This is the best book in the Malazan series so far, despite what the various rankings suggest. And yes, if you look back to my thoughts on Reaper’s Gale (book seven), I said the same thing. This series just gets better and better.

Toll the Hounds brings us back to Genabackis. The last time we were here (Memories of Ice), the Pannion Domin was defeated, Whiskyjack was betrayed, Kurald Galain was unveiled, and Moonspawn was abandoned. In this book we find two loci of attention: Black Coral to the southeast and Darujhistan to the northwest. Erikson alternates chapters effectively, developing interest in multiple plotlines simultaneously.

Another feature of this book is Kruppe’s loquacious narration of life in Darujhistan. His verbosity and apparent ridiculousness shone in audiobook form.

As expected in an Erickson book, the climax involves a convergence of power that boggles the mind. Character’s lives are altered irrevocably. That’s about all I can say without spoiling it. If you’ve read the series to this point, know that it keeps getting better.

Erikson, Steven. Toll the Hounds. Narrated by Michael Page, audiobook ed., unabridged ed., Transworld, 2019. Malazan Book of the Fallen 8.