Gardens of the Moon

The Malazan Book of the Fallen, Book 1

By: Steven Erikson

Narrated by: Ralph Lister

Length: 26 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©1999 by Steven Erikson. (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"Erikson is an extraordinary writer. My advice to anyone who might listen to me is, Treat yourself to Gardens of the Moon. And my entirely selfish advice to Steven Erikson is, write faster." --Stephen R. Donaldson

"I stand slack-jawed in awe of The Malazan Book of the Fallen. This masterwork of imagination may be the high water mark of epic fantasy. This marathon of ambition has a depth and breadth and sense of vast reaches of inimical time unlike anything else available today. The Black Company, Zelazny's Amber, Vance's Dying Earth, and other mighty drumbeats are but foreshadowings of this dark dragon's hoard." --Glen Cook

"A world that is both absorbing on a human level and full of magical sublimity...a wonderfully grand conception...splendidly written...fiendishly readable." --Adam Roberts

Erikson's notoriety is well-earned

This book is dense. Constantly shifting perspectives and many names makes it hard to follow. The points where I understood what was happening were wonderful. The setting is unique and the characters were interesting, but as of my first listening, I have been left with more questions than answers.

Edit Re-Read: I borrowed a copy of this book in paperback from my brother, and it is absolutely spectacular. Everything that confused me beforehand was made completely clear and I am so excited for the second book in the series. This said, I still would not recommend getting the audiobook. In print, this book has much better visual cues to tell you when perspectives change than the audio format does, and you don't have to worry about finding the pause button every 30 seconds when you need to look up one of Erikson's many names, places, and titles

Lister Delivers Erikson's World Excellently

Lister's performance and voicing perfectly portrays the depth and scale of Erikson's story and characters.

Complex and exhilerating

Where does Gardens of the Moon rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of the best...both for performance and enjoyment, providing you can handle a huge cast of characters, a vast world, and subplot upon subplot. If you are looking for a coffee table 'pick it up, put it down' or a 'sit on the beach, half a sleep' popcorn novel, then steer clear. If you want a thoroughly engrossing complex plot, full of intrigue, where every word counts, resulting in giving your brain a good work out...then this is definitely it! Were the latter to apply to you, then pay no attention to the ratings and reviews on this site. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but this site's demographic will not represent the veiws of discerning Fantasy fans, and Steven Erikson is not a household name...therefore, knowing little of what this book contains, a large proportion of those choosing to download it on a whim, would have known little of what to expect. Among hard core Fantasy readers and authors alike, Malazan Book Of The Fallen is a hugely well regarded series, and from this first book alone, I can see why.

What did you like best about this story?

The story is multi layered, characters are both intriguing and well developed, and the journey is totally unpredictable. None of your much repeated Fantasy cliches are here, and you never know who to trust...for the most part anyway. For all it's complexity and detail, the action is pretty relentless, although subtle. Several events happen in every chapter, and the story moves swiftly. One this is imperative though, you need to concentrate on every word. If you are distracted by events around you, or in your mind, don't try to read this novel, and if you've already started it, come back when you can devote your attention to it...the concentrateion will pay dividends in the end. For many, Song of Ice & Fire is the best Fantasy series available today. I disagree. George R R Martin's epic tale reads more like a soap opera compared to Malazan Book Of The Fallen. It spent vast overlong chapters revealing relatively little to further the stories. While sex is neither embarrasing for me, nor offensive, Song of Ice and Fire seemed to indicate that the author was obsessed by sex, and it became boring and tiresome. Don't get me wrong, there is much to like about Song Of Ice and Fire, but given the several years we have to wait between novels being released, it hardly seems worth it. Malazan is a completed, ten book series now, and the author did it in a relatively short period of time. To create this masterpiece, so quickly, and without padding out the story out with overused sexual titillation, is commendable.

What does Ralph Lister bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

To read a print book and to listen to a book be read to you, are two entirely different experiences. One allows your own interpretation of character's personalities and voice traits, and will be limited by your imagination and acting ability. Good audiobook narrators are charged with knowing the charaters, usually by reading the book once or twice before recording it, thus knowing all there is to know about a character before applying it's final voice, accent, and personality...something that reading a print book can't do for you. A good narrator will enhance a print book by entertaining you, and allowing your mind to focus more on the plot and dilemas. Ralph Lister is one of the best. He has carefully applied the voice and personality traits to each character, and accurately, given the story that unfolds. He is clear, interesting, and acts the dialogue faultlessly. This makes this hugely complex book far easier to grasp. I will have no hesitation in seeking out other books read by him, and be extremely happy should he turn out to be the reader on future novels I want to read. I have a forum thread running on Amazon's audiobook forums, where I have created a 'league of narrators' and Ralph Lister will be in the top division.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Sorry, don't do spoilers. Once again I say, Audible, give up on this Q&A style of writing reviews...particularly questions about revealing elements of the plot. What's the point of reading a book if you know what's going to happen?

Any additional comments?

When I obtained this book, it was available as one complete volume. Given the low take up (revealed by the extremely low review count), I am flabbergasted that it is now on offer as a two part, two volume edition, forcing those now to have to give up 2 credits. It is a 26 hour book not a 40 hour book for god's sake. You'll never shift more downloads by making an already low rated book (ratings I totally disagree with by the way...it's a first class read) more expensive!

A truly epic beginning to a truly epic series

What made the experience of listening to Gardens of the Moon the most enjoyable?

This series has the grit of Glen Cook, the intrigue of Game of Thrones (GRRM), and a sense of loss as profound as that of a Memory of Light (Robert Jorden/Brandon Sanderson). This book can be a bit heavy for some because the introduction to the world is not the best. However, if you can get past the beginning, you will find a truly memorable series with some of the saddest moments of a book series.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Gardens of the Moon?

The fatalism of the soldiers. The betrayal at pale.

Have you listened to any of Ralph Lister’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Overall, Ralph is a great narrator. I've heard a few as I have a large collection of audiobooks in my library. Ralph is definitely one of the better narrators.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Fatalism. Hope. Can one squad of soldiers, against the world, save the very world they are fighting against?

Any additional comments?

Booya. Actually though, you'll be doing yourself a huge disservice if you pass up this series. I've found my eyes wet when reading only a few books; Old Yeller, Where the Red Fern Grows, Memories of Light, Book 15 of the Dresden Files, and this series.

Should have read the book

There are so many characters and changes of scenery in this novel, I wish I had read it on paper instead of listening to it. I may yet pick up the paperback in the next couple of years because the storyline seemed to be incredibly rich and interesting. I just felt like it was hard to follow while listening, especially with a single reader trying to do so many voices.

best narrator ever

I wish I could give this narrator 50 stars and buy him a bottle of wine. he is fantastic!

a true epic

if you like long comprehensive stories with big eventual pay off, this book is for you. Huge world building, fully fleshed out magic system that isn't just given, but experienced as you go, and a massively dynamic cast of characters that the reader can't help but love and mourn makes this book a worthy experience. if you have difficulty concentrating, or prefer simple unassuming plotlines, I recommend you skip this book

Audio editing issues?

Overall the audio was excellent but there were enough clipped words at the end of sentences that it seemed like a good enough effort. A little more work would have given three stars.

One issue that I have with some readers, a personal complaint more than likely, is that the readers expect perfect listening conditions. When a character is described as whispering, can cannot hear what they say because the volume is so low, but if you crank the volume to hear what is said, the next sentence will blast your ears.

Love this book

I’ve listened to this book three times now and each times it’s gotten better. I honestly was confused the first time I read it but I stuck with it and I’m so glad I did it! This series is amazing I will be reading the entire thing!!

Very exciting and interesting.

Even when I felt a little lost I still enjoyed it all and everything came together in the end. It requires some thinking and you have to pick up little clues along the way.