I’m talking about cinematic set pieces of immensely epic proportions with catastrophic results; every character out of every race played essential parts during the climax sequences. I was transfixed by the gathering of massive armies of vast power, and the limitless convergence was undoubtedly fantastic. I mean it, this is truly epic in both scope and execution. Once I’ve finished reading the book, the mini-epilogue then proceed to seal the deal that I’ve just read one of the most epic and finest epic fantasy books of all time. Le Spade Grigie, mercenari religiosi devoti a Fener; la guardia di carovane Gruntle; un antico Dio primordiale, due necromanti. The Mhybe awakens and sees the Rhivi Spirits, Togg, Fanderay, and the T'lan Ay. The memories of the T'lan Imass have brought unexpected life to the realm, and the Mhybe will live, young and undying. Togg asks her to return Toc's soul to the mortal realm. Toc wakes up in the body of Anaster and is made the Mortal Sword of Togg and Fanderay. He meets Gruntle and the two become fast friends, both uneasy with their new titles. The newly mortal Tool also greets Toc, but doesn't reveal his identity.

Upon entering the Seer's territory, Toc abandons his party and joins the Tenescowri, hoping they'll meet up with the Malazans. Weeks later, starved and delirious, he is summoned by the Pannion Seer and sees the corpse of an old man being animated by a Jaghut who is further empowered by grey tendrils of power reaching down. When he's given another vision of his party through Baaljagg's eyes, the Seer casts him into a prison with the K'Chain Ch'Malle Matron that once dwelt in the Rent at Morn. He is kept alive with sorcery while the Matron, insane from pain and grief at the loss of her children, breaks his bones over and over in her embrace.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. The T'lan Imass are gathering to a summons, the magical warrens are poisoned and the world is in danger by a dark and malign threat. Paran actually has a really interesting arc going on and some unexpected changes in him. While I don’t get everything that his new ‘position’ entails I think it means that he will be a big player at the end. I was really excited for him to be reunited with Tattersail in the form of SIlverfox but alas that actually ended up being one of my least favorite parts of the story….again see #6. However, most of you, if not all, are extremely excited for the journey, as was I when read this series for the first time. Kallor thwarts the rebellious mages that attempt to unseat him as Emperor and even manages to fatally curse three Elder Gods that come to punish him for his brutality. They find Kallor Atop a Mountain of Corpses sacrificed to fuel his magic, and he's done the same to multiple provinces throughout his Empire. He's then cursed by the three Gods to suffer immortality and to never see his plans succeed. Both Kallor's curses and the Gods' take effect, so it's almost a wash.

As well as old favourites, we have new characters too. Notably we see more of Caladan Brood, Kallor, and Anomander Rake. I loved that these characters – despite their power – did not command the story. This is a story that belongs to the mortals, and it is much better because of it. With a book this big, where so much happens, yet without revealing spoilers, it is difficult to know where to begin with this Memories of Ice book review. There are two main things I want to cover – although they are by no means everything that I could talk about – which are: characters and lore/history.According to Erikson, he wrote Memories of Ice on a Psion 7. The word processor was a gift from the manufacturer in return for his endorsement of the earlier Psion 5mx model in a national advertisement. The ad noted that Erikson had written Deadhouse Gates on the 5mx. [3]