Deadhouse Gates (2000)

Deadhouse Gates is an epic fantasy novel by Canadian writer Steven Erikson, the second installment in his Malazan Book of the Fallen series. It follows the events of the first novel, Gardens of the Moon, and takes place simultaneously with the events of the third novel, Memories of Ice.

The novel was first published in the United Kingdom as a trade paperback on 1 September 2000, followed by a mass-market paperback edition on 1 October 2001. The first United States edition was published in hardcover by Tor Books on 28 February 2005, with a mass-market paperback edition released on 7 February 2006. Notably, Deadhouse Gates is the only novel in the series where the UK and US editions share the same cover design; other US books feature different cover artists and styles.

The book received mixed to positive reviews. Critics praised its tone, the softer introduction compared to its predecessor, and its intricate plot. However, some criticized the shift in setting to another continent at the start of the story.

The narrative follows multiple storylines that eventually converge, with relentless pacing and consistently high stakes. Themes of survival, sacrifice, and the brutal realities of war are masterfully explored. Coltaine's leadership and the plight of the refugees add significant emotional weight to the story.

Plot introduction

Deadhouse Gates opens a few months after the events of Gardens of the Moon. Unlike its predecessor, which followed different groups of characters operating in close proximity, the character storylines in Deadhouse Gates are often separated by hundreds or even thousands of miles.

The Malazan Empire is shaken by a purge of the nobility, with many nobles sent to the mines on Otataral Island, located off the coast of the Seven Cities subcontinent. At the same time, Seven Cities is engulfed by a rebellion known as the Whirlwind, led by the prophetess Sha'ik from the Holy Desert of Raraku.

As cities fall to the rebellion, the Malazan forces stationed in the city of Hissar devise a daring plan to evacuate overland to Aren, the Malazan continental capital. The 7th Army, commanded by the legendary Coltaine of the Crow Clan of the Wickans, is tasked with escorting 50,000 refugees on a perilous 1,500-mile march to safety. This extraordinary journey, known as the Chain of Dogs, becomes a defining legend of Seven Cities.

Meanwhile, the assassin Kalam undertakes a dangerous mission, while a group of travelers from Genabackis arrives in Seven Cities on their own mysterious quests.

Plot summary

Deadhouse Gates takes place a few months after the conclusion of Gardens of the Moon, though it features few recurring characters and almost no shared settings between the two novels. The main events of Memories of Ice, the third book in the series, partially overlap with those of Deadhouse Gates.

Prologue and Raraku

Felisin Paran, the youngest sister of Ganoes Paran (a protagonist of the previous novel), and Tavore Paran, Empress Laseen's newly appointed Adjunct, become entangled in a purge of the nobility orchestrated by Laseen to eliminate rival centers of power.

During her ordeal, Felisin befriends Baudin, a hardened thug, and Heboric, an excommunicated High Priest of Fener, the war god, who has been punished by having his hands removed. The trio is sent to an otataral mine off the coast of the Seven Cities continent. There, Felisin offers her body to Beneth, the slaves' self-appointed leader, in exchange for his protection of the group. She also becomes addicted to the narcotic durhang, further complicating her plight.

Meanwhile, Icarium, a half-Jaghut immortal inventor and warrior whose destructive past has been erased from his memory to protect the world, travels with Mappo Runt, a Trell warrior secretly tasked with monitoring and, if necessary, containing Icarium's rage.

The pair becomes entangled in a conflict involving Soletaken and D’ivers—shapeshifters who can transform into a single beast or multiple beasts, respectively—who are pursuing the Path of Hands. This path leads to Tremorlor, an Azath House located in the Holy Desert of Raraku, which is believed to offer Ascendancy and the possibility of godhood.

As the battle unfolds, Icarium and Mappo find refuge in the temple of Iskaral Pust, a High Priest of Shadow whose eccentric behavior suggests he may be insane.

Meanwhile, the Wickan warleader Coltaine assumes command of the Malazan Empire's 7th Army, tasked with escorting Malazan civilians across the Seven Cities to the imperial continental capital of Aren. The journey, spanning hundreds of leagues on foot, is undertaken to protect the civilians from the impending rebellion inspired by Sha'ik, a prophetess leading the uprising from the Holy Desert of Raraku.

Despite the dire situation, the continent's High Fist, Pormqual, refuses to provide a naval convoy, choosing instead to remain sheltered within Aren. Accompanying the 7th Army on this arduous march is the Imperial Historian, Duiker.

Following the events of Gardens of the Moon, Fiddler, Kalam, Crokus, and Apsalar (formerly Sorry) arrive in Ehrlitan, one of the Seven Cities. Their original mission was to return Apsalar to her home village, but Kalam and Fiddler now plan to assassinate Empress Laseen to curtail her growing power, using the Seven Cities’ rebellion as a cover for Kalam to infiltrate her ranks.

While in Ehrlitan, Fiddler encounters a Tano Spiritwalker, a mage who casts spells through song. The Spiritwalker offers a song of power that could grant ascension to the Bridgeburners, honoring their sacrifices in the empire's dishonorable war to conquer the Seven Cities. Meanwhile, Kalam, a native of the Seven Cities, reconnects with the local resistance to Malazan rule. He agrees to deliver Dryjhna's Holy Book, a catalyst for the rebellion's Apocalypse, to Sha'ik in the Holy Desert of Raraku.