Right, chaps - I'm sorry I went AWOL on this one for a while, but now back and ready to race into Forge of Darkness. I have my shiny copy sat right next to me and ready to go.

Which means revisiting my thoughts on Assail.

What's strange is that this is the first novel in the re-read that I came to with more of an editorial hat on, and recognised more of the problems with the balance of Assail.

Take, for instance, those first giddy chapters where we were offered a mysterious Tiste Andii, who suffered amnesia and had no idea who he might be. The wondering about which character it was. His determination to find out who he is. The scene on the bone bridge. All very exciting, very dramatic and part of my favourite scenes in the novel. However, towards the end of the novel, he suddenly vanished. Even in scenes where he was supposed to be (featuring Fisher and Kyle) he wasn't even mentioned. It was as though Esslemont thought "I need a Tiste Andii for the ending" and then got excited with the possibilities of a mystery as to who it was, but then went too far down the Anomander Rake red herring route that he couldn't really write anything more and so dropped the character.

Speaking of the ending... When you are less than fifteen pages from the end, it is pointless having a character look to a huge mountain with Forkrul Assail at the top and wonder if they're going to get out alive. There is no tension. We know they're going to survive.

And there was a problem with balance at the end. We had read pages and pages of description at other points, but the ending gets wrapped up with dizzying speed. To the point where I wasn't *entirely* sure what had been achieved. Also, Kyle being the saviour of the novel? No, just no. The random necklace that had barely seen a mention in prior novels suddenly being the one thing that would save them all from Forkrul justice? Didn't work for me.

So what did work?

Well, I actually enjoyed the setting and the Jaghut magic wreathed through it. For me, it was such a contrast with Blood and Bone, and it was beautifully achieved. I could feel the cold making my teeth ache in some of those scenes.

I adored the Cartheron Crust sections. That scene in the camp where the Malazans are drawn together and then cause havoc? One of the finest scenes Esslemont has ever written. It did bring to mind something - these Crimson Guard books have not had the vigour and fun of the Malazan series, because the Guard generally seem more po-faced and serious. And then it occurred that perhaps it was a deliberate tonal shift by Esslemont because of the Vow they have taken and their ultimate destiny. Which would be just superb, in my eyes, and an excellent recognition by the author of what needed to be conveyed.

With the Vow - yes, it was long-drawn-out and most of us got there before the big "reveal", but consider the audacity of Esslemont and the vision that led him to realise what a wonderfully poetic resolution that would be. The execution was lacking a little, but the idea was breathtaking and did lead to some brilliant moments.

So, not my favourite novel, by any means, even of Esslemont's (I think I would list Blood and Bone as the favourite), but one that had some great sections and showed an author really developing into his own voice.