Memories of Ice

Malazan Book of the Fallen, Book 3

By: Steven Erikson

Narrated by: Ralph Lister

Length: 43 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

The ravaged continent of Genabackis has given birth to a terrifying new empire: the Pannion Domin. Like a tide of corrupted blood, it seethes across the land, devouring all. In its path stands an uneasy alliance: Onearm’s army and Whiskeyjack’s Bridgeburners alongside their enemies of old - the forces of the Warlord Caladan Brood, Anomander Rake and his Tiste Andii mages, and the Rhivi people of the plains. But ancient undead clans are also gathering; the T’lan Imass have risen. For it would seem something altogether darker and more malign threatens this world. Rumors abound that the Crippled God is now unchained and intent on a terrible revenge. Marking the return of many characters from Gardens of the Moon and introducing a host of remarkable new players, Memories of Ice is both a momentous new chapter in Steven Erikson’s magnificent epic fantasy and a triumph of storytelling.

©2006 Steven Erikson (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Powerful and heartbreaking

I’m reading this series for the first time and “Memories of Ice” simply blew me away.
It’s an intense and hellish experience that brought me so much heartache and sorrow. Despite this, there are moments of hope and light that shine through and inspire me to keep on going.

I can’t wait to read the next one! What an incredible series!

Just exceptional

This is one of the best series since lord of the rings. Terrific from start to finish

história maravilhosa, narração impecável.

Quem já está nesse ponto da história, não vai ser decepcionar com on livro 3 dos Malazanos. e a narração é realmente impressionante. O narrador consegue fazer muitas nuances e vozes diferentes para cada personagem. Vale muito a pena ouvir.

Ralph Lister

the narrator was as amazing as the story he told. With brilliant character voices , and familiarity unmatched by any other narrator I've ever heard.

The battles

The story , magic , and characters are all coming together. The world is starting to make more sense and i love it!

An unassailable masterpiece

Words of praise would struggle to do this book justice.
I suggest you listen to it and decide for yourself.

Not A Chef. Not A Rock Star. A World-Class Writer!

Reader be warned - I read this novel many years ago, and I've read it more than once. Therefore, I can easily state the following with utter conviction: This, Erikson’s largest work thus far in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series, is fantasy storytelling on an epic scale, much larger and yet better than his first two novels in the series.

Wait…What? Better?

Yes. Much better. I know I drug many of you kicking and screaming into this series, and you discovered a unconventional and amazing fantasy writer that challenged you, astounded you, and possibly frustrated you a fair number of times. As I warned in my review of the first book in the series, this isn’t light reading. Erikson will task you, and task you HARD.

However, most of you, if not all, are extremely excited for the journey, as was I when read this series for the first time.

But, you ask, how is it better? Hmmm…

(Michael sighs, sips from steaming cup of New Orleans French Market coffee, leans back in comfy leather chair.)

Let’s settle in and get started. It’s going to be yet another longer than anticipated review.
First, what hasn’t changed: There is a veritable dramatis personae of Gods, nations, magicians, warriors, priest-kings, both old and new, who conspire, strategize, form alliances, backstab, avenge, love, care for, wage war and even do a few very bizarre things in the name of their causes (No specific here. You KNOW I don’t do spoilers!). Memories of Ice takes us back to Genabackis, where it all began in the first of the series. The south will give up a new menace, with a twisted nightmarish ritualistic religion driving them forward. It’s how these wonderful characters, both good and evil, come together, that is the sheer joy of this work.

What has changed: Erikson has grown as a writer’s writer by this third novel in the series, and it shows. His character definitions are more focused, and I feel, more robust with less weight, if you will. You will engage with them, appreciate their unique point of view and motivation, and even at times, understand why they do what they do and what they sometimes don’t do. While the war descriptions and writing are less than the previous novels, they are rich, descriptive battles that more than make up for their smaller size, in my opinion. Less can definitely be more. As much as I truly love his writing, it was a journey of growth from the first to the tenth novel, and you’ll experience and enjoy that here. He begins to enter his own, and starts to take his place as a fantasy writer of extreme note. His writing is more natural and connected, more unified as a novel. If you have yet to be convinced of this, after reading the first two novels in the series, Memories of Ice should definitely clinch this for you. Solid.

(Michael stops, takes yet another sip from cup, looks at you over cup shrewdly while he does so.)

Now. As Shakespeare aptly penned, “there’s the rub.” This is a LOOOOOOOONG novel. Certain things will take time. A LOT of time. He can be overly descriptive. Remember, he’s still growing, and will still have a tendency to expound, which is one of the VERY few problems with this novel. You’ll be tempted to skip sections or chapters. Do NOT do this. You will regret it. You have to be patient. Keep in mind, dear Audible listener, that there are three things you simply cannot rush: A master chef’s meal, a renowned maestro’s symphony, and a world-class writer’s novel.

What’s that? No…he’s not a chef, he’s an anthropologist. Yes, that’s what I said, an anthropologist…yes, REALLY…No he doesn’t write in the kitchen…Well, he MAY… No, I’m not reviewing his cooking, it’s an ANALOGY, for God’s sake! His novel…NOVEL! And hold on, I…WHAT? No, he's NOT a rock star, and no he doesn’t know Madonna! Well, he COULD… Wait. You’re missing this.

Maybe it’s me.

(Michael leans back in his chair, looks into the steam rising from his coffee, looks back up. Takes a moment, continues review.)

Maybe it IS me. Maybe it’s what Erikson does to me with his writing. It’s expressive, engaging, creative and stimulating. He has zero inhibitions in Memories of Ice. He boldly ventures forward, and makes the previous two tomes in the series seem like a launchpad for this brilliant novel. And that's a VERY good thing. He swept me along on his voyage. And is the voyage with Erikson worth it? Definitely.

(Michael leans forward in comfy leather chair, puts empty coffee cup down, finishes review.)

For your effort and patience, you will receive a writer’s greatest gift: An incredible, and what I consider to be an extremely satisfying ending that…Well, I’ll leave it at that. Again, no spoilers. As I’ve stated in the past, I’m certain that some of you will mark this as unhelpful. Oh well. I’m all about the journey, and what a journey this will be for you, dear Audible listener.

This is a writer on his way to becoming a writer’s writer. No, not a chef. Not a rock star. A world-class fantasy writer. And one of my favorites.

And, I’m hoping, one of yours.

Lighthearted and Whimsical

Just kidding.

I haven't read an author more inclined to have his characters suffer than Erikson. I mused in my review of the previous book in this series (The Deadhouse Gates), with all the starvation, rape, murder, and mass crucifixion that took place in the story, where does Erikson go from there? What does he do to increase the tension and deepen the depravity?

Answer: Cannibalism and Necrophilia!

Well played, sir! But what now? There's seven or so more books. What's left? Holocaust denial and a sub-prime lending crisis?

Despite all the negativity, wow what a story! Erikson has really gained a talent for developing pathos for many individual characters in very short order. He gets you to feel for them all almost instantly. With so many perspective characters, you find yourself rooting for a lot of different people all at once. It makes it hard to determine who's a good guy, a bad guy, and who's just putting in a day of work.

One delightful trait to this series is that while on the surface you have a fairly simple plot - in this case a military campaign involving two successive assaults on fortified cities - you have multiple complex undercurrents that feed the series' longer story arc. It almost makes it seem like the plot of the individual book is just background to the major movements in the epic. Like there are two stories being told, not merely building blocks of one big story. This mixes well with the very large roster of characters. If you have one, or a few, main protagonists, it really matters what they are doing book to book. With so many, only a small part of what an individual does in a given book matters to the whole. With many characters making many small contributions to the epic you end up with a more complex story arc with an extremely broad and momentous scope. The downside is that this arc is harder to follow and takes longer to materialize, but I get the feeling it's worth it.

Lister's reading is once again solid. I will continue reading this series and would recommend it to a friend as long as that friend knew, that even though this is fantasy, not to expect any happy endings.

NOTE: As of this writing, this audio book is the latest available in the series on audible. Print editions are available through the whole series.

The last one I'll listen to. :(

I'm so disappointed that they are foolish enough to think it's a good idea to change narrators mid series... The narrator makes or breaks an audiobook! once you've found a good narrator DON'T CHANGE MID-SERIES!!! It ruins the continuity of the narrative!

fantastic

this book is amazing. read it. love it. get the next one. you'll enjoy it immensely