Prologue

The novel opens in the 96th year of the Malazan Empire, during the final year of the rule of Emperor Kellanved. Ganoes Paran, age 12, witnesses the sacking of the Mouse Quarter of Malaz City. Paran wants to be a soldier when he grows older, though the veteran soldier Whiskeyjack disapproves.

Genabackis

Seven years later, the Emperor and his ally, Dancer, have been assassinated and supplanted by the chief of the assassin corps. Empress Laseen now rules with the aid of the Claw, the imperial assassins. The story opens several years into a series of wars by the Malazan Empire to conquer the continent of Genabackis.

Under High Fist Dujek, the Malazan 2nd Army has been besieging the city of Pale, one of only two Free Cities left in the Malazans' path in Genabackis, for several years. Pale is holding out thanks to an alliance with the powerful Anomander Rake, Lord of Moon's Spawn (a floating fortress), leader of the non-human Tiste Andii.^[7] Pale finally falls when Rake withdraws his fortress following a fierce battle. Even then, the Empire suffers severe losses, including the near-total destruction of a legendary infantry unit in its 2nd army, the Bridgeburners. Several characters speculate that someone higher up within the Empire may be engineering the elimination of various people who were loyal to the late Emperor.

The Empire then turns its attention to the last remaining Free City, Darujhistan. A handful of surviving members of the Bridgeburners, led by Sergeant Whiskeyjack, now severely reduced in rank after Laseen's seizure of power, are sent to try to undermine the city from within. Once there, they attempt fruitlessly to contact the city's assassins' guild, in the hope of paying them to betray their city, but Rake has already driven the guild underground. Adjunct Lorn, second-in-command to the Empress, is sent to uncover something in the hills east of Darujhistan. She is accompanied by Tool, a T'lan Imass, an undead race that once dominated the world before humans. Meanwhile, Tattersail, one of the few mages to survive the Siege of Pale, and Paran, now a captain and the Bridgeburners' nominal commander, head toward the city to determine the reason for the increased involvement of several gods and other magical forces in the campaign.

A group of con-artists and underworld figures within Darujhistan work to oppose members of the civic government who are considering capitulating to the Empire. Meanwhile, Anomander Rake offers his alliance to the true rulers of Darujhistan, a secretive cabal of mages. The plots collide when Adjunct Lorn releases a Jaghut Tyrant, a powerful ancient being, with the aim of either damaging Anomander Rake seriously or forcing him to withdraw from the city. The Tyrant is eventually imprisoned inside an Azath House after a fierce battle with Rake's people, while Rake himself defeats a demon lord that Lorn releases inside the city.

A substantial subplot involves a young Bridgeburner named Sorry. She is known as a cold-blooded killer but is in fact possessed by Cotillion, also known as the Rope, a deity and patron of assassins. When Cotillion's partner Shadowthrone and Rake negotiate the Rope's withdrawal from the events of war, Sorry is freed and falls in with Crokus, a young Daru thief. Crokus has earned the patronage of Oponn, the twin Gods of Chance, who continue to meddle in the conflict for their own purposes. As the novel ends, Crokus, a Bridgeburner sapper named Fiddler, and the Bridgeburner assassin Kalam volunteer to take Sorry (now called Apsalar) back to her homeland of Itko Kan (their story continues in Deadhouse Gates).^[8]

Meanwhile, Dujek and Whiskeyjack lead the 2nd Army into rebellion against Laseen's increasingly tyrannical rule. Dujek now seeks an alliance with Rake and other enemies of Malazan against a holy war called by the Pannion Seer, whose empire is advancing from the south-east of Genabackis. Elsewhere, it is confirmed that the continent of Seven Cities has begun a mass uprising against the Empire. These and other plot developments are continued in the third novel, Memories of Ice.

Critical

The novel received mixed to positive reviews from critics. SFSite said that Erikson had created "a fantasy world as rich and detailed as any you're likely to encounter" while calling the novel engrossing and hard to set aside. The reviewer, while calling it an astounding debut fantasy novel with a fully realized history spanning thousands of years and rich, complex characters, notes that the complexity could also be considered the book's greatest flaw.^[16] Bill Capossere of Tor said that, though the novel is not without its flaws, it is a captivating, stimulating read that defies the reader's preconceptions of fantasy and challenges their ideas of fantasy by confronting them with reality.^[17]

The Guardian described Erikson's world-building as astounding and also praised the character development, stating "His characters ... feel realistic, and their personalities actually change and adapt through the story." It also praised the deep and complex plot of the novel. In contrast, however, the reviewer criticized the pacing as awful though noted that the climactic finale was neatly done.^[9] Another reviewer has praised Erikson for breathing new life into the fantasy genre with his new ideas and creations, calling the novel "a work of great skill and beauty."^[18] Salon describes Erikson as a "master of lost and forgotten epochs, a weaver of ancient epics" while praising his realistic world-building and characterization.^[10]

On the other hand, Publishers Weekly criticized the novel's characterization and lack of real depth, stating that "The fast-moving plot, with sieges, duels (of sword and of spell), rebellions, intrigue and revenge, unearthed monsters and earth-striding gods, doesn't leave much room for real depth. Heroes win, villains lose, fairness reigns, tragedy is averted. Erikson may aspire to China Miéville heights, but he settles comfortably in George R.R. Martin country."^[19]

Gardens of the Moon also garnered praise from well-known authors in the fantasy genre, such as Stephen R. Donaldson who said "Erikson is an extraordinary writer. I read Gardens of the Moon with great pleasure." J. V. Jones praised Erikson's style and his ability to "create a world every bit as intricate and messy as our own." Adam Roberts also praised Erikson's world-building and characterization, calling the novel "fiendishly readable".^[20]

Other reviews

• Review by Vikki Lee (1999) in Vector 205
• Review by Chris Gilmore (1999) in Interzone, #147 September 1999
• Review by Carolyn Cushman (1999) in Locus, #465 October 1999
• Review by Vikki Lee (2000) in Vector 211
• Review by Charles de Lint (2000) in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, September 2000
• Review by Jeff Wheeler (2004) in Deep Magic, #28, September 2004
• Review by uncredited (2004) in Vector 237
• Review by Paul Witcover (2004) in Realms of Fantasy, October 2004
• Review by Stephen E. Andrews and Nick Rennison (2009) in 100 Must-Read Fantasy Novels

Sales

The novel was a critical and commercial success. It sold over a million copies in a month.

After the commercial success of the novel, Transworld signed a publishing deal worth £675,000 for Erikson's next nine novels in the series.^[21]

Awards