Fantasy / Science Fiction book series

[Ser William]

[ QUOTE ]
A perhaps lesser known series is Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen series. Probably the best fantasy I've read in later years.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm currently reading "Memories of Ice" from this series and I'd like to say that it is a very well written, elaborately detailed series. However, for those who have read the books, I have a major problem with it right now. Basically all the characters in the book so far are amped way up on the power level scale. There are no "normal" people. Everyone is an uber sorcerer, or a god, or ascending, or undead, or ridiculously powerful. I'm finding it hard to relate on any level because I almost never feel like the protaganists are ever in real danger. "Oh, a horde of demons descends upon them, good thing the army of 1000 undead 3 million year old warriors are here to save the day." In George RR Martin's world you feel that the next page could be the last for any character you like. In Erikson's books I'm just reading for the sheer majesty of the prose and the world he has created right now.