The Malazan Fallen discussion
This topic is about
Gardens of the Moon
Group Read - Gardens of the Moon
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GOTM - End of Book Discussion
One thing I want to share since it got lost for me my first read is that Raest steps on Burn, and the time in this series is based on Burn's Sleep. So who is Burn? I look forward to tracking her this read.I don't think that's too much of a spoiler?
Lori wrote: "One thing I want to share since it got lost for me my first read is that Raest steps on Burn, and the time in this series is based on Burn's Sleep. So who is Burn? I look forward to tracking her th..."
Do not worry too much, you will get a lot of explanation about her in the third book.
Do not worry too much, you will get a lot of explanation about her in the third book.
Finished :)Couldn't put it aside to finish next week, momentum would have been lost along with some of my enjoyment.
Great story! Complex, funny, surprising, complex - I feel like I am trying to complete a 5000 pce puzzle and someone has hidden half of the pieces! ;)
Loved Kruppe, the Imass, Tool, Rake, Crone, even Hairlock. Kinda. Okay, not Hairlock.
On to Deadhouse Gates! Ordered the next 3 books, looking forward to reading further.
Lori wrote: "One thing I want to share since it got lost for me my first read is that Raest steps on Burn, and the time in this series is based on Burn's Sleep. So who is Burn? I look forward to tracking her th..."Lori, Re 'Burn', and I'll spoiler-protect it too (view spoiler)
Linette wrote: "Finished :)Couldn't put it aside to finish next week, momentum would have been lost along with some of my enjoyment.
Great story! Complex, funny, surprising, complex - I feel like I am trying to ..."
pretty much my thoughts - I'm still a bit lost with some of it I think. No doubt subsequent reads will have the penny dropping for me too, but it hasn't really dropped yet.
Kruppe is a favourite character.
I finished it too - couldn't split and read though. I'm pretty sure I haven't absorbed everything that I could and there will definitely be light bulb moments. But I can't wait to start the next book.
Do we have any first time readers that started this read with us but aren't eager to carry on with further books? For that matter did anyone Lem it (give up)? Although I suppose this is the wrong thread to hear from those who didn't finish.
Linette wrote: "Complex, funny, surprising, complex - I feel like I am trying to complete a 5000 piece puzzle and someone has hidden half of the pieces!"Loved this characterization of yours, Linette! Oh so true! Part of the magic of this series, in my humble opinion, is the the 'thrill of the hunt' to find and interpret the 'puzzle pieces' that Erikson so artfully hides throughout the novels in the series.
I really enjoyed this reread of Gardens of the Moon. Amazing how much more I got of it this time around too! I'm beginning to realize that this first book really is such an important novel in the series too.
Chaz wrote: "Do we have any first time readers that started this read with us but aren't eager to carry on with further books? For that matter did anyone Lem it (give up)? Although I suppose this is the wrong t..."Not me! I bought the second weeks ago. I'm just waiting to start it atm. Patiently.
Christopher wrote: "I really enjoyed this reread of Gardens of the Moon. Amazing how much more I got of it this time around too! I'm beginning to realize that this first book really is such an important novel in the..."Well the first time we were all far too confused catching up on this world! And I myself had NO ONE to talk to about it!
Lori wrote: "Christopher wrote: "I really enjoyed this reread of Gardens of the Moon. Amazing how much more I got of it this time around too! I'm beginning to realize that this first book really is such an im..."Oh yeah, I know what you mean. I think the first time I successfully read this through (i.e., not counting my two failed attempts) I was still pretty much lost in a 'fog-bank'. It is surely starting to make a lot more sense now, as I am finding all of these juicy little tidbits.
I wasn't here in time for reading through the book with all of you, but I did just recently finish it and loved it. I found the first book to be totally engrossing - yes, challenging at times but I don't mind being a bit confused as a reader put into a new world. If anything, it builds anticipation and curiosity about people and things and what's to come.I loved many of the characters and there's so many individual stories I can't wait to pick up again. I really know next to nothing about what is waiting for us in the next book but I'm anxiously awaiting digging in to it!
David wrote: "I wasn't here in time for reading through the book with all of you, but I did just recently finish it and loved it. I found the first book to be totally engrossing - yes, challenging at times but ..."The next book is certainly a Hood of a ride. I would say my favorite, but that implies that one can differentiate good from "gooder". It certainly has some of the best moments in the series in it. I envy all of you first timers for getting to experience it.
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I struggled to get into it. Finally, i found a copy of gardens and life changed ;)
Finished reading this a week ago, but wasn't able to update here because of an eye condition that won't allow me to have prolonged period of time in front of a screen. Boohoo.I can't really say that it blew me away but I'm very satisfied with the ending. There are still a lot of questions left hanging but I guess that's what the 9 books left in the series are for. Participating the discussion per chapters very much helped with the initial confusion when very little made any sense. Looking forward to the next book! I already bought my copy of it. 1 week! :)
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There are new continents, more races, about 456 new characters, many battles and an emotional rollar coaster ride awaits.
By book six and seven I was actually proud of myself at my knowledge of the series. You end up knowing so many characters, yet when one pops back into the story after being absent for 4500 pages, you know them instantly.
This is why I rate this series over anything else I have read. I have invested in this world. i didn't just read about it.
You've summed it up nicely, Lee. I love that I can remember a character after that many pages (and even years for me).
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My Review http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
No glossary necessary at all!
Lori wrote: "No glossary necessary at all!"Definitely one of the best parts of rereading. Glossary and Dramatis Personae didn't need to be referenced every time you pick up the book. :) And largely not at all.
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Yeah well you like just about everything I post..so that doesn't say very much. lol.
Great reviews David, Lee, and Rob - I enjoyed each of them. GOTM is the best kind of book; even though I finished it a couple of weeks back the characters and stories are still on my mind... even when I'm not reading these group threads! I'm certainly itching to start reading DG this weekend...
Yes, I agree - all three very nice reviews!Oh it really does start this weekend, right? Wohooooo! It feels like forever since I finished Gardens of the Moon. I can't wait to start Deadhouse, yippeee!
I am so glad I was able to push through the first half of the book because when I got to the second half, it all clicked. I absolutely loved it and can't wait for Deadhouse Gates!
I haven't been able to settle into any book since I finished GoM almost 2 months ago, is it OK to start now, is it, is it? SO excited!
Just got my review up as well. I left the beginning part where I try to convince people to read the series, so you'll have to scroll to the bottom. Sorry to cause so much extra work. :D
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And here I was proud of my 15 likes, and you have 150±
Maybe I need to stop rejecting all those friend requests from strangers.
Rob wrote: "And here I was proud of my 15 likes, and you have 150±Maybe I need to stop rejecting all those friend requests from strangers. "
That's definitely my most popular review by far, but I think mostly because it's easy for Malazan fans to agree. I didn't even have a review there until now.
This is a fantastic book and boy is there so much more in it on the second read but there were a few elements that SE leaves behind by the time we get to Deadhouse Gates. In GotM there were still some of the trappings of trope around D'stan and a few annoyances, particularly the blandness of Crokus that I felt SE leaves behind after this book.I just read the Prologue and most of ch1 of DG and first time around it was this book that really made me fall in love with Malazan rather than just admire and enjoy it. I'm so excited.
I'm a little trepidous about DG, I found it brutal.
You're telling me there was a glossary in the back I wasn't aware of? I thank K'rul you guys answered all my questions anyway.
I feel like a child waiting for Santa to drop down through the chimney. I think I'm gonna cheat and start reading it today. Perhaps. Maybe. Although, finishing Gardens of the Moon early on was bad. I haven't participated at all in the chapter discussions for the last two weeks and that feels bad.Maybe I'll wait until tomorrow. Although, I can sneak a peek at the prologue. Maybe. ;o
It is a relatively long Prologue, about 35 pages, so that should sate your appetite for 24 hours.
That sounds good! I think I'll be able to work with that.
Kory wrote: "You're telling me there was a glossary in the back I wasn't aware of? I thank K'rul you guys answered all my questions anyway."Haha, I used it extensively my first time through. Although, there was one book that kind of spoiled things since they're not afraid to populate the Deck of Dragons list with character names at the back before you actually know all the details. I think it was ICE's Return of the Crimson Guard.
I liked Gardens of the Moon the first time I read it and more this time around.Kruppe and Quick Ben has been confirmed my favourite characters and I am a bit sad we will not read much about them in Deadhouse Gates. But I am still eager to begin it.
Roberta wrote: "I liked Gardens of the Moon the first time I read it and more this time around.Kruppe and Quick Ben has been confirmed my favourite characters and I am a bit sad we will not read much about them i..."
Oh, Roberta, trust me in this, you are gonna meet some new characters that you're gonna love, and become reacquainted with some from GotM too. The big pay-out is--and it is no secret--that you'll soon be back with Kruppe, Quick Ben and others before you know it as the series moves forward!
Hi, not sure where to ask this or if this has been asked before, but I'm just wondering if there's any distinction (made by SE in the later books or in interviews perhaps) between mages, witches, sorcerers, and alchemists? They seem to have the same magical capabilities (regardless of their title) and they seem to access their warrens of power the same way. Hmmm, just wondering...thanks!
Interesting question JL. My answer would be no and yes.Magic users seem to get their abilities by accessing a Warren which is a source of magical power. They access the Warren and shape it with their will to the task at hand. There are different Warrens to access and whilst Healers seem to use the specific Warren of Healing (Denul) any of the Warrens seem to be able to be used for any of the different types of magic considered below.
I suspect that what a person is called is related to how they are using magical power at the time, or how they are most skilled in using power. Tattersail is both a Mage and a Seer and is referred to as both but most often as a Sorceress. Tayschrenn is a High Mage but has some ability to See but not as much as 'Sail.
Here are some of the categories and what I would guess that their use infers but bear in mind that their use can be interchangeably for an individual magic user depending on the ways they use magics and what aspect the speaker is emphasising. An individual magic user may have skills in a number of these areas:
Mage: A spell-weaver, possibly particularly emphasising combative use of spells.
Seer: A reader of signs to gain information about the movements of gods and giving possible insight into what is going on elsewhere in the world and possibly even into the future.
Witch: Possibly more derogatory term indicating an untrained or folk-magic user. Think village witch. Also used for tribal magics that are poorly understood by the dominant civilisation i.e. Rhivi witches.
Warlock: Again a tribal magic user but principally combative.
Healer: Heals. Often by use of the Warren of Denul for high level healing but may also refer to lower level use of poultices and potions that may or may not have magical properties.
Sorcerer: Possibly used as a combination of the roles of Mage and Seer but a powerful magic user. A weaver of spells.
Alchemist: Imbues physical objects with magical properties in the creation of potions and magical artifacts. A solid understanding of what we would call Chemistry but bringing in a bit of magic to spice things up.
Chaz wrote: "Interesting question JL. My answer would be no and yes.Magic users seem to get their abilities by accessing a Warren which is a source of magical power. They access the Warren and shape it with t..."
Oh wow, thanks a lot Chaz for such a thorough answer :) That clarifies a lot of things... in SE's world, it seems magical titles or designations doesn't define rigid boundaries that limit and characterize users, but are more permeable descriptions depending on how magic is utilized.
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JL wrote: "in SE's world, it seems magical titles or designations doesn't define rigid boundaries that limit and characterize users, but are more permeable descriptions depending on how magic is utilized. "
That is correct. Also terms like "squad mage" and "cadre mage" and "High Mage" were used to distinguish military functions of magic users. Tattersail, for instance was offered the position of "High Mage" but knocked back the offer.
High Priest - same as High Mage but fully committed (whether voluntary or not) to the religion.
Great stuff on the descriptions, Chaz. From DG I was kinda wondering about the whole mage - warlock thing for sure.
The Malazan Fallen
Books mentioned in this topic
The Curse of Chalion (other topics)The Unnaturalists (other topics)
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