Malazan: Reading Order?

Fr Clint Power

I recently started reading Steven Erikson's Malazan books, I am really enjoying them. Just wondering what the best reading order is? I assume it makes most sense to read Erikson's series in order, but where do his novellas and the books by Ian Cameron Esslemont fit in?

ixoy

"Night of Knives" occurs before the Malazan series chronologically - I think you'd be best served reading it after the first couple of books, when you've got a better handle of some of the characters.

The Korbach and Bauchelain novellas are independent and can be read as much - obviously it'll help if you've met the characters in the main series. The events there don't have much of a bearing on the main series (well not in the first two I've read, I assume it applies for the third).

As to Esslemont's new series - it deals with the Crimson Guard and I believe it chronologically goes in parallel with the main series from err about book 5 or so (not too sure on this).

Vegeta

Yeah I'm currently reading the Erikson books now was wondering wtf the other books were

Does Erikson have anything to do with the other books at all? Style wise how similar are they?

Shryke

Style wise they are a bit different. Esselmonts writing is a little tighter and a bit more grounded compared to some of the tangents Erikson likes to take yet while Eriksons exposition can be tiresome I still think of him as a better writer. Having said that I haven't read Return yet, only Night of Knives.
Erikson and Esselmont invented the Malazan world together and as such they share it. The stories both guys tell are inter-linked and they do confer on these points.
As for reading order don't read Night of Knives until after the first two books in Eriksons series. Return of the Crimson Guard can be read after book 7, Reapers Gale, in Eriksons series. It's up to you whether you'd prefer to read book 8 first though, the two are fairly concurant.

Vegeta

Sandor wrote: »

Style wise they are a bit different. Esselmonts writing is a little tighter and a bit more grounded compared to some of the tangents Erikson likes to take yet while Eriksons exposition can be tiresome I still think of him as a better writer. Having said that I haven't read Return yet, only Night of Knives.
Erikson and Esselmont invented the Malazan world together and as such they share it. The stories both guys tell are inter-linked and they do confer on these points.
As for reading order don't read Night of Knives until after the first two books in Eriksons series. Return of the Crimson Guard can be read after book 7, Reapers Gale, in Eriksons series. It's up to you whether you'd prefer to read book 8 first though, the two are fairly concurant.

Thank you good sir, I am just about to read reapers gale and have toll the hounds too. I will probably read Esselmonts books then.

hajjid

hi