Gardens of the Moon - Steven Erikson

Gardens of the Moon

By Steven Erikson

  • Release Date: 2004-06-01
  • Genre: Epic Fantasy
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 839 Ratings
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Description

The Malazan Empire simmers with discontent, bled dry by interminable warfare, bitter infighting and bloody confrontations with the formidable Anomander Rake and his Tiste Andii, ancient and implacable sorcerers. Even the imperial legions, long inured to the bloodshed, yearn for some respite. Yet Empress Laseen's rule remains absolute, enforced by her dread Claw assassins.

For Sergeant Whiskeyjack and his squad of Bridgeburners, and for Tattersail, surviving cadre mage of the Second Legion, the aftermath of the siege of Pale should have been a time to mourn the many dead. But Darujhistan, last of the Free Cities of Genabackis, yet holds out. It is to this ancient citadel that Laseen turns her predatory gaze.

However, it would appear that the Empire is not alone in this great game. Sinister, shadowbound forces are gathering as the gods themselves prepare to play their hand...

Conceived and written on a panoramic scale, Gardens of the Moon is epic fantasy of the highest order--an enthralling adventure by an outstanding new voice.

At the publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management software (DRM) applied.

Reviews

  • Flow

    2
    By Kevbofrisbee
    The imagery was well done. The connection and flow between characters was lacking.

  • Not for me

    2
    By okimamasan
    Not a fan. Decent characters but I felt confused by all the names and magical components. Author didn’t do a great job of explaining things for the reader…felt like I had missed the first book in the series. Characters come out of nowhere to “save the day” - too convenient and not believable. Weird word choice had me rolling my eyes at inappropriate moments in book. Good world building ideas by the author, systems of magic, etc. but did not feel written for the reader’s enjoyment. Felt like I was listening to my kindergartner tell me about a complex Roblox obby from the backseat while she eats an ice cream cone. “Like what? What did I miss?”

  • Best fantasy series I’ve ever read

    5
    By solly777
    Phenomenal book, great series Would highly recommend. Very well written, not your typical childish boy learns magic and fights bad guy. Amazing world building

  • Getting better

    4
    By TigersJC86
    I’ve read this book 3 times now and it does get better with each read. I think the thing that amazes me most is the magic. It’s certainly powerful but it’s not so fantastic it overwhelms the story. It is a very bleak story and my one complaint is it feels like you’re not sure ho you’re rooting for or have a full understanding of the players involved. That being said I’ll continue to read and hopefully get a better understanding.

  • Best in Class, Best in Show

    5
    By Unpaid Reviewist
    Nobody writes fantasy as well as Erikson, and nobody in fantasy writes politics, economics,magic, dragons, monsters, ecology, archaeology OR human nature as well as Eriskon. Pick any of them and he’s the pinnacle. What you end up with is the best fictional work of asymmetric warfare ever written. With zero spoonfeeding, no class, philosophy or religious type is spared the lash of historical comeuppance. Readers looking for affirmation of any kind will find his work to be “lacking character develpment”, “lacking explanation” and with “an unclear plot direction”. Everyone else will think it’s close to the best fantasy out there, or just the best fantasy period. There’s Tolkein, Erickson, and everyone else.

  • An Unbearable Slog

    1
    By Windupferrari
    Gardens of the Moon is, I can only assume, an attempt to create a fantasy epic that mimicked the feeling of trying to read a textbook that’s missing every other chapter. There’s so much being glossed over and so many names and places thrown out without context that I stopped several times to double check that I hadn’t picked a book in the middle of the series by accident, and I constantly had to reread passages after losing focus. Maybe I could’ve gotten past that if the POV characters were engaging, but for me they elicited apathy at best, and loathing at worst. I really tried, but this was the first and only fantasy novel I’ve ever started that I couldn’t force myself to finish.

  • Fantastic

    5
    By Sdzzzz
    Depth, action, originality. An incredible story!

  • Terrific

    5
    By Hawktale
    Hang in there. It took me a couple tries as it's very different than a lot of fantasy I've read, especially G.O.T.M. But...when you "get it" these books become impossible to set down. A truly impressive world.

  • Dear Publishers Weekly

    5
    By QuikBen
    Oh, How you have Fallen to the wayside. . . No depth? . . NO DEPTH? Don't make me piddle in my pants! Your review of Erickson's first book in his masterwork series makes me want to bang my head against a wall, repeatedly. . .

  • Excellent.

    5
    By HourGlass1995
    If you are negative about this series, or this book, you really have no idea about what's going on. This series takes place on an epic scale, involving countless characters, and a whole bunch of different kingdoms and empires. This is the most epic series available today, and I just can't see how people don't like that.

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