Beginning with Gardens of the Moon, readers will either hate my stuff or love it. There’s no in-between. Naturally, I’d rather everybody loved it, but I understand why this will never be the case. These are not lazy books. You can’t float through, you just can’t. Even more problematic, the first novel begins halfway through a seeming marathon–you either hit the ground running and stay on your feet or you’re toast.
–Steven Erikson, Gardens of the Moon preface (xii), 2007
An interesting article up at Tor.com for those who are Malazan fans and those who aren't:Gardens of the Moon and ?Difficult? Fantasy: Advice to First-Time Readers | Tor.com