This is a continuation of my 'meditation' on Steven Erikson's opus: The Malazan Book of the Fallen, which I view as an exercise in attaining reader catharsis. If you haven't already, for some context, please read my prior post that explains what this is all about. If you have already, read on...
Warning: This post contains spoilers for various books in the series, but I have tried to stay away from revealing specifics. Broad plot structure, the various crises explored etc. will however be revealed. That said, I don't think I reveal anything that will necessarily spoil your experience of reading the books; if anything it might enhance your appreciation for some of the elements... but that's just what I think. If you're completely anti-spoiler, please stay away!
A Malazan Meditation (Part 1: Elements)
Where I describe some of the building blocks of the series...
The Plot
This is a huge, sprawling story set in a complex world filled with nuance. It can be read as a pseudo-history spanning perhaps a decade of active 'story time' with a back-story unfolding over several million years (and patchily recorded to boot). It is a Homeric saga, where gods and 'ascendants' (or godlings/ gods-to-be, sort of) influence and meddle with the affairs of a horde of species, native and alien to the planet all this happens on (we fans call it 'Wu').
At least in the beginning of the series, SE was actively trying to undermine rather than embrace the cliches and tropes of fantasy literature, particularly the notion of the farm-boy who grows up to save the world and "absolute evil" personified by a 'dark lord'. He succeeded, to put it mildly.
The primary arc of the tale, inasmuch as there is one, centers on a war between the Gods of this world played out mostly through their mortal proxies; a war over the disposition of a crippled alien god from another world, pulled down into this one in the dim past as a means to an end by short-sighted mortals.
Once in this world and having been shattered by the fall, this ‘Crippled God’ (eponymous with the last book in the sequence) knows only pain unending, and rage. Somewhere in his time there, he was chained by myriad powers in this world that could neither kill nor dismiss him, but did fear him. This arc really takes off only in the third book (!) with the Crippled God showing himself to be not quite helpless...
The preceding two books set the stage for this launch and concern two continents where a mortal empire, hailing from the Isle of Malaz (and eponymous with the series) is engaged in a war of conquest, and a war to put down a rebellion. These mortal wars echo - and are often a manifestation of - the war among the gods.
The Malazan Empire - a quasi-Roman construct has rejected alliances or allegiance to any god and was set up by an enterprising pirate and his companion, an assassin par excellence - who in a twist of irony have ‘ascended’ after their reported deaths a decade ago, and become gods themselves.
Another contributing major plot point concerns an Elder race, originally from another world/ dimension, whose dominion is now ruled by the upstart former Malazan rulers, whose fallen remnants rise up on a distant continent against another expansionist empire. Convinced of their ‘manifest destiny’, this race is in fact just another pawn in the great game of gods.
All the while a gathering of powers, old and new, is slowly taking shape, aimed at leeching the Crippled Gods power for their own purposes… until he becomes the cause for a ‘convergence of convergences’ (more on this later) that makes up the grand finale of the tale.
Oh also at stake are several mortal empires, various racial destinies, the fate of magic in the world, and the very existence of the world. You know, as garnish.
To focus merely on the plot of this series however is folly. The joy is in the reading, in the thought and wonder the books evoke... in that sense (if you'll forgive the cliche) reading it is all about the journey - not the destination.
The geography
The tale unfolds in three distinct story threads (well, ropes really) on three continents (mostly 'Genabackis' for books 1, 3, and 8; mostly 'Seven Cities' for books 2, 4, and 6; and mostly on an unnamed continent that is home to the ‘Empire of Lether' for books 5, 7, and 9; book 10 is set in 'parts unknown' not previously visited in the series). There are at least three additional continents (Jackuruku, Quon Tali, and the enigmatic Assail) that are ICE's playground, and are only briefly visited in the main sequence when absolutely essential.
SE and ICE have not published a map of the world entire, although the geography does become quite important as a lot of characters (as they are wont to in any fantasy series) move around a lot, by means magical and mundane. They walk a lot, sail the seas a lot, use magical passages and shortcuts and gateways - and it can get rather exhausting keeping the geography in line. Still, the fanbase obliges by coming up with beautiful maps such as the one shown here (this one is slightly outdated, but very pretty) based on partial ones that accompany the books.
Dramatis Personae
The “Book of the Fallen” part of the series title comes from a book listing falling soldiers that Napoleon is said to have maintained. Most characters in this saga are therefore soldiers, and most of the action takes place with the backdrop of wars and battles.
The cast for the series alone would be of the size of a (really long) short story, and I suspect it has as many (if not more) active characters than the Mahabharat or Iliad or Odyssey. These characters belong to many different races: Human varietals (of myriad color, cultures, religions, and size - no hobbits though!) + 4 proto-races native to the planet + at least 3 inter-related invading 'alien' races from other realms + hybrids thereof. SE is a trained anthropologist/ archaeologist, and that shows in the depth and consistency of the racial structure and inter-relations of this world.
Theme
So just what is Erikson’s theme in the Malazan Book of the Fallen? Is there one, given the sprawling nature of the epic? I think there is...
I think at its core, this is an exploration of life (in the individual and collective sense) and on the nature and forms of civilization. It remains surprisingly relevant to real life and the world as it is today despite the fantastic setting. Amid the complex plot and many characters with their unique histories, world-views, and thoughts, I sense a tired, somewhat despondent philosophy about humanity and our place in the world - yet one holding out for a happy ending in spite of everything.
What sets this novel apart from most stuff out there is that SE does not preach. You can read these books and come away with reading in them an affirmation for a variety of thoughts and beliefs. It is descriptive rather than prescriptive. In that, it is a refreshing delight!
In the early books, SE also wrote towards a specific book-level theme, although this is not readily apparent when you're knee deep in each book. Book 3 - Memories of Ice - for example, is an exploration of motherhood, its forms and nuance, and at the crux of the tale are three (by my count) mother figures. Book 5 - Midnight Tides - is obviously an exploration of brotherhood, and the tale forms around two sets of brothers with a war between a tribal culture and an exploitative trading culture as the backdrop. The dizzying variety of characters and settings means that this series explores many permutations of human relationships and in many ways these threads make up a very potent fabric depicting the human condition.
Message/ Moral(?)
This is very subjective naturally, and I'm sure the author will cringe at my attempt at reading one from the tale, but the message I took away from the series (a moral, if you will) is this:
Redemption and Justice are rare and rarely understood in any world. They are precious however, and the price named for them must (should?) be paid. Neither of these at the end will be what you thought they would be like when you set out to attain them. Over time, they will reveal a face far too complicated, even ugly, and only the bravest souls can recognize them for what they are without quailing before them.
That sounds a little kooky, admittedly... but think about it. I'd rather not explain it further...
Here ends Part 1...
Part 2 will try and explore what makes the series special... and some of its quirks!
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