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nightstitch96's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and War
Moderate: Colonisation
Minor: Animal death
dani_reis's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
First read: audio Oct 16 - 22, 2023
Second read: kindle with audio June 1 - 18, 2024
This book is very dense. This requires your full attention and slow digest of the information. So many moving parts. The entire book is mostly focused on world building. You don't feel a connection with any single character where if they were to suddenly die, it isn't a worry on your emotions.
The second read was much more successful with my ADHD by keeping notes and making sure I actually followed giant info dump paragraphs before moving on. Is this going to be necessary for most? No. But I know the plot, and can move onwards without completely requiring rereads to continue.
I highly recommend for those looking for an epic fantasy read and aren't in a hurry to push out another book for a number. Enjoy the book on the side of another if that's what's necessary to slow down.
Second read: kindle with audio June 1 - 18, 2024
This book is very dense. This requires your full attention and slow digest of the information. So many moving parts. The entire book is mostly focused on world building. You don't feel a connection with any single character where if they were to suddenly die, it isn't a worry on your emotions.
The second read was much more successful with my ADHD by keeping notes and making sure I actually followed giant info dump paragraphs before moving on. Is this going to be necessary for most? No. But I know the plot, and can move onwards without completely requiring rereads to continue.
I highly recommend for those looking for an epic fantasy read and aren't in a hurry to push out another book for a number. Enjoy the book on the side of another if that's what's necessary to slow down.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, and War
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, and Alcohol
Minor: Infidelity and Sexual content
Suicide minorcharlinem's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Blood, and War
annapox's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Gore, Medical content, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, and War
Minor: Cursing, Genocide, Rape, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism
nerdkitten's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Infidelity, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, and Colonisation
Minor: Genocide, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, and Death of parent
literaturesciencealliance's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Video Review (Spoiler Free): https://youtu.be/1yX4POOgddE
Spoiler Reaction Vlog: https://youtu.be/oPss20_r75A
This was a very unique experience and I am really glad I read it. Not a perfect book or a new all time favorite but I am really glad I finally picked it up!
How to begin a review of this book....I will start by saying that I am really satisfied with how it ended. I was not expecting this to be a complete story and was so happy to see how all the threads in this chess board of a book came together at the end. The world building is really the part I loved most about this experience. Its so full of magic, and lore, and Gods, and global/cosmic political intrigue that was so fun to fit together. BUT I don't think that puzzle is for everyone and it makes this a very dense and slow read. The characters that we get to spend time with I found pretty interesting, I would have liked more time on page exploring character relationship dynamics but even with so many players I felt really interested in all the threads. The biggest critique I have is how dense this work is. I spent 20 days reading this work when normally I take at most 7 days to read a work this long. That didn't make it a bad experience but it is not the experience I am use to having while reading fantasy.
Spoiler Reaction Vlog: https://youtu.be/oPss20_r75A
This was a very unique experience and I am really glad I read it. Not a perfect book or a new all time favorite but I am really glad I finally picked it up!
How to begin a review of this book....I will start by saying that I am really satisfied with how it ended. I was not expecting this to be a complete story and was so happy to see how all the threads in this chess board of a book came together at the end. The world building is really the part I loved most about this experience. Its so full of magic, and lore, and Gods, and global/cosmic political intrigue that was so fun to fit together. BUT I don't think that puzzle is for everyone and it makes this a very dense and slow read. The characters that we get to spend time with I found pretty interesting, I would have liked more time on page exploring character relationship dynamics but even with so many players I felt really interested in all the threads. The biggest critique I have is how dense this work is. I spent 20 days reading this work when normally I take at most 7 days to read a work this long. That didn't make it a bad experience but it is not the experience I am use to having while reading fantasy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Genocide, Torture, and Blood
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Grief
catsy2022's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Rating: B
Malazan is immensely popular on Reddit's Fantasy board, the first place that I heard of it. Written in 1999, Gardens of the Moon is the first entry in the series, the debut novel of the author who is reportedly also an anthropologist and archaeologist. Cool. I did manage to power through the book in a few days once I got going, however, I wouldn't say it was particularly amazing.
Gardens of the Moon (GotM) follows two separate groups of people in the ongoing war caused by the Malazan Empire expanding into different continents with the purpose of conquering the world. The first group is a ravaged company of men - both mages and warriors - who have been doing missions for the Malazan empire and the second is a group of locals living in the last free city Darujhistan. The story features a rich lore and world, multiple gods and elder beings (all explained in the Personae Dramatis and Glossary) as well as frightening weapons. I would say that I liked a few of the characters but found them to rarely be in the limelight.
Every character save 1 or 2 spoke in the same manner, so I never felt like they were particularly distinct. The names don't follow any sort of convention but I liked that they weren't overly complex or confusing. I also liked how some weapons have names. I liked the presence of the gods and how they interfere in the mortal realm as well as learning about the political climate. I think it was a good introduction to a new series. I wonder now if I could explain what happened in the book; I never felt like I was truly lost in it, but I did feel like none of the battles were particularly epic or exciting.
I already have the 2nd book at home and the library also has them in their collection so I think this may be the best path for me. I hope the next books are better.
Malazan is immensely popular on Reddit's Fantasy board, the first place that I heard of it. Written in 1999, Gardens of the Moon is the first entry in the series, the debut novel of the author who is reportedly also an anthropologist and archaeologist. Cool. I did manage to power through the book in a few days once I got going, however, I wouldn't say it was particularly amazing.
Gardens of the Moon (GotM) follows two separate groups of people in the ongoing war caused by the Malazan Empire expanding into different continents with the purpose of conquering the world. The first group is a ravaged company of men - both mages and warriors - who have been doing missions for the Malazan empire and the second is a group of locals living in the last free city Darujhistan. The story features a rich lore and world, multiple gods and elder beings (all explained in the Personae Dramatis and Glossary) as well as frightening weapons. I would say that I liked a few of the characters but found them to rarely be in the limelight.
Every character save 1 or 2 spoke in the same manner, so I never felt like they were particularly distinct. The names don't follow any sort of convention but I liked that they weren't overly complex or confusing. I also liked how some weapons have names. I liked the presence of the gods and how they interfere in the mortal realm as well as learning about the political climate. I think it was a good introduction to a new series. I wonder now if I could explain what happened in the book; I never felt like I was truly lost in it, but I did feel like none of the battles were particularly epic or exciting.
I already have the 2nd book at home and the library also has them in their collection so I think this may be the best path for me. I hope the next books are better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Blood
Moderate: Gore and Violence
Minor: Animal death and Suicide