Forge of the High Mage

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After decades of warfare, Malazan forces are close to consolidating the Quon Talian mainland when Emperor Kellanved orders a new campaign to invade Falar. With the main armies engaged elsewhere, a collection of orphaned units and broken squads, led by Fist Dujek—who is recovering from the loss of an arm—embark on this new mission. This rag-tag army is joined by a motley fleet under the Emperor's command. However, doubts linger about Kellanved and his cohort Dancer. As the Malazan force heads north, they encounter an unexpected and formidable threat, an ancient horror that has awakened and will destroy all in its path. Tayschrenn, the untested High Mage of the Empire, is particularly horrified, fully aware of the nature of this terror and his own inadequacy in facing it. He must confront it alongside unlikely allies. Meanwhile, the theocracy of Falar is not defenseless; its priests possess a terrifying weapon, the Jhistal, rumored to be a gift from the sea-god Mael. The Emperor sails towards Falar aboard his flagship Twisted, a vessel believed to be otherworldly. In the Ice Wastes and the islands of Falar, the Malazan Empire faces two daunting challenges, each with the potential to lead to its destruction. These are tumultuous times for all involved in the forging of the Malazan Empire.