Pretensions finally reached the end of Reaper's Gale, the latest 1200 page installment in Steven Erikson's 10-volume Malazan Empire series. For those not familiar with Erikson's magnum opus, it's Fantasy done in the style of War and Peace. Read hundreds of characters, followed over millenia (literally) and a morally ambiguous universe with fallible heroes and redeemable villains. Erikson's universe does not lack magic or other supernatural elements, in fact magic, wizards and a whole pantheon of gods are major characters in his books, but this is no airy bubble-gum type fantasy with teenybopper wizards and lisping elves.

Canadian author Steven Erikson was an archaelogist and anthropologist before he became a writer and it shows through in his gritty renditions of life in a land of decaying empires with no running water and rubbish in the streets. His magic and many of his gods are often malevolent forces and power (sometimes literally) twists and warps those who thirst for it. A hero in Erikson's books may die horribly in a few pages - an advantage of the author's multiperspective method of telling a tale.

Reaper's Gale is the seventh volume in the series that began with Gardens of the Moon. The latter was P's entry to the series a few years ago and what an introduction! The book was a new myth in the style of the Iliad. Its ancient races (the Jaghut, Fokhrul Assail, Imass, Tiste Andii and Malazan humans) stalked forth from the pages often bearing blood-dripping flint mattocks and carrying magics in their blood. What would make a whole race swear the destruction of another and become undead to complete the destruction? How would gods react to their own death? How could men declare war on their gods and ascend to become new gods? The series encompasses all these in its sheer breathtaking scope.

Reaper's Gale continues the latest strand of the series, concentratin g on the Letherii empire and its mad immortal emperor, Rhulad Sengar, a youth who becomes the tool of the Crippled God by picking up a cursed sword. Thanks to the sword, Rhulad is unable to stay dead, though each death he undergoes wrecks his brain and spirit more and more. There are factional struggles between Rhulad's race, the shadowy Tiste Edur and the rest of the Empire of Lether. Rhulad is also surrounded by a corrupt court of power-seeking Letherii officials, who seek to ensure that the emperor is cut off from his kin. However, the empire of Lether is under threat both from within and from numerous assailants, including an invading Malazan fleet, tribal warfare, the ancient revenant of Silchas Ruin and several forgotten gods.   The only winner in the resulting chaos would seem to be Hood, the god of death, but beware the secret players in the game. Veteran readers of Erikson's work will be rewarded by the appearance of several recurring characters, including several not-quite-dead Bridgeburners (with intact sense of humour), the amnesiac Icarium who bears vast destructive power and of course the Crippled God, the main "villain" in Erikson's novels; He who manipulates the world ruthlessly to break free of his chains.

Erikson's work is hard-going (it's very difficult to keep the plot straight even with frequent references to the maps and dramatis personnae), but ultimately very rewarding for those who want a rich, meaty broth of a novel, steaming wth intrigue and laced with juicy bits of horror. Very strongly recommended especially since the paperback is now readily available!