question about Malazan series

[Banshee16]

Easy question....has anyone read Gardens of the Moon, and the other novels of the Malazan Book of the Fallen series by Stephen Erikson?

Are they any good?

Banshee

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

They are fandamntastic!

Personally, I rate Deadhouse Gates (book 2) as the best, Memories of Ice (book 3) second, House of Chains (book 4) a very close third, Gardens of the Moon (book 1) a very close fourth.

I've put off Midnight Tides (book 5) until I get a few more books in my possession. I just don't like reading one book at a time with lengthy delays between releases, but I will happily go two books at a time.

I've told people that I consider Deadhouse Gates to be the best military fantasy I have ever read. And I yes I have read the Black Company series (I'm a Glen Cook fanboy), and the Deeds of Paksinarion (sp?)...

 

[Mean Eyed Cat]

I have read the first two books and I found them enjoyable. However, they are not a "light" read. The stories are kinda complex and there is no clear antagonist or protagonist. I did like how the author used his background in anthropology/archaeology to flesh out the history of the world. I also found the books similar to the Black Company books.

 

[Banshee16]

Thanks! That gives me a better idea of what to expect. I haven't finished the Black Company novels, as they're pretty difficult to find in most bookstores, unless I want to order online, and I don't do *that* that often.

Banshee

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

I also found the books similar to the Black Company books.

I seem to recall reading an interview where Erikson expressed that he was strongly influenced by Glen Cook's authorial tone. A more conversational, lower class, casual tone. Rather revolutionary in fantasy authoring at the time, more authors are adopting it especially with regards to military-themed fiction. Many have pointed out that this tone was first done well in Catch-22... a novel of military characters. It works well when the characters aren't generals, kings, emperors, and their inner circle, but instead have simple concerns of daily survival and making sure life isn't nasty, brutish, and short.

The Malazan Book of the Fallen has such characters—most of the story is with the grunts—but those generals, kings, emperors, etc. often have recent roots at military grunts or thieving thugs.

 

[Davek]

This series is my favorite series by ANY author.

I enjoyed GoM the first time I read it, and after each new book comes out, I start the series from the beginning again. Actually I think I have read GoM 8 times in the last 4 years or so.

One thing you will realize only after reading several of the books, that while they pretty much stand on thier own as individual stories, it is definately a tightly coupled series. Don't expect question in any one book to be answered in that book or even the next book. Or rather, there might be superficial answers, but the true revealing may not be apparent until a later book.

I found that each time I read the books, more subtle details emerge and that my understanding expands greatly. The level of detail spread over this series is literally unimaginable.

Some people have suggested that the pace of GoM was a bit disjointed at times, but I didn't find it so. Then again I read very fast, so pacing rarely is a problem regardless of the book I'm reading.

Another series that I am reminded of when reading this series is the Book of Swords series by Saberhagen., although the complexity of the Malazan series far outstrips ANY series that I have read.

 

[takyris]

And for the flip side:

http://pats-quinade.livejournal.com/4138.html
http://pats-quinade.livejournal.com/4626.html

Therein lie chronicled my attempts to read "Gardens of the Moon", and my final defeat at the hand of character development.

If you like grim, and you can look past the lack of character, and you don't mind the hand of prophecy stealing any agency from the protagonists, they might work for you. I've been told that the sequels are better, as well.

I really do read fantasy. I really do like a lot of it.

 

[takyris]

...the Deeds of Paksinarion (sp?)...

"The Deed of Paksenarrion" was one I did enjoy, and I thought of it as good military fantasy, since it was lower power (at least in the beginning) and closer in tactics to how an actual infantry unit would fight. It's also unabashedly gaming fantasy -- Elizabeth Moon is on record as stating that it's based on an old D&D game, I believe.

For military fantasy (if that's what you're into), I'd also recommend Modessit's Corean Chronicles (Legacies, Darknesses, Scepters, I think) and Jo Walton's King's Peace and King's Name.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

Therein lie chronicled my attempts to read "Gardens of the Moon", and my final defeat at the hand of character development.

It's partly why I rate it the lowest of the four books I have read. I would suggest giving Deadhouse Gates an attempt. While it takes place in the same world, at the fringes of the same empire, it is on a continent on the other side of the world practically, different cultures, and only three characters (minor ones) from GotM make make the transition to book 2 where one of those three becomes a big player. It is close as one can get to starting over new. Deadhouse Gates was what set me off as a fan of the series, not GotM.

 

[GreyOne]

The Malazan series is very complex, incredibly detailed and epic and a challenging read. The most recent book, The Bonehunters, is one of the best and really starts to pull many of the countless story strands and arcs together. Deadhouse Gates remains my favourite too.

Every novel does tell a complete story with numerous other story arcs running throughout all of them.

I love Erikson's work. There is nothing on the market as ambitious and rousing as this.