Book Review: The Crippled God by Steven Erikson (The Malazan Book of the Fallen book 10)

“And now the page before us blurs.
An age is done. The book must close.
We are abandoned to history.
Raise high one more time the tattered standard
Of the Fallen. See through the drifting smoke
To the dark stains upon the fabric.
This is the blood of our lives, this is the
Payment of our deeds, all soon to be
Forgotten.
We were never what people could be.We were only what we were."

Remember us”

• Steven Erikson, The Crippled God

It is finished!

I still can't believe it! After spending 3 months, reading 11,000 pages and 3,3 million words, I have finally finished reading The Malazan Book of the Fallen, all 10 books!

The Crippled God is the final book in this series, bringing a satisfying conclusion to this titanic epic. Let's have a closer look:

Synopsis:

Long ago, a foreign entity came to the world, his body was shattered, and scattered across the world. The gods imprisoned him, feeding on his power, chaining him to endless pain and suffering. This entity became known, as the crippled god.

Years later, out of compassion, Adjunct Tavore and her renegade army, The Bonehunters, seek to free the crippled god from his eternal torment. Following the events in Dust of Dreams, The Bonehunters suffered great losses. They are tormented by questions about their cause, bringing them to the edge of mutiny. Still, Adjunt Tavore seek to hold her army together through her sheer will. She set the course to travel to Kolanse, to free the heart of the crippled god. To do this, they need to embark on a dangerous journey, and cross the perilous Glass desert. Can Adjunct Tavore succeed? Or will her army break into mutiny before they can even arrive at Kolanse?

At Kolanse, the Forkul Assails await their arrival. This ancient race of people draw terrible power, from an unknown source, seeking to renew the order of the world, by cleansing the world of every human, and their civilizations. In the meantime, three elder gods released Korabas, the Otataral dragon, into the world, hoping to further their own schemes. Korabas is a powerful force, when unleashed, she brings unspeakable devastation upon mortals, who can stand against Korabas?

The final chapter of The Malazan book of the Fallen has begun, this is a story where compassion and survival induce heart wrenching events, from powerful confrontations, demanding a final absolution..

What I think about this book:

I enjoyed The Crippled God more than previous 2 books, Dust of Dreams, and Toll the Hounds. The pacing in this book is faster, and more compact, similar to the pace found in the first 5 books of the series. In terms of characters, most characters are returning characters from previous books, tracking the story is not as hard as in previous books. The characterization in this book is great. If you've read previous books, then like me, you would probably wonder, why Erikson placed so much focus on secondary characters in previous books. Without spoiling the story, let me just say, in The Crippled God, you will find the answer to this question.

One of the strengths of this book, is the portrayal of characters. Their emotions, feelings, thoughts, and relationship with each other, are depicted in lively details and colorful vividness. From the desperate march of The Bonehunters, to the tragic story of Onos Toolan and the Imass, I was able to sympathize and empathize with them, not at them, living their lives the moments they step onto the stage of the story. To me, this is why I love and read fictions, because I want to live more than just one life. Through the white papers and black inks, I want to live other people's lives, to be with them, whether it be among their sufferings on a sea of storm, or experiencing joys as comforting as the sunset warmth, so I can explore life, from another perspective. After all, isn't this one of the main values of reading fictions? Such that we can open our minds, and expose ourselves to new ideas, instead of just affirming our own views?

This is why I especially adore The Malazan Book of the Fallen series, because as I read

through the pages of stories about the fallen, I was with them. Especially in The Crippled God, I was reminded, that compassion must be given freely, without expecting something in return. Some say the Malazan series play with the idea of moral ambiguity, like in George R.R Martin or Joe Abercrombie's books. However, I am not so sure if that claim is correct. My opinion, is that the Malazan series is a compilation of stories, about imperfect people in an imperfect world, trying to live up to the principle of universal truth, of right and wrong, even if it means the consequences of upholding this truth come at the cost of their own sacrifices. These ideas, are beautifully and masterfully blended into the narratives. When you live their lives by reading these pages, you can explore these ideas alongside these characters. This is masterful storytelling at its best, and Steve Erikson has truly break the stereotype of clichéd fantasy books, because I think every book in the Malazan series is meaningful, the stories are trying to tell us something about ourselves.

Now that the story of the fallen is told, the book must close. The story and the heroic deeds will fade from my memories, like falling autumn leaves. Yet, the meanings and the truth behind them, shall live on inside of me.

One day, I shall revisit the world of The Malazan Book of the Fallen, where I would travel with the fallens once more, alongside their shattered standards, on the ravaged lands, to marvel, to be thrilled, to feel every moment of the story, to remember.