[Darthjamo]

If you knew someone who wanted to read Malazan, would you suggest they start with NoK? Seems like it would give an interesting perspective.


What do you think? If not, what would be the harm?

[worry]

I would not recommend it personally.

The primary harm would be the connection between Kellanved & Dancer and Shadowthrone & Cotillion, which is implied in GotM but only confirmed in DG. It's one of the early mysteries where readers get to possibly figure something out for themselves, which is part of the series's fun. You also lose the impact of knowing how mythologized Dassem is, and how powerful (sorcerously and politically) Tayschrenn is.

[D'iversify]

ICE isn't as compelling a writer as Erikson by a significant degree. GotM isn't the easiest book to get into but it's more likely to get them hooked into the series and world than NoK in my opinion.

[Traveller]

Darthjamo, on 15 October 2013 - 02:49 AM, said:

If you knew someone who wanted to read Malazan, would you suggest they start with NoK? Seems like it would give an interesting perspective.


What do you think? If not, what would be the harm?

I wouldn't.

Start with GotM. If you're grabbed by that, you can always check out NoK later. GotM stands an intro to the series, and also a sort of initiation - some people finish it wanting more, some just don't get into it.

NoK is ok, but it's not ICEs best writing, and isn't really a good intro to the series - more of an added 'extra'.

[Minttunator]

Personally I think it could work pretty well since GotM isn't Erikson's strongest book (though NoK isn't ICE's strongest, either) and NoK is shorter and easier to follow than GotM.

The main downside would be, as has been mentioned, that it spoils a few of the reveals in DG and MoI (though they aren't that major or hard to figure out anyway).

[The_Blind_Scout]

I think one of the reasons that I enjoyed NoK so much was that it was background/history to characters that I was already familiar with, and it would not have the same impact to a new reader.

[Kruppe's snacky cakes]

I thought RotCG was great, so I'm not an ICE hater. However...NoK is arguably the poorest entry in the Malazan universe. So anyone attracted by the shorter, easier to follow style in NoK is liable to NOT enjoy SE's stuff. Conversely, those of us who are thrilled with SE's 10 tomes-of-confusion likely would have been put off by the dull-in-comparison NoK if we had started there...

[heavymetaltroll]

If the person is a good reader who loves in depth and convoluted stories, start with GotM. If, however, they are a more part time reader NoK, or even the B&KB novellas may well be a better place to start.