Gardens of the Moon cover art

Gardens of the Moon

The Malazan Book of the Fallen, Book 1

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Gardens of the Moon

By: Steven Erikson
Narrated by: Ralph Lister
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About this listen

Random House presents the audiobook edition of Gardens Of The Moon: (Malazan Book Of The Fallen 1) by Steven Erikson, read by Ralph Lister.

Bled dry by interminable warfare, infighting and bloody confrontations with Lord Anomander Rake and his Tiste Andii, the vast, sprawling Malazan empire simmers with discontent.
Even its imperial legions yearn for some respite. For Sergeant Whiskeyjack and his Bridgeburners and for Tattersail, sole surviving sorceress of the Second Legion, the aftermath of the siege of Pale should have been a time to mourn the dead. But Darujhistan, last of the Free Cities of Genabackis, still holds out - and Empress Lasseen's ambition knows no bounds.
However, it seems the empire is not alone in this great game. Sinister forces gather as the gods themselves prepare to play their hand...

Conceived and written on an epic scale, Gardens of the Moon is a breathtaking achievement - a novel in which grand design, a dark and complex mythology, wild and wayward magic and a host of enduring characters combine with thrilling, powerful storytelling to resounding effect. Acclaimed by writers, critics and readers alike, here is the opening chapter in what has been hailed a landmark of epic fantasy: the awesome 'The Malazan Book of the Fallen'.

©1999 Steven Erikson (P)2019 Penguin Audio
Epic Epic Fantasy Fantasy Fiction Emotionally Gripping Magic

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Critic reviews

Erikson is an extrodinary writer...treat yourself to Gardens of the Moon (STEPHEN R. DONALDSON)
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)
There's nothing safe about fantasy like this: intriguing, complex, thought provoking, exceedingly well-written, and, for the intelligent reader, exhilaratingly satisfying (PAULA GURAN)
All stars
Most relevant
Very difficult book to get into. So many characters being introduced at the same time and in such chaos. I probably took a good two hours to get into the story.

Slow start

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I’ve listened to a lot of fantasy and have persevered through some questionable narration for a good story but, I couldn’t bear the thought of listening to such a huge series with such a grating narrator.
70% of his characters have the same petulant tone of voice and it detracted from the true charisma of the characters.
Can’t comment on the story only made it four hours in.

Couldn’t get on with the narrator

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not the easiest book to start with. The timeline can be brutal sometimes...but for the fantasy genre lovers...its like as vast as it gets.

one recommendation is to download the map and look at it as you listen...it makes the story so much more interesting

The world building

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I can't understand other reviews criticising the narration. For me it was well read and conversation was natural with clear and defined voices for characters.

The book itself is an excellent, if intense and difficult to follow at times, first chapter of this series.

Great book. Narration is absolutely fine.

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I absolutely adore these books. The entire series is nothing short of genius. A host of incredible characters and interweaving storylines to make you laugh, cry, and grip you to your seat.

They are well narrated except for 2 things - I imagined Quick Ben and Kalam having deeper, hardier voices as they are total badasses. Quite disappointed that Quick Ben sounded high and feminine and Kalam was nasal and posh like some Disney villain. Not so bad as to totally put me off though.

Fantasy at its most epic!

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