Gardens of the Moon (Malazan Book of the Fallen Book 1) by Steven Erikson

Empress Laseen has betrayed the previous Emperor and seized power. She has turned the empire into a war machine conquering city after city with non-stop recruiting. But she is gathering powerful enemies like Shadowthrone (ruler of the Warren of Shadow) and Anomander Rake (Lord of Moon’s Spawn, Son of Darkness and Knight of Darkness) at this time she decides to wipe out some of her best regiments and mages because they were loyal to the previous Emperor almost forcing them to rebel. Captain Ganoes Paran who works for the Adjunct to the Empress is given command of the Bridgeburners to hunt a soldier possessed by the god of assassins. Events do not go as planned and as the Bridgeburners are sent on a mission they are not meant to return from he finds his loyalties strained.

I am unsure of my opinion about this book the story really interests me and challenges you to solve the mysteries of a lot of the characters motives. But large parts of the book can be tedious to read. I will carry on reading the series because I need to know how the story will end but unless it improves it will not be a series I await the next book desperately.