Book Review: Midnight Tides by Steven Erikson

Midnight Tides by Steven Erikson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I have just one word to describe this book:

Nerd-gasm.

Alright, I'm done.

In all seriousness, this is another case of my putting aside a book for lack of time, only to pick it up again months later and thenceforth being completely unable to put it down.

Mr. Erikson, I am envious of the way you weave words and worlds. I adore the language, the lucid flow of beautiful words that paint incredible visages before my mind's eye. I am enamoured by your characters - that they are so strong, and weak, and whole, and flawed, and beautiful, and hideous. That they engage in terrible acts for beautiful reasons.

You, sir, are a master of the genre.

Enough of my love-letter.

There is so much I loved about this book - the language, the characters, the humour, the heartbreak. I especially enjoyed the humorous play between Tehol and his man-servant, Bugg. I loved the way each character, no matter which side of the conflict they were on, were intrinsically human, caught in internal struggles between what is right, what is wrong, and the often impossible choices they faced. I found it easy to relate to.

I actually felt a twinge of regret when I shut it, having finished the narrative.

I feel like I'm gushing a bit, and I probably am. That's only because there is something about this book, and this series - something I'm yet to fathom fully - that pulls me in wholly and completely. This is what good writing should do.

I sit at my computer in awe, and cannot wait to start on the next book in the series... after I finish reading the books I have on loan from friends.

Mr. Erikson, you've done it again.

View all my reviews

So Much Paper

I feel so guilty editing as I am - printing out a chapter a day and pouring through it with a red pen. So much paper that will one day be nothing but scrap... it's depressing. Still, it needs to be done.

As I'm editing, I've really noticed that I absolutely without reservation need a second, third and fourth pair of eyes. I know this by the dirth of red marks on the page. That is to say, there aren't very many. Which is to say, I'm not a very good self-editor.

Argh!

I currently have my very first Beta Reader going over the book chapter by chapter. Her prologue comments were both useful and amusing. I can't wait to read what she has for the first chapter. There were many more awkward sentences in that chapter than in the prologue.

I'm currently reading a Steven Erikson novel, and feeling incredibly jealous. The man is a master of prose. I am, well, not. I find as I read, being much more critical in general (though, this particular story sucks me in too deeply to be overly critical), and with this book (Midnight Tides, a Malazan Book of the Fallen novel), I find myself wishing I could write like him.

Gosh he's good!

Right, that's enough crazy stalker fan girl from me. There's editing to do. Wish me luck!

Pollrumptious

Restive; unruly; foolishly confident.

- John Farmer's Slang and Its Analogues, 1902