Gardens of the Moon

First off, don't be swayed by the "work" of reading this novel that some people use as an excuse to avoid it. The first section (about 150 pages or so) is written "in medias res" -- a Latin term meaning "in the the midst of the plot", which is to say that there is no introduction, exposition, or explanation of setting for the reader to grasp onto that is usual practice in literature. Hence the confusion and even frustration some people will experience when starting the book.

Just keep going and things will fall into place. I promise. Any fantasy reader is doing themselves a major injustice if they do not read the book for that reason.

This is a classic of fantasy and Erikson really immerses you into his expertly drawn world-building. It is fully deserving of being spoken in the same breath as Lord of the Rings, A Song of Ice and Fire, The Stormlight Archive, and The Wheel of Time to name a few other enduring fantasy series.

Don't let it slip away.