Hobb may be the only author that's actually left me feeling profoundly sad (Nighteyes!).Hobb's Realm of the Elderlings is my personal favorite, her character writing is truly incredible and the settings are varied and well thought out. The hardest part is recommending where to start, Liveship Traders or Assassins Apprentice.
I have tried twice to get through the first Malazan book and haven't found the dedication yet. Reading that you have it above Hobb has me feeling a bit more motivated to try again, though hockey season is usually when I slow down my reading.
Gardens of the Moon (the 1st Malazan) I still feel like that book can be skipped if you just can't get through it. It's my least favorite and although there are some recurring characters, I just don't think it's that important to the overall story. The next books are way better in my opinion.
That's the problem with these series, definitely a commitment to get through.I decided that I was done until the series was complete. I just haven't gotten around to starting over and going start to finish. It'll be what 160-180 hours of complete them all?