Reading order: Malazan Book of the Fallen (Steven Erikson)
| # | Title | Year | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gardens of the Moon | 1999 | Buy |
| 2 | Deadhouse Gates | 2000 | Buy |
| 3 | Memories of Ice | 2001 | Buy |
| 4 | House of Chains | 2002 | Buy |
| 5 | Midnight Tides | 2004 | Buy |
| 6 | The Bonehunters | 2006 | Buy |
| 7 | Reaper’s Gale | 2007 | Buy |
| 8 | Toll the Hounds | 2008 | Buy |
| 9 | Dust of Dreams | 2009 | Buy |
| 10 | The Crippled God | 2011 | Buy |
Reading order: Novels of the Malazan Empire (Ian C. Esslemont)
| # | Title | Year | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Night of Knives | 2005 | Buy |
| 2 | Return of the Crimson Guard | 2008 | Buy |
| 3 | Stonewielder | 2010 | Buy |
| 4 | Orb, Sceptre, Throne | 2012 | Buy |
| 5 | Blood and Bone | 2014 | Buy |
| 6 | Assail | 2014 | Buy |
Steven Erikson and Ian C. Esslemont created the Malazan world as a roleplaying campaign in the early 1980s. They spent years developing a thousand-year history, complete with magic systems, theological disputes, and a war of conquest. Erikson wrote the first novel, Gardens of the Moon, in 1991 but couldn’t sell it. The manuscript sat until 1999, when Bantam published it in the UK and Tor brought it to the US.
Ten books follow. The first five form semi-standalone arcs. Gardens of the Moon introduces the Malazan Empire and its siege of the free city of Darujhistan. Deadhouse Gates focuses on the continent of Genabackis and a rebellion against the empire. Memories of Ice returns to Darujhistan. House of Chains shifts perspective to the empire’s new legions. Midnight Tides travels back to the founding of the empire’s expansion across continents.
The books drop readers into complex situations without explanation. Characters speak in idioms and references that only make sense later. Gods walk the earth, often disguised as beggars or soldiers. The magic system, based on Warrens and Holds, operates by rules that are gradually revealed. Military strategy matters as much as personal choices. POV shifts between hundreds of characters across continents.
Erikson writes about empire and bureaucracy with the insight of an anthropologist and historian. The Malazan Empire is efficient but brutal, governing through cultural accommodation and overwhelming force. Resistance takes many forms—religious, personal, political. The gods are real but often petty or cruel. Heroes die meaningless deaths. The scale is epic, but the focus remains on individuals caught in larger forces.
Esslemont’s novels tell other stories from the same world, often filling in gaps or showing events from different angles. They were conceived alongside Erikson’s books, but publication timelines diverged. Night of Knives is a prequel. Return of the Crimson Guard continues threads from Gardens of the Moon. Together, they form a cohesive picture of a world rich in history and consequence.