Gardens of the Moon (Malazan Book of the Fallen, #1) by Steven Erikson Book Review (Spoiler-free)

Hi y'all! I'm in the middle of re-reading Malazan Book of the Fallen at the moment. And with each reread done, I thought I'll share my review on this channel, too; I'll add a few reread thoughts on the review as well!

As always, thank you so much for all your support. Happy reading, and I hope you have a wonderful day! :)

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[mikesbookreviews]

I feel like I'm already re-reading the series on my first read since I find myself reading every other paragraph twice just to make sure I got everything.

[svignesh]

I started reading Fantasy books a year ago only and ive completed maybe 10 fantasy books and i started Reading Malazan on January because of Mikes book reviews.

Eventhough it would take me twice the amount of time required for me to finish a normal fantasy book to finish Malazan, i enjoyed it and thought could understand it upto a limit and thinking like its not hard like others told me to be. Now, here you are saying (possibly scaring me) that GotM is the easiest book and it will get

Anyway, thanks for the review and i will continue the series on subsequent months also.

[EhsJaySaunders]

Just read Gardens of the Moon for the first time, and I'm decidedly intrigued as to where all the plot threads are going! I liked the first book quite a bit, but I'm suspecting I'll enjoy the later entries even more, as I grow more comfortable in the world.

Admittedly, I was endeared to the series before ever starting it, knowing that Erikson drew inspiration from old D&D campaigns, as my latest series is largely built on Pathfinder games I've both played and game mastered. I think roleplaying games have made me both a better reader and writer, as I invest and empathize more with characters when reading, easily placing myself in their shoes, and (I hope) I've improved at structuring stories to be engaging to readers or players.

To that point, I suspect the Coinbearer plot is far from over...

[SteveTalksBooks]

I'm a little over 200 pages in and was considering not finishing it. After watching your review I'll stick with it and hope everything makes more sense as I go. Not knowing so much bothers me and I feel like I missed something somewhere. I'll just go with it, thank you for the informative review.

[custarddavidson]

Hey from Scotland Petrik! Love the content and the passion you have for books!

[ssspaceman]

Just finished yesterday! My thoughts:

For the first time I took notes while reading a book: it is not necessary, but it was fun. Because in fantasy literature "Gardens of the Moon", the first of the ten novels in Steven Erikson's "Malazan Book of the Fallen", is the tough book par excellence.
But mind you, tough doesn't mean impenetrable. It is challenging.
Much is said of Malazan about the epic and very rich setting, the themes masterfully addressed, the vast and diverse cast of characters and even about topics of narrative theory, which go to address poststructuralism, deconstructionism and various subversions, but there is too little talk of another aspect, the one to "unlock" to reach the wonders mentioned above: the storytelling.
Erikson's writing style is neither brutal nor unaware of its being complex, it is instead a refined example of authorial ambition, which introduces the reader in medias res, in stories in which characters and situations are already in progress.
The peculiarity is that each scene, in addition to the story it tells, brings with it apparently negligible details, which are however complementary to other scenes. Thus, the attentive reader will notice that the scenes complement each other, and the big picture will emerge in a different way than usual.
I think the best way to enjoy this book is to approach it with the right mindset, that is: by making it clear that the novel places the reader in an active role, whereas most other books require a passive immersion spectator role. The reader becomes a detective and his investigative tools are the Dramatis Personae and the Glossary, placed at the beginning and end of the book. Not just holds for memory, but fundamental codes to better orient oneself and, in some cases, to decipher what is happening.
I cannot recommend "Gardens of the Moon" indiscriminately. It is an "advanced level" book, which opens the doors to a series considered among the most beautiful of the genre... And I can guess right now why.
A very dense adventure, to be faced only if you have experience in the literary genre behind you, with the desire to start a journey like no other in a universe of out-of-scale creativity.
I freaking loved it.
PS: If I have to compare this book to anything, I would compare it to Dark Souls: both are often mistaken for brutal and punitive works for their own sake, when in reality it is precise artistic intent to offer a challenging experience, in which the greatest concentration pays off the effort, opening up into something beautiful.

[PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

So great to hear your take, Petrik! I completely agree with you about the increased enjoyment and depth one gets with a reread — definitely my experience so far too! Thanks for this enjoyable video!

[ellynbarclay]

Glad it's gets better with rereads. Part way through it now but already learning more second time round. Great review!

[locolima]

Good review, Petrik. Thank you. Just finished my 1st read last year & not ready for a reread. But, you kinda tempted me to read Kharkanas trilogy this year. Need to stay in that world, if you know what I mean.

[alexnieves]

Great review Petrik and Gardens of the Moon is definitely a super intriguing and yes, confusing book! I'm excited to continue on with Malazan though as it seems like it's going to be an incredibly epic journey.

[andrewhanson]

Thanks for the video. I love Gardens of the Moon! I'm midway through my first read through of the core 10 books and as soon as I finish I plan to immediately reread it and the entire series in chronological order starting with The Kharkanas trilogy. Looking forward to rereading GotM already.

[Rich-jvmx]

I’m about to start this series. I think I’ll need to do one a month as well. Very excited. Great review as usual Petrik

[melsbookshelf]

Great video Petrik!! I finished a few days ago and I really enjoyed it! Looking forward to deadhouse gates! I have loved looking up all the fan art 😍
It is a huge commitment for sure! I’m going to not force myself into it and just go for the ride! I’m also getting help with read along podcasts and reading blogs which have helped me grasp it and pick up some things I may have missed.

[josie-thebubblybookreviewe]

Thank you for a spoiler free review. I'm 1/3 the way through and looking forward to finishing it.

[tammaraliberty]

I started this series January 1, 2021 and I am already on book 3. Gosh does this world pull you right into it. It is totally my style. Thanks for your review.

[Danny_Matson]

Thanks Petrik. I'm along for the journey finally! FInished Gardens of the Moon and I liked it very much. Yes it was confusing, but I'm okay with it. Can't wait to read along with your video reviews this year. You have my hyped!!

[benjamnlchen]

First foray into the series with GotM. Just landed in chapter 22 in the Fête now and the tyrant walks. 😅 Totally swept away by the story and characters, and more importantly, the unique writing style that hits like a 🚌.

I’m not an avid reader at all; in Fantasy genre, I had read A Song of Ice Fire, and in 2nd 📕 of First Law. I don’t necessarily perceive GotM as an incomprehensible read. It’s indeed very intriguing to pay more heeds to the proses and land some answers; and if digging deeper in reread of the same sentences, another layer of meaning would surface - that in itself is a quite exhilarating experience and entertainment; at the same time, the literary beauty is all within.

Thanks for your review! Gonna checkout your Deadhouse Gate review next, 😅, as planning to move onto the 2nd 📕 of the series this weekend.

[lioneart]

Great review, as always!
I liked GotM but didn't like Deadhouse Gates. I could understand GotM but Deadhouse was so confusing! It's still up in the air if I'll continue, because so far the storytelling's been beautifully complex but the plots have been too simple. I'll read the 3rd book to see if it improves.

[amypink]

I had this on my "i will never read this" list. But after hearing talk about it I might move it to my "maybe" list. It just seems like so much work! So many characters and things to keep track of.... I just don't know if I want to work that hard.
much love,
amy

[nikoletanight]

I tried reading this about two years ago but was so confused I gave up. Didn’t help that I was only reading it on my commute. You’ve inspired me to give it another try this month!