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Content snapshot
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Violence
Very heavy
Extreme violence including mass civilian casualties, battle deaths, and one of the most devastating conclusions in epic fantasy
Language
Some
Some strong language
Sexual Content
Barely any
Minimal sexual content
Substance Use
None
No substance use
Emotional Intensity
Very heavy
The psychological weight of witnessing heroism that cannot prevent tragedy — and Erikson's refusal to turn away from the cost — is the novel's defining quality
What this book is about
The second Malazan Book of the Fallen follows multiple storylines, most famously the Chain of Dogs: Fist Coltaine's epic, doomed march of the Malazan 7th Army and hundreds of thousands of civilian refugees across the hostile continent of Seven Cities. Erikson's prose rises to the scale of what he's depicting — the suffering is immense, the heroism is real, and the ending is devastating. Widely considered one of the great tragedies in epic fantasy. Extreme violence and mass civilian death throughout.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Extreme violence and mass deaths throughout
One of the most devastating endings in the genre
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