[Surlyfanboy]

I'm a new reader to this series. I thought about a chapter by chapter first read. Maybe you guys could correct my mistakes.( only stuff I should know at that point)

Prologue

The prologue starts with a description of Mock's hold(sp?) in Malaz city. This guy, Ganoes Paran is standing on some walls and watching a revolt in Mouse Quarter. So the magic users are causing troble because magic was forbidden. Ganoes's father is a trader, but also a noble. Interesting idea as I haven't seen it in any other fantasy series. I guess that they have a proffesional army. After that a bridgeburner comes in. Bridgeburners? What do they do(Don't answer that)? Burn bridges? Probably they are the cityguard, but why this particular name? Okay, tis unnnamed guy has a very interesting view of being a soldier. Why did he enter the army? I agree with him but I fear Ganoes won't listen. Anyways, another soldier enters and they talk about Surly, the leader of the Claws. Another special type of soldiers? She changes her name is Laseen, which means Thronemaster. So, she wants to become Empress, even if she already had all the powers. I wonder what madness convinced the Emperor to give her the power. Anyways, she hates magic, doesn't she? I guess she manages to became Empress as it states that this is the last year in Kellanved's reign. I guess Ganoes will remember this day.

[Griff Edur]

Hi Surlyfanboy,

Good your starting the series, you will find the first book confusing, but stick at it, it's more than worth it.

Unfortunately, your asking questions that get revealed as the book (series) goes on, or are left for you to make up your own mind ... 'Why did he enter the army?' - Who knows, why does anyone do anything?

What I can tell you is that the 'Bridgeburner's' are definitely not the city guard, however, telling you who they actually are would detract from you learning about them along the way.

Your best bet is to read the whole book then check out the 'Gardens of the Moon' forums after for anything your unsure (which will be alot) about.

There will be much you don't understand after the first book, but the further you get along the clearer it becomes, though, it isn't till the last few books really that the puzzle is really understood. Even then a re-read will be required to fully grasp the series, but that richness and depth is what makes this series fantastic.

Enjoy Sir

[JLV]

Despite all of what Griff Edur said, you should continue doing these as long as you feel up to it. I found it incredibly interesting and sometimes funny to read the thoughts of a first time reader of the series. I'd love for you to do this for every chapter, but that's probably too much.

Either way, welcome to the forum and to the series! Glad to have you.

[Sinisdar Toste]

well, i at least enjoyed the off-the-cuff feel of it. i second the motion to continue. this style makes it real easy to know where he's at in the series, and avoid spoilers.

This post has been edited by Sinisdar Toste: 09 January 2012 - 03:48 AM

[Hocknose]

The TOR.com re-read maybe helpful for you

http://www.tor.com/f...d-of-the-fallen

It has a first time reader and a 2nd time reader with breakdowns of every chapter!!

[Surlyfanboy]

Chapter one

This chapter stars with Sorry and Rigga standing on the roadside. Rigga, a really wicked witch, starts talking nonsense and attacks the fishergirl. Don't know why they were waiting for the army to pass. Then Rigga starts talking about a link and shadows and a lord or something. She dies from a wound cause by one of the two guys who approached. Apparently they were standing on the other roadside. One would think that the road is really wide or maybe it was night or foggy because Sorry hadn't seen them. Cotillion and Ammanas talk about stuff that I will probably understand later. But still they appear to hate th Empire and the Empress.
They unleash some hounds that attack the army and the village. It's interesting that they have no casualties. Or maybe the corpses dissapeared. Cottilion does something to Sorry. Then the POV switches. I don't mind it but maybe they could have left some space. A captain who has fought in some previous wars talks with Surly's lefthand. I refuse to use Lassen because Surly sounds so cool. Anyways, they investigate what happened. Lorn sees an officer walking through the corpses. It is revealed that he is Ganoes from the prologue. Apparently he didn't follow that piece of advise. He is one of the first nobles in the army. This is really interesting because the Paran family is not an exception. Lorn demands that he will be her assistant. Not a good idea I tell you. After some talk the Pov switches. Now we see how Sorry enrolls in the army, more specificaly on Impire's navy. She travelled a long distance in a short time. Maybe through a warren. Ganoes inspects the village and he sees some pigeons. He concludes that they killed the inhabitants. I really don't understand his logic but.. Topper approaches and they talk. Apparently he is really keen on manners. Topper is now the second leader of the Claws because Surly is still the leader. Why? They trvel through the Imperial Warrens and nothing of importance happens. He enters Empress's throne room and she recognizes him. How? He was still a boy and seven years have passed. This girl sure has an excellent memory. I would need that too. Anyways he then enters Lorn's chambers. She then sends him to his family. There he sees an old guard who tells him his picture is used in the soldier's room. Apparently his father hates him. Anyways he talks to his sister who is now in charge. At 18 years? How old is this ''responsible'' father? The younger sister is in her mind too weak for this cruel world.

P.S.
I didn't ask the questions wanting you to answer them. I only ask that you guys would clarify stuff that I should know. Anyways, I chose this series only because I heard they were complicated. I don't want to understand everything.
Hocknose: really thanks for that link. I thought they were doing only a reread.

This post has been edited by Surlyfanboy: 09 January 2012 - 12:57 PM

[Surlyfanboy]

Chapter two

Stuff really becomes more interesting, but also complicated.

Tattersail remembers the Siege of Pale while standing in the middle of the corpses. She is approached by the Bridgeburners who apparently are a special force whitin the imperial army. Surly is really stupid because she doesn't use the properly. Even if she doesn't like them she could use them to atack another city. I bet this will happen whit the last of the free cities Darujhistan. Whiskeyjack's troop has survived miraculously the destroying of the tunnels. A complete waste in my opinion to use one of your best troops to dig tunnels. Anyways this girl Sorry apparently isn't in the navy. I made this mistake because in my translated work it says navy not marines. Fortunately they only translated the first so I will stick to the English version. But it was much cheaper. I kinda like this guy Tayschrenn even if he talks like a pussy. He seems like a political genius. This guy Dujek seems pretty full of energy for his age. 79 years? All this people are so old. The idea of a floating fortress sounds really cool. The fight is confusing as hell and three mages(IIRC) die. I don't know if Harlock is one of those. This massacre really degenarates and Tayschreen is suspected to have betrayed. For what reason? He doesn't seem like a loyalist of the old emperor.Ben transfers Harlock's soul in a puppet. A creepy puppet. He asks Tat to see some thing in the cards. The spinning coin doesn't tell anything to me. Should it tell? The plot becomes even more complicated. I love this book so much.

[Abyss]

JLV, on 09 January 2012 - 12:44 AM, said:

Despite all of what Griff Edur said, you should continue doing these as long as you feel up to it. I found it incredibly interesting and sometimes funny to read the thoughts of a first time reader of the series. I'd love for you to do this for every chapter, but that's probably too much.

Either way, welcome to the forum and to the series! Glad to have you.

Sinisdar Toste, on 09 January 2012 - 03:47 AM, said:

well, i at least enjoyed the off-the-cuff feel of it. i second the motion to continue. this style makes it real easy to know where he's at in the series, and avoid spoilers.

Thirded! Welcome and keep going!

Surlyfanboy, on 10 January 2012 - 06:22 PM, said:

Chapter two

Stuff really becomes more interesting, but also complicated.

... I kinda like this guy Tayschrenn even if he talks like a pussy. He seems like a political genius. This guy Dujek seems pretty full of energy for his age. 79 years? All this people are so old.

LOL!

Quote

... I love this book so much.

Oh, you'll fit right in...

[Garak]

Looking forward to following this for however long you want to post like this. Welcome to the awesomeness.

[Surlyfanboy]

Chapter three

Ganoes is on a boat. I comletly give up to figure out how Topper found him. Because the magic is so misterious. I sounds intersering that every charater knows more than the reader. So he must find Sorry. I think the Impire has a really nice Intelligence Network. I guess that is the role of the Claw: assassins and spies for the Empress. Now is Wiskeyjack that Bridgburner from the prologue? His attitude is the same. Probably he wouldn't like that a green boy is now their leader. Paran travels on a Quorl to Pale. All this happened some month before the second chapter? Next there is a scene that seems completly useless. Probably it will be very important in MoI or after. Then the Bridgeburners discuss stuff. Same here. Tat plays the deck for Tay. Anways the second is the Virgin from the death house. Does this relate to Hood? Tat recognizes Sorry in that description. Are you sure she is a virgin. I'm pretty sure she raped some soldier or civilian from Pale. Then the rope. Because it seemed familiar I looked at the Glosary and I discovered he is in fact Cotilion. Again the spinning coin. Now I think it is something with Oppon. Why? It suggests luck things and other related stuff. Then is the rope who seems like Cotillion or Ammanas. Ganoes finally arrives and talks to some soldiers. They advise him to leave but no he cannot. Then he is killed by a hound and we see Cotillion and Ammanas discussing. They seem to have a personal grudge against Surly even if they don't appear to be Loyalists or something.

[Surlyfanboy]

Chapter four

This chapter starts with a poem by Toc the Young. This author I remember. He is born in 1141 so now he is 22 years old and an agent of the Claw. Tat starts talking with the BB about well.. everything. So apparently they know about Sorry. How did they collect all that information? I thought that Lorn wanted to hide it? They make Tat join them in their quest with no apparent end. Something about fighting. Why don't they flee? Their logic sounds
extreme to assume all that, but is all correct I think. Okay then Paran gets resurected by Oppon. I guess they want to enter the game. They don't seem like nice people, but definetly more pleasant than Cot or Ama. Then some chaos of Pov. I like it but maybe not so frequently. We see some stuff about the Quorls. And then a hound attacks Harlock when he is travelling through the Warrens. I don't know what is he searching, but I think I will discover when I know some more about the magic. Another interesting point. Really complicated as nobody explains it. This is good fantasy. Anyways Paran discovers some new powers given by Oppon( I think) and he kills the hound.

And now book 1 is complete.

This post has been edited by Surlyfanboy: 11 January 2012 - 08:52 PM

[Hust]

You probably found this book confusing with all sorts of things you didn't understand.

I found this book really confusing when I first read it but still thought it was brilliant.

The next book in the series Deadhouse Gates does not feature many of the GotM characters and is a different story arc, will probably not answer too many questions but when you get to Memories of Ice (awesome book) you start to get some answers and wanting to know more.

Enjoy the read you won't be disappointed.

[Harvester]

Abyss, on 10 January 2012 - 08:13 PM, said:

Surlyfanboy, on 10 January 2012 - 06:22 PM, said:

Chapter two

Stuff really becomes more interesting, but also complicated.

... I kinda like this guy Tayschrenn even if he talks like a pussy. He seems like a political genius. This guy Dujek seems pretty full of energy for his age. 79 years? All this people are so old.

LOL!

LOL²

Man, this is so cool, keep posting please!

[Surlyfanboy]

Chapter five

Okay I don't recognize any character in this chapter. Probably because it's the second book. Maybe there is a new et of characters i every book. This chapter begins with Kruppe's dream. Presuambly he is a sorceror(Sp?), althought not a brilliant one. He is very arrogant, but talking about himself at third person is really annoying. He is carefully manipulated, probably by the gods( maybe Oppon). This supposition is made because I think the spinning coin is a simbol of luck. Not sure about the gifts. Maybe they are similar to the hounds.This scene is followed by a roof chase. Why didn't Crokus try to seduce that girl? Probably fail but most teens would take the risk. Anyways I didn't like that SE didn't decribe the girl. Only a bit. The idea of a guild of assassins seems used, but maybe in 1996(IIRC) was new. I like that the fight betwen Talo and Crokus is described through both POVs. Where do these hunters come from? They semmed to me like the Bridgeburners but after reading the next chapter I realized the timeline would make it impossible. After looking for hints, I guess that maybe they come from the floating fortress.

[Sinisdar Toste]

this is just awesome

[Surlyfanboy]

Chapter six
So we start with Crone. In this chapter I really like image of the floating fortess that couldn't be contacted. I guess that Crokus's uncle is one who is ruling the strings in Darujhistan. The Circle guy is working for the Eel. I guess we already know at least one of them. The Simtal lady talkes with Lim and he dies assassinated by Rallick. I don't know the reason. Apparently he has a grudge against Simtal and he wants her to feel hunted. This doesn't work. Orr comes at Baruk and he wants to surrender the city to the Empire. Many assassins died this night. This Rake guy seems really cool and completly self-interested. I don't know if he will ally with them. After that is a conversasion at the inn where everyone is hiding something except maybe Crokus.

[Black Winged Lord]

You're doing pretty good so far.

It was about here that I put the book down after a couple good days reading. Slapped myself in the face a few times. Then started again from the prologue and took about 3 times as long to read through each paragraph.

Probably a bit of a wasted effort, as more than a half dozen rereads in and I'm still picking things up.

[Surlyfanboy]

I actually finished the book and I won't continue this read

[worry]

HAHA!

[Surlyfanboy]

Sorry, but I couldn't stop reading