Gardens of the Moon is the first book in the 10-book epic fantasy series, Malazan Book of the Fallen. Although the series does not tell a linear, chronological narrative across books, Gardens of the Moon introduces key themes and conflicts that are developed throughout the series. The series explores themes relating to tyranny, the effects of war, and human nature. Each of the novels in the series takes place on different continents and at different times, with each novel following the arc of several principal characters. The main characters in Gardens of the Moon are not the main characters in the subsequent novels, although the events in this first novel have impacts that are felt throughout the series. Taken as a whole, the series tells a sweeping story of a world torn apart by generations of conflict.

As the series title implies, the novels in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series are structured as records of past wars. The chapters and parts in each novel open with fragments of poetry or conversations from the history of the world. The novels all feature multiple characters’ points of view, in a similar structure to Gardens of the Moon.