Toll The Hounds (Book 8 of The Malazan Book of the Fallen)

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I agree Amanda that this little scene with Desra shows the power of shifting POVs. We’ve been given a pretty narrow view of Desra—using sex as a tool toward power, not much of a thinker, preferring Clip, scorning Nimander. And here we see that’s all turned upside down. She is a deep thinker. And she sees Clip as one of those who “imagine themselves strong but were in truth, weak.” While Nimander is not at all contemptible in her eyes. Instead, she “felt weak” before him and sees him as “one to whom she might surrender whatever she chose without fearing he would one day use it against her.” I like how this group of Andii is getting more and more fleshed out, how things we thought we (and they) once knew about them are being shown to be false or at least not wholly true, and how they are starting to show signs that they might form a cohesive, mutually protective group. Clip, meanwhile, we’ve been told/shown is blind to much of what he doesn’t choose to see—will he see any of this? And c’mon—what a great ending to this scene: “I will make some ashcakes. Which I will not share.” Give me more Jaghuts! Yep, I quite agree with this little excerpt at the start of the chapter and would love to say this to some people at times: “There is the door, and be sure to take all your pompous second-guessing delusions with you…” Hindsight is both a wonderful and terrible thing. You know something? When it all gets too deep in these books, I totally see Kallor’s point here. And I wonder if Erikson put it in deliberately as a nod to those who complain! “In my empires, philosophers spewed such rubbish for centuries, until, of course, I grew tired of them and had them tortured and executed.”

Characters that are only talked about or referred to in the books but do not make a full appearance are marked with (Mentioned only).This cat shadowing Torvald reminds me of my own—being where it shouldn’t be, getting underfoot, causing problems, but being so damn cute you just can’t resist petting it. Seeing Through Another's Eyes: Mother Dark uses Aranatha, an Empty Shell, to see and occasionally influence the events while she herself in trapped on the other side of the Gate of Darkness. That mostly involves cheering up Nimander and other small things.

Neth Space stated in their very positive review that Toll the Hounds "may be the best written volume so far in Steven Erikson’s momentous epic fantasy series: The Malazan Book of the Fallen". [8] [ unreliable source?] My Death Is Just the Beginning: A non-villainous, Heroic Sacrifice case that involves two people. As part of a Gambit Roulette, Hood and Anomander Rake set up their own deaths, the first being beheaded by the second and the second staging an I Let You Win Duel to the Death. It allows for Death's face to change, but more importantly to end Dragnipur's existence, free the Gate of Darkness and for Mother Dark to return to her children.

New in Series

What must the Andii be feeling—thousands of years of wishing for the return of Mother Dark and then this odd stirring of power? Imagine the hope, and then the realization. Grass Is Greener: A theme in Harllo's storyline. As he lives in the slums of Darujhistan, he dreams of the world beyond the city walls where there are pastures and endless possibilities. And when he ends up at the mines and befriends Bainisk, they dream together of the city and Harllo's real mother and a better world. Stubborn Mule: Two in fact — Kruppe, as always, has his trusty war mule and Pust brought his own to town right in time for an epic mule stare-off. Friends? Yes, clearly between Cotillion and Traveller (and just how sad is that line of Traveller’s that comes after Cotillion winks at him: “Traveller saw once more—after what seemed a lifetime—the man he had once called his friend” And even sadder, his unwillingness to respond to that feeling). Maybe with Shadowthrone. But at the least, shared experiences, which sometimes binds one tighter than friendship. It is odd, as Amanda says, to think of mischievous Andii children. Though also a bit heartening, this sense of kids being kids. Poor Endest….