Steven Erikson - The Bonehunters: Book Six of The Malazan Book of the Fallen

The new chapter in Steven Eriksons epic masterpiece

The Seven Cities Rebellion has been crushed. One last rebel force remains, holed up in the city of YGhatan under the fanatical command of Leoman of the Flails. The prospect of laying siege to this ancient fortress makes the battle-weary Malaz 14th Army uneasy. For it was here that the Empires greatest champion was slain and a tide of Malazan blood spilled. It is a place of foreboding, its smell is of death.

Yet this is but a sideshow. Agents of a far greater conflict have made their opening moves. The Crippled God has been granted a place in the pantheon and a schism threatens. Sides must be chosen. But whatever each god decides, the rules have changed irrevocably, terrifyingly and the first blood to be drawn will be in the mortal world .

Steven Erikson is an archaeologist and anthropologist and a graduate of the Iowa Writers Workshop. The first six novels in his Malazan Book of the Fallen sequence Gardens of the Moon , Deadhouse Gates, Memories of Ice, House of Chains, Midnight Tides and The Bonehunters have met with widespread international acclaim and established him as a major voice in the world of fantasy fiction. The thrilling seventh instalment in this remarkable story, Reapers Gale , is now available from Bantam Press. Steven Erikson lives in Canada.

By Steven Erikson

GARDENS OF THE MOON

DEADHOUSE GATES

MEMORIES OF ICE

HOUSE OF CHAINS

MIDNIGHT TIDES

THE BONEHUNTERS

REAPERS GALE

TOLL THE HOUNDS

DUST OF DREAMS

THE CRIPPLED GOD

THE FIRST COLLECTED TALES OF BAUCHELAIN & KORBAL BROACH

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Version 1.0

Epub ISBN 9781409083252

www.randomhouse.co.uk

THE BONEHUNTERS
A BANTAM BOOK : 9780553813159

Originally published in Great Britain by Bantam Press, a division of Transworld Publishers

PRINTING HISTORY
Bantam Press edition published 2006
Bantam edition published 2007

1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2

Copyright Steven Erikson 2006

The right of Steven Erikson to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the
Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All the characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Condition of Sale

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

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To Courtney Welch.
Keep the music coming, friend.

Thanks to the usual suspects, including my early-draft readers Chris, Mark, Rick, Courtney, and Bill Hunter who has proved invaluable on the mechanics and full listing of variants of the Deck of Dragons but listen, Bill, no more walking miles through the rain, right? Cam Esslemont for a most diligent read-through Im glad at least one of us has got the timeline right. Clare and Bowen, as always. To the staff at Bar Italia for seeing me through another one three novellas and four novels and twenty-two thousand lattes, that was quite a run, wasnt it? Steve, Perry and Ross Donaldson, for the friendship. Simon Taylor, Patrick Walsh and Howard Morhaim, for the good work done each and every time.

Empress Laseen , ruler of the Malazan Empire

Adjunct Tavore , commander of the Fourteenth Army

Fist Keneb , division commander

Fist Blistig , division commander

Fist Tene Baralta , division commander

Fist Temul , division commander

Nil , a Wickan warlock

Nether , a Wickan witch

Tamber , Tavores aide

Lostara Yil , aide to Pearl

Pearl , a Claw

Nok , Admiral of the Imperial Fleet

Banaschar , an ex-priest of Drek

Hellian , a sergeant in the city guard of Kartool

Urb , a city guard in Kartool

Brethless , a city guard in Kartool

Touchy , a city guard in Kartool

Quick Ben , High Mage in the Fourteenth Army

Kalam Mekhar , an assassin

Grub , a foundling

Captain Kindly , Ashok Regiment

Lieutenant Pores , Ashok Regiment

Captain Faradan Sort

Sergeant Fiddler / Strings

Corporal Tarr

Cuttle

Bottle

Koryk

Smiles

Sergeant Gesler

Corporal Stormy

Master Sergeant Braven Tooth

Maybe

Lutes

Ebron

Sinn

Crump

Sergeant Balm

Corporal Deadsmell

Throatslitter

Masan Gilani

Barathol Mekhar , a blacksmith

Kulat , a villager

Nulliss , a villager

Hayrith , a villager

Chaur , a villager

Noto Boil , company cutter (healer) in Onearms Host

Hurlochel , an outrider in Onearms Host

Captain Sweetcreek , an officer in Onearms Host

Corporal Futhgar , an officer in Onearms Host

Fist Rythe Bude , an officer in Onearms Host

Ormulogun , artist

Gumble , his critic

Apsalar , an assassin

Telorast , a spirit

Curdle , a spirit

Samar Dev , a witch of Ugarat

Karsa Orlong , a Teblor warrior

Ganath , a Jaghut

Spite , a Soletaken and sister to Lady Envy

Corabb Bhilan Thenualas

Leoman of the Flails , last leader of the rebellion

Captain Dunsparrow , YGhatan city guard

Karpolan Demesand , Trygalle Trade Guild

Torahaval Delat , a priestess of Poliel

Cutter , once Crokus of Darujhistan

Heboric Ghost Hands , Destraint of Treach

Scillara , refugee from Raraku

Felisin the Younger , refugee from Raraku

Greyfrog , a demon

Mappo Runt , a Trell

Icarium , a Jhag

Iskaral Pust , a priest of Shadow

Mogora , a Divers

Taralack Veed , a Gral and agent of the Nameless Ones

Dejim Nebrahl , a Divers Trolbarahl of the First Empire

Trull Sengar , a Tiste Edur

Onrack the Broken , an unbound Tlan Imass

Ibra Gholan , a Tlan Imass

Monok Ochem , a Tlan Imass Bonecaster

Minala , commander of the Company of Shadow

Tomad Sengar , a Tiste Edur

Feather Witch , a Letherii slave