Deadhouse Gates is the second novel in Steven Erikson's epic
fantasy series, the Malazan Book of the Fallen. Deadhouse Gates follows on from
the first novel, Gardens of the Moon and takes place simultaneously with events
in the third novel Memories of Ice.
Set in a brilliantly-realized world ravaged by anarchy and
dark, uncontrollable magic, Deadhouse Gates is the thrilling, brutal second
chapter in the Malazan Book of the Fallen. A powerful novel of war, intrigue
and betrayal, it confirms Steven Erikson as a storyteller of breathtaking
skill, imagination and originality.
Deadhouse Gates opens a few months after the events of
Gardens of the Moon. Unlike the previous book, which followed different groups
of characters in close proximity to one another, the character threads in
Deadhouse Gates are frequently separated by hundreds or thousands of miles at a
time.
The region of Seven Cities is being consumed by a rebellion
known as the Whirlwind, led by the prophetess Sha'ik from the Holy Desert of
Raraku. It all started in the Otataral mines, where Felisin, the youngest
daughter of the disgraced House of Paran, has been dreaming of revenge against
the sister who sentenced her to a life of slavery. She had no notion that her
sister had planned to protect her and help her escape. She manages to escape and
flee Raraku, where her soul is reborn, fused with the soul of an ancient goddess,
and she is made Sha'ik, the leader of the rebellion.
With the cities being overrun by the Whirlwind, the Malazan
forces in the city of Hissar plot a daring evacuation overland to the Malazan
continental capital of Aren. The Malazan 7th Army, under the command of the legendary
Coltaine of the Crow Clan of the Wickans, is tasked with escorting 30,000
refugees some 1,500 miles to safety. This legendary march becomes known as the
Chain of Dogs and will become part of the legends of Seven Cities.
Coltaine, the charismatic commander of the Malaz 7th Army, leads
his battered, war-weary troops in a last battle to save the lives of thirty
thousand refugees and, in so doing, secure an illustrious place in the Empire's
chequered history. This is a truly epic story, filled with heroism, stacked
with action and breahtakingly tragic.
I have read five books in this series, and I am reading the
sixth at the moment, but Deadhouse gates still remains my favorite. The
incredible story of the march to protect and save a group of refugees still
resonates with me, although I have finished the book some time ago.
There are several other storylines in this book, as is the
always tha case in the books in this series, but the Chain of Dogs storyline is
so dominant that it leaves the others in the background. We are presented with
Mappo Trell and Icarium, ancient wanderers; there are also Apsalar, Kalam,
Fiddler and Crokus, numerous gods, the ascended and so on, and so forth. The
book is filled to the brim with events, some of which do not make a lot of sense
at the time, but as one reads on, the picture starts to show itself in its full
glory. Sometimes it even takes several books to make a full understanding of
the entire complex narrative. After reading this book I started to understand
the people who read this entire series for the second, or even the third time.
It is that good.
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