The final volume of the Malazan Book of the Fallen is only one month away, and in anticipation of the release of The Crippled God by Steven Erikson, we’re opening a prediction thread for you to toss out your predictions and theories!
Spoilers are inherent in a thread like this, so keep that in mind. If you’re still reading the series, the Malazan Re-read of the Fallen by Bill Capossere and Amanda Rutter is a great place to go for discussion.
Please avoid posting actual spoilers for The Crippled God. Speculation only, thanks! Also, keep your eyes on the site next week, as we’ll have something very cool for you in relation to this final volume. Update: Like this excerpt from The Crippled God!
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First and foremost, I want to see the Master of the Deck lay some smack down on the Errant. Boo-yeah.
I’m most looking forward to the Ganoes-Tavore meeting and the disclosure by Lostara to one or both about what happened to little sister. Big fireworks.
SaltMan–That would be good. Whether it’s MotD or someone else, I would guess (hope) that SOMEONE will lay some smack down on the Errant.
Something may have gone past me, but wouldn’t any change in The Errant’s current circumstances be an improvement?
I expect some major actors to bite the dust – Silchas Ruin, Draconus, Tavore, Cotillion, Mappo. Then there are those we would like to see bite it – Errant, Ethil – but won’t. Well, Errnat might, but not Ethil. May be Sech and Kilmandaros as well. There are those we would like to see more of, but won’t – Paran, Quick Ben, Shadowthrone, Icarium, Karsa. At this point, I haven’t the foggiest just where Toc the Younger and Tool are going, plotwise. Hetan will make a comeback, with Badalle’s help.
well, unless he’s waking up to a big fist full of dragons deck slamming down on his cedance. ouch.
i wanna see some k’ell riding bonehunters tossing munitions at forkrul assail!
Here’s my predictions (spoilers from the previous books):
It is a fairly safe bet that we’ll get to see what is left of the Bonehunters. I’m hoping that the lizard death ray didn’t really vaporize Quick Ben and that we’ll find out more about his background(s).
It seems like Kilmandaros and company will at least try to free the Otataral dragon.
We’ll revisit the city that the Snake had gotten to.
The first shore will come into play. I wonder if we’ll see Kiska, Leoman and the giant there?
I don’t think Shadowthrone or Cotillion will die.
normalphil@@.-@:Well, his eye at least isn’t going to be rejoining him. When/if he regains consciousness, remains to be seen.
I hereby predict Fiddler to ascend and become King of High House Awesome.
Everyone dies, in the most tragic way possible.
Oh, there will be lots of death and suffering–just not certain of who exactly.
Since this is a tragedy, that maybe doesn’t bode well for some of our friends.
Yeah, that was my thought as well; this isn’t going to be pretty. My thoughts are that most of the death and destruction we’ll see will be among the current lineup of gods and ascendants though; paving the way for a new pantheon to claim Icarium’s warrens and replace both the Houses and Holds.
And as much as I’d like to say that that factors into Shadowthrone’s gameplan, the fact that the Hounds and Pust tried to give Icarium to an Azath in book 2 kind of shoots that theory in the foot with an artillery cannon.
I’m really, really hoping we see a few faces return from the past; Paran has been criminally absent from the series for a long length of time, and if Leoman doesn’t make a reappearance I’ll be left wondering why Erikson had him survive Y’Ghatan at all. And then there’s Kalam. . .
As for the Errant, if Paran fails to show up and take care of business himself, as I’m hoping he will, I’ll at least pray that Fiddler can do it for him. Because if the Master of the Deck had a House, Fiddler would most definitely be its official Reader. I don’t think we’ve ever seen Readings like his.
I myself would like to see how erikson wraps up karsa’s storyline (as we haven’t seen him in quite a while).
I’m not entirely certain Karsa will appear. . . he seems pretty much set for his Toblakai uprising, and I don’t expect that to happen until the MBotF is completed. Although if he does return, hopefully Cutter will come with him. And Apsalar, for that matter.
I predict that Shadowthrone and Cotillion have a series long plan that comes to fruition in the Crippled God. I think the books revolve around what they set into motion. Plus, I predict the dragons will be AWESOME.
O please, O please, O please. I am starting to get a little bit giddy and walk around the house yelling “Witness this and that, kittehs!” (it is Friday, just got off work, might need to calm down.)
@13/14: Yeah, I’m guessing we don’t see Karsa again until Esslemont’s Darujhistan novel.
@2 Yeah I’m hoping that Paran and Tavore will learn the fate of Felisin, I think it’ll be really interesting to see how Tavore handles it, wether she knew beforehand or was genuinely unaware.
It would be good to get a little more insight into the Jaghut war on death and their links with the azath. I’m also looking forward to see what impact Mother Dark’s awakening has, if any. I was excited when The Watch was mentioned in the summary because his development in the last book was great. It would be nice to see Fiddler and Hedge reconcile and I really hope that Hedge’s new Bridgeburners survived.
@15 Yeah I expect to be shaking my head in disbelief when Shadowthrone and Cotillion’s plans are revealed. I have a horrible feeling Cotillion might die but I really hope not.
I think there will be lots of death and tragedy present but that things will end on a positive note. It’ll no doubt be bittersweet but I think there will be some light.
I hope we get answers to the greatest mysteries of all… What or who exactly are Kruppe’s mule and Iskaral Pust’s mule? My money is on Kruppe’s mule being Burn in disguise.
Did anybody read this post: http://fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com/2011/01/crippled-god.html
There are no actual spoilers, but nevertheless, it reveals some things…
Here’s some things that I would like to see resolved, but have less confidence will actually be resolved:
1) Was Laseen actually in on any plans of ST and Cotillion or did she really just mess up?
2) Will Mappo get closure wrt Icarium (and maybe wail on a nameless one and stuff him in the sack)?
Other plotlines people are thinking of?
Ok, now I can predict that Chapter 1 is entirely awesome.
Spoiler in white:
I notice that Icarium is not destroyed–just out of action. Much coolness.
Careful on the chapter 1 spoilers, for those who want to wait until the book comes out to read it.