Reading Order of Malazan Book of the Fallen

While we wait for the last book in the Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson, The Crippled God to arrive. I thought it would be a good idea for those of you who are considering getting into the series or just starting the adventure to know where to begin.

One of the most difficult parts of understanding the series is the timelines, which do not always add up. So, I will also attempt to simplify the timelines as well. Bear in mind this may or may not be completely accurate as I have a hard time figuring everything out myself. Of course you can read them in order of timeline or by publishing order the choice is yours.


Timeline Order:

Night of Knives (1154)

Blood Follows (c. 1154)
The Lees of Laughter's End (c. 1154)
The Healthy Dead (c. 1158)
Midnight Tides (uncertain, but possibly two years before Gardens of the Moon, c. 1161)
Gardens of the Moon (1163)
Deadhouse Gates and Memories of Ice (1163-64, these two novels occur simultaneously)
House of Chains (1164, with a lengthy prologue section that takes place some years earlier)
The Bonehunters (1164-65)
Return of the Crimson Guard (c. 1165, just after the events in The Bonehunters)
Stonewielder (1165, a few months after the events in Return of the Crimson Guard)
Reaper's Gale (c. 1165 or 1166)
Toll the Hounds (by internal evidence, c. 1169-70, but this conflicts with dates in other books)
Dust of Dreams (unknown, but after the events of Reaper's Gale)
The Crippled God (unknown)

Publishing Order:
Gardens of the Moon (1999)
Deadhouse Gates (2000)
Memories of Ice (2001)
House of Chains (2002)
Midnight Tides (2004)
The Bonehunters (2006)
Reaper's Gale (2007)
Toll the Hounds (2008)
Dust of Dreams (2009)
The Crippled God (15 FEB 2011)

Novellas:
Blood Follows (2002)
The Healthy Dead (2004)
The Lees of Laughter's End (2007)
Bauchelain and Korbal Broach (2009)
The Crack'd Pot Trail (2009)

Novels of the Malazan Empire:
Night of Knives (2005)
Return of the Crimson Guard (2008)
Stonewielder (2010)