The God is Not Willing
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- Create Date：2021-12-26 06:51:02
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Steven Erikson
- ISBN：0765323591
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Summary
Many years have passed since three Teblor warriors brought carnage and chaos to the small lakeside settlement of Silver Lake。 While the town has recovered， the legacy of that past horror remains， even if the Teblor tribes of the north no longer venture into the southlands。 One of those three， Karsa Orlong， is now deemed to be a god， albeit an indifferent one。 In truth， many new cults and religions have emerged across the Malazan world， including those who worship Coltaine， the Black-Winged God， and - popular among the Empire's soldiery - followers of the cult of Iskar Jarak， Guardian of the Dead。
A legion of Malazan marines is on the march towards Silver Lake。 responding to intelligence that indicates the tribes beyond the border are stirring。 The marines aren't quite sure what they're going to be facing but， while the Malazan military has evolved and these are not the marines of old， one thing hasn't changed: they'll handle whatever comes at them。 Or die trying
Meanwhile， in the high mountains， where dwell the tribes of the Teblor， a new warleader has risen。 Scarred by the deeds of Karsa Orlong， he intends to confront his god， even if he has to cut a bloody path through the Malazan Empire to do it。 Higher in the mountains， a new threat has emerged， and now the Teblor are running out of time。
The long feared invasion is about to begin。 And this time it won't be three simple warriors。 This time thousands are poised to flood the lands of the south。 And in their way， a single legion of Malazan marines 。 。 。
It seems the past is about to revisit Silver Lake， and that is never a good thing 。 。 。
A legion of Malazan marines is on the march towards Silver Lake。 responding to intelligence that indicates the tribes beyond the border are stirring。 The marines aren't quite sure what they're going to be facing but， while the Malazan military has evolved and these are not the marines of old， one thing hasn't changed: they'll handle whatever comes at them。 Or die trying
Meanwhile， in the high mountains， where dwell the tribes of the Teblor， a new warleader has risen。 Scarred by the deeds of Karsa Orlong， he intends to confront his god， even if he has to cut a bloody path through the Malazan Empire to do it。 Higher in the mountains， a new threat has emerged， and now the Teblor are running out of time。
The long feared invasion is about to begin。 And this time it won't be three simple warriors。 This time thousands are poised to flood the lands of the south。 And in their way， a single legion of Malazan marines 。 。 。
It seems the past is about to revisit Silver Lake， and that is never a good thing 。 。 。
Reviews
David Hunter
，
After about half way through， I started to think that Erikson was patronizing his fans。 The first two books of the Kharkanas trilogy were not so well-received。 They were written in a slower cadence， and despite happening thousands of years before the current timeline， featured character after character that seem cynical and world-weary。 I felt that in The God is Not Willing， Erikson deliberately changed his course。In The God is Not Willing， we have very little of world-weariness。 We have lots of After about half way through， I started to think that Erikson was patronizing his fans。 The first two books of the Kharkanas trilogy were not so well-received。 They were written in a slower cadence， and despite happening thousands of years before the current timeline， featured character after character that seem cynical and world-weary。 I felt that in The God is Not Willing， Erikson deliberately changed his course。In The God is Not Willing， we have very little of world-weariness。 We have lots of comic relief， and lots of action， and the two are frequently mixed together。 One of the characters even seems to be Erikson's take on Greta Thunberg - not really getting normal human interaction （suffering from Asperger's）， but on a mission to help people。 Nevertheless， she serves as one of the fulcrums or focuses for the comic situations。The main threat of the book is also related to Greta Thunberg - the Jaghut rituals are weakening， and will soon release a deluge of water， and many peoples must flee。In short， the book feels much easier to understand than a typical Erikson book， and it is much shorter than is typical for him as well。Still， if you are a fan of The Malazan Book of the Fallen， you will probably enjoy this book as well。 。。。more
Anonymous Shadow
，
It's so satisfying to read a Malazan novel。 It's so satisfying to read a Malazan novel。 。。。more
Nigel Owen
，
Perfectly fits in the same world as the main series。 Has considerably more humour then other books in the Malazan series， though the humour is pretty dark and my appreciation may have something to do with having reading 15+ other books in this world。 This series can be read without reading the main series， but expect the typical experience of not 100% sure what is happening。
Lplus
，
So Ericson returns to his favourite subjects of the stupidity of humans （and all the other races he describes， for one reason or another） and the innocence of children。The Malazan army soldiers and their relationships were what saved this novel from being truly dire - Ericson can certainly write dialogue when he wants to。 That said， the amazing abilities of the few soldiers at the heart of the novel and the miraculous survival of some of them tended to stretch the suspension of disbelief almost So Ericson returns to his favourite subjects of the stupidity of humans （and all the other races he describes， for one reason or another） and the innocence of children。The Malazan army soldiers and their relationships were what saved this novel from being truly dire - Ericson can certainly write dialogue when he wants to。 That said， the amazing abilities of the few soldiers at the heart of the novel and the miraculous survival of some of them tended to stretch the suspension of disbelief almost to breaking point。 。。。more
Theo
，
Didn’t really scratch the itch。
Darks
，
Dear Mr Erikson I’m still eagerly awaiting that last piece of the backstory puzzle that is the third book Kharkanas trilogy， however I gratefully accept this latest Malazan offering :praise:Despite it being many books since I’d read the other series’ slipping back into the world and the writing style was so easy it felt like coming home~The new characters really grew on me T_T and I enjoyed all the name dropping and brief appearances of the og characters （book felt solidly set in the world imo） Dear Mr Erikson I’m still eagerly awaiting that last piece of the backstory puzzle that is the third book Kharkanas trilogy， however I gratefully accept this latest Malazan offering :praise:Despite it being many books since I’d read the other series’ slipping back into the world and the writing style was so easy it felt like coming home~The new characters really grew on me T_T and I enjoyed all the name dropping and brief appearances of the og characters （book felt solidly set in the world imo） also found the plot unique/interesting。Certainly looking forward to book 2 👀 。。。more
Ian
，
Too short。。。。。 only 500 pages。。。。。。。 ;-） It's been a while since I read the mind-bending epic that is the 10 book Malazan series， （far more complex than any other fantasy world I've ever been immersed in， including Middle Earth）， but two pages in to this sequel， （sort of）， and I was right back in that amazing melting pot。。。。 Can't wait for the next installment。。。。。 Too short。。。。。 only 500 pages。。。。。。。 ;-） It's been a while since I read the mind-bending epic that is the 10 book Malazan series， （far more complex than any other fantasy world I've ever been immersed in， including Middle Earth）， but two pages in to this sequel， （sort of）， and I was right back in that amazing melting pot。。。。 Can't wait for the next installment。。。。。 。。。more
Albin Lundberg
，
Erikson continues to deliver。 Here， the consequences of some actions from the Book of the Fallen are explored， with the story of Rant – the bastard son of Karsa Orlong – and his slow losing of innocence being the main narrative。 It’s though-provoking and heartbreaking。 Perspectives are shifted and added。 Karsa Orlong， while never a paragon of righteousness， is seen from hitherto barely explored angles: deliverer of misery and absent father; Karsa himself does not appear in the book – he is stubb Erikson continues to deliver。 Here， the consequences of some actions from the Book of the Fallen are explored， with the story of Rant – the bastard son of Karsa Orlong – and his slow losing of innocence being the main narrative。 It’s though-provoking and heartbreaking。 Perspectives are shifted and added。 Karsa Orlong， while never a paragon of righteousness， is seen from hitherto barely explored angles: deliverer of misery and absent father; Karsa himself does not appear in the book – he is stubbornly refusing Ascendancy in his Daruhjistani cave – yet his historical presence permeates everything。 Rant and his journey is beautifully written and leaves a lasting mark。 The marines are back！ Yay！ While spearheaded by the familiar Bridgeburner who never could stay put， many new and equally unforgettable soldiers are introduced to the cast。 Stillwater， who is definitely not an assassin-mage of Meanas; Benger， who’s magical powers seem to be more impressive than anyone gives him credit for; Oams， who finds a lovely new head-ripping friend; and Anyx Fro， who finds a weasel， are just as awesome， talented， humorous， and damned compassionate as the beloved Malazan marines of old。 What would the Empire do without them？ Crumble， no doubt。 Erikson continues to wield compassion like an unsheathed knife。 It’s intertwined in philosophical paragraphs and poems， but the strongest displays are the unselfish acts of kindness: to lay down arms， prejudice， and malice; to save people in need。 And to watch the marines weep over too few lives – the lives of strangers – saved， should break every heart。 And thus， Erikson twines the story with our reality。 It doesn’t matter if the peoples are human， Teblor， Jeck， or K’Chain。 Compassion is universal。 It is indeed tragic， that our world cannot boast of the uncompromising kindness of Malazan marines。 The God is Not Willing is a majestic sequel to the Book of the Fallen， both in story and in spirit。 Bear Witness， if you may。 。。。more
Jeff
，
Steven Erikson once again has proven that he is the best writer of epic fantasy in the history of mankind。 I LOVED， LOVED every page of this book。 The world of the Malazans is brilliant， brutal， complex， confusing， hilarious， poignant， and often thought provoking。 I cannot say enough about this new story in the Malazan world。 You really should read the 10 book series "Malazan Book of the Fallen" before you start this one， but it's not absolutely necessary。 But， you really should， it's the best f Steven Erikson once again has proven that he is the best writer of epic fantasy in the history of mankind。 I LOVED， LOVED every page of this book。 The world of the Malazans is brilliant， brutal， complex， confusing， hilarious， poignant， and often thought provoking。 I cannot say enough about this new story in the Malazan world。 You really should read the 10 book series "Malazan Book of the Fallen" before you start this one， but it's not absolutely necessary。 But， you really should， it's the best fantasy out there。 It can be confusing at times， but press on and you will either understand later or you will find another brilliant piece of the story that keeps you wanting more。 Plus， there is the wonderful Malazan wiki online to help answer all your questions。 I don't write plot synopses （synopsises？ haha） because you can find that anywhere。 I just write about what I think of the book I just read， and this one is top shelf。 Erikson writes the best characters。 Spending time with the marines brings me so much joy， and this book really focuses on them this time。 There are plenty of unforgettable scenes throughout this story。 Now I have to wait a year or probably more for the next book in this trilogy。 This gives me time to now start my reread of all 10 books in the "Malazan Book of the Fallen" series。 It begins with "Gardens of the Moon"。 Here I come back， old friend。 Thank you， Mr。 Erikson， for these stories。 Oh yeah， your Star Trek parody trilogy that begins with "Willful Child" is freaking hilarious。 Every Star Trek fan and fan of comedy fiction needs to read these three books。 。。。more
Sai Shashanka
，
Always feels good to return to some good old tales of the Malazan。 Incredible writing， as only to be expected from Erikson。 Glad to see the Malazan marines haven't lost their edge。 Always feels good to return to some good old tales of the Malazan。 Incredible writing， as only to be expected from Erikson。 Glad to see the Malazan marines haven't lost their edge。 。。。more
Janine Padro
，
High fantasy + military fiction seems a strange combination， but Erikson does it well。 Too well that I am impatient as HECK waiting for the second in the planned triology。 Please， oh please become a thing！！！
Harvey Meeker
，
ExcellentWhile I’m enjoying puzzling through the Karkanas trilogy this is very much of a piece with Erikson’s Malazan series。 The tone and themes are similar and of course the history and some characters carry over。 It’s an exciting window back into a world I had hoped he was not done with。
Vagabond of Letters， DLitt
，
Some bad heavy-handed globalist political messaging towards the end。
Craig
，
God damn excellent！！！
Gary
，
Good start to the new series， but probably closer to a 3 stars than a 5 stars for me and I seem in the minority there。 I wouldn't fancy this as my first foray into the Malazan world。 Felt Erikson getting a little preachy in some parts and the banter between the marines wasn't that great， and some side characters less interesting - but hes still one of the very best in the game and I'll be pre ordering the next in the series and looking forward to it with anticipation。 Good start to the new series， but probably closer to a 3 stars than a 5 stars for me and I seem in the minority there。 I wouldn't fancy this as my first foray into the Malazan world。 Felt Erikson getting a little preachy in some parts and the banter between the marines wasn't that great， and some side characters less interesting - but hes still one of the very best in the game and I'll be pre ordering the next in the series and looking forward to it with anticipation。 。。。more
Maurice Africh
，
This book was outstanding。 Steven Erikson has long forgotten how to disappoint。 I loved the characters， the arcs， the twists， the turns。 I teared up， I laughed， I cheered， my mouth fell open in shock。 I was heartbroken and elated and awed。 The marines got me， as they do。"Do you give a shit？"Yeah man， I do， and it brings me some peace and hope and maybe a little bit of clarity about the world to know that I'm not the only one。 This book was outstanding。 Steven Erikson has long forgotten how to disappoint。 I loved the characters， the arcs， the twists， the turns。 I teared up， I laughed， I cheered， my mouth fell open in shock。 I was heartbroken and elated and awed。 The marines got me， as they do。"Do you give a shit？"Yeah man， I do， and it brings me some peace and hope and maybe a little bit of clarity about the world to know that I'm not the only one。 。。。more
RedJorgAncrath
，
It had been a long time since I had read anything new by Steven Erikson， so this was a highly anticipated book。 I've read many of the Malazan books 3 times and for the most part loved it。 I'd say it's a bit of a love/dislike thing （not quite love/hate）。 Erikson seems to put each segment into one of maybe four categories。 The best of those is when it's complete mayhem。 There's one such segment in this book where some characters decide to do the right thing help a woman out just because。 And it is It had been a long time since I had read anything new by Steven Erikson， so this was a highly anticipated book。 I've read many of the Malazan books 3 times and for the most part loved it。 I'd say it's a bit of a love/dislike thing （not quite love/hate）。 Erikson seems to put each segment into one of maybe four categories。 The best of those is when it's complete mayhem。 There's one such segment in this book where some characters decide to do the right thing help a woman out just because。 And it is absolute awesome-sauce。 It's the type of thing I'll read and think 'now that's why I love reading this author。' The second category is witty banter between soldiers （usually） or other characters that is often very funny but sometimes not quite as funny as it wants to be。 There's plenty of that in this book as well。 The third category is mystic characters， awe inspiring power， vague clues that leave plenty of mystery in the air。 Sometimes you don't even know who this character is。 Is he a god？ Is he another character who has changed his name？ This is another reason I've loved Erikson over the years。 He does this better than anyone else I've read。The final category is why I knew I wouldn't be reading the Kharkanas series ahead of time。 It's hard to describe， but it's kind of a long drawn out rumination type of rambling about things like despair and self-loathing。 These bore me to no end。 The Tiste Andii did a lot of it in Malazan， but other characters too。 There's a lot of this toward the start of this book， so I was really worried。Thankfully it tapers off as you get further in and becomes extremely fun and makes you love that you finally got a new Malazan book to read。 I havent' read any of the Esslemont books since Dancer's Lament because I simply can't stomach them。 They're terrible in my opinion， and only serve to fill the reader in on who had died and what is happening in general。 So I was often wondering where most of the main characters in the main series were。 I also didn't quite understand what happened to the gods from the main series， but it didn't hurt the experience。 I probably just need to read the last book again。The God is Not Willing introduces a number of characters that were new to me， and one of them in particular absolutely steals the show。 As in， she is now one of my all time favorite characters by Erikson。 Previous favorites being Sgt Hellian and Corabb Bhilan Thenu'alas。 I'm excited to read the rest of this series when it's available， and I hadn't noticed that there are a few newer Bauchelain books out until just now so I'll probably check those out。 Anyway， I definitely recommend this book for Malazan fans。 It's definitely a fun read and brought me back to the days of reading a new book in the series for the first time。 。。。more
Kristopher Childress
，
If you're ever wondering why you faughtMany men and women have recently been forced to consider why they gave up their youth fighting in a war on the other side of the planet。 I would urge all of them to read this book。 It puts into words the reason why you fight better than any statement from a general， better than the word of some asinine politician。 If you were wondering why you fought， read this。 If you're ever wondering why you faughtMany men and women have recently been forced to consider why they gave up their youth fighting in a war on the other side of the planet。 I would urge all of them to read this book。 It puts into words the reason why you fight better than any statement from a general， better than the word of some asinine politician。 If you were wondering why you fought， read this。 。。。more
Joshua
，
9。5/10*HAIL THE MARINES。This was simply the best book I have read in a long time。 Stunning， heartbreaking， life affirming。。。。 Amazing。Erikson outdid himself。
Josh
，
We’ve been waiting a long time for this one。 Finally Steven Eriksson had come out with a novel following up after the end of his massive 10 book Malazan Book of the Fallen。 And while this might not jump right into the plots and characters that we wanted it to， it does seem to pave the way for that down the road and also gives us an engaging new story with new characters in its own right。This novel centers around the son of Karsa Orlong， one of our favorites in the original series as well as one We’ve been waiting a long time for this one。 Finally Steven Eriksson had come out with a novel following up after the end of his massive 10 book Malazan Book of the Fallen。 And while this might not jump right into the plots and characters that we wanted it to， it does seem to pave the way for that down the road and also gives us an engaging new story with new characters in its own right。This novel centers around the son of Karsa Orlong， one of our favorites in the original series as well as one of the most badass characters ever to step upon the pages of fantasy literature。 And despite all the sheer amounts of pages I’ve read from Erikson over the years， he can still deliver an original， engrossing character that you can fall totally in love with in the span of a few chapters。 Rant’s story contains quite a few moments of awesome that left me sometimes laughing， sometimes walking away in awe。The other peripheral plot lines of this book involve other characters， mostly the Malazan marines， filled with all of their witty and eccentric banter back and forth that we’ve come to know so well。 Some of these moments are really cool and comedic， and others give us a sense of the huge scale of the world like the main series did。 Others kind of drag as we’ve also come to expect， and overall they don’t hold up to the engrossing level of Rant’s tale。 The ending was quite unpredictable but ties things up well so far and opens it up for whatever is to come in the eventual next installment。It’s been a pretty good year for fantasy and science-fiction readers， with familiar favorites coming out with new books in series many of us know and love。 Hopefully 2022 brings more of the same。 。。。more
John Victory
，
Welcome back， old friend What an awesome return to the Malazan story。 A stunning journey with the old and the new woven together perfectly。
S Keene
，
Everything I hoped it would be。 I cannot describe the joy and excitement when I heard there was a continuing tale。 The Malazan series was my life for so long， I was truly immersed and never wanted to resurface。 If you loved the 10 previous then you'll love this。 I'm just so utterly ashamed and distraught I read it in 3 days and I was really really trying to make it last as well。 For some getting lost in a book is a necessity and there is no-one else I would rather be lost with。 Eriksons writing Everything I hoped it would be。 I cannot describe the joy and excitement when I heard there was a continuing tale。 The Malazan series was my life for so long， I was truly immersed and never wanted to resurface。 If you loved the 10 previous then you'll love this。 I'm just so utterly ashamed and distraught I read it in 3 days and I was really really trying to make it last as well。 For some getting lost in a book is a necessity and there is no-one else I would rather be lost with。 Eriksons writing style， humour and grit is unique and I will thank him forever for sharing his magnificent creation with us and keeping me going。 Now the long wait for more perfection。 I so need him to send me away again。 。。。more
Eric Munscher
，
I have been a huge fan of Erikson's Malazan books since the very beginning。 Unlike many I was instantly hooked with Gardens of the Moon。 The books just kept getting better and better， Dead House Gate， Memories if Ice， Midnight Tides， Toll the Hounds， The Crippled God all were unbelievable in scope， depth， and impact。 One thing Erikson has done time and time again is find a way to break the readers heart。 He did it again with The God is Not Willing。 The beautiful way he writes the bare faced huma I have been a huge fan of Erikson's Malazan books since the very beginning。 Unlike many I was instantly hooked with Gardens of the Moon。 The books just kept getting better and better， Dead House Gate， Memories if Ice， Midnight Tides， Toll the Hounds， The Crippled God all were unbelievable in scope， depth， and impact。 One thing Erikson has done time and time again is find a way to break the readers heart。 He did it again with The God is Not Willing。 The beautiful way he writes the bare faced humanity in the wonderfully insane marines is something I will never tire of。 While this book was shorter than many of the previous Malazan books， it's focus more precise on a region rather than continent or across the world， it did not lose any of it's power。 Fans of both the core Malazan series will love this book。 I can't wait for the next one。。。 Maybe we will get to witness one of our favorite characters again。 。。。more
Jason W Stanley
，
Amazing book！ Erikson dangled just enough tidbits about old friends from the previous story to engage me until I loved the new characters just as much。 It was a delight to be back with the marines！
Wilson
，
What do you get if you take the parts of the Malazan Book of the Fallen that make it the best fantasy series I've ever read （and likely will read）， namely the epic scenes， deep themes， and hilarious banter， and remove the parts that like it or not held MBOTF back in general and with a broader readership （the huge cast， loose plotting， and philosophical meanderings）？ This book I guess。 The God is Not Willing was probably my most anticipated book of the year as it represents the first "new" Steven What do you get if you take the parts of the Malazan Book of the Fallen that make it the best fantasy series I've ever read （and likely will read）， namely the epic scenes， deep themes， and hilarious banter， and remove the parts that like it or not held MBOTF back in general and with a broader readership （the huge cast， loose plotting， and philosophical meanderings）？ This book I guess。 The God is Not Willing was probably my most anticipated book of the year as it represents the first "new" Steven Erikson novel I've read since I finished The Crippled God close to a decade ago （I'm saving the Kharkanas Trilogy for a MBOTF reread）。 I was actually kind of worried going in， since my tastes in reading have changed so much just over the past few years， that Erikson's writing would no longer resonate with me。 I obviously shouldn't have—if I can call anyone my favorite author， who's inspired and influenced my own writing more than any other， it would have to be him， and this book shows that nothing's changed that。What I said in the first paragraph about TGINW basically distilling the good parts of MBOTF into one short（ish） novel is basically true。 This book is absolutely filled with memorable and awesome scenes， from the （view spoiler）[horrifying beginning of Rant's tale and his watery salvation by Damisk， to Damisk's brief adventure in the Beast Hold full of K'Chain Che'Malle， to the awe-inspiring flood forming the climax of the novel （hide spoiler）]。 Erikson has always specialized in inventing these epic setpieces and executing them in the most interesting possible way （mostly through clever POV shifts）， and here he does not hold back。 A shorter novel and series doesn't have the same capacity for epic thematic scope as MBOTF， but the book doesn't skimp here either， with explicit themes of clash-of-civilization and loss-of-innocence， and implicit ones of heroism and climate change。 And finally there's the banter-filled dialogue between characters， especially the Malazan marines， which was probably the biggest delight of the book。 Erikson has always captured the wry humor of soldiers perfectly and here he really put a lot of focus on it and the often wholesome interactions between the marines。 In particular I loved Stillwater and Anyx Fro， but having Spindle as a representative from the older series was great too。One interesting thing about this novel， and probably the primary difference between it and MBOTF， is that it's much less of a tragedy than that series was。 The plot has numerous opportunities to turn dark， and I think a younger Erikson would have taken those chances to twist the emotional knife， but here the heroes generally prevail。 The marines in particular face an array of trials and tribulations but at the end （view spoiler）[they pretty much all come out alright （hide spoiler）]。 Our attention is repeatedly drawn to the marines' compassion and heroism even toward the Wilders they were fighting。 For me this mostly worked since I know Erikson's major theme is compassion anyway but for some readers it might come off as cheesy。 An uncharitable reader might even interpret it as Erikson being pro-colonization but it's of course much more nuanced than that。 This "heroic" turn for Erikson was interesting and I'm curious to see if it will continue through the Witness trilogy。I've got no real criticisms of TGINW， it was probably the most enjoyable read I've had all year and has certainly cemented Erikson as my favorite author。 It was a pleasure to reenter the Malazan world after so long and I can't wait to do it again。 。。。more
Donald
，
2。5/5。 Added to my list of most disappointing books of 2021。
Lindsay
，
Thoughtful， heart breaking， hopeful。 Erikson masters these with his writing and the range of his characters。
Chris
，
Immaculate start to a new trilogy set after the main series。 All of Erikson’s wonderful prose。 Great new Malazan marines， other new characters - all well done。 And Rant！ Just amazing。
Gallus
，
When you call someone your favorite author of all time， it’s nice to remember why。 That was one of the many gifts this book gave me。 The God Is Not Willing is Erikson at his finest。 It is chaotic， insane， unceasingly fantastical。 It flows from hilarious to heartbreaking and back again seamlessly。 It perfectly showcases the centermost message underlying all of Erikson’s work; his firm belief in universal and unconditional compassion extended in equal measure to allies and enemies。 Erikson demonst When you call someone your favorite author of all time， it’s nice to remember why。 That was one of the many gifts this book gave me。 The God Is Not Willing is Erikson at his finest。 It is chaotic， insane， unceasingly fantastical。 It flows from hilarious to heartbreaking and back again seamlessly。 It perfectly showcases the centermost message underlying all of Erikson’s work; his firm belief in universal and unconditional compassion extended in equal measure to allies and enemies。 Erikson demonstrates his ideology fully formed in the second company of the fourteenth legion of the Malazan army， possibly his best-written group of marines yet， both for their actions and their dialogue， which continues to improve even a decade after The Crippled God。 Erikson’s ability to mingle the mundane with the spectacular is on greater display than ever before with these marines， particularly Stillwater， one of his best characters to date， whose hilarious and often asinine dialogue with her fellow marines stands in contrast to her terrifying individual power， both of which stand in contrast again to a fundamental selflessness that characterizes most if not all of the second company。 Balancing out this side of the army are hands down the best group of heavies he has ever written。 The section of the Malazan marines often stereotyped as bumbling and uncomprehending maintain their idiotic charm in select situations， proving utterly incapable of organizing any logistical operation and often slow on the uptake as a situation unfolds。 Erikson juxtaposes this with their conversations on the march or at night over drinks， as they intelligently discuss poetry， language， or the philosophical implications of their newest orders。 There is endlessly more praise I could heap on the marines but suffice it to say they follow perfectly in the footsteps of the Bridgeburners and Bonehunters。 On the other side of his ideal， Erikson explores his notion of compassion in the context of growing up and losing innocence with Rant。 Following the son of Karsa Orlong gives us a chance to spend time in the wreckage left in the wake of one of Erikson’s most iconic characters in a long-overdue exploration of the consequences of Karsa’s actions。 Rant matures considerably over the course of the book and his growth is apparent through the changes in how he views himself and his place in the world as well as those around him。 In spite of that growth， that loss of innocence， Rant remains a force for good despite his own unending hardship and tragic origins。 As Rant matures， he also begins to embody the best of his father。 The relentlessness and tenacity。 The spectacular moments that only Erikson can write and that define so much of Karsa’s popularity。 This is all to say that this book was an incredible read， fully worthy of the legacy it follows， and probably the best book I’ve read this year。 。。。more
Liam Mason
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It's probably unfair for me to compare this book to Erikson's magnum opus， the Malazan Book of the Fallen， but since this is a sequel trilogy （of sorts） the comparisons are inevitable。 And I was disappointed to find that I didn't find this book nearly as interesting as even my least favorite entry from the original series。 That isn't to say that this book was bad。 Erikson still has great philosophical prose and greater humor。 But I didn't find myself attached to the majority of the characters， a It's probably unfair for me to compare this book to Erikson's magnum opus， the Malazan Book of the Fallen， but since this is a sequel trilogy （of sorts） the comparisons are inevitable。 And I was disappointed to find that I didn't find this book nearly as interesting as even my least favorite entry from the original series。 That isn't to say that this book was bad。 Erikson still has great philosophical prose and greater humor。 But I didn't find myself attached to the majority of the characters， and one of the major plotlines didn't interest me。 I'm reminding myself that Malazan is often better upon rereads， since you pick up on so much more。 So I look forward to giving it another go， either right after I've completed my current reread of TMBotF， or right before the second book in this trilogy is released。 And if I still don't like it， well， at least it's always nice to transport into this world for a bit。Rating: 7/10 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The God is Not Willing
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The God is Not Willing&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft