I saw a lot of recommendations for that series and ordered the first book, but I wasn't able to get through it. There's something about it that makes it very boring to read rather than enjoyable.
I am only on book three, but part of my issue is how much seemingly deus ex machina occurs. The world is alien, deep, and unknowable. At any moment, some previously unidentified entity can twist events on their head.
Big baddie about to destroy town? When all hope is lost, a powerful, benevolent force sprouts from the ground to end the threat.
Science fiction gets “one thing”. People are the same, but now you can backup your conscience onto a chip. How does humanity adapt?
Erickson gets 1000 things that will be revealed the moment you think you know where the plot is headed.
All that being said, it is interesting, layered, and a wild ride.
deus ex machina was a complaint of mine as well, but as you get further into the story you realize how it's actual gods/ascendants/people causing the things that happened. some of those things were put in place thousands of years in the past. he does have several magic systems in the series, but they all have rules and they're followed.
I totally get where you're coming from here. I adore Erikson, and I enjoy Williams but I sometimes need to force myself to keep reading his works (and then really enjoy them when I do).
However, Bobby Dollar (his shorter trilogy) is exceptionally fun. It's much tighter and funnier, well worth reading maybe especially if you've bounced off his other works.
