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A review by maxsebastian
Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
5.0
Before reading Gardens of the Moon, I'd been in an extended reading slump. I skimmed while reading and would often miss plot elements in a rush to just get the book done. With its expansive world and, as the back of the book says, "panoramic" style, I was worried Gardens of The Moon would make my focusing issues all the worse. However, the fact that I had to pay attention to make sense of anything in this story helped dramatically.
I don't know what to say, Gardens of the Moon is a banger. It's a crazy book that is written in a way that seems totally ill-advised, but I don't know, it's fantastic. It's hard to wrap my head around all of the plot lines, characters, and foreshadowing, but what I can tell you is that this story made my head spin but also had so many lightbulb moments.
As to the story itself, nearly every character is an enjoyable read. After establishing the main cast in the first two parts, I consistently found myself excited whenever Steven Erikson return to an established point of view. Gardens of the Moon is millitary fantasy, which is a new genre to me. Although it reads like a fantasy book, the fact that an ongoing conflict is the main focus feels different than many other fantasy bricks I've read. There are moments where we're really moving in quagmire, alongside the characters, and it's worth knowing that ahead of time. Like a Brandon Sanderson novel, Erikson builds some incredible moments of "convergence" into Gardens of the Moon, but, also like something written by the modern GOAT of fantasy, you have to wade through a lot of build up.
Malazan: Book of the Fallen is often billed as an incredibly confusing story. To some extent, that's true, but the learning curve is not insurmountable. By buddy reading with two friends, occasionally looking at published chapter summaries, and having a before bed reading book that was different, I felt I was perfectly capable of holding onto the essential information in Gardens of the Moon. Even without some sort of reading strategy, Gardens of the Moon can be understood if you're willing to take your time and reread when confused.
Although Erikson's style is difficult, I found it truly rewarding. There's a ton happening in this story, but things really pay off. Questions get answered satisfactorily and plot lines resolve within this first novel. After my experience reading The Wheel of Time, Gardens of the Moon felt in many ways like a breath of fresh air. I can't wait to tackle Deadhouse Gates.
I don't know what to say, Gardens of the Moon is a banger. It's a crazy book that is written in a way that seems totally ill-advised, but I don't know, it's fantastic. It's hard to wrap my head around all of the plot lines, characters, and foreshadowing, but what I can tell you is that this story made my head spin but also had so many lightbulb moments.
As to the story itself, nearly every character is an enjoyable read. After establishing the main cast in the first two parts, I consistently found myself excited whenever Steven Erikson return to an established point of view. Gardens of the Moon is millitary fantasy, which is a new genre to me. Although it reads like a fantasy book, the fact that an ongoing conflict is the main focus feels different than many other fantasy bricks I've read. There are moments where we're really moving in quagmire, alongside the characters, and it's worth knowing that ahead of time. Like a Brandon Sanderson novel, Erikson builds some incredible moments of "convergence" into Gardens of the Moon, but, also like something written by the modern GOAT of fantasy, you have to wade through a lot of build up.
Malazan: Book of the Fallen is often billed as an incredibly confusing story. To some extent, that's true, but the learning curve is not insurmountable. By buddy reading with two friends, occasionally looking at published chapter summaries, and having a before bed reading book that was different, I felt I was perfectly capable of holding onto the essential information in Gardens of the Moon. Even without some sort of reading strategy, Gardens of the Moon can be understood if you're willing to take your time and reread when confused.
Although Erikson's style is difficult, I found it truly rewarding. There's a ton happening in this story, but things really pay off. Questions get answered satisfactorily and plot lines resolve within this first novel. After my experience reading The Wheel of Time, Gardens of the Moon felt in many ways like a breath of fresh air. I can't wait to tackle Deadhouse Gates.