[Lenny]

Actually, out of the four I've read so far, Memories of Ice is fighting for third/fourth place with Gardens of the Moon in terms of best liked... and it's getting pummelled.

Deadhouse Gates is my favourite - Coltaine (and Bult) and Duiker are two of my most favouritest characters in the wholest, widest Malazan series.
House of Chains comes in a close second because of the Shattered Warren in the first third, and because we follow the Fourteenth Army for part of the last two thirds (I like following the Malazan armies).
Gardens of the Moon is looking to be third, because I absolutely loved Darujhistan.
And Memories of Ice, although epic, with some brilliant battles and an amazing ending (particularly when we see a zombie in the epilogue. "YESYESYESYESYES!!" I would have screamed, if it hadn't had been four in the morning), is trudging along in fourth place... though it still stands head, shoulders, and three bodies over most of the other fantasy I've read.

I might be too early to predict where MT will come, but I'm thinking it might manage to displace GotM and sneak in at third. Which will then be displaced by Bonehunters, I reckon.

But yes, it was terribly daunting to pick it up and see that everything is new.