[Holy D'ivers]

I'm about to finish RG (first-time reader) and plan on reading the rest of the books in this order:

RotCG>>TtH>>SW>>CPT>>OST>>GoG>>DoD>>TCG>>FoD>>B&B>>Assail (when it comes out)

I'm most interested in your thoughts on the ideal placement for OST. I've read some posts that make a good case for placing OST between DoD and TCG, while other posts say that DoD and TCG should be read back-to-back.

I got most of my read order information from this thread: http://forum.malazan...st/page__st__20
I found D'rek's chart to be quite helpful (bonus points to D'rek).

[Kanubis]

Honestly, even if it's not chronologically correct, I'd probably put SW AND OST after TCG.

There's a momentum there carries on through the last few main arc books. Don't break it (apart from the novellas, that's fine.)

Being that strict about chronology is fine for re-reads, it doesn't give the best experience for a first time read.

[worry]

I agree w/ Kan. Fine with SW either place, but OST belongs after TCG just for effect.

[D'rek]

I disagree wholeheartedly with the above two and think your reading order is awesome. OST before TCG works just fine, in fact it will get you even more pumped for TCG!

[worry]

Typical SE fangirl. DOD and TCG are just the warmup for OST. ICE all the way baby!

[Holy D'ivers]

You guys are making this choice awfully difficult.

[D'rek]

Holy D, on 31 May 2014 - 07:48 PM, said:

You guys are making this choice awfully difficult.

As long as you do the following:

1. Read RG before RotCG and RotCG before TtH: RG >> ... >> RotCG >> ... >> TtH

2. Have the ICE books in order: RotCG >> ... >> SW >> ... >> OST >> ... >> B&B >> ... >> Assail

3. Have the SE MBotF books in order: TtH >> ... >> DoD >> ... >> TCG


you won't give yourself any major spoilers and the order will make sense to you. Those are the only 3 things you really *need* to do. Every combination that uses those 3 rules from RG-onwards will work well.

My personal favourite would be something like:

RG >> RotCG >> TtH >> SW >> DoD >> OST >> B&B >> TCG


With CPT being a great cap to the whole MBotF+NotME, and make FoD+FoL+WiS a separate trilogy read before or after the rest. That order will get very painful between DoD and TCG, though, as you'll be itching to get to TCG after DoD, especially with OST and B&B indirectly hyping you up for TCG. I read DoD and TCG when they first came out, so waiting as much as a year in-between them is something I had to experience myself anyways, but for you putting aside TCG after finishing DoD in order to read OST and B&B first might be very difficult!


On the other hand, you could always pick one order now, try and follow it and if you change your mind partway just change it as long as you are sticking to the above 3 rules.

[Defiance]

OST after TCG. Publication order is king. You could put it between DoD and TCG, but having just read the two books back-to-back (and Erikson does say it's supposed to be one big book) I have to recommend OST afterward.

[D'rek]

Defiance, on 31 May 2014 - 08:33 PM, said:

Publication order is king.

Publication order means NoK after tBH, and RotCG after TtH...

[Dadding]

I'm on DoD right now first read. I read OST and SW beforehand. I like the feeling that I have the two big ones (DoD and tCG) left with nothing in between as the big finale. Just my two cents.

[Holy D'ivers]

I'm going to give D'rek's read order a try. I started the series with GotM and like the idea of finishing with TCG. I'm quite patient, so I think that I will be able to handle the wait from DoD to TCG.

Attached File(s)

•  malazan read order.jpg (991.63K)
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[Tiste Simeon]

I read OST then BAB after TTH cos I wanted to finish with the glorious double of DoD & TCG. I found this to be ON but my major issue arose from the fact that I love TTH so much that OST ended up being disappointing...

[Kanubis]

I can't believe you're going to read two books between DoD and TCG. I... I just can't.

I demand you post here after DoD and tell us what you actually end up doing.

[Holy D'ivers]

I'll keep you posted, Kanubis.

[worry]

Anyone ever try alphabetical order?

[Tiste Simeon]

By author? So read all Erikson before Esslemont? That could work I suppose...

[Solidsnape]

I've just started DoD again and already I want to start TCG. I'm likely to forget most of DoD anyway, so I can't imagine putting two books inbetween!
Get to read OST and B&B for the first time after TCG though. Excited for that. Just hoping assail comes out before I start FoD.

[Salt-Man Z]

D, on 31 May 2014 - 09:44 PM, said:

Defiance, on 31 May 2014 - 08:33 PM, said:

Publication order is king.

Publication order means NoK after tBH, and RotCG after TtH...

Nope. NoK was first published by PS in 2004, TBH in 2006. NoK just didn't see mass release until Bantam published it in 2007.

Likewise, the PS edition of RotCG preceded TtH by a month, though Bantam's RotCG didn't arrive until later.

[Holy D'ivers]

I just finished DoD and I am going to stick with d'reks reading order (OST and B&B before TCG). My question is, for the people who have read it, where does Assail fit into the read order?

[amphibian]

Last of all.