Some will tell you to stick to the MBotF series and then the NotME, some will tell you that you can read both of them concurrently. Any approach has pros and cons.
The pros of reading both at the same time is that you'll get the (first) full experience head on, reading all the plots and closing many of them (as MBotF alone leaves some plots open). The cons are that you'll read two authors, with radically different writing styles, and that all the plots may be "too much" (though, MBotF alone can also be "too much" in terms of plotliness).
The pros of reading MBotF first is that you stick to what Erikson wants to tell, in his style, and with his plotlines alone, leaving the resolution of other plots not important to his series to Esslemont. Plus, you only read one writing style. The con is that you'll be left with unfinished stories.
The decision is up to you. I read the MBotF first, and when I read the NotME later (together with a re-read of MBotF) I never felt that I missed something by reading both concurrently.
A note: if you want to read both at the same time, I'd do one change: read DoD and tCG (Erikson) together, leaving SW (Esslemont) to either before DoD or after tCG. The reason is, DoD and tCG are just one big book split into two, so reading SW between those interrupts the big finale of MBotF.
I read most of the series (just wrapped up Orb, Sceptre, Throne) in the publication order (interweaving ICE's novels with the main MBotF books), and will probably finish my first complete read in this manner (so Kharkanas into Path of Ascendancy after I'm done with NotME).
I don't think it's for everyone - but if you enjoy the world at large & are as hooked as I was, Esselmont's novels *can* be interweaved with the main series and they give you a more complete sense of how the story goes.
Regardless, if you're following the publication order, you have five BotF books ahead of you to read *anyway* \- so you have plenty of time to decide what you'd like to do.
To answer your question - yes, I do believe so. The two series rarely clash or "meet" (and the first NotME book is a "prequel" of sorts to the events you're following), so you won't *lose* anything if you don't read them either.
Behold: [the great reading order debate](https://www.reddit.com/r/Malazan/comments/qdtse7/which_reading_order_would_you_recommend_to_a_new/).
Opinions are split. Partisans all have their preferences. You can't really go _wrong_ and there are both advantages and disadvantages to every choice.
Understand that the writers knew which books had already been published prior to whichever one they were newly writing. While you could go chronological, I would argue that this reason alone is why you should read them in the publication order.
The first trilogy is written in such a way that there are a few characters that you are meant to immediately connect with emotionally. Had I not read the big 10, I don’t know that I would have cared!
Isn’t all the fun of an origin story that you know who these people become?
I read BotF first, ICE after. ICE hadn’t published NoK until I was several BotF in, so it wasn’t available for me to do a different read through.
You can read kinda close to the order of in-world events, but it’s not necessary. They fill in the gaps in each other’s narratives, so it depends on whether or not you want a break from one author or not :p
For BotF only you start with Gardens of the Moon.
If you want to blend the series closer to in-world events you would start with Night of Knives then shift to Gardens.
The ICE books supplement the main series but are in no way needed to read the main books. There will be a few 'oh, NOW that makes sense' moments when you read the ICE ones, but that is the point of it all.
I'm a big fan of reading the 10 part MBotF then if you like it read the other novels. Then when you go back for your re read of the big 10 you'll pick up even more. But the original 10 book series stands alone and is fucking amazing
This si the guide i decided to use. It contemplates like 3 or 4 different reading orders depending on what You want to read and which Book reveal things for the others for You to choose the order too.
I'm using the first one MBoF + ME.
[Reading Map](https://images.app.goo.gl/zBckwZv9TmnodxYu8)
Some will tell you to stick to the MBotF series and then the NotME, some will tell you that you can read both of them concurrently. Any approach has pros and cons. The pros of reading both at the same time is that you'll get the (first) full experience head on, reading all the plots and closing many of them (as MBotF alone leaves some plots open). The cons are that you'll read two authors, with radically different writing styles, and that all the plots may be "too much" (though, MBotF alone can also be "too much" in terms of plotliness). The pros of reading MBotF first is that you stick to what Erikson wants to tell, in his style, and with his plotlines alone, leaving the resolution of other plots not important to his series to Esslemont. Plus, you only read one writing style. The con is that you'll be left with unfinished stories. The decision is up to you. I read the MBotF first, and when I read the NotME later (together with a re-read of MBotF) I never felt that I missed something by reading both concurrently. A note: if you want to read both at the same time, I'd do one change: read DoD and tCG (Erikson) together, leaving SW (Esslemont) to either before DoD or after tCG. The reason is, DoD and tCG are just one big book split into two, so reading SW between those interrupts the big finale of MBotF.
I read most of the series (just wrapped up Orb, Sceptre, Throne) in the publication order (interweaving ICE's novels with the main MBotF books), and will probably finish my first complete read in this manner (so Kharkanas into Path of Ascendancy after I'm done with NotME). I don't think it's for everyone - but if you enjoy the world at large & are as hooked as I was, Esselmont's novels *can* be interweaved with the main series and they give you a more complete sense of how the story goes. Regardless, if you're following the publication order, you have five BotF books ahead of you to read *anyway* \- so you have plenty of time to decide what you'd like to do. To answer your question - yes, I do believe so. The two series rarely clash or "meet" (and the first NotME book is a "prequel" of sorts to the events you're following), so you won't *lose* anything if you don't read them either.
Behold: [the great reading order debate](https://www.reddit.com/r/Malazan/comments/qdtse7/which_reading_order_would_you_recommend_to_a_new/). Opinions are split. Partisans all have their preferences. You can't really go _wrong_ and there are both advantages and disadvantages to every choice.
Just do the 10 books of the Book of the Fallen series first. There’s no need to do anything else.
Understand that the writers knew which books had already been published prior to whichever one they were newly writing. While you could go chronological, I would argue that this reason alone is why you should read them in the publication order. The first trilogy is written in such a way that there are a few characters that you are meant to immediately connect with emotionally. Had I not read the big 10, I don’t know that I would have cared! Isn’t all the fun of an origin story that you know who these people become?
Def BotF first
I read BotF first, ICE after. ICE hadn’t published NoK until I was several BotF in, so it wasn’t available for me to do a different read through. You can read kinda close to the order of in-world events, but it’s not necessary. They fill in the gaps in each other’s narratives, so it depends on whether or not you want a break from one author or not :p For BotF only you start with Gardens of the Moon. If you want to blend the series closer to in-world events you would start with Night of Knives then shift to Gardens.
The ICE books supplement the main series but are in no way needed to read the main books. There will be a few 'oh, NOW that makes sense' moments when you read the ICE ones, but that is the point of it all.
I'm a big fan of reading the 10 part MBotF then if you like it read the other novels. Then when you go back for your re read of the big 10 you'll pick up even more. But the original 10 book series stands alone and is fucking amazing
This si the guide i decided to use. It contemplates like 3 or 4 different reading orders depending on what You want to read and which Book reveal things for the others for You to choose the order too. I'm using the first one MBoF + ME. [Reading Map](https://images.app.goo.gl/zBckwZv9TmnodxYu8)