Gardens of the Moon

Steven Erikson’s Garden of the Moon is an epic fantasy novel and the first installment in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series. Published in 1999, the novel follows a large cast of characters as they contend with the threat of an ever-expanding empire and grapple with ancient magical forces. Erikson, an anthropologist and archeologist by training, sets the novel in a fictional world peopled by human and non-human races, magic users, and a pantheon of gods. Gardens of the Moon explores themes relating to rebellion, fate, and human nature.

This study guide refers to the 1999 Tor paperback edition.

Plot Summary

The Malazan Empire, founded by Emperor Kellanved, is under threat of an internal coup when the Prologue opens. A young boy, Ganoes Paran, meets a grizzled army commander, Whiskeyjack, who attempts to dissuade Paran from his dream of becoming a soldier.

Eight years pass between the events of the Prologue and Chapter 1. Laseen, now Empress, has assassinated the former emperor and seized control of his domain. The empire spreads across continents, and Laseen’s forces grapple with a few remaining Free Cities that exist outside Empire control. One such city is Pale, under siege by imperial forces.