Wow. Just amazing. What a delight this book was. So many lovable characters all jammed into this one book! I have to say, Deadhouse Gates was waaay better than Gardens on the Moon! 
 The book has only a few characters that continue their story from where book 1 left it. We get to see the familiar faces of Crokus, Fiddler, Apsalar and Kalam as they make their way back to Malazan territory. Fiddler and Kalam are stand out characters! Just like book 1, they are complicated and at times a bit bugging when they don't do the obvious things! But then a few chapters later you realize why they didn't. 
 My absolute favorite characters in this book were Coltaine, Duiker and Felisin. Coltaine as a Wickan Fist of Malazan was an absolute gem of a military commander. Utterly ruthless and yet fair and just. Captain Lull, Corporal List, Heboric, Baudin, Stormy, Gesler...well I could keep on going and not reach the end of the list of amazing characters. I applaud Steven Erikson at the complex characters he has written in a single book. 
 On the other hand, you have High Fist Pormqual, the Donald Trump of the Malazan Empire. I'm yet to learn how he managed to become a High Fist, being the kind of person he is. Hopefully some of the future books can explain. Maybe (view spoiler)[he can be resurrected so that he can be killed again and again for being THIS stupid in the books. I was gutted when Coltaine died because of Pormqual being too much of a goddamn coward! T_T (hide spoiler)] 
 I think the weakest characters in this book were Icarium, Mappo and Crokus. Icarium and Mappo are such a strong duo and what the book kept hinting throughout about Icarium was never really delivered. Though, this being Malazan my friends keep telling me that sometimes the rewards come a few books later. I can wait. Crokus was also pretty much a side character for this book. After playing a crucial role last book, he was basically benched. 
 Well enough with the review. After finishing book 2, I immediately started on book 3 and it is even bigger than book 2! Need to pick up the reading pace! 
 5/5 for being an awesome epic fantasy book with characters that have depth and a world that feels alive!