Just finished GOTM

I was as confused as hell on first reading. I went back and re-read GOTM after finishing MOI, and found it a lot clearer to follow second time round. It remains a highly confusing structure for a story, not helped by the fact that a major sequence near the begining is told in flashback without anything signalling to the reader that it is a flashback.

Deadhouse Gates remains the strongest book for me, purely because of the strength and scope of the story.
The characterisation and dialogue is somewhat sketchy in the earlier novels, but gets better with each book, as does the writing style. However, Erikson is not the strongest wordsmith, and still writes some clunky, awkward prose (IMO)

SE's worldbuilding is second to none, but worldbuilding to me is set dressing. Add me to the "I prefer GRRM" camp.
 
I've recently persuaded a work colleague to try Erikson, he is a big fan of the Arthurian legend and recently got into Tad Williams. As I always have a book with me he asked my advice on a fantasy series with a bit of bite. I pondered between ASOIAF and the Malazan series, went for Malazan as I prefer Erikson to Martin. He found GOTM confusing but carried on with it as he found the magic system fascinating. He got on better with DHG but still couldn't see what I was so swept up with. He's now reading MOI, and today fetched me in a little toy dragon, as a thank you for steering him towards the best book he's ever read. An other convert.
 
I don't see a need to compare any book to any other. I stumbled onto ASOIAF by picking up a book my brother just finished, and onto the Malazan Empire through my brother-in-law offering me a book to read when I had none. I had been anxiously awaiting the next GRRM book, and had almost given up on fantasy completely. I've always preferred Sci-Fi.

The two series are just so different, but they are both just amazing and I can lose myself for hours in their worlds.
 
nixie said:
I've recently persuaded a work colleague to try Erikson, he is a big fan of the Arthurian legend and recently got into Tad Williams. As I always have a book with me he asked my advice on a fantasy series with a bit of bite. I pondered between ASOIAF and the Malazan series, went for Malazan as I prefer Erikson to Martin. He found GOTM confusing but carried on with it as he found the magic system fascinating. He got on better with DHG but still couldn't see what I was so swept up with. He's now reading MOI, and today fetched me in a little toy dragon, as a thank you for steering him towards the best book he's ever read. An other convert.
Click to expand...

He reminds me of me.

GOTM confused the hell outta of me but the magic system fascinated the hell outta of me that i kept reading even through the slow and tedious parts. Thankfully the second half was much better.

Im gonna read Deadhouse Gates soon and hope its much more even GOTM and cant wait to know more of the magic system,the gods etc
 
Having read this thread through, I've reordered GOTM from the library to give it a second try (last read in 2002ish). I managed to finish it last time around, but was completely nonplussed.

Currently in Pale with Tattersail. Its not as much of a struggle as last time...
 
In the last two years I have started this book maybe 5 times, one of those making it over half way through. I loved the story and the characters, and did not have a hard time following it like I was warned I might, so I have no idea why I can't finish it! :confused: :mad: I even bought the next two books because I know I will want to continue with the series. Hopefully after what I am reading now I will be able to get to it and finish it finally. Someone needs to kick me in the rump and make me. :p
 
I've just ordered this online - my very first Erikson
 
Garghghghghgh,

This book is made out to be some kind of lead weight around the neck. It's not.

If you don't like it, fair enough. If you think it's okay, fair enough.

Basically, unless you're Brood (i.e. you're normal), then the subsequent books are better. The author is about 10 years more experienced by DhG, and it shows. If you even partially like GotM (which is where I was), then have some faith and read on for at least 1-2 books. You owe that small effort to yourself.

To those on the new trail: happy hunting. It's a ******* ride and a half.

EDIT - god. I dislike profanity filters. It's a ******* ride and a half
 
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I read GoTM, and found it very hard going. Way-ha-hay too much magic for my personal tastes. As soon as anything resembling a 'Battlemage' or something like that shows up, my eyes start to cloud over.

Secondarily, I didn't find the characterisation in GoTM to be particularly strong (cue shouts of angry protest), and on the strength of this one book, I wouldn't put the worldbuilding at the top of the pile either (cue more shouts of protest and villagers wielding torches and pitchforks).

Though I have little inclination to continue with the series, I think I'll probably do it when the series is complete (this many Erikson afficionados can't be wrong, eh?!? And everyone seems to agree that GoTM is below par for the rest of the series).

If the lynch mob asks, I'll be waiting under the tall tree.
 
I've just started GoTM and am finding it quite easy to follow the storyline so far even though it jumps forward a few years at a time. It's certainly entertaining at the moment and I'm curious to find out what is going on. I do have my suspicions that certain character allegiances may not be quite as they seem atm but this early in the book I'm just going to carry on reading and find out :)

I'm not going to make comparisons with ASoFaI as tend to get immersed in the stories I am reading and not compare to another author's works.

So far am enjoying it and have Deadhouse gates already on order so I already plan on continuing the story.
 
Ok I've just finished it and I loved it. I didn't find it hard to follow at all and have just started Deadhouse Gates - I think I may have to order the next few to keep me going. I love the vast world it is set in and have a feeling Erikson likes to move around a lot, which suits me :)
 
Well, I finished Gardens of the Moon. I am one of those people who found it quite confusing. I enjoyed maybe the last 100 pages or so, but the rest I just kept scratching my head, going "What???" I am guessing that I may continue on in the series at a later date, but am a little put off that they don't follow this set of characters, I just got to know/like them!! :)

I started to read this series because I am a huge fan of Martin's ASOIAF and many people have suggested this series. I will not say one author is better than the other, but I still prefer Martin...just my personal opinion. But as a disclaimer I have only read one Erikson book.
 
The second one, Deadhouse Gates, follows a number of the characters from GotM, and a few others (which you'll grow to love). The third follows the characters that were in GotM but not DHG, as well as others. The fourth is back to those in DHG, plus even more. See the pattern yet? Because when you get to the fifth, you're thrown into the deep end with an entirely new everything again. :p

What I'm trying to say is that you get used to it. The more Erikson you read, the more you get into it and the easier it becomes to remember the hundreds of characters.

Keep going! Don't stop now that you've started!! :p
 
I was somewhat confused the first time I read Gardens of the Moon, but then I reread it and it was much easier -- I remembered who most of the characters were and what they were up to, so I could pick up on the smaller things. I started Deadhouse Gates after the first reading of Gardens of the Moon and stopped after about one hundred pages, I just wasn't getting into it. But then after the reread of Moon, I went onto Deadhouse Gates immediately and found myself getting into it straightaway, and also spotting things that I missed previously (like, because I have a better grasp of Moon, I recognised the name of Icarium as soon as I saw it in Gates).

It can be confusing at times, the cast list is huge, and everyone seems to be all over the place, but it is a good series and I'll definitely be continuing with it.
 
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