Now here’s something you don’t encounter everyday: a fantasy novel set in the jungle! This novel explores the continent of Jakaruku, hitherto unexplored in the Malazan novels of either Esslemont or Erikson. As you might expect, the Jungle of Himatan is no ordinary jungle.

While some have noted the novel’s slower pace, I didn’t find it that way. As the terrain and its rivers were described in detail, I felt transported there. This is a novel to slow down and inhabit.

The mystery of the Crimson Guard lingers in the background of this novel, awaiting final resolution in book six. But this penultimate book in the series is well worth the trip.

Esslemont, Ian C. Blood and Bone. Narrated by John Banks, audiobook ed., Random House Audio, 2016. Novels of the Malazan Empire 5.