Gardens of the Moon (Malazan Book of the Fallen, #1) in The Bridgeburners

Apr 21, 2011 Steve rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fan-fucking-tastic

To say this book pushes the envelope of Epic Fantasy is an understatement. It would be best to go ahead and just simply state this collection redefines the genre.

Story telling on the grandest of levels.

World building so vivid and colorful it is unparalleled

Characters that will remain with you long Long LONG after you put the book down

Dialog that somehow vibrates the inner ear

I am only into my 4th book of this series, and I cherish the time I spend with each one. Note these are not works that ca ...more

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Mar 28, 2011 Jason rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, epics, world-of-malazan, fantasy-book-1

I don't care what people say about Erikson. There are those who have nothing but hate for his style of prose & for his world of Malazan. There are others, like me, who see a writer who has fully envisioned what his world is to be in his epic--totally fleshed out his characters, their paths within the story, the gods, the mages, the societies & the races--so much so it rivals other writers within this genre. The other beautiful aspect of this series is you don't have to start with this book in or I don't care what people say about Erikson. There are those who have nothing but hate for his style of prose & for his world of Malazan. There are others, like me, who see a writer who has fully envisioned what his world is to be in his epic--totally fleshed out his characters, their paths within the story, the gods, the mages, the societies & the races--so much so it rivals other writers within this genre. The other beautiful aspect of this series is you don't have to start with this book in order to dive into this series. You can, believe it or not, start with not just this novel but with DEADHOUSE GATES (#2), MEMORIES OF ICE (#3), HOUSE OF CHAINS (#4) or even MIDNIGHT TIDES (#5). BUT! There is a catch: If you start with one of these other novels, you are eventually going to have to go back in read the others because after Book 5, you need to have all the background in order to continue forward--plot threads begin to intersect or reach various conclusions. Nevertheless, the fact one can start this epic in the manner I've just described, makes it a cut above the rest. There will be purists who say you must start with the 1st novel but I have many friends who started this series with either one of the five novels I've cited as possible starting points & they all have no problems with continuity.

With that said, let me start by saying that while GARDENS OF THE MOON is where I started the series, it is, in my opinion, not the best book in the series I've read so far. I know I gave it 4 stars & this is because, upon reflection, I realized it is an excellent fantasy novel--one that goes beyond cliches found in the genre. This fact, along with the very colorful characters Erikson introduces the reader to, makes one grateful for an author who is trying very deftly to think outside the box in a genre riddled with overly familiar plot lines. This is NOT a rehash of THE LORD OF THE RINGS (or its carbon copies), A SONG OF ICE & FIRE, PERN or anything by Donaldson. There are no pig farmers' sons (or daughters)or kitchen boy/maid becoming the next-coming-of-the-grand-hero/heroine-to-save-our-world-from-a-dark-evil-in-the-form-of-a-demon-or-wizard/sorceress-after-being-trained-by-a-mentor-wizard/knight in this epic. I know that was a mouthful, but those of you who read fantasy like breathing air know what I am talking about. & this tired plot device becomes incredibly boring. So much so it becomes a detriment to the genre & Erikson transcends this pitfall by running far away from it.

I'm not going to give you a plot synopsis because to do so would take many, many paragraphs. But I will say, its a wonder of book that introduces us to a military cadre known as The Bridgeburners, led by a well respected soldier, Whiskeyjack. He, along with the 2nd Army, are finished conquering the city of Pale & are on their way to lay siege to the last free city on the map, Darujhistan--with battle mages in tow. & this is just scratching the surface--there is so much, much more. We come across many interesting characters within the city of Darujhistan--assassins, thieves, nobles, The Crippled God, Anomander Rake--who all play a part within the epic & come into their own later within the series. It is the first novel in a wicked mosaic of intrigue, religion, war, magic & The Crippled God. This is another aspect I love about this series--the gods walk among humans, sometimes possessing them. The mages are way cool too--Quick Ben & Tattersail would give any famous wizard from past fantasy novels a major run for their money. Again, I could go on & on but one must pick this novel up & judge for themselves.

I have friends who, a long time ago, introduced me to George R.R. Martin's series, A SONG OF ICE & FIRE, & I loved them for it. To repay them, I introduced them to THE MALAZAN BOOK OF THE FALLEN & they love the series as much as I do. Some, who grew tired of waiting for Martin's next book, went forward with MALAZAN to the point they abandoned Martin completely. The other reason why one would want to continue with this epic is due to the fact that Erikson, unlike Martin or Robert Jordan/Brandon Sanderson, finished it--all 10 books are done & Erikson is still alive. So there's no waiting for the next book--waiting for years & years like so many of us do for the latest installment of A SONG OF ICE & FIRE.

I've read a lot of fantasy over the years & I've always said: 80 to 90% of all fantasy novels are shit & to find the diamonds within the steaming pile, one has to wade through a lot of it. & when one does find a diamond within the crap, it's a wonderful find.

Erikson's THE MALAZAN BOOK OF THE FALLEN is one of those diamonds. ...more

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Feb 24, 2011 Aaron Singleton rated it really liked it

Shelves: sf, fantasy

The first volume in Steven Erikson's ten-volume Malazan Book of the Fallen series, Gardens of the Moon, introduces us to the Malazan Empire and the world it inhabits. Right away, the reader is thrown into the fray. There is no backstory, no long introduction to what turns out to be a very complex world with countless connections amongst characters, races, gods, and so on.

At first, you will feel confused, lost, hopelessly behind, but do not fret. You're supposed to feel that way. Stick with it. ...more

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Mar 14, 2011 Ardwulf rated it it was amazing

This is the first book in the ten-book Malazan Book of the Fallen, a huge, sweeping, epic fantasy with an intricate world and a great deal of wonder and mystery. It runs to 666 pages in mass market paperback, but I mostly read it using the eBook, although I did immersion listen with the audiobook to some sections.

There are multiple series and a number of standalones set in this universe, by both Steven Erickson and Ian C. Esslemont. But the ten-book Malazan Book of the Fallen is what folks call ...more

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Apr 02, 2011 Marc rated it it was amazing

READ THIS BOOK!!! And then set aside the next month or so to finish the series. WARNING: this series is not for the faint of heart. The series is not called "the Malazan Book of the Fallen" for nothing. ...more

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Jul 26, 2011 Lita rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

I will never, ever get tired of re-reading these books. The whole series is solidly written. Fantastically huge story acrs, exquisite character development, action you can taste and smell, magic that doesn't make you roll your eyes. Steven Erikson, the only author I've read that could make me feel sad over a scorpiod being stomped. ...more

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