[Ameera]

Hi guys, I just bought this book by Esslemont, but I had no idea there were other books by Steven untill I got to see this website...

So could any1 tell me in what order one should read all the books??

like 1,2,3..

[MTS]

Well, you can read Night of Knives now and you'll be fine with Erikson, but reading it after Midnight Tides and before Bonehunters (no.6) is probably better, as characters are introduced there that are in Night of Knives. With Return of the Crimson Guard, it's best to read that after Reaper's Gale (no. 7) and before Toll The Hounds (no. 8).

So, this is my recommended reading order:
- Gardens of the Moon (Erikson)
- Deadhouse Gates (Erikson)
- Memories of Ice (Erikson)
- House of Chains (Erikson)
- Midnight Tides (Erikson)
- Night of Knives (Esslemont)*
- Reaper's Gale (Erikson)
- Return of the Crimson Guard (Esslemont)
- Toll the Hounds (Erikson)

* Can read at the beginning, as chronologically it is before any of the other books.

This post has been edited by Mappo's Travelling Sack: 12 June 2009 - 09:41 AM

[Bauchelain the Evil]

This book chronologically happens before all SE books. However unles you would want some serious spoilers I would say to read it at least after Gardens of the Moon, although I think that it would be better if you read it before The Bonehunters because many characters of NoK are also in TBH.

[Aptorian]

Do NOT read it now. It will ruin a lot of the mystery of the Malazan Book of the Fallen.

You should read it before Bonehunters.

[Beliar]

I'd agree,

I find myself wanting to read NoK to answer and give more info on area's that kept me interested in the earlier books, If i was to know it all before hand (ie readin it before the others) i would not have enjoyed the mystery behind the books half as much, and probably given up.

I'v read up to and including Reapers Gale and am now startin on NoK as my local bookstore didnt have any in stock when i went to buy it along with RG. It will be interested to find out what questions it answers for me i know that much.

[Lousy]

Bauchelain the Evil, on 12 June 2009 - 09:40 AM, said:

This book chronologically happens before all SE books. However unles you would want some serious spoilers I would say to read it at least after Gardens of the Moon, although I think that it would be better if you read it before The Bonehunters because many characters of NoK are also in TBH.

This is what I've been looking for, an excuse to read it even though I'm not very far along in the SE series. And since it happens chronologically before GotM, I prefer to risk spoilers in order to get a fuller picture as it unfolds in Malazan time..

[Abberon]

Lousy, on 26 March 2010 - 04:20 AM, said:

This is what I've been looking for, an excuse to read it even though I'm not very far along in the SE series. And since it happens chronologically before GotM, I prefer to risk spoilers in order to get a fuller picture as it unfolds in Malazan time..

I would seriously wait. NoK was written for fans of SE's books. Unless you're a few books into the series, I sincerely doubt you'd get as much out of the book as I did. I read it after the Bonehunters (which I wouldn't recommend) but I would recommend waiting until you're 3-4 books into MBotF before bothering. SE doesn't hold your hand and explain every detail of his world, but ICE does it even less, so it's better if you have a fairly good understanding of past and future events before bothering.

I loved NoK, but I don't think I would have liked it at all unless I was already deeply interested in the old Malazan Empire.

[Salt-Man Z]

Yeah, NoK isn't so much an introduction to the "Malaz" world as it is a "bet you always wanted to know what happened that night"-style flashback.

I don't know how much introduction it can do in the span of one night with just a handful of characters, most of whom never appear in the main sequence, or if they do, not until much later. Plus, it doesn't really directly connect with the regular series--though it does spoil some of its revelations.

[Abyss]

Just to complicate the debate, while i did read NoK between RGg and TB and I do think it fits really well in that order, I do not think there is anything that problematic in reading it even before GotM.

The one 'big' revelation isn't that big, imnsho. Also, NoK is a much, MUCH simpler read than GotM or any subsequent SE book and NoK might take away some of the 'i don't know what's happening' angst some people experience in GotM and/or DG.

- Abyss, timeless.

[Lousy]

Thanks for the input folks, but it is too late - I have begun! Well, actually only had time for the Prologue. I can promise this, if I find myself wandering a bit lost early on, or feeling too 'spoiled', I will likely set it aside until I'm farther along in the main series.

[Salt-Man Z]

Heh. How will you recognize when you're being spoiled? Heck, the entire book basically is one big spoiler.

[Lousy]

Good point, Z. However, there's enough complexity to the series that spoilers may be an aid, though I'd hate to make it a crutch..

[Salt-Man Z]

NoK spoils a minor mystery that gets resolved in the beginning of DG, if I recall, so in the big picture it's not that big a deal.

This post has been edited by Salt-Man Z: 06 April 2010 - 05:00 PM

[Juss]

I read NoK before starting SE's MBotF, NoK didn't make much sense and it took me a lot of time finishing it, I finished it because the story is pretty amazing though. After NoK starting MBotF still took some 'getting into'. All in all I do not recomend reading NoK before finishing house of chains.

[champ]

whenever doing a reread i normally start with NoK then GoTM