I was sitting at my desk at Toyota Redhill, UK, when I got the news that Gardens of the Moon had found a publisher. The first thing I did was compose an email to Ian Esslemont. I gave that a lot of thought. I could imagine that, if the situation had been reversed: if he had just sold Return of the Crimson Guard, as much as I’d be delighted and happy for him, I might feel a pang or two, wondering if a door had just closed for me and my Malazan aspirations. So I wanted to address that immedia...