Talk:Return of the Crimson Guard

Notability
What we have: some blogs, SFSite.com which seems possibly reliable ( - has non-anon stuff, even a Hugo nom for itself), and a capsule review in PW. That's a bit short of what we need. Ping User:Cunard - can you find something else to rescue this? Piotr Konieczny aka Prokonsul Piotrus&#124; reply here 15:29, 9 June 2023 (UTC)

Hi. Here are some sources about the book Return of the Crimson Guard:  The review notes: "The plot churns through so many battles, devastating explosions, magical clashes, shifts in alliance and momentous duels that they all seem to melt together. Some readers may need a flowchart to keep track of who’s who. Less a story and more an elaborately charted series of turns by multiple players."  The review notes: "In a long, bloody, explosive-filled battle to end all battles, Esslemont handily outdoes series cocreator Steven Erikson, evoking the gore and grit of the battlefield while cannily expanding the labyrinthine Malazan world and untangling the wickedly intertwined stories just enough to keep readers from feeling lost." ﻿ The book notes: "The Malazan Empire is in turmoil, as the Empress Laseen finds her rule challenged by kingdoms attempting to assert their autonomy. It is a bad time for the return of an elite attack force determined to destroy the Empire, the Crimson Guard. However, those still loyal to the old emperor, Kellanved, see this as an opportunity to dethrone the new ruler. As in the Empire, there is also division in the Guard as some seek more power by finding the ancient race of the Ascendants. In the midst of this mayhem, a fighter named Traveler finds himself on an unintended journey ending in a encounter no one has ever survived."  The review notes: "Return of the Crimson Guard is not without its problems. The main drawback to this novel, and it's one that plagues the entire Malazan Book of the Fallen, is the sheer scope and size of the stories make it extremely complex. At times this complexity can be exhilarating, but it can also be extremely frustrating and make for difficult reading. Multiple storylines in Return of the Crimson Guard produce dozens of new characters and trying to remember everyone let alone learning and caring about them, is challenging." Cunard (talk) 09:18, 10 June 2023 (UTC)