“I’m sure they were good men, the ones you lost.”
“Good at dying.”
Gardens of the moon (malazan book of the fallen)
The best book I’ve read this year. Also the only book I’ve read this year, so far. But it won’t be easy to beat this one. It’s that good.
Gardens of the Moon is the first book in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series, and is actually the first book I read in 2021, as part of a huge read along. And what a start to the series. Absolutely mind blowing world building, there can’t be many fantasy series out there more epic than this one! Huge cast of characters (the book includes a four page dramatic personae at the start!), but each individual character is quite distinct and memorable. While Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series at some point perhaps got too epic for its own good (way too many characters I couldn’t care less about), Steven Erikson is masterful in making sure that every character has a part to play in this wonderful tale of is. Of course, there’s still nine books to go in the series, so I do hope this trend continues. I’m already a bit worried that the next book, Deadhouse Gates, apparently has a whole different cast of characters.
In case you’re wondering, I do love Wheel of Time as well, it’s just that there’s characters I would’ve loved to have seen more of. With the tv series coming out soon, I don’t want to mention any spoilers, so that’s as much as I’ll say about the series. You can find my Wheel of Time post here.
As I was saying, the characters from Gardens of the Moon are more memorable, and it’s difficult to pick a favourite. I’ve read series where I can quickly latch on to a favourite (Roland, Kelsier, Kest), and I’ve read epic series where I still don’t have one (cough*WoT*cough). Joe Abercrombie’s First Law was a series where I had multiple favourites – Bayaz, Glotka, Logen. This one, for me, has even more – Whiskeyjack, Tattersail, Quick Ben, Kruppe, the list goes on. And this is only book one of ten! So hard to pick a side as well. Because there’s Anomander Rake. As cool and badass as they come. Though the book’s badass moments aren’t just limited to him. And some of the best interactions are among the most unlikeliest of characters.
I mentioned in an earlier post how the WoT’s so called ‘slog’ is overhyped, yes, the middle books can be slow at times, but slog is perhaps too strong a word. It may have been a bigger problem for those who read the series ‘live’ as it was being published, but for modern day readers, the slog may be less noticeable.
A similar rumour persists on the internet regarding the Malazan series, where it may be too dense at times, how readers and characters in the book are equally confused as to what’s going on. You are dropped straight into the middle of a battle, and there’s no hand holding or backstories explained. Yes, it’s highly unlikely everything will make sense to you on a first read, but then again, I think that’s what the author wanted. It is a gripping tale, the action never stops, is as epic as it gets. From the epic opening battle in Pale, to the magic floating in the desert, to assassins in the rooftops of Darujhistan, it’s a real page turner. And it’s only the beginning of what will hopefully be an amazing journey.
Marc Simonetti’s cover art for the French edition of Gardens of the Moon. And this scene is in Ch 2 of the book!