Book #20- Gardens of the Moon

Title- Gardens of the Moon
Author- Steven Erikson
Series-The Malazan Book of the Fallen, Book 1
Genre- Epic Fantasy
Pages-657
Pages to date- 6,084

The Good:
Gardens of the Moon is massive in scope and ambition. Erikson weaves countless tales together with expert writing. The book is remarkably cinematic; it establishes setting perfectly and follows numerous distinct characters. The Malazan Empire and its bordering continents are infused with rich and enduring histories that rival those of countries in our world. As a writer, I found myself endlessly jealous of Erikson's ability to craft a world so concrete and blooming with intriguing heritage. Since the budding of fantasy as a relevant literary style, few have proven to be worthwhile storytellers while avoiding common tropes of the genre. Steven Erikson is one of those few.
Gardens of the Moon contains countless story arcs that compete for the reader's attention, but never win. Every plot and subplot is interesting, important to the ongoing plot of the series, and flat-out fun to read. This is done through careful characterization; Erikson imbues each character with such emotion that it is impossible for the reader to remain indifferent.

The Bad:
Honestly, I had to deliberate for some time when deciding whether there was something I didn't like about Garden's of the Moon. The only thing I could think of was this: because the cast of characters is so large, the piece starts off slow. Once past the 100-page mark, though, everything picks up and the novel is a quick (but by no means easy) read.

The Verdict:
Gardens of the Moon is a must-read for any fantasy fan. This book is absolutely stunning in its scope and is nearly perfect.