Orb Sceptre Throne is set right around the
time of the events in The Crippled God
(Book Depository, Powell’s Books, Indiebound, my review) and most directly
follows the events of Toll the Hounds (BookDepository, Powell’s Books, Indiebound, my review), and good familiarity with Gardens of the Moon (Book Depository,
Powell’s Books, Indiebound) and Memories
of Ice (Book Depository, Powell’s Books, Indiebound) will help. However,
some of arcs of Orb Sceptre Throne
also directly follow events in Stonewielder
(Book Depository, Powell’s Books, Indiebound, my review) and Return of the Crimson Guard (BookDepository, Powell’s Books, Indiebound, my review) and there are always
references to people and events from all of the books set in the Malazan world – Orb Screptre Throne even features a cameo of sorts from the stars
of Erikson’s novellas.
Confused yet?
Forget the plot summary – there’s a description that captures some
of it on the back of the book, but more importantly, even briefly summarizing
all of the different arcs of Orb Sceptre
Throne would take a couple thousand words (only a slight exaggeration). And
therein lies what is probably the biggest problem with the book – there are too
many stories being told at once. This causes a bit of confusion and prevents a
focused narrative from ever developing. This is hardly a new criticism for
books in the Malazan world – both
Erikson and Esslemont are guilty of this elsewhere. But with Erikson, there are
always thematic threads that bind the various arcs together and bring a focus
of sorts. Esslemont’s writing largely lacks the thematic depth, leaving things
far too unfocused.
So far I’ve been all bad and no good – well, there is plenty of
good to be had. But make no mistake, this good is for the fans (after all, it
is essentially book 14 of a 16 book series). The fans get more Bridgeburner
action – those few remaining survivors lie at the heart of this one. The Seguleh
come alive and we see what they can do. Dassem and Caladran Brood are around,
and some of those key people we first met way back in Gardens of the Moon are back in action. We get a creation story for
the world of Wu and the fallout from the convergence at this end of this book
should have some big implications to come. And there is ever-present aspect of
Esslemont’s writing that fans either love or hate – the relative lack of philosophical
musings that Erikson populates his books with.
It’s a complicated situation with story arcs dropped by one author
and picked up by the other, a huge cast of characters often with slightly
differing interpretations from each author and a few other inconsistencies
thrown into the mix. This confused complexity of the Malazan world and its creators provides the appropriate backdrop
for introducing Malazan’s latest
entry, Orb Sceptre Throne (for better
and worse). Of course if you are already a Malazan
fan (and you probably are if you’re reading this review), then you probably
know all of this and likely don’t find it so confusing. And this is equally apropos
because Orb Sceptre Throne is both a
confused mess and the next great fix for Malazan fans.
What it all simmers down to is this: Orb Sceptre Throne is a mediocre book in the Malazan world, however it is filled with juicy bits that fans will
enjoy and it provides a few answers and a fair bit of set-up for the epilogue
that Esslemont is writing for Erikson’s series.
Another problem holding back Esslemont’s writing is his caginess.
Yes, subtlety plays an important part in writing, information must be withheld
to maintain interest and suspense, and not every arc can or should come to a
complete resolution. However, Esslemont tends to take things too far, which
results in more confusion and frustration and brings us to what is the other
biggest problem in the book – the apparent lack of an end game.
Even the most die-hard Malazan
fans (such as myself) are probably asking what is the end game? Where is
Esslemont going with these books? Again, this is a common issue in Malazan, and I believe an intentional
one. For example – what Malazan fan
after reading the first 5 books in the series actually had an idea of where Erikson
was going with things? My guess – none, and fans were loving the wild ride. But
once again, Esslemont takes this important aspect of the overall concept of the
Malazan books too far, reversing its
effectiveness.
Ultimately, Orb Sceptre
Throne is a book only a fan could love – and that’s just fine. I consider
it one of the lesser volumes in the Malazan
world, but there is enough of a fix to keep us fans up until we get the next
installment. Due to a few conversations I’ve been privy to over the years, I
think I’ve got an idea of where Esslemont is going with all this. I just hope
he’s up to it because I think that ending could rival Erikson’s.