📖 About Malazan Empire

Malazan Empire is a series universe written by Ian C. Esslemont. The complete collection runs to 10 books across 2 series, published between 2004 and 2023.

The main series is Publication Order of Malazan Empire Books with 7 books. It opens with Night of Knives (2004) and currently runs to Forge of the High Mage (2023).

Series included on this page:

🎯 Where to Start with Malazan Empire

New readers should begin with the first book of the main series in publication order: Night of Knives (2004), book 1 of Publication Order of Malazan Empire Books. Reading in publication order lets the world and characters develop the way the author intended, and it avoids spoilers that later books may contain.

Each of the 2 series on this page is expandable — click a series heading to see every title it contains, in order, with a direct link to buy the book on Amazon.

📚 Malazan Empire Books in Order

Publication Order of Malazan Empire Books
7 books
1
Night of Knives book cover1Night of Knives2004Buy on Amazon
Return of the Crimson Guard book cover2Return of the Crimson Guard2008Buy on Amazon
Stonewielder book cover3Stonewielder2010Buy on Amazon
Orb Sceptre Throne book cover4Orb Sceptre Throne2012Buy on Amazon
Blood and Bone book cover5Blood and Bone2012Buy on Amazon
Assail book cover6Assail2013Buy on Amazon
Forge of the High Mage book cover7Forge of the High Mage2023Buy on Amazon
Publication Order of Path to Ascendancy Books
4 books
2
Dancer's Lament book cover1Dancer's Lament2016Buy on Amazon
Deadhouse Landing book cover2Deadhouse Landing2017Buy on Amazon
Kellanved's Reach book cover3Kellanved's Reach2019Buy on Amazon
Forge of the High Mage book cover4Forge of the High Mage2023Buy on Amazon

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How many Malazan Empire books are there?
There are 10 books in the Malazan Empire collection, organised into 2 series and published between 2004 and 2023.
What is the first Malazan Empire book?
The first book is Night of Knives, published in 2004.
What order should I read the Malazan Empire books in?
Most readers use publication order, which is the order the books were originally released. A chronological order is also provided on this page for readers who prefer to follow the internal timeline of the story.
Who wrote the Malazan Empire books?
The Malazan Empire books were written by Ian C. Esslemont.
Is the Malazan Empire series finished?
The main series, Publication Order of Malazan Empire Books, has 7 books so far. The most recent title listed on this page gives the current end point of the series.
When did the Malazan Empire series start?
The earliest title in this collection was published in 2004, and the most recent in 2023.