Gardens of the Moon A Tale of the Malazan Book of the Fallen
Gardens of the Moon introduces a startling and original new voice into the realms of high fantasy. Bringing together grand design, a dark and complex mythology, wild and wayward magic and a host of believable and enduring characters with thrilling, powerful storytelling, Gardens of the Moon is a breathtaking achievement.
The vast Malazan Empire simmers with discontent, its subject states bled dry by decades of interminable warfare, purges, internecine strife and clashes with Anomander Rake, Lord of Moon's Spawn, and his mysterious Tiste Andii. Even the imperial legions, long inured to the bloodshed, yearn for some respite. Yet the Empress' rule remains absolute, enforced by her dread Claw assassins.
For Sergeant Whiskeyjack and his cynical squad of Bridgeburners, and for Tattersail, sole surviving sorceress of the Second Legion, the aftermath of the siege of Pale should have been a time to heal the still living and mourn the many dead. The Empress has other ideas. Darujhistan, last of the Free Cities of Genabackis, still holds out against her and it is to this ancient and noble bastion of independence that she turns her predatory gaze.
However, the Empire is not the only player in this great game. A more sinister, shadowbound force is poised to make its first move, as Captain Canoes Paran, aide to the Empress' Adjunct, is about to discover. For he has been chosen for an altogether higher purpose - as harbinger of the gods themselves…
Six years in the writing and set in a brilliantly realised world, Gardens of the Moon is the breathtaking debut fantasy novel by 40 year-old Steven Erikson.
First published in spring 1999, this novel has won acclaim and plaudits from critics - 'An astounding début… has the potential to become a defining work' (Neil Walsh, SF Site) - and booksellers - 'This is the best fantasy novel I’ve read since George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones, bar none' (Ariel, Waterstone's, Manchester), fellow writers (Stephen Donaldson and J. V. Jones to name but two) and fans alike, particularly on the Internet. On amazon.co.uk, Gardens of the Moon received the full five star rating and reader reviews such as 'Intelligent, innovative and powerfully engaging. Buy it.'… 'A new fantasy novel that will knock your socks off’… and 'Great. Massive, panoramic and highly intelligent'.
Then last October, Steven Erikson was catapulted into the spotlight when, just prior to the Frankfurt Book Fair and in the face of fast-growing interest from rival publishers equally impressed by the originality, imaginative strength and the pace and power of his storytelling, Transworld concluded an unprecedented nine book deal with the author. Securing the author's proposed 10 book Malazan Book of the Fallen sequence, the deal made the headlines of the national and international press, including The Times, Guardian, Independent, Express and Wall Street Journal 'Steven Erikson is an extraordinary writer. I read Gardens of the Moon with great pleasure. And now that I have read it, I would be hard-pressed to decide what I enjoyed more: the richly and ominously magical world of Malaz and Genabackis; the large cast of sympathetically rendered characters; or the way the story accumulates to a climax that hits like machinegun fire. 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, author of The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, Unbeliever
'Erikson's style is no-nonsense, and his military campaigns have a reality to them that's often lacking in fantasy… 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' J.V. Jones
‘Erikson . . . has created a fantasy world as rich and detailed as any you’re likely to encounter. It’s a world you’ll be glad you weren’t born into, but one that is so engrossing you’ll be hard pressed to set it aside . . . an astounding debut’ SF Site
'Steven Erikson… has the breadth and detail of imaginative vision, he is able to create a world that is both absorbing on a human level and full of magical sublimity, and, above all, he can write… a wonderfully grand conception… fiendishly readable' Adam Roberts, Amazon.co.uk
'Erikson's style is no-nonsense, and his military campaigns have a reality to them that's often lacking in fantasy… 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' J.V. Jones, SFX
'Complex and powerful… the best fantasy novel I've read since George R.R. Martin's A Game of Thrones, bar none… Superb stuff' Waterstone's The Alien Has Landed
'One of those rare fantasy books that not only attempts to be huge in scope, but actually succeeds in being so' Vector
Gardens of the Moon
Gardens of the Moon