Deadhouse Gates

When everyone said that the second Malazan book is better than the first, they weren't wrong. Deadhouse Gates is a much more cohesive story and allows for a lot more character depth than first novel, which in turn, allows you to care much more for them. Which, on the flip side, also allows for a lot more heartbreak this time around.
Erikson's writing definitely improved between the two novels and although he still doesn't give you answers on a plate, the threads of the story itself I found much easier to follow and I was much more emotionally invested in what was going on.
There were so many great characters to follow, the magic, myth and history is staggering and SO interesting. I am blown away by the imaginative world-building and continue to like the fact that the magic in this world is very prevalent and intrinsically part of what's going on. It isn't in the background, but it also doesn't take away from the characters, which I really enjoyed.
I did find there was a bit of a lull in the middle of the book which I had a hard time trudging through, but sticking it out is MORE than worth it, as the ending manages to gut punch you again and again and again as all the threads of the story converge and fate of the characters is revealed. Sometimes it's heartbreaking (okay honestly, most of the time it's heartbreaking), others bring a smile to your face.
Definitely a worthy and highly recommended fantasy series! It's been while since I've been motivated to read epic fantasy and many have fell by the wayside, but this one has grabbed a hold of me and won't let go, so it's definitely quickly becoming one of my favourites.