Steven Erikson

Follows the perils of the citizens of the warring Malazan Empire.

Gardens of the Moon

The Malazan Empire simmers with discontent, bled dry by interminable warfare, bitter infighting and bloody confrontations. Even the imperial legions, long inured to the bloodshed, yearn for some respite. Yet Empress Laseen's rule remains absolute, enforced by her dread Claw assassins. For Sergeant Whiskeyjack and his squad of Bridgeburners, and for Tattersail, surviving cadre mage of the Second Legion, the aftermath of the siege of Pale should have been a time to mourn the many dead. But Darujhistan, last of the Free Cities of Genabackis, yet holds out. It is to this ancient citadel that Laseen turns her predatory gaze. However, it would appear that the Empire is not alone in this great game. Sinister, shadowbound forces are gathering as the gods themselves prepare to play their hand . . . Conceived and written on a panoramic scale, Gardens of the Moon is epic fantasy of the highest order--an enthralling adventure by an outstanding new voice.

Book One of The Malazan Book of the Fallen

Difficult to understand at first but very addictive in the end.

Eneko Uruñuela

Betty

It was at first hard to understand what's happening and and a bit hard to also remember everyone but as you get the hang of writing style and whats actually happening it was all so worth it!

The characters were ALL so well written (Rake Anomander, Quick Ben, Kruppe, Kalam, Lorn, Cotillion/the Rope) and i must say i am in love!!!

Bled dry by interminable warfare, infighting and bloody confrontations with the Lord of Darkness, Anomander Rake, the Malazan Empire simmers with discontent and its legions yearn for some respite. For Sergeant Whiskeyjack and his Bridgeburners, and Tattersail - the lone surviving sorceress of the Second Legion - the aftermath of the siege of Pale should have been a time to draw breath and mourn the dead. But Empress Laseen's gaze has moved on and fallen upon the ancient citadel of Darujhistan, for this last of the Free Cities of Genabackis still holds out against her... However the empire is not alone in this great game. Sinister forces are gathering, and it would seem that the gods themselves are preparing to play their hand... Acclaimed by the author's peers, critics and readers alike, Gardens of the Moon is the defining opening chapter in what has been hailed a landmark of epic fantasy - Steven Erikson's awesome sequence 'The Malazan Book of the Fallen'.

Really great Epic beginning to a fantasy series. 

Stephen Gill 

Sade A

Buddy read with edge of bubble

Read if you dare!! 
Phew!! So book 1 done and dusted. This book was somewhat complicated. There were magic systems i didn't understand, places i just couldn't picture, battle tactics i couldnt follow, it was a hard book to love and i honestly can't say i fell in love with book 1. 
I hope explanations are more forthcoming and lines less cryptic (somehow i doubt it though) in the other books.
I did however find some appreciation for the plot. All the scheming and plotting was very subtle, picture Game of Thrones kind of scheming.

With the characters in all honesty i can't say there was any character i really cared about so much, Half of the time i wasn't even sure what their motive was so really it felt at times i was more of a passive observer to the story. I mean, the bridgeburners were a cool set of characters but if any of them bit the bullet can't say i'd have been too caught up about it. 

Again it's just book one so i'm guessing (and hoping) since this is just the ground work, subsequent books get more exciting. So yeah i'll be sticking with this series to the very end.

When the last of the free cities of the Malazan Empire is targeted by the forces of the Empress Laseen, Bridgeburner squad leader Sergeant Whiskeyjack and the mage Tattersall confront dark gods to protect the citadel of Darujhistan.

Kirsten Simkiss

While I really feel that this deserves 3.5 stars, I rounded up to four. The politics of the book, the world itself, and the characters were all solid in their construction. I had a number of characters that I found I truly liked, and very few that bothered me. I even grew to like Kruppe, who spoke in third person about himself for the entire book. Despite that there are a number of named characters whose perspectives you see from, I never had any trouble differentiating them and each of their perspectives into the goings on of the world were valid and believable.

That being said, this book is INCREDIBLY dense. You are constantly assailed with place names and terms with no explanation but an incredibly thin glossary in the back that, if you're like me and you didn't know to look for it, does you absolutely no good at all. I think it took me a solid 200 pages to really begin to get the places down in my head and remember what they were talking about. There are still some things I wish I had more explanation on. However, if you're the type that abhors over explaining and you just wish they'd get to the meat of the plot, this may be the book series for you. You're left almost entirely on your own with no explanation and it's up to you to figure out how the world works without the characters making you understand it. In the beginning, it's overwhelming. At the end, you've pretty much got it under control.

I would say that the characters are a little bit one-dimensional as far as this book goes. They seem to have one motivation and one emotion at a time. Paran, in particular, experiences a bit of growth, but for the most part the characters simply exist and, like the rest of the book, you're left sitting, trying to put together their life stories from the bits and pieces that the author gives you. However, as I said, I liked the characters. While they weren't exactly jumping off the page with realism, they were people I could picture meeting. Not that they'd ever pay me any mind, but their emotions weren't unrealistic or outlandish. They're very human, all of them. Even those who aren't necessarily good people have motivations that anyone can understand. 

All in all, I would probably say that this is a book for patient readers. Other reviews say that these books lead up to a spectacular series finale so I'm willing to continue reading the series. However, I would definitely not recommend this to someone who is easily frustrated by the lack of information in the book. You definitely have to piece a lot together yourself.

Anastasia 

I came into this series with a lot of high expectations and crossed fingers I didn't have to keep asking fans about what's going on after every chapter and I have to say it turned out to work really well for me 

The story wasn't hard to follow at all but I would admit dealing with so many names at once was confusing for the first two books but it definitely got easier as the story unfolds

Erikson has created a vast world with amazing, powerful characters that got me intrigued from the start ...such a strong epilogue to open the series and then his prose is just 🤌🤌🤌...I can't even find the right words for this 

Anomander Rake, Paran, Shadowthrone and Whiskeyjack were the main attraction for me in this book and I loved every minute the story focused on their respective journeys. 

The world building, the prose, the magical system ...there's so much to like about this from just the first book out of ten ...I look forward to reading deadhouse gates very soon ....I highly recommend this ....OMG

Abdul H

Celeste Richardson

New rating: 4.5 stars, rounded up.

December 2020:
I enjoyed this book a lot more my second time through. I think I tried so hard to not miss anything my first time reading it, which was an impossibility to begin with, that I didn’t let myself truly sink into the story. This time, I burrowed in and loved every minute of it. I’m looking forward to continuing the series soon.

Original (4 stars) review from 2018:
I’m so glad that I finally read Gardens of the Moon. It was every bit as lush and intricate and well written as I had been told, and it’s so exciting that this is just setting the stage for something bigger and even more elaborate. Malazan is a series that has been on my list of things to read for years, since before I became active on Goodreads and made all of my wonderful bookish friends. I bought the complete series sometime in 2014 (Brand new! For $50! Thanks, eBay!), and they’ve been just sitting on my shelf staring at me ever since. 

Why have I waited so long to read them, you might ask? Well, the reason is twofold. Firstly, it’s an incredibly intimidating series to tackle, both in length and reported complexity. I didn’t feel I had the dedication or mental fortitude to even begin something like this, much less stick to it all the way through. Secondly, I was turned off by the fanbase. A lot of Malazan fans I’ve come across online have been pushy, judgmental, and conceited, positive that their favorite series was not only the best thing out there, but that all other series and authors sucked by comparison. I didn’t want to support that kind of negativity, so I kept pushing them further and further down my priority reading list.

However, some trusted friends convinced me to give Malazan a try anyway. After all, it’s not Erikson’s fault that the loudest segment of his fanbase tends towards rabid. And thanks my friend TS there was some guidance to be had if I started floundering. Also, thanks to Tor’s “The Malazan Re-Read of the Fallen,” I have the freedom to not have to jump immediately into the next installments for fear of forgetting what I just read. These things took the pressure off, and I was able to really enjoy my first excursion into Malazan.

I’m not going to go into any kind of specificity in this review, as there are a plethora of amazing reviews out there and I have no idea what could be considered spoilers. Instead, I’m going to explain in broad strokes what worked for me and what didn’t. First and foremost, I am just so immensely impressed with Erikson’s writing. It’s deep and rich and intricate, and the prose had a stark beauty to it that worked incredibly well with the setting.. I’m in awe of the complex plot and vast cast of characters he created, and I know things only get more mind-blowing from here. I’ve also heard that things get incredibly philosophical as the series progresses, which is one of my very favorite things in fiction. While some philosophy was present here, I look forward to getting more of that depth in later books. I was also really inspired by Erikson’s foreword, and what he had to say about writing and pursuing your passion. It’s something I’ll definitely be going back to when I’m feeling discouraged.

I also love how things start in medias res. Unlike most stories that start in the middle of the action, very few things are actually explained later. There are no side diatribes filling in readers about why the world is as it is and how it got that way. Instead, we’re just expected to roll with it and pay attention, to remain on the lookout for any tidbit of information that might be important. This makes the book more difficult than most, but also more rewarding as readers have to work for their understanding instead of having everything fed to them. I have over a hundred highlights in my Kindle edition of the book of things I thought might maybe be important later. It was like a treasure hunt!

The only thing that hindered my enjoyment of this book wasn’t actually the book’s fault at all. When I started reading, I was excited and in the exact right mindset. However, life happened. Some small real life tragedies made reality difficult to handle for a while, which just threw me completely out of the proper frame of mind for this book. I needed to escape into something easy and comforting, which meant I opened Gardens of the Moon less and less. But while life hindered my enjoyment, it in now way affected my objective appreciation for the book. I’m going to have to set the series aside for a while, but I will definitely be returning to Malazan in the future.

The Malazan Empire simmers with discontent, bled dry by interminable warfare, bitter infighting and bloody confrontations with ancient and implacable sorcerers. Even the imperial legions, long inured to the bloodshed, yearn for some respite. Yet Empress Laseen's rule remains absolute, enforced by her dread Claw assassins. For Sergeant Whiskeyjack and his squad of Bridgeburners, and for Tattersail, their lone surviving mage, the aftermath of the siege of Pale should have been a time to mourn the many dead. But Darujhistan, last of the Free Cities, yet holds out. It is to this ancient citadel that Laseen turns her predatory gaze. However, the Empire is not alone in this great game. Sinister, shadowbound forces are gathering as the gods themselves prepare to play their hand . . . Conceived and written on a panoramic scale, Gardens of the Moon is epic fantasy of the highest order--an enthralling adventure by an outstanding voice.

Fraser Simons

DNF’d it at 26%. Some characters and events were interesting, and I think it’s got nice prose and decent writing, even. But it’s just far to meandering with in world jargon that is never explained that I just don’t connect with anything going on.

Amira BEN

So where do I start.... It seems rather odd that I rate 5 stars a book that took me 2 months to finish 😂😂
The thing is this book is so damn complex. But did it ruin my experience ? Not at all. In an other case I would have dropped the book long ago because I am not that patient. It either I understand quickly or I quit. But in this case, the atmosphere was 100% appealing. I don't know, it's like I could picture myself in this world. So I was exploring it and trying (really badly) to understand it lol
While I was doing that the cast of characters grew on me and I was following them through their adventures. Moreover, their was so many intriguing aspects... The magic, the politics, who was the bad guy (or more like the baddest lol). Everything was keeping me in suspense.
Now I know that going through the 10 or so books in the series will be quite a long journey ! I feel like there are more surprises to come. And S Eriksom managed to create a very fascinating world. I wish I could be that inventive haha
....

And I'm not gonna lie the old me who could focus only on one book  would have finished it within 2 weeks. But damn I got distracted too many times 😂

Tattersail smiled. "The only death I fear is dying ignorant.”
🌙
I procrastinated hard on writing this review because it is SO hard to compile my thoughts about this book. It has such a hyped cult following as well as a vast number of people who hate it. Well I really like it - I am just not sure how much. I think the thing you really realise, even in the first pages, is that these books have immense scope. Almost like they are all one book. I think with other books we have this sense of security in how a book flows until the end - then it’s finished until you start the sequel. Malazan has no such sensibility, it might as well be 10k pages because it would probably make more sense then.
🌙
The difficulty of getting into this book is vastly overrated. If you like sprawling epic fantasies, and are prepared to let some things go over your head you’ll be fine. You learn the things later in the book anyway, its just like the author didn’t want to waste time explaining them to you until an actual character was needing to understand it - or had someone willing to explain it.
🌙
I fricking love Tattersail, I love her ruthlessness as well as her femininity and the plus size rep she gives. Tbh she reminds me of Nina from SoC and I love it. The Bridgeburners are a band you can’t help but get behind. Honourable to a flaw, fiercely brave and surprisingly cunning in things you thought they were being incredibly stupid about. Each of the group has hidden and surprising deep depths that are tantalisingly hinted at, and I need to know more now.
🌙
The Darujistan group are well easily fallible and loveable - especially Kruppe, who is comical to the extreme but surprisingly deadly, which is an amazing combination.
🌙
And through all these characters theres a cast of gods who can affect mortals lives with impunity - but sometimes mortals bite back.
🌙
I’ve taken so many notes after finishing this book that I’d love to put together a reading guide or something because I feel like this book has such an ominous reputation that it really doesn’t deserve and it’s definitely definitely worth a read - seriously these books are addictive.

Alice Hyman

Sarah Escorsa

☣️ And Thus I Signed My Death Warrant DNF Buddy Read (ATISMDWBR™) with some lovely people of slightly despicable book taste over at BB&B ☣️



💀 DNF at 75%. No comment and stuff.

Friendly warning: grab a snack and get a drink, this whole lot of nuthin' should take a while.

➽ This crappy non-review is dedicated to all those Brave Little Barnacles (BLB™) out there who went the nefarious way and had the audacity to NOT luuurrrrrve this book. Consider my subaquatic kingdom a safe haven from the Erikson Horde of Doom (EHoD™), who shall no doubt persecute you mercilessly for being more clear headed than they are showing such disgusting lack of judgement. 

➘ Disclaimer #1: I had no shrimping idea this series had been inspired by The Most Wondrous Black Company before I started reading this delightful little book. Had I known about it, I probably would have added Gardens of the Silly Moon to my Bookshelf of Instant Oblivion and Spontaneous Combustion (BoIOaSC™) directly. Because one does not toy around with Glen Cook. Because Glen Cook is Glen Cook. And because Glen Cook is a God. QED and stuff.

➘ Disclaimer #2: I have a Particularly Scrumptious Scapegoat (PSS™) to blame for the present debacle, my Lovely Decapods. Oh yes. This is all my Canadian Nemesis' fault, you see. He is the one who forced me to read kindly introduced me to The Lusciously Luscious Black Company, thus ruining me forever. 

➘ Disclaimer #3: I am slightly obsessed by The Most Yummilicious Black Company ← this in case you hadn't noticed. You are most welcome and stuff.

➘ Disclaimer #4: I must have read this book very wrong indeed, because despite its "you make me feel like a total moron" reputation, it didn't confuse me at all. Nope nope nope. Feel like a complete retard while DNFing reading this fantastically thrilling story I did not. Which is highly suspicious. And probably means I'm the biggest of them all. Retard, I mean. Which is impossible. Because we all know I am superiorly intelligent. Which leads me to the following conclusions: I did NOT read this book wrong, should be a member of MENSA and you, Charming Arthropods are, well, how could I put this gently…Not the brightest invertebrates this side of the Seven Seas, shall we say? You're not offended now, are you? Oh, good. 

➘ Disclaimer #5: boo. 



Why hello there.

Sooooo, I was not going to rate this glorious masterpiece of fantasy literature here because I was scared shitless of the EHoD™ didn't want Erikson's hysterical lovely fans to feel insulted and stuff. Kindness, compassion and respect personified, that's me. But then I thought: shrimp it all to hell! Everyone hates me anyway! Let's be bold, let's be audacious, let's face death gleefully! Let's rate this most remarkable bookish endeavour two pathetic little stars! And here we are.

Introducing…The Most Glorious Black Company…Decaf, Watered Down Edition! It won't make you cackle with nefarious joviality! It won't make your black, withered heart tingle! It won't make you want to redecorate your living room with severed heads on pikes! Or wear a necklace of chopped off penises in honour of your favourite goddess! It's diet in everything but in length! The dramatis personae list alone is probably longer than the last ten two books you read! Yay! It's beautiful! It's grand! It's bloody shrimping luxurious! And monumental, too! I lurved it so much I want to read it again! More or less.

I wish I could say this book had been written by Glen Cook's evil twin. You know, the same guy who sometimes defiles My God's name by committing books I never read because they never existed because they are slightly sub-par compared to My God's magnificently ambrosial masterpieces? Yeah, that guy. Well it turns out I can't put the blame on that scumbag. Because it appears that Erikson really did write this book here. Which kind of sucks, because he seems to be quite a nice guy. I mean, he does mention Glen Cook and The Delectably Tasty Black Company in the preface of Gardens of the Silly Moon, which means he can't be wholly evil. It doesn't mean the stuff he writes is, you know, scrumptious and stuff, but it means that, even if I don't like the scrumptious stuff he doesn't write, I won't retaliate by slightly unleashing the murderous crustaceans on him. See, it's not ALL bad. As kinda sorta overrated I might find this book to be, Mr Erikson won't suffer the consequences, and die a slow, painful, horrible death via deadly shrimp. And the moral of this wonderfully fascinating paragraph is: ♫ Always look on the bright side of life and all that crap ♫



At this point, you might find your little selves wondering whether there is a valid another reason that justify my misguided under-appreciation minor dislike of this exquisite little book here. Besides its being a pale copy of The Gorgeously Impeccable Black Company, I mean. Yes indeed, there is. There are, actually. "Are what," you ask? Reasons that justifies my misguided under-appreciation minor dislike of this exquisite little book here, you Silly Barnacles *tries to eyeroll herself to death* *fails miserably* *orders Fleet Admiral DaShrimp to take over with his most awesome compound eyes* Here goes:

① Smells like teen spirit The Dazzlingly Sumptuous Black Company (view spoiler)[
  bet you didn't expect that one
 (hide spoiler)]. Yeah, yeah, I know, I got it all wrong here. This book is nothing like The Black Company of Utmost Scrumptiouliciousness. Absolutely not. We're dealing with soldiers here, for Shrimp's sake, not with mercenaries! Besides, the soldiers in question are fighting gods, not their slightly evil bosses with otherworldly powers. BIG difference. And it's not like there is a guy who is a super lite version of my Slightly Yummy Boyfriend Croaker (SYBC™) here, either. And his name is certainly not Whiskeyjack. As for somewhat creepy kids à la Daughter of the Night, there are none to be found in Gardens of the Silly Moon. Nope nope nope. Not a single one. Because the one called Silent Sleepy Sorry doesn't count. Oh, and by the way, some ill-intended people might remark that there is a slight similarity between some names in the two series, but I would never do such a thing. Oh no, not me. See? Turns out I wasn't entirely full of crap when I told you this book had NOTHING in common with The Best Fantasy Series That Ever Was And Ever Will Be (TBFSTEWAEWB™), aka The Amazingly Juicy Black Company ← this is case you were having doubts as to what series I might have been referring to. You're welcome. 



Why hello there again.

② This book might not be the cure to insomnia, but it's pretty damn close. Such beautifully unnecessary descriptions! Such delightfully overwhelming, utterly superfluous blah blah blah-ing sessions! Why have your poor characters do things when they can just talk about them instead?! I am so glad Erikson is such a kind, caring, charitable father author. It's so good of him not to exhaust his wretched offspring characters by keeping them busy with all kinds of active stuff all the time. It's much better for them to rest and ponder about the meaning of life. And it's much more relaxing for the reader, too. I so hate it when so much stuff happens in a book that I can't unwind and chill and take it easy while I'm reading. Boredom fests are such delicious, irresistible treats, I just can't get enough of them!

③ This series is supposed to be a blood and gore fest. Oooh yes, it's terribly bloody. Oh my. And how gory, too. Yuck yuck yuck ew ew ew. This is positively loathsome and vile and repugnant and stuff. I am most completely and utterly disgusted. (view spoiler)[
  What is this? Blood and Gore 101 for Care Bears or something?
 (hide spoiler)]

 

④ Now. Something really bugged the shrimp out of me here. When I embarked upon this most amazing DNF read, I was told repeatedly not to get attached to the characters. Because Erikson is, you know, evil and stuff, and keeps killing his miserable children off and stuff. So "BEWARE DO NOT GET ATTACHED FOR IF YOU DO YOUR POOR LITTLE HEART WILL SUFFER HORRIBLY," my Dear Friends of the Despicable Book Taste (DFotDBT™) said. Right. Two things here:

1) I do not have a heart so I couldn't care less. Ok, I do have a heart, but it's black and withered, so it doesn’t count.
2) What the bloody freaking shrimp is the point of killing your characters (view spoiler)[yes, this is a REAL spoiler people, don't say I didn't warn you (view spoiler)[only to have them be reborn/resuscitated/soul-shifted/whatever??!! I guess I could have survived if this had happened just once, but three bloody shrimping times in a row?! First Hairlock, then Paran and finally Tattersail? You have got to be shrimping me. When you kill a character, you KILL a character! As in, you know, KILL DEAD NEVER TO BE BROUGHT BACK TO LIFE and stuff. You don't rip your readers off by playing Return of the Living Dead at your convenience! And what kind of a cop out is that, anyway? This is outrageous! This is not done! This will not do! 

 (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

To my utmost regret, I have to admit there are two things that I actually liked in this book (view spoiler)[
  oh please, don't faint on me now, we're almost done here
 (hide spoiler)]. I kid you not. First, the female characters are quite mouth-watering. So much so that it almost makes me regret I will not be continuing with this delightful series. (view spoiler)[
  Don't get overexcited here, my Lovely Arthropods, I said ALMOST
 (hide spoiler)]. Second, the action scenes are pretty good. Not that they last long or that there are many to be had, but yes, it is true, the five action-filled seconds to be found in the book are not entirely crappy and stuff. 

Tada!

➽ And the moral of this Yeah Yeah Yeah I Once Again Dared Rate a Book I DNFed and Therefore Deserve to Die a Thousand Excruciating Deaths (YYYIOADRaBIDaTDtDaTED™) is: worry not, my Little Clueless Decapods of the Despicable Book Taste, for one day you too shall see the light, and realize you have been worshipping the wrong series all along!

➽ And the other moral of this YYYIOADRaBIDaTDtDaTED™ is: feel like reading The Titillatingly Flavorsome Black Company of Utter Deliciousness yet? No? Calling the Goodreads Police NOW. 





[Pre-review nonsense]

Rating: no bloody shrimping idea. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what murderous mood I'm in the day I actually write a review for this marvellous little gem.

Thou art not dreaming, my Little Barnacles! I did it once again! I DNFed a book worshipped by millions of clueless people across the universe! Go me!



➽ Full Don't Blame me I am Most Completely Innocent This Debacle is Absolutely NOT my Fault Crappy Non Review (DBmIaMCITDiANmFCNR™) to come.

Vast legions of gods, mages, humans, dragons and all manner of creatures play out the fate of the Malazan Empire in this first book in a major epic fantasy series The Malazan Empire simmers with discontent, bled dry by interminable warfare, bitter infighting and bloody confrontations with the formidable Anomander Rake and his Tiste Andii, ancient and implacable sorcerers. Even the imperial legions, long inured to the bloodshed, yearn for some respite. Yet Empress Laseen's rule remains absolute, enforced by her dread Claw assassins. For Sergeant Whiskeyjack and his squad of Bridgeburners, and for Tattersail, surviving cadre mage of the Second Legion, the aftermath of the siege of Pale should have been a time to mourn the many dead. But Darujhistan, last of the Free Cities of Genabackis, yet holds out. It is to this ancient citadel that Laseen turns her predatory gaze. However, it would appear that the Empire is not alone in this great game. Sinister, shadowbound forces are gathering as the gods themselves prepare to play their hand... Conceived and written on a panoramic scale, Gardens of the Moon is epic fantasy of the highest order--an enthralling adventure by an outstanding new voice. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Sheila

THIS IS FOR ALL THE LLORENTE PICS!!111!!!!!1!!!1!

Okay, I've actually finished this 1st instalment & it is brilliant. Like Allison said, it's hard to get involved in the story at the beginning, but if you work at it (and this book takes work, like most ethnographies hah) it pays off so much.

I don't even remember when I found myself thinking about the characters outside of the book for the first time, but it must have been about halfway through. As the book jumps through different POVs within the same chapter constantly, it can be hard to determine where you are; & with the sheer number of characters it can be daunting just to remember who is who. Satisfyingly, there is enough character development for the main characters for you to a) start remembering their names, and b) really like them. 

I will be reading more of this series, & not only for a certain Anomander Rake (hhhhhhnnnnngggghhhhhhh)

Jenna Kathleen

Let’s be clear: this book is not light or easy to read. You are thrown into the novel without much help from the author and Erikson makes it clear in the preface he will not coddle readers through the complex world of Gardens of the Moon. I was about 150 or 200 pages into it before I felt I knew what was happening. Even then, there were many times I was confused while I was reading. Despite the confusion, or perhaps because of the confusion, I loved this book.

There are so many characters in Gardens of the Moon that for most of the time, I had a hard time keeping them straight. I’m honestly still confused about some of the characters’ motivations and goals, but that is totally fine because a lot of the time the characters themselves are not sure of their allegiances or are totally unaware of their actions and their implications. Because of this, it is easy to latch onto characters no matter what side they are on: you know just as much as they do, and sometimes that’s not much.

Of course, certain characters are more likeable than others and some POVs just breed confusion for me. Kruppe was one essential character that confused me most of the time and I felt this was one instance I would have liked to know a bit more, but I suppose this is just one reason most people say the best way to read Malazan is to reread it. Adjunct Lorn was one character I really disliked, but I can’t seem to pinpoint the reason. In any case, (view spoiler)[ it doesn’t matter because she’s dead. Or does it? Erikson seems to have a habit of killing people and then bringing them back to life or sort of killing people and bringing them back later or in a different form or body  (hide spoiler)].

I’d have to say my favourite character is Crokus. I loved to watch him go about his life not really knowing what was going on around him. When I followed Crokus’ story, it was one of the only times I felt I knew more about what was going on than the POV character. Perhaps I liked him because I related to him: as he fumbles through life in Darujhistan, I fumble through this novel trying to put the pieces together, and just by chance, I figure it out by the end.

I also like Anomander Rake a lot. (view spoiler)[ Anyone who can turn into a dragon is just awesome.  (hide spoiler)]

When I read fantasy, particularly epic fantasy, I focus a lot on the world-building. I love uncovering a whole different world and its inner workings. While the world of Gardens of the Moon is definitely fantastic, I didn’t find myself focusing on the world. The concept of the Warren is still a bit confusing to me, and (view spoiler)[ there are dragons (which kind of came out of nowhere) along with the mages and gods and other supernatural beings  (hide spoiler)], but the focus is really on the characters - how they interact and oppose each other. Honestly, how the characters relate to one another is still confusing to me after finishing, but in the end, everything worked out and it sort of made sense.

The ending is what really makes Gardens of the Moon great. The beginning and middle are good too, but I spent so much time just trying to keep everything straight until the end. It was so worth it; I couldn’t put it down for the last 200 pages.

André Nóbrega

4,5
As high as fantasy storytelling can go, this is a panorama of a world at war, where no one knows everything and most people know even less than they think, including the reader. We're told as little as possible to allow for a reasonably understandable plot and don't expect to find an ending that makes it all suddenly clear. And I don't think this is because - of course - the story continues on multiple books, but also to make us consider how little people (both inside and outside the book) understand certain forces that use and shape them, be them empires or gods.
Expect very powerful magic, whose workings and limitations one can't always perceive. Expect gods with direct interventions who aren't always as strong as one might imagine. Don't expect either magic or gods to be overwhelming, mere mortals here aren't dismissed. Expect characters that grow, some rise, some fall, characters that you don't understand for a long while or maybe never.
I can't give the book 5 starts for two details, one is that it is too hard to get into, the other is that I'd feel more satisfied with a bit more closure in the end. I'm all for open ended stories and interpretations left for the reader, but Erikson goes above and beyond.
A note on the audiobook version, I honestly think Ralph Lister did a wonderful job, but beware, this is the hardest book I've ever heard and I'd recommend it only for those quite comfortable with listening to audiobooks in English and for people rereading the Malazan epic.

Alexia Cambaling

Before I even started this book, I was already aware that it had a reputation for being pretty hard to understand. I knew that people liked it because it doesn't hold your hand and does things naturally. Turns out, as someone who's only started getting into adult fantasy and older fantasy, I like hand-holding. I don't like spending the majority of my time getting confused and then getting a migraine while I read.

Maybe I should have paid more attention to the details but that's hard to do when you're getting bored. To be honest, I really struggled with this book and I would have DNF-ed it if it wasn't for Darujhistan, Sorry, Tattersail, and Captain Paran. As much as I liked the latter three characters, I also realized that fantasy which leans pretty heavily on the military side of things may not necessarily be my cup of tea.

The Darujhistan crowd were really what made this book enjoyable for me. They are a fun bunch with their own quirks and their antics and arcs were very compelling. Most of them weren't really aware of the Malazans, it's more like they know they're there, but they have their own things going on. Except maybe one or two of them. 

The writing serves its purpose, it's not overly descriptive and it feels functional at times. I did like how some scenes were broken down in certain chapters. It sometimes felt a lot like a movie you're reading.

The magic system in this book looks interesting but is kind of a headache to understand.

In the end, what I really enjoyed wasn't the plot itself, but the characters and their interactions. The bits which made them seem more human in their relationships, their friendships, and quests for revenge. It made them seem more relatable and less characters you see on the page.

As much as I complained about the headaches this book gave me, I'm still willing to give the series a chance someday. Maybe when I'm older and have read more fantasy. Then I'll give this book a re-read and continue.

Heather

“It’s one thing to have you friends mourn your passing in your face. But it’s another to betray your own life. 

What’s the human urge, he wondered, that brings us to such devastation?”

What an interesting book ! I went into it fully aware of the critics on it. 
Get your seatbelt on because it is a bumpy ride. The reader falls into the world without parachute. The protagonists / plots / world building are barely explained and peeking at a Wiki has never been more useful (beware of spoilers!). 

I found myself returning to previous chapters trying to figure out what was going on. Even though it failed on most occasions, the few success were greatly rewarding!

I would advise not to read anything else, focus on this story and take it easy. If you are serious about it, you most likely will have to read the series a second time to get it.

Ben Nathan

A fantastic start to a really long series. Love the ideas and characters. I'm strongly intrigued when the writer just assumes you're smart enough to figure out what's going on. Absolutely a pleasure. I guess I'll put my time in to finish these over the next few years.

Dani

After a year trying to read it, I finally made it. 
I got way too many great recommendations from different people so I gave it a go. I would rate it 3 stars, but that may not be too objective and not the point here.
I think what I liked the most was the gender and age representation, you get almost everything here, that's nice.
Now to fetch #2... in a couple of weeks? Months? We'll see.

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If you want to know why I would rate it 3: (Not sure if spoilers, but be careful, this is mainly ranting)

- SO. MANY. DETAILS. this may not be a bad thing, it's just that I think I'm not ready for this amount of detail in a fantasy book, I don't need to know by how many exact inches a dagger missed the target, or how many hairs were covering the damsel's eye.
- SO. MANY. CHARACTERS. Even to the end of the book new characters are presented, I just can't keep up and I'll have to use different wikis to continue with the rest of the book.

I think I have not read any fantasy books in a LONG time, so I'm not used to it anymore, I loved it before, I just need to get that thirst again without feeling it as homework. So disregard my rants. :P

Anyaconda

First one down, nine to go!
I loved it, this is a step up from WOT and it was a bit harder to follow but it came all together in the end and can we talk about Anomander Rake?! 😱
I enjoyed the characters so so much. They've grown on me.
I'll be picking up Deadhouse Gates shortly.

Gardens of the Moon

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