Synopsis:
It’s a conflicted time in Kurald Galain, the realm of Darkness, where Mother Dark reigns. But this ancient land was once home to many a power. and even death is not quite eternal. The commoners’ great hero, Vatha Urusander, is being promoted by his followers to take Mother Dark’s hand in marriage, but her Consort, Lord Draconus, stands in the way of such ambitions. The impending clash sends fissures throughout the realm, and as the rumors of civil war burn through the masses, an ancient power emerges from the long dead seas. Caught in the middle of it all are the First Sons of Darkness, Anomander, Andarist, and Silchas Ruin of the Purake Hold…
Review:
“There will be peace.”
I name you liar, Mr. Erikson! Peace? In this Malazan economy? In all seriousness this quote acts sort of as a deep introspection of what we know will never be. Malazan nor her readers will never know peace.
Forge of Darkness is brutal. It is emotionally and physically taxing. There are scenes that left me in absolute shock and drowning in tears. The relationships these characters have with one another is so endearing and that makes it all the worse when everything goes wrong. It’s very hard to talk about how much I loved this book without spoilers. Forge of Darkness is just a 900+ page long spoiler, but I will do my best.
The first book in the Kharkanas Trilogy takes place thousands upon thousands of years before the events of Malazan Book of the Fallen. Now, add a few more thousands of years to that and you’ve got some semblance of just how far back Erikson has taken us. Even then, it’s difficult to understand that the events taking place in Forge of Darkness are things of myth and legend in the main series. Did you think that Kharkanas was this empty plane, filled with darkness and mist? It’s an entire city. A whole place filled buildings and roads and fortresses. People are traveling on horseback! HORSEBACK! While this may seem very silly and a total overreaction, I was genuinely shocked that these characters, who are God-like in the main series, sat at a table and ate dinner. What do you mean you eat?
Those of you looking to get into this series thinking Forge of Darkness is going to be all about our favorite Tiste Andii, Anomander Rake, think again. When has Erikson ever—not including Part 1 of House of Chains—ever focused on a single character? Does the book include him? Oh yes, don’t you worry, but as usual there are a plethora of new and returning characters that Erikson utilizes to tell a far grander story. There is so much more happening than the origin of the Andii and it blows the mind right out of the skull. Every page created a thought that led to another thought that answered a question I had 7 books ago and explained origins I’ve been wondering about since the beginning of my Malazan journey!
Erikson’s prose is unmatched. Truly. I can think of no other author that draws me into not only the world, but the characters within it. His blend of plot and character driven arcs is so perfectly in sync that I can read pages upon pages of philosophical ruminations and find it all entirely fascinating. Which brings me to my next point, while Forge of Darkness is about much more than the Tiste Andii, it is this Malazan race that the book primarily focuses on. Which means there are going to be a lot of philosophical topics, for when are the Tiste Andii not pondering the mechanisms of human nature? If you have no interest in the Tiste Andii I doubt you will enjoy this book. If, however, you are frothing at the mouth to know the origins of so many Malazan Book of the Fallen characters, this book will simultaneously break your mind and your heart.
While the Kharkanas Trilogy is a prequel series, it is my opinion that Forge of Darkness is not meant to be read first. I do not think it’s even meant to be read after Malazan Book of the Fallen. There is some very important world-building information within ICE’s Novels of the Malazan Empire that I think is essential to understanding what’s happening in Forge of Darkness.
Reading Forge of Darkness is not like reading Malazan Book of the Fallen. I’ve always said that Malazan requires patience, that all will be explained in time, but that is simply not the case here. There is so much world-building and character nuance to read in-between the lines. It will be very difficult to understand the impact of certain plot threads if the magic system and worldbuilding is not understood. If you do not know the arcs of certain Tiste Andii characters, as well as the gods and goddesses from the main series, you will have little to no emotional connection with them at all. The emotional punch is that we know how this story ends and that’s why the quote above hits so hard.
Erikson’s worldbuilding is, of course, the crème de la crème. There are so many layers upon layers that this series could truly go on forever and feel like a new story every time. The characters are so real. They leap from the page and straight into my heart. Erikson continues to exceed my expectations on how fantasy is written. I could not love this book more if I tried, even if it hurt me so much. I cannot wait to dive into Fall of Light!
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