Hey guys, first post over at the forum. I’ve posted a few times on the reddit page with a few bits and bobs but had a longer post in the works so figured here would be a better place for it. Long-ass post inbound with some (minor) spoilers but bear with me!

First and foremost, this isn’t a criticism of the books. They’re my tied favorite series with Malazan, and are arguably the best written fantasy or sci-fi I’ve read. It’s for this reason (and a little OCD) that I’ve re-read them particularly carefully and picked out a few things I can’t help but notice. Some of these are spelling/naming consistencies and other are interesting cultural bits which could be intentional or me over thinking things (likely). 

I’ll start with the inconsistencies. I can never decide whether these are simply mistakes, or are thrown in purpose to give a sense of history being unreliable or told from different perspectives. That’s what I tell my OCD anyway if it's not curled in a ball trembling at my unmatching covers.

In the Canadian editions of TDTCB, the prologue has the sentence: “But no army of inhuman Sranc had scaled its ramparts.” Whereas in the US and UK editions its: “But no army, human or inhuman, had scaled its ramparts.” The Canadian one also list of all the languages and dialects and how they are related that is absent in other editions. The character and faction glossary for PoN is also ordered by Nation/School rather than alphabetically, which I found more useful personally.

The skinspy Gaortha is alternately spelled Gaortha and Gaorta.

Allosian Forum and Allosium Forum change about.

The capital of Zeum is “Domiot” whenever written and “Domyot” on the maps.

The Circumfix Kellhus is bound to changes from bronze to iron between TWP and TTT.

Diacritical marks come and go for names and places between books, sometimes disappearing then returning.

The No-God changes between Tsurumah and Tsuramah.

Kosoter’s armour changes from scale to splint between the prologue of TJE and everything else. Even though it’s clearly the same armour, it’s described as reeking, hoary and old.

Captain Harnilias changes to Captain Harnilas between TJE and TWLW. In not only the main text but the character and faction glossary.

Zsoronga’s eyes are described as brown and noticed by Sorweel in TJE, though he’s ethnically a Satyothi. It changes to green (as it should be) in TWLW and its commented by Sorweel and someone else I think.

That’s off the top of my head. I think I’m going to make a list of them all on my next re-read. The main annoyance was when an alternative spelling changed the way something was pronounced. Harn-ill-uss, Harn-illy-uss etc. But I can remember spellings changing a few more than I’ve listed.

Now for the more interesting part that may or may not be intentional but none the less made me really appreciate Bakker as a writer.

Better to finish on the positive note, so here’s my observation. Apologies if these have been noted before.

The Kellian Empire incorporates many traits from its constituent nations, taking the old Nansur Empire as its foundation. This is reflected in a number of aesthetic choices.

Kellhus keeps the Kidruhil, the famed heavy cavalry unit of Nansur. In the PoN, there banner is the Black Sun halved by a horse’s head. The New Empire’s Kidruhil banner is a gold horse under a black circumfix on red, which is coincidently, a recolouring of Athjeari’s banner from the First Holy War ( a red horse under a black circumfix, presumably on blue), one of the First Holy War’s most, if not the most important cavalry units. I really hope this was done by Kellhus (or Bakker) in honour of Athjeari, cause the “wind has teeth” was one awesome motherfucker. Does Saubon see this and subliminally think of his favoured nephew?

Esmenet is painted in white cosmetics in TAE. Not just her face but arms etc., a tradition before seen only in Ainon.

Much of the apparel of the New Empire uses the Nansur as its base. As Exalt-General, Proyas wears a golden breastplate instead of mail and a silver mask, adopting the Nansur uniform seen worn by Conphas and Matermus in PoN. Though he ties his blue general’s cloak around his waist like a war-skirt, keeping a part of the old Conriyan uniform alive.

Kosoter’s helmet is described as being conical and “curving back like a single ram’s horn”.
I guessed it could be like a Maratha helmet: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/3d/15/a2/3d15a2d0cf8164b8e18dfa5434ada298.jpg

A fitting style for an antique Three Seas armour, influenced as it is by the Middle East.

Kellhus wears the same armour for his meeting with the Nonman Embassy that Anaxophus is wearing in Achamians final dream at the end of TTT. Down to the lions embossed on the breastplate.

Ratakila means Bloodmane. Retorum Ratas means Red Towers. If we look at the “rata” part, assuming rata is “blood” and “ratas” is red, then maybe in Ainoni, the word for red is derived from the word for blood or vice versa.

In TAE, Skaiyelt is reported as dying in glory as a matyr during the Holy War. He died shitting blood from hemoplexy. Not that the Ministrate would ever let that be known as the truth.

There’s interesting parallels between the Eothic Guard and the Germanic and Varangian Guard. Picked not only for their appearance, size and strength, but because they would have little interest in the politics and schemes of the Roman and Byzantine Empires respectively. Likely the same reasons the Eothic Guard are mercenaries out a Cepalor.

That’s all I can think of for now. All criticism is welcome.

I’m looking forward to discussing the books with you guys .