History Literature / TollTheHounds

** Within Dragnipur itself, a GambitPileup of it's own is brewing. Draconus is trying to enlist the strongest captives within the sword in an attempt of a last stand against the Legions of Chaos, while the mad artist Kadaspala is trying to bring a Child God to life via a millennia old, intricate tattoo on all the carriages' inhabitants. Meanwhile, the Goddess of Thieves Apsal'ara is doing her best to find a way out of her captivity.

The retired Bridgeburners who now own K'rul's Bar are targeted by the Assassin's Guild and find themselves fighting for their lives once more.
Darujhistan's Cabal of Mages, however, prepares for a much more pressing battle: vast powers are bound for the City of Blue Fire and their convergence is threatening to tear everything apart.

* BiTheWay: Scillara. It's not even hinted at until ''Toll the Hounds'', especially considering her being a former whore and her affair with Cutter, and she gets a designated (male) love interest, [[spoiler: namely Barathol Mekhar]], soon afterwards, but she seems to have enjoyed her encounter with Blend.

* TarotTroubles: Tiserra, Torvald Nom's wife, is an adept at reading the Deck of Dragons. She even has two additional cards not found anywhere else: ''The City'' and ''The Tyrant''. Their inclusion alone is enough to set the mood.

* {{Fingore}}: Gaz lost all of his fingers other than the thumbs in a fishing net accident. All he's left with are knuckled clubs.

* TheresNoPlaceLikeHome: Cutter's reason for returning to Darujhistan from continents away. Tragically deconstructed, though, Cutter has to learn that he was mostly blinded by nostalgia and that the changed so much he can hardly call Darujhistan home anymore.

In Black Coral a brutal conflict is brewing. Outside the city gates a new cult is worshipping the ''Redeemer'' -- a very young deity devoted to salvation. But the Redeemer's temple is as yet unbuilt and it's worshippers have no means to defend against the Dying God's rival cult creeping up from the south, whose ambitions are as sinister as they are deadly.

* MyDeathIsJustTheBeginning: A non-villainous, HeroicSacrifice case that involves ''two'' people. As part of a GambitRoulette, [[spoiler:Hood and Anomander Rake]] set up their own deaths, the first being beheaded by the second and the second staging an ILetYouWin DuelToTheDeath. It allows for [[spoiler:Death's face to change, but more importantly to end Dragnipur's existence, free the Gate of Darkness and for Mother Dark to return zu her children.]]

''Toll the Hounds'' is the eigth book of ten in the ''Literature/MalazanBookOfTheFallen'', following ''Literature/ReapersGale''. It is the last book in the Genabackis arc and revolves around the fates of the characters in Darujhistan and Black Coral, most of which have been last seen in ''Literature/MemoriesOfIce''.

* ApatheticCitizens: The Tiste Andii of Black Coral mostly just ingore the humans around them, even if they are planning the murder of their lord.

* AsleepForDays: Picker spends several days in a coma-like state after her attempt to contanct Ganoes Paran via the Finnest House. For added appeal, Blend takes care of her.

* BigDamnHeroes: Right when the forces of Chaos are about to devour those few still dragging the waggon within the warren of Dragnipur, Anomander Rake kills [[spoiler:Hood, the to-date God of Death]]. His soul being sucked into Dragnipur opens the way for his CavalryOfTheDead, which consists of all those who have ever died, to swoop in and close with the forces of Chaos just in time to save the day.

* DivorceRequiresDeath: Thordy has had enough of Gaz, and serves Hood as the Mason of Death for the duration of the book in order to get rid of her violent husband. She enacts a ritual that eventually allows Hood to manifest himself physically in Darujhistan but requieres Gaz's death as the final step.

* ILetYouWin: [[spoiler:Anomader Rake]] lets [[spoiler:Traveller]] win their duel because the convergence requieres it, although he puts up a good fight beforehand.

* ShirtlessScene: Spinnock gets one after dallying with the High Priestress of the temple in Black Coral. She even comments favourably on his appearance.

* DivorceRequiresDeath: Thordy has had enough of Gaz, and serves Hood as the Mason of Death for the duration of the book in order to get rid of her violent husband.

* BigDamnHeroes: Right when the forces of Chaos are about to close with those few still dragging the waggon within the warren of Dragnipur, Anomander Rake kills [[spoiler:Hood, the to-date God of Death]]. His soul being sucked into Dragnipur opens the way for his CavalryOfTheDead, which consists of all those who have ever died, to swoop in and close with the forces of Chaos just in time to save the day.

* BigDamnHeroes: Right when the forces of Chaos are about to close with those few still dragging the waggon within the warren of Dragnipur, Anomander Rake kills [[spoiler:Hood, the to-date God of Death]]. His souls being sucked into Dragnipur opens the way for his CavalryOfTheDead, which consists of all those who have ever died, to swoop in and close with the forces of Chaos just in time to save the day.

*** Hood enlists Gaz, a SerialKiller, and his wife Thordy to cause enough bloodshed to enable him to physically materialise in Darujhistan. He's also been collecting the dead and rallying them [[ArmyOfTheDead into an army]] for quite some time.

* PyrrhicVictory: The ArmyOfTheDead manages to [[spoiler: hold off the forces of Chaos]] long enough, but they lose most of their men.

* DeathTakesAHoliday: Hood has enough of being Lord of Death, [[spoiler:and quits, taking [[ArmyOfTheDead all of the dead]] with him]]. And while the ''Realm'' of Death is still accessible, things take a while to shake themselves out again.

* BackupFromOtherworld: Hood's ArmyOfTheDead arrives in the nick of time to [[spoiler:guard the wagon within Dragnipur against the Army of Chaos.]]

* ArmyOfTheDead: Hood marches all the dead he's shown to have been collecting out of his realm for good, in order to [[spoiler:have them fight against the legions of Chaos within Dragnipur]].