Review|Memories of Ice - Steven Erikson

Yes, it's time for your daily dose of incoherent Erikson-praise. Well, maybe not quite that extreme, but I concede the point: I like Steven Erikson. However, the fact remains - Memories of Ice deserves its acclaim, proving a worthy successor to both Gardens of the Moon (admittedly the slightly weaker book in the series, according to most fans) and Deadhouse Gates. Directly continuing the story arc discovered in Gardens of the Moon, Memories of Ice elucidates upon our key conflict, in addition to that at hand: the war with the Pannion Domin, a people led on a religious war by the Pannion Seer. But not all is at it seems, here, and inhumanity may be just that: inhuman. Onearms Host, united with its former enemies - Anomander Rake, seeking a motive - a reason - for his people, the Tiste Andii, to live, and Caladan Brood - will go to war for reasons not entirely their own: for Empress Laseen's hands may not be as empty as they appear. Ganoes Paran, Captain of the Bridgeburners - a regiment notorious for their unwillingness to follow a man of noble birth -, fights an endless war against himself: but his role will be needed, and the Deck of Dragons, too, is driven by necessity. And as the T'lan Imass, champions of an eternal war against tyranny, converge, a chained god seeks to fetter others. But freedom is a cruel promise, and the House of Chains grows...

Erikson's intensely moral, poignant tale will enthrall, an epic of breathtaking proportions. It's evident that the reader doesn't - and shouldn't - understand Erikson's world, a collaborative composition between Erikson himself and Ian C. Esslemont. The term convergence is definitely appropriate, here, as Erikson is seen tying the threads from the preceding novels together into a tapestry that is altogether unexpected; still, he possesses smalls. Albeit minor ones - even sappers have a tendency to launch into philosophical discussion of war, rather than its practicalities. Worldbuilding, however, aided by Erikson's archaeological propensities, is deep, and the numerous texts glimpsed throughout the book provide enthralling, if flawed, glimpses of Erikson's future vistas.

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9.5/10