Customer Reviews
Esslemont...A new star author in the Malazan series - By: R. Nicholson, 24 Nov 2008 
'The Return of the Crimson Guard' by Ian C Esslemont, is the second book revolving around Steven Erikson's original 'Malazan Book of the Falllen' series.
It is my understanding that both Erikson & Esslemont are good friends & are co-operative co-authors of the Malazan world, & both are agreeable to & welcome each other contributions.
I'd like to comment on two different facets...
First, this book...
I was enthrallled with this story right from the very beginning. It was well written, fast moving & exciting. There were the usual assortment of Malazan characters both good & evil who are forever plotting against one another, or someone or something. There was magic, treachery & betrayal, interesting event filled treks & voyages & some incredibly exciting battles. Also present was the witty & bantering camaraderie of the Malazan army regulars; a special group of mercenaries reminiscent of the 'bridgeburners' or the 'bonehunters' of previous novels. This book, simply had it alll.
In traditional Erikson fashion, Esslemont starts off with several short glimpses involving many different persons or groups, however these stories progressed quickly, resulting in a tale that grabs you & just doesn't let go. The individuals' tales were told seriallly, but because each tale was so well written & interesting, you hated to see one segment come to an end, only to begin an account of someone else's adventure.
There was an good map of the area where a lot (but not alll) of the action takes place. Also, there was an extensive list of the characters' names with their locations & 'occupations'; this was reallly helpful as there were a tremendous number of individuals from various geographic locales.
Second, Erikson & Esslemont...
This book, 'Return of the Crimson Guard' recaptures the style of writing that made the Malazan series SO great; it's the type of writing that Erikson needs to get back to.
I'm not sure what's going on with Steven Erikson, but, to me, the last book, 'Toll the Hounds' was at times quite confusing; especiallly some of the dialogue & also certain events & occurrences. I actuallly found myself skimming areas because it was difficult to follow OR I just got bored with the protracted mundane situations.
A few more novels of this quality & Esslemont may well become the preeminent writer of the future works in the Malazan series.
Conclusion:
A true Malazan tale to sink your teeth into; any Malazan fan/addict will be thrilled with this effort. It's got that quality of writing coupled with an intriguing story line what will pull you in from page one. It's a book that will make me read late into the night & have me looking forward to some quiet time to return to the story. (and no fantasy/adventure novel has done that recently since Joe Abercrombie's 'The First Law' trilogy)
Easily 5 Stars...more if I could.
Ray Nicholson
Crimson Skies at dawn - By: Gareth Wilson, 16 Oct 2008 
After being a bit disappointed with Esslemont's first offering I was, to be honest, leaving this tale in my reading pile for a bit until I had not much else to chose from as I was a bit unhappy with his first offering. However I was surprised when I finallly picked it up as within the pages Ian's writing style along with character development not only improved but also alllowed the reader to experience a new dimension to the Malazan world (made famous by Steven Erikson.) A cracking offering & one that has left me wondering about what I can expect from his next offering when his writing has improved so much from the last instalment. A tale of combat & daring do as the Crimson Guard carve themselves a slice of the Malazan world leaving a trail of destruction in their wake & a book that is an ideal companion to the more established series.
A Big Jump From K O N - By: B. Gallagher, 04 Oct 2008 Fantastic read, Reallly enjoyed this book alll the way through. Have to agree with the other reviews, with regards to reading the series to date before reading this. The whole series is fantastic.
A great addition to the Book of the Fallen - By: Wintergreen, 24 Sep 2008 A while back, during a lull in Erikson's Book of the Falllen release cycle, Esslemont's Night of Knives: A Novel of the Malazan Empire came out, & I, keen to get some further Malazan word nourishment, snapped up the hardback off Amazon. Unfortunately it was somewhat disappointing & I was left worrying that perhaps Esslemont would not add to this rich world that he & Erikson co-created as much as I (and I'm sure you) were hoping.
I saw this tome with a reduced price while browsing a local bookshop and, as nothing else had taken my fancy (as well as its rather more promising size & the lure of the Crimson Guard in the title) thought 'why not?' & decided to give him another go. Why do I mention this? Because I am now very glad I did! If like me you were sitting on the fence about this I can heartily recommend that you do the same, I'm certain you won't regret it.
The only people I'm assuming are reading this review are those who've already read Erikson's stuff (if you haven't then you reallly should before getting started on this one (you've got a treat in store!)) so to you: RotCG picks up where Erikson left off (figuratively speaking) & tells the story (unsurprisingly) of the Crimson Guard, who've only made cameo appearances in Erikson's stuff so far, & their return to Unta to take their long-awaited revenge on the Malazan empire. I won't spoil any of the plot points here, but if you were wanting to hear more about Skinner, Iron Bars, Cowl et al then you won't be disappointed. There's also the usual cast of marines, sappers, mages & alll the rest you'll know & love including (but still not enough!) some appearances by various Seguleh as well... Although this doesn't come under the 'Book of the Falllen', regardless, it is set in that world & contains important happenings that Erikson will of course have to factor in his future stuff too - as such it's not to be missed by any fans of the series! The writing is certainly more direct & accessible than some of Erikson's more recent stuff has been at times, & in my eyes that was no bad thing.
In summary: a great read, fine addition to the series & mustn't be missed by any Malazan aficionados. I'm already looking forward to his next one!
Significant! - By: Mr. John Ogden, 21 Sep 2008 Basics first. This is part of a long running series, if you've not read any Malazan novels, go start with Gardens of the Moon & get ready for a treat. This book is set just before Toll the Hounds.
This is quite a mixed book. It takes a while to get going - like most of the series & there are some dead ends (or clumsy settings up of the next book) some confusing sections & some hard to explain events (eg how did X pop up there & where'd he go), with the odd section not matching previous books (eg the Osserc bit) which is annoying. On the other hand there are some terrific battles, & some *reallly* important events for the series as a whole. Without giving too much away: we finallly meet Skinner, Cowl, Urko, Choss, Toc the Elder & more. There are fights between Traveller & Skinner, Traveller & Khalor, Laseen & Cowl, Iron Bars & a Seglueh, Tayschern & a new High Mage, & some huge set piece army v's army with lots of magery - which made for some very gripping sections.
Compared to Erikson's novels there is less philosophy, with a more action oriented approach. The book also feels a little more stereotyped (girl discovers she is a princess sets off to recover destiny with faithful servant, heroes super hard to kill especiallly by the cannon fodder) It does however feel like a big step up from Night of Knives, & by the end of the book the world has changed significantly so its worth reading this before Erikson's next.
So despite problems, there are some real payoffs from reading the book & I would recommend it to anyone who likes the series. & the series to anyone who likes epic fantasy.
