Dancer's Lament by Ian C. Esslemont

Set in Li Heng, this first installment of the Path to Ascendancy series follows the story of Dorin Rav, an ambitious young assassin, who is stumped by an elusive young mage proving to be an annoyance. An earthquake in the Seti Plains exposed a cave and Dorin wanted to be the first to discover its secrets. To his dismay, he learned someone has been lurking about in the shadows. No one has ever beaten him yet until now. He watched for a time, waiting for the person to appear. When he finally got inside the cave he found that it was occupied by a talking corpse and a monkey-looking thing. To Dorin's surprise, the person he was following was just standing behind him. A young Dal Honese mage, Wu, who professed he was the one following Dorin. When they got out of the structure, the mage Wu suddenly disappeared. Since then, Dorin called the mage his rival and vowed he would find and eliminate him. 

Li Heng is ruled by a mage known as Protectress who has a cabal of five. Li Heng has been relatively peaceful despite the prominence of gangs, but Silk is worried for the Protectress Shalmanat. Strange events are happening and even stranger people are showing up. The cult of Hood for example, long outlawed in Li Heng, are gathering new believers. Foremost among their worries however are the rumors that Itko Kan and its king, Chulalorn the Third, are marching.

Iko's first impression of the city was disappointment. A member of Itko Kan's Sword-Dancers, she and her sisters were sent on a political mission to the Protectress to escort a diplomat who will deliver terms to Li Heng. Her time at the palace grounds however proved to be fruitless. What's more, her sisters have become obsessed with rivalries and gossips among themselves. Iko did not want to be involved in any of that, but as a result she has isolated herself. 

Meanwhile, Dorin's obsession at capturing Wu is proving difficult. Dorin is used to working alone but he could not find Wu that way. He decided that he has to gain a reputation in the city and involve himself with the local gangs. His arrogance however might attract the attention of people more skilled and experienced than him.

***

Dancer's Lament is Ian C. Esslemont's best book so far. I enjoyed everything in the book from start to finish. Not only was it amusing to follow Dorin and Wu's misadventures, I've also learned a lot of things about Dancer and Kellanved in general. They were already among the most interesting pairs in Malazan so my initial worry was how Esslemont would be able to add to their famous story. There was nothing to worry at all. He knew them very well. Only those who haven't paid attention to the books would fail to recognize them right away.

I loved all the cameos too. Most of the characters who are in the Novels of the Malazan Empire series had back stories that were not fully explored. It's exciting to finally get a glimpse of their past.

The action scenes, the intrigues and the humor are all signature Malazan. One of Esslemont's strongest qualities is his description and imagery. I loved Blood and Bone but this is even better. If you don't enjoy (or fall in love with!) the adventures of Dorin and Wu after reading this then I'd have to question your bad taste. Also, if you've been skipping Esslemont (I've heard some Malazan fans don't want to read his books) then you're missing a lot.

He's also not given to philosophizing. Broody characters can be tedious sometimes when not done properly. That does not make his work shallow however. Esslemont's storytelling is smooth, concise and clear.

The only drawback I see is how he'd be able to fit everything in just three books. Dancer's Lament covered only a small part of Dorin and Wu's past. They were just getting to know each other. The book felt more like an introduction and a set-up for the next two books, but I hope that there is still enough room to not leave out any important event.

Rating: 10 out of 10