Bonehunters questions (spoilers)

[Funnyword]

Here's one - I was a a bit confused about what was going on with the moon - it all seemed to happen offstage. Did I forget something in one of the earlier books?

This question, I think, was being asked about the ACTUAL moon, not moon's spawn and I don't really think it got a straight answer. I think the actual moon DID break apart in tBH didn't it? I was under the impression that the jade meteor shower that was supposed to destroy seven cites collided with the moon before it got to the world and, with this having happened, the moon fell apart. is this wrong?

Also, from what I got out of the read, Paran bargained with Hood to let Heboric's soul do one last act as shield anvil and release the suffering of the Jade prisoners before passing through hood's gate. Was this what stopped the meteor shower from destroying seven cities? As i recall, when Paran came to after that whole odreal, one of his soldiers was all, "High Fist! Did you just save us all?" or something like that.

[Funnyword]

I want to second this question. I just finished Bonehunters last night and this thread has cleared up some questions but what was up with the fireballs.

Also, any clue who is helping Bottle?

The green fireballs were the giant jade "prisons" we saw hurling through space in Heboric's POV starting in HOC. I don't think anyone knows thus far as to WHY they were hurling towards the malazan world but alot of forum posters seem to think that the people inside were former worshippers or enemies of the crippled god from another planet, as people ALSO seem to agree upon the fact that the crippled god himself was from another planet

The Eres'al Goddess was the one helping Bottle. Why? the only reason she chose Bottle over anyone else in the 14th that I can see from reading that book was because she thought he was hot.

[extanis1961]

Forgive me if I ask a question that has been answered before, but has Taralack Veed appeared prior to "The Bonehunters"? I swear I've seen the character before. I started this series with this book, then went back and read the first five books. I'm rereading the sixth book, (making much, much better sense), I can swear I've seen him before. Can anyone enlighten me?

[AuntiePam]

I'm about two-thirds of the way through Bonehunters. Every night when I pick up the book, I ask myself why I keep going. I'm having a right dickens of a time following the plot. There are too many characters and they all seem to be doing variations of the same thing -- trying to kill a god or avoid being killed by a god.

But then I come up on a nice bit of philosophizing or a tense fight scene or some soldiers cracking wise and I'm sucked in again.

But I wish there was a Malazan for Dummies.

I also wish the characters had just one name throughout the books. I wouldn't mind a dimwitted sidekick either -- someone who has things explained to him by the people who know what's going on. And I'd like it if more of the names indicated gender.

I also wouldn't mind being told ahead of time what some of the characters are planning to do. I feel excluded when all I get is the confrontation and the result. Let me in on some of the plans from the beginning. I'll be much more invested when the confrontation happens.

Bitching over. For now.

[Skywarp]

Hello everyone, I have just finished BH and like so many others I find this the most confusing book of the series so far!.

The jade statues appearing as meteors out of nowhere in the plot was a surprise that swiftly resolved itself with little explanation. Reading this thread I see a little information about it but still no detailed explanation.



Now my biggest confusion that has not been brought up yet. Warning Big Wall of Text.

The Fourteenth arrives on SC's to crush the rebellion. After the battle the unequivocal traitor Korbolo Dom is taken back to the Empress in chains by Pearl. Mallick Rell had already set off to see the Empress of his own accord and only a handful of people knew of his role in the betrayal making it possible for him to avoid suspicion.
Skip ahead, the fourteenth gets the job done and is recalled home. On the way meeting the Edur, and most importantly while passing a group of unexplored islands/land mass an army from a civilization unknown to the Malazan empire shows up wishing to pledge allegiance?, strange but stranger still this army is a holy army of Fanderay and Togg similar to the original Fenner Grey Swords on Genabackis.
How can this be? up until very recently Togg and Fanderay were mindless wanderers with no power, influence or contact with the mortal realm. Their recent ascension along with Treach to full fledged gods of war (making 3 at once, until Fenner gets his ass speared or reaffirms his wavering status) contradicts the presence of a long standing F&T cult.
There is the contradiction of Toc the Younger and the remnants of the Grey Swords already being given the 3 title roles of Mortal Sword, SA and Destriant although you could argue that each wolf has their own cult but even with that stretch it does not explain how the newcomers joining Tavore came to be or how they could of had any power previous to the recent ascension.

Moving on, so the fleet is again redirected to Malaz Island to rendezvous with the Empress. The fairly successful army arrives and all seems a little fishy.
Given the ongoing feature of the books to exclude Laseen and the heart of the empire from the story at this point the reader has no reason to suspect anything but a muted welcome home with maybe a few harsh words on certain issues from both sides.
Instead we are presented with the baffling situation of Korbolo Dom being a high fist with full power and authority and Mallick Rell sporting similar power both embedded into Laseen's side. The last of which also revealing the incredible achievement of usurping authority over the claw with Topper vanished.
Further these two vipers have set mages, Malazan soldiers and the general populace up to murder the entire fourteenth hrough both inciting betrayal and effecting a false accounting of the true events of the chain of dogs.

The high mage of the Empire is present through all this but does nothing O.O and we are given a brief pov from him at the end that explains little and in a fashion contradicts his sentiments and position displayed at the end of the battle for Coral.

Laseen seems to be utterly ineffectual almost to the point of being a puppet to Dom/Rell as suggested by her apparent seeking of aid from Kalam and then Pearl.
The only minor revelation given is that the Wickan betrayal is for the purpose of a pretense to trample their rights as imperial citizens in order to take all the food/resources from their particular land portion to combat the impending famine resulting from the attrition of trade and resources fighting the Seven Cities rebellion.


There is almost no explanation as to how all these utterly astonishing circumstances have come to pass.


It would seem during all the adventures of the books up until now, the core of the empire has been rotting into dissolution to the point the Malazan empire has been usurped by another power/group.