The Last Champion

The enthralling, exciting fifth chapter – a narrative full of adventure, blood and magic – in Ian C. Esslemont's acclaimed epic fantasy sequence 'Paths to Ascendancy' that takes readers back to the turbulent and troubled early history of what would become the Malazan Empire.

The Seven Holy Cities were founded by an ancient and proud race in a time and an age lost to memory. They have endured so long they have given their name to the entire region.

For many centuries they warred openly among themselves, each certain of its claim to the title of primary city, the First of the Holies. After much bloodshed and destruction they finally settled into a custom of resolving their disputes by duels of City Champions.

Time and again foreign armies have invaded and attempted to conquer them but none have ever succeeded. Now, new foreign invaders have appeared from the south. They have established a small foothold in the far east. Yet none are concerned for soon enough one city or another will trouble itself to assemble an army and sweep these Malazans into the sea.

Witnessing the arrival of these foreigners is a youth, native born but not entirely native; his mother a stranded sailor of these invaders. Impressed as he is by the might of these foreigners, he has also befriended a penniless wandering Priestess and agreed to serve as her disciple.

We follow the travels of this youth as war engulfs the lands and cities fall to the invaders. Chameleon-like, the youth shifts between worlds and cultures; at one time training under a legendary soldier of the invaders; at another time serving a foreign scholar on a mysterious expedition deep into the Odhan deserts. But it is to the Priestess that he gave his heart and to whom he always returns to help her in her lifelong search for a profound secret of the land. A secret some say best kept hidden deep beneath the sands that swallowed it.

As to these invaders, the Seven are not troubled, for do they not have their Champions? Yet these Malazans advance like a relentless tide – and they have brought their own Champion...

So begins another tale of war, intrigue, betrayal, magic and empires, set within the fully-realized world of Malaz.