Review: The Bonehunters

The Bonehunters by Steven Erikson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Another hefty installment. At this point, it feels like the millions of plot threads and dropped clues and shifting mysteries of Erikson's world are beginning to coalesce. The universe has stopped expanding and the big shrink has begun. And while the book has plenty of action itself, I am at last getting the sense that things are building towards a climax.
I would enjoy the Malazan books better if I had a better memory. There are just too many threads for me to keep track of, meaning that often I am reading familiar names while hoping I'll remember what the hell they're up to before the scene is over. It's surely the result of writing within a universe he's been creating and exploring for years (through his Dungeons & Dragons campaigns).
On one hand, I applaud him for writing high concept fantasy that is rewarding in direct correlation with how close attention you pay to the details. I'm probably going to read through the plot summaries of the six under my belt already before jumping into book 7, because I'm certain I've missed many things that will pop up again later with some crucial import.
On the other hand, it's so dense as to be daunting. While I can only speak to my own reading experience, I know I wouldn't recommend these books to a friend. It's something you should only wade into of your own volition, and be prepared to jump ship.
While there's plenty to be said for Lee Child, John Carpenter, and Norman Rockwell, there is no imperative that art be audience friendly. Often it's the challenge of engaging with art that makes it rewarding. Whether the reward is worth the challenge will be different for every audience; what makes the Erikson saga difficult for me is that the satisfaction of solving the puzzle is often outweighed by the frustration of being lost. Each book seems to have about two thrilling set pieces, one early and one late, that keep me going until the next one, but the vast swathes of marching, thin dialogue, and convoluted politicking can read like molasses as you wait for forces to collide again in spectacular conflict.
But I gotta see how it all ends. It's taken me ten months to read the first six, and I can't stop now. If you've read the whole series, how long did it take you?

View all my reviews

Review: Doctor Sleep

Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Stephen King is getting comfortable, as anyone with an oeuvre of his size has every right to do - but comfortable does not make for good horror. He's got a concept and he's got some mechanics to move his players through, and it's oh so readable, but the characters are too familiar to any SK fan. Our protagonist is King's go-to, the all American middle aged man; he's a sober alcoholic, but it's a token complexity that has little bearing on the story.
I don't think our Constant Writer is surprising himself anymore. The Shining, to which this book is a sequel, is messier, less predictable, and takes a toll on its characters. Doctor Sleep's characters triumph over evil, high five each other, and live happily ever after. When the movie eventually comes out (and surely everything's eventual), it'll be blandly PG-13.
Even though Stephen King has been more miss than hit for me in his last... uh... twenty years (yikes), when he pushes into truly new territory I'll always give it a try. Instead of Doctor Sleep, any of these recent King books show him stretching his muscles more:
Under the Dome: a long, slow burn in the underbelly of a trapped small town. The characters aren't new or surprising, but there's real tension and a thrilling final act;
Everything's Eventual: 14 Dark Tales: some very tightly written short stories, including being awake through an autopsy;
The Wind Through the Keyhole: set in the Dark Tower universe, he deftly plays with fantasy and fable to write something quick, exciting, and fun.

View all my reviews