Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson audiobook

Gardens of the Moon

By Steven Erikson
Read by Ralph Lister

Brilliance Audio

The Malazan Book of the Fallen Series: Book 1

26.00 Hours Unabridged
Format : Digital Download (In Stock)
  • Regular Price: $46.99

    Special Price $37.59

    ISBN: 9781469225692

Vast legions of gods, mages, humans, dragons and all manner of creatures play out the fate of the Malazan Empire in this first book in a major epic fantasy series The Malazan Empire simmers with discontent, bled dry by interminable warfare, bitter infighting and bloody confrontations with the formidable Anomander Rake and his Tiste Andii, ancient and implacable sorcerers. Even the imperial legions, long inured to the bloodshed, yearn for some respite. Yet Empress Laseen's rule remains absolute, enforced by her dread Claw assassins. For Sergeant Whiskeyjack and his squad of Bridgeburners, and for Tattersail, surviving cadre mage of the Second Legion, the aftermath of the siege of Pale should have been a time to mourn the many dead. But Darujhistan, last of the Free Cities of Genabackis, yet holds out. It is to this ancient citadel that Laseen turns her predatory gaze. However, it would appear that the Empire is not alone in this great game. Sinister, shadowbound forces are gathering as the gods themselves prepare to play their hand... Conceived and written on a panoramic scale, Gardens of the Moon is epic fantasy of the highest order--an enthralling adventure by an outstanding new voice.

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Summary

Summary

A 2000 World Fantasy Award Nominee for Best Novel

Vast legions of gods, mages, humans, dragons and all manner of creatures play out the fate of the Malazan Empire in this first book in a major epic fantasy series

The Malazan Empire simmers with discontent, bled dry by interminable warfare, bitter infighting and bloody confrontations with the formidable Anomander Rake and his Tiste Andii, ancient and implacable sorcerers. Even the imperial legions, long inured to the bloodshed, yearn for some respite. Yet Empress Laseen's rule remains absolute, enforced by her dread Claw assassins.

For Sergeant Whiskeyjack and his squad of Bridgeburners, and for Tattersail, surviving cadre mage of the Second Legion, the aftermath of the siege of Pale should have been a time to mourn the many dead. But Darujhistan, last of the Free Cities of Genabackis, yet holds out. It is to this ancient citadel that Laseen turns her predatory gaze.

However, it would appear that the Empire is not alone in this great game. Sinister, shadowbound forces are gathering as the gods themselves prepare to play their hand...

Conceived and written on a panoramic scale, Gardens of the Moon is epic fantasy of the highest order--an enthralling adventure by an outstanding new voice.

Editorial Reviews

Editorial Reviews

“Complex, challenging…Erikson’s strengths are his grown-up characters and his ability to create a world every bit as intricate and messy as our own.” SFX
“Erikson is a master of lost and forgotten epochs, a weaver of ancient epics on a scale that would approach absurdity if it wasn’t so much fun.” Salon.com

Reviews

Reviews

by Michael 3/15/2021
Narration
Overall Performance
Story

Good But Slightly Confusing

How do I rate or even review this book? I cannot summarize it. I can maybe pick out the most import aspects of the book. Maybe. I can’t offer any quotes of passages that stand out. And, as it is like no other book that I have ever read, and I have read many, I can’t say what it’s similar to. There were many moments I was able to follow along with no issues, and many more I admit to myself I have no idea what was going on. There were many vivid and likeable characters, but there were some who were just names to me. This recipe sounds like an unsavory dish, yet I am glad I read it, and I am more than likely going to read the sequel . . . a sequel that has no characters from the first book and takes place in an entirely different area than the first. But the next book does have a kickass title – Deadhouse Gates. I have no idea what that means, even though the word deadhouse was mentioned toward the end of Gardens of the Moon. Also, there were many different classes or races of beings in the book, some of which I don’t understand.
This is a book that I’ve heard about for years and never attempted to read due to what I’d heard about it, mostly because it was a difficult book to read and I was not going to understand a lot of it. Boy, were they correct! I attempted to read this book about four or five years ago and made it about halfway before walking away from it. It was too much for me then. With this second attempt, I finished it, and the parts I read before were much more easily traversed. I do have a few favorite moments that I will not include with a spoiler tag. But I can list a few of my favorite characters. In no particular order:
• Whiskey Jack
• Tattersail
• Ganoes Paran
• Crokus Younghand
• Kruppe
• Sorry
I’ve read that after the third book, you will know if you like the series or not. That’s a hefty task just to find out if the series will be for me. Deadhouse Gates has about fifty less pages than Gardens of the Moon, but the third book, Memories of Ice, has nearly thousand pages. Today, I’m just glad I finished this book. My goal was to finish on the 15th. Here we are.
At the moment, I feel like this is a three out of five stars book. Yet I wonder, as there are other three-star books I’ve read and enjoyed much than this. Do I recommend this book? I don’t know. That statement itself might be the answer for you. But I can say that if you like fantasy and you want to read a book that is unlike anything you have never read before, give it a try. You may like it. Or you may walk away and come back in a few years and read it all the way through.

Author

Author Bio: Steven Erikson

Author Bio: Steven Erikson

Steven Erikson is a bestselling author internationally renowned for writing The Malazan Book of the Fallen, a ten-volume multimillion-copy-selling series that is recognized as number two of the top 10 fantasies by Fantasy Book Review and one of thirty best fantasy book series of all time by Paste magazine. He is a trained archaeologist and anthropologist who has published over twenty books, most of which explore notions of privilege, power hierarchies, and the rise and fall of civilizations. He has been nominated for the Locus Award four times and the World Fantasy Award twice. To find out more visit www.steven-erikson.org

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Details

Details

Available Formats : Digital Download
Category: Fiction/Fantasy
Runtime: 26.00
Audience: Adult
Language: English