Updated 07/04/2014
Too many new faces and places sap momentum in this now sprawling Fantasy series.
Erikson’s prose has a captivating quality which will win patience from his readership but many sub-plots seem circular and unnecessary. Characters are absent for several chapters so, by the time they return, you are likely to have forgotten who they are and what they are doing whilst the unceremonious dumping of a hugely important plot revelation is unforgivably clumsy.
Erikson’s system of magic use seems over-complicated and only partially formed, suggesting a world and a plot which is dangerously close to escaping the clutches of its author.
Erikson is at his best when describing martial combat and strategy. His central plot thread, the imperiled exodus of refugees, is strong enough without extraneous sub-stories. Erikson’s promise is unmistakable but he needs more focus. Less is sometimes more.
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