But a series which - based on this first installment - has the potential to become known as a defining work in a market already overwhelmed with fantasy series. This isn’t the first in a 10-book “sequence ” it’s the first of a lengthy, complex and intriguing series. So, I imagine you’re wondering, “Is it true? Is this a stand-alone novel?” Well, there’s actually a lot more to his involvement than that, but… read it and see.) (In this one, Captain Ganoes Paran plays a key role by being knifed in an alley the same day he is assigned to his new command. There are 10 books planned in the “sequence,” but each is intended to be a stand-alone story, unified by their chronicling of the lives of 3 members of the noble house of Paran, each of whom plays a key role in the history of the Malazan Empire. There are 10 books planned - wait, don’t go yet. Unsurprisingly, it’s only the first of The Tales of the Malazan Book of the Fallen. The character histories and interactions are equally complex and interesting… The world history is tremendously complex, spanning hundreds of thousands of years. The world is fully realized and the characters are people you want to spend time with. This is an astounding debut fantasy novel.

Copies weren’t available in North America yet, but that didn’t stop Neil from remarking on what he told me was the most exciting new author he’d discovered in a long time: I remember when my buddy Neil Walsh reviewed the first volume, Gardens of the Moon, for my new website SF Site a dozen years ago.

The final volume - the 928-page The Crippled God, in hardcover from Tor books - went on sale yesterday. Steven Erikson has completed his epic fantasy 10-book fantasy series The Malazan Book of the Fallen.

The crippled god by steven erikson