So enjoying this series! Love reading a book and then coming here. Truly feels like a book club and your enthusiasm is awesome! I don't know if you've already mentioned this book in the future recommendations, but one sci-fi book I love is Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes. It's so cleverly written, and it's moved me so so deeply. Thanks guys!

I'm a bit late to the party but I just read the first half of Gardens of the Moon and found a recommendation for this book club on Reddit! Really enjoyed this first episode and looks like I'll be reading along!

OH MY GOD, I LOVE THE REUNION SO FUCKING MUCH. FINALLY THE NAMING OF THE BONEHUNTERS. The beautiful dialogue between Fid, Tavore and Faradan Sort. I love this moment SO MUCH. Oh my god. I've been waiting for you to get here for so long, I didn't remember it took so damn long for them to reunite lmao. Goddamnit. I'm pretty sure I cried a little when I read that. It's so good. I had to highlight the whole (or almost) dialogue on my notes. Fuck, does Erikson know how to write a payoff, holy shit. The Ganoes section with Poliel and Soliel is pretty awesome, too. And I felt the same as you two when it was revealed what Poliel was doing. We've been told of Burn's fever since, like, book 3. And then they hit us with the "well, y'know what a fever is, right? it's how the body fights infection. And you just got rid of it. Stellar fucking job", it's so good. I also really loved seeing Quick Ben and Torahaval's past. Little Quickie being the most annoying mischievous child ever conceived of, lmao. OH, great choice of quotes. I really like Scillara's one, I love how Erikson treated her choice of what is essentially giving her child for adoption

Here for the Eres'al double entendres

And now you know why Hood would influence Whiskeyjack to not heal his leg. His act of stealing his sister directly leads to his death.

1:15:12 That would be Picker. Feather Witch had a finger hanging from something. That belongs to Brys.

I believe it’s generally accepted Trull was chained in the nascent for years, but less than a decade. Based on the generally accepted time span between MT and GoT. But we had a saying in the old days when the books were getting published: the timeline doesn’t matter 😅

28:47 also remember, the last time Karsa and Icarium met, they started to fight, and Mappo broke it up after Icarium broke Karsa's wooden sword.

Witness!

This was a really good episode despite a few misunderstandings. Yes, as others have pointed out, the Hanging Man bar is in Malaz City, which in the continent of Quon Tali. We have been here in Deadhouse Gates climax, with Kalam facing Laseen. Crockus and his friends used to be in the Phoenix inn, which is in Darujhistan in Genabackis. You have met Banaschar in the prologue of this book in Kartool island. He was the one that led Hellian to that slaughter in the temple of Drekml. So Hellian wants to arrest him for upending her life. We have met Ahlrada Ahn and Yan Tovis in Midnight Tides before. But the imageries are too good in these chapters. You didn't mention the part where the Edur named Quick Ben as Ceda, which used to be the title of Kuru Quan, their best mage. Waiting for the next weeks.

The Eres’al impression…😂

Another great episode! Thank you. On Cotillion and Apsalar, my understanding is that Cotillion feels some sort of parental feelings towards her since his possession conformed her in a way and thus the family resemblance Urko sees in her. I thought she is the daughter he told Panek had to forgive him. Cotillion would be an interesting topic for a future conversation with Steven Erikson. But maybe that's only because he's one of my favourite characters 😅

I've always wondered... And its not a big deal at all, but why are you worried about keeping the videos PG when its discussing Malazan: Book of the Fallen, something that a younger kid should probably definitely not be reading. And if they are, the small slip ups in language on the recap video seems inconsequential to what they would've read, no? Again, it's really not a big deal, just something I've wondered. Thank you for doing these! They are the highlight of my week for KZbin and the only thing I watch with consistency!

Also love how references are made to the dramas transpiring in other locales like the Malazan armies in Korel and the Imas on Assail (other books)

You guys know Brokeface is the guy who got bit by Fiddler’s horse right? I’m not sure if you mentioned it

Yeah, Banaschar is that priest Hellian swore to find (maybe she said kill??) the last time we were in her pov.

Ahlrada Ahn is another one of those small characters that get a cool bit of story (like our boy, Buke). He's the guy that Trull thought hated him in MT. Turns out he hates all Edur except Trull!

The weather vane! Good call out Jeff!

29:14 Erikson mentioned that tBH is two novels in one. Chapter 7 was the climax of novel 1, the next climax is even cooler than the previous one. You hit the jackpot.

Banaschar was the priest of D'rek in the prologue Ahlrada Ahn was the darker skinned Tiste Edur that was in Trull's hunting party when the war was beginning in Midnight Tides same with Yan Tovis she was part of the fort that surrendered

Yes! we have finally reached ,my favorite chapters of the entire S.E.R.I.E.S.

Braventooth is the guy who named most of the solidary in the Malaz Army, T'ay was also a demidrek of D'rek.

The epigraph to chapter 17 is one of my favorite passages from the entire series so far. Philosophical meditation on nihilism so melancholy and eloquently written. Then the last paragraph is like “Everything sucks, so buy some drugs!!” So funny. So good.

About 3or4 years have past since Gardens,Tides roughly!!

When my partner texts me that the new DLC episode is out: "I know, it's Ahlrada Ahn"

Banaschar was last seen in Kartool with Hellian. Crokus is from Darujhistan and the bar there was the Phoenix Inn 😉

11:10 Donnie Brasco

? Kruppe and the crew are not in malaz city, the last time we were here was in deadhouse gates when Kalam is there

Also dancing

Started dancing

😮

The painter and toad critic were in Memories of Ice on the way to Coral. Midnight Tides happened around Gardens of the Moon time -so Rhulad had sent out parties all around the globe searching for note-worthy fighters to bring back for him to fight! so while Tavore was landing in Aren and re walking the Chain of dogs these guys were sailing the Oceans bring fighters back to Lether.

Love the book club, but not loving the reveals about never seeing characters again. Feels a bit too spoilery

I listened to this chapter while on strong painkillers... would not recommend.

Elden Ring feels like a future timeline of the malazan world to me: mostly everyone has died and all thats left are ascendants and people in power, vying for more power. That being said I'd love to see a game set in Darujhistan following the assassins and cabal and all that intrigue!

Envy and Spite are Draconus' Daughters. Anomander, Andarist, and Silchas Ruin are the children of Mother Dark.

I always get the impression that the K'Chain Che'Malle are actually an invading Alien race.

a few weeks before getting to this chapter, I went to the Perot Museum here in Dallas because they had a T-rex exhibit that was awesome! there was a movie that was about the T-rex and one of the points it discussed was how scientists first reconstructed T-rex skeletons to walk upright, and later learned they used their tails to counter balance their bodies and would actually walk horizontally. so cool to learn that right before Erikson snuck that cheeky revelation into this novel!

“A child with lines on his face. This is the true legacy of the Chain of Dogs. Lines on his face, and hands stained red.”

It's funny, Lana, that you put into words a feeling I've always had about Erikson's writing, but never had the words to articulate.

Thanks for picking up my question! Great answers. I hope you both enjoy book/part 4!

I definitely used to be one of those “non fiction only” readers as an adult. I was just too slow of a reader to spend time on a book that wasn’t “helping” in some way. Man was I wrong, though I’m slow, reading this, and other fiction books (Three Body Problem, Dune, Annihilation) has been an absolute delight. It’s just different from TV or movies how it takes hold of your mind (plus it “helps” with inspiration for my DnD campaign). I wish someone had convinced me earlier! Excellent breakdown, love having you two to “read along” with me!

It's soo cool rereading these books with the bookclub because i didn't catch stuff while barreling through the first time. Like the worshipers/mortals vs gods theme throughout this book. From the murder of D'rek's followers in the prologue, the god honey hallucinations, QB's sister's story, and so on....Also QB's sister's thoughts on gods and believers - explains how a cool god like Mael will have the worst followers (Smile's backstory, Mallick Rel, yuck!) No wonder Mael just chills out with Tehol all day.

I love how Ganoes bringing the horse inside is a callback to GotM when he first meets Laseen, he rides his horse through her throne room and it trashes the floor.

Is it me or Lana's t-shirt is soooooo apt for this episode? (Bottle's rat)

during the previous episode you described the scene where the TTG broke the sword into pieces and gave Ganoes a sliver. Jeff said "i bet that comes in HANDy". I cackled, knowing that in the next chapter, it impales Poliel's hand

...and as mentioned, Brokeface Killer is from one of your fave Fiddler chapters in DHG. Your Gral horse episode was hilarious!

I think with the dogs/Shadowthrone/Quick Ben - Shadowthrone drops QB right in the path of the hounds being chased by the Deregoth. He didn't release the hounds on QB, he just threw him in their path. So he held up his end of the bargain but cheated as usual.

Jeff’s dance moves reflect the majesty of one on the cusp of ascendancy. Any week now…

These chapters are 🔥🔥🔥 My heart was in my throat during the reunion of the 14th and then next book title -"The Bonehunters"!!! Beautifully done.