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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
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:
No
Pacing was a bit off me. An ambitious first novel considering how much was attempted here. I’m in the minority that enjoyed the first half but book 6 did drag for me quite a lot
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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
challenging
dark
slow-paced
Even better the second time around, since you are significantly less confused.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
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:
Complicated
Well, this was a journey. From being dropped in to the middle of an expansive universe in which I knew nothing and no one... To being immersed in the interwoven tales of friends and gods, old and new. Very impressed with Erikson's ability to build worlds and characters.
With Oponn's luck, I just might read the entire series....
With Oponn's luck, I just might read the entire series....
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
"Gardens of the moon" is one of the best opening chapters to a fantasy series I've ever read. I struggle to find anything I disliked about this book after blasting through it at a breakneck speed. Not since Sanderson's "The way of kings" have I been this instantly hooked on a world and its characters.
It took me a while to pick this one up, mainly due to a rather daunting reputation on the fantasy fandom for being... well a tad bit overwhelming and complicated. While I definitely see where this rep comes from I'm not too sure I totally agree with it. That's not to say it DOESN'T just drop you into the deep and to see if you'll sink or swim, it's more that figuring out what's going on and being able to follow and enjoy the story are two completely different things.
Yes the lore is immens and goes so deep that you'll spend the first few chapters constantly asking questions without anyone being there to answer them. Instead... you'll be the one answering those questions as you flow along with the books main plot which is a lot less complicated then it's world.
Gardens of the Moon is a story about people caught in the machinations of greater powers, and all of these powers converge on the city of Darujhistan. As you follow multiple POVs you'll grow to truly know this city and it's inner workings inside and out, by the final chapter I was on the edge of my seat to see how things would turn out for our unlikely heroes.
This story takes place for about 90% of it's pages in one city, that's it, doesn't sound too daunting does it? Yes the lore is extremely unique and you won't have anything else to really compare it to to help you along, but it's main plot is so simple to follow that that won't bother you.
And finally I just want the glaze how amazing these characters truly were. When you look up fan art for this series or just look at the books covers you would think this is a grim dark fantasy, or at least that's the impression I got. I was ready for really grizzled, morally gray characters in a depressingly bleak world. Well imagine my surprise when I ended up finding a collection of extremely likable misfits who genuinely seem to try and do good even when faith itself stands in their way.
The bridgeburners, an elite group of soldiers, who we follow for the majority of the book had such a well written bond between each other that by the end I would have thrown my book of anything happend to them.
The denizens of Darujhistan on the other hand all work in the shadows, dealing in secrets, thievery... and well some even murder. However, the way they all seem to be looking out for each other was extremely endearing. Also, Kruppe might just be the best wizard I've seen in a book since Gandalf.
And finally, Anomander Rake, leader of the Tiste Andii. Having seen fan art before I thought he would be this dark, brooding figure that our heroes would be going up against. No he's just a pretty chill guy. I don't want to go into spoilers but every scene with him in it had my thoroughly engrossed, I may still only have 1/10 of a clue of who he truly is but I can't wait to see more of him.
All of these characters share a certain sense of good in them, compassion, hope which all bleeds through from time to time. I couldn't help but fall in love with these people through the course of our Journey.
So anyway, in short, yes Gardens of the Moon lived up to the hype ten fold. Like a friend of mine said when I started this book, "prepare for peak fiction".
It took me a while to pick this one up, mainly due to a rather daunting reputation on the fantasy fandom for being... well a tad bit overwhelming and complicated. While I definitely see where this rep comes from I'm not too sure I totally agree with it. That's not to say it DOESN'T just drop you into the deep and to see if you'll sink or swim, it's more that figuring out what's going on and being able to follow and enjoy the story are two completely different things.
Yes the lore is immens and goes so deep that you'll spend the first few chapters constantly asking questions without anyone being there to answer them. Instead... you'll be the one answering those questions as you flow along with the books main plot which is a lot less complicated then it's world.
Gardens of the Moon is a story about people caught in the machinations of greater powers, and all of these powers converge on the city of Darujhistan. As you follow multiple POVs you'll grow to truly know this city and it's inner workings inside and out, by the final chapter I was on the edge of my seat to see how things would turn out for our unlikely heroes.
This story takes place for about 90% of it's pages in one city, that's it, doesn't sound too daunting does it? Yes the lore is extremely unique and you won't have anything else to really compare it to to help you along, but it's main plot is so simple to follow that that won't bother you.
And finally I just want the glaze how amazing these characters truly were. When you look up fan art for this series or just look at the books covers you would think this is a grim dark fantasy, or at least that's the impression I got. I was ready for really grizzled, morally gray characters in a depressingly bleak world. Well imagine my surprise when I ended up finding a collection of extremely likable misfits who genuinely seem to try and do good even when faith itself stands in their way.
The bridgeburners, an elite group of soldiers, who we follow for the majority of the book had such a well written bond between each other that by the end I would have thrown my book of anything happend to them.
The denizens of Darujhistan on the other hand all work in the shadows, dealing in secrets, thievery... and well some even murder. However, the way they all seem to be looking out for each other was extremely endearing. Also, Kruppe might just be the best wizard I've seen in a book since Gandalf.
And finally, Anomander Rake, leader of the Tiste Andii. Having seen fan art before I thought he would be this dark, brooding figure that our heroes would be going up against. No he's just a pretty chill guy. I don't want to go into spoilers but every scene with him in it had my thoroughly engrossed, I may still only have 1/10 of a clue of who he truly is but I can't wait to see more of him.
All of these characters share a certain sense of good in them, compassion, hope which all bleeds through from time to time. I couldn't help but fall in love with these people through the course of our Journey.
So anyway, in short, yes Gardens of the Moon lived up to the hype ten fold. Like a friend of mine said when I started this book, "prepare for peak fiction".