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The Tales of Witness

by Steven Erikson

The Tales of Witness series by Steven Erikson has 3 known books (2 published). It is best read in publication order, starting with The God Is Not Willing (2021). No Life Forsaken is the latest book with a fully recorded publication date.

Books
3 known books (2 novels)
Published
2
First published
2021
Status
ongoing
Shelved under
Fantasy
Start here: The God Is Not Willing (2021) — then read straight through in publication order.
Book one
Cover of The God Is Not Willing
The God Is Not Willing (2021)

Reading order

The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.

  1. The God Is Not Willing

    Novel
    Steven Erikson returned to the Malazan world with The God Is Not Willing (July 2021), a substantial 688-page novel set years after The Crippled God, following Karsa Orlong as a new threat gathers around Silver Lake in the fractured settlements of the north.
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  2. No Life Forsaken

    Novel
    No Life Forsaken continued the story more than four years later, in October 2025, at an even longer 760 pages, picking up directly from the first book's escalating crisis -- what was originally meant to be the trilogy's second volume before it split into two novels during writing.
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Key facts about The Tales of Witness series

Our list has 2 books in The Tales of Witness series. Since all 2 are out now, you can read the whole list today.

Start with The God Is Not Willing, since it opens the publication order in 2021. No Life Forsaken is book 2, from 2025.

The list keeps the books in date order, while each title links to its own page. Each book page shows its dates and editions.

No Life Forsaken is the latest book with a full release date, out on 23 October 2025. The catalogue marks it as ongoing, yet no next book has a date so far.

The books came out between 2021 and 2025, while their length runs from 688 to 760 pages. That is a run of 4 years.

Steven Erikson has 25 books on our list. Additionally, they write Malazan Book of the Fallen, The Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach and The Kharkanas Trilogy, plus 1 more series. We shelve the books under epic fantasy.

About The Tales of Witness

The Tales of Witness returns Steven Erikson to the Malazan world for a story set after the events of the original ten-book Malazan Book of the Fallen, centred on the city of Lether and the fallout of empire, faith and grief in the sequence's aftermath. The God Is Not Willing (2021) picks up years after The Crippled God, following Karsa Orlong -- one of Malazan's most towering figures -- as a new threat gathers around Silver Lake and the increasingly fractured settlements of the north, while a cast including Blistig, Rendarath and a young witness to encroaching catastrophe try to hold back a coming war.

Where the original ten-volume sequence sprawled across continents and centuries, the Witness books narrow the lens: this is Erikson returning to a specific place and a smaller cast, examining what peace actually costs the people left to rebuild after the Book of the Fallen's apocalyptic climax. No Life Forsaken (2025) continues directly from the first book's escalating crisis.

Originally announced as a trilogy, Erikson revealed in 2024 that the story had grown into four books after the second volume split into two novels during writing -- No Life Forsaken and Legacies of Betrayal (announced for October 2026) cover material originally intended as a single book. A fourth, as-yet-untitled volume will complete the sequence. Like the Kharkanas Trilogy, Witness rewards readers who already know the original Malazan Book of the Fallen; this is a direct sequel, not a fresh entry point.

Frequently asked questions

How many books are in the Tales of Witness series?

Four are planned. Two are published -- The God Is Not Willing (2021) and No Life Forsaken (2025) -- with Legacies of Betrayal announced for October 2026 and a fourth, untitled book still to come. It was originally announced as a trilogy before Erikson split the middle book in two.

What order should I read the Tales of Witness in?

Publication order: The God Is Not Willing, No Life Forsaken, then Legacies of Betrayal once released, followed by the untitled fourth book.

Do I need to read the Malazan Book of the Fallen before the Tales of Witness?

Yes -- this is a direct sequel set after the original ten-book series, following characters (notably Karsa Orlong) and consequences from that sequence. It is not designed as a starting point for new Malazan readers.

Why did the Tales of Witness change from a trilogy to a quartet?

In 2024, Erikson explained that while writing the second book he realized the material was actually two novels, which became No Life Forsaken and Legacies of Betrayal -- expanding the originally planned trilogy to four books.

When is Legacies of Betrayal released?

It has a confirmed release date of 1 October 2026 in the UK (6 October 2026 in the US).

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