A Malazan Book of the Fallen Collection 3

Acclaim for Steven Erikson's
The Malazan Book of the Fallen:
    'Steven Erikson is an extraordinary writer ... My advice to anyone who might listen to me is: treat yourself Stephen R. Donaldson
    'Give me the evocation of a rich, complex and yet ultimately unknowable other world, with a compelling suggestion of intricate history and mythology and lore. Give me mystery amid the grand narrative ... Give me the world in which every sea hides a crumbled Atlantis, every ruin has a tale to tell, every broken blade is a silent legacy of struggles unknown. Give me in other words, the fantasy work of Steven Erikson ... a master of lost and forgotten epochs, a weaver of ancient epics' Salon.com
    'I stand slack-jawed in awe of The Malazan Book of the Fallen. This masterwork of the imagination may be the high watermark of epic fantasy' Glen Cook
    'Truly epic in scope, Erikson has no peer when it comes to action and imagination, and joins the ranks of Tolkien and Donaldson in his mythic vision and perhaps then goes one better' SF Site
    'Rare is the writer who so fluidly combines a sense of mythic power and depth of world with fully realized characters and thrilling action, but Steven Erikson manages it spectacularly' Michael A. Stackpole
    'Like the archaeologist that he is, Erikson continues to delve into the history and ruins of the Malazan Empire, in the process revealing unforeseen riches and annals that defy expectation ... this is true myth in the making, a drawing upon fantasy to recreate histories and legends as rich as any found within our culture' Interzone
    'Gripping, fast-moving, delightfully dark ... Erikson brings a punchy, mesmerizing writing style into the genre of epic fantasy, making an indelible impression. Utterly engrossing' Elizabeth Hayden
    'Everything we have come to expect from this most excellent of fantasy writers; huge in scope, vast in implication and immensely, utterly entertaining' alienonline
    'One of the most promising new writers of the past few years, he has more than proved his right to A-list status' Bookseller
    'Erikson's strengths are his grown-up characters and his ability to create a world every bit as intricate and messy as our own' J. V. Jones
    'An author who never disappoints on delivering stunning and hard-edged fantasy is Steven Erikson ... a master of modern fantasy' WBQ magazine
    'Wondrous voyages, demons and gods abound ... dense and complex ... ultimately rewarding' Locus
    'Erikson ... is able to create a world that is both absorbing on a human level and full of magical sublimity ... A wonderfully grand conception ... splendidly written ... fiendishly readable' Adam Roberts
    'A multi-layered tale of magic and war, loyalty and betrayal. Complexly drawn characters occupy a richly detailed world in this panoramic saga' Library Journal
    'Epic in every sense of the word ... Erikson shows a masterful control of an immense plot ... the worlds of mortals and gods meet in what is a truly awe-inspiring clash' Enigma

By Steven Erikson
    GARDENS OF THE MOON
DEADHOUSE GATES
MEMORIES OF ICE
HOUSE OF CHAINS
MIDNIGHT TIDES
THE BONEHUNTERS
REAPER'S GALE

Midnight Tides
    A Tale of the
Malazan Book of the Fallen
    STEVEN ERIKSON

To Christopher Porozny

A CKNOWLEDGEMENTS
    Deepest appreciation to the old crew, Rick, Chris and Mark, for the advance comments on this novel. And to Courtney, Cam and David Keck for their friendship. Thanks as always to Clare and Bowen, to Simon Taylor and his compatriots at Transworld; to Steve Donaldson, Ross and Perry; Peter and Nicky Crowther, Patrick Walsh and Howard Morhaim. And to the staff at Tony's Bar Italia for this, the second novel fuelled by their coffee.



DRAMATIS PERSONAE
THE TISTE EDUR
    Tomad Sengar, patriarch of the Sengar Bloodline
    Uruth, matriarch of the Sengar Bloodline
    Fear Sengar, Eldest Son, Weapons Master of the Tribes
    Trull Sengar, Second Son
    Binadas Sengar, Third Son
    Rhulad Sengar, Fourth and Youngest Son
    Mayen, Fear's Betrothed
    Hannan Mosag, Warlock King of the Six Tribes
Confederacy
    Theradas Buhn, Eldest Son of the Buhn Bloodline
    Midik Buhn, Second Son
    Badar, an unblooded
    Rethal, a warrior
    Canarth, a warrior
    Choram Irard, an unblooded
    Kholb Harat, an unblooded
    Matra Brith, an unblooded
LETHERII SLAVES AMONG THE TISTE EDUR
    Udinaas
    Feather Witch
    Hulad
    Virrick
THE LETHERII
    In the Palace
    Ezgara Diskanar, King of Letheras
    Janall, Queen of Letheras
    Quillas Diskanar, Prince and Heir
    Unnutal Hebaz, Preda (Commander) of Letherii