Dive into the delightfully twisted world of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach, where necromancy, dark humor, and moral ambiguity collide in Steven Erikson’s Malazan Empire Universe. This series of novellas offers a wild ride through a gritty fantasy realm, following two eccentric necromancers and their hapless manservant. Perfect for fans of dark fantasy with a side of gallows wit, these tales are a unique gem in epic storytelling.
Unlike the sprawling epics of the main Malazan Book of the Fallen series, Bauchelain and Korbal Broach zooms in on smaller, standalone adventures that pack a punch. With horror-tinged plots and a knack for subverting fantasy tropes, Erikson crafts a world where the bad guys steal the show—and you can’t help but root for them.
How Bauchelain and Korbal Broach Began
Steven Erikson, an archaeologist and anthropologist turned fantasy mastermind, introduced Bauchelain and Korbal Broach as minor characters in Memories of Ice, the third book of his Malazan Book of the Fallen series. Their brief but memorable appearance—marked by quirky menace and dark charisma—sparked fan intrigue. Erikson, sensing their potential, spun them off into a series of novellas starting with Blood Follows in 2002. These tales let him flex his satirical muscles, blending horror and humor in a way that contrasts the grand tragedy of his main series.
Inspired by the duo’s morally dubious antics, Erikson crafted the novellas as standalone satires that poke fun at modern sensibilities while staying true to the Malazan Universe’s rich lore. The result? A cult favorite that’s both a love letter to dark fantasy and a mischievous middle finger to conventional heroism.
The Heart of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach
The series kicks off with Blood Follows, set in the grimy port city of Lamentable Moll. Here, Emancipor Reese, a luckless everyman with a knack for bad decisions, becomes the manservant to the cultured Bauchelain and the grotesque Korbal Broach. As a serial killer stalks the streets, the necromancers’ true nature unfolds in a mix of mystery and macabre humor. The Lees of Laughter’s End follows the trio aboard the cursed ship Suncurl, where eldritch horrors lurk below deck, blending nautical dread with absurd comedy.
In The Healthy Dead, the necromancers crash the city of Quaint, where a cult of wellness punishes vice with deadly zeal. Erikson uses this backdrop to satirize societal obsessions with perfection, all while delivering gore-soaked chaos. Later entries like The Wurms of Blearmouth and The Fiends of Nightmaria dial up the absurdity, with Bauchelain ruling as a tyrant king and Broach as his unhinged bishop. Themes of power, morality, and the human condition weave through the series, wrapped in Erikson’s signature gritty world-building and philosophical wit.
The novellas’ dark humor and horror elements set them apart, with Bauchelain’s suave intellect clashing hilariously with Broach’s brute depravity. Emancipor, the drug-addled straight man, grounds the chaos with his relatable despair. Fans praise the series for its tight pacing, vivid settings, and fearless embrace of the grotesque.
Why Bauchelain and Korbal Broach Resonates
Bauchelain and Korbal Broach has carved a niche among dark fantasy fans for its bold rejection of traditional heroics. By centering morally ambiguous antiheroes, Erikson challenges readers to question good versus evil in a way that feels fresh even in 2025. The series’ blend of horror, satire, and intricate Malazan lore appeals to readers who crave stories that don’t shy away from the messy, seedy side of humanity.
Though smaller in scope than the main Malazan series, these novellas have a cult following, with fans on platforms like Goodreads lauding their humor and originality. Erikson’s ability to pack layered commentary into bite-sized tales ensures the series’ lasting appeal, making it a must-read for those who love their fantasy dark, funny, and thought-provoking.
- Publication Years: 2002–2021 (six novellas).
- Number of Books: Six, with three collected in The First Collected Tales (2007) and three in The Second Collected Tales (2018).
- Setting: Malazan Empire Universe, various grim locales.
Ready to embrace the chaos? Grab Blood Follows and join Bauchelain, Korbal Broach, and poor Emancipor Reese in their wickedly entertaining dark fantasy adventures!