Gardens of the Moon (Malazan Book of the Fallen : 1)

by Steven Erikson

Paperback, 728 pages

English language

Published by Bantam Pr Ltd.

ISBN:: 978-0-553-81217-6

(11 reviews)

The opening chapter in an epic fantasy masterpiece....Bled dry by interminable warfare, infighting and bloody confrontations with Lord Anomander Rake and his Tiste Andii, the vast, sprawling Malazan empire simmers with discontent.Even its imperial legions yearn for some respite. For Sergeant Whiskeyjack and his Bridgeburners and for Tattersail, sole surviving sorceress of the Second Legion, the aftermath of the siege of Pale should have been a time to mourn the dead. But Darujhistan, last of the Free Cities of Genabackis, still holds out - and Empress Lasseen's ambition knows no bounds. However, it seems the empire is not alone in this great game. Sinister forces gather as the gods themselves prepare to play their hand... Conceived and written on an epic scale, Gardens of the Moon is a breathtaking achievement - a novel in which grand design, a dark and complex mythology, wild and wayward magic and a host of …

10 editions

Cotillion reviewed Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson (Malazan Book of the Fallen, #1)

Don't give up

4 stars

Don't give up on this series. Gardens of the moon is where people usually quit. You are thrown into a world with thousands year of history in a middle of all and good luck, try to understand what is happening. Steven Erikson is expecting from you to explore on your own he wont hold your hand and explain every single thing. And believe me he will write like you should already know all that. (I have checked few times if this really is 1st book) Unfortunately that is what throws most readers. I have struggled through GoTM and almost didn't contine with second book. Thank god i did because Deadhous gates was something else, everything starts making sense (little by little) And in the end this become my favourite series. GoTM shines in reread!

Fred Johansen reviewed Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson (Malazan Book of the Fallen, #1)

The first Malazan needs the other nine.

4 stars

Like many readers, I struggled a bit with Gardens of the Moon, Steven Erikson's first tome in the Malazan series. Not that it's a bad book, it's merely a bit confusing at times. It hits you with about a hundred names and several storylines that do not touch each other very much before the last chapters.

So, does it all come together? Nearly. Does the book stand on its own to be readable as a novel in its own right? Very nearly, but not quite.

I'd recommend that you approach it the same way I did: Having heard so many positive things about the "good kind of chaos" of the Malazan series as a whole, I decided to read the first book with a view to continuing onwards to the whole series.

Am I going to continue? I suppose I must, now, in order to get the whole story.

And …

So, does it all come together? Nearly. Does the book stand on its own to be readable as a novel in its own right? Very nearly, but not quite.

Am I going to continue? I suppose I must, now, in order to get the whole story.

And am I looking forward to it? Yes I am.

Mayobrot reviewed Gardens of the Moon (Malazan Book of the Fallen : 1) by Steven Erikson

Unabstracted Magic

No rating

(Does putting zero stars count as the worst score?)

This is sort of a review (and more) of the magic in the series. I wrote it after finishing the third book (Memories of Ice) because that's when a lot of my thoughts on it crystalized, but the review is only using stuff from this book.

a-blog-with.relevant-information.com/posts/unabstracted_magic/

Tom Goetz reviewed Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson (Malazan Book of the Fallen, #1)

Review of 'Gardens of the Moon' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

Reads like book three of a litrpg series. Names, places, and concepts all pile on with no background or explanation. Lots of contradictions.

melangell reviewed Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson (Malazan Book of the Fallen, #1)

Review of 'Gardens of the moon' on 'Storygraph'

4 stars

Almost gave this five stars but I have a feeling that following books in the series will be better.

Also, when your favourite character is a minor character but unexpectedly gets the last paragraph of the book <3

Char reviewed Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson (Malazan Book of the Fallen, #1)

Review of 'Gardens of the Moon' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

I'd actually make this 3.5 if I could . Took two years to read this, off and on. I kept persevering because every single list i've seen with books I enjoy has this series near the top of the list. I read in the reviews that the first 200 pages are slow. Well, it took nearly the first 400 pages for me to really get into it, but once I did - yesterday - I read until I finished without putting the book down. SO, happily about to read book two. Hoping it picks up with somewhat more speed than book one did.

The plot is complex and I found some of the characters compelling. I do recommend this book to patient readers. Smile.