I thought maybe Path of Ascendancy would follow every step of empire-making, but that would take forever and I’m guessing the goal is to touch upon the most important moments of the expansion. But two can play at that game, for the Emperor sails towards Falar aboard his flagship Twisted - a vessel that is itself thought to be not entirely of this world.

I also can't help but wonder if he might eventually become someone we already know from the main Book of the Fallen Series? Finally, it is worth noting that there are a couple of big-name cameos in Forge of the High Mage with characters who are not directly involved in the action taking place (yet). I didn’t expect this volume to be so Tayschrenn centric, but it does such a fantastic job revealing the underpinnings of this enigmatic man. I did laugh at the very end of the book, where a cheeky Kellanved pats Tay on the back and says he’s lived up to the potential Kellanved saw in him.Experienced more of the Emperor's shadowy plans, learned the sheer power of coincidence and timing, discovered depths of treachery, and lived much action, from swordplay to spellcasting.

I was quite disappointed by the previous book, Kellanved’s Reach was far too short and spread across too many plotlines, but Forge of the High Mage is a great comeback to proper Malazan form. Malazan, Theloman, Tiste Andii, Crimson Guard and let's not forget the spider at the center of the web, a certain Dal Hon mage and his companion. The finest Esslemont novel so far, and a superb Malazan novel in its own right' - DRYING INK You may also be interested in. Either way the threads between the two are beginning to tie together in a way that only Malazan books do.When reading Forge of the High Mage, like previous entries in this series, it is easier to keep track of the people, places, and the plot. I have read every single book that has been released to date in the Malazan universe from both Ian C Esslement and Steven Erikson (well except Upon a Dark of Evil Overlords which in all his eccentricity Erikson decided to release just his handwritten notes and at the moment is not available as an actual book). But we love this world and the characters so it gets by, even though not that much actually happens.

Our main character, who takes centre stage in this Malazan tale, is a young High Mage Tayschrenn, leads the Malazan infantry alongside High Fist Dujek to reach Falar, he is untested and doesn't realise how powerful a mage he is until he comes up against very powerful elder magics. However, by Esslemont taking them away from the absolute forefront of this narrative, he is adding to their infamy and legend, when other perspectives are deciphering the rumours or contemplating the reputation of the pair. That's great, as it gives us more backstory and there are SO many stories to tell in the Malazan timeline.But two can play at that game, for the Emperor sails towards Falar aboard his flagship Twisted - a vessel that is itself thought to be not entirely of this world . Additionally make sure your User-Agent is not empty and is something unique and descriptive and try again.