The Malazan Book of the Fallen is an epic fantasy series written by Canadian aut hor Steven Erikson, published

in ten volumes beginning with the novel Gardens of the Moon, published in 1999. The series was completed with the publication of T he Crippled God in February 2011. Erikson's series is complex with a wide scope, and presents the narratives of a large cast of characters.[1][2][2][3][4][5] Er ikson's plotting presents a complicated series of events in the world upon which the Malazan Empire is located. Each of the first five novels is relatively self -contained, in that it resolves its respective primary conflict; but many underl ying characters and events are interwoven throughout the works of the series, bi nding it together. The Malazan world was co-created by Steven Erikson and Ian Cameron Esslemont in the early 1980s as a backdrop to their GURPS roleplaying campaign.[6] In 2005, E sslemont began publishing his own series of five novels set in the same world, b eginning with Night of Knives. Although Esslemont's books are published under a different series title Novels of the Malazan Empire Esslemont and Erikson collab orated on the storyline for the entire fifteen-book project and Esslemont's nove ls are considered as canonical and integral to the series as Erikson's own. The Malazan series is often compared both to Glen Cook's The Black Company serie s (to whom the seventh book is dedicated) and George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ic e and Fire series. By 2006, the series had sold 250,000 copies.[7] Contents [hide] 1 The Malazan Book of the Fallen Series 1.1 Novellas in the series 1.2 Novels of the Malazan Empire 1.3 The Kharkanas Trilogy 1.4 Other works 2 Authorship 2.1 Conception 2.2 Influences 3 Structure 4 Chronology 5 Characters of the Malazan Book of the Fallen 6 Races of the Malazan Book of the Fallen 7 Geography 7.1 Seven Cities 7.2 Quon Tali 7.3 Genabackis 7.3.1 Darujhistan 7.4 Jacuruku 7.5 Korel 7.6 Assail 7.7 Lether 8 History 9 Magic 10 Cards and Tiles 10.1 Deck of Dragons 10.2 Tiles of the Hold 11 Critical reception 12 In film and gaming 13 Footnotes 14 References 15 External links The Malazan Book of the Fallen Series[edit] # 1 2 3 4 5 Title Pages Words Gardens of the Moon Deadhouse Gates 943 Memories of Ice 1187 House of Chains 1021 Midnight Tides 940 1st Publication 768 203,896 1 April 1999 266,260 1 September 2000 345,755 6 December 2001 307,427 2 December 2002 272,724 1 March 2004

6 The Bonehunters 1232 362,804 1 March 2006 7 Reaper's Gale 1280 386,342 7 May 2007 8 Toll the Hounds 1296 391,897 30 June 2008 9 Dust of Dreams 1280 379,326 18 August 2009 10 The Crippled God 1200 383,595 15 February 2011 Totals: 10,891 3,300,026 11 years, 10 months, 14 days Novellas in the series[edit] Blood Follows (2002) The Healthy Dead (2004) The Lees of Laughter's End (2007) Crack d Pot Trail (2009)[8] The Wurms of Blearmouth (2012) Novels of the Malazan Empire[edit] Night of Knives (2004, written by Ian Cameron Esslemont). Return of the Crimson Guard (2008, written by Ian Cameron Esslemont). Stonewielder (2010, written by Ian Cameron Esslemont). Orb, Sceptre, Throne (2012 January, written by Ian Cameron Esslemont). Blood and Bone (2012 November, written by Ian Cameron Esslemont).[9] The Kharkanas Trilogy[edit] Forge of Darkness (2012, written by Steven Erikson). Other works[edit] The Encyclopedia Malaz (forthcoming, to be written by Erikson and Esslemont and published some time after The Crippled God) Authorship[edit] Conception[edit] The Malazan world was originally created by Steven Erikson and Ian Cameron Essle mont in 1982 as a backdrop for role-playing games using a modified version of Ad vanced Dungeons & Dragons.[10] By 1986, when the GURPS system had been adopted b y Erikson and Esslemont,[6] the world had become much larger and more complex, a pproaching its current scope. It was then developed into a movie script entitled Gardens of the Moon. When this was not successful in finding interest, the two writers agreed to each write a series set in their shared world.[11] Steven Erik son wrote Gardens of the Moon as a novel in the period 1991-92 but it was not pu blished until 1999. In the meantime, he wrote several non-fantasy novels. When h e sold Gardens of the Moon, he agreed to a contract for an additional nine volum es in the series. The contract with Bantam UK was worth 675,000,[12] making it "a mong the largest fees ever paid for a fantasy series".[13] Ian Cameron Esslemont's first published Malazan story, the novella Night of Kniv es, was released as a limited edition by PS Publishing in 2004 and as a mass-mar ket hardcover by Bantam UK in 2007. The second novel, Return of the Crimson Guar d, was published in 2008, with a limited PS Publishing edition preceding the lar ger-scale Bantam UK release. The third novel, Stonewielder, was released on 11 D ec 2010 in the UK by Bantam, and 11 May 2011 in the US by TOR. Steven Erikson ha s indicated that the two authors will collaborate on The Encyclopedia Malaz, an extensive guide to the series, which will be published following the last novel in the main sequence.[citation needed] Influences[edit] In a general review of The Cambridge Companion to Fantasy Literature, edited by Edward James and Farah Mendlesohn, Erikson fired a shot across the bow of "the s tate of scholarship in the fantastic as it pertains to epic fantasy,"[14] taking particularly to task James's opening lines in Chapter 5 of that volume. Erikson uses a handful of words from that chapter as an epigraph for a quasi-autobiogra phical essay in The New York Review of Science Fiction. James's sentences read i n full: "J. R. R. Tolkien said that the phrase 'In a hole in the ground there lived a ho bbit' came to his unconscious mind while marking examination papers; he wrote it on a blank page in an answer book. From that short sentence, one might claim, m uch of the modern fantasy genre emerged. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings (1954 5) (henceforth LOTR) looms over all the fantasy written in English and in many other

languages since its publication; most subsequent writers of fantasy are either imi tating him or else desperately trying to escape his influence."[15] Erikson writes, "But epic fantasy has moved on, something critics have failed to notice." He goes on, "One example of this can be gleaned from my own beginnings as a writer of fantas y, which I suspect was commonplace among my colleagues. In my youth, I sidestepp ed Tolkien entirely, finding my inspiration and pleasure in the genre through Ho ward, Burroughs, and Leiber. And as with many of my fellow epic fantasy writers, our first experience of the Tolkien tropes of epic fantasy came not from books, but from Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying games ... As my own gaming experience a dvanced, it was not long before I abandoned those tropes. ... Accordingly, my in fluences in terms of fiction are post-Tolkien, and they came from conscious resp onses to Tolkien (Donaldson's Thomas Covenant series) and unconscious responses to Tolkien (Cook's Dread Empire and Black Company series).[14] Erikson concludes, "So, Professor James, when you say 'since [Tolkien and The Lo rd of the Rings]...most subsequent writers of fantasy are either imitating him o r else desperately trying to escape his influence' sorry. You're flat-out wrong." Structure[edit] The series is not told in a linear fashion. Instead, several storylines progress simultaneously, with the individual novels moving backwards and forwards betwee n them. As the series progresses, links between these storylines become more rea dily apparent. During a book signing in November 2005, Steven Erikson confirmed that the Malazan saga consists of three major story arcs, equating them to the p oints of a triangle. The first plotline takes place on the continent of Genabackis where armies of th e Malazan Empire are battling the native city-states for dominance. An elite Mal azan military unit, the Bridgeburners, is the focus for this storyline, although as it proceeds their erstwhile enemies, the Tiste Andii led by Anomander Rake a nd the mercenaries commanded by Warlord Caladan Brood, also become prominent. Th e novel Gardens of the Moon depicts an attempt by the Malazans to seize control of the city of Darujhistan. Memories of Ice, the third novel released in the seq uence, continues the unresolved plot threads from Gardens of the Moon by having the now-outlawed Malazan armies uniting with their former enemies to confront a new, mutual threat known as the Pannion Domin. Toll the Hounds, the eighth novel in the series, revisits Genabackis some years later as new threats arise to Dar ujhistan and the Tiste Andii who now control the city of Black Coral. The second plotline takes place on the subcontinent of Seven Cities and depicts a major native uprising against Malazan rule. This rebellion is known as 'the Wh irlwind'. The second novel released in the sequence, Deadhouse Gates, shows the outbreak of this rebellion and focuses on the rebels' relentless pursuit of the main Malazan army as it escorts some 40,000 refugees more than 1,500 miles (2,40 0 km) across the continent. The story of the pursuit, and the event itself, is r eferred to as the Chain of Dogs. The fourth novel, House of Chains, sees the con tinuation of this storyline with newly-arrived Malazan reinforcements the 14th A rmy taking the war to the rebels. The 14th's exploits earn them the nickname, 'T he Bonehunters'. The third plotline was introduced with Midnight Tides, the fifth book released i n the series. This novel introduces a previously unknown continent where two nat ions, the united tribes of the Tiste Edur and the Empire of Lether, are engaged in escalating tensions, which culminate in open warfare. The novel takes place c ontemporaneously with earlier books in the sequence and the events in it are in fact being related in flashback by a character from the fourth volume to one of his comrades (although the novel itself is told in the traditional third-person form). The sixth book, The Bonehunters, sees all three plot strands combined, with the now-reconciled Malazan army from Genabackis arriving in Seven Cities to aid in t he final defeat of the rebellion. At the same time, fleets from the newly-procla imed Letherii Empire are scouring the globe for worthy champions to face their i mmortal emperor in battle, in the process earning the enmity of elements of the

Malazan Empire. The seventh novel, Reaper's Gale, sees the Malazan 14th Army arr iving in Lether to take the battle to the Letherii homeland. The ninth and tenth novels, Dust of Dreams and The Crippled God, picks up the storyline on the Leth er continent and deal with the activities of the 14th Army following their succe ssful 'liberation' of the Letherii people and the revelation that the K'Chain Ch e'Malle species and Forkrul Assail species have returned. The 14th Army is attem pting to deal with the peril that the Crippled God has caused with his attempts to poison the warrens and to wake Burn. Ian Cameron Esslemont's novels are labeled as Novels of the Malazan Empire, not as parts of the Malazan Book of the Fallen itself, and deal primarily with the M alazan Empire, its internal politics and characters who only play minor roles in Erikson's novels. His first novel, Night of Knives, details events in Malaz Cit y on the night that the Emperor Kellanved was assassinated. The second, Return o f the Crimson Guard, investigates the fall-out in the Malazan Empire from the de vastating losses of the Genabackan, Korelri and Seven Cities campaigns following the events of The Bonehunters. Esslemont's third novel, Stonewielder, explores events on the Korelri continent for the first time in the series and focuses on the often-mentioned, rarely-seen character of Greymane. The fourth novel, Orb, S ceptre and Throne, revisits Genbackis once again in the wake of Erikson's Toll t he Hounds, and features several well known characters seen in Erikson's novels. Further comments by Esslemont and Erikson have hinted that Esslemont's fifth nov el visits the continent of Jacuruku and the sixth, set on Assail, will serve as a closing chapter and coda for the entire series. Chronology[edit] It is difficult to work out a precise timeline for events in the series due to s ome confusion with dates. However, a rough chronological ordering is possible. T he dates given are by years of Burn's Sleep, the calendar used in the Malazan Em pire. Night of Knives (1154) Blood Follows (c. 1154) The Lees of Laughter's End (c. 1154) The Healthy Dead (c. 1158) Midnight Tides (1161, with 1 chapter occurring in 1159 and another occurring in the time of The Elder Gods) Gardens of the Moon (1163) Deadhouse Gates and Memories of Ice (1163 64, these two novels occur simultaneousl y) House of Chains (Starts a couple of years before Deadhouse Gates and goes to som ewhat after.) The Bonehunters (1164 65) Return of the Crimson Guard (c. 1165, just after The Bonehunters) Reaper's Gale (c. 1165 or 1166) Toll the Hounds and Dust of Dreams (takes place simultaneously) Stonewielder and Orb, Sceptre, Throne and Blood and Bone (estimated to start rou ghly half way through Dust of Dreams or maybe a little later) The Crippled God Esslemont's next book, Orb, Sceptre, Throne, takes place at the same time as Sto newielder, Dust of Dreams and The Crippled God. It is set on Genabackis in Daruj istan. With his next book, Blood and Bone, Esslemont takes us to Jakuruku at the same time as Stonewielder and the other novels, with a scene that directly link s the timeline of Stonewielder and Blood and Bone, the novel ends at the same ti me as The Crippled God. The sixth (and possibly last) book takes place after the events of The Crippled God and serves as an epilogue to the series. A few instances in Memories of Ice hint at the events taking place between Midni ght Tides and Reaper's Gale. Lady Envy travels to the city of Callows with one o f her Seguleh, only to find the city destroyed. K'rul tells her that the destruc tion was carried out by a race of inhuman killers that are plying the world's oc eans, seeking champions. The Seguleh champion mentioned in Reaper's Gale was fou nd in the city of Gallows by the Tiste Edur. Another indication of Midnight Tide

s occurring prior to Memories of Ice is a mysterious Tiste Edur that Captain Par an's squad finds washed up on the shore, who can be assumed to be Theradas Buhn, teleported away at the end of Midnight Tides. However, Feather Witch's divinati on in Midnight Tides (p. 291) says that the Beast Hold has acquired two wolves a s rulers, which only happens at the end of Memories of Ice. The divination also says that the Hold of the Azath stands besieged, which could be a reference to t he Azath being literally besieged at the end of Deadhouse Gates, or to the slow death of the Azath in Lether. In the case of the novellas, it should be noted that The Lees of Laughter's End comes before The Healthy Dead (i.e. in chronological order, rather than publicat ion order) in the compendium version of the novellas, and should be read as such .[16] Characters of the Malazan Book of the Fallen[edit] Main article: List of Malazan Book of the Fallen Characters Races of the Malazan Book of the Fallen[edit] Main article: Races of the Malazan Book of the Fallen There are numerous intelligent human, humanoid and non-human races on the Malaza n world, divided into the four founding races of the Forkrul Assail, Jaghut, K'C hain Che'Malle and Imass,[17] and the Tiste invader races, the Tiste Andii, Tist e Edur and Tiste Liosan. In addition there are races of intelligent demons. Geography[edit] This article's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. Please help improve it by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise. (Februar y 2011) The series largely takes place on one planet, although there are extensive seque nces that take place within the warrens (other realms or planes of existence) of magic. There are also occasional flashbacks to events in the distant past. This planet is comparable to Earth, although its size has not been revealed and it h as been inhabited by intelligent races for much longer. Midnight Tides confirms that there are six continents on this planet, although the series makes frequent use of the term 'subcontinent' which makes it unclear what landmasses are consi dered continents and which are considered subcontinents. The major landmasses are held to be Seven Cities, Quon Tali, Genabackis, Jacuruk u, Korelri, Assail and the continent that contains Lether and the Tiste Edur emp ire. The discrepancy between the number of continents and the landmasses named i n the series is believed to be explained by the landmasses: Quon Tali and Seven Cities, which are considered one continent, although separate (much as Europe an d Asia are considered to be two separate continents). This discrepancy is caused by an error by either the writer or by the character who made that in-text stat ement, the latter more likely as geographical ignorance is common amongst charac ters in the series. Seven Cities[edit] The continent of Seven Cities is the setting for the novels Deadhouse Gates, Hou se of Chains and The Bonehunters, and contains the Holy Desert Raraku where sign ificant portions of the plot and history take place. It is termed a subcontinent and only its eastern-most extent has been shown on maps in the series. It is na med for the seven holy cities (Aren, Karakarang, Ubaryd, Ehrlitan, Karashimesh, Yath Alban and Ugarat), although other large cities exist such as Hissar, Panpot 'sun and G'danisban. The subcontinent consists of large areas of wasteland and d esert known as 'Odhans'. The subcontinent is also held to include the nearby lar ge island of Otataral (where the magic-deadening ore of the same name is mined), which lies off the northeastern coast. The mapped region of Seven Cities extend s nearly 2800 leagues from east to west and over 1800 leagues from north to sout h. The western part of Seven Cities has not been mapped but has been described i n The Bonehunters, where it is revealed that three nations (Nemil, Perish and th e Shal-Morzinn Empire) lie west of the Jhag Odhan and Trell tribe lands.

Quon Tali[edit] The continent of Quon Tali has been seen briefly in Gardens of the Moon and Dead house Gates, but is more thoroughly explored in Return of the Crimson Guard. It is the homeland of the Malazan Empire and lies to the south of Seven Cities. The extensive island chain of Falar lies off the north-eastern coast. The Quon Tali landmass extends for over 500 leagues from east to west and for approximately 7 80 leagues from north to south (including the Falari Isles); it is the only cont inent to be mapped in its entirety in the series. Genabackis[edit] The continent of Genabackis is the setting for the novels Gardens of the Moon, M emories of Ice, Toll the Hounds and a lengthy sequence at the start of House of Chains. Genabackis is named a continent in its own right and lies to the east of Seven Cities and Quon Tali, across the Seeker's Deep (which natives of Genaback is call the Meningalle Ocean). The mapped portion of Genabackis which resembles a very large peninsula extends for over 600 leagues from east to west and over 1 000 leagues from north to south. Genabackis' northern area is controlled by the Malazan Empire, whilst its central area is held to be controlled by a loose coal ition of cities led by Darujhistan. Its southern coast does not appear on the ma ps in the books. However, there is mention of two important places which are fou nd to the south of the continent. Morn, mostly known for the K'Chain Che'Malle b arrows and the jarring wound seething with chaos, and the city of Elingarth, hom e city of the legendary company of the Grey Swords (the army sworn to the Boar o f Summer) and the Trygalle Trade Guild.[18] Darujhistan[edit] Darujhistan is a city of three hundred thousand on the continent of Genabackis. It has its origins in a battle between the Forkrul Assail, Jaghut and T'lan Imas s; the struggle ended with the departure of the Assail and entombment of the Jag hut within great barrows. Rumors and treasure hunting among the remains led to s ettlement by the human Gadrobi tribes. Camps and shanty towns eventually grew in to the Blue City, Darujistan. It is also known as the "City of Blue Fire" as its streets are lit by gas trapped in massive caverns, which burns with a blue glow . Though ostensibly governed by a group of counselors in the form of a Republic, t he true rulers of the city is a group of sorcerers known as the T orrud Cabal. Dar ujhistan opens the series as an influential part of the alliance of the Free Cit ies who resist the advances of the Malazan Empire; after being occupied by the E mpire it becomes one of its primary trading partners. The city was the site of a massive conflict between various forces and the revived Jaghut Tyrant, which ev entually resulted in the creation of an Azath house to trap the creature. Darujh istan is the setting for Gardens of the Moon and Toll the Hounds and is featured in Memories of Ice and House of Chains. Jacuruku[edit] The continent of Jacuruku has only appeared in flashback. This landmass is descr ibed as a 'sister continent' of Korelri. It was largely destroyed in a devastati ng war that took place many tens of thousands of years before the series. Prior to The Bonehunters, some fans disputed whether Jacuruku still existed or whether the entire continent had been removed from the world during events in the prolo gue to Memories of Ice. However, The Bonehunters confirms that Jacuruku still ex ists when a character reminisces about meeting people from there, and in Reaper' s Gale, several characters are reported to have visited it recently, and in Retu rn of the Crimson Guard, one group of characters land there for a brief period. Jacuruku is the setting of Blood and Bone. Korel[edit] The continent of Korel lies relatively close to Quon Tali to the south, and Mala zan armies were led by Greymane upon it prior to campaign collapse and Greymane becoming a renegade. Korel's first appearance in the series takes place in Essle mont's Stonewielder novel. Korel consists of two subcontinents, The Lands of Fis t and Stratem. The Korel continent is said to have been badly damaged in the dow nfall of the Crippled God, leaving hundreds of small islands along its coasts an d many lakes in the interior. Night of Knives and The Bonehunters reveal that a

powerful race of sorcerous beings known as the Stormriders dwell in the sea betw een Quon Tali and Korelri, and Korelri is defended from them by a massive fortif ication stretching along the north coast, known as the Stormwall. It is guarded by religious fanatic warriors who are pledged to the Blessed Lady. Malaz Island is quite close to the northern coast of Korel, as the water separating them is r eferred to as a strait. In Gardens of the Moon it is noted that Stratem was once home to the K'Chain Che'Malle. prior to their migration and near extinction. Assail[edit] The continent of Assail has been mentioned several times. It lies between Genaba ckis and the Letherii continent and is held to be the most dangerous and hostile part of the Malazan world. The Crimson Guard mercenaries and some T'lan Imass a re known to have present engagements there. The Malazans know of the existence o f Assail and the Wrecker's Coast along its shores, but the Empire has chosen to make no incursions there due to the extreme danger of the land. It is known that the continent is dominated by a human leader (or possibly several human leaders ) [Memories of Ice, pg. 573] whose armies are powerful enough to destroy T'lan I mass forces. Little else is known of it. Lether[edit] The continent of Lether is the setting for the novels Midnight Tides, Reaper's G ale, Dust of Dreams and The Crippled God. It lies on the other side of the globe to the Malazan Empire. The mapped portion of the continent seen in Midnight Tid es extends for over 600 leagues from north to south and for nearly 700 leagues f rom east to west. The map in Reaper's Gale is significantly larger in scope, but does not have a scale. The map in Crippled God shows the eastern part of the co ntinent and also does not have a scale. History[edit] This article's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. Please help improve it by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise. (Septemb er 2010) The history discussed in the novels to date extends back for over 300,000 years and has not been fully revealed. Erikson has stated that he has kept the history of his world purposefully ambiguous.[19] At the beginning of the series, the reader is uninformed about the nature of the Malazan world. The history of the world is deeply tied to the many intelligent humanoid races that populate the world. By employing the viewpoints of extremely long-lived characters, and through a few scenes from the ancient past, Steven E rikson reveals details of the world, its history, and its inhabitants. Magic[edit] Main article: Magic in the Malazan Book of the Fallen Magic in the Malazan series is accomplished by tapping the power of a Warren or Hold, from within the body of the mage. Effects common to most Warrens include e nchantment of objects (investment), large-scale blasts and travel through Warren across great distances in a short period of time. Only a minority of humans can access Warrens, usually tapping and working with a single one, with High Mages accessing two or three. Two notable exceptions to this are the High Mage Quick B en who can access seven at any single time out of his repertoire of twelve (due to his killing of and subsequent merging with the souls of eleven other sorcerer s), and Beak who can access all the warrens (although he seems to be mentally ha ndicapped). Certain Elder races have access to racial Warrens, that seem to be s ignificantly more powerful and cannot be blocked by the magic-deadening ore otat aral. Alternatively a cruder, but sometimes more powerful, form of magic can be harnes sed by using or capturing natural spirits of the land, elements, people or anima ls. A form of this is also evident when the power of an Ascendant or God is call ed upon or channeled, although in most cases this is also linked with whatever w arren that being is associated with. Cards and Tiles[edit]

Cards are from the Deck of Dragons while the elder Tiles belong to the Tiles of the Hold. They are similar in that they are used to get information about presen t and future events. They are used separately on two different continents and bo th are not known about contiguously except by very rare people such as Bottle, a squad mage in Tavore's 14th Army. Houses (Deck of Dragons) and Holds (Tiles of the Hold) usually relate to Warrens (Deck) and Holds (Tiles). The difference bet ween these two is marked by the progressive evolution of Magic. As Magic evolves Tiles and Cards become active or inactive. Usually the two do not overlap, but in a few instances where older more primal realms have become active they do (Be ast hold, mentioned in Memories of Ice and Midnight Tides). Deck of Dragons[edit] Main article: Deck of Dragons The Deck of Dragons resembles a Tarot card deck in that it consists of cards tha t divine the future. The difference is that a real Deck of Dragons adjusts itsel f to the changing circumstances of the pantheon. If an entity ascends or dies, t he deck will change to reflect this fact. The pictures on the cards reflect the gods/ascendants that each is made to represent. Not all cards are active on all continents; for example Obelisk is referred to as inactive on Seven Cities until partway through Deadhouse Gates. Tiles of the Hold[edit] Main article: Tiles of the Hold Similar to a primitive version of the Deck of Dragons, the Tiles of the Holds ar e used for divination. Their use is restricted to the continent of Lether, where the influence of the Jaghut Warren halted the evolution of magic in a more prim itive state.The Tiles of The Hold are cast rather than read. Critical reception[edit] Reviewing for SF Site, Dominic Cilli wrote, "Steven Erikson's The Malazan Book o f the Fallen has single-handedly raised the bar for fantasy literature," praisin g Erikson's ambition and humor: "The world building is done on an unprecedented scale and Erikson has left a lif etime's worth of novels on the table in the world of the Malazan Empire. So what is left to talk about? It's simple, the writing. I can tell that Steven Erikson 's writing is filled with wit, charm, philosophical brilliance and a sense of im agination that would humble the most creative of authors. You will be hard-press ed to find his equal in any genre."[20] In film and gaming[edit] Question book-new.svg This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this s ection by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challe nged and removed. (July 2010) Rumors of a film version of the series have circulated for the past several year s. Steven Erikson and Ian Cameron Esslemont originally developed Gardens of the Moon as a film script, apparently a comedy centering on the Phoenix Inn Regulars of the first novel. All copies of this script now seem to have been lost. More recently, a script has been in development entitled Chain of Dogs, which is esse ntially an adaptation of a major plot strand of the novel Deadhouse Gates. This script is awaiting funding. The writers (who have consulted with Steven Erikson on the project) have declared they hope to fund the film outside of the Hollywoo d system, but acknowledge the large budget and extensive CGI requirements may ma ke this impossible. Discussions have been entered into about a role-playing game based on the series , possibly using the D20 system used by the 4th edition of Dungeons & Dragons.[c itation needed] No formal announcement has yet been made. Gardens of the Moon is the first of ten novels in Canadian author Steven Erikson 's epic fantasy series, the Malazan Book of the Fallen. It was first published i

n 1999, and nominated for a World Fantasy Award.[1] Contents [hide] 1 Plot summary 1.1 Prologue 1.2 Genabackis 1.3 Epilogue 2 Characters in Gardens of the Moon 3 Style and Themes 4 Reviews 5 Errors in the Book 6 Footnotes 7 References Plot summary [edit] The sequence details the various struggles for power on a world dominated by the Malazan Empire. It is notable for the use of high magic, and unusual plot struc ture.[citation needed]. Gardens of the Moon centres around the Imperial campaign to conquer the city of Darujhistan. Prologue [edit] The novel opens in the 96th year of the Malazan Empire, during the final year of the Emperor Kellanved. A young boy named Ganoes Paran witnesses the sacking of the Mouse Quarter of Malaz City. Paran wants to be a soldier when he grows older . Commander Whiskeyjack disapproves, as does Claw leader Surly (Laseen).[2][3] Genabackis [edit] Erikson skips seven years from the Prologue, during which time the Emperor and h is ally, Dancer, have been assassinated and supplanted by his chief of the secre t police. Empress Laseen now rules with the aid of the "Claw," a shadowy group o f assassins whose function is to further her ambitions. The story opens several years into a series of wars by the Malazan Empire to conquer the continent of Ge nabackis. The Malazan 2nd Army under High Fist Dujek has been besieging the city of Pale, one of only two Free Cities left in the Malazans' path in Genabackis, for severa l years. Pale is holding out thanks to an alliance with the powerful Anomander R ake, Lord of Moon's Spawn (a floating fortress), leader of the non-human Tiste A ndii.[4] Pale finally falls when Rake withdraws his fortress following a fierce battle. Even then, the Empire suffers severe losses, including the near total de struction of a legendary infantry unit in its 2nd army, The Bridgeburners. Sever al characters speculate that someone higher up within the Empire may be engineer ing the elimination of various people who were loyal to the late Emperor. The Empire then turns its attention to the other remaining Free City, Darujhista n. The few dozen surviving members of the Bridgeburners, led by Sergeant Whiskey jack, are sent to try and undermine the city from within. Once there they attemp t fruitlessly to contact the city's assassin's guild, in the hope of hiring thei r betrayal. Adjunct Lorn, a high ranking representative of the Empress, is sent to uncover something in the hills east of Darujhistan, in the company of a Tlan Imass, a member of another species that once dominated the world before humans. Meanwhile Tattersail, one of the few mages to survive the Battle of Pale, and Ca ptain Paran head toward the city to determine the reason for the increased invol vement of several gods and other magical forces in the campaign. At the same time, Anomander Rake offers his alliance to the true rulers of Daruj histan, a secretive cabal of mages; while a group of con-artists and underworld figures within the city work to oppose members of the civic government who are c onsidering capitulating to the Empire. The plots collide when Adjunct Lorn relea ses a Jaghut Tyrant, a massively powerful being from thousands of years ago, wit h the aim of either damaging Anomander Rake seriously or forcing him to withdraw from the city. Epilogue [edit] A substantial subplot involves a young Bridgeburner recruit named Sorry, who is in fact possessed by The Rope, patron of assassins. When Paran and Rake negotiat e his withdrawal from the war, she is freed and falls in with Crokus, a young Da

ru thief. As the novel ends Crokus, a Bridgeburner named Fiddler and the Bridgeb urner assassin Kalam volunteer to take the former Sorry (now called Apsalar) bac k to her homeland of Itko Kan and they depart (their story continues in Deadhous e Gates). Meanwhile, Dujek and Whiskeyjack lead the 2nd Army into rebellion against Laseen 's increasingly monstrous rule. Now called Onearm's Host, the 2nd Army calls for a truce with the Tiste Andii and the Crimson Guard, a mercenary army that has b een working against the Empire. Dujek is also concerned about the declaration of Holy War called by the Pannion Seer, whose empire is advancing from the south-e ast of Genabackis. Darujhistan has evaded conquest by the Malazan Empire, for no w, but may be in danger from this new threat. Elsewhere, it is confirmed that Se ven Cities has begun a mass-uprising against the Empire. These and other plot de velopments are continued in the third novel, Memories of Ice. Characters in Gardens of the Moon [edit] Malazans Whiskeyjack A Sergeant in the Bridgeburners, former commander of the 2nd Army. D emoted due to his suspected loyalty to the late Emperor. Quick Ben The Bridgeburners cadre mage. Good friend of Kalam. Kalam Assassin in the Bridgeburners, a former Claw agent and friend to Quick Ben . Sorry (a.k.a. Apsalar)a fishergirl possessed by Cotillion and recruit to the Bri dgeburners. Hedge & Picker Sappers, or munitions experts in the Bridgeburners. Fiddler A Bridgeburner [sapper]. Ganoes Paran The new Captain of the Bridgeburners, only son of a powerful Malaza n noble family, and aide to Adjunct Lorn. Lorn Adjunct to the Empress, survivor of Laseen's massacre in Malaz City. Carrie s an otataral sword. Laseen Empress of the Malazan Empire. Formerly Surly, a serving wench in a taver n and later commander and founder of the Claw. Tayschrenn High Mage of the Empire. Topper The current head of the Claw. Toc the Younger Claw agent and scout of the 2nd Army. Dujek High Fist of Genabackis and commander of the 2nd Army. Tattersail The commander of the 2nd's mage cadre. Calot & Hairlock Members of the 2nd's mage cadre. Onos T'oolan (a.k.a. Tool) Once First Sword of the Logros T'lan Imass, he is now clanless. Tavore Paran Ganoes' elder sister, living in the Paran Estate in Unta. Hard-edge d and contemptuous of weakness. Felisin Paran Ganoes' younger sister, living in Unta. Soft and fond of horses. Kellanved The self proclaimed Emperor and founder of the Malazan Empire, Kellanv ed was assassinated in a coup by Laseen. Dancer High Assassin of the Empire and Kellanved's companion, said to have been slain by Laseen. Dassem Ultor The former First Sword of the Malazan Empire and former servant of Hood, the God of Death. Slain outside Y'Ghatan, Seven Cities, after betraying hi s god. Darujhistan Kruppe, a fat man fond of his comforts. Works for Baruk. A Phoenix Inn regular. Coll, former nobleman fallen on hard times. A Phoenix Inn regular. Rallick Nom, a skilled assassin with a conscience. A Phoenix Inn regular. Crokus Younghand, a young thief. A Phoenix Inn regular. Murillio, a courtier and a Phoenix Inn regular. Meese & Irilta, regulars at the Phoenix Inn. Baruk, High Alchemist and member of the T'orrud Cabal. Derudan, a Witch of Tennes and member of the T'orrud Cabal. Mammot, a High Priest of D'riss and member of the T'orrud Cabal. Crokus' uncle. Travale, a scholar of the Cabal.

Tholis & Parald, High Mages of the Cabal. Turban Orr, Lady Simtal & Estraysian D'Arle, members of the city council. Challice D'Arle, daughter of Estraysian, Crokus' beloved. Vorcan, head of the Assassin's Guild. Ocelot, assassin and Rallick Nom's clan leader. Circle Breaker, an agent of the Eel. Tiste Andii Anomander Rake, Lord of Moon's Spawn, Son and Knight of Darkness. Serrat, second-in-command to Rake. Korlat, Orfantal (both soletaken in the form of dragons) & Horult, night-hunters . Further Players Ammanas (a.k.a. Shadowthrone), an Ascendant, the King of High House Shadow. Cotillion (a.k.a. the Rope), an Ascendant of High House Shadow, the patron god o f assassins. Crone, a Great Raven and Rake's courier. Silanah, an Eleint (dragon). Caladan Brood, the warlord opposing the Mazalan forces in the North Campaign. Ra ke's ally. Kallor, second-in-command to Brood, once the High King of a powerful empire, now accursed. K'azz D'Avore, commander of the Crimson Guard, a mercenary group of extreme capa bility. Jorrick Sharplance, Cowl, Fingers & Corporal Blues, members of the Crimson Guard . Baran, Blind, Gear, Rood, Shan, Doan & Ganrod, Hounds of Shadow. Raest, a Jaghut Tyrant. K'rul, an Elder God, the Maker of Paths. Oponn, the Jesters, the dual-aspected God of Luck. Style and Themes [edit] Stephen Moss writes in the Guardian of Gardens of the Moon, "what does it exactl y mean?"[2] He adds: "And what about the sentence, 'The winds were contrary the day columns of smoke rose over the Mouse Quarter of Malaz City'? Shouldn't that have a preposition, I ask Mr Erikson politely?" [2] And for the uninitiated Moss parses a paragraph from the novel: "It was midday, but the flash and thundering concussion of magery made the air s eem dark and heavy. Armour clanking, a soldier appeared along the wall... The ma n leaned vambraced forearms on the battlement, the scabbard of his longsword scr aping against the stones. 'Glad for your pure blood, eh?' he asked, grey eyes on the smouldering city below." Coming to terms with this 523-page book is clearly going to take a while, though the seven-page glossary explaining the structure of Malazan civilization, the mores of the Barghasts, Darus, Gadrobis and Jaghuts , and the geography of Darujhistan will undoubtedly help.[2] Additionally, Moss compares Garden of the Moon's complex plot to Joyce's Finnega ns Wake: "...I don't want to be unfair to him. Was James Joyce ever pressed for a detailed textual analysis of Finnegans Wake?"[2] Andrew Leonard, writing for Salon.com, explains that the complexity of Gardens o f the Moon offers the reader the opportunity to explore a rich and varied new wo rld: Erikson is a master of lost and forgotten epochs, a weaver of ancient epics on a scale that would approach absurdity if it wasn't so much fun. His time span ran ges over hundreds of thousands of years. Races (both human and nonhuman), cultur es, empires and even gods rise and fall. Vast struggles range across multiple co ntinents and dimensions of time and space. There are so many fragments of myth, so many hints of back-story unending, and so little explained, that it is all th e reader can do to comprehend what is going on, to hang on to the narrative as i f clinging by one hand to the underbelly of a flying dragon. (And yes, there are dragons, and magic swords, and quests, too. But not a whole lot of teenagers.)[ 5]

Erikson trained as an archeologist, which is apparent in the world he creates in which ruins abound, and history goes back for hundreds of millennia.[5] The con cept of time, and epochs spanning eras and ice ages are apparent in the plot of Gardens of the Moon.[5] Moreover, the span of time is so great that tribes are l ong lost, some characters, once gods, are "themselves living fossils", and other s have been at war with the gods for a long time.[5] The world Erikson creates in the first book of the Malazan series, is immense an d immensely immersed in time. Leonard writes: "One character, Icarium, 'a mixed blood Jaghut wanderer' who pops up from time to time wreaking havoc, and who has lived for eons, suffers from his own devastating memory loss, trapped in an ete rnal search for the truth of his own identity. Everyone, it seems, must at one p oint or another struggle with the immensity of this world's past."[5] Gardens of the Moon opens with a war scene and continues to follow the ebb and f low of war across the Malazan empire. Leonard writes about the series: "War is a constant from continent to continent, century upon century. Erikson's universe is a violent one, Gothic in intensity, without clear demarcation between good an d evil. It's perhaps more like the real world, then, than most fantasy, which so clearly differentiates between light and dark."[5] Furthermore, Leonard believes summarising the plot is "cheating."[5] Reviews [edit] F&SF reviewer Charles de Lint gave the novel a mixed review; while praising Erik son's craftsmanship in writing and "world-building," de Lint faulted the novel's "lack of any believable female characters" and characterized Gardens as "a fant asy novel that evokes [no] sense of wonder or awe."[6] Sci-fi and fantasy blog Keeping the Door praised Gardens of the Moon in a 2009 r eview, ten years after the book was first published, as a "remarkable" book, but flawed: "It s not a masterpiece like Assassin s Apprentice or The Eye of the World that will appeal to everyone. Instead, it s a breath-taking experiment in fantasy perhaps along the same line of power as R. Scott Bakker s The Darkness That Comes Before that experienced fantasy readers will want to add to their collection and ponder deep into the night."[7] Fantasy literature reviewer Patrick on his blog Pat's Fantasy Hotlist gave the n ovel a very positive review and a score of 9/10, calling it "the beginning of so mething truly special", and concluding "Imaginative on a scale that's almost fri ghtening to consider, absorbing, thoroughly complex -- that's Gardens of the Moo n in a nutshell. This, folks, is -- in my humble opinion -- about as good as it gets. This book deserves the highest possible recommendation. If you like big bo oks with convoluted plotlines and fully drawn characters, then this one is defin itely for you." [8] Errors in the Book [edit] Although published in 1999, the novel was written in 1991 1992, eight years before the rest of the series and a number of minor inconsistencies can be found betwe en this volume and the following. Orfantal, one of the Tiste Andii, changes gend er between Gardens of the Moon and Memories of Ice, and the pre-ritual T'lan Ima ss are referred to as the T'lan, whilst the correct name is Imass. The former er ror was corrected in the US edition of the novel, but the latter one was not.

Deadhouse Gates is the second novel in Steven Erikson's epic fantasy series, the Malazan Book of the Fallen. Deadhouse Gates follows on from the first novel, Ga rdens of the Moon and takes place simultaneously with events in the third novel Memories of Ice. The novel was first published in the United Kingdom as a trade paperback on 1 September 2000, with a mass-market paperback edition followed on 1 October 2001. The first United States edition was published in hardback by Tor Books on 28 February 2005 with a mass-market paperback edition following on 7 F ebruary 2006. This is the only novel in the series where the UK and US editions share the same cover; the other US books use a different cover artist and style.

Contents [hide] 1 Plot introduction 2 Plot summary 2.1 Unta 2.2 Seven Cities 2.3 Beginning of the Rebellion 2.4 The Whirlwind 3 Characters 4 References Plot introduction [edit] Deadhouse Gates opens a few months after the events of Gardens of the Moon. Unli ke the previous book, which followed different groups of characters in close pro ximity to one another, the character threads in Deadhouse Gates are frequently s eparated by hundreds or thousands of miles at a time. The Malazan Empire is rocked by a cull of the nobility, many being sent to the m ines of Otataral Island off the coast of the subcontinent of Seven Cities. Howev er, Seven Cities is being consumed by a rebellion known as the Whirlwind, led by the prophetess Sha'ik from the Holy Desert of Raraku. With the cities being ove rrun, the Malazan forces in the city of Hissar plot a daring evacuation overland to the Malazan continental capital of Aren. The Malazan 7th Army, under the com mand of the legendary Coltaine of the Crow Clan of the Wickans, is tasked with e scorting 50,000 refugees some 1,500 miles to safety. This legendary march become s known as the Chain of Dogs and will become part of the legends of Seven Cities . Meanwhile, the assassin Kalam embarks on a dangerous mission and a group of tr avellers from Genabackis arrive in Seven Cities on their own mysterious errands. .. Plot summary [edit] There's a convergence in the Seven Cities. Rebellion, assassins, Ascendants and those nearing it or desiring it all converge on the region. Slaves escape to rul e, the once rebellious fight rebellion, a god falls to the mortal realm and hero es are made on a Chain of Dogs. Unta [edit] In the city of Unta, capital of the Malazan Empire, a cull of the nobility has b een ordered by Empress Laseen to rip the heart out of what is seen as a growing corruption. The young Felisin Paran (youngest sister of Ganoes Paran, Captain of the Bridgeburners) is among those sent into slavery in the mines of Otataral Is land off the north-eastern coast of Seven Cities, excavating the magic-resisting mineral of the island. Along the way she meets Heboric, an excommunicated pries t of Fener who has had his hands severed, and Baudin, a strong warrior. Unbeknow n to her, her sister Tavore, the Empress' Adjunct, has appointed the latter as h er guardian to help her survive the horrors of the mines. On Otataral Island, Fe lisin finds herself only able to survive by offering her body in exchange for th e protection of a trusted senior slave, Beneth. Eventually she comes to crave hi s attention, to the disgust of Heboric and Baudin. Seven Cities [edit] Meanwhile, on the subcontinent of Seven Cities, the prophecy of Dryjhna the Apoc alyptic is believed to be at hand. The native tribes are preparing to overthrow the Malazan occupiers in an uprising known as the Whirlwind, which will be led b y the seer Sha'ik from her camp in the heart of the Holy Desert Raraku. Simultan eously, the Path of Hands has been activated. The Path leads to Ascendancy - god hood - and is attracting Soletaken and D'ivers, shape-shifters of immense power. Soletaken can veer into one other form whilst D'ivers can split their conscious ness among many beasts, potentially hundreds, or even thousands. In the wastes o f the Pan'potsun Odhan, Mappo Trell and Icarium encounter a friendly Soletaken n amed Messremb and then encounter a man named Iskaral Pust and his minion, Servan t. Pust, a High Priest of Shadow, offers them shelter in his nearby temple and t hey accept. Although Pust acts in a highly eccentric manner, Mappo and Icarium r ealize he is powerful and likely highly intelligent.

In the city of Hissar, the Malazan garrison and the encamped 7th Army are prepar ing to fend off the rebellion, and are joined by a large contingent of Wickans, skilled horse-warriors from Quon Tali. The Wickan commander, Coltaine, assumes c ommand of the 7th and has them running unusual exercises. His orders are to esco rt all Malazan civilians from the east coast cities and march them to Aren, the Imperial Capital on the continent, a march of over 500 leagues. High Fist Pormqu al has refused to evacuate the civilians by sea, recalling Admiral Nok's fleet t o defend Aren Harbour instead. Duiker, the Imperial Historian, has been attached to the 7th to witness its withdrawal to Aren. He also plans to effect the rescu e of a colleague, Heboric, and manages to convince a Malazan mage named Kulp to go to the coast of Otataral Island to await Heboric's pre-arranged escape. Duike r becomes separated from Malazan forces and soon learns that the largest of the Whirlwind armies is gathering in strength near Hissar, preparing to pounce on th e 7th once it gets underway. A ship arrives at Ehrlitan on the north coast of Seven Cities. On board are trav elers from Genabackis: Crokus, a thief of Darujhistan; a fisher-girl named Apsal ar; Fiddler, a sapper in the Bridgeburners; and Kalam, the Bridgeburners' reside nt assassin. Kalam has his own mission to undertake and soon slips into the dese rt as he has acquired the Book of the Apocalypse which must be delivered to Sha' ik. Kalam sets out for Raraku, unaware he is being trailed by a Red Blade (Malaz an loyalists from Seven Cities), Captain Lostara Yil, and her squad who have ord ers to kill Sha'ik. Beginning of the Rebellion [edit] Fiddler, Crokus and Apsalar reach the city of G'danisban to find it in the hands of the Army of the Apocalypse, who have not bothered to wait for the official s tart of the Whirlwind. Taking the appearance of a Gral warrior, Fiddler is able to bluff their way through the city and continue into the wastelands. Kalam reaches the borders of Raraku and is immediately apprehended by two warrio rs, Leoman of the Flails and a Toblakai, of the Laederon Plateau of Genabackis. They escort him to Sha'ik herself and he hands over the Book of the Apocalypse. In gratitude, Sha'ik gives him an aptorian demon she ensnared earlier as bodygua rd (An aptorian demon has 3 legs, one compound eye and is intelligent). Kalam an d the aptorian depart and Sha'ik prepares for the ritual opening of the book. Sh e is then killed by a crossbow bolt to the skull when the Red Blades attack, Los tara Yil's forces bolstered by reinforcements led by Commander Tene Baralta. In the melee that ensues, Leoman and Toblakai wipe out a number of the attacking Re d Blades, forcing them to withdraw, but oddly they are not pursued. Baralta ride s for the city of Pan'potsun, leaving Lostara Yil to pursue Kalam. The rebellion is unleashed in Skullcup, the mining town on Otataral Island. Baud in and Heboric take Felisin to safety by fleeing into the desert to the west. Th e three of them cross the Otataral Desert but along the way find a huge statue: a jade hand jutting out of the earth. Heboric touches the statue and there is a massive exchange of power. Heboric acquires a pair of spiritual hands, while a b ackwash of energy goes through Heboric into his god, Fener, who is torn from his realm and pulled down to the mortal world (Fener materializes not far from the jade statue but then flees in terror, as in the material world gods are mortal o nce more). Heboric is left reeling from this event. They reach the coast of the island and are rescued by Kulp, who has won the support of a group of Malazan ma rines: Gesler, Stormy and Truth. Out at sea is a mage who has been driven mad by the magic-deadening otataral and lost control of his warren which now wreaks ha voc around him. Kulp and the escapees run the gauntlet of the sea to avoid the m age's random spells, but in the process they are transported into a warren. They find a lone ship in the still waters of the warren. They board it to find t hat it is manned by headless corpses animated by a magical whistle (their heads eerily lie on deck, still alive and seeing). They also find several more recent corpses belonging to grey-skinned tall beings reminiscent of Tiste Andii; Hebori c identifies them as Tiste Edur, the shadow-aspected cousins of the Andii. Hebor ic also finds charts suggesting the Tiste Edur originated from a landmass on the ir world unknown to the Malazan Empire. Hissar has been 'liberated' by the Army of the Apocalypse and Duiker rides hard

to reunite with Coltaine's army. Nearly 50,000 civilians are being escorted west wards towards Aren, harried by an army several times their own size. However, Co ltaine is achieving the impossible by keeping them at bay. The Whirlwind [edit] Crokus, Fiddler and Apsalar behold an awesome sight: a solid circular wall of sa nd has arisen around the Holy Desert of Raraku, a literal Whirlwind to announce the beginning of the true rebellion. They press on and learn Fiddler's plan: to find Tremorlor, the Azath House in the heart of Raraku, and use it to transport themselves to the Deadhouse in Malaz City, which will put them near their intend ed destination, Apsalar's home of Itko Kan and more specifically the Empress Las een whom Kalam and Fiddler intend to kill. In the chaos of the Whirlwind they ar e attacked by Soletaken and D'ivers, but are saved by Mappo and Icarium, who tak e them to Pust's nearby temple to recuperate. There they tell Mappo, Icarium and Pust of their plans to find Tremorlor and the former two agree to help them fin d it. Characters [edit] On the Path Of Hands Icarium, a mixed-blood Jaghut wanderer Mappo, his Trell companion Iskaral Pust, a High Priest of Shadow Ryllandaras, the White Jackal, a D'ivers Messremb, a Soletaken Gryllen, a D'ivers Mogora, a D'ivers Malazans Felisin, youngest daughter of House Paran Heboric Light Touch, exiled historian and ex-priest of Fener Baudin, companion to Felisin and Heboric Fiddler, 9th Squad, Bridgeburners Crokus, a visitor from Darujhistan Apsalar, 9th Squad, Bridgeburners Kalam, a corporal in the 9th Squad, Bridgeburners Duiker, Imperial Historian Kulp, cadre mage, 7th Army Mallick Rell, chief adviser to the High Fist of the Seven Cities Sawark, commander of the guard in the Otataral mining camp, Skullcup Pella, a soldier stationed at Skullcup Pormqual, High Fist of the Seven Cities, in Aren Blistig, Commander of the Aren Guard Topper, Commander of the Claw Lull, a captain in the Sialk Marines Chenned, a captain in the 7th Army Sulmar, a captain in the 7th Army List, a corporal in the 7th Army Mincer, a sapper Cuttle, a sapper Gesler, a corporal in the Coastal Guard Stormy, a soldier in the Coastal Guard Truth, a recruit in the Coastal Guard Squint, a bowman Pearl, a Claw Captain Keneb, a refugee Selv, Keneb's wife Minala, Selv's sister Kesen, Keneb and Selv's first-born son Vaneb, Keneb and Selv's second-born son Captain, owner and commander of the trader craft Ragstopper Wickans Coltaine, Fist, 7th Army

Temul, a young lancer Sormo E'nath, a warlock Nil, a warlock Nether, a warlock Bult, a veteran commander and Coltaine's uncle Bent, a Wickan cattle dog Roach, a Hengese lapdog The Red Blades Baria Setral (Dosin Pali) Mesker Setral, his brother (Dosin Pali) Tene Beralta (Ehrlitan) Aralt Arpat (Ehrlitan) Lostara Yil (Ehrlitan) Nobles on the Chain Of Dogs Nethpara Lenestro Pullyk Alar Tumlit Followers of the Whirlwind Sha'ik, leader of the rebellion Leoman, captain in the Raraku Apocalypse Toblakai, a bodyguard and warrior in the Raraku Apocalypse Febryl, a mage and elder adviser to Sha'ik Korbolo Dom, renegade Fist leading the Odhan Army Kamist Reloe, High Mage with the Odhan Army L'oric, a mage with the Raraku Apocalypse Bidithal, a mage with the Raraku Apocalypse Mebra, a spy in Ehrlitan Further Players Salk Elan, a traveler on the seas Shan, a Hound of Shadow Gear, a Hound of Shadow Blind, a Hound of Shadow Baran, a Hound of Shadow Rood, a Hound of Shadow Moby, a familiar Hentos Ilm, a T'lan Imass Bonecaster Olar Ethil, a T'lan Imass Bonecaster Legana Breed, a T'lan Imass Kimloc, a Tano Spiritwalker Beneth, a crime lord Irp, a small servant Rudd, an equally small servant Apt', an aptorian demon Panek, a child Karpolan Demesand, a merchant Bula, an innkeeper Cotillion, patron god of assassins Shadowthrone, Ruler of High House Shadow Rellock, a servant

Memories of Ice is the third volume of Steven Erikson's epic fantasy series, the Malazan Book of the Fallen. Memories of Ice is also a direct sequel to the firs t volume in the series, Gardens of the Moon, occurring chronologically at the sa me time as the second volume, Deadhouse Gates. Memories of Ice focuses on the renegade Malazan 2nd Army and their new allies on Genabackis, and their battle with the Pannion Domin, a new power emerging from the south of the continent. It also reveals a great deal more about the gods, as

cendants and the history of the Imass, K'Chain Che'Malle and the Tiste races. The novel was first published in the United Kingdom on 6 December 2001 as a trad e paperback, with a mass-market paperback edition following on 21 October 2002. The first United States edition was a hardcover published in November 2005. The American paperback was published in August 2006. [edit] Plot summary Memories of Ice takes place simultaneously with the events of Deadhouse Gates, b eginning about four months after the events of Gardens of the Moon. On the conti nent of Genabackis, the Malazan 2nd Army under High Fist Dujek Onearm has turned renegade and is now known as 'Onearm's Host'. Fearing the advance of a powerful new empire in the south-east of Genabackis, the Pannion Domin, Dujek and his se cond-in-command, Whiskeyjack, forge an alliance with their former enemies - Anom ander Rake and the Tiste Andii of Moon's Spawn, and the warlord Caladan Brood. T hey also seek the aid of the White Face Barghast tribes. Meanwhile, the former C law agent Toc the Younger and the T'lan Imass Tool find themselves lost in the s outhern wilds of Genabackis and must undertake a daring journey through Pannion territory, whilst the famed Grey Swords of Elingarth must defend the city of Cap ustan against a vast, overwhelming Pannion army.

House of Chains is the fourth volume of Canadian author Steven Erikson's epic fa ntasy series, the Malazan Book of the Fallen, and a direct sequel to the second volume in the series, Deadhouse Gates. The novel was the first in the series to be published in hardback, first appeari ng in the United Kingdom on 2 December 2002. A mass-market paperback edition fol lowed on 3 October 2003. The first United States edition was a hardcover publish ed on 22 August 2006. Plot summary [edit] House of Chains takes place immediately after the events of Deadhouse Gates on t he subcontinent of Seven Cities. The Chain of Dogs - the evacuation of 50,000 Ma lazan civilians across 1,500 miles of hostile territory - has ended in the tragi c loss of the entire 7th army and its heroic commander, Coltaine. However, with their sacrifice was bought the lives of nearly 30,000 refugees. Meanwhile, the C hain of Dogs has become a legend spreading across Seven Cities, cowing even thos e responsible for its destruction. Now Adjunct Tavore Paran has arrived at the h ead of the 14th Army, largely consisting of untried recruits. Their mission is t o advance into the heart of the Holy Desert Raraku, the very heart of the rebell ion known as the Whirlwind, and destroy Sha'ik and her forces once and for all. The rebels outnumber the Malazans vastly. However, all is not well in Sha'ik's c amp and internal conflicts threatens to destroy her army before the Malazans can . Meanwhile, a mighty warrior named Karsa Orlong descends from his mountain fast ness on Genabackis, beginning a journey that will live in legend, and the thief Crokus and assassin Apsalar find themselves drawn into a desperate struggle for control of the Throne of Shadow. Finally, a warrior named Trull Sengar is rescue d from certain death with news of a terrible new foe arising to trouble all the world...

A review by Neil Walsh Advertisement As a reader of the Tales of the Malazan Book of the Fallen, I find myself in the midst of this labyrinthine epic, clutching unwieldy chains as my Ariadne's thre ad. When did chains first come into the picture? Didn't Gardens of the Moon begi n with a chain of soldiers moving heavily down a road? I'm still haunted by the chained souls within the God-forged sword, Dragnipur, from that first book, Colt

aine's heroic but doomed Chain of Dogs from the second book, and the dark machin ations of the Chained God from the third book. Both as physical objects and as m etaphors for all the things that bind people, that weigh them down, that link th em to others or to things, chains have always been either present or just offsta ge in the Tales of the Malazan. Chains are even more omnipresent in the latest n ovel, named for the newest House in the Deck of Dragons, created in the previous novel, Memories of Ice. House of Chains is the fourth book in Erikson's massive epic, Tales of the Malaz an Book of the Fallen. Unlike the previous novels in this cycle, House of Chains begins as a clear, relatively straightforward narrative following one central c haracter. It is so linear, in fact, that it almost reads like another author alt ogether -- albeit, an equally talented one. But by the second quarter of the boo k, we return to the multiple inter-linked story lines we have come to expect fro m Erikson, following many different characters, usually with multiple names (rat her reminiscent of those Russian novels, where everyone has 4 or 5 different nam es, depending on who is addressing them). And, as usual, Erikson doesn't allow m uch slack in his storytelling -- keep up or get lost; those are your choices. I strongly recommend the former. The novel begins on the continent of Genabackis (the setting for most of Gardens of the Moon and Memories of Ice, first and third books), but most of the action takes place on the Seven Cities sub-continent (setting for most of Deadhouse Ga tes, the second book). The time is shortly after the Chain of Dogs and the death of Coltaine, recounted in Deadhouse Gates. The city of Aren is back in the hand s of loyal Malazans, headed by Adjunct Tavore Paran, and the Empire is ready to reassert its claim to Seven Cities. However, the Army of the Apocalypse, headed by the Goddess-possessed Sha'ik who was formerly Felisin Paran, is still holding strong in Raraku, the Holy Desert. And, typical of an Erikson narrative, there are, oh..., I don't know, about a million other things going on. Nevertheless, t his one is tighter than his previous Malazan novels. Like the links of a chain, the various elements of the story form neat circles - so neat, in fact, that you can almost hear them snapping into place. And if yo u pull back your perspective a little, you may realize that each link, having co me back on itself to complete a circle, is also connected to various other links -- so that what we have is more like a sheet of chain mail than a length of cha in. The patterns are there if you look for them. In fact, as I've already suggested, the patterns, the links in the chain, and th e concept of chains as metaphor for the stories being told, have been building f rom the very beginning of Gardens of the Moon. Almost everything we've seen so f ar comes together in House of Chains, although there are still plenty of tales l eft tantalizingly untold... for the moment. The highest praise I can offer House of Chains is to say that it is Erikson's be st yet. Without a doubt, this is one of the best books of the year. Without a do ubt, this is the best series of the past decade. I look forward to future Malaza n tales from Erikson; I'm curious to see if my Ariadne's chains will lead me saf ely through the maze... Midnight Tides is the fifth volume of Canadian author Steven Erikson's epic fant asy series, the Malazan Book of the Fallen. Although it is part of the larger se ries, it has only limited references to the previous books. However, it is not a stand-alone volume as the events of the books Reaper's Gale and Dust of Dreams follow on from it. The novel was first published in the United Kingdom as a hardcover on 1 March 20 04, with a mass-market paperback following on 1 March 2005. The first American e dition came out on 17 April 2007.

Contents [hide] 1 Plot introduction 2 Plot summary 2.1 Prologue 2.2 Exposition 2.3 Rise of the Emperor 2.4 Meanwhile in Lether 2.5 Conquest 3 References Plot introduction [edit] Midnight Tides takes place on a continent, called Lether, located on the far sid e of the world to the Malazan Empire and unknown to it. The book is set in a tim e before the first book in the series, Gardens of the Moon. Plot summary [edit] Prologue [edit] The novel begins with the aftermath of a massive battle between an alliance of T iste Edur, led by Scabandari Bloodeye, and Tiste Andii, led by Silchas Ruin, aga inst some K'Chain Che'Malle. The scheming Scabandari massacres his former allies to take the land for his own people. Later, a swordsmith named Withal is washed up on a beach, where he enters the se rvice of the Crippled God to forge a sword. Exposition [edit] Many years after this, the Tiste Edur tribes, recently unified under the Warlock King, are to meet with a delegation from the Kingdom of Lether to discuss a tre aty. The Letherii are an expansionist society with a reputation for treachery. T his reputation is shown to be well-earned when letherii merchant ships begin an illegal seal harvest on Edur territory. Trull Sengar witnesses this and carries word to the Warlock King, who with the aid of his apprentices, destroys the ship s. The Edur have acquired many slaves over the years, including Letherii. One ev ening, while the Edur are at a council meeting, a seer slave called Feather Witc h holds a casting, where a Sengar family slave named Udinaas is injured by a Wyv al. In the meantime, in Letheras, the Letherii capital city, Tehol Beddict lives in a house with his manservant, Bugg. Tehol made a fortune on the Letherii equivale nt of the stock exchange, but then mysteriously lost it. He now sleeps on the ro of of this house, with his possessions gradually dwindling. What no one else in Lether knows is that Tehol only appeared to lose his money and still controls nu merous businesses in Lether. He is running a plot to bring down Lether's economy . Tehol's brother Brys is the King's personal bodyguard. The city of Lether is p reparing for the fulfillment of a prophecy which states that at the Seventh Clos ure the King shall become Emperor. Rise of the Emperor [edit] To increase his power, the Warlock King sends Trull Sengar and his brothers Fear , Binadas and Rhulad on a quest to recover a sword that they will find and bring it back to him without letting it make contact with the skin. They eventually r each a spar of ice holding the sword, where they are attacked by a tribe of Sole taken known as Jheck. Rhulad takes up the sword in combat and is killed while be aring it. The Sengar brothers return bearing Rhulad's corpse. The corpse will not relinqui sh the sword, causing a feud between the Warlock King and the Sengars. While his body is being prepared for its funeral, Rhulad returns from the dead through th e machinations of the Crippled God. With the aid of the slave Udinaas, Rhulad re gains his sanity and seizes power over the Edur. He expels the Letherii delegati on and begins preparations for war. Hull Beddict, however, stays and swears his allegiance to Rhulad, giving the Edur valuable information for the war against t he Letherii. Rhulad dies in combat against Iron Bars, a soldier of the Crimson G uard, and returns again thanks to the Crippled God. Meanwhile in Lether [edit]

Tehol Beddict's plans begin to come into fruition. He evacuates non-Letherii cit izens, outmaneuvers Gerun Eberict, and keeps his partners outwitted. King Diskan ar crowns himself Emperor while Letherii forces under the Queen and Prince are r outed and destroyed in battle. Unknown to most of the city, trouble is brewing in the Azath House there. The ho use, which contains Silchas Ruin along with many other powerful individuals, is dying, and entrusts an undead child containing the dormant soul of a Forkrul Ass ail to feed it blood to keep it alive. She is contacted by Bugg, who has more kn owledge than one would suspect for a lowly manservant. He gives her advice. Late r, a number of beings escape, only to be dealt with by the mysterious Bugg. Conquest [edit] Simultaneously, the Edur enter the city and march on the Eternal Domicile (the p alace). On their way there, the Wyval that inhabits Udinaas takes control of him and forces him to leave the Edur party. Rhulad is later killed in combat and re turned to life. Abandoned by Udinaas, he falls into a state of insanity. The Edu r successfully take the Eternal Domicile, despite resistance by the Ceda and Bry s Beddict. Trull Sengar kills the Ceda and Brys challenges Rhulad. Brys incapaci tates Rhulad without killing him. The rest of the Edur cannot bring themselves t o kill their emperor, so he lies on the ground screaming. Newly crowned Emperor Diskanar committed suicide using poisoned wine, as he expected to lose. Upon mai ming Rhulad, Brys is pushed by the Errant, an Ascendant, to drink from the poiso ned chalice, and thus dies. During the course of his life, Brys had once saved a guardian of dead souls who lived beneath the sea. Upon his death, the guardian came to take him away, and while doing so killed Rhulad out of mercy. However, F eather Witch finds a finger Brys lost in his battle with Rhulad. Trull and Fear flee, though not together. Back in the Azath house, in the midst of a fierce battle, Udinaas arrives and fr ees Silchas Ruin. Ruin helps destroy the other creatures. Trull decides to retur n to Rhulad to aid him in finding his sanity. Tehol, meanwhile, is attacked and nearly killed. His brother Hull is murdered for betraying the Letherii, leaving only lowly Bugg to protect him. Bugg, revealing himself as the Elder God of the Seas, Mael, saves Tehol. Bugg/Mael later leaves to confront the Crippled God as the book ends. A review by William Thompson Advertisement The fifth novel in Steven Erikson's ongoing series, Midnight Tides, marks a slig ht departure from his earlier work. The vivid and imaginative world-building and myth creation remains, as does the indelible cast of characters informed by for gotten history and racial memory. But unlike past books, where one could expect a carry-over of characters as well as some temporal link between multiple and di verse storylines, Midnight Tides appears superficially to be a clean break with what has preceded, despite the presence of elder races such as the Tiste Edur wh ich have influneced previous work. The Bridgeburners are absent, as is any direc t mention of the Malazan Empire. The Deck of Dragons has undergone a change and assumed new identities and relationships, and while Ascendants such as Anomander Rake are mentioned, such references often remain tenuous. And there is a sense that we have moved backward in time from the events of the first four books, rei nforced by participants and events taking place upon a new continent with its ow n unique past and cultures. Of course, by now, after five volumes and over three thousand pages of some of the most febrile and imaginative myth-making ever att empted, it's hard at times to know where one is without a score card, scholarshi p or a compendium that goes far beyond the brief glossaries provided. And though each novel so far has in part stood relatively on its own, aspects of Erikson's evolving and interrelated narratives are certain to confound the casual reader. Fortunately, the originality of his vision and the vitality of his writing more than compensate for the occasional doubt and uncertainty. And I suspect that by

the time he's completed this series (we're now at midway point) most if not all questions concerning time, relevance, identity and history will be answered. The story opens, after the usual prologue containing references to a past that w ill inform the future, on the Lether frontier, between the ancestral home of the native Tiste Edur and the Letherii, immigrants marooned on the continent follow ing the fall of the First Empire. It is one year before the Letherii Seventh Clo sure and the Ascension of the Empty Hold, the end of a millennium where it is pr ophesized that the Lether king shall ascend to become emperor, by implication oc cupying the empty throne and ushering in a new era. That the prophecies are vagu e when it comes to details concerning this promised age, or the exact nature of the king's ascension, troubles few, and most Letherii are convinced that it is b ut one more sign confirming their destiny. Driven by an ethos in which "progress was necessity, growth was gain," the Letherii have absorbed or enslaved all the lands and native inhabitants of their adopted home, until only the tribal Edur remain free. And in a move combining both force and diplomacy, they have begun t o threaten them as well. But the latter have recently unified under a Warlock Ki ng who wields mysterious and unknown sorceries, and whose search for a sword whi ch can't be touched will bring about an unexpected outcome that will threaten Ti ste Edur and Letherii alike. Meanwhile, in the heart of the Lether capital, the Hold of Azath, built by an ancient and forgotten race, is dying, and the ground beneath has begun to stir. Such synopsis, while likely to intrigue some, offers barely a hint of all that w ill unfold, and of itself is absent of significance, beyond the customary inside dust jacket promotion meant to entice the reader. But long-time fans of Erikson (and by now you should be legion) will immediately suspect this is a premise fo r interwoven narratives whose scope will redefine the expectations of epic fanta sy, and whose prose will suggest a spirit of legend not voiced since Snorri Stur luson, Homer or The Tain. And yet, despite their clear affinities with such olde r work, the outcomes and storylines of Erikson's novels carry a resonance and se nsibility contiguous to the contemporary era. This is perhaps no more apparent than in Midnight Tides. Again, in a departure s omewhat from earlier narratives, the author more directly addresses and mirrors the contemporary world. His portrayal of the Letherii and their adherence to a f orm of imperial materialism and manifest destiny bears uncomfortable reflections of British history and, more recently, that of America. The enslavement of thei r own population, as well as others, through indebtedness, should strike a chord in the US, if not elsewhere. And his more immediate exploration of the certitud es inherent in dualistic (or by implication, monistic) metaphysics through Shado w raises old questions of perception and reality in a manner that has recently f ound voice in sources as diverse as Jean Baudrillard, Slavoj i ek or the Wachowski brothers. This is only reinforced by characters predicating their lives and acti ons around a misapprehended history. And the presence of the Crippled God, who h as appeared elsewhere, and is an avatar that has found expression in many religi ons and myths of our own world, is suggestive that Erikson's pantheon bears rele vance to our own active and ongoing myth creation. The wry humor -- always present -- that begins to become more prevalent in Memor ies of Ice (and reappears in the related novellas Blood Follows and The Healthy Dead, published by PS Publishing) emerges as a dominant feature here. Once again , as in the aforementioned work, its focus centers upon the relationship between master and servant, in this case the failed financier, Tehol Beddict, and his e qually eccentric servant, Bugg. Neither character is all that they appear, and t he interaction between these two, at once touching and satiric, creates one of t he more memorable duos to grace fantasy, and serves as a counterpoint to the mor e grim and dire action taking place elsewhere. As in previous novels, this is re inforced by a large cast of minor characters and skits reminiscent of Dickens, i f portrayed in a landscape with features far more alien.

Erikson's productivity remains prodigious, and unlike other authors that have re ached a similar point in protracted series, there is no evidence that either his imagination or energy has flagged; if anything, each new novel moves from stren gth to strength, improving on what has gone before. Granted, there is a sense ne ar the end of abbreviation, of resolutions that might have been better fleshed o ut. But in a serial world where others have stalled or are engaged in reiterativ e narratives, Erikson's accomplishment is no mean feat, and this series has alre ady clearly established itself as the most significant work of epic fantasy sinc e Stephen R. Donaldson's Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, published twenty-some ye ars back. The same and more might be claimed for heroic fantasy. Those of you that have yet to read Erikson don't know what you're missing, thoug h this is not work for readers seeking romance or unadulterated escape. Fans tha t have discovered the imaginative and percipient vision which inspires this auth or's work, always propelled by vigorous action, will not be disappointed here -Erikson can accomplish more in a few pages what it takes others dozens to reali ze. And he does so better and with far greater style. Hopefully the publication of his novels in the US will bring him the audience he deserves, as well as the critical recognition he's so far been relatively denie d. There's quite literally a storm on the horizon, vast in proportion, and its p assage will reshape the landscape of epic fantasy.

The Bonehunters is the sixth volume in Canadian author Steven Erikson's epic fan tasy series, the Malazan Book of the Fallen. The Bonehunters is a direct sequel to the fourth volume, House of Chains, and alludes to events in the fifth, Midni ght Tides. The novel was first published in the United Kingdom as a hardcover on 1 March 20 06. The first mass-market paperback edition appeared in April 2007. The first Un ited States edition was published in September 2007. Plot summary [edit] The Bonehunters begins two months after the events of House of Chains. The Malaz an Fourteenth Army has destroyed the army of the Whirlwind, and Adjunct Tavore P aran has executed Sha'ik. The Fourteenth is now pressing westward, pursuing the remnants of the Whirlwind rebellion (under Leoman of the Flails), as it seeks re fuge in the fortress city of Y'Ghatan, where the Malazan Empire had previously f aced its greatest defeat. Meanwhile, Onearm's Host, restored to the favour of Em press Laseen, has landed on Seven Cities' north coast to complete the task of su bduing the rebellion, but a deadly plague has been unleashed. Ganoes Paran, the new Master of the Deck of Dragons, arrives from Genabackis to help deal with the chaos. Elsewhere, the balance of power is shifting in the Malazan Imperial Cour t, and strange black ships have been sighted in the waters surrounding Quon Tali and Seven Cities. The quest of the expeditionary force of the Letherii Empire t o find warriors worthy of facing Emperor Rhulad Sengar in battle is about to be answered twice over.

Reaper's Gale is the seventh volume of Canadian author Steven Erikson's epic fan tasy series, the Malazan Book of the Fallen. Reaper's Gale is a direct sequel to both the fifth and sixth volumes, Midnight Tides and The Bonehunters. The novel was first published in hardcover and trade paperback in the United Kin gdom on 7 May 2007, and in Canada on 5 June 2007. It was published in the United States on March 4, 2008. Plot summary[edit]

Synopsis The Challengers: Champions from various cultures return with the Edur fleet to c hallenge Rhulad. Among them include Icarium with Taralack Veed, Karsa Orlong wit h Samar Dev, a Seguleh girl found unconscious near MoI, and a monk from Cabal. I carium begins acting strangely, and Taralack Veed starts doubting that Icarium c an beat Rhulad. Samar Dev believes Karsa will die, but Karsa is confident. Event ually all the challengers die except Karsa and Icarium. Karsa fights Rhulad and severs Rhulad's sword arm, then uses all his ghosts and the ones in Samar's knif e to manipulate the sword's power and travel to the Crippled God's island. There he flips the Crippled God's tent, stabs Rhulad (who dies, this time for good), slaps Withal and enters a portal aimed vaguely at his home after refusing to tak e the sword for himself (which was apparently the Crippled God's plan ever since Karsa left Laederon). Withal and the Nachts destroy the sword. The Shake: Varat Taun warns Twilight of what Icarium can do, so she flees up the coast. We learn she is a princess of the Shake. At Maiden Island she confronts Brullyg who declared himself king and makes herself Queen. Deadsmell makes some comments about the Shake being descended from the original Tiste Andii guardians of the Shore (but also having Edur blood). The Awl war: Redmask unites all the Awl and initially defeats the Letheri army c oming for him, but before long the Letheri start doing better. They have a big f inal battle and Redmask's two K'chain Che-malle pals suddenly attack and kill hi m mid-battle. The Letheri win. The Barghast show up. Toc sacrifices himself to s ave a dozen or so Awl children, witnessed by Tool. The Barghast slaughter the Le theri forces. In the Refugium: The Refugium is dying. Menandore teams up with Sheltatha and Su kul to try and take Scabandari's finnest, but Quick Ben defeats them and Hedge c ussers Sheltatha and Menandore. Sukul gets away but is then killed by the three T'lan Imass who were real Bentract and had wanted to usurp Ulshun Pral (but late r decided they liked him and the place). Onrack and Trull defend the portal entr ance. Silchas, Clip, Wither, Kettle, Udinaas, Seren and Fear come through. Silch as, Clip and Wither team up to kill the rest. Fear dies, Wither explodes, Clip r etreats, the rest are really wounded except Silchas who takes the Finnest but co mmits no more injury for fear of Kilava, except for stabbing Kettle and making a new Azath (because she's an Azath seed). Scabandari's soul is stuck inside it. People slowly recover and Quick Ben, Hedge, Trull and Seren teleport to Letheras . In Letheras: The marines make it there, Beak dies to save them from a giant wave of magic. The Edur go back home. The main Malazan army fights the main Letheri army so the marines go running around the city. The Seguleh shows up not dead an d walks out. Fiddler's group make it to the colliseum, where Trull has found his dead brother and is promptly stabbed by Sirryn Kanar. Brys returns from the undead. Feather Witch tries to make him the mortal sword o f her new Errant cult, but the Errant drowns her. Brys gives Pinosel and Urkel t he name of the sea-god so they can restrain it. The Huntress kills Hannan Mosag. Brys kills Karos Invictad. The Rat Catchers' Guild pays people to shout Tehol's name. Tehol is pronounced Emperor by the will of the people and marries Janath. Icarium tries to replicate K'rul's forging of the warrens by slitting his wrists and walking into one of his magic buildings. It is broken and explodes outwards in a big white wave which kills people directly and indirectly (i.e. by debris) . The ones killed directly appear to have their thoughts/brains/etc sucked out o f them. Among the brain-sucked are Taralack Veed and Rautos Havanar. Triban Gnol and Senior Assessor also die, and Varat Taun surrenders.

Toll the Hounds is the eighth volume of Canadian author Steven Erikson's epic fa ntasy series, the Malazan Book of the Fallen. The Bantam Press hardcover was pub lished on June 30, 2008 and the Tor Books trade paperback on September 16, 2008. Synopsis [edit]

In Darujhistan, the saying goes that Love and Death shall arrive together, danci ng... It is summer and the heat is oppressive, yet the discomfiture of the small rotund man in the faded red waistcoat is not entirely due to the sun. Dire port ents plague his nights and haunt the city's streets like fiends of shadow. Assas sins skulk in alleyways but it seems the hunters have become the hunted. Hidden hands pluck the strings of tyranny like a fell chorus. Strangers have arrived, a nd while the bards sing their tragic tales, somewhere in the distance can be hea rd the baying of hounds. All is palpably not well. And in Black Coral too, ruled over by Anomander Rake, Son of Darkness, something is afoot - memories of ancie nt crimes surface, clamouring for revenge, so it would seem that Love and Death are indeed about to make their entrance.

ust of Dreams is the ninth volume of Canadian author Steven Erikson's epic fanta sy series, the Malazan Book of the Fallen. It is the first book in the series to end on a cliffhanger, dealing with the fallout from Reaper's Gale and forms the first half of the series finale[1] with The Crippled God forming the second hal f, and being the tenth and final novel in the series.

The Crippled God is the tenth and final volume of Canadian author Steven Erikson 's epic fantasy series, the Malazan Book of the Fallen. In an interview, Erikson described The Crippled God as the second half of the series finale, with Dust o f Dreams, the first half, ending on a cliffhanger.[4]