Malazan

[Khorum]

Originally Posted by Ameraves Loyalheart

should I just start with book one, or the prequel or....

Start with the first book; they ARE fairly serial after all. Besides, it's not like starting anywhere else lends any more comprehension than starting with volume one. Also, Esselmont is nowhere near as entertaining as Erikson.

If you're REALLY lost, just hit the wiki pages, though be warned, there's quite a a lot of inadvertent spoilers.

[Hateyou]

Originally Posted by Ameraves Loyalheart

I personally love Fantasy series. It gives me something to read for more than a week or two. So I wanted to give this one a go, but should I just start with book one, or the prequel or....

I *think* it's just set in the same world.

I recently started with book 1, and if you have ever read A Song of Ice and Fire, you should remember how confusing the first 100-200 pages were with name dropping.

Well this series is like that except you're confused the entire book. Not only does he drop names, but locations, battles, Gods, and various other terms that he doesn't explain. I was pretty much confused most of the book, by the end I had most of the characters down though.

I got excited, because the end of book 1 is pretty badass, so jumped right in to the second book...only to have him start the same thing all over again with new characters and locales. I'm getting discouraged, but I''l keep going, because I do like his style, and the 'feel' of his world.

[Nebuchadnezzar]

I don't think its nearly as bad as some people make it out to be. Use your head, look at the character list and glossary, remember what characters have said, and put two and two together.

[Tabris]

I just picked up the first book and haven't started it yet. However when I was doing some quick research I read about this, and I don't really understand it. Are you going to need to read all of the books to get the full story? Are they going to be two totally separate story lines, just shared in the same world?

Without going too strongly into spoilers, Erikson's 'cycle' of 10 books is the main meat of the story dealing with an elaborate plan of revenge by an entity known as the Crippled God. Esslemont's projected 5 novels are supposed to deal with some tangents from the main plotline and some of the more obscure areas of the world. While I'm sure you'll want to read them all eventually, read Erikson's books first (Esslemont's first 'main' book won't even be out until mid-2008 anyways).

Finally, I'd strongly suggest reading them in publishing order:

1. Gardens of the Moon
2. Deadhouse Gates
3. Memories of Ice
4. Blood Follows
5. House of Chains
6. The Healthy Dead
7. Midnight Tides
8. Night of Knives
9. The Bonehunters

[Khorum]

Originally Posted by Tabris

Without going too strongly into spoilers, Erikson's 'cycle' of 10 books is the main meat of the story dealing with an elaborate plan of revenge by an entity known as the Crippled God. Esslemont's projected 5 novels are supposed to deal with some tangents from the main plotline and some of the more obscure areas of the world. While I'm sure you'll want to read them all eventually, read Erikson's books first (Esslemont's first 'main' book won't even be out until mid-2008 anyways).

Finally, I'd strongly suggest reading them in publishing order:

1. Gardens of the Moon
2. Deadhouse Gates
3. Memories of Ice
4. Blood Follows
5. House of Chains
6. The Healthy Dead
7. Midnight Tides
8. Night of Knives
9. The Bonehunters

Order is a little off.... House of Chains actually follows Memories of Ice (chronologically and insofar as Erikson's books)... dunno where Blood Flows comes in.

Actual order is (from the Malazan wiki pagenote there are some spoilers in the link)
1. Gardens of the Moon (1999)
2. Deadhouse Gates (2000)
3. Memories of Ice (2001)
4. House of Chains (2002)
5. Midnight Tides (2004)
6. The Bonehunters (2006)
7. Reaper's Gale (due for release in 2007)
8. Toll the Hounds (forthcoming, no release date set)
9. Dust of Dreams (forthcoming, no release date set)
10. The Crippled God (forthcoming, no release date set)

I actually SAW Midnight Tides in a neighborhood Borders, but it was gone by the time I got back, the store said they'd be getting more though, so I haven't had to import books like others have had to.

[Simas]

Just wanted to add my thoughts, I just finished House of Chains. Def pick up the series and read it.

I dont like it more than Martin, I think of it as kinda Martin meets Salvatore. Its very fantastical with Gods and demons and crazy ass magic but then it has a developed world with a grip of characters and mystery/intrigue and stuff.

Coltaine's March is amazing though. Like, really, really, good.

[Lhon]

There was a rumor a couple of years ago that The Chain of Dogs (Coltaine's march) was going to be made into a movie. Too bad nothing ever came of it.

[Nebuchadnezzar]

Originally Posted by Khorum

Order is a little off.... House of Chains actually follows Memories of Ice (chronologically and insofar as Erikson's books)... dunno where Blood Flows comes in.

Actual order is (from the Malazan wiki pagenote there are some spoilers in the link)
1. Gardens of the Moon (1999)
2. Deadhouse Gates (2000)
3. Memories of Ice (2001)
4. House of Chains (2002)
5. Midnight Tides (2004)
6. The Bonehunters (2006)
7. Reaper's Gale (due for release in 2007)
8. Toll the Hounds (forthcoming, no release date set)
9. Dust of Dreams (forthcoming, no release date set)
10. The Crippled God (forthcoming, no release date set)

I actually SAW Midnight Tides in a neighborhood Borders, but it was gone by the time I got back, the store said they'd be getting more though, so I haven't had to import books like others have had to.

He added in some novella's that haven't been published in the states. I ended up ordering Midnight Tides and Bonehunters for Amazon Canada and got them quicker than I do from Amazon America. Was like 30 bucks in all.

[Khorum]

Yeah that's what I meant... I actually read Blood Flows before starting the series (was recommended to me as a good fantasy example of New Weird shorts) and the whole cyclopean horror thing sold me on Erikson. But after reading through the actual series, I wouldn't place Blood Flows after Memories of Ice, though I suppose that spot's as good as any.

[Tabris]

It was posted in publishing order, not 'chronological' order. I generally think publishing order is the best way to read this series. You definitely want to read Night of Knives before The Bonehunters, for instance.

[Kildace]

Originally Posted by Hateyou

I got excited, because the end of book 1 is pretty badass, so jumped right in to the second book...only to have him start the same thing all over again with new characters and locales. I'm getting discouraged, but I''l keep going, because I do like his style, and the 'feel' of his world.

They all start this way except book 3 and 6. In all the books you have a new setting and a new set of characters that you get to know. In my experience it's always a struggle for the first 50 pages because I keep thinking "Where the fuck are the Bridgeburners, these people are not the ones I want to know about", and every time after 50 pages I really get into the new characters and completely forget about the others for that book. Now in my opinion, some parts of book 2 are a tad boring, I never cared that much for the Felisin story, but the chain of dogs part is just fucking awesome.

I'm at the end of book 6 right now, which is my favourite along with book 3 (5 was exceptionnal too, you never even see one bridgeburner character but the payoff is as good as the third book's). I'm sad though, I've been reading nothing but Malazan stuff for 3 months and having to wait for book 7 (March '07) is going to be hard. There again Erikson writes 1 book a year so the end is in sight, unlike with ASoIaF.

[Asmadai]

Don't you just hate it when you go to the local bookstore, Books-a-Million in fact, and they have Books 2-5 of Malazan, but ZERO copies of Book 1.

Damn it. Amazon here I come.

[Lorenc]

I had the same damn problem. Told me I had to special order book 1. Amazon saved me. Of course they had every Eddings book possible.

[Arbuste]

1. Gardens of the Moon (1999)
2. Deadhouse Gates (2000)
3. Memories of Ice (2001)
4. House of Chains (2002)
5. Midnight Tides (2004)
6. The Bonehunters (2006)
7. Reaper's Gale (due for release in 2007)
8. Toll the Hounds (forthcoming, no release date set)
9. Dust of Dreams (forthcoming, no release date set)
10. The Crippled God (forthcoming, no release date set)

That means that that serie *might* be finished in 2010, if we are lucky, right? This thread makes me want to buy those books, but waiting 4 years (or more) to get to the ending is a depressing thought. At least, I hope the writers are young and healthy and don't pull a Robert Jordan.
I think I got traumatized by ASoIaF.

[Hateyou]

Originally Posted by Arbuste

That means that that serie *might* be finished in 2010, if we are lucky, right? This thread makes me want to buy those books, but waiting 4 years (or more) to get to the ending is a depressing thought. At least, I hope the writers are young and healthy and don't pull a Robert Jordan.
I think I got traumatized by ASoIaF.

Hah, I am also scared starting these unfinished 'epic' fantasy series now.

Thankfully Erikson is only 47. I'm kind of worried about Martin though, he's 58...and one month older than Jordan.

Hopefully they all finish thier series.