Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson

Book 1 of the Malazan Book of the Fallen

Rating: 4 out of 5

When an author decides he should write a fantasy epic (aren’t they all epics?), they immerse themselves in one necessary activity: world-building. The author creates a continent, maps out the location of the different kingdoms and cities and determines their culture (usually based on some historical culture, frequently Western European, but more exotic kingdoms may be based on Eastern European, Middle Eastern or North African cultures. A few rare ones are Far Eastern). Then the author determines where the other non-human (or “demi-human” for the RPG crowd) cultures are existing. This means the required Elves and Dwarves and some other race seen in the usual fantasy stuff. A brief synopsis of history is developed to give the created world its soul. And then the pantheon of gods is defined, which defines its personality, morality and ethics (in doing so, it classifies the world and its creatures in black and white. Either you’re good or you’re bad). Then its cast of main characters are placed, who usually may incorporate one or more of the prototypes usually found in fantasy epics. For sure, there will be a quest, a prophesy, a Dark Lord who must be defeated.... Well, you get the picture. In recent years, there has been a move from authors (like George R. R. Martin, for example) towards a departure from the usual fantasy story elements that has been so overused and gearing towards a less fantastical, more gritty, and more “realistic” world.

Now, here comes Steven Erikson. When he decided to build a world, he decided to really build his world. And he decided to define it in what is planned as 10 standalone but interconnected novels in which Gardens of the Moon, Erikson’s first novel, is the first of these books.

“Epic” doesn’t even begin to define his creation. A world whose story spans continents and epochs, a huge ensemble of characters, both seen and hidden, all contained in a complex and pleasantly convoluted storyline that one can’t even begin to attempt to summarize without losing one’s mind. Gone are the usual elements in fantasy writing. There are no elves, no dwarves or your usual non-human races, instead Erikson creates his own list of non-humans. There is no quest here, only a world at war with itself for many years. And Erikson drops the reader right in the middle of that war without so much as a warning. And there is no sanitized version of combat here. Erikson describes war in terms of violence and gore. It hurts like hell when a fireball is cast at you (imagine yourself being hit by napalm).

In Gardens of the Moon, Erikson shows us his world through the eyes of a large cast who have their own storyline threads which only converge at the very end of the book. We follow a group of elite soldiers known as the Bridgeburners, as they jump from one suicidal mission to another in the service of the Malazan Empress, Laseen, who seems to be determined to kill all of them since they are associated with the previous Emperor, who she incidentally assassinated to get to the throne. We follow Ganoes Paran, a young Malazan captain as he takes over command of the Bridgeburners in their current mission in Darujistan, the last of the Free Cities coveted by the Malazan Empire. We follow the personages of Darujistan as they prepare themselves for the coming inevitable assault of the empire.

Gardens of the Moon is not for everyone though (and this is definitely not a fantasy for kids), it demand a lot of its readers. It will probably turn some readers away as there are so many events, so many personalities (including gods who involve themselves in affairs of mortals, and mortals who aspire to ascend to godhood just like it was the next step of existence only a few can attain), so many complicated threads that it is sometimes dizzying. Characterization suffers, too (the writer has little room to develop his characters as a result). The author has managed to blur the lines between black and white making everyone grey. No one really knows who the real good guys here are. Heck, unless you’re paying attention, no one is really sure who’s doing what to whom. And Erikson never takes the time to explain things. He leaves you questioning until you can figure out the answer a few chapters and one week later. This can be both good and bad as there are no dragging exposition parts but can leave the reader really lost. It probably would help if you try to read this not as a story of a character or a group of characters as they go through situation after situation trying to solve an issue, but as an on-going history of a world that is told through the eyes of each character in the book.

If you can hang on and push yourself past the daunting task of reading Gardens of the Moon, you will be rewarded in an amazing journey through a jaw-dropping, thoroughly amazing world that is so rich and unique, unlike any other world seen in fantasy before. And this is just the tip of the iceberg, just the first book. And if Gardens of the Moon is any indication, it’s going to be one hell of a long, bumpy and wonderful ride.