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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
'Beware of shadows bearing gifts.'
'the beliefs of the ignorant are ever entertaining.'
Hunger for vengeance poisoned the soul.
'all deceit is born in the mind and there it is nurtured while virtues starve.'
The best lies were the simple ones.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Steven Erikson’s first novel in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series took me three attempts in as many years to complete. This is a story of massive scale, and it offers very little guidance as the reader is thrust into a wholly unfamiliar world that is vast and dense. The sheer amount of information provided, combined with the cast of dozens of characters (most of whom have at least 1 POV chapter, although most have many more) and the scope of the events unfolding all made GOTM an immensely difficult read. Despite this difficulty however, Erikson has crafted an unbelievably compelling world, with a cast of characters equally as exciting. It is often a pitfall of epic fantasy that certain POV characters feel like a chore to read, but never once did I feel that during this book. Even after finishing Part 1, when the entire cast of characters introduced up to that point is shelved and a whole new set of characters in a brand new location is brought into the fold, GOTM remained exciting and engaging, and the convergence of all of the POVs as the novel progressed was insanely rewarding to read. I could go on for hours the amazingly detailed characters and the truly unparalleled worldbuilding of this novel, but suffice it to say that Gardens of the Moon is a triumphant beginning to what I am confident will be an incredible series.
3.5 stars
I'm writing this review, almost a year after finishing the book, because even though my rating isn't high this is probably one of my best experiences EVER reading a fantasy book.
And it can be a little contradictory when I say that I felt so DUMB while reading it. Honestly, I loved that Steven Erikson doesn't spoon-feed his readers AT ALL. Maybe that won me over, he made me work to get it. You know what I mean? So, if that's something that doesn't sound appealing to you... don't read this.
I felt lost at the story's beginning, but somewhere along the ride everything clicked into place in my brain and I fell in love. The world-building was fantastic, and the characters kept me invested until the end. I never felt a hint of disinterest while reading it, and even now after almost a year, I still think about it.
However, it's tough to get into it at first. And that made me critically lower my rating. The first 200 pages were definitely a challenge. Yet, I'm obsessed with it and want to keep reading the series.
I'm writing this review, almost a year after finishing the book, because even though my rating isn't high this is probably one of my best experiences EVER reading a fantasy book.
And it can be a little contradictory when I say that I felt so DUMB while reading it. Honestly, I loved that Steven Erikson doesn't spoon-feed his readers AT ALL. Maybe that won me over, he made me work to get it. You know what I mean? So, if that's something that doesn't sound appealing to you... don't read this.
I felt lost at the story's beginning, but somewhere along the ride everything clicked into place in my brain and I fell in love. The world-building was fantastic, and the characters kept me invested until the end. I never felt a hint of disinterest while reading it, and even now after almost a year, I still think about it.
However, it's tough to get into it at first. And that made me critically lower my rating. The first 200 pages were definitely a challenge. Yet, I'm obsessed with it and want to keep reading the series.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Gardens of The Moon belongs in a rare category of literary sci-fi/fantasy ensembles, owing to the author’s background in anthropology and his time in the University of Iowa wiring program.