Made more sense the second reading ( )

Excellent novel! It's refreshing to have an author who doesn't bog you down in back stories and character history. In fact the book as a whole was quite refreshing as far as the genre concern. Opens at a break neck pace and maintains that pace right up to the end. ( )

This is the first book in a 10-volume series (eight of which are currently published). It's an epic fantasy spanning a world and with a myriad different characters. There are several maps, lists of dramatis personae, and glossaries to help you navigate this intricate world. It would be daunting to someone new to the fantasy genre, and on someone less so to a fan (like me). Until relatively recently, I resisted getting involved in multi-volume fantasy series -- at least those that expand beyond a trilogy. But that all changed when I started George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series (4 published, 3 to come). Got hooked there. I also got hooked on Jim Butcher's Codex Alera series (I've read 2 of 6 so far). Erikson has been compared to Martin because both are not afraid to kill off main characters (both good, evil, and somewhere in between). But these three, Erikson, Martin, and Butcher all have very different writing styles. Erikson's style is less straight-forward than the others. With Martin and Butcher, following the plot and the character's motivations doesn't tax your brain. But there is so much going on in Erikson's world. It's a little much at first but then a third of the way through this book, it begins to get clearer. And his use of sorcery in the story is heavy, detailed, and fascinating. It's a strange place -- maybe not as strange as China Mieville's Bas-Lag, but wonderfully strange all the same. And the characters are wildly diverse as well. But they could use some more fleshing out. Of the two dozen or so that I followed through this tale, I was only getting a clear picture of four or five of them. But I found the whole thing to wickedly engrossing. I love some of the weirdness he puts into this tale, like, for instance, a sorcerer who ends up having his soul transferred into a marionette. Think Chucky with wizardly powers. In this series the Malazan empire is hellbent on world domination but that is neither easy nor assured. Who knows how long it will take me to get through this series, but I'm looking forward to doing so. One thing I gotta add is that Jeez Laweez, but these Malazan covers (US versions) are cheesy-looking! I mean, look at this one, is that guy sporting a mullet?! Sheesh. And, Book 3 looks like it may have the worst cover. I'd be embarrassed if I cared enough. ( )

Favorite book series of all time (any genre) ( )

The first book in Erikson's fantastic series, Gardens of the Moon drops you right into the action. From discovering the horrific massacre on Itko Kan, to the siege of Pale, the opening chapters of the book display its ruthless attitude towards war and the games played by the Gods. Gods and Ascendants prove a major role in the world, powerful beings of ever-differing character; from those who seek to meddle to those indifferent to the affairs of mortals.

Erikson's universe is huge in scope, and while you don't get the full extent of it in Gardens, you can come to understand the vastness that Erikson fills out into during his later books. The book focuses on the expansion of the Malazan empire across the continent known as Genabackis, and how their weary army trundles onwards, from battle to battle, city to city.

This book serves mostly as a setup for the events that follow, but it introduces many characters that become prevalent throughout the books that follow, in particular Ganoes Paran and the Bridgeburners. The Bridgeburners are legendary in the second army, and prove to be very likable characters. They're tough soldiers who have been put time and time again into bad positions, and their options suddenly aren't looking that great. The other half of the book focuses on the inhabitants of the 'lone jewel' of the continent of Genabackis; Darujhistan, and how their lives come to interfere with those of the Malazan soldiers.

Gardens of the Moon is a tragic tale of war, and all that war entails. It does not shirk from the destruction and death that occur during the pursuit of conquest, it shows a somewhat gritty tale of soldiers just trying to get from one day to the next. ( )