Dust
of Dreams

Also by Steven Erikson

Gardens of the Moon

Dead house Gates

Memories of Ice

House of Chains

Midnight Tides

The Bonehunters

Reaper’s Gale

Toll the Hounds

STEVEN ERIKSON

Dust
of Dreams

BOOK NINE OF
THE MALAZAN
BOOK OF THE FALLEN

A TOM DOHERTY ASSOCIATES BOOK
NEW YORK

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

DUST OF DREAMS: BOOK NINE OF THE MALAZAN BOOK OF THE FALLEN

Copyright © 2009 by Steven Erikson

First published in Great Britain by Bantam Press, a division of Transworld Publishers

Map by Neil Gower

A Tor Book
Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC
175 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10010

Tor® is a registered trademark of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Erikson, Steven.

Dust of dreams / Steven Erikson. — 1st ed.

p. cm. —(The Malazan book of the fallen ; bk. 9)

“A Tom Doherty Associates book.”

ISBN 978-0-7653-1009-5 (hardcover)

ISBN 978-0-7653-1655-4 (trade paperback)

I. Title.

PR9199.4.E745D87 2010

813'.6—dc22

2009040411

First U.S. Edition: January 2010

Printed in the United States of America

0  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1

Ten years ago I received an endorsement from a most
unexpected source, from a writer I respected and admired.
The friendship born in that moment is one I deeply treasure.
With love and gratitude, I dedicate this novel
to Stephen R. Donaldson.

Contents

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

AUTHOR’S NOTE

MAP

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

PROLOGUE

BOOK ONE     The Sea Does Not Dream Of You

BOOK TWO     Eaters of Diamonds and Gems

BOOK THREE  Only the Dust Will Dance

BOOK FOUR    The Path Forever Walked

A CKNOWLEDGMENTS

Acknowledgments

Commenting on the first half of a very long, two-volume novel is not an easy task. My thanks (and sympathy) go to William Hunter, Hazel Kendall, Bowen Thomas-Lundin, and Aidan-Paul Canavan for their percipience and forbearance. Appreciation also goes to the staff at The Black Stilt and Café Macchiato in Victoria who were very understanding in my surrender to caffeine-free coffee. Thanks too to Clare Thomas; and special gratitude goes to my students in the writing workshop I have been conducting for the past few months. Shannon, Margaret, Shigenori, Brenda, Jade, and Lenore: you have helped remind me what fiction writing is all about.

A UTHOR’S N OTE

Author’s Note