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 Ebook cover of the series | |
| Author | Steven Erikson |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | High fantasy |
| Publisher | Tor Books (US) Bantam Press (UK) Subterranean Press (Limited Edition) |
| Published | 1 April 1999 – 21 February 2011 |
| Media type | Print Digital |
| No. of books | 10 |
| Followed by | |
Malazan Book of the Fallen /məˈlæzən/[1] is a series of epic fantasy novels written by the Canadian author Steven Erikson. The series, published by Bantam Books in the U.K. and Tor Books in the U.S., consists of ten volumes, beginning with Gardens of the Moon (1999) and concluding with The Crippled God (2011). Erikson's series presents the narratives of a large cast of characters spanning thousands of years across multiple continents.[2][3][4][5]
His plotting presents a complicated series of events in the world upon which the Malazan Empire is located. Each of the first five novels is relatively self-contained, in that each resolves its respective primary conflict; however, many underlying characters and events are interwoven throughout the works of the series, binding it together. The Malazan world was co-created by Steven Erikson and Ian Cameron Esslemont in the early 1980s as a backdrop to their GURPS roleplaying campaign.[6] In 2005, Esslemont began publishing his own series of six novels set in the same world, beginning with Night of Knives. Although Esslemont's books are published under a different series title – Novels of the Malazan Empire – Esslemont and Erikson collaborated on the storyline for the entire sixteen-book project and Esslemont's novels are considered to be as canonical and integral to the series' mythos as Erikson's own.
The series has received widespread critical acclaim, with reviewers praising the epic scope, plot complexity and characterizations, and fellow authors such as Glen Cook (The Black Company) and Stephen R. Donaldson (The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant) hailing it as a masterwork of the imagination, and comparing Erikson to the likes of Joseph Conrad, Henry James, William Faulkner, and Fyodor Dostoevsky.[7][8][9]
Setting
| Malazan World | |
|---|---|
| Malazan: Book of the Fallen location | |
 Fan-made map of the Malazan world. | |
| First appearance | Gardens of the Moon |
| Last appearance | Kellanved’s Reach |
| Created by | Steven Erikson |
| Genre | Fantasy |
The Malazan world has no official unified name, although Steven Erikson has jokingly called it Wu.[10]
The Malazan world is a globe.[11]
In an interview with a Spanish fantasy blog, Erikson said that the hand-drawn version of the Malazan world which he had at home was too large to be photocopied; however, he also said that the maps created by fans were coming close.[12]
The Malazan planet has at least four moons. Although only one is easily visible from the surface and known to the general population, three other moons are perpetually occluded from the sun's light. Early historical texts suggested that they were not always so difficult to see.[13] Constellations visible from the world included the Roads of the Abyss and the Dagger.[14][15]
Geography
There are at least six continents on the Malazan world according to Midnight Tides.[16] However, Return of the Crimson Guard suggests twelve major landmasses exist.[17] The definition of what constitutes a "continent", "subcontinent" or large island in the world has never been firmly defined.
The largest continent on the Malazan world has no overall name. This landmass's eastern region (comprising roughly one-third of the entire landmass) is known as Seven Cities. This region is separated from the rest of the landmass by the vast Jhag Odhan. To the west of this lies the kingdoms of Nemil and Perish, whilst to the south-west lies the substantial Shal-Morzinn Empire.
South of Seven Cities lies the Falari Isles and the small continent of Quon Tali. Quon Tali is the heartland of the Malazan Empire, which was born on an island just off its southern coast. The island of Drift Avalii is located some distance off its south-western coast.
The narrow Strait of Storms divides Malaz Island from the continent of Korelri. Korelri is a large landmass comprising two subcontinents, Fist and Stratem. Fist consists of a vast number of islands and a part of the adjacent landmass. The Aurgatt Range divides the lands of Fist from Stratem.[18] Stratem consists of several peninsulas, divided from one another by a large inlet known as the Sea of Chimes.
South-west of Korelri and Quon Tali, beyond a vast field of floating ice, lies the small island-continent of Jacuruku. Jacuruku is a land of harsh extremes, with burning deserts on the western side and verdant jungle on the eastern.
East of Seven Cities and north-east of Quon Tali, across Seeker's Deep, lies the continent of Genabackis. Genabackis is a narrow but long continent stretching for many hundreds of leagues from north to south. To the east of Genabackis lies the Genostel Archipelago, comprising one large island (itself large enough to be counted as a subcontinent) and many smaller ones. Further east still is the Cabal Archipelago, which may lie closer to the far western coast of Seven Cities.
Due east of Quon Tali and south-east of Genabackis lies the continent of Assail. This is a long landmass comprising two distinct regions, Assail proper (which is regarded as a land of unrelenting hostility) and a more civilised peninsula area in the south, known as Bael.
East of Assail, south of western Seven Cities and south-west of Jacuruku, lies the large continent of Lether, named for its largest nation. Isolated from the rest of the world by distance and the immense ice fields near Jacuruku, Lether had little contact with other lands and nations prior to the arrival of the renegade Malazan 14th Army.
Books
The Kharkanas Trilogy
The Kharkanas Trilogy is a prequel series written by Steven Erikson after the completion of the main series. The series deals with the Tiste before their split into darkness, light and shadow. It sheds light on the events that are often hinted at in the background of Malazan Book of the Fallen. Many of the important Tiste characters from the Malazan Book of the Fallen make an appearance like Anomander Rake, Draconus, Spinnock Durav and Andarist.
| Title | Published | Approximate Word Count | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forge of Darkness | 2 August 2012 | 292,000 | 688 |
| Fall of Light | 26 April 2016[19] | 363,000 | 864 |
| Walk in Shadow | In Progress | n/a | n/a |
| Approximate Total: | 655,000 | 1,552 | |
Path to Ascendancy
The Path to Ascendancy is a prequel series set in the world of Malazan, written by Ian Cameron Esslemont.[20] The stories deal with the early adventures of Dancer and Kellanved (Dorin and Wu, in this series) and their eventual rise to power on Quon Tali.
| Title | Published | Approximate Word Count | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dancer's Lament | 25 February 2016 (UK), 31 May 2016 (US)[21] | 145,000 | 592 |
| Deadhouse Landing[22] | 15 November 2017 | 136,000 | 400 |
| Kellanved's Reach[23] | 19 February 2019 | 112,000 | 592 |
| Forge of the High Mage | 6 April 2023 | 152,000 | 480 |
| Approximate Total: | 545,000 | 2,064 | |
Malazan Book of the Fallen
This is the main series, written by Steven Erikson, and commenced, in terms of publication order, before any of the other series. This first novel, Gardens of the Moon, was shortlisted for a World Fantasy Award. The second novel, Deadhouse Gates, was voted one of the ten best fantasy novels of 2000 by SF Site.[24] See the structure section below for more information.
| # | Title | 1st Publication | Approximate Word Count[25] | Pages (Tor Books Trade Paperback)[26][27] | Pages (Bantam Press Mass Market Paperback) | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gardens of the Moon | 1 April 1999 | 209,000 | 496 | 768 | 26h 8m |
| 2 | Deadhouse Gates | 1 September 2000 | 272,000 | 604 | 960 | 34h 5m |
| 3 | Memories of Ice | 6 December 2001 | 358,000 | 780 | 1187 | 43h 59m |
| 4 | House of Chains | 2 December 2002 | 306,000 | 672 | 1040 | 35h 6m |
| 5 | Midnight Tides | 1 March 2004 | 270,000 | 624 | 960 | 31h 3m |
| 6 | The Bonehunters | 1 March 2006 | 365,000 | 800 | 1232 | 42h 6m |
| 7 | Reaper's Gale | 7 May 2007 | 386,000 | 832 | 1280 | 43h 58m |
| 8 | Toll the Hounds | 30 June 2008 | 392,000 | 832 | 1296 | 44h 9m |
| 9 | Dust of Dreams | 18 August 2009 | 382,000 | 816 | 1280 | 43h 13m |
| 10 | The Crippled God | 15 February 2011 | 385,000 | 928 | 1200 | 45h 21m |
| Approximate Total: | 3,325,000 | 7,384 | 11,216 | 16d 5h 8m | ||
Novels of the Malazan Empire
Six-part novel series set in the world of Malazan. It was written by Ian Cameron Esslemont. The novels cover events simultaneous with the Book of the Fallen, like the mystery of the Crimson Guard, the succession of the Malazan Empire, the situation on Korel and Jacuruku and the mystery of Assail. Some of these events are hinted at during the course of the Malazan Book of the Fallen. Characters that appear throughout the novels are Kyle, Greymane and the avowed members of the Crimson Guard like Shimmer, Blues, K'azz, Skinner and Cowl.
| Title | Published | Approximate Word Count | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Night of Knives | 1 September 2004 | 104,000 | 304 |
| Return of the Crimson Guard | 15 August 2008 | 272,000 | 702 |
| Stonewielder | 25 November 2010 | 198,000 | 634 |
| Orb Sceptre Throne | 20 February 2012 | 188,000 | 605 |
| Blood and Bone | 22 November 2012 | 183,000 | 586 |
| Assail | 5 August 2014 | 168,000 | 544 |
| Approximate Total: | 1,120,000 | 3,375 | |
The Witness Trilogy
Planned trilogy written by Steven Erikson. It will be a sequel to the main series featuring Karsa Orlong and his quest to destroy civilization.
| Title | Published on | Approximate Word Count | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| The God is Not Willing | 1 July 2021[28] | 191,000 | 688 |
| No Life Forsaken[29] | Forthcoming | n/a | n/a |
The Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach (novellas)
The first three novellas were published together as The Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach, Volume 1. The Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach, Volume 2 includes the second three novellas.
- Blood Follows (2002)
- The Healthy Dead (2004)
- The Lees of Laughter's End (2007)
- Crack'd Pot Trail (2009)
- The Wurms of Blearmouth (2012)
- The Fiends of Nightmaria (2016)
- Upon a Dark of Evil Overlords (2020)
Reading order
Erikson and Esslemont recommend reading the books in order of publication.[30] Tor.com published a reading order based on the approximate chronological order of events in the series,[31] which the authors did not consider suitable as a reading order for a first-time reader.[30] The publication order of the series is as follows: