What is the name of the first novel in Steven Erikson's 'Malazan Book of the Fallen' series?

The first novel in Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen series is Gardens of the Moon. It was first published in 1999 and introduces the sprawling world, magic systems, empires, and competing powers that define the series.

The novel centers on the Malazan Empire's campaign on the continent of Genabackis, particularly its efforts to capture the city of Darujhistan. The story also involves the besieged city of Pale, the Bridgeburners, the assassin Kalam, the soldier Whiskeyjack, and Anomander Rake, leader of the Tiste Andii. Its large cast and deliberate refusal to explain every element immediately are central to its distinctive style.

Erikson and Ian Cameron Esslemont originally developed the Malazan world in the 1980s as a setting for tabletop role-playing games. They later adapted it for a film script, but when that project failed to attract interest, Erikson reworked Gardens of the Moon into a novel during the early 1990s.

The next book is Deadhouse Gates, followed by Memories of Ice. House of Chains appears later as the fourth main-series novel, so it is not the opener.