Gardens of the Moon is the first book in the series The Malazan Book of the Fallen, which is co-authored by Erikson and Ian C Esselmont. Epic is the best way to describe the series, at 15 books with an average page count of 800-1000 per book, it is not for the part time reader. Also, the authors do not believe in providing in easy answers or explanations, readers are expected to infer plots and themes by themselves.

Having pointed out some of the perceived negatives, this still remains one ...

If you are resding this review i can safely presume you have already read all the other reviews written by certified buyers and almost decided whether to read the book and commit yourself to this gargantuan series or not. There are few points which should be taken into consideration ....
1. It is a book which will test your intelligence..often stimulating it.
2. Before reading just flip through "dramatis personae" & "glossary" even if it doesn't make any sense initially, it helps a lot as you...

This is not for the casual reader as the plot is complex, there is a host of characters, unexplained concepts and the language requires getting used to. But therein lies the charm of this defamiliarised world.

This is the book that is the initial chapter in an epic tale but stands well on its own. The plot has several strands and all those strands are intricately woven into a single point of convergence. You may think that you are losing your way in this novel world but that will wear off. ...

Readers might already know that this is first book in 10 book series. Writing style might be a bit difficult to begin with, but stick to it. It is fantastic!

And I absolute agree with the previous reviewer. This is not the usual "young boy becomes hero and saves the world" fantasy type. The world Erikson builds up is amazing (and I would say better than the one by Tolkein, but that is debatable), and the scope is tremendous.

Read this series if you like real Epic fantasies :)

Gardens of the Moon is the first book in the series The Malazan Book of the Fallen, which is co-authored by Erikson and Ian C Esselmont. Epic is the best way to describe the series, at 15 books with an average page count of 800-1000 per book, it is not for the part time reader. Also, the authors do not believe in providing in easy answers or explanations, readers are expected to infer plots and themes by themselves.

Having pointed out some of the perceived negatives, this still remains one o...

I am a big fan of the Sci-Fi and Fantasy genre and at that time I had just completed Sanderson's "The Way of Kings" and I wanted something else to read. I remember that I checked the 100 best fantasy novels on google and I foind Steven Erikson among many others like Patrick Rothfuss, Terry Goodkind and Douglas Adams.I wanted to expand my library so I bought all his books along with the others. Then when I read the reviews on some site tgey all said that Malazan was not for everyone and is qui...

I read this book and only one word comes to my mind.. fantastic. It breaks through the clutter of fantasy series in market. Basically it is a military fantasy series complete with well developed world and magic systems. Wars are superbly handled by steven and multiple threads running through out the book converge naturally. If you are a fantasy buff it is a must read. Good thing is that series is complete so no waiting for next book to come out :)

First of all if you are a reader who wants every detail of a book spoon fed, turn away now itself and find yourself another series.
Steven Erikson's masterpiece is definitely for readers who have at least read 1 or 2 other epic fantasies and can visualize events.

Erikson has created a story that best resembles a web. The plot is interwoven so exceptionally that you may understand or be clear on the events that are taking place while you are reading it but trust me everything falls into place...

The book is a fantastic read, Erikson is great author! but the delivery by LOOSERS was very poorly done and the book had smudges on the cover page. Cannot recommend LOOSERS. They are truly an epitome of their company name.

This book, or rather the complete series is for the hardcore fantasy fan, for the avid reader who doesn't mind his intelligence....addled. Erikson does not believe in spoon-feeding, hell...he doesn't even put up the stuff in a platter for you to pick up and gobble down. He makes you hunt for your quarry and then prepare it, cook it and only then eat it (if you have the appetite left, that is!!). Just imagine yourself standing in a corner and listening to a pair of old friends, stumbling into ...