Steven Erikson, Midnight Tides
Bantam (2004) ISBN: 0-593-04628-5
Score: 5
Book 5 of the Malazan Tale of the Fallen (though it doesn't actually include any Malazans). It takes place at the same time as Gardens of the Moon, but on a continent not shown in the other books and only two major characters overlap (Trull Sengar and the Crippled God). The plot concerns an escalating conflict between the newly unified Tiste Edur (shadow elves) tribes and the capitalistic human kingdom of Letheras, and includes lots of ambition, greed, secrets, and betrayal on both sides. I'd reccommend this as a starting point for the series since it's much more straight forward than GotM.
Bantam (2004) ISBN: 0-593-04628-5
Score: 5
Book 5 of the Malazan Tale of the Fallen (though it doesn't actually include any Malazans). It takes place at the same time as Gardens of the Moon, but on a continent not shown in the other books and only two major characters overlap (Trull Sengar and the Crippled God). The plot concerns an escalating conflict between the newly unified Tiste Edur (shadow elves) tribes and the capitalistic human kingdom of Letheras, and includes lots of ambition, greed, secrets, and betrayal on both sides. I'd reccommend this as a starting point for the series since it's much more straight forward than GotM.