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Review: Memories of Ice by Steven Erikson

Blurb:

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.

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.



Review:

“When frozen between life and death, in the glacial in-between, what can exist of mortal feeling? Not even an echo. Only memories of ice, of ice and no more than that.”

Intense, heartbreaking, bewildering…epic. These are the words that have primarily run through my head to best describe the Malazan Book of the Fallen through its first three entries. But Memories of Ice, the third volume in this grand saga, is the apex of all those feelings thus far. It’s as overwhelming as ever, but that feeling is matched by tremendous set pieces, pulse-pounding battles, and high emotion that let it stand tall above the previous entries. Get ready to have your heart punted out of your chest.

As the Malazan Empire expands, a rising new threat has emerged in the form of the Pannion Domin. In defense against this foe stands a rickety alliance between Dujek Onearm’s army, Whiskeyjack’s Bridgeburners, Caladan Brood, and the Son of Darkness Anamonder Rake. But as battles wage and blood spreads across Genabackis, the gods themselves must show their hands, for the Crippled God has broken free of its shackles, and it now seeks revenge.

As was the case with the first two books, it’s incredibly difficult to distill Memories of Ice into just a few paragraphs. Days have passed since I finished it, and still I’m trying to wrap my head around everything that happened in it. I’m sure it’ll be days more and I’ll still be befuddled. To some people, that’s a valid criticism of the series, but for me, it’s something I thoroughly enjoy, getting to peel back the layers, let it sit on my mind and simmer. Memories of Ice takes its time getting to what it needs to do. Erikson slowly puts the pieces in place, sometimes just one piece at a time before he gets to the next piece. But when this slow burn catches fire, hot damn does it burn.

The slow buildup in the first half of Memories of Ice—where uneasy alliances are formed, defenses against the actions of the Crippled God are prepared, and the threat of the Pannion Domin looms larger and larger—leads to an explosive second half with a massive city siege and a thrilling battle sequence. In these moments, Erikson pulls no punches whatsoever, especially during the siege section, which features some horrifying moments that are not for the faint of heart, but does so in a way that is not for shock value. Erikson’s understanding of battle and siege tactics are on full display in this book, and though some moments warrant a look away, he still manages to captivate and enthrall, even as you cannot help but be revolted at the atrocities our villains are committing.

The character work in Memories of Ice is as strong as ever, with many characters from Gardens of the Moon making their return after being absent from Deadhouse Gates. It was great being back with characters like Paran, Whiskeyjack, Quick Ben, Toc the Younger, and Anomander Rake, while the new cast members flesh out these existing ones even more. One of the benefits of Erikson’s slow build-up to events is that we get to spend the quieter moments with these characters, experiencing their relationships with one another—both good and bad—that when the rug is pulled from under us, it hits all the harder. Memories of Ice is a tremendous display of Erikson’s exemplary character work, and there were several moments where I had to reread, not for lack of comprehension, but because I was wanting—or hoping—that what I had just read was not what had come to pass, and that our characters were still fine, still hale and hearty. If only such were the case. Some of these moments still hit hard days after reading.

The first two books in this series felt almost foundational, but Memories of Ice felt like Erikson finally took the gloves off and was ready to show you just what this series has in store. This is epic military fantasy of the highest order, a sheer masterclass of drama and imagination, and something that’s threatening to become my entire personality if I’m not too careful.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go knock back a shot of whiskey, Jack! Is this anything? Screw it, I’m just gonna go recommend this book on unrelated r/fantasy threads like a true Malazan reader.