Malazan Reading Order and Universe Introduction | Aug 2020

A brief description of the whole Malazan universe as of August 2020, as well as a recommended reading order.

There are a lot of recommendations out there, but my main charge to you is: read the 10 volume series Book of the Fallen before branching out to spinoff novels/series.

The Malazan Book of the Fallen:

1. Gardens of the Moon
2. Deadhouse Gates
3. Memories of Ice
4. House of Chains
5. Midnight Tides
6. The Bonehunters
7. Reaper's Gale
8. Toll the Hounds
9. Dust of Dreams
10. The Crippled God

After Book of the Fallen, you have a lot of choices before you, and I think any of the following books could be next on your list.

If you want some shorter stories that run (mostly) parallel to the main series, check out Ian C. Esslemont's Novels of the Malazan Empire. Order:

1. Night of Knives
2. Return of the Crimson Guard
3. Stonewielder
4. Orb Sceptre Throne
5. Blood and Bone
6. Assail

If you are really curious to learn more about Emperor Kellanved and Dancer, check out Esslemont's Path to Ascendancy Series. Order:

1. Dancer's Lament
2. Deadhouse Landing
3. Kellanved's Reach

If you want to stick with Erikson but with a slightly different flavor (ie. more traditional fantasy) and are curious about the Tiste Andii and Elder Warrens, check out the prequel series The Kharkanas Trilogy.

1. Forge of Darkness
2. Fall of Light
3. Walk in Shadow (FORTHCOMING TBD)

Erikson's newest book The God is Not Willing is the first installment in a new Trilogy revolving around Karsa Orlong entitled The Witness Trilogy.

Finally, Erickson has release a series of novellas and short stories around Bauchelain & Korbal Broach. You can pretty much read these at your pleasure after you finish Memories of Ice.

Other reading orders:

[indyman_]

Just finished MT (LOVED IT!) and chanced upon this vid while searching for more Malazan content. Nicely explained and to the point. I certainly am very excited to continue the Malazan journey. Cheers!

[s.k.]

I read Knight Of Kinves when i was halfway through Gardens Of The Moon and i think that helped me understand quite a few things about the world of Malazan. Personally, the focus on only two POVs and a single night really helped reducing that initial hurdle of getting into the setting.

Granted, there´s a spoiler for Deadhouse Gates in there, but not a big one. It doesn´t seem to be a popular opinion, but i really think it´s a better introduction to the world and a fun and short (but a bit rough) read in itself.

[Nxrth]

Holy shit Malazan is huge. I'm currently reading Wheel of Time, and want to dive into Malazan after this!

[Niko_TheGreek]

I'm so excited!!! I'm brand new to fantasy and malazan is my first series! I'm 5 chapters in to GotM and I'm LOVING it. I think it's only "hard" for people who are OCD about knowing every detail of every character/event

[SnakeAndTurtleQigong]

Such a mind blowing series! One of the few that I’m excited about finishing the full collection...just so I can start at the beginning again. 😅

[AIToughts]

60% done Memories of Ice and loving it so far. As for Deadhouse Gates, I loved it and it’s one of the best books I have ever read so MOI if better will truly be something!

[Peritestes]

I generally agree with what you are saying here. Nice work. I would read Night of Knives and Return of the Crimson Guard before reading Toll the Hounds. There are a few incidents that happen in those books that have direct impact on the main series which might be confusing if you didn't read them.

[Peritestes]

I would suggest reading The Karkanas Trilogy after you finish everything else and if you REALLY love Erikson. I wouldn't say it is more of a tradition fantasy series; Erikson said the MBoTF is partially inspired by The Iliad and Karkanas is inspired by Shakespearean declamation and tragedy. It is complex and difficult. Hopefully the third book will come out at some point, but the publishers made Erikson move on from it for now.

[zan]

The only exception I think is possibly reading Night of Knives before The Bonehunters - It's very short, and kinda ties into the BH finale, without which you're missing a good bit of Malaz City context. I'm (personally) very happy I read it there. The rest of the Mid-series ICE books, yeah I'd definitely say wait for.

[awallerfamily]

Im going to suggest to my daughter to read the catalog starting with Kharkanas series first and then PtA. And then by release order of the 10 including the remaining esslemont books. Just to be able to discuss her experience compared to mine. Which will probably be future content for someone.

[bookswithbanks]

I loved this video and especially your video on postmodernism, and I was curious if you've considered doing a ranking of the novels? I know some people don't enjoy them or find them reductive, but I'm always curious to see which parts of a series different people prefer.

[franckcellier]

Great video, I just would like to point out that the funko pop on the shelf behind you seems to be nodding in agreement at around 6:17!

[mythoughts]

Thanks for the update did not realize there was more to read outside the central 10. Finished them a couple years ago and excited to go back to this world. I will say I hate how you pronounce Malazan. Now i did go and look for pronunciation, and you are probably right in the way you say it, but i am stubborn and will continue to proudly properly mispronounce this word whenever i talk about this series.

[angelaholmes]

I will give the prequel series a try after finishing the malazan books

[EricMcLuen]

I would add HoC to the first group just because Tides is a major change.
You could then switch to Knives and Ascendancy if you want but they do require a mental shift and aren't as "deep".
I think MoI is such a favorite because just when you get over the Fall here comes Coral and yes, I cried too.
I read Forge but will have to read again when the third one comes out.

[Jmlisheid]

I plan on reading from the Wiki's list, "To read both authors concurrently in order of publication". But I definitely appreciated your insight! Before taking on such an enormous series, it helps a lot to organize the books in a way that makes them feel more approachable.

[sneakyfred]

I loved GotM through to HoC. I then started Midnight Tides, and I've been stuck there ever since. The most I got through was about halfway, and it never truly gripped me. Plus there was other stuff going on my life, so perhaps I was less concentrated on the story. I've tried again 3 times over the last 5-6 years---starting from the beginning, 'cause when I opened it at my bookmark after a year's hiatus I couldn't remember half the characters! Never managed to finish it... :(

[GhoulishGwyn]

Off-topic, but I have the exact same Westeros map. Got it at the Ohio Renaissance Festival.

More on-topic though, thanks for all the info. Looking forward to starting Malazan.

[thatsci-firogue]

I'm sticking with the main ten and branch out afterwards.

[gaurav]

Hey Andy I have a small favour to ask about the Book of the Fallen.

***Possible spoilers for others***

I would just like to know if anything is spoiled for me with this: Empress Lassen is the person who kills the founder Kellanved.

I would also appreciate if you could tell me whether anything from the main 10 book series is spoiled with me from this.