I was recently scrolling through the Tor website looking for something new to read when I stumbled upon the word, ‘grimlark’. I was so taken by the word that I actually didn’t notice what book it was describing because it was the perfect descriptive word for the book I was reading at the time, The Wurms of Blearmouth, the latest novella by author Steven Erikson about his unlikely trio, necromancers Beauchelain and Broach and their manservant, Emancipor Reese also known as Mancy the Unlucky for the fact that every ship he has sailed on has sunk and all his previous masters have met untimely deaths. After their ship sinks (not too surprising with Mancy on board) and the three are stranded on Spendrugle, a small village populated by reavers, wreckers, gods, and dead folk. Lord Fangatooth Claw, tyrant and usurper, when he’s not torturing his brother, has declared that all visitors be brought to the Keep to be killed, a directive the townsfolk are more than happy to comply with. Unfortunately for him, he’s never had visitors like Beauchelain and Broach before. Turns out tyrants just don’t have the staying power they used to.Anyone who is a fan of Erikson’s Malazan Book of the Fallen won’t be surprised to learn that there is a huge cast here, many already familiar as well as a host of new ones all with wonderfully descriptive names like Coingood, scribe for the aforementioned Fangatooth Claw. Nor will they be surprised to discover that this huge cast consists of some of the oddest, darkest and most unlikable characters they will encounter in gritty realism, a form of fantasy known for odd, dark, and unlikable. Or that, despite this, Erikson makes us like his characters against our better judgment because of the humour, both subtle and not so subtle, he infuses into the mix. The Wurms of Blearmouth is a complex, intelligent, and darkly funny tale and proves again why Erikson is considered one of the best of the modern fantasy writers. I was provided and advance copy by Tor.Pretty even 3/5 for me.I've never read anything from this series nor from this author, but I did go into this fairly excited and optimistic. I like dark humor... A lot. But this felt... Ugh... He was just trying far too hard to be dark. It felt so forced and over the top. So much so that the humor passed the funny point and became dumb. There were many cases of this, but there was enough for me to enjoy.There were soooo many characters crammed into this 200-page book. New characters were still being introduced past the 3/4 point! I don't feel confident that I have everyone straight still, though I am still impressed with how many I am definitely clear with. Again, I feel like everyone was overly dark. We have a small village of dirty assholes who want to kill each other. Got it. But that's every single character. While there are some nuances to each, they all have the same core, and I didn't dig that so much. It reminded me at times of Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Clue... Just tons of overlapping characters who want to kill each other. But still not told as well, in my opinion.The plot seemed somewhat pointless. All of those characters introduced, and we're left with that? Maybe I need to read the series to really get it, I guess?I'm intrigued to read more about Bauchelain and Korbal, but likely only if I can do so for free or a good sale. Not bad, but just trying waaaay too hard to be 'haha messed up'.
What do You think about The Wurms Of Blearmouth (2014)?
If Steve Erikson wrote enough books in the world of Malazan, I would be happy to read nothing else.
—britt
