Same old question, just a different person asking.

[Mr. Broken]

So Ive never posted in this forum, and I have resisted the urge to explore it because I have never read any of these stories before, and I try to steer clear of talking, or writing about that which I know nothing about. However it just so happens that I was recently witness to a sad event , a bookstore going out of buisness. I stood there for a moment observing a short private moment of silence when suddenly out of the corner of my eye I spotted the 60-80% off sign, and swooped in with the rest of the vultures.
Barely escaping with my life I pulled free of the throng emerging with 3 hard won treasures.
Gardens of the Moon
Bauchelain and Korbal Broach
by Steven Erikson, as well as
Night of Knives by Ian C. Esselmont.
A little birdy told me that it is unwise to approach these works without caution, so I am hoping some one will offer some guidance as to wich is best to start with

[Brinn]

Start anywhere but "Gardens of the Moon" which is a jumbled mess of a book. The others do get better but "Gardens" was grueling.

[Mr. Broken]

I guess Ill just start with the short stories, although I do like a challenging read. I survived the Silmarillion, 6 times now.

[Onos T'oolan]

Ignore Brinn. He's a fool. Well, ok, he's got really, really, really good taste in books. Still, ignore him this time. Read Gardens. Some of us think it's great, and even thought so the first time reading it. No, it's not the masterpiece that I think the next two books are. But it's great.

[Avatar]

Well, technically, Night of Knives should come first...it's sorta the prequel to GotM.

--A

[StevieG]

Yeah, but I'd still say read "Gardens of the Moon" - a bit of concentration goes a long way! It's not a bad book and sort of sets the tone...

[dANdeLION]

Read them in the order they were written.

The Malazan Book of the Fallen Series

1. Gardens of the Moon (1999)
2. Deadhouse Gates (2000)
3. Memories of Ice (2001)
4. House of Chains (2002)
5. Midnight Tides (2004)
6. The Bonehunters (2006)
7. Reaper's Gale (2007)
8. Toll the Hounds (2008)
9. Dust of Dreams (2009)
10. The Crippled God (forthcoming)

Novellas in the Series

1. Blood Follows (2002)
2. The Healthy Dead (2004)
3. The Lees of Laughter's End (2007)
4. Crack’d Pot Trail (forthcoming)

Novels of the Malazan Empire

1. Night of Knives (2005, written by Ian Cameron Esslemont).
2. Return of the Crimson Guard (2008, written by Ian Cameron Esslemont).
3. Stonewielder, (forthcoming, written by Ian Cameron Esslemont).

Gardens is first. If you end up agreeing with Brinn's assessment, you'll be glad you got it out of the way.

[Brinn]

Well, ok, he's got really, really, really good taste in books.

Damn straight! Everyone should like exactly what I like and those who don't are clearly lacking in some aesthetic, moral or intellectual dimension.

I survived the Silmarillion, 6 times now.

You're clearly a glutton for punishment. Start with "Gardens", I'm sure you'll love it!

[dANdeLION]

I had a hard time connecting with GotM until the story got to Darujistan.

[lucimay]

as dAN said, best to read them in order.

altho, you might want to read Night of Knives
once you've gotten 2 or 3 books into the series.
by that time you should prolly be wondering about
kellanved and dancer and that's what NoK is about.

then, down the road apiece, prolly wanna read Return
of the Crimson Guard between Toll the Hounds and Dust
of Dreams. or maybe even between Reaper's Gale
and Toll the Hounds.

the esselmont books ARE part of the series and there are
important things in them that you won't want to miss, whereas
the K&B novellas simply take place in the same world and
don't have really anything to do with The Malazan Book of
the Fallen.

[Mr. Broken]

Well after mulling over my options, I went with the prequel, and was hooked within 10 pages, the only problem now is that I have to read Gardens because I finished Night of Knives in one night. Hopefully I enjoy Erikson as much as I did Esselmont. Top notch story.

[aliantha]

If you thought NoK was top-notch, GotM will blow you away.

[Onos T'oolan]

Very cool! Glad to hear it!

The writing style of NoK is very different from Erikson's, and even very different from Esselmont's in RotCG. But now you have an idea about at least a few of the characters, and that's very important.