Gardens of the Moon

Gardens of the Moon is an ambitious novel that's not so linear in plot. It's not really something that can be narrowed down plot-wise. You're dropped into this world and left to piece together what's going on through the narrative with very little hand-holding. Some may dislike that and find the story jarring and disorienting while trying to figure out what's going on, and it can be. Personally, I found it exciting to start the story in medias res without all the padding. However, you're either going to go into the book with a broader view of the story or you're not. There's nothing wrong with either view, but if you have a hard time reconciling yourself with the haziness of the story, you may find it going to your DNF pile. However, things do start to become clearer as you near the end of the book.

This is a complex, dense story. Not something I'd recommend everyone listen to, especially if you have a hard time keeping up with characters and factions without a visual. I found myself having to rewind sections to listen to again to make sure that I fully comprehended what I'd read/listened to. I also had the Kindle book, so immersive reading became my best friend with this book. This book demands your full attention, and it's easy to lose track of things if you let your mind get off track too often. If you still decide to go audiobook route, Lister's performance will not disappoint. He's an excellent narrator. Some of his characters can sound a bit too similar, but not so much that I disliked his narration. My only personal complaint rests in some of the voices he used for characters were not voices I'd attribute to them, such as Kalam who read as if he'd have a much deeper voice that the one Lister used for him. However, his Kruppe is sure to keep listeners amused.

Layers upon layers of story are heaped on here. However, from the beginning, you can see different seeds being sown for future events. You have an empress, a usurper who betrayed the former emperor of Malazan, moving across the lands in an attempt to consolidate her power. Only one city remains after the defeat of the city Pale, a large city named Darujhistan. While her reign seems absolute, cracks begin to stress her goals. Darujhistan fears for itself after the fall of Pale, but there is also a political struggle happening on the local level that is being manipulated by a ragtag bunch of players that includes an alchemist, a playboy, and an assassin. Finally, the gods have decided to play their hand and turn this story over even more. Weaved around these things are numerous characters, factions, motivations, and side stories. More than a few people have some investment in the outcome of the empire.

Erikson really took a chance writing a book that could've turned many off to the story. This seems as if it will be the kind of book that will become clearer in retrospect as you move through the series, the kind of book where you'll remember it as the book where certain threads began. I think, while this story may confuse some, there's just enough intrigue shining through to keep people hanging on for the next story.