Return of the Crimson Guard (Malazan Empire, #2) in The Bridgeburners

Oct 27, 2011 seak rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I have to warn you that I'm a huge Malazan fan, so take this review as you will. The Malazan world fulfills all of my childhood wishes to become Spider-man mixed with Wolverine's claws, Donatello's brain and ninja skills, and throw in Silver Surfer's surfboard too.

I realize some of those are moot with the inclusion of the others...but I was a kid. :)

This world is filled with the knarliest people doing the craziest things and I love it. Everyone (main characters that is) is either the best at wha ...more

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Mar 03, 2012 Lori rated it it was ok · review of another edition

About 1/3 of the way through. ICE has definitely matured in his writing since NoK. This one is dense, and somewhat wandering like Erikson, but not as well written, none of the complexity of characters. While Erikson hints at things and gives us baffling clues that slowly come together, ICE presents them as characters speak. Plus I'm not having all those deep thoughts of philosophy that imbibe the main Malazan series.

But! BUT! I love this world. ICE definitely succeeds in drawing us in to the poi ...more

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Aug 09, 2014 Duffy Pratt rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, shared-world

I would have liked to write a review of this book without comparing Esslemont to Erikson, but I can't. I love the Malazan world, and as a result, I enjoyed large parts of this book. Even so, it feels more like a gap filler than a fully conceived work of its own. This one covers the gap about what happens to Laseen and the Empire after she betrays Adjunct Tavore. And there are parts of it that I really liked - including the growth and development of a fledgling sapper who becomes Sergeant Jumpy. I would have liked to write a review of this book without comparing Esslemont to Erikson, but I can't. I love the Malazan world, and as a result, I enjoyed large parts of this book. Even so, it feels more like a gap filler than a fully conceived work of its own. This one covers the gap about what happens to Laseen and the Empire after she betrays Adjunct Tavore. And there are parts of it that I really liked - including the growth and development of a fledgling sapper who becomes Sergeant Jumpy. That was my favorite part of this book. Beyond that, I mostly like the cameos that harked back to the characters that I grew to know and love or hate in the Erikson books, from Traveller, to Kallor - even Mallick Rel.

My main problem with this book is that it feels like Esslemont tried to imitate Erikson. And in the process, he got it all wrong. He deftly incorporates all the things about Eriksons writing that I find infuriating, while leaving out, for the most part, what I love. Thus, there are lots of scenes where a character we should know appears. But Esslemont refuses to tell us who it is, and we have to guess, or go to the internet for the answer (or the speculation). And there are people formulating plans (most notably Mallick Rel), but the plans are kept secret from the reader. Combine this with a flatter, less engaging style of writing, and it made for slow going.

Esslemont also seems uninterested in having continuing characters. This is his choice of course. There's no reason why any of the players I liked from Knight of Knives to have large roles here. But I would have liked it better if one or two did. Erikson excelled at making you grow attached to his people, even ones you initially detested. If you are going to switch characters in each book, you should have the knack of making people hook into the new characters quickly. I didn't have that sense from Esslemont. He captured a few of the marines really well. But there are a bunch of players, most notably Kyle and Ghelel, for whom I developed little or no feeling at all.

If this was not a Malazan book, I would have no interest in returning to any of Esslemonts later work. I've heard they are better, and I really do like the Malazan world. But I can't imagine someone reading this as an introduction to this world and liking it. ...more

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May 25, 2009 Jason rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Esslemont (ICE) with this books shows why he is writing with Erikson in this wonderful universe. His first book "Night of Knives" gave us tantalizing hints of incredible action scenes and then comes this book which has one of the best battle scenes I have read yet. Esslemont also shows that he can have a huge stage and the countless characters that we get introduced to in both ICE and Erikson's books and manage them well. Once again the story is told by many characters and things are not what th ...more

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Apr 19, 2010 Donald rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2010, sci-fi-fantasy, epic-fantasy-series

The book really comes around about a third of the way through and delivers another excellent saga in the Malazan world. The first part is a little rough as the author is jumping between multiple story lines, often only spending a page or two with a set of characters before moving on. Once he hits his stride though, watch out. Good stuff.

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Sep 15, 2011 Jason rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: reread, fantasy

Very entertaining. Answers some questions about some of the many characters touched upon in the Malazan tale of the fallen series but not really examined. Also the introduction of new characters and a very lively reintroduction of the sapper and marine soldiers of the Malazan military. Quite evocative.

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