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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
What a rewarding endeavor! I knew as soon as I originally finished the series a reread would be in the works, and oh boy! was that fun. Erikson has an unbelievable grasp on his world and it's much more apparent with some insider knowledge. Seriously considering following the suggested Ultimate Reading order...
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
Wider series has several rape plots including a disturbing POV character in a later book. Skip series.
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I wanted to read this book for a long time since I enjoy epic/high fantasy but I was quite scared to take on this adventure. English is not my mother tongue but there was no other language option for me. I read in many websites and comments that this is a difficult book and I definitely understand why some people would not want to get into this story. I found a website which helped me a lot with going through Gardens of the Moon since they made a discussion over every chapter and explained things that either I didn't fully understand or I completely missed.
Concerning the book though, it was definitely not as hard as I thought it was going to be. It is beautifully written! The language, the atmosphere, everything is done amazingly. Erikson has created a very complicated world that we only get a small glimpse of in this first book and characters that are not black or white but shades of gray. There is some very intelligent humour and the conversations that are taking place throughout the book and the politics are fascinating.
On the other hand, this is not an easy read. You have to be 100% focused while reading it, you cannot let your attention shift to other stimuli as you will miss an important detail. You might have to re-read some paragraphs twice and take notes (if this is helpful for you). Moreover, this book is pretty big. I personally really enjoy big books especially for fantasy series and Gardens of the Moon never gave me the impression of dragging out. Every paragraph had its purpose. As I mentioned, we only get a little information about the world that Erikson built but I am expecting to learn more about it as the series continues.
I definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys epic fantasy series like Game of Thrones (I think I might actually like this series more than that of George R. R. Martin), but it could be quite challenging as it requires you full concentration
Concerning the book though, it was definitely not as hard as I thought it was going to be. It is beautifully written! The language, the atmosphere, everything is done amazingly. Erikson has created a very complicated world that we only get a small glimpse of in this first book and characters that are not black or white but shades of gray. There is some very intelligent humour and the conversations that are taking place throughout the book and the politics are fascinating.
On the other hand, this is not an easy read. You have to be 100% focused while reading it, you cannot let your attention shift to other stimuli as you will miss an important detail. You might have to re-read some paragraphs twice and take notes (if this is helpful for you). Moreover, this book is pretty big. I personally really enjoy big books especially for fantasy series and Gardens of the Moon never gave me the impression of dragging out. Every paragraph had its purpose. As I mentioned, we only get a little information about the world that Erikson built but I am expecting to learn more about it as the series continues.
I definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys epic fantasy series like Game of Thrones (I think I might actually like this series more than that of George R. R. Martin), but it could be quite challenging as it requires you full concentration
adventurous
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
Malazan has conquered me. I am officially a fan. I thought that this was a great first entry, although the initial pages are a tough bone to gnaw on the pay offs were epic and satisfying. The cast of characters took a while to emerge, but once I had a sense of all the players in the room I was eager to see how the story moved along. Erikson is masterful in how he creates big events through the perspectives of multiple POVs. He is willing to pull forward many different perspectives and dispositions which allow the events to be bigger than any one character. Once this book got out of the mud of comprehension, I couldn't put it down. I am excited and daunted by the adventures ahead of me.
This book was awesome in the truest sense of the word. While it feels like a long prologue with a plethora of characters that can sometimes be hard to follow, the world is rich, the prose is delectable, and the characters authentically compelling. The potential that follows has me on the edge of my seat. I cannot wait to experience more Malazan.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes