Malazan Book of the Fallen - Gardens of the Moon Review

Ever heard of the Malazan Book of the Fallen or Gardens of the Moon?  If you live in the United States, you probably have no clue what I am talking about.  There is a very good reason for your lack of knowledge: Steven Erikson’s wildly successful Malazan series just never caught on in America but it is one of the most popular fantasy series outside of the United States.  Click here to read the rest of this review.
This lack of popularity can be attributed to the series’ high level of complexity and its requirement of thought and investment on the part of its reader which is uncommon among fantasy books of this day and age.  Gardens of the Moon marks Steven Erikson’s debut in the fantasy genre and, frankly speaking, this review is ten years overdue but there is still time for some new reader to fall in love with this great, but complex, series.  Alright, now to the book.  Well the real question is: Is it any good?  Simply put, Gardens of the Moon is one of the best books I have ever read and I have read quite a lot.  The characterization is great, the plot is deep, and the history of the land is rich (Erikson successfully creates a living, breathing world).  However, like I said before, the book is extremely complex due to its multiple plot threads, large cast of grey characters, and grand scale.  But these are the exact things that make Gardens of the Moon so great.  The plot is so complex it will leave your head spinning, the characters are so grey that you may find yourself rooting for the villain, and the entire book takes place over two extremely large continents (How’s that for scale?).  Even though this book can seem daunting to read, trust me it is, you will be having a great time every page you read and will leave with a feeling of satisfaction for just having finished the book, much less understanding it.  The plot starts slow with many threads but slowly begins to pick up the pace and by the end you are rushing towards a very satisfying conclusion.  Erikson’s world and characters are Gardens of the Moon’s real gems.  It is a large sprawling world filled with mages, demons, gods, and so many other races it is hard to keep track of them.  What is so special is the sense of mystery surrounding each race.  Then there are the characters and there a lot of them.  Each character is well thought out and has his unique history and background.  Erikson cleverly avoids common fantasy clichés that many new authors fall prey to.  My favorite character is Anomander Rake who wields the black sword Dragnipur.  I cannot wait to read the rest of the series and find out more about him.  I could go on praising Gardens of the Moon but I will stop and say you should definitely check out the book even if the sheer scale of the book intimidates you.  Keep in mind, however, that Gardens of the Moon is only for those willing to investing both time and effort into reading it.

Score

Plot (5): 4 (Plot is excellent but can be difficult to understand in the beginning)
Magic System (5): 4 (Extremely interesting system but could have been explained better)
Writing (5): 4.5 (Very well written with lots of detail)
Ideas (5): 4.5 (Steven Erikson successfully avoids almost all clichés and most ideas are unique)
Characterization (5): 5 (Shades of grey.  Need I say more?)
Overall (5): 4.5 (Great book for those willing to invest time and effort)

Closing Comments: Gardens of the Moon was Steven Erikson’s entry into the fantasy genre and it was so good that it looks as if it was written by someone who is a veteran of the fantasy genre.  Despite its complexity and grand scale, Gardens of the Moon is one of the best fantasy books out there and when you finish it, you will leave be rushing to find the next installment in the series, Deadhouse Gates.

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