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Memories of Ice is the third book in Steven Erikson's series The Malazan Book of the Fallen. It was released in the UK and Canada in January 2001 and in the US in November 2005.

Publisher's summary[]

The ravaged continent of Genabackis has given birth to a terrifying new empire: the Pannion Domin. Like a fanatical tide of corrupted blood, it seethes across the land, devouring all who fail to heed the Word of its elusive prophet, the Pannion Seer. In its path stands an uneasy alliance: Dujek Onearm's Host and the Bridgeburners - each now outlawed by the Empress - alongside their enemies of old including the grim forces of Warlord Caladan Brood, Anomander Rake, Son of Darkness, and his Tiste Andii, and the Rhivi people of the Plains. Outnumbered and mistrustful, they must get word to potential allies, including the mercenary brotherhood, the Grey Swords, whose orders are to hold the besieged city of Capustan at all costs.

But more ancient clans too are gathering. As if in answer to some primal summons, the massed ranks of the undead T'lan Imass have risen. For it would seem something altogether darker and more malign threatens the very substance of this world. The Warrens are poisoned and rumours abound that the Crippled God is now unchained and intent on a terrible revenge...

Front matter[]

Dedication[]

To R.S.Lundin

Acknowledgements[]

I extend my gratitude to the following for their support and friendship: Clare, Bowen, Mark, David, Chris, Rick, Cam, Courtney; Susan and Peter, David Thomas Sr. and Jr., Harriet and Chris and Lily and Mina and Smudge; Patrick Walsh and Simon and Jane. Thanks also to Dave Holden and his friendly staff (Tricia, Cindy, Liz, Tanis, Barbara, Joan, Nadia, Amanda, Tony, Andi and Jody) of the Pizza Place, for the table and the refills. And thanks to John Meaney for the disgusting details on dead seeds.

Maps[]

Editions[]

Show other languages

Publisher Format/Edition First published Pages ISBN-10 ISBN-13 Notes
UK and Commonwealth — Memories of Ice
Bantam Trade paperback 2001 898 0593046242 x First edition
Bantam Mass market paperback xxx xxx xxx xxx
United States — Memories of Ice
Tor Hard cover Nov 2005 781 0765314320 978-0765314321 Cover by Todd Lockwood
Tor Trade paperback Nov 2005 781 0765310031 978-0765310033 Cover by Todd Lockwood
Tor Hard cover, Science Fiction Book Club xxx 1006 0765314320 978-0765314321 Cover by Todd Lockwood
Tor Mass market paperback xxx xxx xxx xxx
Subterranean Press Hard cover Aug 2013 936 xxx xxx Limited numbered/lettered editions
Illustrated by J. K. Drummond
List of illustrations
  1. Rake Descends
  2. A Dust-up
  3. Kruppe Is Unimpressed (lettered only)
  4. Bauchelain & Korbal Broach Welcome a Guest
  5. Whiskeyjack

Appeared in other languages under the following titles[]

  • Bulgarian - Spomeni ot led
  • Czech - Vzpomínky ledu
  • Dutch - In de Ban van de Woestijn
  • French - Les Souvenirs de la Glace
  • German - Die eisige Zeit, Der Tag des Sehers (issued in two installments)
  • Hungarian - A jég emlékezete
  • Italian - Memorie di ghiaccio
  • Polish - Wspomnienie lodu (issued in two installments)
  • Portuguese - Memórias do Gelo, Capustan (issued in two installments)
  • Romanian - Amintirile Gheții
  • Russian - Память льда (issued in two installments)
  • Serbian - Sećanja na led
  • Spanish - Memorias de hielo
  • Turkish - Buzun Anıları

Plot summary[]

Memories of Ice
Dramatis Personae Prologue
The Spark and the Ashes
Chapter 1 Chapter 2
Chapter 3 Chapter 4
Chapter 5 Chapter 6
Hearthstone
Chapter 7 Chapter 8
Chapter 9 Chapter 10
Chapter 11 Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Capustan
Chapter 14 Chapter 15
Chapter 16 Chapter 17
Chapter 18 Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Memories of Ice
Chapter 21 Chapter 22
Chapter 23 Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Epilogue Pagination

Spoiler unsafe

The following summaries contain spoilers
Please access individual chapter summaries via the Chapter infobox

Prologue[]

The Prologue opens with a flashback to the 33rd Jaghut War when an Imass Bonecaster saves two Jaghut children from being killed by an Imass hunting group by sending them into what she believes to be a gate to Omtose Phellack. The scene then shifts to three years after the fall of the Crippled God when three Elder Gods converge on Kallor to punish him for his crimes. Kallor curses each one in return for being cursed by them. A wounded Togg watches from afar.

Book One: The Spark and the Ashes[]

Epigraph

Five mages, an Adjunct, countless Imperial Demons, and the debacle that was Daruhjistan, all served to publicly justify the outlawry proclaimed by the Empress on Dujek Onearm and his battered legions. That this freed Onearm and his Host to launch a new campaign, this time as an independent military force,to fashion his own unholy alliances which were destined to result in a continuation the dreadful Sorcery Enfilade on Genabackis, is, one might argue, incidental. Granted, the countless victims of that devastating time might, should Hood grant them the privilege, voice and entirely different opinion. Perhaps the most poetic detail of what would come to be called the Pannion Wars was in fact a precursor to the entire campaign: the casual, indifferent destruction of a lone, stone bridge by the Jaghut Tyrant on his ill-fated march to Darujhistan...

Imperial Campaigns (the Pannion War)
1194-1195, Volume IV, Genabackis

Imrygyn Tallobant (b. 1151)


Morn by spin drift

Toc the Younger awakens in Morn and meets Onos T'oolan, who is waiting on Lady Envy. She arrives and the three decide to travel north to learn more about the Rent found in Morn. Lady Envy travels with a dog named Garath, an Ay named Baaljagg, and three Seguleh warriors, Mok, Thurule, and Senu. Mok is ranked highly amongst the Seguleh, and leads a punitive army against the Pannion Seer. On the way, Toc and Tool bond over making arrows, Lady Envy tries to flirt with Toc, much to his dismay, and the Seguleh - excluding Mok - attempt to challenge Tool to single combat. Both are defeated.

Gruntle is a Daru caravan guard with his friends Harllo and Stonny Menackis. They are escorting a mysterious figure named Keruli to Capustan. On the way they meet two sorcerers named Bauchelain and Korbal Broach who say they're traveling to Capustan on a whim. Another one of Gruntle's friends, Buke, claims that they're responsible for several murders in Darujhistan, and decides to join their caravan as a guard while seeking to kill them or die trying. On the way to Capustan, they stop in Saltoan where Keruli tries to bolster the defenses against the growing danger of the Pannion Seer through disinformation and propaganda. As they leave, they meet Hetan, Cafal, and Netok, three Barghast warriors from the White Face clan who claim to be hunting demons. They decide to join forces for their mutual protection. Bauchelain and Korbal Broach, with the help of a Barghast shaman now confined to a sticksnare, find Gruntle's caravan and warn them that the "demons" are coming. As they prepare for battle, Keruli determines that the "demons" are actually undead K'Chain Che'Malle K'ell Hunters, things not seen on the earth for thousands of years. In the ensuing battle, Harllo and Gruntle are struck down.

The child born from the efforts of K'rul, Pran Chole, and Kruppe during Gardens of the Moon, is now living amongst the Rhivi. She is named Silverfox, has grown at an incredibly fast rate. She appears to be ten years old despite only being a few months since her mother, a Rhivi woman now known only as the Mhybe, gave birth to her. Silverfox does not know that her rapid growth is powered by stealing her mother's youth. The young girl reveals that within her are the reborn souls of both Tattersail and Nightchill, though their disparate personalities take turns coming to the forefront. Silverfox claims to be a flesh and blood Bonecaster of the T'lan Imass and says she will summon them to help with the war against the Pannion Domin. Kallor declares her to be evil and admonishes all to kill her before she becomes too powerful and betrays them all.

The armies of Dujek Onearm and Caladan Brood meet, and their alliance is solidified. It is determined that their first stop should be Capustan to relieve the Grey Swords and their ultimate destination should be Coral to fight the Pannion Domin at its home base. Rumors are passed around that the Pannion Domin uses a horde of starving peasants known as the Tenescowri who have perpetrated horrible crimes, cannibalism being the least of these. The council of Darujhistan arrives, including Coll, Murillio, Estraysian D'Arle, and Kruppe who promise to aid the armies by providing supply lines and materiel through the Trygalle Trade Guild. Whiskeyjack, still nursing a badly healed leg after the Fête, decides to stand in defense of Silverfox along with Korlat, Anomander Rake's second in command.

Ganoes Paran, now captain of the Bridgeburners, has been feeling ill and suffering from nightmare visions since his contact with the Hounds of Shadow and the events of the Fête in Darujhistan. Mallet and Quick Ben determine that he is on the cusp of ascendancy and his resistance to it is causing him to feel sick. Silverfox declares him to be a new, unaligned card in the Deck of Dragons, the Master of the Deck. A table made by the Bridgeburners specifically for the Deck of Dragons is discovered in Caladan Brood's possession with Paran's face painted on it. Upon seeing it, Paran is transported to the Finnest House from where he travels to the Beast Hold and finds two empty thrones. He also sees that Burn is wounded with a shrunken, hooded figure chained to the wound. Silverfox says that a war has begun against the Warrens themselves and that Paran is essential to winning this war. Paran is certain he'll fail.

Quick Ben, upon meeting the Crippled God, determines that he has poisoned Burn. Visiting a Witch of Tennes, he discovers that Burn sleeps to dream, and that her dreams have become fevered. He realizes that if Burn dies, all of humanity will be in danger. He vows to save Burn and find a way to thwart the Crippled God. The witch promises to help.

We learn through Anomander Rake and Caladan Brood that they, along with other Ascendants, were responsible for the chaining, thinking it was the only feasible solution at the time. Both the Crippled God and the sorcerers of the Pannion Domin use the warren of Chaos. Rake doesn't think this is a coincidence. If Burn dies, they realize, her warren will be the pathway to the other warrens, and the Crippled God will destroy them and as a result, destroy all magic. The destruction, Brood suggests, won't stop there.

Book Two: Hearthstone[]

Epigraph

Midnight comes often in the dusk of my life, when I look back upon all that I have survived. The deaths of so many for whom I cared and loved in my heart, have expunged all sense of glory from my thoughts. To have escaped those random fates has lost all triumph.

I know you have seen me, friend, my lined face and silent regard, the cold calcretions that slow my embittered pace, as I walk down the last years, clothed in darkness as are all old men, haunted by memories...

The Road Before You
Jhorum of Capustan


In the city of Capustan, Karnadas, Brukhalian, and Itkovian (the Destriant, Mortal Sword, and Shield Anvil of Fener's Reve, respectively), lead the Grey Swords in the city's defense against the Pannion Domin. They are employed by Prince Jelarkan, who is struggling with the political maneuvering of the Mask Council, a group of priests who wear the visages of various elder gods and ascendants. Itkovian takes a regiment of Grey Swords outside of Capustan where they are attacked by undead K'ell hunters, but meet with Pran Chole and the T'lan Imass. The T'lan Imass offer aid against the K'chain Che'Malle, but not against the human Pannion armies. Itkovian also encounters Gruntle's caravan along with Bauchelain and Korbal Broach, and Hetan and Cafal. Harllo and Netok died during the battle with the K'ell hunters. The Grey Swords take them all to Capustan. Shortly afterwards, the Pannion troops surround Capustan including 100,000 Tenescowri, the starving peasant army.

Hetan and Cafal approach the Mask Council with demands that the remains of the founding families of the Barghast be turned over to them. The council accedes, and the Elder Barghast Spirits are awakened.

Gruntle is drinking heavily after learning of Harllo's death, but snaps out of it thanks to Buke and Stonny. Stonny is staying with the Grey Swords, and has pledged loyalty to Keruli. Buke continues to stay with Bauchelain and Korbal Broach, who have purchased a manor in Capustan. Buke claims he stays because he needs to stop them; Broach has resumed murdering citizens. Keruli gives Buke a small clay bird to help him.

Quick Ben wanders the warrens, tasting a new foulness affecting them. Wandering to Hood's realm, he meets Talamandas, a sticksnare with the soul of one of the first founders of the Barghast. He frees Talamandas after learning that the Barghast were once T'lan Imass who lived together with the Thelomen Toblakai. Later, Quick Ben meets up with Antsy's squad who are waiting for him as the rest of the Bridgeburners meet with Humbrall Taur and the White Face Barghast. Quick Ben is grabbed by the Barghast Spirits who, with Talamandas as their spokesperson, tell him they need to make contact with the Barghast shouldermen and convince them to go to Capustan where their remains are located. Quick Ben suggests channeling their power through Mallet who is en route to the White Face encampment.

The Bridgeburners, led by Ganoes Paran, all go to meet with the White Face Barghast to negotiate an alliance against the Pannion Domin. Trotts claims to have blood ties to the first families, and fights a duel against one of Humbrall Taur's sons. Trotts kills the boy, but is mortally wounded in the process. Mallet arrives in time to heal him, and is saved from the fatal poisoning of his warren when the Barghast Spirits intervene. Quick Ben arrives soon after, and he and Paran meet with Humbrall Taur, allowing the Barghast Spirits to be felt in the White Face clan for the first time.

Dujek Onearm's army along with Caladan Brood's host march slowly to Capustan, with the Trygalle Trade Guild supplying them. Silverfox now appears to be a teenager, while the Mhybe is wracked with pain from old age. Kruppe, Korlat, and Whiskeyjack all attempt to console the Mhybe, but she refuses their comfort, and is further tormented by dreams of faceless menaces. Korlat and Whiskeyjack become lovers. Kallor accepts an offer to become the High King in the House of Chains in exchange for an opportunity to kill Silverfox.

Toc the Younger and Tool deepen their friendship while making arrows and blades from stone. When Toc sees a vision of Baaljagg's history as an Ay, Tool gives him an Imass name: Aral Fayle. Toc also witnesses Trake's death, and meets with Kilava who intends to go to Coral, not to answer Silvefox's summons, but to complete unfinished business. The rivalry between Tool and Mok intensifies when Tool sees Mok dismantle a K'ell hunter with ease. Lady Envy meets with K'rul who reveals that the warrens all feed on his blood, and that the Cripple God is poisoning him, and he needs Envy's help in bringing Toc and the Seguleh into the heart of the Pannion Seer's territory.

Upon entering the Seer's territory, Toc abandons his party and joins the Tenescowri, hoping they'll meet up with the Malazans. Weeks later, starved and delirious, he is summoned by the Pannion Seer and sees the corpse of an old man being animated by a Jaghut who is further empowered by grey tendrils of power reaching down. When he's given another vision of his party through Baaljagg's eyes, the Seer casts him into a prison with the K'Chain Ch'Malle Matron that once dwelt in the Rent at Morn. He is kept alive with sorcery while the Matron, insane from pain and grief at the loss of her children, breaks his bones over and over in her embrace.

Gruntle by dejan delic

Interpretation of Gruntle by dejan-delic

Book Three: Capustan[]

Epigraph

The Last Mortal Sword of Fener's Reve was Fanald of Cawn Vor, who was killed in the Chaining. The last Boar-cloaked Destriant was Ipshank of Korelri, who vanished during the Last Flight of Manask on the Stratem Icefields. Another waited to claim that title, but was cast out from the temple before it came to him, and that man's name has been stricken from all records. It is known, however, that he was from Unta; that he had begun his days as a cutpurse living on its foul streets, and that his casting out from the temple was marked by the singular punishment of Fener's Reve...

Temple Lives
Birrin Thund


Toc the Younger is being held in the fortress city of Outlook, locked in the Matron's embrace. He is now deformed and losing his mind, but hears news of the Pannions fighting a costly war to the south as Lady Envy's party makes its way towards the Seer. Eventually, Tool, Garath, and Baaljagg break into Outlook, forcing the Seer to flee with Toc and the Matron to Coral. When he sleeps, he dreams of running with a pack of wolves, seeking a quarry to deliver something, and Toc realizes that the winter god Togg resides within him. He also learns that Baaljagg is the physical manifestation of Fanderay, the millenia of separation between Fanderay and Togg feeds her desperate chase. Toc is shown the bay of Coral and meets a Seerdomin who shows him unexpected kindness.

The city of Capustan is besieged by the Pannion Domin, who attack with 80,000 soldiers and nearly 300,000 Tenescowri. Itkovian leads the Grey Swords in defense of the city using a strategy of controlled withdrawal, which initially devastates the attackers. Outnumbered as they are, however, the defense begins to crumble. Gruntle, at first uninterested in fighting, finds Stonny Menackis, who was raped by a Seerdomin. An inexplicable change comes over him, and he rallies several camps and bolsters the Grey Swords's defense, essentially saving the city. The Tenescowri attack, and overrun the city by sheer weight of numbers. Gruntle has been fighting with an impromptu militia in a tenement building. Each member of his militia, including Gruntle, is magically bedecked with tiger stripes, and begin communicating without words. Itkovian makes the observation that Trake walks in Gruntle's shadow. Itkovian feels Fener waning in power, and has a crisis of faith.

Keruli enters the Mask Council, demanding to be given a place on the council as Rath'K'rul, and protects the Thrall by working with the Barghast. Rath'Fener, having made a deal with the Pannion Domin, summons Brukhalian to protect him. Brukhalian is killed by Seerdomin on his way to the thrall, and Karnadas dies shortly after. Itkovian promises revenge for Rath'Fener's betrayal. He takes the remaining Grey Swords to Prince Jelarkan's palace where he meets Anaster, the leader of the Tenescowri and finds that Jelarkan is dead, having been eaten by them. As the Shield Anvil, Itkovian offers to take Anaster's despair from him, which causes Anaster to flee in terror.

The White Face Barghast and the Bridgeburners arrive at Capustan and see the city overrun and burning. Paran takes the Bridgeburners in first, where he meets Gruntle, who is now Trake's Mortal Sword. The next day, the White Face successfully drive the Pannion Domin out of the city into the path of the coming army led by Dujek and Brood. Paran sees a vision of Fener being pulled into the mortal world and is told by Nightchill about the coming war with the Crippled God. Paran accepts his role as Master of the Deck, and accompanies Gruntle to the Thrall where they meet Itkovian. Itkovian knows that Fener has been replaced by Trake, but refuses to give up his oath. He ritually severs Rath'Fener's hands and spiritually takes his grief from him, taking on the souls of Capustan's dead with it. This momentarily kills him, but Paran brings him back to life.

Buke stays on as guard to Bauchelain and Korbal Broach, enrolling the help of Capan citizens to curtail Korbal Broach's murders. The clay bird Keruli gave him changed him into a Soletaken sparrow hawk, which he uses to spy on Bauchelain and Korbal Broach, who make an abortive attempt to kidnap Anaster. When the battle is done, Buke chooses to remain a sparrow hawk for good, and flies away from the burning city.

The Mhybe has grown so old she can no longer walk. When she sleeps, she dreams of being chased by wolves, and nearly caught before awakening each time. Coll and Murillio, offended by how she has been cast aside and confined to a wagon, decide to steal her away when they reach Capustan with the hopes of finding a priest who will grant her a dignified end.

Dujek and Brood's collective army march on towards Capustan. Silverfox summons the T'lan Ay, which causes tensions to rise given her ambivalence towards the involvement of the T'lan Imass in the war with the Pannions. It is discussed amongst the group that The Pannion Seer is probably a Jaghut tyrant working with a living K'Chain Che'malle Matron, and that he is most likely a pawn of the Crippled God. When Kruppe boasts that he can protect everyone from the Cripple God, Caladan Brood strikes him with Burn's hammer. Despite the ensuing earthquake, Kruppe is unharmed, proving to all he has the protection of an Elder God. Whiskeyjack and Dujek agree to remain focused on the Pannion Seer and allow the various ascendants to deal with the Crippled God.

Upon meeting the Pannion forces outside of Capustan, Brood discovers that the outlawry proclamation was false in order to gain an alliance with Brood and the rest. Anomander Rake says he knew about this already, but chose to ally with the Malazans because they were the only force interested in seeing peace brought to the Pannion lands. Rake uses his Eleint form to scare the Tenescowri into surrendering, and Anaster is taken hostage. The White Face Barghast decide to accompany the army to see the Pannion Seer killed. The Grey Swords, now sworn to Togg and Fanderay, elect to come as well, as does Gruntle's militia. They decide to split their forces and meet up at Coral, which appears to be where the final battle will be fought.

The Second Gathering of the T'lan Imass takes place. Silverfox seeks to give the undead warriors a new enemy to fight, but they instead ask to be released from the ritual. Silverfox accuses them of abandoning her, and refuses to release even the T'lan Ay.

Quick Ben, aided by Talamandas, is given the protection of the Barghast gods to use his warrens without being affected by the Crippled God's poison. He is told by Hood that Paran, as the Master of the Deck has the ability to deny the Crippled God legitimacy in the Deck of Dragons. Paran thinks that legitimizing the House of Chains will bind the Crippled God into playing by the same rules as the rest of the pantheon.

Envy, the Seguleh, Baaljagg, and Garath are fighting through Omtose Phellack to find Toc the Younger and the Pannion Seer. As they cross a sea festooned with icebergs they run across a female T'lan Imass named Lanas Tog, who is answering Silverfox's summons with news of two nations of T'lan Imass that have been all but wiped out during a war with humans.

Book Four: Memories of Ice[]

First in, last out.

Motto of the Bridgeburners



The armies against the Seer split with the Barghast and the Malazans travelling to Setta, and the Tiste Andii and Brood's forces going to Lest. They plan to meet up in Maurik, but Dujek and Whiskeyjack divide their forces further, sending the Bridgeburners and half the army directly to Coral. Their plan is to disrupt any ambushes the Seer has in place for Brood's forces. This causes some tension when Brood finds out, Kallor throwing venomous accusations of falsehood from the beginning. Along the way, tensions rise further when Korlat and the Great Ravens declare they are unable to reach Anomander Rake. Upon reaching Maurik, Whiskeyjack volunteers to move at a grueling pace in order to support Dujek's preemptive strike. Korlat, her brother Orfantal, and Kallor all accompany him. Before separating, the Grey Swords take Anaster from the custody of the Malazans, and the Shield Anvil, Velbara, takes his grief away from him, leaving him an empty shell.

The Bridgeburners move at night by quorl directly to Coral. Paran makes Picker a lieutenant and puts her in charge of the Bridgeburners in the event of his absence. Twist approaches Paran, asking about the Barghast gods, and tells him that the Moranth and the Barghast divided after the Moranth made peace with their lifelong enemy, the Tiste Edur. Along the way, the Black Moranth find a dead Tiste Edur which appears to have been thrown directly into a deep-sea trench near Coral Bay called Ortnal's Cut. Quick Ben and the Black Moranth posit that the Tiste Edur are seeking the true Throne of Shadow. Paran, using his new abilities as Master of the Deck, finds the Throne of Shadow, which warns him that the Tiste Edur have a mad emperor who seeks to kill Mother Dark. Paran tries to travel to Anomander Rake, but finds himself inside Dragnipur. He meets Draconus who explains that Dragnipur was originally a method for Dark to protect itself from Chaos. Paran can see a massive storm of chaotic magic in the distance advancing toward the wagon. Draconus says that Rake must send more souls to pull the wagon faster, but the sword must inevitably be broken. Paran tries to find Rake, but passes out when he feels a crushing Oblivion. He awakens and tells Quick Ben that Rake is gone.

Upon reaching Coral, the Bridgeburners destroy a whole company of Pannion troops. 30,000 Pannion troops are in turn arrayed outside the city. Dujek then arrives with 6,000 troops. A pitched battle is fought with the Malazans gaining the upper hand thanks to Quick Ben's magic, the Moranth munitions, and Paran's skills as the Master of the Deck. The decision is made to enter the city and make for the central keep. The Bridgeburners are sent in first to blow the walls and to cripple the Seer's force of ensorcelled condors. When they enter, they find the keep filled with K'chain Che'malle K'ell Hunters. As Dujek's main force arrives, the keep blows, and Picker leads the Bridgeburners in distracting the K'ell Hunters. This proves to be a deadly choice, and many of the Bridgeburners die in the ensuing battle. Paran and Quick Ben position themselves on the roof of the keep. Tool arrives and the Bridgeburners follow him inside the keep. Inside the Keep, Picker meets Lady Envy who has arrived with Lanas Tog, Baaljagg, and the Seguleh. The Bridgeburners suffer grievous losses, and only six leave the keep alive.

Whiskeyjack and Korlat arrive with the exhausted Malazan troops and the White Face and Ilgres Barghast. They face a force of 800 K'chain Che'malle. Silverfox suddenly appears with the T'lan Imass. Kallor - in league with the Crippled God - attacks Korlat and Artanthos, and makes an attempt to kill Silverfox. However, Whiskeyjack successfully stops Kallor's attack at the cost of his own life. Kallor is finally driven back by Artanthos who was really Tayschrenn in disguise. The Malazan troops are staggered by the loss of their commander, and Korlat is in shock with grief.

Gruntle, Stonny, Itkovian, the Grey Swords, and Trake's Legion arrive shortly after Whiskeyjack's death, and Itkovian is drawn to the T'lan Imass. To Silverfox's horror, he tells them that he would embrace them and take their pain. As one, they all kneel, ignoring the battle. As a violent storm forms in the sky over Coral, Gruntle's company takes the form of a massive, Soletaken tiger, and joins the Grey Swords in a direct assault against the K'chain Che'malle. The Tiste Andii and Tayschrenn support them with sorcery. Brood arrives shortly afterward, and demands that Korlat call Anomander Rake. Korlat says that Rake is dead, and Brood raises Burn's hammer, ready to end everything to destroy the Seer.

In Capustan, Coll and Murillio take the Mhybe into the Temple of Hood. The unnamed warrior constructs a sarcophagus for her to be placed in. The two Darus are baffled and afraid, especially when K'rul, an elder god known for his blood rites, enters the temple. K'rul tells Coll and Murillio that the Mhybe's dreams will become a new world, one where she will be young again.

Toc the Younger, broken both physically and mentally, is still held by the Seer. He feels the spirit of Togg struggling to be free of his body. The Seerdomin who showed him kindness earlier places him outside the reach of the Matron, and gives him food and water. When the siege is in full effect, Toc watches the Seer create a Finnest using power drawn from the Matron, then leave. The sounds of battle rage around him, and Tool enters the room. He picks Toc up, calling him Aral Fayle once again, and begins taking him from the compound. They are stopped by Mok, who challenges Tool. Toc watches the duel, and manages to stand up and kill himself by falling on a piece of rubble. Togg's howl is heard throughout the city. Tool is bested by the Seguleh Third, but Kilava saves him by magically subduing Mok. She stays killing him after Tool asks her not to. Lanas Tog meets them and they go to meet Silverfox. Baaljagg arrives and Kilava sends her into the Warren of Tellann to meet her mate.

As Togg howls, the T'lan Ay rise and slaughter the K'chain Che'malle. Brood lowers his hammer.

While on the roof of the keep, Quick Ben senses Kurald Galain and flies himself and Paran onto a balcony facing the bay. They see the Seer with his Finnest and the Matron. The storm breaks up, revealing clear skies, but the ice on the bay explodes and Moon's Spawn erupts from the water. Paran realizes Anomander Rake had hidden the floating mountain in Ortnal's Cut, and it descends onto Coral with a full unveiling of Kurald Galain. Moon's Spawn crashes into the keep, killing the Matron. Kilava enters, and tries to attack the Seer, but Quick Ben stops her, then tackles the Seer. He takes Paran and the Seer with him through a warren and Kilava follows. The keep is utterly destroyed by Moon's Spawn, which covers Coral in a gloom that will linger.

Black coral by tsabo6

Interpretation of the siege of Coral by Tsabo6

In his spiritual embrace, Ikovian realizes that the T'lan Imass remember their past lives. The Ritual of Tellann has forced them to walk as unfeeling revenants for 300,000 years with those memories still intact. The heartbreak and loss threaten to overwhelm him, but Pran Chole tells him of a place where he can take the memories. Itkovian finds himself in a dreamworld, and Pran Chole tells him the memories will return life to the realm. The memories fall to the land like a hailstorm, and Itkovian asks to take away the grief, sorrow, and pain of the T'lan Imass. They ask him why, but he doesn't have an answer, only talking of compassion freely given. When their pain settles on him, he dies.

Inside the dreamworld, the Mhybe moves towards the cage of bones where she hears a beast's agonized howling. The memories of the T'lan Imass fall to the ground as a storm of ice, and Kruppe helps her to the cage and begs her to touch it. As she touches it, Toc dies and Togg bursts into life. His triumphant howl is met by that of the T'lan Ay. The Mhybe passes out. Togg is joined by Fanderay and they run toward their thrones.

Silverfox walks in the Tellann dreamworld and meets the Rhivi spirits. Her plans to use the dreamworld to return her mother to youth are all in ruins after Itkovian embraced the T'lan Imass. She is so bitter with the sense of failure that when the Rhivi spirits tell her she can still save her mother, she turns away in shame instead of talking to her. Tool and Lanas Tog meet Silverfox, and Tool asks her to return the Ay to life. She does, and Tool asks her to return him to life as well. She does. Lanas Tog then takes Silverfox to the rest of the T'lan Imass, and she offers to undo the Ritual of Tellann. They say not yet, speaking of plans to accompany Lanas Tog to rescue their kin trapped in the far-off war. Silverfox asks to accompany them. Pran Chole tells her that Itkovian's gift will allow them to return to their memories when the Ritual is eventually undone, something they didn't expect.

The Mhybe awakens and sees the Rhivi Spirits, Togg, Fanderay, and the T'lan Ay. The memories of the T'lan Imass have brought unexpected life to the realm, and the Mhybe will live, young and undying. Togg asks her to return Toc's soul to the mortal realm. Toc wakes up in the body of Anaster and is made the Mortal Sword of Togg and Fanderay. He meets Gruntle and the two become fast friends, both uneasy with their new titles. The newly mortal Tool also greets Toc, but doesn't reveal his identity.

The battle ended, 800 of Onearm's Host survive. The Tiste Andii have decided to remain in Coral. Caladan Brood is willing to give the Malazans all they want after their sacrifice. Anomander Rake offers to let Whiskeyjack and the Bridgeburners to be interred in the now dying Moon's Spawn. Dujek and Picker, in Paran's absence, accept this.

Quick Ben, Paran, Kilava, Talamandas, and the Seer travel to Morn where we learn that the Seer was one of the Jaghut children Kilava sent into the Rent before the Ritual of Tellann. Quick Ben says that they can use the Finnest to seal the Rent and save the Seer's sister who is still trapped within the Rent. The Seer and his sister can live in Burn's realm where they can unveil Omtose Phellack without the T'lan Imass sensing them. The ice and freezing temperatures of Omtose Phellack will slow the Crippled God's poison as well. They travel to the place where Quick Ben first learned of Burn's poisoning and they meet the Witch of Tennes who plans on staying with the Seer to keep an eye on him. Quick Ben remarks on how Burn's realm is now home to a new warren, full of memories of ice.

Paran and Quick Ben return to the Malazans and visit Moon's Spawn to see the final resting place of Whiskeyjack and the Bridgeburners. Paran blesses them, and a mysterious light plays on their coffins as he leaves.

Itkovian's funeral begins as a modest affair, but is eventually attended by every group that participated in the battle. The T'lan Imass come and each drops a small gift upon Itkovian's gravesite. The gifts form a barrow invested with Tellann sorcery, and will never fall apart.

Dujek tells Paran and the six remaining Bridgeburners that he's giving them back pay for an entire company, enough to allow each of them to retire in leisure. He's going to make a report that every last Bridgeburner died, though Quick Ben is going to be made a High Mage. Dujek calls Paran a Bridgeburner for the first time.

Hetan and Cafal leave with the rest of the Barghast and run into the now mortal Tool and Kilava. Hetan and Tool become lovers.

Epilogue[]

Paran moves into the Finnest House where Raest still dwells. The six surviving Bridgeburners, Picker, Blend, Antsy, Mallet, Spindle, and Bluepearl, have purchased a temple to K'rul in Darujhistan and turned it into a (financially disastrous) tavern. The imperial historian Duiker, having been revived after the events of Deadhouse Gates, has been staying with them, but not speaking. One night, with Paran, Coll, Murillio, Kruppe, and Baruk in attendance, Duiker finally breaks his silence, and begins telling the Bridgeburners the story of Coltaine and the Chain of Dogs.

Trivia[]

  • Memories of Ice was originally meant to be the second book in sequence, following Gardens of the Moon. Erikson had already written about three hundred pages of the new book when they were lost to a computer failure. He went on to write Deadhouse Gates next instead, but Erikson said in the end, "it worked out fine, as inverting books two and three allowed me to do something with the end of Memories of Ice that I wouldn't have been able to do otherwise." [1] Still, Erikson recalls the original manuscript's flashback to the formation of the Bridgeburners and says, "I know for a fact that my original version was far better than what I [rewrote], and that sucks."[2]
  • This book took the longest to write of all the books in the series. This was primarily due to Erikson moving from England back to Canada during the writing, but also because the "plot, and story, and number of characters' made it "the most unwieldy of all the books in my series...I probably stretched my abilities to the max for that book and was right on the edge of losing control of all of it."[3]
  • According to Erikson, he wrote Memories of Ice on a Psion 7. The word processor was a gift from the manufacturer in return for his endorsement of the earlier Psion 5mx model in a national advertisement. The ad noted that Erikson had written Deadhouse Gates on the 5mx.[4]
  • Erikson enjoys working on his novels in public places. Memories of Ice was completed at Bar Italia in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He also wrote House of Chains, Midnight Tides, and The Bonehunters at the same location.[5]

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