Steven Erikson’s Malazan Guide of the Fallen is among the most sprawling fantasy sagas ever written. The plot unfolds over hundreds of years, documenting the expansive and turbulent historical past of the Malazan Empire by way of the views of an unlimited solid of wealthy characters.

As you’ll be able to most likely inform, the Malazan collection has a big scope, making it difficult for brand spanking new readers to know which guide to learn first. Happily, the saga is damaged into 5 sub-series, making it barely simpler to decipher the place every guide falls on the timeline.

Malazan Guide of the Fallen launch order

Malazan Guide of the Fallen chronicles the triumphs and tribulations of the titular empire, following the deeply interwoven tales of these caught within the vicious cycle of violent growth and near-disastrous decline that defines Malazan’s historical past. The first Malazan collection consists of twenty books and 6 novellas collected into two anthologies.

• Gardens of the Moon (Malazan Guide of the Fallen #1,1999)
• Deadhouse Gates (Malazan Guide of the Fallen #2, 2000)
• Recollections of Ice (Malazan Guide of the Fallen #3, 2001)
• Home of Chains (Malazan Guide of the Fallen #4, 2002)
• Midnight Tides (Malazan Guide of the Fallen #5, 2004)
• Night time of Knives (Novels of the Malazan Empire #1, 2004)
• The Bonehunters (Malazan Guide of the Fallen #6, 2006)
• The Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach, Quantity 1 (The Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach #1-3,2009)
• Reaper’s Gale (Malazan Guide of the Fallen #7, 2007)
• Toll the Hounds (Malazan Guide of the Fallen #8, 2008)
• Return of the Crimson Guard (Novels of the Malazan Empire #2, 2008)
• Mud of Desires (Malazan Guide of the Fallen #9, 2009)
• Stonewiedler (Novels of the Malazan Empire #3, 2010)
• The Crippled God (Malazan Guide of the Fallen #10, 2011)
• Orb Scepter Throne (Novels of the Malazan Empire #4, 2012)
• Blood and Bone (Novels of the Malazan Empire #5, 2012)
• Forge of Darkness (The Kharkanas Trilogy #1, 2012)
• Assail (Novels of the Malazan Empire #6, 2014)
• Fall of Mild (The Kharkanas Trilogy, 2016)
• Dancer’s Lament (Path to Ascendancy, 2016)
• The Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach, Quantity 2 (The Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach #4-6, 2018)
• Deadhouse Touchdown (Path to Ascendancy #2, 2017)
• Kellanved’s Attain (Path to Ascendancy #3, 2019)
• Upon a Darkish of Evil Overlords (The Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach #7, 2020)
• The God is Not Prepared (The Witness Trilogy #1, 2021)
• Forge of the Excessive Mage (Path to Ascendancy #4, 2023)

What’s the definitive Malazan studying order?

I don’t assume there’s any cause to not learn the Malazan books within the official studying order. Some Malazan followers argue that new readers ought to learn the books within the Malazan Books of the Fallen set first, as they inform what might be thought-about the “foremost” story of the collection. Others argue that you need to learn the guide chronologically, which provides you a transparent image of how the Malazan Empire and the world round it got here to be.

As a Malazan fan, I’d advocate sticking with the publication order. Whilst you gained’t know all the main points about a number of the characters who pop up for some time, studying the books within the order they had been launched offers you the clearest image of the three main plotlines that tie the collection collectively. When you get to later books, you’ll obtain new details about sure characters that may reframe their position within the collection in enjoyable and sudden methods.

If you wish to comply with the tales of the Malazan Empire as they occurred, right here’s the chronological order of the Malazan collection.

• Forge of Darkness (The Kharkanas Trilogy #1, 2012)
• Fall of Mild (The Kharkanas Trilogy, 2016)
• Dancer’s Lament (Path to Ascendancy, 2016)
• Deadhouse Touchdown (Path to Ascendancy #2, 2017)
• Kellanved’s Attain (Path to Ascendancy #3, 2019)
• Forge of the Excessive Mage (Path to Ascendancy #4, 2023)
• Gardens of the Moon (Malazan Guide of the Fallen #1,1999)
• Deadhouse Gates (Malazan Guide of the Fallen #2, 2000)
• Recollections of Ice (Malazan Guide of the Fallen #3, 2001)
• Home of Chains (Malazan Guide of the Fallen #4, 2002)
• Midnight Tides (Malazan Guide of the Fallen #5, 2004)
• Night time of Knives (Novels of the Malazan Empire #1, 2004)
• The Bonehunters (Malazan Guide of the Fallen #6, 2006)
• The Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach, Quantity 1 (The Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach #1-3,2009)
• Reaper’s Gale (Malazan Guide of the Fallen #7, 2007)
• Toll the Hounds (Malazan Guide of the Fallen #8, 2008)
• Return of the Crimson Guard (Novels of the Malazan Empire #2, 2008)
• Mud of Desires (Malazan Guide of the Fallen #9, 2009)
• Stonewiedler (Novels of the Malazan Empire #3, 2010)
• The Crippled God (Malazan Guide of the Fallen #10, 2011)
• Orb Scepter Throne (Novels of the Malazan Empire #4, 2012)
• Blood and Bone (Novels of the Malazan Empire #5, 2012)
• Assail (Novels of the Malazan Empire #6, 2014)
• The Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach, Quantity 2 (The Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach #4-6, 2018)
• Upon a Darkish of Evil Overlords (The Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach #7, 2020)
• The God is Not Prepared (The Witness Trilogy #1, 2021)

The place to buy the Malazan books

Malazon Guide of the Fallen is pretty well-liked, and most guide retailers have the entire collection in inventory.

Amazon has the entire collection for an inexpensive value, however you’ll nonetheless must half with over $100 {dollars} if you wish to learn the whole collection.

Barnes and Noble and Books a Million additionally carry the collection, albeit for a barely larger value. Personally, I’d relatively assist a walk-in bookstore, however on the finish of the day, it’s as much as you.