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Gardens of the Moon (Malazan Book of the Fallen, 1)
Steven Erikson
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Vast legions of gods, mages, humans, dragons and all manner of creatures play out the fate of the Malazan Empire in this first book in a major epic fantasy series from Steven Erikson.
The Malazan Empire simmers with discontent, bled dry by interminable warfare, bitter infighting and bloody confrontations with the formidable Anomander Rake and his Tiste Andii, ancient and implacable sorcerers. Even the imperial legions, long inured to the bloodshed, yearn for some respite. Yet Empress Laseen's rule remains absolute, enforced by her dread Claw assassins.
For Sergeant Whiskeyjack and his squad of Bridgeburners, and for Tattersail, surviving cadre mage of the Second Legion, the aftermath of the siege of Pale should have been a time to mourn the many dead. But Darujhistan, last of the Free Cities of Genabackis, yet holds out. It is to this ancient citadel that Laseen turns her predatory gaze.
However, it would appear that the Empire is not alone in this great game. Sinister, shadowbound forces are gathering as the gods themselves prepare to play their hand...
Conceived and written on a panoramic scale, Gardens of the Moon is epic fantasy of the highest order—an enthralling adventure by an outstanding new voice.
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Fantasy & Frens\
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Zoranne\
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• Jan 15 2023
23 BOOKS I WANT TO READ IN 2023
these are the 23 fantasy books i *hope* to read in 2023! please wish me luck because i am going to need it!
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Fantasy & Frens\
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Zoranne\
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• Jan 12 2023
GUYS I WILL READ SOME OF THESE BOOKS I PROMISE BUT THIS IS MY HOPEFUL 2023 TBR SOMEONE BULLY ME INTO READING THESE PLS #fantasytbr #fantasybooktok #fantasyseries #fantasyandfrens #moodreaderproblems
GUYS I WILL READ SOME OF THESE BOOKS I PROMISE BUT THIS IS MY HOPEFUL 2023 TBR SOMEONE BULLY ME INTO READING THESE PLS #fantasytbr #fantasybooktok #fantasyseries #fantasyandfrens #moodreaderproblems
23 books
Fantasy & Frens\
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Zoranne\
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• Oct 12 2022
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7 books
Fantasy & Frens\
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Zoranne\
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• Oct 10 2022
one does not simply go to toronto and not buy ALL OF THE BOOKS 🤣 #bookhaul #indigobooks #canadabooktok #fantasybookseries #thegraceofkings #sagavolumeten #zorannereads
one does not simply go to toronto and not buy ALL OF THE BOOKS 🤣 #bookhaul #indigobooks #canadabooktok #fantasybookseries #thegraceofkings #sagavolumeten #zorannereads
8 books
Fantasy & Frens\
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Zoranne\
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• Sep 24 2022
a very impromptu trip to barnes & noble — fantasy books edition ⚔️ #fantasybooktok #fantasybookrecs #bookstorevlog #barnesandnoblevlog
a very impromptu trip to barnes & noble — fantasy books edition ⚔️ #fantasybooktok #fantasybookrecs #bookstorevlog #barnesandnoblevlog
7 books
Posts about this book from across Bindery
The Coterie\
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Mikah Mia Reads\
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• Jul 29
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Poll:\
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What should we read in August?\
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It’s officially been a full year since The Coterie began here on Bindery!! To celebrate, there will be two giveaway winners this month. They’ll be announced in the Discord on Sunday , August 2nd 🥳\
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It’s also time to vote on our next book club pick. You can read about each of the options below and vote in the poll attached to this post. Voting closes on Saturday, August 1st and the winning book will be posted on August 2nd!\
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The Dragon Has Some Complaints by John Wiswell (Cozy Fantasy)\
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Garrodigh was once a four-headed dragon, among the most powerful in Kardoša. After an unfortunate incident, he now has three heads, one stump, and a daily whirlwind of internal bickering. Centerhead wants to rain death upon all humanity, Bottomhead is like a feral cat, and Upperhead is under the delicate delusion that he is, in fact, human. \
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When a nearby battle goes awry, Garrodigh sneaks into an elite dragon rider academy, pretending to be tame to get free food and a warm bed. Lucky for him, rider Rania Albright is desperate enough for a dragon of her own that she overlooks his eccentricities. \
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As Garrodigh recovers under Rania’s care, all three heads start to turn, for the first time, in the same direction. Each wants to protect her from the invaders who killed their fourth head—the same invaders who seek to conquer Kardoša. When the academy comes under attack, can this wild dragon and his wilder rider save their homeland together?\
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The Eye of the Leviathan by M.A. Carrick (Historical Fiction Fantasy)\
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In an alternate Spanish Golden Age, the Council of the Sea Beyond has risen to unrivaled power, exploiting the Otherworld’s most precious resources for their own gain. Estevan seeks to uncover their secrets, but he risks the exposure of his that he is a faerie, masquerading as a mortal.\
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The Hungry Girl is the human whose place he took. Lost among the fae and desperate to find some purpose for her existence, she leaps at the chance to help a group of Spanish explorers in the Sea Beyond…only to be horrified at the atrocities they commit.\
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A faerie pact has separated them– but only together can they bring down Spain’s worlds-spanning empire and save the homes they have both come to love.\
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Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson (Epic Dark Fantasy)\
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The Malazan Empire simmers with discontent, bled dry by interminable warfare, bitter infighting and bloody confrontations with the formidable Anomander Rake and his Tiste Andii, ancient and implacable sorcerers. Even the imperial legions, long inured to the bloodshed, yearn for some respite. Yet Empress Laseen's rule remains absolute, enforced by her dread Claw assassins.\
\
For Sergeant Whiskeyjack and his squad of Bridgeburners, and for Tattersail, surviving cadre mage of the Second Legion, the aftermath of the siege of Pale should have been a time to mourn the many dead. But Darujhistan, last of the Free Cities of Genabackis, yet holds out. It is to this ancient citadel that Laseen turns her predatory gaze.\
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However, it would appear that the Empire is not alone in this great game. Sinister, shadowbound forces are gathering as the gods themselves prepare to play their hand...\
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Join for free or login
August Voting 🗳️
3 books
Ezeekat Press\
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Jaysen\
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• Jun 25
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Join for free or login](https://ezeekat.binderybooks.com/item/DRCvtnhZXyfTMzZM2xh6/)
EARLY ACCESS: Recent Reads — Reviews from Worst to Best
Welcome to the new format for my book reviews! Today we are covering the last five books I've read, going from worst to best and reviewing each one. Have you read any of these and what were your thoughts? AND what are you reading now?
00:00 - Intro
00:55 - Verity Guild
10:51 - Gardens of the Moon
27:02 - The Inheritance
33:41 - The Curse of Chalion
43:36 - The Poet Empress
51:26 - Wrap-Up
Interested in Shelves, Table and Amazing Boardgames? They're from the sponsor of this video: Allplay! And you can check them out Here: https://www.allplay.com/
My Other Places:
Ezeekat Press Subscriber Community: https://ezeekat.binderybooks.com/
Beacons page with all my links: https://beacons.ai/ezeekat
5 books
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4
The Alchemist Society\
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Shay\
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• Mar 17
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It's been a while. No really, since November. \
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Since the new year, I have had a few life changes. One, I had a career change! Prior to that I spent time in Boston with my family for my younger cousins wedding and my birthday the next day (I miss Boston).\
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I've primarily been able to listen to audiobooks. I'm in a season of Malazan and Robin Hobb in that format more recently, and had a short detour into Heated Rivalry (which I DNFd but may pick up again at a later time).\
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Back to Malazan though. Malazan is considered by many to be one of the most intimidating fantasy series you could read. I'm here to say don't let that stop you from giving it a try. It is rich and intense and has a great depth to it that I absolutely adore, but I find it captivating and even sometimes fun! Not Deadhouse Gates (book two is brutal and I still cry thinking about it).\
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I was lucky enough to be able to obtain a set of the first six books in the series from The Broken Binding.\
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and a little moment for the covers\
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So I listened to the first three of these books on audio, of course on Libro, my favorite audio book platform where purchases support local indie bookstores and I actually own my books (and am not just purchasing the license to the books, unlike some big global retailers).\
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Unfortunately, the narrator, Ralph Lister is replaced after book three with another narrator and I am not transitioning well. Nothing against Michael Page but Ralph was just so good. I did a bit of a deep dive and found out that he was replaced because he was a union member and was more expensive so I am participating in an act of boycott 15+ years too late. Just kidding, I just can't get used to a new author yet.\
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Anyhow book one, Gardens of the Moon was a fun adventure introducing us to the world of Malazan.\
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Book two, Deadhouse Gates, is a brutal 180. Emotional and complex, it further expands the universe all while giving us a glimpse into another working limb of the Malazan Empire. We are able to see how the Empire has expanded and grew into the Empire it is while also seeing the civilizations and cultures that are both around them (unconquered) and within, adapting to fit within the Empires mold. There is a heavy influence from both the Roman and Ottoman Empires, visible in the way that once a place is conquered, the local people are set up to govern again, though they are now within the Empire itself. No spoilers but book two show a visceral and maddening look at a Malazan refugee train moving across a continent, all while attempting to survive a holy war keen on exterminating them. We also see some friendly faces from Book 1 in the only slightly, lighthearted storyline in this god damed (excellent) book.\
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Finally, I got to Memories of Ice which was EPIC. It had a lot of the emotional depth that Deadhouse Gates had, without nearly as much of the distressing heaviness (though there was still some of that). Memories of Ice has a bit more of the adventurous "fun" vibe that I felt in Gardens of the Moon. I was also really happy to see more of the humor that we caught glimpses of in the previous two books, giving some moments of levity and showing very real interactions where the worst possible thing you can think of can be happening to a character, and yet they still make a little quip. I've been told by quite a few people that it is the fan favorite of the series and I can see why. It brings together multiple characters with incredible arcs and plot progression, not to mention a shocking and insane final chapter. I can't wait to dive into Book 4, House of Chains, and I'm interested in seeing if the experience changes while reading a physical copy myself, vs listening to the audio for the previous three books. I will of course still hear Ralph's voice in my head.\
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While listening to the Malazan books, I was also reading physical copies of The Farseer Trilogy, by Robin Hobb. I don't want to get too much into it here because I full plan on writing a full post about it but it was incredible and I loved everything about it so much. It is without a doubt one of the best fantasy series I have ever read. \
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In February, I finally got around to reading The Strength of the Few, after I finished reading my physical copies of the Farseer Trilogy. Again, I don't want to get too deep into it but I did enjoy it overall and I am really excited to see where it goes. I really enjoy how Islington really gets into the nitty-gritty of good vs. evil and doing the wrong thing for the right reasons and vice versa. I think we will see more of this in book three, The Justice of One. \
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Now, I am listening to The Liveship Traders Trilogy, by Robin Hobb. I am losing my mind. I find there is more exposition in Ship of Magic which was quite a change in my opinion fromThe Farseer Trilogy. BUT also, the maddening part, I am a certified HATER of Kyle fucking Haven. It actually hurts to read anything this man does or says, and also, Keffiyah needs to grow a damn spine. Jeez. But all that to say I am still interested in the plot.\
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Lastly, I need to touch on the Poet Empress by Shen Tao. This debut dark fantasy novel was excellent (I read in February), and it follows a young women who is set to become the future empress of her country. She is searching for a way to save it from famine and her people from starvation, which is actually how she ended up in the Crown Princes harem and was then chose as future Empress. Her new husband, the next Emperor is a despot, with a magical penchant for violence and weapons (and several brothers with other varying magical abilities). Wei Yin decides she must kill him, but the only way she can kill him is to write a spell, and that spell requires that she love him in order to kill him. We see deep and heavy familial bonds and and the breaking of those bonds, court politics, difficult decisions, magic and lies, but also moments of kindness and empathy. I can not wait to see more from Shen Tao in the future because this was a wonderful and moving standalone novel.\
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That's what I've been up to recently, but next, I will be going through the Spring 2026 Bindery Arcs that I just received, starting with my most anticipated, Burn the Sea by Mona Tewari. This is a fantasy novel inspired by the Portuguese attacks on South India in the 1500's, but in this story, the Portuguese are half men and half sea creature. I've really been enjoying it so far and can't wait to see where the story goes so I can share more:)
Malazan, Robin Hobb and taking time
9 books
2
Fantasy & Frens\
\
Zoranne\
\
• Jan 15 2023
23 BOOKS I WANT TO READ IN 2023
these are the 23 fantasy books i *hope* to read in 2023! please wish me luck because i am going to need it!
JOIN THE FANTASY & FRENS COMMUNITY!
📚fable book club: http://l.fable.co/zoranne
👾discord: https://discord.gg/A3MPX5vEHX
AFFILIATE CODES
ZORANNE10 - Caffeine & Legends https://legendarybox.com/
BUSINESS INQUIRIES
💌 zoranne.host@gmail.com
*Some of these links are affiliate links which means I may earn a small commission if you choose to purchase a product from one the links!*
23 books
Fantasy & Frens\
\
Zoranne\
\
• Jan 12 2023
23 books
Fantasy & Frens\
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Zoranne\
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• Oct 12 2022
TikTok Video
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7 books
Fantasy & Frens\
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Zoranne\
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• Oct 10 2022
8 books
Fantasy & Frens\
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Zoranne\
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• Sep 24 2022
a very impromptu trip to barnes & noble — fantasy books edition ⚔️ #fantasybooktok #fantasybookrecs #bookstorevlog #barnesandnoblevlog
7 books