Forge of the High Mage

Forge of the High Mage is the fourth book in the Path to Ascendancy series by Ian C. Esslemont. The book involves "Malaz expansionism into the Falaran sub-continent."Chat with Ian C. Esslemont and Steven Erikson - A Critical Dragon - See 6:30 
==Publisher's summary==
After decades of warfare, Malazan forces are now close to consolidating the Quon Talian mainland. Yet it is at this moment that Emperor Kellanved orders a new campaign far to the north: the invasion of Falar.
Since the main Malazan armies are otherwise engaged in Quon Tali, a collection of orphaned units and broken squads has been brought together under Fist Dujek - himself recovering from the loss of an arm - to fight this new campaign. A somewhat rag-tag army, joined by a similarly motley fleet under the command of the Emperor himself.
There are however those who harbour doubts regarding the stewardship of Kellanved and his cohort Dancer, and as the Malazan force heads north, it encounters an unlooked-for and most unwelcome threat - unspeakable and born of legend, it has woken and will destroy all who stand in its way. Most appalled by this is Tayschrenn, the untested High Mage of the Empire. He is all-too aware of the true nature of this ancient horror - and his own inadequacy in having to confront it. Yet confront it he must, alongside the most unlikely of allies...
And then the theocracy of Falar is itself far from defenceless - its priests are in possession of a weapon so terrifying it has not been unleashed for centuries. Named the Jhistal, it was rumoured to be a gift from the sea-god Mael. But two can play at that game, for the Emperor sails towards Falar aboard his flagship Twisted - a vessel that is itself thought to be not entirely of this world...
Here, then, in the tracts of the Ice Wastes and among the islands of Falar, the Empire of Malaz faces two seemingly insurmountable tests - each one potentially the origin of its destruction...
These are bloody, turbulent and treacherous times for all caught up in the forging of the Malazan Empire.
== Front matter ==
===Dedication===
To all those who waited,
my thanks and gratitude
===Acknowledgements===
I wish to thank my prereader Dr A. P. Canavan. I would also like
to thank my agent, Howard Morhaim, and my editor, Simon Taylor.
Special thanks to all those fans who came out the summer of
’22, and to those of the Malazan online community: thank you for
easing me into your world. Your support and enthusiasm mean more than you can know.
===Maps===
==Editions==
Show other languages
Publisher 	Format/Edition 	First published 	Pages 	ISBN-10 	ISBN-13 	Notes
UK and Commonwealth — Forge of the High MagePenguin UK	UK and Commonwealth — Forge of the High MagePenguin UK	UK and Commonwealth — Forge of the High MagePenguin UK	UK and Commonwealth — Forge of the High MagePenguin UK	UK and Commonwealth — Forge of the High MagePenguin UK	UK and Commonwealth — Forge of the High MagePenguin UK	UK and Commonwealth — Forge of the High MagePenguin UK
Bantam 	Hardcover 	6 Apr 2023 	460 	1787632555 	978-1787632554 	Cover by Steve Stone
Bantam 	Mass market paperback 	7 Mar 2024 	500 	180499362X 	978-1804993620 	B-format mmpb
Transworld Digital 	Ebook 	6 Apr 2023 	480 	1473571243 	978-1473571242 	
Transworld Digital 	Audio 	6 Apr 2023 	1059 min 	1473594243 	978-1473594241 	
United States — Forge of the High Mage 	United States — Forge of the High Mage 	United States — Forge of the High Mage 	United States — Forge of the High Mage 	United States — Forge of the High Mage 	United States — Forge of the High Mage 	United States — Forge of the High Mage
Tor 	Hardcover 	9 Apr 2024 	460 	1250788617 	978-1250788610 	
Tor 	Trade paperback 	9 Apr 2024 	xxx 	xxx 	978-1250788627 	
Tor 	E-book 	xxx 	xxx 	xxx 	978-xxx 	
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xxx 	xxx 	xxx 	xxx 	xxx 	978-xxx 	
== Plot summary ==
==Trivia==
*The book's original title was The Jhistal until Esslemont's editors concluded it was "too inside" for new readers who might see the book for the first time on a bookstore shelf.Conversation with Ian Cameron Esslemont - Ten Very Big Books - See 49:50 It was thought that "people who weren't Malazan readers would look at that and it would be a meaningless title for them. It wouldn't convey anything. So we had some back and forth, back and forth, what about this, what about that. Eventually with the help of some other readers we settled on Forge of the High Mage, and I was happy with that. At the time I hadn't thought about Steve's Forge of Darkness. We tried to not use the same terms, but that one snuck in."Forge of the High Mage, Ian C. Esslemont on his New Malazan Novel - Books with Banks - See 16:20
*This is the first book in the UK published series to bear the slightly renamed series title Paths to Ascendancy. The US published book retains the singular "Path". Esslemont confirms that the title indicates a change in direction from the first three books, which focused on Kellanved and Dancer. This book, and the ones that follow, look at "different paths and different characters' routes and story arcs".Forge of the High Mage, Ian C. Esslemont on his New Malazan Novel - Books with Banks - See 2:00
*The book had originally been scheduled to be published in 2020, but a number of factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic, led to a long delay. Esslemont also admits he fell behind in the writing because he "found it difficult to do justice to the project and so it slowed down." By the time of a March 2022 interview, the writing was completed and the manuscript was in the hands of his editors.Conversation with Ian Cameron Esslemont - Ten Very Big Books - See 51:10
*Controversy arose after the first reveal of the book's UK cover. Some observers noted that cover artist Steve Stone's work appeared at least partially as if created by an AI art-generator. Neither the artist nor the book's publisher have responded to fan speculation.Ian Cameron Esslemont's new MALAZAN novel finally gets a release date...and controversial cover art - The Wertzone Unusually, when the US edition was published a year later, it was with a different (although similarly themed) image. 
*In a first for a Malazan novel, an additional two-page map is included in an addendum at the back of the book.
== Cover gallery ==
Forge of the High Mage US Cover.jpg|US cover
Forge of the High Mage Unused US Cover.jpg|Unused US cover
==Notes and references==
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Category:Forge of the High Mage