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Markus's Reviews > Gardens of the Moon
Gardens of the Moon (The Malazan Book of the Fallen, #1)
by
by
"Now these ashes gave grown cold, we open the old book.
These oil-stained pages recount the tales of the Fallen,
a frayed empire, words without warmth. The hearth
has ebbed, its gleam and life's sparks are but memories
against dimming eyes - what cast my mind, what hue my
thoughts as I open the Book of the Fallen
and breathe deep the scent of history?
Listen, then, to these words carried on that breath.
These tales are the tales of us all, again yet again.
We are history relived and that is all, without end that is all."
Dark times have set upon the Malazan Empire. Nine years ago, the Emperor Kellanved was murdered and his most loyal followers purged by a ruthless and ambitious woman called Surly, formerly the Commander of the Claw, now known as Laseen, 'thronemaster'. Under the rule of their new empress, the Malazans have spread their empire across the known world, and now the war rages in distant Genabackis. With the Siege of Pale coming to an end, Laseen's attention turns towards Darujhistan, last of the Free Cities...
The first tale of The Malazan Book of the Fallen takes place almost exclusively in the cities of Pale and Darujhistan, and their immediate surroundings. Yet despite of that, the book manages to encompass an enormously wide range of different characters and storylines, all occurring simultaneously. And not only that, but all the time, the reader gets subtle hints that are easily missed about events yet to come. Of course, Steven Erikson has become rather infamous for all this.
The characters were pretty standard. There were a few I enjoyed greatly (most importantly Adjunct Lorn, Kruppe and Anomander Rake), another handful I liked well enough, and a whole lot I found to be completely one-dimensional and uninteresting. Not that I'm complaining, mind you, for such a situation must be expected from a book with as many characters as this one.
The writing style is a matter for debate. I know many people like it (and I've also heard that there is a lot of development throughout the series), and while I wouldn't call it bad, I cannot say that I liked it either. Erikson's style, as stated by the man himself in the introduction, is both fast-paced and dense. That made this feel like a book I should have been able to read a lot faster, but where I had to force myself to go very slow in order to avoid missing anything. So sometimes reading the book caused a minor headache, not because it was confusing (I actually don't think it was), but because I had to read it like I would a university textbook. Looking away from all that, though, the writing itself is okay. Not particularly impressive, but still good. The chapter introductions, however, were simply amazing. I always like quotes and excerpts from in-world texts introducing chapters, and when those come in the form of poetry, it's even better.
Let me talk a little bit about the setting then, which is by far the greatest strength of this book. The continent of Genabackis is a land of many different nations and cultures, and it seems that each and every one of them has a developed history. From the Moranth to Darujhistan to the lands of the Pannion Seer, Erikson has created a setting that's astonishingly enjoyable to read and learn more about. Add to that the Tiste Andii, the T'lan Imass, the Jaghut and all the other non-human races, and the fact that there's a whole world out there waiting to be explored and nine more books to do it, and this reader for one is definitely happy with the latest fantasy universe he's been given the chance to see.
I also felt like there was an advantage in having read the whole Chronicles of the Black Company before venturing forth into this series. Glen Cook is according to Erikson his most important source of inspiration, and it is already quite easy to see connections between the two series in this first novel. Genre-wise Erikson follows in Cook's footsteps and both the setting, the writing and the characters are similar to the ones found in the world of the Black Company.
So in the end, I really liked Gardens of the Moon. There were intriguing stories, fascinating legends of old, epic duels between powerful wizards and mythic creatures appearing from the realms of the gods. I did not enjoy it as much as I hoped I would, but pretty close to how much I expected I would. It is still far too early to see if this series will become one of my favourites, but I certainly intend to find out.
Malazan Book of the Fallen reviews:
#1 Gardens of the Moon
#2 Deadhouse Gates
#3 Memories of Ice
#4 House of Chains
#5 Midnight Tides
#6 The Bonehunters
#7 Reaper's Gale
#8 Toll the Hounds
#9 Dust of Dreams
#10 The Crippled God
These oil-stained pages recount the tales of the Fallen,
a frayed empire, words without warmth. The hearth
has ebbed, its gleam and life's sparks are but memories
against dimming eyes - what cast my mind, what hue my
thoughts as I open the Book of the Fallen
and breathe deep the scent of history?
Listen, then, to these words carried on that breath.
These tales are the tales of us all, again yet again.
We are history relived and that is all, without end that is all."
Dark times have set upon the Malazan Empire. Nine years ago, the Emperor Kellanved was murdered and his most loyal followers purged by a ruthless and ambitious woman called Surly, formerly the Commander of the Claw, now known as Laseen, 'thronemaster'. Under the rule of their new empress, the Malazans have spread their empire across the known world, and now the war rages in distant Genabackis. With the Siege of Pale coming to an end, Laseen's attention turns towards Darujhistan, last of the Free Cities...
The first tale of The Malazan Book of the Fallen takes place almost exclusively in the cities of Pale and Darujhistan, and their immediate surroundings. Yet despite of that, the book manages to encompass an enormously wide range of different characters and storylines, all occurring simultaneously. And not only that, but all the time, the reader gets subtle hints that are easily missed about events yet to come. Of course, Steven Erikson has become rather infamous for all this.
The characters were pretty standard. There were a few I enjoyed greatly (most importantly Adjunct Lorn, Kruppe and Anomander Rake), another handful I liked well enough, and a whole lot I found to be completely one-dimensional and uninteresting. Not that I'm complaining, mind you, for such a situation must be expected from a book with as many characters as this one.
The writing style is a matter for debate. I know many people like it (and I've also heard that there is a lot of development throughout the series), and while I wouldn't call it bad, I cannot say that I liked it either. Erikson's style, as stated by the man himself in the introduction, is both fast-paced and dense. That made this feel like a book I should have been able to read a lot faster, but where I had to force myself to go very slow in order to avoid missing anything. So sometimes reading the book caused a minor headache, not because it was confusing (I actually don't think it was), but because I had to read it like I would a university textbook. Looking away from all that, though, the writing itself is okay. Not particularly impressive, but still good. The chapter introductions, however, were simply amazing. I always like quotes and excerpts from in-world texts introducing chapters, and when those come in the form of poetry, it's even better.
Let me talk a little bit about the setting then, which is by far the greatest strength of this book. The continent of Genabackis is a land of many different nations and cultures, and it seems that each and every one of them has a developed history. From the Moranth to Darujhistan to the lands of the Pannion Seer, Erikson has created a setting that's astonishingly enjoyable to read and learn more about. Add to that the Tiste Andii, the T'lan Imass, the Jaghut and all the other non-human races, and the fact that there's a whole world out there waiting to be explored and nine more books to do it, and this reader for one is definitely happy with the latest fantasy universe he's been given the chance to see.
I also felt like there was an advantage in having read the whole Chronicles of the Black Company before venturing forth into this series. Glen Cook is according to Erikson his most important source of inspiration, and it is already quite easy to see connections between the two series in this first novel. Genre-wise Erikson follows in Cook's footsteps and both the setting, the writing and the characters are similar to the ones found in the world of the Black Company.
So in the end, I really liked Gardens of the Moon. There were intriguing stories, fascinating legends of old, epic duels between powerful wizards and mythic creatures appearing from the realms of the gods. I did not enjoy it as much as I hoped I would, but pretty close to how much I expected I would. It is still far too early to see if this series will become one of my favourites, but I certainly intend to find out.
Malazan Book of the Fallen reviews:
#1 Gardens of the Moon
#2 Deadhouse Gates
#3 Memories of Ice
#4 House of Chains
#5 Midnight Tides
#6 The Bonehunters
#7 Reaper's Gale
#8 Toll the Hounds
#9 Dust of Dreams
#10 The Crippled God
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Reading Progress
December 18, 2013
– Shelved
November 9, 2014
–
Started Reading
November 9, 2014
–
6.78%
"Now these ashes have grown cold, we open the old book.
These oil stained pages recount the tales of the Fallen...
The beginning of this book has met all my expectations. Except one: it is much easier to read than I expected!"
page
51
These oil stained pages recount the tales of the Fallen...
The beginning of this book has met all my expectations. Except one: it is much easier to read than I expected!"
November 10, 2014
–
12.37%
"Mane of Chaos. Anomander Rake. Lord of the black-skinned Tiste Andii... who has looked down on a hundred thousand winters, who has tasted the blood of dragons, who leads the last of his kind, seated in the Throne of Sorrow and a kingdom tragic and fey - a kingdom with no land to call its own.
That introduction! I like the guy already. And I just got to see the first of the famous duels of sorcerers."
page
93
That introduction! I like the guy already. And I just got to see the first of the famous duels of sorcerers."
November 12, 2014
–
22.34%
"Tattersail stared long and hard at the card centered on the field she laid down. She had chosen a spiral pattern, working her way through the entire Deck of Dragons and arriving with a final card, which would mark either an apex or an epiphany depending on how it placed itself.
As a huge fan of all forms of prophecy and divination in fantasy, I am most intrigued by this Deck of Dragons!"
page
168
As a huge fan of all forms of prophecy and divination in fantasy, I am most intrigued by this Deck of Dragons!"
November 13, 2014
–
29.26%
"Argh, few things are more frustrating than people spending the whole night on their turn in a card game!"
page
220
November 15, 2014
–
33.64%
"Ah, politics in Darujhistan - complexity, sinister plots and bloody intrigue. Such a wonderful city!"
page
253
November 18, 2014
–
46.41%
"So even Tayschrenn is a sympathetic character occasionally. I didn't expect that."
page
349
November 19, 2014
–
51.2%
""No one is certain what happened to them, Crokus, or how they became what they are today. They exist, sort of, and are known, to all who have faced the Malazan Empire, as the T’lan Imass."
Please, Uncle Mammot, tell me another tale!"
page
385
Please, Uncle Mammot, tell me another tale!"
November 21, 2014
–
58.78%
"He had no option. Once, he thought, as he approached the block of the Phoenix Inn, long ago, there'd been choices he could have made that would have sent him on a different path. But those days were dead, and the future held only nights, a stretch of darkness that led down to the eternal dark."
page
442
November 22, 2014
–
64.63%
"The plot has become even more interesting after it moved out of Darujhistan for a while!"
page
486
November 25, 2014
–
75.66%
""When the time for action comes, all doubts must be discarded.""
page
569
November 26, 2014
–
79.65%
"He sloshed through the slush now covering the barrow's muddy floor. Before him rose the slanted wall that marked the tomb's barrier. Beyond the lime-streaked earth waited a world to be enslaved. Raest gestured and the barrier exploded outward. Bright sunlight flared in the clouds of steam rolling around him, and he felt waves of cold, ancient air sweeping past him.
The Jaghut Tyrant walked into the light."
page
599
The Jaghut Tyrant walked into the light."
November 28, 2014
–
88.03%
""Kruppe - this humble, weak mortal who stands before you - bows to no man, be he Jaghut or god. Such are the nuances of this new age that you are felled by indifference, made insignificant in your mighty struggles by lowly Kruppe into whose dream you have ignobly stumbled. Kruppe stands before you so that you may gaze upon his benign countenance in the last moments before your demise.""
page
662
November 28, 2014
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-50 of 92 (92 new)
message 1:
by
Damian
(new)
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rated it 5 stars
Nov 23, 2014 05:27PM
Paran is just a likeable, everyday sort of fella!
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This is just the beginning. :D is also the worst of the lot though. Erikson still was working on his style. I love it anyways :D
Nelson wrote: "This is just the beginning. :D is also the worst of the lot though. Erikson still was working on his style. I love it anyways :D"I've heard different opinions on that, so I'll reserve judgment for now! I'm expecting a lot more from the series, but I'm definitely enjoying it :)
I really should check out the Malazan stuff...
Matthew wrote: "I really should check out the Malazan stuff..."Yes! do it :D
I love the wizards and their banters and squabbles
I will have to... it sounds fascinating... always been torn by how it has split readers... people either love or hate it
You definitely need to check this out, Matthew. Don't listen to the haters lol. I've always thought that the 'it's too hard' or 'it's too confusing being dropped in the middle of things' both a lame and lazy excuse.
I will... looking forward to it now
Yeah, going through the learning curve is just part of the fun and the further you go with the series the more things make sense and so on. I'm on book 6 and it was a breeze. You get used to it :)
I found Toll and Dust the hardest but the payoff was worth it in the end.
Maybe I'll try it again one day. But I've tried twice and got sick of it around p 150.
Matthew wrote: "I really should check out the Malazan stuff..."Just to add my voice to the chorus here, I'd also definitely recommend it!
Silvana wrote: "I love the wizards and their banters and squabbles"Yeah, some of the wizards were awesome. Not to mention the duel in the beginning of the book!
Daniel wrote: "Maybe I'll try it again one day. But I've tried twice and got sick of it around p 150."I can understand that. The writing style isn't difficult to read in my opinion, but it simply isn't good. The world is interesting enough that continuing reading is worth it, though!
Nice, review. Now Deadhouse Gates <3
Wonderful series, Iv'e just got the Crippled God to go..
Nelson: Thanks! I'm going to read another book before that, but I'm going to start it in not too long :DSumant: I can imagine! I'll definitely have to re-read this at some point in the far future :)
Keith: Definitely. I hope it's a worthy finish!
that's what I do, I always read something else between Malazan books, they are so dense D: you need something lighter between :D I hope you like it.
I'll certainly try to! :)
I also did not like a lot of characters :-D My two biggest complaints with characters in this series is that Most malazan soldiers are easily interchangeable and most characters including tribals speak very well.
Anirudh wrote: "I also did not like a lot of characters :-D My two biggest complaints with characters in this series is that Most malazan soldiers are easily interchangeable and most characters including tribals s..."You actually gave this book one star, Anirudh... I thought you rated it higher? I agree about the characters, though!
One star means I didn't like it :-)My third biggest problem is that there are one too many characters in the series who have nothing to do with anything in particular :-D
Great review bro. I agree about the world being awesome. And every book in the series fleshes it out more until you really start to grasp how vast it is.
Anirudh wrote: "One star means I didn't like it :-)My third biggest problem is that there are one too many characters in the series who have nothing to do with anything in particular :-D"
True. But I don't see how that's enough for you to not like it at all Oo
Matthew wrote: "Great review!"Thanks!
Conor wrote: "Great review bro. I agree about the world being awesome. And every book in the series fleshes it out more until you really start to grasp how vast it is."Thanks, bro! I remember you dropping your rating from 4.5 to 4, so I decided to follow in your footsteps :D
There aren't many superfluous characters in this series...
Damian wrote: "There aren't many superfluous characters in this series..."Now, I cannot really have an opinion on that yet, but this is the impression I've got, yes.
Markus wrote: "Conor wrote: "Great review bro. I agree about the world being awesome. And every book in the series fleshes it out more until you really start to grasp how vast it is."Thanks, bro! I remember you..."
You've Learned much grasshopper.
I think 4 stars is about right for this book atm although I've heard it's better on a re-read. I really couldn't give this one 5 stars without having to give the next few books (especially MoI) 6 stars. Damn restrictive Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ rating system :D
Nice review, I'll be keeping my eye out on your reviews for the others in the series. It is something I want to read in the future but I think it will have to wait for now.
Conor wrote: "Markus wrote: "Conor wrote: "Great review bro. I agree about the world being awesome. And every book in the series fleshes it out more until you really start to grasp how vast it is."Thanks, bro!..."
Indeed! The real reason why I chose to adjust the rating down was because I compared it to other books I've given similar ratings lately. And Gardens of the Moon was great, but nowhere near Tigana. Come to think of it, I may have to adjust that one's rating up to a full five as well.
Richard wrote: "Nice review, I'll be keeping my eye out on your reviews for the others in the series. It is something I want to read in the future but I think it will have to wait for now."Thanks! I'd definitely recommend it based on what I've read so far, but it's probably a bit too early to say :)
Good review Markus, I am going to read book 2 soon.
Anomander Rake goddammit! >___< There's a Warren inside his sword!!!! D:
@Markus, When I first read the book I had no idea about the writing style. Nobody had told me that book one was not supposed to make sense. So I really struggled. There are many factors which i didn't like in book 1. My ratings Have improved for next books :-)
Mark wrote: "Good review Markus, I am going to read book 2 soon."Thanks! It'll be a while until I'm reading that one myself, but I'm looking forward to your thoughts on it.
Nelson wrote: "Anomander Rake goddammit! >___< There's a Warren inside his sword!!!! D:"Hah, right! Rake is awesome!
Anirudh wrote: "@Markus, When I first read the book I had no idea about the writing style. Nobody had told me that book one was not supposed to make sense. So I really struggled. There are many factors which i d..."
I can see why that's a disadvantage. I've been told that so many times I found the book easy to read.
Markus wrote: "Anirudh wrote: "@Markus, When I first read the book I had no idea about the writing style. Nobody had told me that book one was not supposed to make sense. So I really struggled. There are many f..."
Yeah if you really didn't know about his writing style it makes it really difficult to follow his books. In the first book as he says we 'hit the ground running' He does not give any information about many things. There are sudden shifts in PoV and as I've mentioned in my reviews I really don't like the magic system in the series.
Yeah I can definitely see how going into this series blind would be extremely difficult. I also think I'd enjoy this series a lot less if I wasn't reading the Malazan Fallen book club threads as I go to help me understand stuff. This book, where you get thrown in the deep end, next book with a new setting and only a handful of established characters and book 5 with another completely new setting and only 1 character from the previous 4 books are probably the worst in that regard. Luckily I was warned about them in advance so I adjusted my expectations accordingly.
Expectations are everything. My experience with this book would have been very different if I hadn't been warned about its style.
Markus, I hope I can do a buddy read with you for the next book. Let me know when you start :)
Silvana wrote: "Markus, I hope I can do a buddy read with you for the next book. Let me know when you start :)"I'm already buddy reading it with six other people in our group. I see you don't know any of them (yet), but if you want to, I'll invite you to the group so you can join us? We're not starting for a couple of weeks yet, though :)
@Conor, When I read the first book I didn't know much about fantasy. The only other fantasy that I had read was Wheel of Time. Compared to that this was a different kind of nightmare :D I had trouble with the characters too. He just keeps introducing new characters in each book. And a lot of those characters are not connected to the main plot.
Sometimes I wonder if he was at war with Robert Jordan for producing the highest number of characters.
@Markus, Yeah I found out about the style after reading book 2. I really enjoyed some aspects of this series but I couldn't understand where the previous characters went nor could I really come to like most of them.
Another thing is the magic. I like fresh concepts more than the tried and tested. SE uses a lot of stuff that's been done. Only new thing he introduced as I recall was the deck of dragons which he left unexplained.
That I can agree with. There were two characters I really liked, and (view spoiler).I do not agree about the magic, though, but then again I like traditional magic systems. And the Deck of Dragons is awesome.
First time I tried this book I was still in school and gave up after 50 pages. Then I tried it in college and went as far as 200 pages. Then Third time lucky!! I think the main problem was that earlier I was a novice as far as fantasy was concerned and a fast reader. One really has pay attention and read it like a text book to properly understand what is going on.
Anirudh: I agree with you about the magic, although possibly for different reasons. At times it really feels that Erikson just wanted to throw as much awesome magic stuff as possible into the series, to the point where pretty much every other character is an uber-powerful demigod. It's also frustrating how the magic undermined the military fantasy aspect of the series. Erikson spends a massive amount of time chronicling military campaigns at every level and these are some of my favourite parts of the series, especially the parts exploring the lives of the 'grunts'. However every time armies come up against magic in this series they're destroyed with ease. For me that makes the focus on military stuff seem pretty pointless. Why do nations/empires/kingdoms etc. in this series even bother raising armies when they're essentially just cannon-fodder for any one of the countless OP magic beings wandering around at any given time?
