First read: Gardens of the Moon: Book One of The Malazan

[SoulBiter]

Chapters 1 and 2

. Dead bodies of civilians and soldiers. Horribly mutilated along with the horses. Some sorcery where a lady somehow passed herself to a young girl. More where a sorcerer is using it to travel. Another where a guy is only part of a body but doesn't seem worried. Hmmmm

So far I am intrigued.

The book seems to show things, then we figure out how we got there, or at least so far.

Spoiler

So big ass battle, we get some history of the mages. Apparently there are many less than there used to be. There is a big attack where the Archmage is, but it seems they 100% underestimated the archmage and the preparations. Thus we end up with Hairlock the mage being the one that halved, but some other mages were summoned by him and they perform something that many thought lost and moved his soul to a marionette or puppet of sort. Tattersail is given this thing and she takes it back to her tent and is a bit surprised to be speaking with Hairlock, who still seems pretty powerful.

I assume the girl that had the old lady moved to might be "Sorry" but not really sure at this point. I will read and find out. Putting these down like this has helped organize my thoughts on what I am reading.

[Fist and Faith]

Oh man. Just skipping around the book, remembering and remembering. Wish I was Av, so I could read it tonight. Even this book, the smallest of them, and the barest beginning, fills me with awe.

[Avatar]

Wish I was Av, so I could read it tonight

Haha, I have literally been wondering what to read, and SB's post in the other thread convinced me. I'm in!

So how you doing it SB? Straight through the main 10 books, or diverging to the Esselmont books where relevant?

--A

[SoulBiter]

Since I am unfamiliar, I will just got straight through the 10 main and pick up the side books after. I figure I will start making some real progress this week and weekend. I had a few projects I had to get done and that has impacted my reading time.

[Fist and Faith]

I don't know if Av agrees, but I think the exception is to read Return of the Crimon Guard after Bonehunters. There's a significant event in it. I also think it's Esslemont's best book.

[SoulBiter]

I will try to remember that. Its 7 books away so it will be a while

[Fist and Faith]

Yup

[Avatar]

Well, I'm starting with Night of Knives. I'll see how I go compared to how fast you manage to get through them before deciding about the others.

I do however agree about Crimson Guard, but it must be read after Reaper's Gale, not after Bonehunters.

--A

[Fist and Faith]

Oops. Good thing he's a few books away.

[Avatar]

Oops. Good thing he's a few books away.

LOL, to be fair, the only real reason is because of implied spoilers for RG, so it can go before, but it has to be read before Toll the Hounds.

--A

[SoulBiter]

Oops. Good thing he's a few books away.

LOL, to be fair, the only real reason is because of implied spoilers for RG, so it can go before, but it has to be read before Toll the Hounds.

--A

Thanks ! That is super helpful.

So chapters 3 and 4 are finished. More history and more world building. Interesting to find out some of the characters have seen decades of war and incursions. The Bridgeburner's are an odd group of personalities. I have been a bit loathe to try to learn all the names because all too often in these stories they are just side characters that get cast off early.

Spoiler

Captain Paran has made his way from our first introduction to being put in charge of the 9th squad and having to find his team and introduce himself, only to hear that there have been multiple captains, all ended up dead and not always in combat. He does find the team who are not impressed (since he hasnt seen battle yet). He heads back only to be attacked by pro's and takes two life ending stab wounds. At this point I was thinking, well here we go, learn something about a character only to have him killed off early by ... "Sorry" I think, yet... another force is at work here (the Oponn?) twins who calls on death (the gatekeeper) to not take him, but to take another person in the future instead in the deal. A person who is close to Paran who would die a meaningless death. Paran tries to say no but he is dying and can do nothing.

The Bridgeburners in the meantime are trying to figure out WTH is going on and getting some info from Hairlock. Quick Ben senses something is wrong and they go out only to find Captain Paran and think him dead until he screams out. They end up taking him with them and doing some healing, although its not a complete healing.. not sure where that will go yet. They end up having to leave him with Tattersail and have to go to some other assignment.

Then we run into Black Moranth.. they seem to ride on some kind of dragon(ish) beings called Quorl, that seem like they might be intelligent (as Whiskeyjack finds when he nods at one). Whiskyjack supposes that if they Moranth had ever decided to take power, the empire would be in trouble.

I think much of this part of the book, although there is story line in it, is really just doing the world building and introducing character and ongoing plots. It almost feels like there should be a book in front of this, because you kind of get dumped off into the middle of everything. Reminds me a bit of the Black Company books by Glen Cook.

I have figured out that until I learn the world and the characters a bit more, it will be slower reading than I am used to. I am usually a fast reader, especially when the plots are simple, but this is more complex and is requiring me to slow down so I understand what I am reading. Even so, I can tell I will miss many things.

[Fist and Faith]

Yes, you will miss many things. Or they'll get knocked out of your head by the 500 new things on the next page. Fear not! Rereads are a joy!

Black Company is one of the big influences, so no surprise.

It's true that this drops you into the middle of big things moreso than most books.

THE BRIDGEBURNERS IS THE COOLEST THING EVER!!!!! I always wondered why Lucimay always went on about them. Then I read it, and realized she didn't go on nearly enough.

[Avatar]

It almost feels like there should be a book in front of this, because you kind of get dumped off into the middle of everything.

Yes, there is. It's called "Night of Knives" by Esselmont and I just finished it. (I mean, technically there are more in front of it now, but they are better read later for the first time probably.)

About to open GoTM now...it's sitting beside me waiting for me to log off. The first time I read it, I didn't really enjoy it. Once I had read book 2, 3 and 4, I went back and read GoTM again and it made a lot more sense.

You are not underestimating the complexity of the plot.

Right, I'm off to the Mouse.

--A

[Fist and Faith]

The problem with Night of Knives is that you read about something that the characters piece together later on. I think it's cool to discover it with the characters the first time.

[SoulBiter]

Or they'll get knocked out of your head by the 500 new things on the next page.

You aren't kidding... so we moved from the Bridgeburners plot to something different.

Spoiler

There is a thief that broke in and stole some high end jewelry but then he got targeted by two assassins (the claw?) . Somehow he lived although he did get injured, but the lead assassin thinks someone intervened. There was another assassin in the dark that was there to kill some guy on a balcony. There is a guy named Kruppe that has odd dreams where he speaks to himself.. guessing it is some form of magic. He also speaks in 3rd person LOL. There is a guy they call the alchemist (Baruk) that seems to be a fairly important person. A raven that isn't a raven that has been alive for (a thousand or more years?), apparently when they fly through magic it extends there life. The raven was a herald to this other guy who is a Tiste Andii who's name is Rake,,, this being is black with silver hair (long), and has vertical pupils. His sword is 6.5 ft long and is some kind of magic sword. He is at least 7 ft tall by description. Seems an important character and perhaps an important race. He has been taking vengeance on some mages... they were supposed to help guard a city that he was helping, so now he is pissed that they ran and is killing them off. Then we ended up at a card game with Kruppe, Coll, Murillio, and Rallick that the book describes as "A drunkard, an obese mage, a dandified cop, and a killer".

Well I will read more this afternoon... but putting this down in writing helps me remember this a bit better and hopefully will help me understand what is going on later.

[Fist and Faith]

Welcome to Darujistan!!

Kruppe is an excellent character.

Rake is the mage they were up against at Pale.

A figure had appeared on the ledge before the portal, its arms upraised, long silver hair blowing from its head.

Mane of Chaos. Anomander Rake. Lord of the black-skinned Tiste Andii, who has looked down on a hundred thousand winters, who has tasted the blood of dragons, who leads the last of his kind, seated in the Throne of Sorrow and a kingdom tragic and fey—a kingdom with no land to call its own.

Anomander Rake looked tiny against the backdrop of his edifice, almost insubstantial at this distance. The illusion was about to be shattered. She gasped as the aura of his power bloomed outward — to see it at such a distance...

And, yeah, important character and race, and big magic sword. Hehe

You'll learn about the origin of the ravens.

[SoulBiter]

About halfway through.... plots and sub plots. Spy vs spy. A coin that was picked up (that is why they were after that thief), the councilman on the balcony that was killed with the poisoned arrow was to make sure a vote went a specific way. A hound attacks and almost kills Tattersail (it was after Hairlock). Captain Paran is able to almost kill the hound who runs off... Tattersail knows that should not have been possible and puts together that the Gods are involved. Kruppe is indeed more than he seems to be. He pretends to be a drunken, maybe mentally deficient character.... but all evidence of the reading says differently.

[Avatar]

The problem with Night of Knives is that you read about something that the characters piece together later on. I think it's cool to discover it with the characters the first time.

I mean, that's a fair point, although it becomes pretty obvious fairly early in book 1...although that may be the benefit of hindsight.

As for Rake...Mane of Chaos...damn...this is one of the things I love about the series...SRD made the history of his Land go back thousands of years with Berek etc...the Malazan history goes back hundreds of thousands of years...

Haven't been able to read for a few days, been distracted by harvest season. I'll catch up though. Looks like @peter is ahead of us all right now.

--A

[SoulBiter]

So the plot lines are making more sense and starting to coalesce. Its been a busy 100 pages

Spoiler

Tattersail ends up in a dinner with the Adjunct Lorn (who magic does not affect), Toc the younger, and High Mage Tayschrenn. She does not let it slip thta Paran is still alive and in her quarters. Toc knows her well enough that he figures out she is being deceptive but because of his loyalty to the 2nd, he lets it go. They share a glance of meaning. Afterward she and Capt Paran have a thing going, then she rides off in a rush. The adjunct also leaves and the Tlan Imass goes with her. She is setting a trap for Tattersail. The High mage is the one who was able to get her to leave without any preparation, something she would not do. She runs into Bellurdan who was sent to bring her to the Adjunct. She is able to get a lot of history from him and he told her that if she opened her warren it would explode and kill her. From what he did say, she figures out that the adjunct and the High Mage are going to release the Tyrant. She also notices a burlap bag that has something she recognizes in it. She opens her warren, triggering the trap and burning them both up.

But she had a plan and her soul moved to whatever was in the bag... Fast forward to Kruppe.... he is in a dream that is not a dream (again) and Tattersail is there in the thing she moved her soul to, but may not remember who she is, because it was not prepared for her to begin with. There is a being called Pran who says that a Gathering is coming and with that shall be born the T;kan Imass and the first empire... very odd. Not sure if he is talking past, present, or future. Another lady shows up who has a baby with no soul. After the child is born, Tattersails soul moves into this person with the help of an elder God.

The Bridgeburners have made it to the city and are passing themselves off as street repairmen.... but they are planting mines in the streets... that should be a big show. Whiskeyjack decides to plant one in front of the Alchemist's office/home.... oh boy. WhiskeyJack had seen him on his balcony with red hands... which makes me think we are catching up to the time when he spilled the red paint on the map...

It does seem that the book only flows somewhat in chronological order.. things happen, we change plot lines and that line catches up with the timeline of another plot that was already seen. I can see how that would be confusing to many people, but once you know this can happen, it helps you to start noticing those connections as they occur.

[Avatar]

things happen, we change plot lines and that line catches up with the timeline of another plot that was already seen.

Pretty much exactly right. Wait 'til it starts happening with whole books.

--A