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Gardens of the Moon

The Malazan Book of the Fallen #1 / 10
by Steven Erikson
Gardens of the Moon (The Malazan Book of the Fallen #1) by Steven Erikson
  ★ 8.26 / 46
1★2★3★44★5★46★47★128★49★1810★

Click here to see the original UK cover art.

World Fantasy Award nominee 2000.

The Malazan Empire is a continent-spanning dominion over which the ruthless Empress Laseen holds sway, her rule enforced by the Claws, the Imperial assassins. Bled dry by incessant warfare and undermined by dissension, signs indicate that the Empire could be crumbling from within.

The Genabackis campaign has been a war of attrition in which the Malazans have spent years fighting the combined forces of local armies aided by the formidable Son of Darkness and Lord of the Tiste Andii, Anomander Rake, the Crimson Guard, the powerful warlord Caladan Brood, and their allies.

Though they emerge victorious from the siege of Pale and impel the flying fortress of Moon’s Spawn to retreat and abandon the conflict, the Malazan triumph is bittersweet. Evidence implies that the Bridgeburners were nearly wiped out by treacherous elements from within the ranks of their own army.

Before any light can be shed on what truly occurred, the Malazan troops are sent marching to subdue Darujhistan, the last of the Free Cities of Genabackis. Soon, as the conflict escalates, powerful forces converge on Darujhistan.

And with gods and Ascendants watching and manipulating events, nothing is as it seems in the City of Blue Fire.

Thus begins The Malazan Book of the Fallen, one of the greatest and most ambitious fantasy epics of our time.

"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

"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

"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

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Standard Shelves
Updated 04/07/2025
Category: Fantasy, High Fantasy
Release date: April 1999

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Steven Erikson

Steven Erikson

Steven Erikson's writing is an intricate tapestry of history, mythology, and human experience, woven into the fabric of his expansive fantasy worlds. Born in Canada and trained as an archaeologist and anthropologist, his background in these fields lends a rich texture to his novels. His stories are not just escapist adventures—they are philosophical explorations into the nature of conflict, morality, and the intricate societies that shape human lives.

Erikson’s Malazan Book of the Fallen series stands as a towering achievement in epic fantasy. Its labyrinthine plots, vast world-building, and morally complex characters have garnered a loyal following, with each novel revealing new layers of depth. The series kicks off with Gardens of the Moon, a work that redefined the scope of fantasy with its mature themes and unflinching exploration of power, war, and the price of immortality. Recognized with critical acclaim and shortlisted for the World Fantasy Award, this series catapulted Erikson into the pantheon of modern fantasy giants.

Read more ...

Yet Erikson's creative voice is not confined to the Malazan universe. With works like The Kharkanas Trilogy and Willful Child, he proves himself an author who’s never afraid to experiment. The Kharkanas Trilogy explores the ancient origins of his Malazan world, offering a deeper dive into the history of gods and men, while Willful Child showcases his talent for satirical humor, skewering space opera tropes with razor-sharp wit.

At the heart of Erikson's writing is a deep exploration of the human condition. Whether he’s examining the brutalities of war or the fallibility of those in power, his stories don’t offer simple answers—they challenge readers to think, question, and reflect. His characters are often flawed, their journeys laden with sacrifice and loss, making their triumphs all the more hard-earned and meaningful.

Erikson’s work resonates with fans who crave stories that don’t just entertain but also provoke thought. It’s a world where every decision carries weight, where the cost of defiance is often measured in blood. But for all its darkness, Erikson’s writing also glimmers with moments of hope and redemption, making his stories as emotionally rich as they are intellectually challenging.

As he continues to write, Steven Erikson remains an ever-evolving voice in fantasy, proving that the genre is as much a medium for philosophical inquiry as it is for epic battles and world-shattering events. Whether you’re discovering Malazan for the first time or revisiting its pages, Erikson’s narratives offer an experience unlike any other—complex, multifaceted, and unafraid to ask the hard questions.

Photo: LordofMoonSpawn / CC BY-SA 4.0

The Malazan Book of the Fallen

A Tale of the Malazan Book of the Fallen is a ten books epic fantasy series written by author Steven Erikson. The scope and breadth of this series is so truly vast as to be unrivaled in the fantasy field today, mostly thanks to Erikson's finely crafted storytelling and his twenty years of experience in anthropology and archaeology.

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Using mythology incarnate, vast legions of gods, mages, creatures, dragons, and humans play out the fate of the Malazan Empire, with action and battle scenes among the most brutal and exciting in fantasy, and the landscapes and cities among the most morose.


The Malazan Book of the Fallen consists of ten primary books, and includes one additional book that complement the series but is not considered mandatory reads. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.

Main series Malazan World

Gardens of the Moon (The Malazan Book of the Fallen #1)
  ★ 8.26 / 46
Deadhouse Gates (The Malazan Book of the Fallen #2)
  ★ 8.02 / 34
Memories of Ice (The Malazan Book of the Fallen #3)
  ★ 8.80 / 29
House of Chains (The Malazan Book of the Fallen #4)
  ★ 8.66 / 26
Midnight Tides (The Malazan Book of the Fallen #5)
  ★ 9.30 / 24
The Bonehunters (The Malazan Book of the Fallen #6)
  ★ 8.90 / 22
Reaper's Gale (The Malazan Book of the Fallen #7)
  ★ 9.04 / 22
Toll the Hounds (The Malazan Book of the Fallen #8)
  ★ 9.38 / 18
Dust of Dreams (The Malazan Book of the Fallen #9)
  ★ 9.62 / 18
The Crippled God (The Malazan Book of the Fallen #10)
  ★ 9.56 / 16
The Complete Malazan Book of the Fallen (The Malazan Book of the Fallen)
not yet rated

Book Reviews

03/30/2011
Jacob Walsh avatar
Jacob Walsh
441 books, 1 reviews
★★★★★★★★★★ 10 / 10

To put it simply, this book, and the rest of the series, is the greatest work of Fantasy to come out since the Lord of the Rings was published. It is a perfect mix of humor and seriousness, both vast in scope and narrow in focus. It creates a world full of magic, but it is a world that is harsh, gritty, and even more diverse than our own. There is both good and evil, but there is no black and white. The series manages to be innovative and yet still retain many of the traditional trappings of a fantasy series. There is a sense of vast antiquity behind these books, as if you are picking up and dusting off the ancient writings of a long dead empire. Gardens is a great introduction to the series, full of great characters you will love, hate, or reserve judgment for. One thing about this series that sets it apart and above all else is its incredible intricacy. There is no wasted text in these books, an incredible feat considering the length of them. Every action and character in this series is tied into the primary plots. Yes, plots. There are three primary story arcs, though as the series progresses they blend together until they are less distinguishable. There are also large numbers of smaller arcs within the main ones. As i said earlier, nothing is wasted or fails to add to the plot. I simply do not have enough room to extol all of the virtues of this series, so let me finish by urging you to read these books. If there is one series that should not be missed, this is it!!

12/10/2007
Bluejay avatar
Bluejay
59 books, 27 reviews
★★★★★★★★☆☆ 8 / 10

I had read several reviews of this novel saying that it's a little bit hard to get into at first BUT definitely worth reading. I have to agree. Struggling through the first chapters took a while. Not that the plot wasn't interesting but Erikson's style was new to me and that combined with the overwhelming pace, amount of characters and the whole new and detailed world took some time to get used to. Soon I was reading through the night and walking the book in other hand during the day. If the rest of the novels in this series (which went straight to the top of my reading list) are the same quality, I will suffer from serious sleep deprivation in the near future..

10/23/2007
Seregil of Rhiminee avatar
Seregil of Rhiminee
3707 books, 260 reviews, 15 posts
★★★★★★★★★★ 10 / 10

Gardens of the Moon is the first book of the amazing Tales of the Malazan Book of the Fallen series. Gardens of the Moon and the other books in this series were highly recommended to me, so I had to buy all the books in this series. I haven't regretted it, because this book (and the whole series) is excellent. It's one of the best fantasy books ever written. If you're interested in epic high fantasy, you should this book. You'll love it!

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