The God is Not Willing by Steven Erikson

For centuries, the vast Ironship Trading Syndicate relied on drake blood--and the extraordinary powers it confers to those known as the Blood-blessed--to fuel and protect its empire. But now, a fearsome power has arisen--a drake so mighty that the world will tremble before it. Rogue Blood-blessed Claydon Torcreek, Syndicate agent Lizanne Lethridge, and ironship captain Corrick Hilemore embark upon perilous quests to chase down clues that offer faint hopes of salvation. As the world burns around them, and the fires of revolution are ignited, these few are the last hope for the empire and for all of civilization.

For the most part, this a new cast characters doing things in a Malazan that is not the same Malazan but it is Malazan for sure. So, things have changed but not so much as to be unrecognizable. Compassion is still the big theme and many of the characters are complex so not perfectly this or that for the most part. Characterization has never been a problem for Erikson so far as I am concerned and there are some real gems in this book to fall in love with. So, this is about the impact of Karsa Orlong and I know that character is divisive, but it is about him indirectly here. The language of the book is pretty straightforward and yes, the characters are chatty. It is an Erikson thing and your mileage will vary. Overall recommended and while being familiar with the overall Malazan story is helpful it is not essential.