For a Malazan novel this is a 3/5. BUT the last 100 pages is a 5/5. This book is close to 1300 paperback pages and I believe the longest in the series, counting the side books and Esslemont books...(I'm reading everything in publication order) and I'd say about 1100 pages of this was rather a slog and slow going. I've nothing against slow going, but I, like others, found myself rather disengaged and disinterested at times, until that last 100-200 pages. There were brief bits of excitement and intrigue throughout, but they were rather scarce. Please do not misread my 3/5 and my negative comments. This was an epic book! BUT it was the weakest yet. Still a literary masterpiece. When compared and contrasted to the others though, I must give it the rating I feel it deserves... "for a malazan novel". This would be a 5/5 compared to most anything else.

This book is shock and awe in the end. Shock... and ... AWE. And grief. Oh the grief. But it takes a long ass time to get to that. I found myself very confused at times, more so than usual. Books 4-7 left me far less confused. Even in the end I find myself struggling to remember some of what I just read, so much happened, so many characters, so much perspective hopping. And god, I've got an awful memory. I may need to read the Tor Re-Reads summaries of books 1-7 again, and this one... before the next book, because wow, I've been reading these since 2019 and I'm really forgetting stuff bad now, in spite of how much I've practically studied these.

The chapters are so very fragmented that it can be difficult to actually put things into memory. You will read a few pages of a character, then nothing for a long long time. Or in some cases a mere paragraph, then a perspective shift. I found this very jarring. I also found the narrative speaking to the reader a bit unfitting. Normally I love Kruppe but I found him mostly boring in this book. Usually he is the absolute highlight of any scene or book. He had some amusing moments, to be fair, but on the whole, I was disappointed with the Kruppe content.

Everything eventually comes together, but in a rather confusing way. So this sadly, gets a 3/5 overall. It took a long time to read. I started it a week into April and only finished it end of May. That said, I had other books I was reading on the side, for when I couldn't handle malazan. Sometimes I need an easier read. And as mentioned, there were periods of boredom with this book.

I found the narrative at times too introspective and philosophical in its lengthy or countless diatribes. THAT SAID, I didn't hate this book. I know I sound like I am putting Erikson down here. You come into this book with certain expectations. This book wasn't like the others. It was meandering and slow going and introspective and rambling and confusing. BUT IN THE END... it was WORTH IT. I actually look forward to some day finishing all 26 (soon to be 27 and more) books... so I can reread them all with more clarity, and pick up and understand the bits I missed along the way.. I know I am missing a lot.

Looking forward to Dust of Dreams! (though I hear it is super slow). I have so many questions about what's to come, and what's happened.

I had watery eyes when I finished this book! A grown man! With watery eyes! Alas, I am helpless in the face of great writing.

I cannot talk about anything in this book without spoiling everything sadly. If you can make it to the end... this book is worth the struggle.