This book was weird, because it was very good book, but I did not like reading it.

Deadhouse Gates was both darker and more dense then Gardens of the Moon, making it's sequel a chore to read. I felt like I could only read Deadhouse Gates in small chunks, as reading more than that was overwhelming, both mentally and emotionally.

Malazan is puzzle you the reader need to put together, but half of the pieces are blank, and you don't have the picture on the box to help you out. Around 3/4ths of the way in, things start to click, but the picture isn't clear until you are done with the book and have reflected on things. I suspect that things will only become understandable on a reread of the series.