Toll the Hounds

Grief is the most solitary of all feelings. Grief isolates, and every ritual, every gesture, every embrace, is a hopeless effort to break through that isolation.
None of it works. The forms crumble and dissolve.
To face death is to stand alone.

A heavy book, both physically due to its size and thematically rich content. The book follows a frame narrative, narrated by a character in the series who sometimes evokes controversy and irritation due to his verbosity and peculiar way of expression. This structure allows Erikson to adopt a more contemplative tone compared to other books in the series.

The ‘stylistic break' is framed within this narrative, within a frame narrative. One could almost forget that the entire series is a frame narrative. This book, spanning over 1000 pages, is more theme-driven than plot-driven. Erikson returns to Darujistan, one of the locations from the first book, and picks up some abandoned plotlines after around 6000 pages. The scope of some storylines is truly epic.

Various storylines converge in Darujistan, albeit slowly. The pacing is slow but effective. This gives Erikson the opportunity to explore themes such as grief, redemption, compassion, and responsibility. Erikson introduces subplots that may not contribute directly to the overarching story of the series but align with the mentioned themes. This infuses a philosophical character into the book.

It is both the strength and weakness of the book. This book may not be appreciated by everyone, which is quite a daring move to change the tone of voice in the eighth book of a 10-part series in a way that could potentially alienate readers. On the other hand, if you've advanced to the eighth part of this rather complex series, would you be deterred by a book with a more philosophical approach?

While I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can appreciate about 95% of the thematic developments, Erikson occasionally overindulges himself. Especially in the reflections on the Tiste Andii, the ponderings can be lengthy. If profound thoughts are put on paper merely for their depth but lack substance, they miss their mark. Conciseness is then advised, and this occurred only a few times, in my opinion.

As is often the case in the series, the end of the book is irresistible. For a long time, it's unclear where the book is heading, but Erikson steers all plotlines tightly towards the book's conclusion. The reader is drawn, as if in a vortex, towards the end. I am curious about how this book will fit into the entire series.

5 stars.