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Series · epic fantasy

The Tales of Witness

by Steven Erikson

The Tales of Witness series by Steven Erikson has 3 books and is best read in publication order, starting with The God Is Not Willing (2021). The next book, Legacies of Betrayal, is due 1 October 2026.

Books
3 books
First published
2021
Status
ongoing
Last checked

Start here: The God Is Not Willing (2021) — then read straight through in publication order.

Cover of The God Is Not Willing, the first book in The Tales of Witness

Reading order

The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.

  1. The God Is Not Willing

    Novel

    View book

  2. No Life Forsaken

    Novel

    View book

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.

How to read this series

Read in publication order: The God Is Not Willing, then No Life Forsaken. Legacies of Betrayal continues directly from No Life Forsaken -- Erikson has said the two were originally written as a single novel before being split for length -- and a fourth, still-untitled book will follow. This is a direct sequel to the ten-book Malazan Book of the Fallen and assumes that series is already read; it isn't a new entry point into the Malazan world. Karsa Orlong's arc in particular carries much more weight for readers who followed him through House of Chains onward.

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).

Reading order last verified .