Brys challenges Rhulad. Brys incapacitates Rhulad without killing him. The rest of the Edur cannot bring themselves to kill their emperor, so he lies on the ground screaming. Newly crowned Emperor Diskanar commits suicide using poisoned wine, as he expected to lose. Upon maiming Rhulad, Brys is pushed to drink from the poisoned chalice, and thus dies. His body is taken by his forgotten god. Back in the Azath house, in the midst of a fierce battle, Udinaas arrives and frees Silchas Ruin. Ruin helps destroy the other creatures. Despite the opportunity to escape, Trull decides to return to Rhulad to aid him in finding his sanity. Tehol, meanwhile, is attacked and nearly killed. His brother Hull is murdered for betraying the Letherii, leaving only lowly Bugg to protect him. Bugg, revealing himself as the Elder God of the Seas, Mael, saves Tehol. As the book ends, Bugg/Mael leaves to confront the Crippled God. Critical reception Reviewers have praised Erikson's world-building as well as characterization, noting that it is the most significant work of epic fantasy since Stephen R. Donaldson's Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. Erikson revisits several themes used in his prior novels. Publishers Weekly noted that ".. readers with a taste for massive high fantasy epics will welcome Erikson's fifth entry in his Malazan Book of the Fallen saga, though it largely deals with the calm between storms." References External links 2004 Canadian novels Malazan Book of the Fallen Novels by Steven Erikson Bantam Books books High fantasy novels Human-zombie romance in fiction Tor Books books Zombie novels