator as this guy is constantly involved sitting with his narrative voice and often mixes up the voices of the characters. some chapters are read in Krupe's voice for no reason. Duiker sounds like an insane old man for no reason and many others randomly take up an Indian accent.

I won't even touch the inconsistent pronunciations or other minutiae. what will keep you listening is the phenomenal story as all of the threads draw together. 2 more books of this guy and then I hope I never have to hear him meander around such a masterpiece again.

Almost As Awesome As The Others

I loved the continuation of certain characters story arcs, but I absolutely hated the amount of poetry that was otherwise absent or blessedly infrequent in the books before it.

not the best, but still good

this one left me scratching my head a little more than previous books, if that's possible. but still a lovely blend of action, philosophy and humor.

Rake, Caladan, and more return

All the long lost heroes of the malazan universe return in the eighth book. Definitely the most eventful (Pantheon wise) of the series so far.

Fun ride with a twiist ending, BIG FAN

I love the complexity of the series. I always enjoy the interakit connections between all the books. how lives intertwine fade and reappear in a later book. love the performance of the reader and find myself lost in the world within the book.

Simply incredible

I don’t know how Bonehunters and Memories of Ice can be one upped for me, but this is my favorite book of the series so far.