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Deadhouse Landing
Deadhouse Landing
Dec 30, 2025 6:08 AM

Author:Ian C Esslemont

Deadhouse Landing

Fantastic world-building meets spellbinding storytelling in this must-read fan-favourite from Esslemont. Ideal for fans of Steven Erikson, David Gemmell and Brandon Sanderson.

'The world building is truly impressive . . . the action scenes well written . . . Esslemont's writing style addictive and engaging . . .' -- RISING SHADOW.NET

'Esslemont . . . seamlessly weaves great characters, action sequences and genuine humour into a fascinating narrative . . .' -- THE CRITICAL DRAGON.COM

'Never really slows down and the book is so engrossing I finished it within a week' -- ***** Reader review

'Ian C Esslemont strikes again!' -- ***** Reader review

'Another winner' -- ***** Reader review

'Absolutely brilliant' -- ***** Reader review

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After the disappointments of Li Heng, Dancer and Kellanved wash up on a small insignificant island named Malaz. Immediately, of course, Kellanved plans to take it over. To do so they join forces with a small band of Napans who have fled a civil war on their own home island. The plan, however, soon goes awry as Kellanved develops a strange and dangerous fascination for a mysterious ancient structure found on the island...

The chaos in the region extends to the metaphysical planes also as a young priest of D'rek starts to question the rot at the heart of the worship of the god of decay. And back in Li Heng, Dassem, now the proclaimed Sword of Hood, finds himself being blamed for a plague which leads him to a crisis of faith - and searching for answers.

During all this, war with the neighbouring island of Nap threatens, recruited allies wonder at Kellanved's sanity, and powerful entities take more of an interest in the little mage from Dal Hon. Dancer faces a hard choice: should he give up on his partnership? Especially when the fellow's obsession with shadows and ancient artefacts brings the both of them alarmingly close to death and destruction.

After all, who in his right mind would actually wish to enter an Elder mystery known to everyone as the 'Deadhouse'?

Reviews

Tremendous . . . I loved having the opportunity to glimpse characters in a completely different light, and the creation of the Malazan Empire through the lens of reality rather than myth. Deadhouse Landing is one of Esslemont's best books to date . . . for fans of anything Malazan, this is an absolute must.

—— FANTASY BOOK REVIEW 'Recommended Book of the Month'

The world building is truly impressive . . . the action scenes well written . . . Esslemont's writing style addictive and engaging . . . if you're looking for a new epic fantasy read, I strongly recommend taking a look at Deadhouse Landing, because it's one of the best and most epic fantasy novels of the year!

—— RISING SHADOW.NET

Esslemont delivers another engrossing tale . . . has all the hallmarks of great epic fantasy . . . seamlessly weaves great characters, action sequences and genuine humour into a fascinating narrative . . . an essential read for Malazan fans, new and old.

—— THE CRITICAL DRAGON.COM

Esslemont nails the feel and flavour of Erikson's books and brings the historical characters to life with a dexterity that will win over even the most sceptical fans.

—— PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

Tight and enjoyable . . . builds on the very fine foundation stones laid by Dancer's Lament.

—— THE WERTZONE

Wonderfully tense . . . fantastic set pieces . . . it never stops having fun . . . his best writing yet . . . and I can’t wait to see the next instalment.

—— TOR.COM

A daring end to a brilliant series... I will read this series again and again.

—— William Leith , Evening Standard

It is hard not to be impressed by the fluency and erudition on display as Knausgaard charts his course through history, philosophy, literature and the visual arts… In the end, reality does not break down under Knausgaard’s gaze. We are left instead with the world as it is: the click of a seatbelt, the shock of melted margarine, the centuries slipping away in Rembrandt’s eyes.

—— Lorien Kite , Financial Times

The inner conflicts swirling around exert a gravitational pull on the reader, the challenges of empathy becoming universal through their particularity. Over and over, he asserts something fundamental to literature, art and life… these books will endure.

—— Alasdair Lees , Independent

My Struggle just keeps coming at you, much as life does… Knausgaard succeeds in producing prose that is "alive", partly because of his eye for detail and partly because of the quality of his intellect.

—— Economist

[My Struggle] is arguably the most important literary event of the 21st century...it’s also worth reflecting on just how valuable these books can be. They are, among other things, uniquely candid about male shame, which makes them a highly valuable guide to modern masculinity.

—— Josh Glancy , Sunday Times

The End is worth the wait… his life is now destined to stand in the shadow of this truly monumental six-volume literary achievement. And perhaps there is no greater mark of artistic success than that.

—— Andrew Anthony , Observer

The “unartiness” is the most striking element of Knausgaard’s project. The impression of randomness and spontaneity… Knausgaard’s abandonment of fictional convention was particularly disruptive because he executed it in a realm where the strictures of artifice are most rigidly codified: domestic realism… Enthralling… The final passages of My Struggle are guilt-ridden and heartbreaking.

—— Christian Lorentzen , Times Literary Supplement

[The End] has a bone-dry wit, a certain knowingness about the project’s grandiose archetypes… [Knausgaard] laments the gulf between vaulting ambition and its haphazard realisation.

—— Keith Miller , Literary Review

Shteyngart's comic energy is well deployed on the ridiculously rich, especially amid Trump's campaign and his election by, perhaps, many Greyhound riders.

—— Daily Mail

A considered debut which grapples with themes of pain and memory ... though the premise sounds dark, the novel's light and accessible voice provides a refreshing take on council estate life.

—— The Bookseller

This won't disappoint

—— The Asian Writer

A great thing to read

—— Inside Soap

A resonant, insightful look at the way the truths of the past can challenge the promise of the future

—— Sunday Express

The novel centres on 18-year-old Ravine, bedridden since a traumatic incident involving her best friend on a Leicester council estate ... There is a freshness to the writing

—— The i

A moving tale

—— Grazia

Simultaneously fabulous and tragic, Swan Song is an incredibly accomplished debut

—— Attitude

Our generation’s The Secret History

—— Pendora

Triumphant debut…remarkable

—— Woman & Home

A vivid debut … based on ten years of research, this is a dazzling read that’s been worth the wait

—— Image Magazine

Stunning... It’s probably one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever owned

—— Bookish Chat Blog

Hypnotically fascinating

—— The Arts Desk

The book is dripping with atmosphere and character and is such a pleasure to read.

—— And Then I Read A Book blog

Pure pleasure

—— Evening Standard Magazine

She deftly gives us an insight into their inner lives... while creating defined personalities that resonate and intrigue. Lyrical and fascinating, the fact that this is Greenberg-Jephcott's debut is astounding.

—— Emerald Street

A stunning debut novel that seamlessly blends history, fact and fiction in this imaginative re-telling of the life of novelist Truman Capote

—— Woman's Weekly

A brilliant first novel

—— Rose Tremain , Daily Mail

A slick debut pulled off with brio, Swan Song is glamorous, vivid and sometimes even daring in its intelligence

—— Irish Times

A dazzling read

—— Image magazine

Greenberg-Jephcott’s debut is fizzing with energy and ideas…The novel has style and substance in spades.

—— Observer

With a grounding in history, it is a fascinating read about the deepest secrets of an iconic author.

—— Hello!

Intoxicating

—— Prima

Swan Song is utterly divine.It swept me up and I just couldn't put it down ... it is the writing in this debut novel that astounds most of all. It is vivid, addictive and whips up a terrific portrait of a deeply contradictory and complex man, contrasting scenes from his unorthodox childhood with those from the gilded bubble he ended up in that he lanced through his own actions.

—— Victoria Sadler

A sumptuous look at the icons of Manhattan's high society scene in the mid-20th century ... An immersive readthat will have you questioning real histories versus the ones we create for ourselves.

—— History Extra

He offers the reader a masterful study of a mind devoted to fairness… The Children Act is also a fascinating, painstakingly researched look inside the judicial process… Conveyed in crisp prose, this attention to detail elevates the moral conundrums…beyond the sensationalism lesser authors might have pursued. It is, in all respects, a novel that is carefully judged.

—— Irish Examiner

It explores the tension between cool-headed secularism and ardent belief. It is at times preposterous – and yet it has a magical readability and is slender enough to read in one intense, absorbing sitting.

—— Jason Cowley , New Statesman

In typical McEwan style, The Children Act is unputdownable and hauntingly beautiful.

—— Sushmita Bose , Khaleej Times

The Children Act is a…sophisticated exploration of how society treats children and how children’s welfare can be considered in the complex world in which we live, where issues about how children should be raised are not subject to consensus.

—— Carol Storer , Legal Action

If you have any unanswered letters on your desk, McEwan’s latest will have you grabbing your pen pronto.

—— Independent

The Children Act shows McEwan as a master of fiction who strives to teach us how to live.

—— Olivia Cole , GQ Magazine UK

Powerful and moving.

—— Sir David Bell , Times Higher Education

Taut, sparing and effortless, this is another exquisitely wrought novel from the master of the novella.

—— Good Book Guide

A subtly musical arrangement of urgently topical issues…it may be read at a sitting, but resonates for much longer.

—— Lewis Jones , Spectator

It’s absorbing and, almost a novella, it doesn’t outstay its welcome.

—— Nick Bevan , Times Higher Education

Definitely one of the best books I have read this year.

—— Natalie K. Watson , Church Times

This is a wonderful read with sharp, crystalline prose and, together with a superb moral dilemma, this is a beautiful and moving story.

—— Bath Chronicle

Offering a window into a compelling world of life or death dilemmas, this is told in prose as polished as you’d expect.

—— Daily Mail

The book is bursting of beautiful writing. You’ll want to read it all over again.

—— Kirsty Brimelow , The Times

A story of human behavior told in a raw, uncluttered, unforgiving way.

—— Cambridge News

Renowned author McEwan manages to surprise throughout this book, right to the last page.

—— Mayfair Magazine

A story of human behavior told in a raw, uncluttered, unforgiving way – and we could all have done with another couple of hundred pages.

—— Cambridge Magazine

McEwan writes in taut, sparing and effortless prose.

—— Good Book Guide

Ian McEwan writes stories of exquisite precision and clarity. This one is ace.

—— William Leith , Evening Standard

A page-turning novel

—— John Koski , Mail on Sunday

As one has come to expect, McEwan sets up the moral issues with delicacy and precision.

—— John Sutherland , The Times

Ian McEwan is at his most compelling with the story of Fiona Maye… Awesome

—— Marcus Field , Independent

A wonderfully readable and thought-provoking book

—— Kathryn Atkins , Bristol Magazine

A short novel that will linger in your mind for a long time

—— Woman’s Weekly

Another beautifully written masterpiece

—— Beyond

relevant, emotive, moving, this is beautifully written and a guaranteed page turner

—— Matthew Smith , H Edition

One of our best authors at his best.

—— Murray Neil , Hertfordshire Life

One of my favourite authors… McEwan’s fascination with judicial issues, with music and poetry, and with the moral conundrum of how far you place your religious beliefs above the life of someone you love, all feature in this book which will leave you thinking long after you have finished it.

—— Frances Colville , Frost Magazine

It's an enjoyable and often surprising novella.

—— Charlotte Heathcote , Daily Express

It asks fundamental questions in a sober, intelligent way about the choices we make and our blindness when it comes to our beliefs.

—— Francois Ozon, film-maker , Observer

Here he is again: vulnerable, insightful, passionate and utterly in control. He’s amazing.

—— Robert Webb , Mail on Sunday
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