Suggested reading order

**This page serves as a guideline to the order in which to read all of the novels, novellas and short stories of the Malazan World.**Several different options are listed.

## **[./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Malazan\_Book\_of\_the\_Fallen Malazan Book of the Fallen] - Main series by [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Steven\_Erikson Steven Erikson]**

**Published Order:**

* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Gardens\_of\_the\_Moon Gardens of the Moon]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Deadhouse\_Gates Deadhouse Gates]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Memories\_of\_Ice Memo][./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Memories\_of\_Ice ries of Ice]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/House\_of\_Chains House of Chains]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Midnight\_Tides Midnight Tides]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/The\_Bonehunters The Bonehunters]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Reaper's\_Gale Reaper's Gale]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Toll\_the\_Hounds Toll the Hounds]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Dust\_of\_Dreams Dust of Dreams]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/The\_Crippled\_God The Crippled God]

**Chronological Order:**

* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Midnight\_Tides Midnight Tides]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Gardens\_of\_the\_Moon Gardens of the Moon]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Deadhouse\_Gates Deadhouse Gates] / [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Memories\_of\_Ice Memories of Ice]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/House\_of\_Chains House of Chains]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/The\_Bonehunters The Bonehunters]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Reaper's\_Gale Reaper's Gale]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Toll\_the\_Hounds Toll the Hounds]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Dust\_of\_Dreams Dust of Dreams]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/The\_Crippled\_God The Crippled God]

**Recommendation:** The published order of the Malazan Book of the Fallen is the author's intended order and the best order in which to read this series for the first time.

## **[./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Novels\_of\_the\_Malazan\_Empire Novels of the Malazan Empire] - Main Series by [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Ian\_C.\_Esslemont Ian C. Esslemont]**

**Published Order and Chronological Order:**

* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Night\_of\_Knives Night of Knives]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Return\_of\_the\_Crimson\_Guard Return of the Crimson Guard]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Stonewielder Stonewielder]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Orb\_Sceptre\_Throne Orb Sceptre Throne]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Blood\_and\_Bone Blood and Bone]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Assail\_(novel) Assail]

**Recommendation:** The published order of the Novels of the Malazan Empire is the author's intended order and the best order in which to read this series for the first time.

## **[./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Tales\_of\_Bauchelain\_&\_Korbal\_Broach Bauchelain & Korbal Broach novellas]** by Steven Erikson

**Published Order:**

* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Blood\_Follows Blood Follows]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/The\_Healthy\_Dead The Healthy Dead]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/The\_Lees\_of\_Laughter's\_End The Lees of Laughter's End]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Crack'd\_Pot\_Trail Crack'd Pot Trail]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/The\_Wurms\_of\_Blearmouth The Wurms of Blearmouth]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/The\_Fiends\_of\_Nightmaria The Fiends of Nightmaria]

**Chronological Order:**

* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Blood\_Follows Blood Follows]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/The\_Lees\_of\_Laughter's\_End The Lees of Laughter's End]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/The\_Wurms\_of\_Blearmouth The Wurms of Blearmouth]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/The\_Healthy\_Dead The Healthy Dead]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Crack'd\_Pot\_Trail Crack'd Pot Trail]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/The\_Fiends\_of\_Nightmaria The Fiends of Nightmaria]

**Recommendation:** Chronological Order

Due to their haphazard publishing schedule and individually contained stories, these novellas' publishing order is vastly different from chronological order. Either way, Blood Follows serves as the first novella and is the best introduction to the novella series. Readers may find the story flows much more naturally if the novellas are read in chronological order rather than published order.

There are no major spoilers from any B&KB novella to any other. However, Crack'd Pot Trail is best read after The Lees of Laughter's End and The Healthy Dead due to the reappearance of some characters and concepts.

Bauchelain and Korbal Broach also appear in Memories of Ice and in Orb Sceptre Throne. For chronological order, Memories of Ice should be read after The Wurms of Blearmouth and before The Healthy Dead. It is unclear when exactly The Healthy Dead and Crack'd Pot Trail occur in relation to Orb Sceptre Throne, but as long as The Wurms of Blearmouth is read before Orb Sceptre Throne it doesn't matter.

## **[./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Kharkanas\_Trilogy Kharkanas Trilogy]** - prequels, take place thousands of years before events in either main series - by Steven Erikson

**Published Order:**

* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Forge\_of\_Darkness Forge of Darkness]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Fall\_of\_Light Fall of Light]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Walk\_in\_Shadow Walk in Shadow] - publication date TBA

**Recommendation:** The published order is the best order in which to read this series for the first time. The series is written in a style very different from the main series and spoilers go both ways.

## **[./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Path\_to\_Ascendancy Path to Ascendancy]** - prequels, take place many decades prior to events in either main series - by Ian C. Esslemont

**Published Order:**

* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Dancer's\_Lament Dancer's Lament]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Deadhouse\_Landing Deadhouse Landing]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Kellanved's\_Reach Kellanved's Reach]

**Recommendation:** The published order is the best order in which to read this series for the first time. We currently do not have a definite recommendation where to slot this trilogy into the overall reading order of the books. Dancer's Lament could be used as an alternate entry point into the Malazan universe for those who find Gardens of the Moon too much of a challenge as it does not spoil major plot developments for the main series although it does contain some spoilers. The same however applies the other way round in about equal measure.

## **[./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Witness\_Trilogy Witness Trilogy]** - sequel to the Malazan Book of the Fallen, takes place 10 years after The Crippled God - by Steven Erikson

**Published Order:**

* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/The\_God\_is\_Not\_Willing The God is Not Willing]
* TBD
* TBD

**Recommendation:** The published order is the best order in which to read this series for the first time. This trilogy should be read after completing the ten book Malazan Book of the Fallen series.

## To read both authors concurrently in order of publication

* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Gardens\_of\_the\_Moon Gardens of the Moon]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Deadhouse\_Gates Deadhouse Gates]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Memories\_of\_Ice Memories of Ice]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Blood\_Follows Blood Follows]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/House\_of\_Chains House of Chains]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Midnight\_Tides Midnight Tides]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/The\_Healthy\_Dead The Healthy Dead]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Night\_of\_Knives Night of Knives]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/The\_Bonehunters The Bonehunters]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/The\_Lees\_of\_Laughter's\_End The Lees of Laughter's End]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Reaper's\_Gale Reaper's Gale]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Return\_of\_the\_Crimson\_Guard Return of the Crimson Guard]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Toll\_the\_Hounds Toll the Hounds]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Dust\_of\_Dreams Dust of Dreams]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Crack'd\_Pot\_Trail Crack'd Pot Trail]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Stonewielder Stonewielder]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/The\_Crippled\_God The Crippled God]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Orb\_Sceptre\_Throne Orb Sceptre Throne]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/The\_Wurms\_of\_Blearmouth The Wurms of Blearmouth]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Goats\_of\_Glory Goats of Glory] (as part of *Swords & Dark Magic* anthology)
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Forge\_of\_Darkness Forge of Darkness]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Blood\_and\_Bone Blood and Bone]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Assail\_(novel) Assail]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Dancer's\_Lament Dancer's Lament]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Fall\_of\_Light Fall of Light]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/The\_Fiends\_of\_Nightmaria The Fiends of Nightmaria]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Deadhouse\_Landing Deadhouse Landing]
* [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Kellanved's\_Reach Kellanved's Reach]

## **Ultimate reading order** suggested by members of the Malazan Empire Forum

There are numerous ways that all the series of the Malazan World can be combined into a single read order. For first-time readers, care must be taken to avoid reading things too far out of chronological order such that events do not make sense, as well as avoiding any events being spoiled before reading through them happening.

There are two main discussion threads on the Malazan Empire forums for discussing possible read orders:

1. One is a spoiler free thread summarizing the result of the discussion about what to read first and providing a visual guide of what major spoilers exist between books (without revealing what those spoilers are) so new readers can devise their own read orders, if desired.
2. There is also a discussion thread with spoilers where members who have read all the books discuss what spoilers exist and what read orders are possible (both for new readers and re-reads).

For readers who want a single, sensible read order without going into discussion threads, the below is a read order recommended by many knowledgeable forum members which:

* Includes all existing Malazan World books apart from [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Path\_to\_Ascendancy Path to Ascendancy] novels
* Is in a sensible and logical order for first-time readers
* Does not contain any spoilers being revealed before the events occur
* Follows chronological order except where the authors intended not to
* Doesn't go into novellas too early, so you have some time to immerse yourself in Gardens of the Moon and Deadhouse Gates

**↓Main series**

**↓Novels**
**↓Novellas**

1. [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Gardens\_of\_the\_Moon Gardens of the Moon]

2. [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Deadhouse\_Gates Deadhouse Gates]

3. [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Blood\_Follows Blood Follows]

4. [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/The\_Lees\_of\_Laughter's\_End The Lees of Laughter's End]

5. [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/The\_Wurms\_of\_Blearmouth The Wurms of Blearmouth]

6. [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Memories\_of\_Ice Memories of Ice]

7. [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/House\_of\_Chains House of Chains]

8. [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/The\_Healthy\_Dead The Healthy Dead]

9. [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Midnight\_Tides Midnight Tides]

10. [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Night\_of\_Knives Night of Knives]

11. [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/The\_Bonehunters The Bonehunters]

12. [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Reaper's\_Gale Reaper's Gale]

13. [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Crack'd\_Pot\_Trail Crack'd Pot Trail]

14. [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Return\_of\_the\_Crimson\_Guard Return of the Crimson Guard]

15. [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Toll\_the\_Hounds Toll the Hounds]

16. [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Stonewielder Stonewielder]
17. [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Goats\_of\_Glory Goats of Glory]

18. [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Dust\_of\_Dreams Dust of Dreams]

19. [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Orb\_Sceptre\_Throne Orb Sceptre Throne]

20. [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/The\_Crippled\_God The Crippled God]

21. [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Blood\_and\_Bone Blood and Bone]

22. [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Assail\_(novel) Assail]
23. [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Forge\_of\_Darkness Forge of Darkness]

24. [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Fall\_of\_Light Fall of Light]

25. [./https://malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Walk\_in\_Shadow Walk in Shadow]

## Reading order recommendations by the authors

In November 2017, Erikson and Esslemont's North American publisher Tor posted an article entitled "The Malazan Authors' Suggested Reading Order for the Series Is Not What You Would Expect". The list is strictly chronological by storyline. Although said to be approved by the authors, neither is quoted in the article. Fans have been skeptical over the list, considering it places two unfinished (at the time) prequel trilogies at its start. One fan on reddit.com claimed to have contacted Erikson about the article. In the response posted by the fan, Erikson said the article likely spawned from a chronological listing he and Esslemont had put together for Tor several years earlier.

In a December 2017 interview (scroll down for English translation), Erikson preferred an order based on publishing date.

"*I have seen a number of projected orders. For myself, I would take it in the basic order of publication dates. Why? Well, thematically, the internal timeline is less important than the meta-reality of when we, as writers, wrote the books. Even in our flashback works, we cannot help but be aware of what we’ve written before, and how the two forces resonate with one another. It would, in my humble opinion, be a mistake to ignore that element.*"
―Steven Erikson[[src]]
## Reading order diagram

A diagram showing the interaction between the varying books, devised by D'rek from the Malazan Empire Forum. You could use this to make up your own reading order.

Reading order diagram

## Notes and references

1. ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/Malazan/comments/7hi4r3/i\_asked\_erikson\_about\_that\_new\_tor\_reading\_order/

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