বই লাভার'স পোলাপান (Boi lover's polapan) discussion

So this is a first timer for me. Hope you guys like it

Title: Gardens of the Moon
Author: Steven Erikson
Series: Malazan Book Of The Fallen
Genre: Fantasy

Review link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Recommendations can often be misleading. I'm glad the friend who recommended this was not wrong when suggesting that this book I had to read. (No, he's been almost nagging me to read this.) So once I picked up the book, I was met with utter confusion. I read the first hundred pages, and continued to reading another hundred or so. None of the plot was making any sense, the author kept dropping terms out of the sky and wrote his story with them, and I was at a loss. But Steven Erikson really knows his craft, because confusing as it was, it was undoubtedly worth it. I'm not saying that anything is clear. I'll probably have to reread this pretty soon to read over half the things I missed. But I can't deny the satisfaction I derived from reading this book.

So without trying to spoil much, I'll go into the story briefly. The Malazan Empire is being dying. The Empress wages a war on multiple front - against neighbouring nations and the loyalists of the previous Emperor. Her prime goal is the city of Darujhistan - a rich settlement located in southern Genebackis. Her armies are vary and recent alliances have strengthened her, but this war has become much more complicated when the Ascendants (gods) decide to make it their playground.

Steven Erikson's world building is simply masterful. Here is a world with numerous intellifent inhabitants, humans and non humans alike. The gods dropped by every now and then, used mortals as it suited them, and in any manner they pleased. The lore behind the world is diverse, though only a fraction had probably been served in this book, and appears bit by bit where necessary. The various intelligent races have different habitats, lifestyles and view, as one would expect them to have.

The characters are utterly delightful. One might complain that they have not been fleshed out enough, but then again, this is just the first book, and the amount of development serves it just fine. There are characters that I just love, and there are those that I love to hate. Almost all significant characters fall within these two categories. And the Ascendants are impressive. The few that are introduced are so different from humans, so diverse in their own ways, and so humane at the same time.

All in all, this book is laudable. Anyone who likes fantasy should rush to the nearest store and get their hands on this. I cannot comment on the series itself, or any of the later books, but it appears promising.

ফ্যান্টাসি এমনিতেই আমার প্রিয় জনরা, তার উপরে এত চমতকার একটা রিভিউ দিয়ে পড়ার আগ্রহ বাড়িয়ে দিলেন। টু রিড লিস্ট বাড়ছে তো বাড়ছেই!

I know that feeling! Feels like I'll need nine lives to finish reading the pile, doesn't it?

Glad you liked the review. You won't regret reading the book.