![]() First edition cover | |
Author | Steven Erikson |
---|---|
Cover artist | Steve Stone |
Country | United Kingdom |
Language | English |
Series | The Kharkanas Trilogy |
Genre | Fantasy novel |
Publisher | Bantam Press (UK & Canada) & Tor Books (USA) |
Publication date | 31 July 2012 |
Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) Ebook Audiobook |
Pages | 662 pp (Bantam UK hardcover edition) |
ISBN | 0-593-06217-5 (Bantam UK hardcover edition) |
OCLC | 778422528 |
813.6 | |
LC Class | PR9199.4.E745 |
Followed by | Fall of Light |
Forge of Darkness is the first novel of The Kharkanas Trilogy by Canadian author Steven Erikson, set before the events of the Malazan Book of the Fallen . [1] [2]
The novel is set 300,000 years before the events in the Book of the Fallen and explores the background of the Tiste race and their impending civil war. [3] The novel is framed as being told by one poet to another. [4]
A major theme in the novel is how stories and history often blur together and the way the present is continuous and eternally reshapes itself in response to the past. The novel also explores several sides of an impending civil war. Tor notes that Forge of Darkness is rife with recurring themes: environmental deprivation, the creation and role of history, extinction, return to childhood, the costs of certainty, questions of religion, justice, empathy. Erikson also muses on the core questions of culture, of civilization and of being. [4]
The novel was initially released in a hardcover edition by Bantam Books in the UK and Canada on 31 July 2012, followed by a paperback edition on 2 August 2012. [5] Tor released the US hardcover edition on 18 September 2012 and a paperback edition on 27 August 2013. [6] PS Publishing also released a two volume, signed and slipcased limited hardcover edition (300 copies) in October 2012 with cover art by David Gentry. [7]
An ebook edition was also released by both publishers. The novel's audiobook, voiced by Daniel Philpott, was released by Brilliance Audio on 16 September 2014. [8] Tor had released excerpts of the novel's prelude and the first five chapters during July and August 2012. [9]
The novel has received generally positive review from critics. SFSite praised the scope of Erikson's imagination and narrative while noting that the novel would far exceed any and all expectations that readers of the Malazan Book of the Fallen could possibly harbor. [10] Reviewers have also noted the philosophical meanderings in the story and similarities in Erikson's fiction and historical or philosophical treatises, while praising the scope and breadth of the narrative. [11]
While prequels generally rob readers of the narrative tension at the outset, Tor notes that Erikson avoids this pitfall by placing the story thousands of years in the past with long-lived characters that actually span the time period. Critics also praised Erikson's genius in weaving together multiple themes and characters but criticized the pacing of the novel due to the "characters’ penchant for introspection or philosophizing". [3] [4]
Steve Rune Lundin, known by his pseudonym Steven Erikson, is a Canadian novelist who was educated and trained as both an archaeologist and anthropologist.
Gardens of the Moon is the first of ten novels in Canadian author Steven Erikson's high fantasy series the Malazan Book of the Fallen.
Malazan Book of the Fallen is a series of epic fantasy novels written by the Canadian author Steven Erikson. The series, published by Bantam Books in the U.K. and Tor Books in the U.S., consists of ten volumes, beginning with Gardens of the Moon (1999) and concluding with The Crippled God (2011). Erikson's series is extremely complex with a wide scope, and presents the narratives of a large cast of characters spanning thousands of years across multiple continents.
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The Bonehunters is the sixth volume in Canadian author Steven Erikson's epic fantasy series, the Malazan Book of the Fallen. The Bonehunters is a direct sequel to the fourth volume, House of Chains, and alludes to events in the fifth, Midnight Tides.
Dust of Dreams is the ninth volume of Canadian author Steven Erikson's epic fantasy series, the Malazan Book of the Fallen. It is the first book in the series to end on a cliffhanger, dealing with the fallout from Reaper's Gale and forms the first half of the series finale, with The Crippled God forming the second half, and being the tenth and final novel in the series.
The Crippled God is the tenth and final volume of Canadian author Steven Erikson's epic fantasy series, the Malazan Book of the Fallen.
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Return of the Crimson Guard is a fantasy novel by Canadian author Ian Cameron Esslemont, his second book set in the world of the Malazan Book of the Fallen, co-created with friend and colleague Steven Erikson. Chronologically, Return of the Crimson Guard takes place after the events in Erikson's sixth Malazan novel, The Bonehunters. Return of the Crimson Guard is the second of six planned novels by Esslemont to take place in the Malazan world, starting with Night of Knives and followed by Stonewielder.
Stonewielder is the third fantasy novel by Canadian author Ian Cameron Esslemont set in the world of the Malazan Book of the Fallen, co-created with Esslemont's friend and colleague Steven Erikson. Stonewielder is the third of six novels by Esslemont to take place in the Malazan world.
Orb Sceptre Throne is the fourth fantasy novel by Canadian author Ian Cameron Esslemont set in the world of the Malazan Book of the Fallen, co-created with Esslemont's friend and colleague Steven Erikson. Orb Sceptre Throne is the fourth of six novels by Esslemont to take place in the Malazan world.
Assail is the sixth and final volume of the Novels of the Malazan Empire series by Canadian author Ian Cameron Esslemont. The novel is set in the world of the Malazan Book of the Fallen, co-created with Esslemont's friend and colleague Steven Erikson.
The Kharkanas Trilogy is an epic fantasy series by the Canadian writer Steven Erikson. The series consists of three novels, two of which—Forge of Darkness and Fall of Light—have been published as of 2019. The series serves as a prequel to Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen series, and tells the story of the Tiste, Jaghut and Azathanai, three hundred thousand years before the Malazan Empire began its conquest on Genabackis, with a focus on characters such as Anomander Rake, Draconus, Hood, Gothos and K'rul. The series draws inspiration from the Shakespearean declamation style, and is framed as being told by one poet to another. It was received positively by critics as well as readers.
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List of complete works by Canadian fantasy fiction author Steven Erikson.
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