Memories of Ice

Memories of Ice est le troisième roman du cycle de fantasy Malazan Book of the Fallen de Steven Erikson. Après un deuxième tome qui nous amenait sur un autre continent, le récit reprend ici la suite du premier roman, sur le continent de Genabackis :

The ravaged continent of Genabackis has given birth to a terrifying new the Pannion Domin.

Like a fanatical tide of corrupted blood, it seethes across the land, devouring all who fail to heed the Word of its elusive prophet, the Pannion Seer. In its path stands an uneasy Dujek Onearm's Host and the Bridgeburners ­ each now outlawed by the Empress ­ alongside their enemies of old including the grim forces of Warlord Caladan Brood, Anomander Rake, Son of Darkness, and his Tiste Andii, and the Rhivi people of the Plains.

But more ancient clans too are gathering. As if in answer to some primal summons, the massed ranks of the undead T'lan Imass have risen. For it would seem something altogether darker and more malign threatens the very substance of this world. The Warrens are poisoned and rumours abound of the Crippled God, now unchained and intent on a terrible revenge...

Il y a encore beaucoup de très bon dans ce troisième roman du cycle : des personnages forts et attachants, des intrigues complexes, un récit épique, le tout dans un univers très riche que l’on prend plaisir à découvrir progressivement.

Si je devais émettre un bémol, ce serait pour regretter un rythme un peu faible au milieu du roman, comme un ventre mou qui aurait gagné à être réduit. On suit parfois certains arcs narratifs en se demandant à quoi ils servent, avant de comprendre seulement à la fin à quoi ils servent dans l’ensemble du récit. Cela peut sembler malin à la fin, mais cela peut gêner un peu la lecture. C’est souvent le risque avec les gros pavés comme celui-ci, et c’est quelque chose qui pourrait me lasser si cela se reproduit dans les prochains tomes.

Cet inconvénient est tout de même largement effacé par le final, à la fois épique et émouvant. Ce qui est impressionnant, c’est de se dire qu’on a déjà assisté à des événements impressionnants et des révélations importantes, mais que nous n’en sommes qu’au premier tiers du cycle. Je me demande où Steven Erikson va nous amener, en espérant que le chemin conserve les éléments les plus réussis et sache éviter les quelques baisses de rythme aperçues dans ce tome.

Vengeance yielded a mirror to every atrocity, where notions of right and wrong blurred and lost all relevance.

“Memories of Ice” is the third installment in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series. And so far, each book is getting a bit bigger.
We are once again back on Genebackis, the continent from “Gardens of the Moon.” Most of the main characters from the first book return in the third book, along with some additional characters.
From “Deadhouse Gates,” readers may already know the vivid imagination that Steven Erikson has when it comes to violence, torture, and perversions. He once again uses this ability to full effect in this book.
The fact that he even conceives of it is remarkable, but he describes it with a detached perspective that makes the impact even greater.

Fortunately, this is not the only thing worth mentioning; nowhere do I, as a reader, get the impression that the author is trying to shock for shock's sake. Multiple storylines unfold, layer upon layer, and they come together masterfully in a truly epic conclusion.
Although it is clear that Malazan does not follow the pattern of the “chosen one” on a quest for redemption, Erikson suddenly incorporates a Christ theme into this book. And not even in a subtle way, but rather “in your face.” While it is not clear to me whether this is intended as a nod, it does create a very emotional plotline. One of the many deeply emotional storylines in this book.

When you, as a reader, finally reach the epilogue, it's a moment to catch your breath. However, when the dust settles, there are still some rough edges for me, which is why I'm not giving it a full 5 stars.
Just like in “Gardens of the Moon,” the first book, there are plot twists that seem a bit too convenient. This may be a result of the structure that Stevenson employs, where nothing is explained, and the rules of the ‘game' only become clear as the story progresses. This carries the risk that some ‘rules' seem to suddenly emerge. Is this now a Deus Ex Machina, or an Erikson ex machina, if you will? Or was everything thought out in advance and seamlessly fits into the overarching story without plot holes? I'm not entirely sure, hence deducting half a star.

4/10

The Malazan borefest continues.

As usual, everyone is a freaking philosopher and a master wordsmith ready to spew out seemingly profound wisdom at a moment's notice. Thus making the dialog and inner monologue very pretentious and tiresome to read. And on top of that, I did not care about a single character. And there is Kruppe, whom I hated and wanted to die a very slow and painful death. Kruppe absolutely sucks.

Similar to the previous two books, the plot is very disjointed and confusing. I still have no idea what is going on in this series. What is the point of it all? Other than spamming the word “compassion” a hundred times.

Despite the lower rating, I don't think this book is worse than the previous two. I just got very tired of Erikson's tedious writing and style of storytelling. And it was so unnecessary long.

Probably it's time to call it quits with Malazan. It's just not worth it with those massive door stoppers and no indication of any improvements. If I ever run out of better fantasy to read, I might return to this series.