Malazan Book of the Fallen (book series)

[Cheesy]

Since we were talking about in the Game of Thrones thread
Wikipage

Malazan is AFAIK the most grand scale book series in excistence. Two authors, both writing in the same universe with overlapping timelines and characters.

Since there are so many books, put the name of the book you are talking about in the spoiler tag, remember that even minor things like a character being in a certain book could be a huge spoiler, because everybody can get touched in the world of Malazan

I personally read the main series twice, the Esslemont books (Novels and the Path to Ascendancy series) and Erikssons prequels once. Thinking about doing a reread of the full set since there is nothing to do in lockdown anyway.

@Jax and @MidniteJay are reading, hope to find more readers on here to discuss the philosophies of Karsa Orlong and to contemplate the wisdoms of Iskaral Pust and Kruppe

 

[Jax]

I've read this series is very complicated, hope I don't get flustered reading it.

 

[Jax]

So, It's 10 books and there's more? Or It's just these 10 books? @Cheesy

 

[Cheesy]

So, It's 10 books and there's more? Or It's just these 10 books? @Cheesy

There are by Steven Erikson:
Malazan Book of the Fallen 10 books main series
Kharkanas Trilogy, only two books released, prequel series thousands of years before the main series.
Toblakai Trilogy, taking place after the main series. first book is most likely coming this year (he shared on facebook it's finished and send to his editor).
Tales of Baugelain & Korbal Broach, semi related short stories, set in the same universe but without any real connection to the main books.

By Esslemont:
Novels of the Malazan Empire, 6 books, mostly taking place during the same time as the Book of the Fallen, sharing some characters and locations.
Path to Ascendancy Trilogy, prequel series about the early days of the Malazan Empire, most likely getting expanded to a longer series.

Now do you need to read all these? No. The main series is a huge timesink, complex and detailed enough to read at least twice to get the full picture and pick up on a lot of details and foreshadowing. It's there where you really see how well thought out the story really is.

I only got into the rest after my second read of the main series. Esslemont is not as good a writer as Erikson, it's not even close. The Novels give some backstory and continue some plotlines from the main series though, so they are a nice addition if you finish them and want more Malazan.

Since you are just starting out, remember that Gardens of the Moon, the first book, is considered the weakest point in the series. It's the second and third book that are so full of fukkery that they really get you hooked.

 

[Jax]

There are by Steven Erikson:
Malazan Book of the Fallen 10 books main series
Kharkanas Trilogy, only two books released, prequel series thousands of years before the main series.
Toblakai Trilogy, taking place after the main series. first book is most likely coming this year (he shared on facebook it's finished and send to his editor).
Tales of Baugelain & Korbal Broach, semi related short stories, set in the same universe but without any real connection to the main books.

By Esslemont:
Novels of the Malazan Empire, 6 books, mostly taking place during the same time as the Book of the Fallen, sharing some characters and locations.
Path to Ascendancy Trilogy, prequel series about the early days of the Malazan Empire, most likely getting expanded to a longer series.

Now do you need to read all these? No. The main series is a huge timesink, complex and detailed enough to read at least twice to get the full picture and pick up on a lot of details and foreshadowing. It's there where you really see how well thought out the story really is.

I only got into the rest after my second read of the main series. Esslemont is not as good a writer as Erikson, it's not even close. The Novels give some backstory and continue some plotlines from the main series though, so they are a nice addition if you finish them and want more Malazan.

Since you are just starting out, remember that Gardens of the Moon, the first book, is considered the weakest point in the series. It's the second and third book that are so full of fukkery that they really get you hooked.

Thank you so much! I'm gonna invest in this series, needed something to focus on other than this covid pandemic.

 

[obarth]

I'm currently reading Best Served Cold after having finished Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy. The first book in the sequel trilogy came out last year so I have to read that eventually. After that, I'm going to reread the Malazan series. Technically, I'm going to restart it since I made it through Toll the Hounds and stopped reading for whatever reason. It's been so long I know I'd be bugging to try to even find where I left off, let alone remember the tons of backstory. I remember loving the journey, but I can't say I'm looking forward to starting that shyt over again At least I won't be utterly lost at the beginning like last time. I remember reading the beginning of Gardens of the Moon like

 

[Cheesy]

I'm currently reading Best Served Cold after having finished Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy. The first book in the sequel trilogy came out last year so I have to read that eventually. After that, I'm going to reread the Malazan series. Technically, I'm going to restart it since I made it through Toll the Hounds and stopped reading for whatever reason. It's been so long I know I'd be bugging to try to even find where I left off, let alone remember the tons of backstory. I remember loving the journey, but I can't say I'm looking forward to starting that shyt over again At least I won't be utterly lost at the beginning like last time. I remember reading the beginning of Gardens of the Moon like

It might have actually been you and an other member talking about Shadowthrone fukkery in a GoT thread that got me in to the series at first
And yeah, Gardens throws a lot of shyt at you that you have to be content with to only understand at a later point. I believe there is a spoiler free backstory on reddit somewhere to help people get into the story who struggle with the lack of exposition

 

[MidniteJay]

It might have actually been you and an other member talking about Shadowthrone fukkery in a GoT thread that got me in to the series at first
And yeah, Gardens throws a lot of shyt at you that you have to be content with to only understand at a later point. I believe there is a spoiler free backstory on reddit somewhere to help people get into the story who struggle with the lack of exposition

I think it was @T-K-G that put me on the series years ago.

I'm currently reading Best Served Cold after having finished Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy. The first book in the sequel trilogy came out last year so I have to read that eventually. After that, I'm going to reread the Malazan series. Technically, I'm going to restart it since I made it through Toll the Hounds and stopped reading for whatever reason. It's been so long I know I'd be bugging to try to even find where I left off, let alone remember the tons of backstory. I remember loving the journey, but I can't say I'm looking forward to starting that shyt over again At least I won't be utterly lost at the beginning like last time. I remember reading the beginning of Gardens of the Moon like

Best Served Cold and The Heroes is Tag me when you reach the Age of Madness books. Probably the first book where I rooted for a lame

 

[T-K-G]

I think it was @T-K-G that put me on the series years ago.



Best Served Cold and The Heroes is Tag me when you reach the Age of Madness books. Probably the first book where I rooted for a lame

i told yall nikkas Malazan was pure GOAT sauce in the book thread for years




shyt is so perfectly crafted my guy Quick Ben the illest wizard in Nebraska

 

[fact]

Just about finished with Forge of Darkness, it’s taken me about a year or two, because it was hard to get invested, and I also had other series I wanted to read. This book was incredibly sad and brutal, but I think the character writing was absolutely inspired. Erikson is a fukking beast, but getting through some of these chapters was gut wrenching, he has to be a little sick in the head to even write a couple of these scenarios. Can’t wait to get into Fall of Light, and for him to finish the third book in the Kharkanas trilogy, also can’t wait until book 2 of the Witness series. This Malazan shyt is incredible. I also just finished all the books to this point in the Red Rising series, it’s definitely really good if anybody is looking for any suggestions. It’s a little more SciFi, which is a genre I really don’t like, but it stands pretty tall!

 

[Cheesy]

Just about finished with Forge of Darkness, it’s taken me about a year or two, because it was hard to get invested, and I also had other series I wanted to read. This book was incredibly sad and brutal, but I think the character writing was absolutely inspired. Erikson is a fukking beast, but getting through some of these chapters was gut wrenching, he has to be a little sick in the head to even write a couple of these scenarios. Can’t wait to get into Fall of Light, and for him to finish the third book in the Kharkanas trilogy, also can’t wait until book 2 of the Witness series. This Malazan shyt is incredible. I also just finished all the books to this point in the Red Rising series, it’s definitely really good if anybody is looking for any suggestions. It’s a little more SciFi, which is a genre I really don’t like, but it stands pretty tall!

FoD and FoL are definitely the hardest books to read in the entire series, the way it's written and the content are both not easy to digest. They are the only two books in the series I have only read once.

Esslemont just dropped the new Paths to Ascendancy book The Forge of the High Mage, about the Empire expanding to Falar and featuring that slimy motherfukker Mallick Rell
It's much better than the last Esslemont book, might be one of his best. Releases in the US in january I think but the UK/Canada editions are out there ofcourse.

 

[fact]

FoD and FoL are definitely the hardest books to read in the entire series, the way it's written and the content are both not easy to digest. They are the only two books in the series I have only read once.

Esslemont just dropped the new Paths to Ascendancy book The Forge of the High Mage, about the Empire expanding to Falar and featuring that slimy motherfukker Iskaral Pust
It's much better than the last Esslemont book, might be one of his best. Releases in the US in january I think but the UK/Canada editions are out there ofcourse.

good looks! I actually like Pust, not one of my favorites, but I think he is entertaining as a character. When him and Cruppe “fight”, it is probably one of my favorite, and the funniest thing I have ever read!

 

[Cheesy]

good looks! I actually like Pust, not one of my favorites, but I think he is entertaining as a character. When him and Cruppe “fight”, it is probably one of my favorite, and the funniest thing I have ever read!

Holy shyt I typed Pust the GOAT when I meant Mallick Rell need to edit. Sorry for giving you false hope for a Pust book

 

[fact]

Holy shyt I typed Pust the GOAT when I meant Mallick Rell need to edit. Sorry for giving you false hope for a Pust book

He was my least favorite character in the series, but I started having a grudging respect for him by The God is not Willing, nearly a whole decade of peace is pretty phenomenal. Now that I’m almost done FoD, it’s Scara Bandaris, in all his history, including how he did Silchas, and Tiste, and then to find out he also set in motion what happened to Andaris’s bride to be, and that wedding party, all while showing the utmost grief and sadness to Silchas and the other sons of darkness, fukk old Bloodeye.

 

[Dre Space Age]

i read one. i think the word gates was in the title. anyway the time travel aspect confused me the first time i read it. i read it again and i was slightly more impressed that time. then i started reading another book and the intro was slow or confusing can't remember which and so I just gave up cause I probably started reading something else.