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Toll the Hounds (Malazan Book of the Fallen) | 
 enlarge | Author: Steven Erikson
Publisher: Bantam Press
Category: Book
List Price: £18.99
Buy New: £10.44
You Save: £8.55 (45%)
New (22) Used (5) Collectible (2) from £7.77
Rating:  20 reviews
Sales Rank: 659
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 896
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.8
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 6.5 x 2.3
ISBN: 0593046374
EAN: 9780593046371
ASIN: 0593046374
Publication Date: July 1, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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| Customer Reviews: Read 10 more reviews...
 Toll the Hounds July 2, 2008
A Reviewer (UK)
10 out of 11 found this review helpful
An exhaustive review for this has already been given, so I'm just going share a few of my thoughts.
For me, this is the best book yet in the Malazan Book of the Fallen. It is certainly the most intricate so far with more characters and happenings than ever (at least it seems that way). It moves along through the first three parts at a fairly sedate pace laying the ground for an earth shattering final part. As mentioned in another review, at times in this book Erikson adopts a different writing style, in which he is actually speaking to you of the events occuring at the time. It's pretty much exclusive to the goings on in Darujhistan, and I rather enjoyed it, though I don't expect we'll be seeing it again. The book is filled with a sense of melancholy (a result of the focus given to the Tiste Andii and an unloved child called Harllo), and it gets downright tearful in places. Comic relief is provided by the incomparable Iskaral Pust, and, of course, Kruppe.
I loved this book and cannot wait for the concluding volumes.
Don't believe the hype July 8, 2008
L. Johnson (England)
13 out of 17 found this review helpful
First of all, let me start by saying I give this book 5/5 only to balance off the 1/5 given previously. I would give this book 4/5, but I am genuinely nonplussed by people giving it 1 or 2 stars on flawed arguments, those at the moment are: different writing style and poor characters.
Well firstly the writing style: what they mean here is that when we are presented with Darujhistan, Erikson decided to write an overview of sorts about the happenings of certain characters, from the view point of Kruppe (I could explain better but I'm rushing with this). This writing style is somewhat different to his norm, but not all that bad (I quite like it as it furthers the feeling that Kruppe knows everything that goes on in Darujhistan and possibly dictates most of it). That being said, Erikson only adopts this writing style at the start or end of a chapter pertaining to Darujhistan. The rest of the writing is no different to the previous books.
Secondly: the argument that the characters are the poorest of the series - WHAT? (SPOILERS) Kallor, Anomander, Spite, Cutter, Rallick Nom, Blend/picker/antsy etc., Gothos, Korlat, Iskaral Pust, Traveller, Karsa, Gruntle and the usual entourage these characters have (plus a smattering of cameos as usual). These are classed as fringe characters, as merely creations to keep the story moving? Utter tripe. These characters are instrumental, and if you didnt like them how did you manage previous volumes (if indeed you have).
To say this book could have been condensed much smaller; well anyone familiar with the series would know the ALL the books could have be condensed much smaller too.
This book is not Memories of Ice (my personal favourite), but then again it does not warrent a 1 or 2 rating, not even at a stretch. Some of the arguments given against this book lead me to think that some of these people reviewing it are not fans of Erikson, and if so why bother to read it in the first place. Toll the Hounds is a worthy addition to the tale of the Malazan Book of the Fallen.
Toll the Hounds Rings the Bell August 24, 2008
T. Bartell (West Simsbury, Connecticut)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Erikson does a masterful job with this newest installment of the tale of the Fallen. Particularly intriguing is the careful development of characters from past novels, and how they have matured since the first installment. This is good stuff. A number of seemingly invicible characters from earlier novels are now a step slower, fatally in some cases. I rated the last book at 4/5 stars which was probably overly harsh, and was hoping that this one would hit the high standard set by Memories of Ice (my personal favorite). Tolls the Hound is a fantastic read, advancing many of the intricate plots set in motion in Gardens of the Moon. Bravo Steven Erikson, you have done it again!
Best Since Memories July 10, 2008
David Barrett (Birmingham, UK)
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
It surprises me to find such negative reviews for Toll the Hounds, easily the best book in the series since Memories (although The Bonehunters gets an honourable mention, as do Tehol and Bugg alone). For series fans we see the return of key characters and unfinished events from Gardens of the Moon alongside the returning power players on Genebackis from Memories of Ice etc. Although the pacing towards the middle can be a tad slow (although nothing compared to Reapers Gale) the book is interspersed with action scenes and towards the end reaches a crescendo of plot points that may be the most staggering to date. What it lacks in the militaristic scale of Deadhouse/Reapers it gains in character development and the closure of some long lingering questions of the series.
A mention is required of the style used whereby Kruppe almost narrates events from behind the scenes. Whilst not the best of Eriksons writing it serves a purpose of enhancing Kruppe's character, always and deliberately the greatest enigma of the series, and coupled with some bits of genuine straight talking from Kruppe (unimaginable!) this definately feels like his book. Humour comes back from Iskaral Pust, Kruppe, the introduction of some ex-Mott Irregulars known as the Boll brothers and Scorch and Leff, albeit it not on the laugh out loud scale of Tehol/Bugg. There are touching side stories from Harllo/Murillio and Barathol/Chaur and there's an almighty fight at the end converging some of the series most powerful protagonists. There's even a sinister story thread involving the Tiste Andii coming from Letherii (Clip, Nimander etc) which is probably the creepiest piece Erikson has ever written. The tone shifts back and forth effortlessly although it still remains clear that action and humour are the series strong points.
All in all I had a superb time reading Toll the Hounds and it felt like a nostalgic trip back the the events and locations of Gardens of the Moon that originally dragged everyone into the complex and rewarding world of Malazan. You may need to jog your memory on some characters, and certainly the storyline involving the Dying God requires a bit more effort to get through than the rest, but if you love the previous Genabackis stories and the mentioned characters there's no reason this book won't stand up to the exceedingly high standards already offered by Erikson.
Dark and Compelling July 23, 2008
GanoesParan (The Netherlands)
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
Toll the Hounds, is not just dark and compelling, it also easily ranks in the top 3 of all the the tales of the Malazan Book of the Fallen so far, and not only because of its spectacular, if somewhat confounding finale.
There are some gripes about this being too slow paced, and yes if one were in it for the big battle scenes and non-stop action, well, I can see how this would not be to one's liking.
So then what makes it one of the best tales so far for me? First of all our reunion with some major and some lesser characters from Gardens of the Moon and Memories of Ice and the return to a Darujhistan as we have not seen it before. Erikson finally takes his time for some serious characterisation, developing plot lines that add to the texture of the cities of Daruhjistan and Black Coral, or in fact the entire setting, making its feel more real and richer than I have ever felt before. As reviewer Whitehead already mentioned, this is also a tale with core themes of love, redemption and sacrifice in the face of betrayals, depressions and just plain visciousness, not to say evil.
There are also great insights into the Tiste Andii, and especially Anomander Rake's background. But also we get closer looks at Kallor, Traveller and Caladan Brood, making them more real than ever before.
As with most of the other installments in this series it was really hard to put down but for the first time I was forced to do so because of the impact some moments had on me, forcing me to come to grips with and realize what just had happened.
All in all this is a more than worthy installment and I can barely wait for Dust of Dreams.
4 1/2 stars.
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