chapter one - seven years later
In the first scene we get to see a little fisher girl getting mind raped by a supernatural being. They (the shadow being and his master) unleash nasty supernatural Hounds to do a mass slaughter in that general locality to divert attention from the taking and possession of this one poor girl.
Now then, the Malazan world is ridiculously full with supernatural beings of various sorts.
One of my main complaints, really, is that the stories are so god-ridden.
These two call themselves Cotillion and Ammanas. We have already heard about them as the Emperor and his right hand man - gone some seven years ago, though, of course, we do not know them as gods yet.
In the next scene we meet the Empress's right hand woman, or Adjunct. Her name is Lorn. In her conversation with a military captain, it becomes clear that Laseen has been busy purging the former officers of the Malazan military, and that there has also been a huge purge of the nobility. (This is a somewhat typical move by an insecure leader who fears any and all rivals for potential power...
)
They are checking out the slaughter of the Hounds. Over four hundred dead people, plus pets, horses, and livestock. 175 of them battle hardened soldiers with weapons out, and they had tried to fight.
We meet a young noble born officer named Ganoes Paran. He has handled himself well that morning, and the Adjunct decides to take him onto her personal staff.
We learn that the Adjunst is a mage slayer.
We also learn that the diversion did not distract her from the significance of the missing father and daughter.
We see the daughter, the fisher girl, joining the Malazan armies under the name of Sorry. She uses magic on the recruitment officer (his sudden headache gives that away, as we will learn later).
(to be continued)
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