[sasdagger]

Hi everyone!
I (obviously) am a newcomer here. I sat and read through the rules of the forum and I hope not to tread on any toes while here!
Bought GotM about 2 years ago and got 2 chapters in and as seems to happen to a lot of people, my head hurt and I gave up. However after about a year of my failure looking at me from the bookcase I took it back up and found I understood it much more the second time and I have been going on ever since. I'm very glad I have done so as this is one of the most rewarding series I have ever read. I now own all books Malaz related (I think) even though I am only on the Bonehunters. I don't get a lot of time to read due to college and work but when I do it is well worth every second. I have so many favourite characters who are still alive in the series but also dead unfortunately. I was properly crushed at the death of a certain character (don't know how much spoiler content is allowed in the beginner thread so i'l leave the name out) and i find myself laughing out loud even on public transport to myself whenever Tehol and Bugg are involved.
Apart from this wonderful series (from both authors) some of my favourite books are The Runelords by David Farland, Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien to name a couple. I enjoy all types of movies and Tv shows, I mainly listen to metal music but am open to everything, pop-metal-classical-techno-rap-r&b and everything in between can be found on my ipod! Dont know how to end this long blurby type thing here so, thanks for having me? haha!

This post has been edited by sasdagger: 02 December 2011 - 07:40 PM

[Zeuhl]

Just wanted to say hello and that this is absolutely my favorite series. Picked up GotM in 2004 and have been thoroughly hooked on the series since. Many of the books kept me properly entertained through several deployments and I'm excited that there are more to come. Some others that I've read or am reading include: The Dark Tower, A Song of Ice and Fire, WoT, The Sword of Truth, and Ender's Saga. When I'm not reading I enjoy playing MMO's, and just recently got back into EQ2. I've enjoyed lurking on the website for a while now and decided its time I joined the conversation.

[Original Loric]

Just finished The Crippled God after a mammoth catch-up in fantasy literature spanning two years including The Wheel of Time and the Erikson 10...Read the first of the Esslemont books and just starting the second. Will then start the George R Martin books after Christmas. I have to confess that the genre has moved on so far in the last twenty years that I am in awe. I gave up years ago having read Tolkien, Feist, Brooks, Donaldson, Weis & Hickman etc, switching to Historical Fiction and Iggulden, Gemmell, Harris, Manfredi etc. The Malazan books challenge convention (although I admit that I never read the Glen Cook books that Erikson mentions) in a manner the genre desperately needed. Sanderson 's first law suggests that 'An author's ability to solve conflict with magic is DIRECTLY PROPORTIONAL to how well the reader understands said magic.' The sheer complexity and detail provided in the establishment of the magical systems in the Malazan books was certainly a hugely engaging narrative device for me. In addition, the use of convergences clearly resonates with any role player who has experienced those fantastic final, climatic battles, which evolve from years of game time. After the hammering AD&D and other role-playing games received from the right-wing media in the 80s & 90s, it is very refreshing to see the evidence of collaborative creative synergy and the intelligence of players from that era. I have always maintained that if schools embraced games of this nature, then perhaps many more boys in particular would remain creatively engaged in the educational system.

[JLV]

Welcome Sasdagger, Zeuhl, and Original Loric!

As to Glen Cook, OL, he's quite a good read. I've only read the Black Company books, and they're fantastic. Not as well written as Erikson and other authors in prose, but very engaging and completely outside the norm for Fantasy books. I'd recommend picking up the first Omnibus to see if you like it!

[Original Loric]

Will add to my Amazon wish list and hope someone takes pity on me. Thanks for the recommendation.

[Grimjazz]

Hi, I just started the Malazan series. Was putting it off for some time as there were many other large series that I was currently reading. But I have now started it and am halfway through GotM and I'm really loving it. Its a nice feeling when you start a new series and you know there's loads more books to come from it. I look forward to reading the series and joining in the debates on these forums.

[JLV]

If you're loving Gardens of the Moon, you're in for a treat in the next two books. A lot of people struggle with GotM, but fall in love with DG and MoI.

Glad to have ya!

[Darth Detlef]

Hi

I just started reading MBotF in german (I`m from Austria. Not Australia - we`re the ones without the kangaroos...) a year ago and loved it, then switched to reading it in english about halfway through the series, loved it even more, and then discoverd this awesome site, and now i´m totally stunned by all the detail I missed in my first read. Anyway, I`m planning on starting my first re-read in a week or so and really looking forward to it. I`m also planning to join some off the interresting discussions on this board, altough I have to hope that you will forgive me if my english is a little bit..... rough sometimes, as i am not a native speaker.

[Bozworth]

Hello. I started the series a couple of days ago and, despite all the terrible things I had been led to expect, the first hundred or so pages of GoTM aren't putting me off one bit at all. Following along quite well, I'd say... As much as could be expected, anyways. So hopefully that is a good sign for things to come. I probably won't be terribly active on the forum until I knock out a couple of books, but it seemed prudent to go ahead and set up an account, since I'm likely in it for the long haul.

This post has been edited by Bozworth: 13 December 2011 - 06:25 AM

[zachariahas]

Hello All. I wouldn't even know where to begin to talk about my love of this work. There are too many great things to say and I haven't read enough of these threads to know whats been talked about to death I will say that I discovered Gardens of the Moon about four years ago by accident, trolling through a used book store. I was lucky it was by chance the first of the series (Oppon's push perhaps?) and fell in love with it immediately. I have read the series, reread the series and read some of my favorite ones three to four times. I particularly love to read Karsa's backstory as he is by far my favorite character in a series full of favorites. I would like to mention one thing that probably isn't discussed a whole lot. I read alot, many genre's and classics and pulitzer winner's, and I must say that Erickson is very impressive. The scope and ambition is amazing, making Tolkienn look timid. His capture of humanity's bleak obsession with war is perfection. His grasp on so many characters at a deep level is astonishing. Having said all that, what impresses me most is the dynamic between Tehol and Bugg. Here is an amazing contrast to not only the rest of his writing, but the writing of virtually any other fantasy writer. They are such an accomplished comedic aspect I would almost think someone else writes them for Erickson, because their conversations are such a total departure from everything else written here. I love them, and I can't stress that enough. Finally, I would say the most incredible thing about this epic series is that it represents only HALF of the imagined characters and world they've designed, and that is awesome. I hope Esselmont gets himself going, I have read Night of Knives but it didn't satisfy the curiosity for the one unexplained character that I want to know about.........Skinner! But hey, its a start.

p.s. why am I obsessed with Skinner? Not only does he sound like an epic badass with a Karsa-esque attitude, but it also happens to be my real last name! I must know more!

[JLV]

If your name is Zachariahas Skinner, you should probably go enlist in secret agent training, like, now.

Oh, and welcome!

[magnu]

Hi folks. It yook a while for me to get into the series when they first came out I read the blurb on the back of DG and thought Oh dear another forumulaic ultimate evil threatens ya da ya da ya da read it all so many times before. It wasn't until I was pretty desperate for reading material one day I decided to give GOTM a try and wow what a revalation, been hooked ever scince and am now into book 2 of Stonewielder

[Torrent of the Awl]

Greetings. I am new here.
Braven Tooth says I am assigned to this squad. He kicked me when I thanked him. Strange man.

I am Torrent because we never surrendered. We stood and fought. But we are all gone now...all but me...last warrior of the Awl. And lately I'm not too sure about me.

Sorry - I'll shut it. But you know how it is. These Tales we carry now- these heart aches and losses that SE has burned into our souls.
It changes you.

I approach the fire cautiously my squad mates, Because I must. Those beans are burnt by the way.
I have walked your forum pages and read your words and am gaining a deeper understanding of the books from your thoughts and analysis. I thank you. My wife has never walked the holy sands of Raraku, but you have. So it is appropriate we get together and talk about what we just experienced. I know you have, my new squad mates. And so we share something.

i will go hunt rabbits now.

[Tattersail_]

Hi new guys, welcome! Hope to see you around posting a bit on the forum. Maybe you'll discover Mafia in the games section. Maybe you'll like other aspects of the site too. Welcome!!!!

[Azathmaster]

Torrent that sounded oddly like Steven Erikson himself. Nice job.
Welcome too

[Starling]

Hi guys! Thought I would introduce myself here, even though I have already made a few posts. Quick question, is it helpful to join a group? PEN has been recommended to me.

[King Lear]

Damn poaching PENs

Groups are just for fun, more or less, but they're also a good way to meet people who are on forum

[Azathmaster]

We don't poach we just eagerly search and recruit the newest noobs

[worry]

PEN does require a tithe of your annual pre-tax income though for some reason.

[JLV]

We also require a tithe of YOUR SOUL!