History Literature / MalazanBookOfTheFallen

* TheMessiah: Systematized in the setting. The circumstances are vague, but a god or even a species can have a mortal known as a Shield Anvil whose purpose is to draw psychic pain into himself on battlefields, thus allowing the spirits of the dead to rest. Depending on the scale, this may in fact be harmful to the Shield Anvil. The Shield Anvil also acts as a moral guide, and typically ensures that compassion is not forgotten by those around him.

The [[TheVerse universe]] in which the story takes place is a shared creation of Steven Erikson and Ian Cameron Esslemont; ''Malazan Book of the Fallen'' is the main sequence in the setting. The following books have been written in the setting:

* ''Fall of Light'' (June 2014)

* ''Literature/OrbSceptreThrone'' (Jan 2012 UK; May 2012 USA)
* ''Literature/BloodAndBone'' (Dec 2012 UK)
* ''Literature/{{Assail}}'' (Aug 2014 UK)

* ''Fall of Light'' (TBA)

* BeastAndBeauty: Bellurdan Scullcrusher and Nightchill.

* AndIMustScream: [[spoiler:Both Bidthal and Sirryn after deaths get afterlives full of suffering, for crippling young girls and backstabbing Trull, respectively.]]
* AnguishedDeclarationOfLove: Urb [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome professes his love]] for [[spoiler:Hellian]] right before the ultimate end battle in ''Literature/TheCrippledGod''.
* AnimalEyeSpy: Bottle, the mage of Fiddler's squad was taught how to access all of the various Warrens (schools of magic), but his most important skill is his ability to control animals in his vicinity, something he [[NoExceptYes insists is not actually a form of magic]]. This proves instrumental in keeping his squad alive while they're crossing hostile territory, as he can spread out over a large number of creatures at the same time if all he wants is their sensory input.

* BelligerentSexualTension: Lostara and Pearl, [[spoiler: until they find ''way'' to resolve this]].

* BoyMeetsGirl: Crokus Younghand and Apsalar.
** BreakHisHeartToSaveHim: ..is what Apsalar tries to pull.
* BreakTheCutie: Felisin Paran. Forced into a life of slavery and prostitution by her own sister[[note]]Though Tavore planned to grab her and spirit her off long before she actually got sold off. An ill-timed slave revolt trashed that plan[[/note]], enduring an epic journey across oceans and desert, being possessed and finally [[spoiler: impaled by her own sister]]
%%* BrokenBird: Again, Felisin Paran
* BusCrash: [[spoiler:Empress Laseen.]] She's alive and well when last we see her in ''Reaper's Gale.'' Come ''The Crippled God,'' she's dead and apparently has been for a while.
** AllThereInTheManual: What happened is shown in ''Return of the Crimson Guard''.

* CentralTheme: Per WordOfGod, the decline and collapse of civilizations, which at least [[BarbarianHero one character seeks to achieve]] in order to [[KnightTemplar save the world.]]
* CharacterFilibuster: Gets really {{Anvilicious}} in ''Toll the Hounds'' with Kruppe's long ramblings about inequality.

* TheChessmaster: Shadowthrone.

* ColonyDrop: Moon's Spawn getting dropped on the Pannon Domin army in ''Memories of Ice''

* DiabolusExMachina: It would a separate page to list them all (and two to list them all AND put them in context)

''Malazan Book of the Fallen'' is an epic fantasy series by Canadian author Steven Erikson. The series is famous for its {{Doorstopper}} tendencies, for having LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters[[note]]the DramatisPersonae usually contains several hundred characters, and even then does not include numerous incidental ones[[/note]], its deliberate use of LostInMediasRes and for introducing an anthropological and geological perspective to the {{Fantasy}} genre. The series' main influence is ''Literature/BlackCompany'' by Creator/{{Glen Cook}}.

* AncientConspiracy: The Nameless Ones, whose goal is to [[spoiler: keep Icarium out from destroying civilization. Sadly, we don't know much more about them, as they were all killed off in the prologue of TheBonehunters.]]
* AndIMustScream: [[spoiler: Both Bidthal and Sirryn after deaths get afterlife full of suffering, respectively for crippling young girls and backstabbing Trull.]]

* {{Animorphism}}: Soletaken and D'ivers. In the case of the latter, several of the animal form at once. The number depends on power.
* AntiVillain: Cotillion at first, [[spoiler:until he regained his humanity]]. [[spoiler: Felisin Paran, who in the end is just a mind slave of an insane goddess.]]

* AnyoneCanDie: Someone very important dies in almost every novel. Biggest examples:
** GardensOfTheMoon: [[spoiler: Tattersail and Adjunct Lorn.]]
** DeadhouseGates: [[spoiler: Coltaine, even if he is later reincarnated as a child.]]
** MemoriesOfIce: [[spoiler: Itkovian and Whiskeyjack.]]
** HouseOfChains: [[spoiler: Felisin Paran.]]
** ReapersGale: [[spoiler: Trull Sengar, Toc Anaster... again.]]
** TollOfTheHounds: [[spoiler: Anomander Rake.]]
** TheCrippledGod: [[spoiler: Gruntle, Mappo, Torrent, Kilimandros and Sechul Lath, Gesler and Stormy, not to mention 90 % of The Bonehunters.]]

* ArcWords: When the word "convergence" appears, things are about to ...[[ShapedLikeItself converge.]]

* BadassArmy: In the beginning, Bridgeburners are the most famous army of Malazan Empire, but because of their famed insubordination and Lasseen being afraid of them, they get sent of increasingly dangerous missions, just to get them killed. [[spoiler: in MemoriesOfIce only few soldiers are alive, and even less at the end of series.]] We see birth o another famous army in HouseOfChains - The Bonehunters, who [[spoiler:are real heroes of the entire story, and under leadership of Adjunct Tavore survive Raraku, Y'Ghatan, betrayal at Malaz Island, Lether invasion, ambush of Nah'Ruk army, crossing the Glass Desert and finally, protect Kaminsod from Forkrul Assail army. Again, only the most badass soldiers get to see the aftermatch of campaign.]]
* {{Badass}}: Too many to count. It's propably easier to list who isn't Badass in a series, as anyone who isn't extraordinare in some way dies really quickly. The biggest examples are Bridgeburners, Bonehunters, Anomander Rake, Karsa Orlong, Draconus, Hood and Trull Sengar.

* BigBad: [[spoiler:The Crippled God,]] although he is not introduced as such until ''Literature/MemoriesOfIce''. In the final novel [[spoiler: his plans are hijacked by the Forkrul Assail, and he becomes the BigGood.]]
** In the end, [[spoiler:there is no BigBad, but rather BigBadEnsemble: an alliance of K'Chain Nah'Ruk, Tiste Liosan and Forkrul Assail, with support of Errant, Kilimandros, Sechul Lath, and propably more minor gods feeding themselves on Kaminsod power.]]

%%* AncientConspiracy: The Nameless Ones.
%%* AndIMustScream: Lots of examples

%%* BadassAbnormal: So, so many.
%%* BadassArmy: Up the wazoo, Bridgeburners and Bonehunters are two examples.

%%* BiggerBad: [[spoiler:The Warren of Chaos.]]

%%* BloodKnight: Karsa really like a good fight.

* AntiVillain: Cotillion at first, [[spoiler:until he found back is humanity]]. [[spoiler: Felisin Paran, who in the end is just a mind slave of an insanse godess.]]

* {{Badass}}: Most obvious examples are Anomander Rake, Karsa Orlong and Silchas Ruin. Many Bridgeburners also qualify.

* AntiVillain: Cotillion is an obvious example. Anomander Rake looks like one at first, but gradually turns out to be more purely heroic in ''Toll the Hounds''.

* AnyoneCanDie: Most poignantly demonstrated at the end of ''Literature/MemoriesOfIce'' with the death of [[spoiler:Whiskeyjack]]. Another example is [[spoiler: Trull Sengar]] in ''Literature/ReapersGale''.

* AscendtoaHigherPlaneofExistence: Pretty much the most important aspect of setting - to keep it short, if you do something extraordinare, you can become an Ascendant, which grants some nice magic powers and immortal life... if no one will kill you, as Ascendants often fight beetwen themselves. Ascendants who have worshipers can then become gods, but some characters in books don't want that to happen, and are actively discouraging others from worshiping them - for example, [[spoiler: Anomander Rake]].

* DeityofHumanOrigin: Ascendants can become gods if they have worshipers. [[spoiler: Itkovian starts as mere human, but after his HeroicSacrifice becomes A Redeemer, god of, well, redemption and forgiveness. Even Shadowthrone and Cotillon were a humans once.]]

* AbsurdlySharpBlade: It seems that all Hust Swords were like this, but most, inf not all of them were lost. [[spoiler:Yedan Derryg wielding one of them in TCG can decapitate A DRAGON in two hits, and just the fact of owning the sword changes him into an [[One-ManArmy One-Man Army.]]]]

!!This series provides examples of:

* AncientConspiracy: The Nameless Ones.

** And Caladan Brood immediately shoots back with [[ShutUpHannibal 'Yes. You never learn.']]

* BigBad: [[spoiler:The Crippled God,]] although he is not introduced as such until ''Literature/MemoriesOfIce''.
** In the final novel [[spoiler: his plans are hijacked by the Forkrul Assail, and he becomes the BigGood.]]
* BigDamnHeroes: Suprisingly enough, [[spoiler: Hood in Dragnipur]].
* BigGood: Several of them. [[spoiler:K'rul, Mael, Anomander Rake]], maybe [[spoiler:Ganoes Paran]]
** [[spoiler:The Crippled God becomes this in the final book]].
* BiggerBad: [[spoiler:The Warren of Chaos.]]

* CreepyChild: Kettle

* ConstructedWorld

* CoolOldGuy: Ceda Kuru Qan, who damn near killed the whole Tiste Edur species on his own.
* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: As a general rule, if you meet someone who's [[AGodAmI weak]], [[EldritchAbomination unassuming]], and/or [[LethalJokeCharacter downright wacky]], the appropriate response is to run away screaming, and don't look back.
** Ceda Kuru Quan is a good example. [[spoiler:Everyone thinks, that he lost his mind - he was just preparing himself to create powerful spell. This spell was designed to wipe out entire army of Tiste Edur, and he nearly succeeded]].
* DanceBattler: Some Shadow Dancers. You don't want to mess with them
* DarkActionGirl / DarkMagicalGirl: Apsalar
* DarkIsNotEvil: Anomander Rake and the Tiste Andii in general. Also Hood, who is one of more decent gods.
* DeadpanSnarker: Lots of them
* DeathFromAbove: Moon's Spawn

* DeathSeeker: Apsalar, and how.

* DemonicPossession: Okay, divine possession. Not much of a difference in most cases.

* DidIJustSayThatOutLoud: Iskaral Pust
* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: Quick Ben does this a ''lot''
** Notably subverted with [[spoiler: the Crippled God.]]
** Ganoes Paran dispatching of [[spoiler: Poliel, the goddess of plaque]] without breaking much of a sweat.
** High King Kallor. [[spoiler: Three gods show up and curse him for his misdeeds. So he curses them back.]]
* DidYouJustScamCthulhu: Quick Ben again.

* {{Doorstopper}}: All the books are over 700 pages, some up to 1200.

* [[spoiler:EarnYourHappyEnding]]:[[spoiler:A lot of people die, most characters go to hell and back, yet in the end an ancient crime is repaired, a threat to the world is dealt with, and those that survived find a new will to live, and, most importantly, hope.]]

* EnfantTerrible: Kettle -- undead girl and serial killer feeding a dying Azath tower.

* EvilChancellor: Triban Gnol
* FantasticRacism: Both subverted and played straight. Humans are racist towards other humans just like in real life, but the Tiste races hate each other. The T'Lann Imass make themselves undead so they can kill off the Jaghut.

* GenocideBackfire: Subverted - The Jaghut survivors aren't interested in revenge against T'lan Imasses, they just want to be left alone.
* TheGhost: Plenty of characters are namechecked but never appear in the main story - the most prominent being Admiral Nok and High Fist Greymane.
* GodEmperor: Jaghut Tyrants. Also [[spoiler: Shadowthrone/Kellanved, although he was never both at the same time]]
* GoldfishPoopGang: Bauchelain and Korbal Broach

* HerHeartWillGoOn: [[spoiler: Seren Pedac]], after the death of [[spoiler:Trull Sengar]] in ''Literature/ReapersGale''.

* HugeGuyTinyGirl: Karsa and Samar Dev.

* KudzuPlot: Each book typically shifts between dozens--if not hundreds--of distinct, and often unimportant, viewpoints. Plot lines are set up on seemingly every page, and only a few are followed through. Per WordOfGod, this is very much deliberate, as the series was conceived as a high-brow work to begin with.

* LizardFolk: The K'Chain Che'Malle, and their short-tailed creation, the K'Chain Nah'ruk. Both are extremely ancient--the history of the K'Chain Che'Malle can be traced at least six million years back--but are now functionally extinct, and are considered little more than myth.

* OvershadowedByAwesome: Crokus is an absolutely lethal assassin and knife fighter, whose skills surpass people who were {{Badass}} in the first book. He just keeps ending up in fights with immortals, demigods and monsters.
** He finally gets to take on opponents in his weight class in ''Toll The Hounds'', and shines.

** Karsa Orlong might also be seen as an attempt at a [[SubvertedTrope subversion]] or {{deconstruction}}.

* PutOnABus: Silverfox disappears without a trace at the end of ''Literature/MemoriesOfIce''. In a series with this many characters, it is inevitable that some of the characters will have an open ending, but Silverfox especially stands out. [[spoiler:She went to Assail with the T'lan Imass. That book hasn't been written yet.]].
* RagtagBunchOfMisfits: Seems to be a requirement to join the Malazan army.

* RapeAsDrama: [[spoiler:Seren Pedac.]]

* RevengeBeforeReason: [[spoiler:Dassem Ultor. He even starts a fight with Rake because he killed Hood first.]]
* RoaringRampageofRevenge: [[spoiler:Dassem Ultor, also known as Traveller, whose only goal in life is killing Hood, god of death]].

* SealedBadassInACan

* SteamPunk: A lot of K'Chain Che'Malle technology.

* WorldOfBadass: Very nearly everyone is a {{badass}} to some degree.

* TheWormThatWalks: [[spoiler:Tiam when she incarnates in the final book.]]

* [[spoiler:EarnYourHappyEnding]]

* ThoseTwoGuys: Scorch and Leff, Telorast and Curdle, the list goes on.

* PutOnABus: Silverfox disappears without a trace at the end of ''Literature/MemoriesOfIce''. In a series with this many characters, it is inevitable that some of the characters will have an open ending, but Silverfox especially stands out.

* EnfantTerrible: Kettle - undead girl and serial killer feeding a dying Azath tower.
* EmpoweredBadassNormal: Ascendants, for the most part. {{Badass normal}}s one moment, immortal demi-gods the next.

* ReligionOfEvil: The Faith of the Pannion Seer.
** The Religion of the Dying God.
* {{Retirony}}: [[spoiler: Averted with Fiddler; played straight with Whiskeyjack.]]
* RoaringRampageofRevenge: [[spoiler:Dassem Ultor / Traveller, whose only goal in life is killing Hood, god of death]].
** RevengeBeforeReason: Again, [[spoiler: Dassem Ultor. He even starts a fight with Rake, only because he killed Hood first.]]

* EverybodyKnewAlready: Sgt. Strings[[note]]Fiddler[[/note]] and Traveler[[note]]Daseem Ultor, First Hero of the Malazan Empire[[/note]] don't seem to be fooling anyone who's even heard of them, pre-name change

* BreakTheCutie: Felisin Paran. Forced into a life of slavery and prostitution by her own sister, enduring an epic journey across oceans and desert, being possessed and finally [[spoiler: impaled by her own sister]]

* HeartIsAnAwesomePower: After becoming the Master of the Deck of Dragons, Paran spends quite a while not knowing how to use his abilities or what the hell he's supposed to be doing. By ''The Crippled God'' he has become a full-blown SpaceMaster capable of opening portals between or within dimensions. Since he is also commanding a BadassArmy this is terrifyingly effective in terms of logistics and maneuvers.

* HeartIsAnAwesomePower: After becoming the Master of the Deck of Dragons, Paran spends quite a while not know how to use his abilities or what the hell he's supposed to be doing. By ''The Crippled God'' he has become a full-blown SpaceMaster capable of opening portals between or within dimensions. Since he is also commanding a BadassArmy this is terrifyingly effective in terms of logistics and maneuvers.

* {{Hellhound}}s:The Hounds of Shadow, [[spoiler:and later, the Deragoth (Hounds of Darkness) and Hounds of Light]]

* KillTheCutie: [[spoiler:Tattersail]] in ''Gardens of the Moon.''

* MotherOfAThousandYoung: Tiam.

* {{Mytharc}}: The oldest date mentioned in the text is about ten million years before present time. For most intents and purposes, though, anything before about -320,000 [[FictionalCalendar Burn's Sleep]] can be described in broad strokes.

* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: "The Emperor Of A Thousand Deaths", Icarium Lifestealer, "The Son Of Darkness"
* TheNeidermeyer
* NighInvulnerability: The Forkrul Assail, and some Ascendants.

* NoOneCouldSurviveThat: Several times with different characters

* OracularUrchin: Kettle, Grub, Sinn.

* PhysicalGod: All the Ascendants and Elder Gods.

* PowersThatBe: The Azath.

* SeriesContinuityError: Some of them seem to be intentional or the result of an UnreliableNarrator, but there are still quite a lot.
** Tattersail's account of the Siege of Pale in ''Gardens of the Moon'' differs quite substantially from the one Tayschrenn gives in ''Memories of Ice''. In particular, Tayschrenn states that Nightchill killed A'Karonys, but in Tattersail's account, Nightchill died first. (For storyline purposes, Tayschrenn's account is the correct one.)

* ServileSnarker: Bugg, who is Tehol Beddict's manservant.

* SoulJar: Jaghut Finnests
* SpeciesLostAndFound: Repeatedly

** ThoseTwoBadGuys: Bauchelain and Korbal Broach.

** The Crippled God
** Even more so, Korabas.
** [[spoiler:Rhulad Sengar. It's hard to not to sympathise with him, after his mind starts to slowly break apart because of his deaths... and deaths of his loved ones. Also Udinaas, his only friend, betrays him - or so he thinks...]]

* YouShallNotPass: Trull Sengar fights Icarium to a standstill to protect the child army of House Shadow.
** Also, in ''Reaper's Gale'', Trull beats Silchas Ruin and Clip in order to protect the Finnest. Neither make it past him.
** In ''Literature/TollTheHounds'', Spinnock Durav holds Kallor at bay for an entire night.