Anthologies#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Writing Fantasy Heroes |
2013 |
Buy |
| Imaginarium 3 |
2015 |
Buy |
Malazan Empire Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Night of Knives |
2004 |
Buy |
| Return of the Crimson Guard |
2008 |
Buy |
| Stonewielder |
2010 |
Buy |
| Orb Sceptre Throne |
2012 |
Buy |
| Blood and Bone |
2012 |
Buy |
| Assail |
2014 |
Buy |
Path to Ascendancy Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Dancer’s Lament |
2016 |
Buy |
| Deadhouse Landing |
2017 |
Buy |
| Kellanved’s Reach |
2019 |
Buy |
| Forge of the High Mage |
2023 |
Buy |
Ian C. Esslemont is a Canadian fantasy novelist best known for his contributions to the Malazan world, which he co-created with Steven Erikson. While Erikson wrote the ten-volume Malazan Book of the Fallen, Esslemont has penned his own series of novels set in the same universe, starting with Night of Knives in 2004.
His Novels of the Malazan Empire series includes six books that explore events, characters, and regions only touched on in Erikson’s work. Esslemont later launched the Path to Ascendancy prequel series with Dancer’s Lament in 2016, following the early years of key figures in the Malazan world. He has also contributed to fantasy anthologies including Writing Fantasy Heroes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books has Ian C. Esslemont written?
Ian C. Esslemont has written 12 books across three series.
What was Ian C. Esslemont's first book?
Ian C. Esslemont’s first book is Night of Knives, published in 2004.
What is the relationship between Ian C. Esslemont and Steven Erikson?
Ian C. Esslemont and Steven Erikson co-created the Malazan world together through tabletop role-playing in the 1980s. Both authors write novels set in this shared world, with Erikson writing the main Book of the Fallen sequence and Esslemont contributing his own series of novels that expand on different corners of the setting.