The definitive Malazan reading order

Steven Erikson’s Malazan Book of the Fallen is one of the most sprawling fantasy sagas ever written. The plot unfolds over thousands of years, documenting the expansive and turbulent history of the Malazan Empire through the perspectives of a vast cast of rich characters.

As you can probably tell, the Malazan series has a gigantic scope, making it tricky for new readers to know which book to read first. Fortunately, the saga is broken into five sub-series, making it slightly easier to decipher where each book falls on the timeline.

Malazan Book of the Fallen release order

Malazan Book of the Fallen chronicles the triumphs and tribulations of the titular empire, following the deeply interwoven tales of those caught in the vicious cycle of violent expansion and near-disastrous decline that defines Malazan’s history. The primary Malazan series includes twenty books and six novellas collected into two anthologies.

• Gardens of the Moon (Malazan Book of the Fallen #1,1999)
• Deadhouse Gates (Malazan Book of the Fallen #2, 2000)
• Memories of Ice (Malazan Book of the Fallen #3, 2001)
• House of Chains (Malazan Book of the Fallen #4, 2002)
• Midnight Tides (Malazan Book of the Fallen #5, 2004)
• Night of Knives (Novels of the Malazan Empire #1, 2004)
• The Bonehunters (Malazan Book of the Fallen #6, 2006)
• The Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach, Volume 1 (The Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach #1-3,2009)
• Reaper’s Gale (Malazan Book of the Fallen #7, 2007)
• Toll the Hounds (Malazan Book of the Fallen #8, 2008)
• Return of the Crimson Guard (Novels of the Malazan Empire #2, 2008)
• Dust of Dreams (Malazan Book of the Fallen #9, 2009)
• Stonewiedler (Novels of the Malazan Empire #3, 2010)
• The Crippled God (Malazan Book of the Fallen #10, 2011)
• Orb Scepter Throne (Novels of the Malazan Empire #4, 2012)
• Blood and Bone (Novels of the Malazan Empire #5, 2012)
• Forge of Darkness (The Kharkanas Trilogy #1, 2012)
• Assail (Novels of the Malazan Empire #6, 2014)
• Fall of Light (The Kharkanas Trilogy, 2016)
• Dancer’s Lament (Path to Ascendancy, 2016)
• The Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach, Volume 2 (The Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach #4-6, 2018)
• Deadhouse Landing (Path to Ascendancy #2, 2017)
• Kellanved’s Reach (Path to Ascendancy #3, 2019)
• Upon a Dark of Evil Overlords (The Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach #7, 2020)
• The God is Not Willing (The Witness Trilogy #1, 2021)
• Forge of the High Mage (Path to Ascendancy #4, 2023)

What is the definitive Malazan reading order?

I don’t think there’s any reason not to read the Malazan books in the official reading order. Some Malazan fans argue that new readers should read the books in the Malazan Books of the Fallen set first, as they tell what could be considered the “main” story of the series. Others argue that you should read the book chronologically, which gives you a clear picture of how the Malazan Empire and the world around it came to be.

As a Malazan fan, I’d recommend sticking with the publication order. While you won’t know all the details about some of the characters who pop up for a while, reading the books in the order they were released gives you the clearest picture of the three major plotlines that tie the series together. Once you get to later books, you’ll receive new information about certain characters that will reframe their role in the series in fun and unexpected ways.

If you want to follow the tales of the Malazan Empire as they happened, here’s the chronological order of the Malazan series.

• Forge of Darkness (The Kharkanas Trilogy #1, 2012)
• Fall of Light (The Kharkanas Trilogy, 2016)
• Dancer’s Lament (Path to Ascendancy, 2016)
• Deadhouse Landing (Path to Ascendancy #2, 2017)
• Kellanved’s Reach (Path to Ascendancy #3, 2019)
• Forge of the High Mage (Path to Ascendancy #4, 2023)
• Gardens of the Moon (Malazan Book of the Fallen #1,1999)
• Deadhouse Gates (Malazan Book of the Fallen #2, 2000)
• Memories of Ice (Malazan Book of the Fallen #3, 2001)
• House of Chains (Malazan Book of the Fallen #4, 2002)
• Midnight Tides (Malazan Book of the Fallen #5, 2004)
• Night of Knives (Novels of the Malazan Empire #1, 2004)
• The Bonehunters (Malazan Book of the Fallen #6, 2006)
• The Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach, Volume 1 (The Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach #1-3,2009)
• Reaper’s Gale (Malazan Book of the Fallen #7, 2007)
• Toll the Hounds (Malazan Book of the Fallen #8, 2008)
• Return of the Crimson Guard (Novels of the Malazan Empire #2, 2008)
• Dust of Dreams (Malazan Book of the Fallen #9, 2009)
• Stonewiedler (Novels of the Malazan Empire #3, 2010)
• The Crippled God (Malazan Book of the Fallen #10, 2011)
• Orb Scepter Throne (Novels of the Malazan Empire #4, 2012)
• Blood and Bone (Novels of the Malazan Empire #5, 2012)
• Assail (Novels of the Malazan Empire #6, 2014)
• The Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach, Volume 2 (The Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach #4-6, 2018)
• Upon a Dark of Evil Overlords (The Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach #7, 2020)
• The God is Not Willing (The Witness Trilogy #1, 2021)

Where to purchase the Malazan books

Malazon Book of the Fallen is fairly popular, and most book retailers have the whole series in stock.

Amazon has the whole series for a reasonable price, but you’ll still need to part with over $100 dollars if you want to read the entire series.

Barnes and Noble and Books a Million also carry the series, albeit for a slightly higher price. Personally, I’d rather support a walk-in bookstore, but at the end of the day, it’s up to you.