See buying choices for this item to see if it's one of the millions that are eligible for Amazon Prime.

10 used & new from £7.00
See All Buying Options
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Night of Knives: A Novel of the Malazan Empire
 
See larger image 
Share your own customer images
Publisher: learn how customers can search inside this book.

Night of Knives: A Novel of the Malazan Empire (Hardcover)

by Ian Cameron Esslemont (Author)
3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (25 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.


4 new from £7.00 6 used from £8.40
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover Order it used
Paperback 10 used & new from £5.00
Mass Market Paperback £7.99 £6.39 26 used & new from £3.61

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Toll The Hounds (Malazan Book of the Fallen)

Toll The Hounds (Malazan Book of the Fallen)

by Steven Erikson
3.2 out of 5 stars (30)  £7.19
Return of the Crimson Guard (Malazan Empire 2)

Return of the Crimson Guard (Malazan Empire 2)

by Ian Cameron Esslemont
4.1 out of 5 stars (16)  £6.29
Reaper's Gale (Malazan Book of the Fallen)

Reaper's Gale (Malazan Book of the Fallen)

by Steven Erikson
4.2 out of 5 stars (19)  £7.19
The Bonehunters: 6 (Malazan Book of the Fallen)

The Bonehunters: 6 (Malazan Book of the Fallen)

by Steven Erikson
3.3 out of 5 stars (3)  £6.99
Midnight Tides (Malazan Book of the Fallen)

Midnight Tides (Malazan Book of the Fallen)

by Steven Erikson
4.4 out of 5 stars (28)  £6.99
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Hardcover: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Bantam Press; New edition edition (4 Jun 2007)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0593057813
  • ISBN-13: 978-0593057810
  • Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 15.2 x 3.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 222,781 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Product Description

Product Description
It gave the Empire its name, but the tiny island and city of Malaz is now a sleepy, seedy back-water port. However this night things are a little different. This night, its residents are bustling about, barring doors and shuttering windows. Because this night a once-in-a-generation Shadow Moon is due and threatens the good citizens of Malaz with demon hounds and other, darker, beings...And it was also prophesied that on this night the Emperor Kellanved, missing for all these years, will return. As factions within the greater Empire battle over the imperial throne, the Shadow Moon summons a far more alien and ancient presence for an all-out assault upon the island. Indeed the cataclysmic events that happen this night will determine the fate of the Malaz and of the entire world beyond.

From the Publisher
The debut fantasy novel from the co-creator of the Steven Erikson's extraordinary Malazan Empire

See all Product Description

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below
(3)
(1)
(1)
(1)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Night of Knives: A Novel of the Malazan Empire
55% buy the item featured on this page:
Night of Knives: A Novel of the Malazan Empire 3.6 out of 5 stars (25)
Toll The Hounds (Malazan Book of the Fallen)
16% buy
Toll The Hounds (Malazan Book of the Fallen) 3.2 out of 5 stars (30)
£7.19
Return of the Crimson Guard (Malazan Empire 2)
11% buy
Return of the Crimson Guard (Malazan Empire 2) 4.1 out of 5 stars (16)
£6.29
Reaper's Gale (Malazan Book of the Fallen)
10% buy
Reaper's Gale (Malazan Book of the Fallen) 4.2 out of 5 stars (19)
£7.19
Explore similar items
 

Customer Reviews

25 Reviews
5 star:
 (6)
4 star:
 (7)
3 star:
 (8)
2 star:
 (4)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.6 out of 5 stars (25 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but, 12 Dec 2006
The good news is that this is definitely a book of the Malaz. Esslemont and Erikson are doing a good job of sharing their world. And we do get new pieces in the puzzle :)

The bad news is that Esslemont, while close to Erikson in style and narrative, does not have the same touch with his characters. Wry humour, witty exchanges or character motivation are lacking. I get the feeling that Esslemont should try and develop a bit of his own style, which does shine through in the passages at sea. Perhaps a collection of Malaz short stories?

It's not bad, trouble is that it is too close to Erikson while not being Erikson.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A good addon for the Malazan series, 13 May 2008
By L. W. Gulbrandsen "Wild Norseman" (Oslo, Norway) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Night of Knives: A Novel of the Malazan Empire (Malazan Empire 1) (Mass Market Paperback)
I've read all Erikson's Malazans book's so far, and find them to be among the best fantasy books out there at the moment.
The only drawback is keeping up with the complexity and scope of it all. Keeping places,time and people(especially people) apart is a chore if it's a long time between reading the book's, and that's a problem in this book aswell.
Although short in comparison to other Malazan books, and also somewhat confined in terms of places and people, Esslemont's Night of knives does expect you to be familiar with the Malazan universe. I would at least have read the first book of the series to get some understanding of things.

Other than that, this is an interesting sidestory to Eriksons main plot, also including characters we have met before. Fast paced and well written,
it kept me guessing at the outcome,(couldn't remember how things turned out from Erikson's books). An entertaining read, if not epic like the Malazan novels.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars A good book that could have been really great, 10 Jun 2007
By Mr. Kevin Powell (South Wales GB) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Was this book just a copied idea sanctioned by the originator? Not at all! It turns out that the entire pantheon of the Malaz universe is a joint creation between two writers, Erikson and Esselmont.

So it's a book of which I expected much, but which unfortunately delivers something less. I wonder whether I would feel as disappointed if I have not read Eriksons books first. They are all superb! This inevitably colours any comparison between the two writers. But I agree with the other reviews. The pace is fast and furious and it's a lively read. I enjoyed it enough to know I'll read it again at a later date. But I'll reserve judgement on Esselmont as a writer until after another book in the series.

So why the disappointment? For a start, its far too short. It might only portray the events of a single night, but that is no excuse for lack of depth. Eriksons writing contains lots of interwoven threads; there are only really two in this creation, where there could have been several more. I cannot be more specific because that might spoil the read.

There are plot errors. The best example is in the way a character arrives and departs the novel: by sea, and with some Imperial clout. This is a device to introduce the reader, and some of the books characters, to the fact that something is happening at an Imperial level in the relative backwater of Malaz Island. This then drives the principle players forward. However, some of the other personae clearly arrive by magic, and when the seafarers identity is resolved, it's obvious that this individual has more than sufficient authority to have done the same. Then there is the matter of why Kellanved did not use the T'lan Imass for protection!

Finally. Should either author ever read this review (unlikely as it is!) I have a request. There's a better book waiting to be written to start the world of the Malazans explaining how Kellanved discovered the existence of the empty Throne of Shadow, and the means of possessing it. plus: how Surly took advantage, how the Claw destroyed the (better) Talon, the domination of the T'lan Imass by Kellanved, I could go on and on, and it would be such a fascinating read.....
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Good effort
I'll be honest i did enjoy reading this book. However sometimes the writing feels rushed and not thought out. Read more
Published 1 month ago by L. Goff

2.0 out of 5 stars Not up to scratch
If it wasn't for Steven Erikson this might pass, but he has set the bar high for quality and depth and this book while almost getting there once or twice, fails overal. Read more
Published 1 month ago by A Johnson

4.0 out of 5 stars Night of knives
Bit more fast paced, less descriptive than his brother author Steven Erikson. As such comes across a bit less polished and more rudimentary than the Malazan book of the Fallen... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Gary A. Allen

4.0 out of 5 stars Exceeded expectations
I confess that I came to this book expected to be disappointed. I've become a huge fan of Erikson and the world of his Malazan series, and comparisons were inevitable. Read more
Published 4 months ago by John Upstone

4.0 out of 5 stars A worthy addition to the series!
This is a great addition to the Malazan books. While Eriksons main books tumbles on towards a climax, we are given a glimpse into a lot of prior events. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Peter Thomsen

4.0 out of 5 stars Unexpectedly good
The first time I picked up Night of Knives, I put it back down again within a few pages. But, being a fan of the Malazan books, I decided to give it another try, and I'm glad I... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Patrick Samphire

2.0 out of 5 stars Not a great start
I admire Esslemont for his part in the creation of the Malazan empire and I was pleased to see his first book set in this world arriving. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Mr. Iain Ormrod

4.0 out of 5 stars A great prequel to the Malazan series.
This is the very first of Esslemont's prequel Malazan novels, and here is a bi of the story.

This story tells how Kellanved and Dancer came about becoming the rulers... Read more
Published 10 months ago by B.K.Price

2.0 out of 5 stars If you enjoy Erikson, think twice before buying,
Upfront I'll confess to being an unashamed fan of Erikson's writing and believe he is one of a small group of writers that have single handed resuscitated the Fantasy literature... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Andrew Antony Ewing

3.0 out of 5 stars Nah...
I bought this book because I'm a big fan of Erikson's writing. In spite of the somewhat lukewarm reviews it had had, I was hoping Night of Knives would be a fairly decent book,... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Flemming Nielsen

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Feedback

Health & Beauty at Amazon.co.uk

Elemis Resurface and Renew Skin Care Gift Set of 4 Products
From soap to shavers, massagers to mascara, stock up on your daily essentials or truly pamper yourself.

›Discover Health & Beauty

  

Let Olay Amaze You

Olay Total Effects Day Moisturiser SPF15 50ml
Amazon.co.uk sells all your favourite ranges from Olay, including Regenerist and Total Effects.

›Discover Olay at Amazon.co.uk

  

Boys Smell

Lynx Africa Body Spray and After Shave Gift set
But we make sure they smell good...

›Discover male grooming at Amazon.co.uk

  

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

›Learn more about Gift Certificates

  
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.
Continue Shopping: Top Sellers
The Girl Who Played with Fire
The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
4.5 out of 5 stars (72)£3.86
 Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga)
Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga) by Stephenie Meyer
4.1 out of 5 stars (458)£6.49
 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
4.1 out of 5 stars (161)£3.99
 The Host
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
4.2 out of 5 stars (80)£3.86

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates