The Crippled God

The Malazan series ends with unexpected twists, surprising revelations and heartbreaking deaths. The Crippled God picks up from where the stories in Dust of Dreams left off.

It has two main stories: one, the mission to free the Crippled God, and the fight to save Kharkanas. It also included points-of-view from the Forkrul Assail, Tiste Liosan, Korabas, and Kaminsod - the Crippled God.

The Bonehunters continue their march through the Glass Desert and eventually met the Snake, which until after the meeting was a mysterious player in the overall story.

Meanwhile, the Shake fight on for Kharkanas. Their determination humbled the Tiste Andii, who have at last come home. Although at first it seems that this has no connection to the Crippled God, it was later revealed that there was some of of alliance between the K'Chain Nah'ruk, Liosan and Assail.

Paran and the rest of Paran's Host also appear in this book. Recall that in Toll the Hounds Picker tried to contact Ganoes but he was too busy to engage in a long conversation.

Mappo continued his search fo Icarium and Tool's role, and the significance of the events in the previous book, wasn't clear at first.

The physical description of the Forkrul Assail is much detailed here than in previous books. Kalyth also narrated the events that occurred during the occupation of the Forkrul Assail of Kolanse.

Although in the previous book it was mentioned that several gods would be involved and possibly fight over something, only the usual participants appeared in the book. There was a scene however where gods and goddesses were gathered at the Fall of Coltaine where they seem trapped or were unable to take any action. I don't know what to make of that. Draconus' grand entrance was also overrated but I'm glad he didn't interfere with the later events.

Some casualties might shock the readers but it was foreshadowed that Stormy, Gessler, Gruntle, Yedan Derryg and Mappo would all die. As for Tool's happy ending, it still didn't make sense why he didn't take any actions when he was still leading the Barghast. He could have left  earlier or prepared his family better. I still think it was selfish and irresponsible and that he doesn't deserve a second chance with Hetan.

There was one scene involving Quick Ben that intrigued me. He was talking to someone he called Mother and Father and I can't make sense of it. It somehow implies that he has some connections with Mother Dark and someone he called Father. But Quick Ben is one mystery that I don't want to be solved.

I also wondered how the release of Korabas will affect the other events. I was pleasantly surprised that it had a connection to the Crippled God after all. Not all books nowadays are hard to predict.

I love how Erikson wrapped up the main series by ending with the reunion of Apsalar and Crokus, and Fiddler talking to a boy when he was fishing, which mirrors the events in the first book.

There was only one character in this book that truly broke my heart and that was Kaminsod. I wish he was given more time to narrate the events in his point-of-view. There was no mention of him later too. It seemed that everyone was so quick to forget that he existed.

The book also discussed the many aspects of human nature. Humans are by nature destructive and that is why the Assail wanted to rid the world of this vermin to impose order. The Perish have their own version of imposing balance and that's letting the Wild flourish. Unlike humans, beasts don't try to destroy everything they see. But for Kilava, humans and the wild are the same and that reconciliation is possible.

Throughout most of the journey of the Bonehunters, those surrounding Tavore spent most of their time speculating about her real motivations and the source of her determination to fight a hopeless battle. During the conversations, several interesting insights can be gleaned and these in turn can best describe the overall theme of the book. The theme can summarized in three words: faith, compassion and despair. Tavore has faith in their mission because to not believe is to invite despair and contemplation that everything they have done so far is meaningless. Compassion too is what has driven her to free the heart of the Crippled God. Although in the previous books it seemed that Kaminsod was only driven by need for vengeance, he was not evil. Gods and people have been feeding on his suffering. He therefore has no choice but to despair and it's not surprising that he's been plotting for revenge. What Tavore sought to do was to balance the scales by freeing someone who did not deserve to suffer. Korabas too was a victim. She did not choose to be that way but instead of giving in to despair, knowing that she was not wanted, she still chose to live.

It was touching to know that part of the reason why Tavore has done all those things is because she felt responsible for her sister.

This is a great conclusion to the series although the part about Kaminsod was a bit lacking.

Rating: 9 out of 10

***
Here is the list of the 10 books in order:
1. Gardens of the Moon
2. Deadhouse Gates
3. Memories of Ice
4. House of Chains 
5. Midnight Tides
6. The Bonehunters
7. Reaper's Gale
8. Toll the Hounds
9. Dust of Dreams
10. The Crippled God

More Reviews to Come

So far I've done a few reviews of some anime, books and video games. I'll be writing more reviews of my favorite anime series in the next few weeks as well as the novellas from the Malazan Book of the Fallen series. I'll be rereading some of Dean Koontz's works too. Most of what I've reviewed so far I have watched/read/played in the past 3-4 years. I'll be including some series that I've recently finished too.

Things to do:
1. A four-part review of Prince of Tennis.
2. Top Ten lists of anything from the Malazan series.
3. Reviews of my favorite books by Dean Koontz.
4. Summary of some mythology and folklore books I'm going to read.

Junjou Romantica Season 2

The second season of Junjou Romantica is even better than the first. Misaki and Usami's relationship has leveled up. However, Misaki still questions his feelings for Usami, and what's more, the couple has to face more problems: the involvement of Usami's family.

Misaki met Usami's brother for the first time and trouble ensues. It seems that Haruhiko wants to steal Misaki, but Usagi took up the challenge and even kissed Misaki in front of Haruhiko.

Meanwhile, Hiroki and Nowaki still argue over the same issues as in the first season. But the couple here is more determined to keep their relationship stronger. They are more open about their feelings and they're doing their best to discuss problems openly instead of avoiding confrontations.

Miyagi also got the chance to finally tell Shinobu about his past - the woman, his teacher, whom he loved before. He apologized when he realized that Shinobu was insecure about it.

In the latter part of the series, Misaki also meets Usami's father. The father later told him that their relationship has ruined the family. For Misaki, it finally began to sink in that the kind of relationship he's in can potentially hurt the ones around them. I think this was all that was needed to let Misaki reflect on his feelings for Usami and give him a time to decide what he should do. This test also proved that he feels the same way for Usami.

I enjoyed this 12-part series. The storyline got even better and it was hard not to keep watching 'til the last episode. I'm giving this sequel a 10 out of 10 rating.

Dust of Dreams

In Dust of the Dreams, the story of the Bonehunters continue. Tavore and her army march across the Wastelands to Kolanse after staying in King Tehol's Letheras. Their allies, the Perish and the Khundryl, will join them along the way.

At first it was not clear what Tavore's intentions were but after the reading, done by Fiddler at the beginning of the book, they found out that they were marching to the lands occupied by the Forkrul Assail.

For the first time too, the readers will be given a chance to experience the events through the K'Chain Che'malle's point-of-view.

When the Errant heard about the unleashing the Deck of Dragons, he decided that the Elder gods should take action. The Errant, threatened by the upstart gods and the Master of the Deck, wanted to take everything he has lost. And so he gathered the Elders and discussed his plans.

Somewhere within the same continent, the Barghast were having problems of their own. Beset by internal strife, some clans have decided to separate from the larger group. They still haven't found the enemy they were destined to fight and it seemed that their dissatisfaction for Warchief Onos Toolan's lack of action has reached an end.

At the same time, a horde of children, survivors of a war, travel across a barren land beset by diseases and pursued by unknown forces. Their destination is unknown as well as their purpose.

Meanwhile, an odd company of strangers trailed by a ghost travel together and explore a strange 'city'.

Like the previous book, Dust of Dreams contains a lot of character introspection but to a lesser degree than Toll the Hounds. The overall mood too is dark, forewarning the reader that dark events are about to come.

Several themes have been explored in this book. Some of the characters who experienced similar situations showed different ways of coping with the problems. One such example is the difference between Torrent and Kalyth, who are both the last survivors of their tribes. Although plagued by regrets, they each tried to cope differently. Torrent was adopted into the Barghast and Kalyth by the K'Chain Che'malle. Kalyth was more determined to keep her memories alive by accepting her new role, but Torrent was content to see the Awl'dan children being integrated into the Barghast tribe.

Memories either served to strengthen the characters in this book or weaken their resolve. Memories too caused long-time friends Fiddler and Hedge to go separate ways. The Errant, remembering all his days of glory, sought to gain what he had. But for Sechul Lath, the past is past and it should just stay that way.

The memories within the Refugium was what its denizens also wanted to preserve. Now that it's dying, Silchas and Rud set out together to find a way to save everything - the Imass residing in that place, the culture and the glory of the past.

The legacy of the past was what kept Yan Tovis going on. Relying on the words of a blind man, she led the Shake to the Shore.

Some of the characters, recalling some events tried to weigh the past by looking at what-if scenarios. Some of them just dwelt on regrets. There are also plenty of passages in the book that tried to summarize the events that took place in the previous books. Cuttle told the story of the Bridgeburners and Olar Ethil revealed a lot of information as well. Yan Tovis and Yedan Derryg also pieced together information about their people's past.

For Cuttle however, history is "...just what's survived. But they're not the whole story...". An army, no matter how successful and no matter how many battles a commander has won, individual stories can't be found in the pages of history or in songs sung to heroes. I guess what Cuttle wanted to tell the young soldiers listening to him is that glory alone is not worth fighting for. He said that the Bridgeburners despite all their success, had to pay a price in the end.

Tanakalian will probably disagree with that statement because for him even when the exploits of an army is unwitnessed, the undertaking of an impossible mission is a glorious act in itself. He was referring to Tavore's plan to march to Kolanse where there is a possibility that they will be opposed by everyone and even isolated.

I also commend Erikson about his insights on women. There was a scene where Bakal asked Estaral why women were so willing to see another woman get hobbled. Kisswhere also commented on her fellow women and how they relate to each other. Not all men are familiar with how women build and destroy their relationships with other women.

Erikson brought up the idea of binary opposition as well. According to a K'Chain Che'Malle, tension is needed and that one god alone cannot exist for long. One force cannot exist without the other.

This book is full of revelations. It's important to read the previous books and to remember some of the past events that are mentioned here.

The battle scenes were okay but I admit I really can't see them play out in my head (but I'm not gonna dwell on those details).

What happened to Hetan greatly disturbed me. I'm not saying that it shouldn't have happened to her but it just seemed so out of character for Tool to act and think like the way he did in this book. I understand that he was having difficulties in dealing with the problems among the Barghast but he looked really weak. Although this isn't as good as Deadhouse Gates or Memories of Ice, the last two battles were unforgettable. After reading this, you will definitely want to start reading The Crippled God right away.

Basilisk: Kouga Ninpou Chou

What could be more tragic than lovers torn apart by betrayal, sense of duty and families willing to fight each other to the death.

Kouga Danjo and Ogen's granchildren suffer the same fate that befell them years ago. It seems like the stars decreed that they were not meant to be together; that peace between the Tsubagakure of the Iga and the Manjidani of Kouga, two ninja clans, will never be realized.

The story is set at the time when the heir of Tokugawa Ieyasu was being decided. To end the conflict, Ieyasu sought the counsel of a priest, who told him that the ninjas might be useful to decide who the rightful heir is. The ninjas were also seen as a threat and that letting them kill each other will benefit the government.

Gennosuke and Oboro

Little did they know that the two clans were about to reconcile through the marriage of Gennosuke and Oboro. Danjo and Ogen both knew this but did not mention it when they were summoned to Sunpu in what they thought was just a showdown of ninja arts. They both died and the war was carried on by the eighteen ninjas listed in the scroll.

The Iga found out about the contents of the scroll first and sought to lure Gennosuke to their camp so they can trap and kill him. The Kouga became suspicious and after sending a few people to Iga they soon discovered that the cease fire between the two clans has been broken. Gennosuke shows his ability for the first time. They then made their way back to their home.

From that day on, Gennosuke and Oboro were separated. Both felt that the war between the two clans was unjust. Oboro decided to seal her eyes so she would not accidentally harm her friends or participate in the fight. Gennosuke did the same.

This 24-episode series showcased the skills of the Kouga and the Iga ninjas, and tested the resolve of Gennosuke and Oboro who are trapped in the middle of the conflict.

Each member, composed of ten from each clan, employed special techniques. The following is the list of the other members of each clan, not including the former leaders and Gennosuke and Oboro:

Kouga

1. Kagerou, who's been fed poison throughout her life and uses her beauty and charms to kill enemies.
2. Kisaragi Saemon who can imitate another person's identity and even the facial features. His technique allowed him to infiltrate the Iga.
3. Muroga Hyouma, Gennosuke's mentor and friend. He is blind but he taught Gennosuke to see more as a precursor to teaching him a deadly technique.
4. Kasumi Gyoubu who can merge into any solid surface.
5. Okoi, Saemon's little sister who has the ability to absorb the enemy's blood when they come in contact with her skin.
6. Udono Jousuke, a playful and jolly fellow, who has a surprisingly elastic body.
7. Jimushi Jubei, who doesn't have any arms or legs. He hides his weapon somewhere.
8. Kazamachi Shogen, who uses phlegm when he attacks.

Iga

1. Yakushiji Tenzen, the immortal ninja who is more skilled in manipulating people than in actual combat.
2. Akeginu, who's very close to Oboro. She has the ability to use her blood during combat to distract enemies.
3. Chikuma Koshirou. He possessed the ability to creat whirlwinds with his breath and is also skilled with the boomerang.
4. Amayo Jingoro, has an unusual technique of being able to change his appearance into a liquid form. He has to have a water source nearby however or he could die.
5. Hotarubi, a demented girl who uses butterflies to overwhelm her opponents. She also has a pet viper.
6.  Mino Nenki, who uses his hair during combat.
7. Asuki Rousai, an old man who has the ability to stretch his powerful limbs.
8. Yashamaru. He uses a black rope made of women's hair and treated with a secret oil.

***

Someone once told me that the plot was silly because the ninjas were just trying to kill each other. However this has a basis in history. But that was not the focal point of the series. Like I mentioned earlier, the government saw the ninja clans as possible threats in the future. They were no longer needed and yet they were still practicing their deadly arts. Unlike the samurai, they were expendable.

The story tried to look more closely at the relationship between the two clans. Gennosuke and Oboro's love was tested. The frustration was there. What choice do they have? They can't defy orders and besides, both clans were willing to annihilate the other. Only the lovers wanted peace without having to spill any blood.

The series will make you feel helpless. Oboro too is not such a strong character and sometimes it makes you want to thump her head. She'd make up for it in the last episode though. I like what she did although it was a sad conclusion to the story.

The fight scenes are okay but I will not recommend this to anyone who does not like gore and blood.

Personally, I think Tenzen is a disgusting type of character, which made him even more effective and a formidable opponent. Seeing him die was all the more satisfying (and guess who did it?).

I like the animation and the opening and ending themes were both okay. I'm giving this series an 8 out of 10 rating.

Gravitation

Shuichi Shindo, an upcoming music star, is tested when he met a critic who told him he has zero talent when the paper containing his lyrics of a song was picked up by a stranger. Shuichi's pride was hurt and ever since that meeting he was determined to prove to that man that he can write.

Within the first episode, Shuichi was able to determine where the stranger, named Yuki Eiri, lives. It turned out that Yuki was a popular romance novelist. Irritated that Yuki teased him, he follows him around the house and insisted on a challenge. Shuichi was further disturbed when Yuki said he must be in love with him because he follows the latter around. They get on the elevator and still arguing, Yuki kissed Shuichi.

This 13-episode series tells the struggles of falling in love and trying to nurture a blossoming music career. Shuichi was not alone on his struggles to understand love and deal with the heartaches. He got plenty of support from his bandmates and co-workers, as well as from the band that inspired him to pursue that kind of work.

As colorful as Shuichi is, Yuki is the opposite. He can be too cold sometimes and he does not show his feelings openly. I sometimes feel sorry for Shuichi because Yuki ignores him sometimes. It also made me wonder if the latter feels the same way for the kid.

Yuki also had a dark past that he needed to forget. In the last few episodes Shuichi's determination to keep Yuki was tested again. It seemed they were not meant to be together after all, but Shuichi, and with help from the others, did not give up.

In the 2-episode OVA, Shuichi was the usual emotional and clingy lover. For some reason Yuki has been ignoring him and this bothered him deeply. He even had a dream about him and Yuki on the bed together (the first time this kind of scene was shown in the series). To add to his heartache, he learned that Yuki was writing a song for Nittle Grasper, something that Yuki has not done for him. Why can't Yuki write a song for him instead? Jealous and angry, he sinks deeper in desperation. It turned out later that Yuki was saving a sweet surprise for Shuichi.

Shuichi gets distracted and would always bring his love problems to work. I admit there were times he gets really annoying because he's too dependent on Yuki's affection. He's very unprofessional too but at least he finds a way to cheer up and still perform when consoled by friends. He can be a bit childish sometimes, like when a new member arrived, and needed some convincing to change his mind or make him happier. One good thing about him is that he truly loves Yuki in every sense of the word. He was determined to fight to keep and cherish his feelings even to the point of sacrificing his work ethic.

I recommend this series to anyone who wants more focus on the romance and the struggles of being in a relationship. Iam not a fan of Shuichi's singing or the music in this series in general but other people might find it to their liking. The series also has some funny moments.

I'm giving this series and the 2-part OVA both a 7 out of 10 rating.

Silchas, Anomander and Andarist

My latest drawing. I also posted this at deviantArt.

http://fav.me/d3kr2ei

Materials I used: graphite and color pencils. Scanned.

From left: Silchas Ruin, Anomander Rake and Andarist. Characters from the Malazan Book of the Fallen series.