Ahira's Hangar

OK, so you have an ancient shapechanging dragon god released from an ages long imprisonment.

So why is he walking on foot across a freaking continent? For however many years has taken place between MT and RG?

Why hasn't he just grabbed Kettle (of all of the people in the party it seems to me that he wants Kettle along the most, probably something to do with the Lethar Deadhouse), shape change, and fly to Bluerose and the abby where he meets the First Sword?

Halfway through the book, this is one subplot I am just not getting yet.

OK, I have finished the book, and still do not understand why Silchas Ruin did the walking thing, other than perhaps having an urge to help out Seren and Udinaas. And again, seems like he could have just (gently) grabbed those two and Kettle in his claws and flown away.

I also hate how marines with cusers can so easily defeat him towards the end of the book.

I know one of the main themes of the Malazan series is that things evolve and get more powerful - but seems like an ancient god could have put up a better fight against Quick Ben and marines with cusers than the thre sisters and Silchas Ruin did. Still go down to the humans in accordance with the series theme - but still able to put up a better fight than that.

I think that, like Silchas, and Korbal Broach and Bauchelain, you are underestimating Quick Ben. The man is seriously powerful! He gave Silchas some big hurt before Fiddler hit him with the explosives. And let's face it, Moranth munitions are a huge thing. Probably the biggest reason the Malazan army was able to hold their own against foes as powerful as the Avowed of the Crimson Guard, Caladan Brood, and the Tiste Andii. Silchas had no idea what he was being hit with.

Yes, Quick Ben is almost ridiculously powerful at this point - I hope that Erikson is not turning him into an uber-being such as Feist did Pug in his Midkemia books - a mage character so powerful that there is never any threat to him at all, and so sort of ruins any and all tension involving his plotlines.

One thing I did really like very much about RG was finding out how the Mezla marines fought (and won!!) before the T'Lan Imass and the Moranth munitions came along. They are pretty damned badass even without all of that help.