As of last year, I finally collected the first 9 of the 10 book 'Malazan Book of the Fallen' series. I had fallen in love with this world around 2003, when I got House of Chains as a Christmas gift from one of my uncles.
I noticed pretty quickly that it was the fourth book in the series, but I figured I would give it a shot anyhow and read it despite knowing nothing of the world or the preceding events.
I fucking loved it.
As soon as I finished, I knew I had to collect more - and over the course of a number of years I've slowly chipped away at that list while still reading other fiction and non-fiction works.
I decided last year when I got book 9 that it was time for a re-start of the series, reading it in order from start to finish for the first time. I had read Gardens of the Moon and House of Chains, and Deadhouse Gates, but the rest of the books were new to me... so I began my epic reading adventure.
This week I got to House of Chains again, and while I'm still early in my re-read, I'm noticing so many things that I didn't clue in on the first time around. While that first read was extremely enjoyable, I'm finding that the extra world details provided by the preceding three books certainly help me to get a better grasp of some subplots that are in the works in this book.
This isn't a 'book review' by any means - I may try to do one of those when I'm finished this - but it is a recommendation to pick up this series if you're a lover of fantasy. The tale is sprawling and nuanced and complicated in ways that most books don't achieve. The world is vibrant and deep, full of wonderful and memorable characters that will leave you wanting more and will start your imagination spinning.
I am extremely excited to get deeper into this re-read and to see how many things I didn't pick up on last time come to light. In my first read, I had assumed that the seven gods of the Teblor were, in fact, gods. I know better now. I know what they are, and I see threads here that I didn't before.
I know now too the significance of the main character's race. They're told to be a fallen people, who once were far more advanced and having read more about the world I'm fairly confident that I know who and what these people used to be... and that's extremely exciting.
Anyhow, this is just a small ramble to put my excitement down on digital paper... so I'll leave it at that and get myself back to reading.