The Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach by Steven Erikson

These two reprobates turn up a couple of times in the Malazan Book of the Fallen and always seem to confuse matters (in a good way). A particularly memorable encounter involving Quick Ben remains one of my favourite scenes from the entire series.

Anyway, knowing that these two are quite absorbed in whatever passes for their own codes, this is quite an interesting and fun trilogy of short stories. Korbal is, if anything, less understandable here than in the wider series, but it's Bauchelain's character, the origin of Emancipor Reece's affiliation and a rather charming zomie invasion that make for such fun.

Looking at their construction, I'm always struck by just how meticulous Erikson is in his plotting and rendering of people, scenes and events. The stories do not quite have his more nuanced skill so on display in the Malazan books - for instance, some of the morality and solipsising by the characters is distinctly occidental and jars with the setting and the world. Nor do the characters themselves seem as well fleshed out as you'd hope. In some ways it reads as an author stretching out their wings for the first time and I do wonder how this might have benefited from a full edit by a writer at the end of a masterful ten book series.

Still, I think there's probably enough here for new readers (and is decidedly more accessible than Gardens of the Moon) alongside plenty for fans to reference and enjoy.