Toll the Hounds

Executive Summary: To me this book lives or dies by its characters, if you liked the people from Darujhistan in [b:Gardens of the Moon 55399 Gardens of the Moon (The Malazan Book of the Fallen, #1) Steven Erikson https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1355144064s/55399.jpg 2646042] you'll likely enjoy this as much as I did. If not, you may find this one slow.Full ReviewThis book provides an interesting contrast with [b:Reaper's Gale 459064 Reaper's Gale (The Malazan Book of the Fallen, #7) Steven Erikson https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1356447867s/459064.jpg 4379974] for me. A lot more happens in Reaper's Gale, yet I enjoyed this one a lot more.So why is that? The characters. The worst thing a storyteller can do is have characters you don't care about. I don't mean dislike. [a:Robin Hobb 25307 Robin Hobb https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1205023525p2/25307.jpg] writes great characters that I love to hate.Normally Mr. Erikson does as well. For many of the characters in [b:Reaper's Gale 459064 Reaper's Gale (The Malazan Book of the Fallen, #7) Steven Erikson https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1356447867s/459064.jpg 4379974], I just didn't care. It made me bored.Maybe it's because it's book 8 and Mr. Erikson decided he couldn't afford to keep dumping 20 new characters on us, but the beginning of this one didn't piss me off like many of the others.With this book we return to some old favorites, some of which we haven't seen for a very long time. We're also introduced to a very small number of new ones that quickly fell into that “love to hate” category for me. You know a writer is doing a good job when you start hoping he'll kill someone off.The chapters alternated between Darujhistan and people outside it. The Darujhistan were far more enjoyable for me, but those other chapters became moreso as the book went on.I feel like I've come home again to the Phoenix Inn and caught up with old friends. Plus, the stage is set for an epic meeting of Kruppe and Iskaral Pust! Something I've been waiting for a very long time, and man does it not disappoint!Of course not everything is a happy reunion. Forces are converging and the hounds are gathering. I'm always impressed at how Mr. Erikson can blend a story of gritty realism with the fantastical and occasional levity to keep your sanity in check.I can see people finding this book slow if they don't enjoy the characters. But as usual, Mr. Erikson writes a great ending that even though who do will suddenly find the book impossible to put down.We're in the home stretch now, and just 1 book that was so long that it was split into two left to go!