Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dancer’s Lament | 2016 | Ian C. Esslemont | Buy |
| 2 | Deadhouse Landing | 2017 | Ian C. Esslemont | Buy |
| 3 | Kellanved’s Reach | 2019 | Ian C. Esslemont | Buy |
| 4 | Forge of the High Mage | 2023 | Ian C. Esslemont | Buy |
Path to Ascendancy is Ian C. Esslemont’s prequel series set in the Malazan world. Beginning with Dancer’s Lament in 2016, the books follow the early careers of Dancer and Kellanved, two characters central to the larger Malazan saga, long before they became the figures readers know from the main novels.
The series continued with Deadhouse Landing (2017), Kellanved’s Reach (2019), and Forge of the High Mage (2023). Esslemont brings a different energy to these earlier stories, focusing on the scrappy, ambitious beginnings of characters who would go on to reshape their world.