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Malazan Reading Order
The Malazan world spans 24 novels by two authors: Steven Erikson's ten-book Malazan Book of the Fallen, Ian C. Esslemont's six Empire novels, two prequel series and the Witness sequels. Rule one, from both authors: read the main ten in publication order first.
Malazan Reading Order: complete list
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Why this order?
Malazan's reading order question has one authoritative answer, straight from both authors: read the Malazan Book of the Fallen, all ten books from Gardens of the Moon (1999) to The Crippled God (2011), in publication order, and never start chronologically. The series is designed to disorient and reward; its internal chronology jumps continents and centuries, and every attempt to straighten it robs the books of their engineered reveals. Beware the infamous 2017 chronological order that circulated from a major publisher article: Erikson himself later disavowed it, and it still misleads new readers today.
Esslemont's six Novels of the Malazan Empire share the world and interleave with the main run. The classic slots, per the Malazan wiki's suggested order: Night of Knives after Deadhouse Gates, Return of the Crimson Guard somewhere after The Bonehunters. But the simpler path many veterans recommend, and the one we default to, is finishing Erikson's ten first, then reading Esslemont's six straight through.
After that the world opens up. Path to Ascendancy (Esslemont, four books so far) tells young Kellanved and Dancer's rise, and the Kharkanas Trilogy (Erikson, two of three published) goes furthest back of all; both prequel series reward established readers far more than newcomers. The Tales of Witness, now planned as a quartet with The God is Not Willing (2021) and No Life Forsaken (2025) published, continues after the main series and goes last. The optional Bauchelain and Korbal Broach novellas slot in any time after Memories of Ice.
Timeline 1999-2025
Every entry by release year: rows that share a year are a cluster, and the long droughts are called out on the rail.
- 1999 Gardens of the Moon
- 2000 Deadhouse Gates
- 2001 Memories of Ice
- 2002 House of Chains
- 2004 Midnight TidesNight of Knives
- 2006 The Bonehunters
- 2007 Reaper's Gale
- 2008 Toll the HoundsReturn of the Crimson Guard
- 2009 Dust of Dreams
- 2010 Stonewielder
- 2011 The Crippled God
- 2012 Orb Sceptre ThroneBlood and BoneForge of Darkness
- 2014 Assail
- 2016 Dancer's LamentFall of Light
- 2017 Deadhouse Landing
- 2019 Kellanved's Reach
- 2021 The God is Not Willing
- 2023 Forge of the High Mage
- 2025 No Life Forsaken
Where to play it today
- All 24 novels are in print, ebook and audio (Tor/Bantam depending on region)
- The main ten are frequently bundled or discounted as a set; start with Gardens of the Moon before committing to boxes
Availability changes often and varies by region - links search each platform for Malazan.
Frequently asked questions
How many Malazan books are there?
Twenty-four novels across five series: Erikson's ten-book Malazan Book of the Fallen, Esslemont's six Novels of the Malazan Empire, four Path to Ascendancy prequels, two of three Kharkanas Trilogy prequels, and two of four Tales of Witness sequels, plus optional novellas.
What order should I read Malazan in?
Both authors say the same thing: the Book of the Fallen's ten books in publication order first, from Gardens of the Moon to The Crippled God. Then Esslemont's Empire novels, then the prequels, with the Witness sequels last.
Should I read Malazan chronologically?
No. The series is built on deliberate disorientation and cross-cutting reveals, and the infamous 2017 chronological order that circulated online was later disavowed by Erikson himself. Chronological first reads rob the books of their design.
When do I read Esslemont's books?
Simplest: after finishing Erikson's ten. Interleavers use the classic slots instead, Night of Knives after Deadhouse Gates and Return of the Crimson Guard after The Bonehunters, per the Malazan wiki's suggested order.
Where do the Bauchelain and Korbal Broach novellas fit?
Anywhere after Memories of Ice, where the pair debut. They are short, dark comedies and entirely optional.
Is Malazan still being written?
Yes: the Witness quartet is two books in (No Life Forsaken arrived October 2025), Path to Ascendancy book five is tentatively expected in 2027, and Erikson has confirmed the Kharkanas finale Walk in Shadow is in progress. The core Book of the Fallen has been complete since 2011.
Last verified · Sources: en.wikipedia.org, malazan.fandom.com, Wikidata
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