The Crippled God: Book Ten of The Malazan Book of the Fallen (Malazan Book of the Fallen, 10) Mass Market Paperback – April 24, 2012

***Minor Spoilers in the Article***Steven Erikson's Magnum Opus finally comes to an end! Gardens of the Moon was first published in 1999 back when Fantasy was still looked down upon and faithful readers had trouble finding Fantasy books in their neighbourhood bookstore. One of the reasons the status of Fantasy has a better status these days is the series of books that came after the Gardens of the Moon. It is because of this series that Fantasy has gained the kind of respect that it has these days. True, Erikson has his issues with grammar, pace and style. BUt no one can deny the ambition of his work. What Erikson lacks in some areas, he more than makes up with the depth of his characters and the sheer scope of his works.With that, let us get in to the final book of the series. The Dust of Dreams ended with the Bonehunters(Supposedly one of the primary protagonists, do not enter the frame until the fourth book) mauled badly by the Nahruk armies, almost by accident and the Shake returning to Kharkanas. As is typical of any Malazan book, the first part of the book is essentially set up. Although, perhaps because of the need to cram in so much in a single novel, the action begins early with the Great war between Darkness and Light... and then everything goes up like a Cusser on steroids with the Bonehunters' last March and the Shake's last stand. Erikson throws in a little bit of the Tiste Andi, the Soletaken, the return of the Jaghut, Forkrul Assail, Imass, the Elder Gods, Draconus, Icarium, the Bridgeburners and the K'Chain Che'Malle, some favourite characters from previous books to really create a mother of a Convergence and a heart wrenching climax to the series. Between all this Gods die, charaters we thought were dead come back one last time, betrayals occur and some fantastic set pieces unfold. Like others have said, many threads fom the early books find a neat resolution. However, there are plot threads that are still unresolved, but they are not major and expect to be taken care of in the upcoming novels by Esselmont and Erikson. Kruppe's and Karsa's return was great. Kruppe was hilarious after a long time. I think Erikson over indulged in Kruppe after Gardens of the Moon which was one reason why some of the later books were not as fantastic as the rest. But, this time with little time left for tautological philosophization that hobbled the second half of this series, this is the best Malazan book since the Memories of Ice. That said, my grouse(only) with the final installment is the potrayal of the Assail.They make very straightforward antagonists and some of the battles with them are anticlimatic, perhaps because there was only so much space & time available. Other than that the Crippled God is a satisfying resolution to arguably the greatest Fantasy series ever. Did I mention that Ganoes Paran finally returns? and that Quick Ben and Kalam are fantastic. Oh by the way, We still don't know what happened to Laseen!

Where do you start? This was a two journey of awesomeness. Erikson is a master. Great world building, characters you care about and one hell of a story. Read this series now!

Concluding this Super-Epic was a tall order, but Erikson pulled off the seemingly impossible. So many storylines all woven together, some not having been visited within the last three books, I worried that the concluding volume would be muddled and confusing. On the contrary, this book was laser focused on the central story arcs. 1) The Bonehunters and the struggle over the Crippled God and 2) the defense of the First Shore and the Shake. Every subplot and story from the entire series plays into these somehow, an incredible fact that I did not realize until reaching nearly the end of this final book. Many favorite characters who’s stories I had considered complete make brief (and important) appearances here, including Karsa Orlong, Mappo Runt, Icarium, and even Trull Sengar. By the end of this book, and thus the entire series, the story feels complete. All of the loose ends are tied up nice and neat and the world is left in a state of calm. I’m not sure whether I’ll pick up any of the spin off series, though the temptation is already there.One thing I’d like to acknowledge is that there was a lot going on here that I did not fully grasp. The intricacies, hidden truths, confusing associations, and sheer immensity of this series exceeds my capacity to remember or even understand some things. Erikson’s style of throwing the reader into a story without much guidance or explanation also contributes to the feeling of confusion many readers experience with these books. You get to explore these worlds organically, and as you start making associations you gradually start to feel more comfortable with the setting and characters. While some find this irritating to the point of not enjoying the books, I maintain that it adds to the experience. You almost feel like a character in the vast epic, gradually learning about the world, realizing things you missed at first, and eventually finding your footing. Truth be told, most people would need to read these books more than once to get the complete picture. But the complete picture is not required to enjoy the experience. Also, there is always the Malazan fandom wiki page if you feel too confused or want to examine the world more fully.I highly recommend the entire series!