Gardens of the Moon

Gardens of the Moon is about a war taking place between the Malazan empire and the occupants of the continent of Genebackis. The story is told through the eyes of an assortment of characters ranging from mages, theives, soldiers, and politicians.

The main character is a Sorceress named Tattersail. She is a tragic character who has the poor misfortune of surviving many battles only to lose everyone she loves. She clings tight to whatever humanity she has and looks for ways to preserve it, despite being an instrument of destruction. She is a compentant at conducting battles and will often destroy her opponents through sheer determination and mastery of her arts.

Empress Laseen leads the Malazan empire. She rose to power by overthrowing the former leader Emporer Kalenved. She is a master of deception since she was formally a high ranking assassin for the empire. Opposing war generals have trouble predicting her moves and will often lose battles/engagements.

I think what makes this book truly special is the strategies that go into fighting the war. The author brings into consideration a depth of moral conundrums that I have never considered. I find myself understanding and sometimes emphetizing with the leaders who are responsibile for the deaths of many, including innocent lives. The distinction between good/evil is completely blurred given the roles each person has and the context of the environment they are in, ableit some characters are more suceptible to performing evil acts.

Final Thoughts

Steven Erikson’s Malazan series is on the scale of Game of Thrones far as character development and plot twists. There are a dozen or so characters that the reader experiences this story through, each with a personality that is completely different and believable. It really feels like some of those characters are my friends and I feel sad and happy when they do.