Night of Knives: A Novel of the Malazan Empire

Night of Knives draws on events from the prologue of Steven Erikson's Gardens of the Moon: A Malazan Book of the Fallen. It is the first novel in Ian C. Esslemont's Novels of the Malazan Empire series, set in the world of Malaz. The small island of Malaz and its city once gave the great empire its name, but now serves as a sleepy, backwater port. On this particular night, the city is tense and active, with citizens barring doors and avoiding strangers. A convergence is occurring—a once-in-a-generation Shadow Moon that threatens the island with demon hounds and darker forces. The night is also prophesied to bring the return of Emperor Kellanved, and various factions within the Empire are prepared to prevent this. As battle lines form over the imperial throne, the Shadow Moon summons an ancient and potent presence to assault the island. Two witnesses to these events are Kiska, a young girl seeking to escape the city's constraints, and Temper, a battle-weary veteran trying to escape his past. Their actions will shape the fate of Malaz City and the world beyond.