Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson

[lightreads]

Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Epic fantasy with a map. And a dramatis personae. And a glossary. Assassins, wizards, gods, and soldiers clash over one of the few remaining free cities, as the imperial forces advance.

All right, I suppose. I'm not overtaken with any of the foaming fervor of some of this series' hardcore fans, but then again I suspect its real strength lies in the complexity achieved over ten books. Because this was a pretty good epic fantasy, with complicated politics and destinies at stake and great powers moving, but the ideas far outshine the writing. The most obvious comparison is to George R.R. Martin, and Erikson makes a decent standing there, but his dialogue is overdramatic in places, his characters a bit too hastily drawn, and his prose perceptibly wobbly. And ultimately, I'm not running out right this second for the next book, though I will get to it.

I could see myself really getting into this a few books down the road, though, with the bigger tapestry unfolding. We'll see.

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