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Toll the Hounds (Malazan Book of the Fallen) | 
 enlarge | Author: Steven Erikson
Publisher: Bantam Press
Category: Book
List Price: £18.99
Buy New: £10.44
You Save: £8.55 (45%)
New (21) Used (5) Collectible (2) from £6.99
Rating:  20 reviews
Sales Rank: 359
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 896
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.8
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 6.5 x 2.3
ISBN: 0593046374
EAN: 9780593046371
ASIN: 0593046374
Publication Date: July 1, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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| Customer Reviews: Read 15 more reviews...
 The bell tolls for Erikson August 28, 2008
S. Edwards (Watford, Britain.)
4 out of 10 found this review helpful
I'm an enormous Erikson fan, and read all seven of his previous novels with relish. I was eagerly awaiting the release of 'Toll the Hounds.'
Sadly, this novel is a significant fall for Erikson from the ranks of the fantasy mighty.
The novel is largely set in Dariujistan, where the entire cast of characters ultimately converge, including Cutter, Iskaral Pust and the beligerant Karsa Orlong. The city is also the setting for such notables as Anomander Rake and the broken remnants of the Bridgeburners.
Darujistan itself is cloaked in a darkness, and Anomander Rake broods within; in short, his usual enigmatic self.
Effectively, the plot builds upon the basis that a Tyrant is prophesised to conquer Darujistan. As the characters and plot slowly converge upon this single thread, Erikson uses the opportunity to explore the characters motivations and personalities in depth. This is where the novel fundamentally differs from those previous, in that this is what dominates the novel - motivations and character development and frankly random dialogue and theorisation on the part of the characters, that ultimately leads nowhere. Unusually for Erikson novels, there is very little that actually happens in this book in terms of plot. The characters thoughts and even dialogue therefore seem like so much padding.
There is also a truly huge cast of characters covering perhaps eight broad groups of people. Erikson has a frustrating tendancy to write just a couple of pages on each group and then flit to the next group. This technique pevades the whole book and gives the whole plot a sense of randomness and lack of co-ordination that I've not seen in his novels before. Erikson also fails to join up many of the diverse plotlines, and it is unclear, even at the end of the novel what value or contribution they really made.
The novel is truly epic in size (though for Erikson quite normal) at 900+ pages. The real action only begins after some 600 pages though, and only there does it start to make any sense. So, it takes considerable patience to get that far. The final 300 pages, without spoiling it, are not as dramatic or even original as we are used to from Erikson.
In summary, 'Toll the Hounds' falls well short of the standard that we have come to expect from the genius that is Erikson. It's probably a novel for his most devout fans, others can happily (and sadly) pass it by.
 Toll the Hounds Rings the Bell August 24, 2008
T. Bartell (West Simsbury, Connecticut)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Erikson does a masterful job with this newest installment of the tale of the Fallen. Particularly intriguing is the careful development of characters from past novels, and how they have matured since the first installment. This is good stuff. A number of seemingly invicible characters from earlier novels are now a step slower, fatally in some cases. I rated the last book at 4/5 stars which was probably overly harsh, and was hoping that this one would hit the high standard set by Memories of Ice (my personal favorite). Tolls the Hound is a fantastic read, advancing many of the intricate plots set in motion in Gardens of the Moon. Bravo Steven Erikson, you have done it again!
 some good ... some bad August 21, 2008
L. Palmer (Melbourne, VIC Australia)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I have nothing but respect and admiration for Steven Erikson and his Malazan series but with this latest offering some flaws are becoming noticeable.
First the positives:
Erikson has ramped up the stylism of his prose for Toll the Hounds and it's very impressive. Although some reviewers have criticised this change I found that it allowed me to read through from first page to last and stay interested all the way through. This is in contrast with some of his earlier novels where I have to admit there were sections where the prose got very heavy/chunky and I tended to skim read a little.
The storytelling is once again on that convoluted and grand/epic scale we've come to expect where, for the most part, the victories and losses of the "dramatis personae" all feel earned rather than expected. Erikson keeps you guessing the various twists and turns until the very end and demonstrates yet again his mastery of ... I don't know how to describe it ... poignancy?
Now the negatives:
The pace of this novel is a little slow - on the very edge of being annoying.
I was disappointed at how diffuse the plot seemed to be. One of the most impressive things so far about the Malazan series is how Erikson has been able to write cohesive, effectively stand-alone epics for each installment whilst incorporating quite a few subplots that have tied together over multiple novels. I didn't think that this novel had the same level of cohesion. Essentially we have the Anomandaris storyline as the major plot (with Erikson's (brilliant) trademark gripping prologue, whose significance doesn't become clear until the very end, and then the bulk of the book is taken up by the convergence of various "major players" to Darujistan for the climax + a few sideplots in the city itself. The problem is that while the main plot and it's resolution is very well done, the plot climaxes for most of the rest of the cast seem .. well, a little anticlimactic, and their incorporation into the main story a little forced. Perhaps this is inevitable for so ambitious a series though. Hopefully Erikson can avoid the quagmires that other 10+ book series like the Wheel of Time and War of Light and Shadow series have fallen into.
The characterisation and dialogue of some of the familiar faces in Toll of Hounds left something to be desired. In particular Gothos, who sounded like a Bridgeburner marine to me; Clip (pre-Bastion), I don't remember him being so one dimensional and unlikeable in the last book; and most of all Lady Envy :( Lady Envy has been a character that I've been waiting, well years, to see again and when she does make an appearance I barely recognise her.
Erikson employs a new storytelling device in this book where Kruppe is introducing or commenting on some of the events, often philosophically. Unfortunately it comes off a little preachy, I hate to say it but sort of Terry Goodkind preachy.
Finally, and this is a criticism of the series as a whole, I think that Erikson might have bitten off more than he can chew by introducing so many Ascendants and Gods and superbeings. I don't know about everyone else but I have trouble putting them all in perspective or comparing them. The convergence of a few of them in the finale of this novel illustrated some of the problems. Having spent so long building the prowess of each one up it it seemed like Erikson ran into problems finding challenges appropriate for each. They were mostly unsatisfying.
All in all though this novel is far from being a deal breaker for the series ... enjoy!
Unbeatable August 10, 2008
Mr. D. I. Newton
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
Firstly I will admit that this is not as good as earlier books in the series, Deadhouse Gates being by far the best in my own opinion. But the series has not faltered at all as some previous reviewers point out, its on equally as brilliant a level as always but some will always have their personal preferences about what is best (and also most people only seem to find or atleast admit that things are brilliant until they are older, why?)
I could go on and point out all the different things in this book which I do find brilliant but I am not going to do that, I simply wish to share the one thing that I find in Eriksons writing style which makes him by the far the most superior writer in this genre and indeed I would go as far as to say in any genere (I am not just making this statement I read anything from Akunin to Erikson, W. Smith to Tolkien or Tolstoy to Feist)
The way Erikson portrays his characters are unbelievable even "fringe" characters of which there are quite a few in this book you cant help but make an attachment too. Characters who spend anything from a page or a chapter in one of his books Erikson always portrays them so well as to leave you wanting to know more about them and hoping they do well and in most cases wanting them to live.
Thus Erikson always manages to stun me with the cruelty and harsh reality of life which is portrayed within his books. There is no great hero transcending all, with perfect virtues always knowing what is good and wishing to do it. Everyone is flawed, everyone is in someway not what you quite expect or want from them, in a fantasy book he has managed to hold a mirror up to life which i think is a fantastic acheivment.
This mirror is what makes his books most effective, very rarely can an author write so well that I am forced to put down a book in shock as I have to consider what has just been said. Erikson manages this with aplomb, who can forget the moment Coltaines army fell within view of Aren? With a full army watching as a coward holds them back.? Well in this book I find the same thing happening as *SPOILER HERE* Anomander Rake dies fighting traveller. Anomander is a hero in this book, flawed as all others but with a certain dark destiny and noble soul that you cant help but feel an attachment too, you can feel a sense of purpose about him. So when he died I was truly shocked and even saddened. This is what amkes Erikson a great author not just the sweeping story, the great characters but the fact that he is an author who can still effect you with his words.
His most recent books are not as good as the earlier ones, but they are still BRILLIANT and far better than anything else on offer out there. The day this series finishes will be a sad day indeed.
Toll the Hounds August 9, 2008
Vez
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Throughout the series, questions have been raised that have never been answered. This book acts as a explaination to the previous novels and also introduces a range of new characters. It was a little slow to start but by the middle, it was a true Malazan epic.
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