Malazan Empire: New Member Introduction Thread - Malazan Empire

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New Member Introduction Thread

#2381 User is offline   Mercury 

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Posted 10 March 2019 - 09:05 PM

Ohlla
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#2382 User is offline   Aptorian 

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Posted 10 March 2019 - 09:09 PM

Read them in the publication order, with the exception that you should read Return of the Crimson Guard before Toll the Hounds.
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#2383 User is offline   Demandred 

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Posted 16 March 2019 - 01:23 PM

Okay, here is the order I have. Any suggested alterations would be appreciated.

Gardens of the Moon
Deadhouse Gates
Memories of Ice
House of Chains
Midnight Tides
Night of Knives (Esslemont #1)
The Bonehunters
Reapers Gale
Return of the Crimson Guard (Esslemont #2)
Toll the Hounds
The Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach #1
Dust of Dreams
Stonewielder (Esslemont #3)
The Crippled God
Orb Scepter Throne (Esslemont #4)
Blood and Bone (Esslemont #5)
Assail (Esslemont #6)
Forge of Darkness (Kharkanas #1)
Fall of Light (Kharkanas #2)
Dancers Lament (Path to Ascendency #1)
Deadhouse Landing (Path to Ascendency #2)


Also, I believe there are other short stories and novellas I am missing. If anyone knows what all I'm missing and where they should be in the order it would be appreciated. Thanks.
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#2384 User is offline   worry 

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Posted 16 March 2019 - 06:42 PM

That's a good order. I suggest maybe moving Forge of Darkness to before Blood and Bone though.
You're only missing Bauch & Korbal volume 2 and the short story Goats of Glory which is completely divorced from any of the other stories.
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#2385 User is offline   wuzzle 

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Posted 04 April 2019 - 08:20 PM

Hey there, I'm new.

(quite)A few years ago a friend of mine suggested me to read the Malazan Book of the Fallen series. I did and was super thankful of him for showing me this absolute best piece of fantasy I have yet read.

A few years later he suggested to me that re-reading the series is awesome and that I should try it. And I did again. I have never yet read a book twice in my life. And so far it's an even better experience than the first go-through.


Now I found my way here, of my own accord. :)
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#2386 User is offline   John II 

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Posted 22 April 2019 - 08:50 PM

H'lo all.
I'm currently up to Toll the Hounds in the main series, having read Night of Knives and Return of the Crimson Guard from the Novels of the Malazan Empire series.
I'm still not sure what I think of this series. The Chain of Dogs story line was amazing, and it definitely has some likable characters (Kruppe, Tehol, Bugg, Trull) and some badassery (Anomander, Karsa, Urko), but it seems a little... eclectic. Even at TtH, I still have no idea about Kellanved's character, Dancer seems a completely different person between Gardens of the Moon and the rest of the series, Laseen is always talked up as being clever but makes a lot of stupid decisions, Tayschrenn is completely different after GotM, etc.
I still think it's a pretty good series, but not as good as other fantasies I've read (Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive, Glenn Cook's Black Company, Brent Weeks' Lightbringer, Django Wexler's Shadow Campaigns, Daniel Abraham's Long Price, etc). It is definitely better than the horrifically overrated A Song of Ice and Fire, however.
The main problem I have is that although the books are gripping once you get into them, it's difficult to do so. For example, it is possible to go from The Way of Kings to Words of Radiance to Oathbringer without missing a beat (which I have done on a couple of re-reads), but it is difficult to go from Deadhouse Gates to Memories of Ice. It definitely has enough draw to make me want to read to the end - I'll see what I think once I read tCG.
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#2387 User is offline   TJack 

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Posted 22 April 2019 - 10:22 PM

View PostJohn II, on 22 April 2019 - 08:50 PM, said:

H'lo all.
I'm currently up to Toll the Hounds in the main series, having read Night of Knives and Return of the Crimson Guard from the Novels of the Malazan Empire series.
I'm still not sure what I think of this series. The Chain of Dogs story line was amazing, and it definitely has some likable characters (Kruppe, Tehol, Bugg, Trull) and some badassery (Anomander, Karsa, Urko), but it seems a little... eclectic. Even at TtH, I still have no idea about Kellanved's character, Dancer seems a completely different person between Gardens of the Moon and the rest of the series, Laseen is always talked up as being clever but makes a lot of stupid decisions, Tayschrenn is completely different after GotM, etc.
I still think it's a pretty good series, but not as good as other fantasies I've read (Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive, Glenn Cook's Black Company, Brent Weeks' Lightbringer, Django Wexler's Shadow Campaigns, Daniel Abraham's Long Price, etc). It is definitely better than the horrifically overrated A Song of Ice and Fire, however.
The main problem I have is that although the books are gripping once you get into them, it's difficult to do so. For example, it is possible to go from The Way of Kings to Words of Radiance to Oathbringer without missing a beat (which I have done on a couple of re-reads), but it is difficult to go from Deadhouse Gates to Memories of Ice. It definitely has enough draw to make me want to read to the end - I'll see what I think once I read tCG.




Hello, fellow newbie here (just finished MBotF). That is an interesting point because I had the exact opposite reaction to Stormlight Archives vs. MBotF, haha. I think the complexities of MBotF really shine compared to SA and it seems to me to be more of a developed world than Roshar. I think Sanderson doesn't develop each individual world enough (with him using them as a means to explore the Cosmere) and I feel like the settings sometimes feel artificial, as if they were created specifically for the books' plotlines. Whereas Malazan seems to have all the history present, with the story only being one of many that take place there.
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#2388 User is offline   John II 

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Posted 23 April 2019 - 01:51 AM

View PostTJack, on 22 April 2019 - 10:22 PM, said:

Hello, fellow newbie here (just finished MBotF). That is an interesting point because I had the exact opposite reaction to Stormlight Archives vs. MBotF, haha. I think the complexities of MBotF really shine compared to SA and it seems to me to be more of a developed world than Roshar. I think Sanderson doesn't develop each individual world enough (with him using them as a means to explore the Cosmere) and I feel like the settings sometimes feel artificial, as if they were created specifically for the books' plotlines. Whereas Malazan seems to have all the history present, with the story only being one of many that take place there.


Ha, and I liked SA partly for the reason you mention. I like how the story we are being told is the main theme of the world - it makes it properly epic. Besides that, the consequences for Stormlight characters can be much more dire than for Malazan characters. Dalinar and co are trying to save an entire world, and a failure on their part means that everyone on Roshar dies, and the rest of the Cosmere is in danger, whereas if someone like Coltaine or Dujek fails it just means a campaign lost, or at worst the loss of an empire which isn't really a big deal. I guess I like the epicness of Stormlight. Probably for that reason, too, I also prefer Mistborn to Stormlight. Erikson also has random bits from other happenings thrown around which don't seem to be tied up. For example, there is (minor tBH spoilers)
Spoiler

which doesn't seem to be explained at all. Whereas Sanderson has very few loose ends. Some of the other series I mentioned, especially The Black Company also have these loose ends, although it isn't as serious as MBotF.
I also prefer Sanderson's characters - Erikson's have more badassery (with the exception of Sanderson's Vessels, which don't really play as direct a part as the Ascendants; the other exception is probably the Lord Ruler, who would provide the most boring fight ever against Rhulad), but I find it easier to root for Sanderson's. It is easy to get behind the likes of Kaladin and Kelsier, but not so much (I find) Fiddler and Crokus. Sanderson's humour is also another thing in his favour - the Wit scenes in Stormlight have me rolling on the floor without fail, as do the Wayne sequences in the W&W books.
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#2389 User is offline   TJack 

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Posted 23 April 2019 - 03:32 AM

It seems that we have our likes pointed in exact oposite directions, haha. I like all the loose ends in MBotF, oddly enough. I see them as entirely separate stories that just happen to overlap with the one being told. I think this makes the world itself more epic, although I get where you are coming from in regards to SA. For me the epic part of MBotF come from the ramifications of that lost campaign and how those events will be shaped by the future (I'm thinking Chain of Dogs here). I feel like Sanderson is firmly rooted in the present, which I agree makes his books more readable (although I don't know about rereadable) but is not really what I like. Erikson to me writes characters and event's with a more grounded, realistic bent, whereas Sanderson writes with a more idealized and fun(not to say always happy) bent. I see the allure of both sides and I feel more inclined toward the former, but I can understand the enjoyment that one would get from reading the latter.
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#2390 User is offline   John II 

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Posted 23 April 2019 - 04:01 AM

View PostTJack, on 23 April 2019 - 03:32 AM, said:

It seems that we have our likes pointed in exact oposite directions, haha. I like all the loose ends in MBotF, oddly enough. I see them as entirely separate stories that just happen to overlap with the one being told. I think this makes the world itself more epic, although I get where you are coming from in regards to SA. For me the epic part of MBotF come from the ramifications of that lost campaign and how those events will be shaped by the future (I'm thinking Chain of Dogs here). I feel like Sanderson is firmly rooted in the present, which I agree makes his books more readable (although I don't know about rereadable) but is not really what I like. Erikson to me writes characters and event's with a more grounded, realistic bent, whereas Sanderson writes with a more idealized and fun(not to say always happy) bent. I see the allure of both sides and I feel more inclined toward the former, but I can understand the enjoyment that one would get from reading the latter.


Yep, that was sort of my point (opposite directions). As I said, I haven't finished it yet, and I find that the ending often affects my enjoyment a lot, either negatively (eg: Brent Weeks' Night Angel) or positively (eg: Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn); we'll see what I think about it then.
Totally agree on the ramifications of the Chain of Dogs, etc. As I alluded to earlier, the COD is for me the high point of the series.
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#2391 User is offline   TJack 

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Posted 23 April 2019 - 06:49 PM

View PostJohn II, on 23 April 2019 - 04:01 AM, said:

View PostTJack, on 23 April 2019 - 03:32 AM, said:

It seems that we have our likes pointed in exact oposite directions, haha. I like all the loose ends in MBotF, oddly enough. I see them as entirely separate stories that just happen to overlap with the one being told. I think this makes the world itself more epic, although I get where you are coming from in regards to SA. For me the epic part of MBotF come from the ramifications of that lost campaign and how those events will be shaped by the future (I'm thinking Chain of Dogs here). I feel like Sanderson is firmly rooted in the present, which I agree makes his books more readable (although I don't know about rereadable) but is not really what I like. Erikson to me writes characters and event's with a more grounded, realistic bent, whereas Sanderson writes with a more idealized and fun(not to say always happy) bent. I see the allure of both sides and I feel more inclined toward the former, but I can understand the enjoyment that one would get from reading the latter.


Yep, that was sort of my point (opposite directions). As I said, I haven't finished it yet, and I find that the ending often affects my enjoyment a lot, either negatively (eg: Brent Weeks' Night Angel) or positively (eg: Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn); we'll see what I think about it then.
Totally agree on the ramifications of the Chain of Dogs, etc. As I alluded to earlier, the COD is for me the high point of the series.


Well have fun with the series. The ending to TtH is pretty great, so I hope you enjoy it!
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#2392 User is offline   rillian 

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Posted 27 April 2019 - 10:58 AM

I tired reading Gardens of the Moons some years ago, but I assumed that the huge amount of made up names and places meant the author was making things up as he went, and abandoned it partway through. After reading pretty much every other epic fantasy out there, I decided to give it a try, because I kept seeing it praised in other forums.

I've now read Gardens of the Moon, that Deadhouse Gates (which I'd describe as desiccated and ocher), and the Path to Ascendancy trilogy, and I'm hooked. I love the depth behind the world and characters, and the way it seems to be telling events in a broad rich world, instead of just creating a plot with a neat beginning and end. I'm on to Memories of Ice and the rest of them, and don't imagine I'll run out of things to read for a while now.
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#2393 User is offline   Dorin 

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Posted 26 May 2019 - 03:26 PM

Hi everyone! I just finished tCG last week and am excited to be able to discuss the series with other people without worrying about massive spoilers. I absolutely loved these books. They're all I can think about. It's amazing to me, because when I first read GotM years ago, I thought it was pretty good, but when I continued onto DHG I kind of lost interest and put it down halfway through.

Then I picked up the series again the beginning of this year. Rereading GotM was an incredible experience. I can't believe how much better it was. Somehow, so much of the funny dialogue escaped me the first time. Then I continued onto DHG and this time was enthralled. After MOI I was officially hooked and after that book, I averaged about a book a week.

I think my favorite thing about the series is the little acts of humanity sprinkled all over the place. Even minor characters behave in a way that feels fully fleshed out. I'm afraid these books have ruined other fantasy series for me. I just started Way of Kings to give myself a cooling off period before I begin reread of all the Malazan books. WoK is pretty good so far, but I already feel like Sanderson is lacking compared to Erikson. I'm sure it will continue to grown on me though.

Cheers!
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#2394 User is offline   champ 

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Posted 26 May 2019 - 07:26 PM

Welcome to the forum of the addicted.

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'Yet my heart breaks for a naked hen.'
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#2395 User is offline   Picker&Blend 

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Posted 28 July 2019 - 10:06 PM

Hey everybody,

long time enthusiast of the wiki, new to the forums. I've first read the MBotF books back in 2016. Since then I have been waiting for a reread to interweave NotME and the Novellas. So about 6 months ago, it being my favorite fantasy series by far, led to me recommending the series to my sister. Well now she is hooked, and this provides me with a perfect reason for finally starting my first reread. Since my collection of books seems to be perpetually balancing itself at about two thirds read, one third yet to go, I have a hard time considering rereading things, always being aware of potential pearls still awaiting their first read through.
While the worries I'm experiencing now might justifiably be considered a prime example of 'First World problems', I feel like this should be the perfect place to unburden myself from them.
So I really intend to stay at about my sisters level of progress while reading, for discussion purposes. But while she is a mother with a 2.5 yo and another baby on the way, I am a laissez-faire maths student who paints to survive, and I therefore proceed at a much faster pace.
Originally I thought, well she is on MoI and only reading the MBotF books, while I just start fresh and weave the novels and Novellas in between, this should work out fine.
Now having even read a few non Malazan books in between, I find myself perfectly situated, side by side with my beloved sister, in the middle of HoC. This makes our sunday dinners just so delightfully enjoyable for us, and so enjoyably awkward for our parents and her husband. But, doom of course always waiting behind the next corner, I just realized that I have no more ICE novels to interweave until after RG, and I really don't wanna read too much non Malazan stuff in between.

So basically, for a reader like myself, having finished MBotF once but not the NotME, of which I now only read NoK so far, I am wondering if interweaving the Path of Ascendancy trilogy at this point (between HoC and RG) would be too weird or not advisable at all.Also I am rather reluctant reading FoD and FoL before AWiS is finished, but seeing that he put the project on ice for the time being, my curiosity plagues me. Would you guys consider the ending of FoL satisfactory on its own, or mental torture to be stuck at that point. Keeping in mind that I am quite sensitive to unfinished series, and, as I have undoubtedly already demonstrated here, I tend to overthink and obsess over trivialities.
Well hoping on some pointers concerning my "troubles", otherwise glad to finally be a member,
gonna go find Antsy and see what he thinks about all that :)
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#2396 User is offline   worry 

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Posted 29 July 2019 - 01:00 AM

I would advise going with your plan of re-read plus NotME interweaved. Save PtA for after. Here's something that might drive you batty anyway: Path to Ascendancy now appears to be the first trilogy in an ongoing series. Book three is definitely not the end of the story. Likewise, the Bauchelain & Korbal Broach novellas are apparently building to a climax too, if in a more piecemeal manner. And the Kharkanas trilogy is definitely not just three standalone novels, but a beginning middle and end as well. So in all honesty, all the Malazan books outside of MBotF and NotME -- not just Kharkanas -- are technically unfinished series.
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#2397 User is offline   murfman 

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Posted 30 July 2019 - 01:29 PM

Hey guys! I've been reading Malazan for the first time and have been using the wiki quite a bit. Just wanted to say thanks, and I'm looking forward to finishing out the series! Oh, I'm about halfway through The Bonehunters now.
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#2398 User is offline   Picker&Blend 

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Posted 31 July 2019 - 08:39 PM

Thanks worry, well I did finish the six finished B&KB Novellas already, 3 before and 3 after MoI, as indicated in the superb reading order overview graph. But since they are rather weird/fun little stories, waiting for a conclusion there won't be an issue. As I believe/hope PtA won't be, since atleast a trilogy seems to be somewhat finished, even if he plans to write a second one following. I assume I can stomache that. But I will definitely wait with the Kharkanas books until the 3rd one is out, and it's a shame, I am super curious about those... Thanks again😘
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#2399 User is offline   Chnoiel 

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Posted 13 October 2019 - 01:47 AM

Hi!
Glad I found this place. I read the main books many years ago and am currently on my first re-read (HoC) and it's even better than the first time
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#2400 User is offline   HiHaFiZi 

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Posted 19 November 2019 - 04:11 PM

hi there!

first readthrough, currenty middle of bonehuntersi am glad here's an active community and thank you so much for the wiki, i'd be pretty much lost without it ;)
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