Gardens of the Moon

Malazan Book of the fallen series: Book 1.

“Gardens of the Moon” is the first novel from the series “Malazan Book of the fallen” by Steven Erikson. Steven Erikson is an Canadian novelist, whose real name is Steve Rune Lundin.

 

“Malazan Book of the fallen” is one of the best epic fantasy series of recent times. Currently the series has ten volumes published. The story doesn’t revolve around a central character, it has a mass of characters. The fictional Malazan world was originally created by Steven Erikson and Ian Cameron Esslemont for a role-playing game.

The fictional world is dominated by Malazan empire with its huge armies, keeps on expanding its territories by conquering all the known land masses. Malazan empire was ruled by Emperor Kellanved, who was assassinated. Empress Laseen rules with the help of “claws” a group of imperial assassins. 

The story starts with Malazan 2nd Army under High Fist Dujek is besieging the city of Pale, one of only two Free Cities left in the Malazans' path in continent Genabackis . Pale is holding out due to alliance with the powerful Anomander Rake, Lord of Moon's Spawn (a floating fortress), leader of the non-human Tiste Andii (Tiste Andii were invaders from another world).

Sergent Whiskeyjack, Sergeant of Bridgeburners ( a highly acclaimed and well respected company) tasked with tunneling under the walls of Pale, looses out his entire company of soldiers when the tunnel collapsed except for 30 odd soldiers. Lorn, adjunct to the Empress sends Captain Ganoes Paran to be the new captain of Bridgeburners. The Empress aim is to destroy Sorry, an new recruit in Bridgeburners, who is possessed by Cotillion (an Ascendant of High House Shadow, the patron god of assassins). To do so, she plans to destroy the whole company of Bridgeburners by giving them impossible missions and back-stabbing them whenever possible. Even the collapse of the tunnel they were working on was considered to be the work of Empress.

The Empress Laseen sends Imperial High Mage Tayschrenn to destroy Anomander Rake and take over Pale. Tayschrenn and other Mages with 2^nd army attack Moon’s Spawn drawing out Anomander Rake. Anomander Rake unleashing great waves of magic thereby destroying most of the 2^nd Army, while Tayschrenn contributed by killing his fellow mages in the mayhem. Moon’s Spawn having received great damages retreats from Pale, thus allowing 2^nd army to seize Pale.

Sergent Whiskeyjack and remaining Bridgeburners are tasked to infiltrate Darujhistan (which is the only remaining free-city) and sabotage to weaken its army before the Malazan army reaches Darujhistan.

Meanwhile, Moon’s spawn is seen above Darujhistan, Anomander Rake forges alliance with T'orrud Cabal (a powerful group in Darujhistan headed by Baruk).

Lorn with Onos T'oolan ( a T’lan Imass) travels to Darujhistan with another agenda, ie. To set free a tyrant Jaghut ( T’lan Imass and Jaghut are primeval beings of malazan world with great magical powers) who is imprisoned for eternity within great barrows in Darujishtan . Their plan is to set free this tyrant, and Anomander Rake will have no option to face this jaghut. If Anomander Rake manages to destroy tyrant Jaghut, it will weaken him considerably for Malazan forces to destroy Rake easily.

What happens next? Will Lorn free the tyrant Jaghut? Will Darujhistan fall to Malazan? You gotta read the book.

With too much characters, sometimes one has to go back and check who is this character and how did he reach here. With Gods, and semi-Gods, with magic “warrens” that wizards draw their power from, it is a work of great skill and beauty.

Special Edition

“Gardens of the Moon” is a nice book to read.

Ptolemy's Gate

"Ptolemy’s Gate", is the third and final book in the "Bartimaeus Trilogy" by Jonathan Stroud. With this final book, the trilogy comes to an end in excitement, adventure and an unexpected turn towards tenderness and true values.

A little background: Nathaniel (known as John Mandrake) helped saved the ministry twice, once from Lovelace & Ramuthra and next from the marauding Golem. He is now an established member in the British government. He had let Kitty Hawk (from resistance) scott free. The resistance has been dismantled.

Plot:

Things were not looking good for British Government. Foreign wars are going badly. Many commoners are unhappy with the current government, and rebellion is fermenting among them. Nathaniel is friendless and constantly watched by enemies. He has become merciless and treats everyone cruelly, especially Bartimaeus.

Kitty Hawk finds a job with a retired magician as his helper. She ponders on the reason on why humans and spirits are locked in endless struggle. She understands that humans (magicians) summons spirits and make them slaves; they fear spirits and consider them dangerous. So they keep them in shackles and as slaves and never treat them as equals.

Bartimaeus had told her that his greatest master, Ptolemy, was the only human who treated his servants as equals. Ptolemy falsely believed that other people would follow his footsteps. Ptolemy trusted Bartimaeus and even crossed over to the “Other Place” with Bartimaeus and came back alive. The “Other Place” is where spirits dwell.

Kitty’s aim to learn some magic as to summon Bartimaeus and travel to “Other Place”. After putting some effort, she succeeds and travel to “Other Place” with Bartimaeus, the only person other than Ptolemy to do that. Thus earning full trust from Bartimaeus.

Farquarl (a Djinn mentioned in “The Amulet of Samarkand”) and his friends (spirits) are plotting to destroy the magicians and take over the human world. Their plan is to lure magicians to share their bodies to spirits for promises of greater power. Once inside magician’s bodies, they can take full control of their body and mind and then rule the world. Farquarl and Nouda (an entity of greater power than Madrid) manage to enter into human bodies (magicians) and starts unleashing havoc. Soon they create an army of hybrids (spirits & humans). Nathaniel escapes and decides to destroy Nouda. It can be done only if he wielded the Gladstone’s staff, but he doesn’t have the power to wield and use the Gladstone’s staff.

Nathaniel and kitty decides that only if Nathaniel and Bartimaeus combines, together they can wield and use the power of Gladstone’s staff to destroy Nouda and his hybrid army. Bartimaues agrees, even when he suspects that he too will get destroyed in the attack. Finally they combine, sets out to destroy Nouda.

Do they finally defeat Nouda and his army of hybrids, and rescue the world? Does Nathaniel and Bartimaeus survive the attack? That’s the suspense, you get to uncover by reading the book.

Ptolemy’s Gate is an excellent ending to the “Bartimaeus Series”. It’s a brilliant story, with unexpected twists and turns in plot. A must read.