Spoiler-Free
Well, well, well. Here we are… at the very beginning of something which is considered by many as one of the best works in the genre of ‘Epic Fantasy’ – the ‘Malazan Book of the Fallen’ by Canadian author Steven Erikson.
Widely regarded as being very rich in its lore and world building, magnanimous in its scope, and consisting of a vast set of diverse and in-depth characters, the ‘Malazan Book of the Fallen’ is ranked and rated very highly by a large number of readers throughout the world. And while the praises do overpower in general, the series is not immune to certain criticisms of its own – the complex and challenging nature, the “sometimes difficult to grasp” language/writing/prose, the “somewhat confusing” start, the overall length of the series, etc. amid a few others. And although the majority of the fan base swears by its epic and equally amazing nature as a whole, the series is seemingly not for everyone.
So, the following questions are bound to arise in everyone’s mind sooner or later.
Is it really THAT complex and challenging? Is the writing too hard for an average reader to understand? Can beginners, who are relatively new to fantasy, go ahead and start the series?
Well, if you’re having similar questions/thoughts like these, then let me tell you one thing… you’re not alone in that, and it’s totally normal for you to have them (just like I did before starting the journey myself).
And so, I’m here to try and breakdown certain aspects, notions, and expectations which a first-time reader might have before starting the series. Hopefully by the end of this post, you – as a brand-new, first-time reader (or even as a veteran of the series for that matter), will find some answers to such burning questions (and that it eventually helps you to start the journey yourselves!).
At a glance
Well, the ‘Malazan Book of the Fallen’ [MBOTF] is an ‘Epic Fantasy’ series (completed; consisting of 10 novels) written by Canadian author Steven Erikson. But that’s not the end of it. MBOTF is just one of the series set in the ‘Malazan’ universe. The others include – ‘Novels of the Malazan Empire’ [NOTME] (completed; consisting of 6 novels) by yet another Canadian author (and Erikson’s “partner-in-crime”), Ian C. Esslemont. Together, these two series [MBOTF and NOTME] are labelled as the “core” series in the ‘Malazan’ universe.
Apart from these two, there are two other prequel series – ‘The Kharkanas Trilogy’ (ongoing; 3rd novel still to be published) by Erikson, and ‘Path to Ascendancy’ (ongoing; 4 novels published so far) by Esslemont. Along with these, there is also a sequel series – ‘The Witness Trilogy’ (ongoing; only the 1st novel published so far) by Erikson. To top it all off, there are also a series of novellas titled – ‘The Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach’ by Erikson.
And that’s pretty much that… or is it? The ‘Malazan’ universe is BIG… so much so that as a whole, it’s one of the largest fantasy series out there when it comes to the word count (no surprises there, eh?). And well… guess what the best part is? That it’s still not complete!
So, with a fair background present above, following are some of the things that I would like to address and discuss based on my personal experiences throughout the internet, well before I went ahead and undertook the MBOTF journey for myself.
My views and thoughts BEFORE starting the series
How Malazan is sold to a brand-new reader like me around the internet –
These are some of the most common things that I found out while searching for what the series was all about. Some resources describe the series in a more positive way, whereas some in a less than positive way (negative is probably not the right word here I feel, because the resources are telling you why you should pick it up in the first place, rather than not to) –
- The series is very long, in fact one of the longest out there when it comes to fantasy/word count, and that it’s still not complete (as mentioned above in detail). The ‘Malazan Book of the Fallen’ series is completed, consisting of 10 BIG books, by Steven Erikson. But the ‘Malazan’ universe as a whole has a lot more to offer, including the ‘Novels of the Malazan Empire’ series by Ian C. Esslemont (completed; with 6 books), two prequel series (one by each author), one sequel series (by Erikson), and a bunch of novellas (by Erikson). And there are more books on the way! So, spending the time and energy for this is the reader’s personal choice.
- It is also probably the most complex/challenging series out there. So, start at your own risk. Especially if you’re new to fantasy or haven’t read too much stuff before. Also, you will not understand everything. Erikson doesn’t spoon feed the readers in any way. So, if you’re into it, then only go for it.
- It is not for everyone’s taste too. It tackles certain aspects in a much “rougher way” (violence, sexual assault, etc.), and that the author doesn’t pull any punches in doing so. As long as one is able to manage their emotions, it will be OK. Otherwise, not for the faint hearted so as to speak.
- The writing/prose is pretty good, but again, not for everyone. It can get very confusing and difficult at times. It can also get too much philosophical at times, and as the series progresses, some of the books tend to drag on a bit. The major underlying themes concerned are that of compassion, pain, grief, suffering, etc.
- The characters, although some very well written, do not quite come out as the best in the genre (writing wise). There are too many characters’ POV to follow, and that can be challenging to say the least.
- It is more of a military fantasy in a way, involving multiple battle sequences, strategies, etc. and if you like wars, armies, magic, assassins, thieves, fantasy creatures, amazing places, some cool characters, even gods themselves getting involved in a much bigger game, you should definitely go for it.
- The world building is top class though, and the journey throughout is well worth all your efforts in the end. Many even stating that it’s the most epic and best fantasy series they have ever read!
- Lastly, ‘Gardens of the Moon’ (the 1st novel in MBOTF) is THE hardest of the bunch when it comes to pretty much everything (the writing, plot, characters, etc.). If you can manage to push through it, you’ll be able to get on pretty well. Also, to judge if the series is made for you or not, go through AT LEAST the first three books of ‘Malazan Book of the Fallen’. If by then you’re into it, then it’s definitely for you. If not, you should probably consider dropping it.
Now, this is NOT to point fingers or to highlight anybody/any online resource or community. This is just what I, as a new reader, found out and was informed with respect to the series in general. There were some things to put me off personally like the complexity, length, etc. But there was plenty that I thought was right down my alley, and that I would enjoy it very much (like deadly big hounds, lots of dragons, dinosaurs with blade hands, a short, plump dude who’s funny and dangerous at the same time, some super cool powerful dude with charcoal skin and white flowing hair equipped with an even powerful sword, and so on. You get the point, right?).
The factors that led me to start the ‘Malazan Book of the Fallen’ –
Now, since the turn of 2023, I’ve been greatly influenced by certain factors that propelled me into starting this journey (in no particular order) –
- Malaztube/Booktube/YouTube – I know there are quite a few number of people out there who make some really good content when it comes to ‘Malazan’, but the following were the ones that I was hugely inspired by (again, in no particular order) – Matt’s Fantasy Book Reviews, Iskar Jarak, Andy Smith, The Fantasy Nuttwork, Mike’s Book Reviews, Daniel Greene, Petrik Leo, CREEDER, etc. [NOT promotional in any way].
- Artworks/Fan arts/Cover designs/Other graphical representations – These were genuinely the things that pushed me into starting the series even further. Some really beautiful and amazing stuff present out there, without question. Makes you want to read it for yourself, to experience it firsthand!
- Articles/Posts/Websites/Other online resources – There’s a TON of stuff out there, in-depth/detailed to such an extent that you wouldn’t deem possible. All that and then some. Whatever you need, it’s there. The amount of dedication, effort, and analysis for this series made me realize that it was certainly more than special, and again, gave me that final push needed.
- The r/Malazan subreddit – I’ve been following/reading the posts and the comments since the past 2-3 months from afar, and was really surprised to see a well-balanced community. Also was able to check out the various resources, related sites, and the reading companions, which again, strengthens the fact that there’s so much great content and info. present out there, thanks to the efforts of many people.
All the above factors did a massive job in pushing me to start the series immediately. And without wasting any more time, I ordered a copy of ‘Gardens of the Moon’ (which was on sale luckily too!).
Some VERY important advice for all the new readers out there –
I absolutely had to post this, no doubt. Especially with my personal experience, I find it a kind of motivation to try and help/stop this from happening to the brand-new audience. If you want to avoid being spoiled with respect to anything and everything about the series before even stepping a foot into it, here’s some words of advice that you might consider following –
- TOTALLY AVOID THE BACK COVERS/SYNOPSIS! – Two major spoilers were ruined for me while doing this. Now, I get that you are looking to know what is happening and what not, but avoid this. Maybe just go for the ‘Gardens of the Moon’ one since it’ll be your first book to pick (even though you’d still be wondering WTH is going on and why), but that’s all. No more. Rather go for Malaztube/Booktube/YouTube content which has non spoiler stuff. Those are very well explained, and won’t spoil anything for you. Rather will make the basic gist of the series pretty clear so that you can directly hop on the wagon. Lots of channels to choose from as well. Even some of the articles/websites will do the same for you (hoping you avoid clicking where you shouldn’t be clicking in the first place!).
- AVOID GETTING INTO THE ARTWORK/FAN ART TRAP! – Now, I’m not saying this in a negative way, of course not. There are some gorgeous, amazing artworks out there, especially fan arts. But make sure you only go through the ones with a NO SPOILER tag/label. Otherwise, don’t even glance at it. Some artists/fans don’t have the tags or labels on their personal pages/bios on various platforms. So, watch out. I have unfortunately received one of the biggest possible spoilers while doing this. So, tread carefully. You have been warned!
- ARTICLES/WEBSITES/OTHER ONLINE RESOURCES – There is really some GREAT stuff out there about Malazan (I really can’t help but stress this point enough). But one wrong click, and chances are you might get spoiled (like I did). So again, only go for the NON-SPOILER stuff.
- r/Malazan – There’s a reason there are multiple, well defined ‘flairs’ present there. So out of curiosity and excitement, DO NOT click on any of the spoiler posts, let alone the comments. Even then, the spoiler part is covered by a grey patch. DO NOT click on it if you don’t want to get spoiled. Things I’ve been personally guilty of, but luckily, didn’t spoil anything major as such.
Anyways, that’s pretty much it from my perspective. I have been spoiled certain big stuff while doing this the wrong way (even though I’ve been assured through the r/Malazan sub that there’s still a LOT to uncover and experience). So, I do hope new comers won’t tread the same path as I did, and rather go through it in a much more cautioned approach for an even better first-time experience!
My opinions AFTER reading the series (the first 4 novels, that is… for now!)
Note: – I’ve recently finished the first four novels in the series – ‘Gardens of the Moon’ [GOTM], ‘Deadhouse Gates’ [DG], ‘Memories of Ice’ [MOI], and ‘House of Chains’ [HOC] [updated: January, 2024]. I’ll just quickly sum up the series (and my personal experience of reading the same) so far – EPIC IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD. And even that… is an understatement, let me tell you very honestly. In conclusion – I’m totally in love with MBOTF and Erikson. The journey so far has been nothing short of amazing, and I’ve enjoyed every bit of it!
As mentioned before, having now read and experienced the first four novels of the ‘Malazan Book of the Fallen’ for myself, here’s what I honestly think –
- The series is complex and confusing? – It is complex, and it is confusing. But I think this was blown way out of proportion. For an average reader like me, I found the first four novels very enjoyable and interesting, and that’s putting it lightly still. So, do not worry about understanding everything. Just pick up the series, read along, and go with the flow. Plus, if you find it a “little” complex/difficult to go along with, there’s quite a few excellent guides/companions present online which will help you through. Not to forget the awesome community on the r/Malazan sub as well, which will help/guide and motivate you in every step of the way (like it did for me!).
- There are too many characters? – Agreed! But let me tell you one thing very honestly. You won’t feel that a character is similar to the other in any way. Not one! Erikson has done an incredible job with this. Kudos to him. At the end of the books, you will either fall in love with pretty much every character, or hate some of them like no other! There are times where you will have a take a break and recall when the last time you had encountered a particular character was, but again, with the help of the various resources at hand, it isn’t much of a sweat at all.
- The writing is difficult to pick up? – Agreed, again. But only some parts of it. The rest is very smooth sailing. You have to remember that GOTM was written way before it was originally published, that too for a script initially. And truthfully, DG has significantly improved on this very aspect. And it just gets better from MOI onwards. So again, this one is quite blown out of proportion I feel.
In conclusion, what I would say is this – just pick up the books, read them, rather – experience them, and then decide for yourselves. If I would have gone with some of the views of the people online/throughout the internet, I wouldn’t even have had a look at the series in the first place! But now, I’m very much glad that I have undertaken a journey such as this, truth be told.
So yeah, hopefully you’ve managed to gain some type of “enlightenment” through this post (considering that you’ve made it this far in the first place!). Again, I’ve tried and attempted to share my views/thoughts/opinions and experiences on the series as a whole, as a first-time reader, and that if you’ve managed to read this, it somewhat encourages you (rather than to put you off, as it seems to do when it comes to this series) to start this incredible and unique journey for yourselves.
Cheers!
