Product Description
Millions of readers have discovered the magic of David Eddings’ New York Times bestselling series The Belgariad. Now the first three books in this monumental epic appear in a single volume. Here, long-time fans can rediscover the wonder—and the uninitiated can embark upon a thrilling new journey of fantasy and adventure.

It all begins with the theft of the Orb that for so long protected the West from an evil god. As long as the Orb was at Riva, the prophecy went, its people would be safe from this corrupting power. Garion, a simple farm boy, is familiar with the legend of the Orb, but skeptical in matters of magic. Until, through a twist of fate, he learns not only that the story of the Orb is true, but that he must set out on a quest of unparalleled magic and danger to help recover it. For Garion is a child of destiny, and fate itself is leading him far from his home, sweeping him irrevocably toward a distant tower—and a cataclysmic confrontation with a master of the darkest magic. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (171)

THE sword and sorcery series
Possibly my favorite series in my high school years, to me, this is the epitome of sword and sorcery.

I did always feel that the main downside of this is that there doesn't seem to be a single, truly likable female character in this series.Powerful or headstrong, yes, likable, no.

For all the lousy movies Hollywood comes out with, why haven't they made a movie of this yet???You know Sean Connery is Belgarath, right?A new star could be born with Belgarion.Come on!

Glad this is such a long series
In short, I'm happy this is such a long series.Why I like this series:fun/interesting characters, gods, magic, war, heroes.

Considering the reputation...
...I'm not terribly impressed, to be honest.Oh, don't get me wrong, Eddings spins a good yarn, and I enjoyed the Belgariad, but I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.I kept thinking "surely it can't be this obvious.He's not actually going to play this as straight as it looks.Got to be a twist in here somewhere..."

Well, no, actually.The series proceeds pretty much exactly as you expect it will after reading the prologue and chapter one.Which means that anyone with half a brain will have figured out every revelation and plot point long before they occur, and the only real pleasure is in seeing them played out.It's like watching a movie as an adult that you already saw as a child: you know the main points of what's going to occur, and just stick around for whatever entertainment is found in the details.

In fairness, the details can be entertaining.Eddings has a charming, folksy style, and his characters (while a bit shallow) are generally at least amusing as they bounce off one another.I laughed out loud at some of the things Aunt Pol said, and the depiction of the genial kings, Silk the sly thief, and the Mandorallen the stereotype Arthurian knight are always fun.Even Belgarath, for all that he's channeling a heck of a lot of Gandalf, has an amusing personality all his own.While it's true that none of these characters, Garion included, feels as though they might truly surprise the reader, there's a certain enjoyment in just watching them.They're like reminiscences about a bunch of kindly characters met a long time ago: the company never fails to feel good-hearted and easy-going.

The flip side of the coin is that, once again, this isn't helping the suspense at all.There's no real instance of two characters being at odds (at least none that Aunt Pol can't fix with a motherly tongue-lashing).None of the characters are threatening or spine-tingling.None of them ever makes you wonder about their motives, and NO ONE ever moves too far from that sort of aw-shucks-we're-all-good-fellas-here attitude that seems to sustain them as a group.

I suppose the word for this series is charming.It really is.If we put aside the fact that Eddings as a writer is so damn likable and his characters are so cute, it becomes fairly clear that The Belgariad is just a lesser son of greater parents (i.e. Lord of the Rings, Lord of the Rings, and let's not forget...Lord of the Rings), much like the Shannara series.It's also, as I said above, almost unbelievably predictable.

Fortunately, Eddings IS a likable author, his character ARE cute, and so despite its flaws this story ends up being a fun, if not particularly riveting, diversion.

As a final note, this seems, after the manner of the Drizzt or Shannara books, like a good introduction to epic fantasy for younger kids, say the 10-14 range.If possible, get them into the Hobbit first, but the Belgariad would make a solid (and nonthreatening) stepping stone between "kid's fantasy" and "adult fantasy".

One word: EPIC
This series is amazing. My favorite fantasy series ever. Quick and easy to read, but very deep on a philosophical and creative level. If you liked Lord of the Rings this is definitely worth reading. I enjoyed this more than Lord of the Rings since it appeared to be more straight forward and down to earth than LotR. Highly recommended.

Still a Series that's a blast to re-read
Every couple of summers I enjoy the chance to make the Belgariad my reading material for a week or two.The characters are still just as endearing, the dialog is still written just as wittily, and the pace moves just as fast - every time!Eddings did a great job at not trying to be too serious, at understanding the need to stick to a main plot line, and to really love his characters as he wrote them.Don't pass up a chance to come to know this series! ... Read more

Product Description
In an adventurous sequel to THE MALLOREAN, David Eddings tells the story of King Garion's abducted infant son and his efforts to save him. Unfortunately, he and his friends are detained by the friendly, but determined Zakath, who refuses to let them leave. As a horde of demons ravage the Cities and a plague lets loose its terrors, Garion has little time left to reach his destination, or the kidnapper wins by default.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (27)

Another David Eddings Book
You know, after reading these series of David Eddings, i have to ask myself....What was the reason for all this anyway? If youw ant great Sci Fi read David Gerrold's War on the Chorter series

good read
Many people think David Eddings is overly formulaic which he is a bit but since I enjoy the tale he tells I do not mind reading it over again.His characters always have great humor at their core and you can't beat a good epic tale for entertainment value.This particular book is one of my favorites by him.

Discovering another complex character.
This is the third book in the Malloreon (after Guardians of the West and King of the Murgos, and berfore Sorceress of Darshiva and Seeress of Kell).

The first half of the book takes place in the immense Mallorean capital Mal Zeth, where Garion, Ce'Nedra, Belgarath and Polgara, Durnik, Toth, Silk and Velvet, Sadi and Eriond are spending spring as reluctant guests in the imperial palace, trying to convince Kal Zakath to let them leave again on their quest.

In the second half, after finally managing to escape with the help of Silk's associate Yarblek, the Nadrak merchant, Vella and a voluble juggler named Feldegast, our heroes make for Ashaba where, according to Cyradis the seeress, they might catch up with Zandramas.

What I enjoyed the most in this volume was discovering, alongside Garion, Kal Zakath's complex and as it turned out, even friendly personality. In the same vein as with Urgit, the Murgo king, I liked finding out that there was more to him than met the eye. I hope to see more of them both before the end.

just plain fun!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.The characters, while not as complex as I would have wanted, are fun.By this point (after reading Belgariad and the first 2 books of the Mallorean)you know all the characters well and can sit back and enjoy the dialogue.That, to me, is what this is all about. The characters don't get very much closer to the end of their epic fantasy quest, but who cares?This book is not so much plot-driven as character driven.I love the character of (Kal) Zakath, and have always liked Belgarath, Polgara, Silk, and especially Beldin. As another reviewer said, reading this is like spending time with friends.You enjoy the wit, and don't really worry about exactly what is going on.

Great story!!!
I like David Eddings anyway, so the second half of the Belgariad was a must read for me.You join all your favorite characters from the Belgariad on a second meeting of the Child of Light and the Child of Dark.This time it will be the last meeting.If you like fantasy, this is a great read.Check out Eddings other books too. ... Read more

Product Description
A sequel to THE BELGARIAD, Garion has slain the evil God Torak, and fulfilled the prophecy. But suddenly another prophecy is foretold. Again a great evil is brewing in the East. And again Garion finds himself caught between two ancient Prophecies, with the fate of the world resting on him....
... Read more

Customer Reviews (84)

and so it begins
Good start to a good series.This story clearly is a reprise of the first series but since I enjoyed it the first red I also enjoyed it when it was recycled around again.Even though the characters are older the story still rings true and is a fun read.

Dragging, then disorderly.
This is the first book in the Malloreon (before King of the Murgos, Demon Lord of Karanda, Sorceress of Darshiva, and Seeress of Kell).

In this volume we first follow Errand, Polgara and Durnik as they settle for a quiet life in the Vale of Aldur, doing up Poledra's cottage, Errand growing up and playing in the river, until they get news from Riva that Garion and Ce'Nedra barely speak to each other anymore. This can't go on, so they travel to the Isle of the Wind to put an end to the King and Queen of the West's squabble.

One evening, the Orb glows red instead of blue. The Voice of the Prophecy warns Errand and Garion to "Beware Zandramas!", and that there'll be yet another meeting between the Childs of Light and Dark. Garion needs to start looking for explanations and answers in the codices.

Meanwhile, the Alorns are getting impatient for an heir to the Rivan throne. With the help of her Dryad cousins, at long last Ce'Nedra becomes pregnant. But this baby is also a threat to some people's ambitions, and Geran soon becomes the target of numerous attacks.

I found the beginning of this second pentalogy, with its drawn-out accounts of day-to-day life in both the Vale and Riva, rather tedious and slow to get going. In contrast, the end comprises so many rash, inordinate assaults all over the place and so many twists, that instead of relishing some long-awaited action, I was overwhelmed by it and lost interest. The last chapters thankfully heralded the real outset of Garion and his companions' new quest, let's hope it gets more read-worthy, and more focused.

Love Eddings
For people who enjoy reading for the purpose of getting into the story. The books written by David Eddings' are for people who get attached to characters and love to immerse themselves in reading. To me his books are like coming home for a visit.

If you want to read simply to get to the finish line---Eddings is not for you.

The Saga Continues .. Or perhaps begins again.
Possible spoilers ahead

This book (and series) is the center of a lot of controversy among fantasy fans. The main issue hinges on whether this is a new and fresh series or if it's repetitious drek. The answer to this daunting question is... yes.

The problem here is that most people (I feel) don't get what Edding was trying to do here. In my reviews for the Belgariad books I said that these books resemble nothing so much as a fantasy Sitcom, or if not a sitcom, at least some kind of serialized TV. If you've ever watched a TV program in your life you will realize that ideas are recycled constantly, that's one of the reasons I picked a sitcom to compare it to. The fun comes not out of the plot but the characters' reactions to the plot and character is what Eddings does best.

Furthermore, Eddings made way for a second series in the Belgariad's last book by giving us ample signs. We met 'Zakath for the first time in the last quarter of the book for instance. There were also tantalizing hints as to Errand's identity. Enchanter's Endgame was clearly not meant to be the end of the story.

As to the repetition of ideas and settings and such, it should be said that even the characters are aware of the cyclical universe they are in more than (or just as much as) the reader is. They begin a conversation in this book that lasts through the whole series about things repeating. This awareness on the part of the characters adds a layer of what might be called metafiction, Not too much of course, this isn't Dhalgren or anything, but it's interesting that it's there.

As an individual book Guardians of the West has been criticised for its slow pacing. Those that close this book for that reason are missing out on an interesting concept. Think about this: We have Garion, the Godslayer, Lord of the West and all around megahero. We have followed him from birth to the killing of a god. Then we just leave him there.

I like the fact that we get to see this world in a state that we see very few fantasy worlds in: Peace. We get to see how the kingdom runs when there isn't a universe-ending crisis happening. This aspect of the novel hit me when my 10 year old cousin asked me what Darth Vader and the Emperor did in their spare time. I didn't even know how to answer that. That made me start thinking about whether fantasy worlds could actually function as a society during peace time or just fall apart. Now there IS a threat about in the land but it takes several years to manifest so we get a chance to stretch our legs a bit.

There is also the matter of Errand, he's going to become very important so we have to spend time with him and get to know him since, ut until now, hs's only said the word "Errand". While Errand is living with Polgara and Durnik in the vale Eddings gets to write more on one of his favorite themes which is family.

In short, read this book when you have time to take a book in at a leisurely pace. I will say that there's a bit too much Polgara and a bit too much C'Nedra in this book. I've said before that Eddings has trouble writing female characters and it stands out in this book a bit more than usual but that's my only criticism of the book.

Enjoy

guardians of the west (the malloreon, book 1)
I have found that you can't go wrong, when you read David
Ennings. I was caught up in the story from page 1. I just could not put it down, and when I finished I could not wait too read
the next book. ... Read more

Product Description
Discover the magic of The Malloreon–David Eddings’s acclaimed series, the sequel to his bestselling The Belgariad. Now the first three Malloreon books appear in a single volume, taking us on an epic quest across strange lands among gods, kings, sorcerers, and ordinary men. It is a gripping tale of two ancient warring destinies fighting a battle of good against evil.

Garion has slain the evil God Torak and is now the King of Riva. The prophecy has been fulfilled–or so it seems. For there is a dire warning, as a great evil brews in the East. Now Garion once again finds himself with the fate of the world resting on his shoulders. When Garion’s infant son is kidnapped by Zandramas, the Child of Dark, a great quest begins to rescue the child. Among those on the dangerous mission are Garion and his wife, Queen Ce’Nedra, and the immortal Belgarath the Sorcerer and his daughter, Polgara. They must make their way through the foul swamps of Nyissa, then into the lands of the Murgos. Along the way, they will face grave dangers–captivity, a horde of demons, a fatal plague–while Zandramas plots to use Garion’s son in a chilling ritual that will make the Dark Prophecy supreme. . . ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

THE sword and sorcery series
Great follow up series to the Belgariad which, possibly, was my favorite series in my high school years, to me, this is the epitome of sword and sorcery.

While the first series was great for being first, I actually liked this one better because Garion was less of a helpless, clueless dupe and more of a superpower. Shazam!

suspenseful fantasy sometimes, ultimately tedious
Eddings is (with wife Leigh..are?) a terrific fantasy writer. He creates sprawling epics that maintain their page-turning intensity and characters that are interesting. He does that here, too, at times, but there are disquieting aspects to this sequel to the Belgariad. It is very fine at times, but it is not as good as the original, The Belgariad. In part, that is simply because the sequel runs into what sequels usually run into--the sense of excitement coming from a new discovery is gone and can't be recaptured. But in addition, Eddings goes out of his way here to recreate the first series--the heroes have a similar goal in mind and the plot is more or less the same. Even that's not enough for him, evidently--not only is the plot more or less the same, Eddings even goes so far as to introduce a plot device that has certain events from the Belgariad deliberately repeated (the characters even explicitly discuss fate recreating past events along the way). This makes the Malloreum sometimes seem like a cheap rehash, particularly given that the basic plot is identical to the Belgariad, with a few extra cherries on top. Second, the tight knit band of heroes becomes a little tiresome now. Eddings goes to the well too often with the repetitive interplay between the characters. It is as if the same joke is repeated over and again. It was funny the first time we met Beldin. It is not as funny the 50th time he insults Belgarath, or Velvet takes the wind out of Silk's sails, or Silk pretends to take offense when someone uses a candid word (like "swindle"), or Vella reaches once more for her daggers at some slight. Enough! By the end of the series, actually, well before that, the characters are simply caricatures. Third, this band of sorcerers (and others) consists of most of the most powerful sorcerers in the world. As a group, they arguably have more power than anyone else. Yet, they let themselves be taken prisoner (by Atesca, for instance) and slink along like helpless derelicts hiding from cops. Eddings tries to explain this by various rationalizations because he wants and needs the quest to meander along. Ok, so they're afraid the Grolims will "hear" the use of their power, etc. I suppose I can live with that little evasion--it just grates a little that so many people with such vast power never actually seem to use much of it to accomplish their goals. There are no vast magical battles. They might as well be a band of simple soldiers at times. Finally, the series starts out far better than it proceeds. The first two books are best, when anticipation and some hope of freshness remain. By book 4, it is tedious as a series and that book rambled on. If you haven't begun to wonder yet how there can possibly be any real choice to make between Dark and Light, you should. But Eddings never really explains it, relying only on a very quick, very cursory rationalization at the end in Book 5. Indeed, in book 5, we never really come to understand what basis Cyradis has to make the choice. If it is confusing that there is actually some great debate about whether dark or light should win, we never really learn what criteria exist, other than the crisis of the moment, to make the choice, or why it couldn't be done more simply and earlier. It all seems rather contrived. The Prophecy seems to be little more than a contrivance to take away free will and justify Eddings in rambling along for five books. By book 5, I mostly just wanted it to end. I would give a better rating to Books 1 and 2; Book 3 is average; Book 4 is poor and Book 5 only slightly better than Book 4. Perhaps some editing and condensing this into a trilogy would have helped a lot. The ending of the series (ignoring the long post-climax chapters) is pretty much a microcosm of the book--there is some good tense writing as the band of heroes faces Zandramas' bag of tricks. And then it peters out into a predictable, hard-to-explain mess. All that said--this reads very well at times, particularly in the first couple of books, and if it is not as good as the Belgariad, it is something fans of the Belgariad will likely want to read.

se
I'm falling in love with a whole new author...Belgariad and Mallorean are the most intertaining books ever...I can't hardly put them down, the story just keeps evolving and growing...well written.

Old friends
Ah, the Malloreon - Belgarion and his eastern counterpart managing NOT to carve up the world.The only problem is... there ain't no more!Yet, anyway.There are the stories from the rest of his family, but no continuation.I'd still like to see how the Riven Queen manages childrearing. Maybe Pol will tell us some other day.

This particular pair of books is a nice size- the first three sets I purchased, I got the individual books, and the only thing missing is the various cover art.But for those of us who already know exactly how the characters look, it's not an unimaginable loss.

Maybe, with multiple books in one volume, they won't leave my house so fast.Maybe.

Not as good as the first series, but worth reading!
These are not as good as his first series, that being said I still think they're well worth reading. If you're just starting on your Fantasy adventure then these books are perfect for you or if you're a kid who wants a good fantasy yarn then any of Eddings's work will be enjoyable. However if you're a veteran Fantasy reader who might be expecting a series like Erikson's or Martin's then Eddings's work is not for you. While he writes well his writing is nowhere near the standard of the top writers of Fantasy, what I usually do is read Eddings after I read a top notch Fantasy, just to sort of mellow me out a bit. lol This all being said I still think Eddings's work is well worth reading for any Fantasy lover and for all ages.

The story starts a few weeks after the end of The Belgaraid, Belgaraid is just starting to settle down being King when a crisis is start, the bear cult have united behind one leader and are preparing for war. It falls to the new King of Rivan to put a stop to their fanaticism, behind the scene a new plot is being brought together, while Belgaraid is away fighting the bear cult a new dark power kidnaps his new born son Garan. Here starts the new war between light and dark, as the Rivan King and a few chosen companions race to fight this new evil, they will face fanatic Golems, demons from the very pits of her and the new possibility that a new dark God will rise. ... Read more

Product Description
Here is the epic conclusion of David Eddings’s enthralling series The Malloreon–two magnificent novels in one volume. This monumental fantasy follows the story of two age-old opposing destinies locked in a seven-thousand-year war for control of the world, its gods, and its men. Indeed the victor will determine nothing less than the fate of all creation.

Troubles mount as King Garion, Belgarath, and Polgara pursue Zandramas, the Child of Dark, across the known world. The wicked creature has abducted the King’s infant son for sinister purposes. If Garion and his companions cannot reach the Place Which Is No More, as the Seeress of Kell has warned, then Zandramas will use Garion’s son in a rite that will raise the Dark Prophecy to eternal dominion over the universe. Only the Seeress of Kell can reveal the mysterious locale, but first Garion and Polgara must fulfill an ancient prophecy in the mountain fastness of the Seers. Although Kell is closed to Zandramas, her dark magic can forcefully extract the intelligence she needs from one of Garion’s party. Setting traps and dispatching her foul minions, she is determined to claim the world for the Dark Prophecy. But Garion will let nothing stand between himself and his son. . . . ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

THE sword and sorcery series
Great follow up series to the Belgariad which, possibly, was my favorite series in my high school years, to me, this is the epitome of sword and sorcery.

While the first series was great for being first, I actually liked this one better because Garion was less of a helpless, clueless dupe and more of a superpower. Shazam!

Great series
I have shared this series with my kids and grand kids thanks for allowing this to continue

Splendid Read!
All I really need to say about this:it is a splendid read!The book was in new condition, physically.And the material within the covers is nothing short of magic!If you are just starting out in fantasy, The Belgariad and The Mallorean will make you a life-long fan.I would recommend for anyone from teens to adults.I would also recommend the seller, as I said, the book was new.

David Eddings
Over the years I've worn out the 10 paperbacks that made up the series. While I like the fact that 10 paperbacks have been compressed to 4 larger books, the pages are very thin.

A good ending to a good series.
Like with all of Eddings's work these are very good light Fantasy, I think this would be the perfect Fantasy for beginners or for kids just starting out on their Fantasy adventures. A like all of the characters in this series from Garion to Silk and even the King of the Murgos, Eddings writes his characters very well to the point were you really start to care about them and I even found myself sad when main characters were killed. All in all these works are great traditional Fantasy that is a must for any Fantasy fan to read. Also this omnibus edition of The Malloreon is great value for money.

After escaping the plague ridden city of the Malloreon Emperor, they must race to find the missing codex texts and also find the lost city of Kell. Along the way they will meet old friends and older enemies, do battle with demons and dodge assassins all the while trying to stay one step ahead of two huge armies that plan to end their quest. The fate of the world stands in the hand of the child of light!

... Read more

Product Description
Mythmakers and world builders of the first order, the Eddingses spin tales that make imaginations soar. Readers have thrilled to The Belgariad and The Malloreon, magic-filled masterworks chronicling the timeless conflict between good and evil. But with those sagas brought to their triumphant conclusions, fans were left hungry for more. Now at last the wait is over. With The Redemption of Althalus, the Eddingses have created their first-ever stand-alone epic fantasy . . .

It would be sheer folly to try to conceal the true nature of Althalus, for his flaws are the stuff of legend. He is, as all men know, a thief, a liar, an occasional murderer, an outrageous braggart, and a man devoid of even the slightest hint of honor.

Yet of all the men in the world, it is Althalus, unrepentant rogue and scoundrel, who will become the champion of humanity in its desperate struggle against the forces of an ancient god determined to return the universe to nothingness. On his way to steal The Book from the House at the End of the World, Althalus is confronted by a cat--a cat with eyes like emeralds, the voice of a woman, and the powers of a goddess.

She is Dweia, sister to The Gods and a greater thief even than Althalus. She must be: for in no time at all, she has stolen his heart. And more. She has stolen time itself. For when Althalus leaves the House at the End of the World, much wiser but not a day older than when he'd first entered it, thousands of years have gone by.

But Dweia is not the only one able to manipulate time. Her evil brother shares the power, and while Dweia has been teaching Althalus the secrets of The Book, the ancient God has been using the dark magic of his own Book to rewrite history. Yet all is not lost. But only if Althalus, still a thief at heart, can bring together a ragtag group of men, women, and children with no reason to trust him or each other.

Boldly written and brilliantly imagined, The Redemption of Althalus is an epic fantasy to be savored in the reading and returned to again and again for the wisdom, excitement, and humor that only the Eddingses can provide. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (397)

Somewhat mediocre.
I have been a fan of the Eddings' books ever since I read "Pawn of Prophecy", the first book of the Belgariad.From there I read the Mallorean and the related books, and then the Ellenium and the Tamuli.I really enjoyed all of those books, so I bought this book hoping that is would be as good.Unfortunately, it was was just so-so.I gave it 3 stars because it wasn't horrible or even bad; it just wasn't up to par with the standards of their previous books.While I dson't bemoan the time I spent reading this book, "The Redemption of Althalus", I probably won't ever read it again, unlike their other works, which I've read at least 3 times each and will read again in the future.

Wouldn't return to it
I agree with the other one- and two-star reviewers, so I won't go into detail about the plot, or lack thereof. The book lacked depth or solidity, the characters were undeveloped and their problems seemed to disappear instantaneously. The only reason I bought it was because it allegedly featured Emerald the cat. She was fine when she was a bossy little feline, but when she revealed herself as Dweia ... hmm.

I'm not a big Eddings fan at all. I've read his Sparhawk trilogy and this seemed like an even thinner, more watered-down version of it. The characters seemed so much the same. (His women are particularly annoying: cutesy goddesses/queens wear out their welcome very quickly.)

There was no real sense of peril. Everything was far too easy for the heroes. They need to get something done? Fine, just go back in time with your army, no problem. Or use a magic word. Or whatever. Froth and bubble, this one, I'm afraid.

Plot ex machina
Remember Polgara from the Belgariad (The Belgariad Set, Books 1-5: Pawn of Prophecy, Queen of Sorcery, Magician's Gambit, Castle of Wizardry, & Enchanter's End Game)?How endearing it was at first that she was just wonderful and always right about everything?And then it was cute?And then tired, then tiresome, then irritating, and finally really annoying?Well, characterization in Redemption picks up right where the Belgariad left off - it jumps straight to annoying without the intervening stages.Eddings has always been a victim of 'late Heinleinism' - a disease that causes all men to be brave and foolish, and all women to be beautiful and wise, without fail.Here, he and Ms. Eddings seems to have entered the final, 'Beyond the Sunset' phase.Admittedly, there's less group groping, but there are hints of it.

The Redemption of Althalus is an effortless novel - but only in the sense that the Eddings team clearly didn't try very hard. While it starts well, it quickly drops into a careless, sketchy style that is more focused on clever quips than on either plot or character development.In some ways, it reads like the skeleton for a trilogy or quartet, never fleshed out.Magic is used widely, without much explanation, and very much ex machina.It's extremely frustrating to never know why magic can do this with a snap of the fingers, but can't do that; why key character Dweia can see and hear this, but not that; and most irriating of all, why she knows aspects of the future in great detail, but others apparently not at all.There's little to no suspense in the book; the good guys do all the right things all the time.Once in a while there's a small setback, but there's never any question that right will win not only in the end, but at every step along the way.

By about page 500 (of 700), the going is pretty hard.By 600, it's torture (by the way, offhanded torture and cute violence are staples).But the end is in sight, so you push on, just to finish.Not worth it.

This Book is Great
This is a phenomenal book. Not since David Eddings' Belgariad/Mallorean series have I enjoyed a fantasy book this much. Plus it is in one volume, so, while hefty, it is manageable. Highly recommended for any fan of the age-old, good vs. Evil.

Horrible horrible horrible
I'm a huge fantasy fan and this has to be my biggest disappointment to date, I've never been a big Eddings follower but his books have kept me entertained. Have to agree with a previous review that it seems as if it was written by somebody else.. it's as if another person wrote it for kids learning to read/speak English, having been instructed to base it on Eddings' previous material. The dialogue is lame, lame, lame, the jokes are weak.. the magic is boring ... there is no depth, it's just so damn boring! Sorry about this rant - I would never pull someone's work apart if I never knew what they were capable of, but Eddings treats his readership like a bunch of dimwits in trying to pass this off as a serious work (No. 1 Bestseller?) - I doubt I'll ever read another one of his books, this leaves such a bad taste in my mouth, and I feel sorry for those giving it a glowing report, you need to expand your fantasy horizons a little ... Ugh. ... Read more

Product Description
Join David and Leigh Eddings on a fascinating behind-the-scenes tour of the extensive background materials they compiled before beginning the masterpiece of epic fantasy unforgettably set down in The Belgariad and The Malloreon and their two companion volumes, Belgarath the Sorcerer and Polgara the Sorceress.

Our tour stretches from the wealthy Empire of Tolnedra to the remote Isle of the Winds, from the mysterious mountains of Ulgoland to the forbidding reaches of darkest Mallorea. Along the way, you will meet old friends and enemies alike. Rare volumes will be opened to your eyes. Sacred holy books in which you may read the secrets of the Gods themselves and of their prophets. Scholarly histories of the rise and fall of empires from the Imperial Library at Tol Honeth. The profound mysteries of the Malloreon Gospels. THE RIVAN CODEX will enrich your understanding of all that has gone before . . . and whet your appetite for more spectacular adventures from this talented team.Amazon.com Review
So you want to write a multivolume, bestselling epic fantasy?Here's the book to help you. The Rivan Codex was published toanswer the many letters David and Leigh Eddings have received fromstudents, teachers, and aspiring writers.It's a companion to the12-book fantasy series comprised of The Belgariad (five books), TheMalloreon (five books), Belgarath theSorcerer and Polgara theSorceress. In David Eddings's words, The Rivan Codex"may give the student of our genre some insights into the creativeprocess--something on the order of 'connect wire A to wire B.Warning!Do not connect wire A to wire C, because that will cause thewhole thing to blow up in your face."This is a collection of thegroundwork David and Leigh Eddings laid for the Belgariad andMalloreon series.On this firm foundation they imagined and builttheir world in book after book.

There's a fascinating introduction, a personal history of Belgaraththe sorcerer, Holy Books, Gospels, Histories, King Anheg's diary, andan afterword.Footnotes tell how the authors used and changed thesematerials in writing the books.And of course, there are plenty ofmaps (the starting point for all epic fantasies). --Nona Vero ... Read more

Customer Reviews (61)

Interesting but won't turn you into a writer
This book is interesting, but reading it won't suddenly enable you to write fantasy novels.It basically says, "you have to do alot of work," and I agree.It does give a good example of producing background information for fantasy novels, and I expect that will be of some use to me.I would have benefited just as much from an outline of the what he did as from having his actual work though.

By the way, his introduction about going to the stories that inspired Tolkien for inspiration has nothing to do with the rest of the text.The rest of the text is not about using those stories to develop plotlines.It's about his personal fantasy world.I bought this book because the introduction lead me to believe that it would be about gaining inspiration from other stories and doing the kind of organizational work that is required to assemble a story.It's more like a hodge podge of his notes, but it may be somewhat instructive in an inefficient fashion.

If you're just looking for information about the world behind the Belgeriad, it might be what you're looking for.

Disgraceful pretension
I've read Eddings' fiction, including that stupid book with the talking cat, and do not see how he presumes to sneer down his nose at Tolkien, or to make such grand sweeping claims about his own work. The man's ego is out of control and far out of proportion to the standards of his work. His breed of fantasy is the equivalent of male romance novels, writing to the same formula over and over. It's clear he believes he writes 'literature', yet will break the process down to a bunch of admitted stereotype/cliches: you need a quest, a hero, a bad guy, and an object of power, and that's that.

Eddings' work has taken a dive, no doubt in lockstep with the rising belief of his own 'genius'. That's the problem of kissing an author's backside too much: he starts to think no work is required in his writing, nor any innovation. Certainly Eddings could not be accused of innovation in any case - his work is pretty much identical to an army of fantasy writers to follow Tolkien, only, arguably, his work is a deal worse.

Want an insight to the mind and processes of a hack? That's what you're buying.

Understand what you are buying
I read through most of the reviews for this book, and I think that there is a very common theme among the negative reviews:they didn't know what they were buying.This book wasn't written to tell a story.It wasn't written as a prequel or followup on the books of the Belgariad or the Malloreon.This book was largely written before any of those books were written, because this book is the background of the stories in the Belgariad and Malloreon.I think that a lot of people bought this book with the impression that it was all-new material from the worlds that we already knew.

This is a wonderful behind-the-scenes look at a fantasy world that many of us have enjoyed over the years.As such, a lot of the information presented in this book is already present in the Malloreon and Belgariad.But the point of this book is that there is a great deal of development that goes on before you begin writing an epic fantasy like this.You literally have to create the world before you can create the book.Eddings spent a couple of years developing the characters and the backstory of his books, and this is that backstory.If you buy this book for what it is, you will probably enjoy it immensely.If you buy this book looking for a new story you *will* be disappointed.

An unfortunate case of Ego
As much as I enjoy the majority of David Eddings' story, a man who can only write one plotline with the same characters undergoing variation should not presume to tell anyone how to write a story.I am not disparaging the repeated retellings; I enjoy them (except Polgara) and I am buying the newest series in hardback.The fact of the matter is Eddings is not really an author; he's a storyteller.He's perfected one story and has become very good at retelling that one story in different ways.The fact that he presumes to laud himself and instruct others in their writing in his introduction has placed him squarely in the list of people whose product I love but would never wish to meet in person.The rest of the book is, frankly, boring.The piecemeal references to the various prophecies found in the book are more instructive, and mesh better with Eddings' own description of the personality of the Prophecy *anyway*.While not as self-indulgent as some such works can be, this book is not worth buying, unless you are trying to mine the world for fanfiction or a roleplaying game.

Excellent Final Book
This was the perfect cap to the book series. It let you see into the mind of the author, as well as how each Kingdom and character was developed. Other than the Mallorean Gospels (which bored me to tears), I couldn't put it down! Great book! ... Read more

Product Description
Somewhere beyond the farthest pole of the world, the land of Dhrall lies anchored by the will of four powerful Gods. Able to bend reality to their whims and influence the lives of mortal men, these deities are still bound by the laws of nature and cannot take lives. Yet the Gods are not the only power. For in the center of Dhrall lives a voracious horror known as the Vlagh. A nightmare made flesh, the Vlagh has bred a massive army of hideous monsters to overrun the world. In the coming battles the people of Dhrall will be aided by a ragtag force of foreign mercenaries and pirates, but the true champions of the war will be four enigmatic children known as the Dreamers. Raised by the Gods themselves, these children can alter the fabric of reality. But, unlike the Elder Gods, the Dreamers do not hesitate to kill...Amazon.com Review
David and Leigh Eddings introduce readers to their newly minted Land of Dhrall with The Elder Gods, the first book in the four-book Dreamers Saga. Dhrall is under the gentle rule of four gods representing the four compass points. These gods are reaching the end of their terms of power when the god of the North brings four children who are destined to take over for them into his siblings' lairs. The children are dreamers and able to see the possible outcome of battles in a coming war with the evil creature that controls the wasteland at the center of Drahll's map. Thus, the gods and their young charges undertake quests to hire mercenary armies and thwart the initial invasion into their lands.

The book unfolds like a children's primer. This pedantic style proves to be heavy-handed for adult readers and will quickly try their patience. If the Eddings were trying to concoct a book that would be suitable for reading aloud to fifth graders they've succeeded, but even the most die-hard fantasy fan will tire quickly of the sing-song approach and plot twists that can be sniffed out from miles away. --Jeremy Pugh ... Read more

Customer Reviews (147)

Writen only by David Eddings
This series was actually only written by David Eddings, though Leigh Eddings name is listed. David started it after Leigh had taken ill, and she had very little input in the writing of this series at all.
David himself was not a very good author, his wife having helped write all the other novels. She was the one whom created the main characters for The Belgariad series, plus all the following series. She was the real creative mind behind the stories.

Don't buy this book, get the Belgariad instead.
If you haven't read David Eddings, read the Belgariad The Belgariad, Vol. 1 (Books 1-3) and The Belgariad, Vol. 2 (Books 4 & 5). They are excellent. If you read those and liked them, please please don't start this series. It looks like someone else took a fairly interesting 1-page outline and padded it to 400 pages. It's not the worst book I ever read: That would be volume 2 of this same series, which is worse. Whole paragraphs are cut and pasted. I recycled these books rather than put them on the bookshelf at work for somebody else to read. Supposedly volumes 3 and 4 are worse still, but I'm not planning to find out.

Waste of time and money!
This book, and especially this series as a whole, is a terrible waste of time and money.After managing to plod through all four books, hoping somehow they would get better, I just found myself getting angrier and angrier that the books are as bad as they are.Normally I wouldn't have wasted my time with a series as bad as this, but unfortunately I didn't have any other books to read at the time.

You never really get drawn into the story, the plot execution is terrible, and it's eye-gougingly repetitive.Every event is told from 3 or 4 different people's perspective making you just want to scream because you already know exactly what will happen and who cares if this character thinks slightly different thoughts about the outcome!All four books could have easily been condensed into 1 book without losing any content of the story - that's how repetitive it is.

I strongly urge anyone considering buying this book or this series to think again and find another book that looks interesting.Don't waste your time and money on this!

The worst series he's ever written
I've never before been so disappointed with a familiar author's work. I've read all but two of the books that Eddings wrote before this set, and every one of them is still on my shelves so that I can curl up with them again and settle down for what I know will be an exquisitely enjoyable read. Not this set. This set is going in the recycle bin. I won't even take them to the used book store to foist off on some other unsuspecting soul.

The Belgariad is a grand adventure with all the right elements: a mythic tale; well-developed characters, each with a unique personality; intrigue and spying; sorcery; witty dialog; excellent plot development with every element revealed at its proper time. The Dreamers was 4 books that told the same basic story over each time; characters from 4 continents and 7 different cultures who are barely differentiated and even use the same odd turn of phrase; dialog that repeats several times from the viewpoints of different characters who were in the same conversation -- once an entire paragraph was reused verbatim 2 pages later with only one sentence added; and one of the most rudimentary plot lines I've ever encountered: gather the troops, build some forts, worry about how we are going to kill the enemy, fight some, talk a lot, have an unknown god take care of everything for us. I've seen better in fanzines.

I read all 4 volumes of The Dreamers like someone watching a train wreck. I kept hoping it would get better, but it does not. I agree with so many of the other reviews. Was it ghost written? Eddings would have been over 70 when this started to come out. Maybe he's done writing. Was there no editor? If there was, he or she ought to be fired. Did Eddings need money and get paid by the word? I've never before, in 50 years of reading fantasy & science fiction, encountered a series that felt so utterly padded and inflated in ways that were of no value to the story. Did Leigh Eddings write this series? I certainly don't see David's deft story handling and phrasing here.

If this is your first experience with Eddings, I so *very* strongly urge you to go read the Belgariad, the Mallorean, the Elenium, and the Tamuli. They are all orders of magnitude better that this dreck.

Personally, I've already started to re-read the Belgariad to wipe the "taste" of this horrible mess out of my mind.

This series is horrible, "wouldn't you say?"
What a disappointing series!I've always been a huge Eddings fan.The Belgariad, Mallorean, Tamuli, and Elenium are some of my all time favorite series of books.The Dreamers on the other hand...horrible...I find it hard to believe Eddings wrote this nonsense.

The story had a decent basis to start with, but fell flat quickly.There was never any flow to the story, because once an event took place, that event was re-told from another character's viewpoint.Now this may have been ok if it would have added something to the story, but it never did.It just seemed a simple regurgitation of events to fill out the pages.Even how the "end" of the Vlagh happened, was told twice..from the same viewpoint.Still scratching my head over that.

I think the most irritating thing about this series though, was the very frequent repetition of phrases used by the characters.I'm sure in the 4 books, the phrase "wouldn't you say?" was used 200 times(if not more)....heck, sometimes you'd see it 2-3 on a single page!I also lost count how many times a character covered their mouth with a hand to conceal a grin.

Save yourself time and money.Here's how the 4 books all play out:

1) Bugs attack 2)Outlanders create breastworks and forts. 3) Blah blah blah for 300 pages. 4)One of the gods finishes off the bug army.

Wash, rinse, repeat.
... Read more

Product Description
Now for the first time in one thrilling volume–the three magical novels that make up David Eddings’s epic fantasy The Elenium.

In an ancient kingdom, the legacy of one royal family hangs in the balance, and the fate of a queen–and her empire–lies on the shoulders of one knight.

Sparhawk, Knight and Queen’s Champion, has returned to Elenia after ten years of exile, only to find young Queen Ehlana trapped in a crystalline cocoon. The enchantments of the sorceress Sephrenia have kept the queen alive–but the spell is fading. In the meantime, Elenia is ruled by a prince regent, the puppet of the tyrannical Annias, who vows to seize power over all the land.

Now Sparhawk must find the legendary Bhelliom, a sapphire that holds the key to Ehlana’s cure. Sparhawk and his companions will face monstrous foes and evil creatures on their journey, but even greater dangers lie in wait: for dark legions will stop at nothing to reach the radiant stone, which may possess powers too deadly for any mortal to bear. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Love! Love! Love The Elenium!!!!
In The Elenium, David Eddings has created a cast of characters that make you fall in love with them -- you care about what happens to them and hate when the book is over! I've reread The Elenium and The Tamuli so many times, I've worn out two sets of books!

An Exciting Read
I've read both the Belgariad and the Mallorean, as well as Polgara and Belgarath and loved them all...I've since reread them many times.I always liked Eddings' humor, characters and convoluted politics.
The Elenium lives up to all these expectations.It has the humor, the great characters and some truly awesome conspiracy/political moments.Who would have thought political manuevering could be so exciting?!
A great read, though I felt the second half of the third book of the trilogy dragged a bit.

Great story, mediocre book...
Most of the other reviewers have discussed the pros and cons of these three books pretty well, so I'll just say that I loved this trilogy, and leave it at that.

What I *do* want to focus on in this review, however, is the quality of this actual book itself.I originally ordered this book because I thought it would make a nice, compact way to replace my original set of these books (two mass-market paperbacks and one hardcover).However, when I received it, I was disappointed to find that the book's quality of construction fell short of my expectations.

I found that the paper used for each page is a little on the thin side (not as much as some bibles I've seen, but something along those lines), and the cover itself isn't terribly stiff either.Furthermore, the type on the pages is quite densely packed, which takes some getting used to.

None of this matters if you're going to be sitting at home reading this on the couch, but if you were planning to throw this book in a bag for a day at the beach/lake, think again -- it's a little delicate for that kind of rugged use.

Now, I'll freely admit that my expectations may have been slightly out-of-whack, but I have purchased trade paperbacks before (e.g. Neil Stephenson's Cryptonomicon), and been very happy, so I'm not COMPLETELY off-base here.I'll also admit that the publisher may have had to make some compromises into order to squash three full books into a single volume, but I wonder if they REALLY had to cut as many corners as they did.

I'm going to give this review five stars, because I don't want people to judge the book by it's cover (nyuk-nyuk-nyuk), but it would be fair to say that this is a five-star story in a three-star book.If you're looking to consolidate your library, maybe try looking for an eBook version instead.

Wonderful book(s)!
I have loved this series since I first read it.I was so sad to find out Mr. Eddings had passed away. :-(I was a little worried about the 3-in-1, but it is well bound.

Sparhawk is a wonderful character that slaps aside the stereotypical "Oh he works for the church so he must be a crazy fanatic."Mr. Eddings obviously did his homework.I heartily recommend that everyone picks up the sequel trilogy "The Tamuli".

Elenium
I enjoyed this book, like every David Eddings book, because of the descriptive way he writes - it's like seeing the pictures as you read. (I love the maps.)I also enjoy the vast number of characters that are part of the story and how clearly and deeply they are created and developed. Once again - I was hooked and couldn't get on with my regular life until I finished reading it. ... Read more

Product Description
The epic trilogy by two "New York Times" bestselling authors concludes. Aracia, sister of the goddess Zelana ("The Elder Gods"), and Veltan ("The Treasured One") have ignored the prophecy of The Dreamers. Now their ignorance may bring about the destruction of Dhrall. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (43)

Crystal Gorge
This book was in excellent condition and I was able to donate it to the local library to finish their set of this series.I was impressed with the price and the condition.Thank you

The book was in good shape. I only wanted it for reading purposes.
David and Leigh Eddings are excellent authors. I've read the Belgariad series and the Elenium series. The Dreamers is also excellent.

great book
This is the third in a series of 4 books by David & Leigh Eddings.I had books 1, 2 & 4 so of course needed this one to complete the set.The entire series (The Dreamers) is an excellent, well written series.

The Crystal Gorge
The book was everything it was suppose to be. I was very happy with it.

Great Series
David and Leigh Eddings are great writers.This series is filled with unexpected delights.Where does their imagination come from?A great book to be followed by the rest of the series.
Have always loved the Eddings books. ... Read more

Product Description
David Eddings’ acclaimed series, The Belgariad, reaches its stunning conclusion in these final two gripping novels. Continue on this magnificent journey and be entranced by a saga of strange lands and peoples, of prophecy and strife set against the background of a seven-thousand-year war of men, Kings, and Gods.

The quest may be nearing its end, but the danger continues. After discovering a shocking secret about himself he never could have imagined—all in pursuit of the legendary Orb—Garion and his fellow adventurers must escape a crumbling enemy fortress and flee across a vast desert filled with ruthless soldiers whose only aim is to destroy them. But even when the quest is complete, Garion’s destiny is far from fulfilled. For the evil God Torak is about to awaken and seek dominion. Somehow, Garion has to face the God, to kill or be killed. On the outcome of this dread duel rests the future of the world. But how can one man destroy an immortal God?

“Fabulous . . . Eddings has a marvelous storyteller style . . . exceedingly well portrayed and complex people. . . . More! More! More!”
—ANNE MCCAFFREY
... Read more

Customer Reviews (51)

THE sword and sorcery series
Possibly my favorite series in my high school years, to me, this is the epitome of sword and sorcery.

I did always feel that the main downside of this is that there doesn't seem to be a single, truly likable female character in this series.Powerful or headstrong, yes, likable, no.

EPIC
This is a great continuation of the series. The character development and mythology in this series is remarkable. Like I said in my review of volume 1, I much prefer this series to Lord of the Rings. This is a must read for any fan of the fantasy genre and should also be read by people looking for something imaginative to read. Don't take my word though, read it and judge for yourself.

Amazing story
This is by far one of the best fantasy series I have ever read.I never wanted it to end, but couldn't read it fast enough at the same time.

They are Wonderful
Thank you so much, both books arrived together, in perfect condition, in just a few days. They are a gift for my Loving Hubby for his Birthday. He has searched for them endlessly, every where, but here.

Growing legs
Well, here I go again, purchasing ANOTHER set of the Belgariad.I'll remember the speed at which these books leave my house the next time I think it's a good idea to teach kids to read.

The size of this particular book is great - light and flexible enough to hold, tall enough to rate a full spot in the bookshelves.The only drawback is missing the originals' cover art, but I know what the characters look like already.

I hope Amazon keeps these in stock - the story just doesn't stick around my household very long. ... Read more

Product Description
Sparhawk, Pandion Knight, and Queen's Champion have returned to Elenia after ten years of exile, only to find young Queen Ehlanda trapped in a block of ensorcelled crystal. As Sparhawk sets out to find a cure for Ehlana, he discovers that only he can defeat the evil plots that threaten her rule....
... Read more

Customer Reviews (96)

Not a bad read.
First off: I wish this was available for Kindle.

An exiled knight returns after 10 years to find his queen deathly ill and encased in magic stone in order to prolong her life. He sets out on a highly political and violent quest to rout out who is behind her mysterious illness and thwart those people that would want to usurp her throne.

I enjoyed this book. It wasn't earth-shattering, but it was a fun read. It was also a fast-read. I made it through it's 435 pages in 6 hours or so.
What enjoyed the most would be some of the quotes. Eddings made sure the main characters were constantly bickering and bantering back and forth, throwing out jabs and one liners at each other. This kept the story light and I found myself laughing out loud (quite literally) at least a dozen times during the read of this book.

He also had some deep entrenching religions in his world that ultimately believed in the same gods, but different aspects of the gods, much like we do now. This led to some interesting relationships among some of the characters. The constant proselytizing by one of the religions did get a little old, but religion is integral to the storyline, and I'm hoping the reasons why will be fleshed out later.

I had a rough time with the names. There must have been at least 7o different names (people as well as places) to keep track of all within it's pages. This got confusing. I ended up concentrating on the core group of adventurers and glossed over details of who they were speaking to.

It still left me not fully understanding the intricacies of the dialogue. I followed the conversations while they were happening and by the time we came back to the same character later in the book I had no mental connection to their previous conversations. This made for some confusing conversations later on in the book when the author did not introduce the character, instead relying on me having kept up with his myriad of names.

I liked that traveling took some time. One does not simply hop on a horse and by the end of the day be at another town on the other side of the country. They travelled for days, sometimes weeks to get around. Much of this was sped up with a couple vignettes during stops to describe the heros as they worked their way across the land. Because of the speed-up during traveling I lost sense of time. The entire book takes place over the course of quite a few months but I didn't feel like it really did. It felt more like a couple weeks.
As I neared the end of the book I wondered how they were going to wrap up the entire storyline that quickly, and they ultimately did not. This book was written as part of a trilogy and while plenty happens in the book, nothing really is resolved by the end and the hero is given the knowledge that will launch into the next two books.

Overall I had fun reading it. It was fast-paced, witty, and engaging. The multitude of characters that came in and out of the story made for a confusing read and the disappointing ending to this book made for a bit of a let-down. I would recommend it if you are committed to reading the rest of the trilogy, which I am currently working on now.

For Audiobook Listeners
I suggest that you pass on the audible download and try the written book itself.

I enjoyed both the Belgariad and Mallorean series, but the reader of the first book of Elenium uses a method that detracts from the story.Usually professional audiobook readers add to a novel, by the way they interpret the character voices and do vocal adjustments that heighten the mood and keep you enthralled while the story progresses.

The reader of the Elenium series uses p-r-e-c-i-s-e enunciation, provides no realistic vocal adjustments to help you keep the characters separate, and has vocal mannerisms that keep intruding into the story. I've listened to many, many audiobooks and like in every other profession, some readers are masters while others fall into the range of good through gosh awful.

I'm on the first book of Elenium and it's a chore to keep listening.I might just try reading the book, as I can't really make a fair assessment of the novel itself on the audible version.

Sparhawk is Back
The Diamond Throne (1989) is the first fantasy novel of the Elenium series.At the dawn of time, a dwarfed and misshaped Troll named Ghwerig dwelt in a cavern beneath the perpetual snows of northern Thalesia.This ugly creature spent decades creating the Bhelliom, a sapphire blue gem in the shape of a rose, and infusing it with the power of the Troll-Gods.

Then the Younger Goddess Aphrael of Styricum stole the rings that controlled its power.Later the hero Adian of Thalesia stole the Bhelliom itself and incorporated it into the Thalesian crown.But this crown was lost over five hundred years ago.

In this novel, Sparhawk returns to Cimmura after ten long years of exile in Rendor.He almost gets a chance to dispose of Krager, but is interrupted by a courtier, who gains himself a case of the boils by his yapping.Eventually Sparhawk reaches the inn run by the Pandion Knights, leaves Faran in the hands of the knight porter, and is admitted into his room by the eldest -- and maybe the last -- Pandion squire.

Sparhawk inherited the responsibility for Kurik from his father. The Pandion Preceptor, Vanion, questions whether he should let the squire retire to his farm and family, but Sparhawk is very reluctant to bring up the subject with Kurik for fear of hurt feelings.Besides, Kurik has been keeping Sparhawk alive for a good long while and intends to keep doing it for the foreseeable future.

While removing his watersoaked clothing, Kurik briefs Sparhawk on the latest news.He tells Sparhawk of the illness that befell Queen Ehlana and the magic that keeps her alive, yet trapped upon the throne within a diamond casement.He also brings Sparhawk up to date on the machinations of the Cimmuran Primate Annias and Prince Regent Lycheas.

The next morning Sparhawk attends court and quickly establishes his justification for returning from exile.Since he is the hereditary court champion, the queen is obviously in danger, and he has a signed and sealed order from the queen to return to Cimmura, all objections are crushed handily.Naturally, his enemies still want to get rid of him.

In this story, the Elene Church is nearing a crisis point, for the Archprelate is old, senile and unwell.Primate Annias now has control of the Cimmuran court treasury and is buying all available votes in the Hierocracy that will soon elect the next Archprelate.Obviously he has aspirations for that position.

Annias is the power behind the throne of Prince Lycheas, a whining, ineffectual fool.Annias has hired Martel -- an expelled PandionKnight -- to neutralize the Church Knights while he is making his bid for the Archprelature.Martel has tried several times to kill Sparhawk and will try again.Martel also has other plans to keep the Knights busy.

Sparhawk confers with Vanion and Sephrenia -- the Pandion instructor in Styric secrets -- and learns more about Ehlana's illness and the time limits on the magic.They decide that he should travel to Borrata to consult with the medical faculty at the university.Sephrenia will accompany him to describe the symptoms and they also will take Flute, a young Styric girl who does not speak.However, Flute can accomplish amazing thing with her panpipes.

This story differs from the Belgariad/Malloreon series in at least one respect:Sparhawk is a tough character who hides his noble feeling beneath a rough exterior.He is much like his horse Faran, who delights in biting his handlers.In fact, Sparhawk and Faran seem to be able to read each other's mind;naturally, that is impossible, but still . . .

Highly recommended for Eddings fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of working knights, sardonic friends and high magic.

-Arthur W. Jordin

OVERALL SCORE: (A-/B+)
The Diamond Throne (Book 1 of the Elenium)

OVERALL SCORE: (A-/B+)
READABILITY: (A-), PLOT: (B+), CHARATERS: (A), DIALOGUE: (B-), SETTING: (A+), ACTION/COMBAT: (B-), MONSTERS/ANTAGONISTS: (A-), ROMANCE: (C+), SEX: (Light), AGE LEVEL: (PG13)

This is a very entertaining fantasy story, by one of the best fantasy writers of today, while it may not be quite as good as his "Belgariad" or "Malloreon" series, it comes close.

The main character is Sparhawk, a militant knight, who is erasable and direct, (kind of like John Wayne playing a paladin). He and a group of Church Knights, his squire, a young thief, and a styric mystic, embark on a just to save the beautiful young queen, who has been poisoned by the evil Prelate. God's get involved and things get complex for poor SparHawk!

CONS:
Some of the characters actions aren't logical. They are very quick to kill minor character without much provocation, but major ones they let live when they should kill.

Too simple
With a book that's 400+ pages, you would think that there would be some depth to the plot of 'Diamond Throne'.But no - it's just 'go out and find this thing'.The villains in the book are too simple.They hatch the simplest plots, which are always intercepted or reasoned out within a matter of pages.And the reader sees the villains' schemes a mile away, though it usually takes a room full of characters to reason them out in the book.And those plots usually get thwarted in a page or so.All ambushes are easily seen or defeated.I expected some grand fight, a large battle, or a complex task that had the hero doing different tasks that led to a cure in the end.However, in this book, all he does is go from one place to another asking the same question - 'do you have the cure?'Also, every good guy in this book wants to kill Annais, and they have proof that he gave the poison to Ehlana, but nobody actually kills him or brings him to trial.If Eddings wanted to keep Annias around for the next book, he should have come up with a good, reasonable way for Annias to escape justice.Instead we get a token excuse for not killing him, which seems like it was almost put in there as an afterthought.By comparison, the part in the end with the meeting of Sparhawk and Martel is much better, as the reason for not fighting is a good one.
The reason I gave it even 2 stars is that Eddings does do a good job in describing the scene.There is adaquate detail in his book to make the reader feel he/she is there. ... Read more

Product Description
New York Times bestselling authors David and Leigh Eddings, creators of such grand fantasy epics as The Belgariad and The Malloreon, continue the national bestselling saga of The Dreamers with an epic new novel of gods and mortals who must defy the dark forces that would destroy them all... Flush from their narrow victory over the horrific Vlagh, Longbow and his companions are drawn to a pastoral territory in south Dhrall, confident that they will thwart the next assault by their inhuman foe. But on the border of the Wasteland, the Vlagh is breeding a monstrous new army of venomous bat-bugs and armored spiders. These grotesque legions threaten to overwhelm the allies, who are further shocked by a prophecy delivered by the Dreamers: an invasion by a new, second army. A force of armed acolytes approaches to plunder this unspoiled land in a global holy war. Now farmers and hunters, soldiers and madmen, mortals and gods-all charge to a battle that will decide the fate of the world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (42)

He must have just needed money
....because Eddings probably just should have't written this book. There isn't enough stuff in it to make one book, much less a series. The plot is haphazard, un-exciting, and the characters all blend into each other as essentially a rehash of his characters from other books. If you like Eddings, skip this series and at least retain a good image of the author.

Groundhog Day - Absurdity without Humor
Book 1 (The Elder Gods) left me with enough interest to read more in the series. That has now been vanquished.

Book Two repeats itself over and over again as the author introduces each new character. Did the editor, publisher, or anyone at Warner Books bother to read the manuscript?

Hundreds of pages go by and the story crawls forward (like a snail, on Valium, traveling through molasses...). I kept reading, hoping against hope, that plot would gain some energy. It didn't.

When the key moment of the listless battle finally arrives, an 'unknown' godintervenes and creates a natural disaster that exterminates all the invading critters sent from Vlagh (along with some greedy church folk). The first book ended the same way. Yawn.

And according to all the experts in the story the Vlagh has now been permanently blocked from ever attacking those two regions again. That leaves the Vlagh with only two options left for expansion, the North and the East -- the domain of the remaining two gods.

What will the family of 4 gods do now?
1) They will keep the mercenary armies together. Please ignore the fact that the Trogs and Maags have a long history of robbing and killing each other. Amazing, all of that history is lost when some gold is waved under their noses.
2) New armies will be added to the mix adding even more paper thin characters to the story.
3) The battle lines will be drawn... the pivotal moment will arrive and I assume... a "natural disaster" will bring the battle to end.

Book 2 of the Dreamers is more like Book 1.5
David and Leigh Edding's second book of the Dreamers series, The Treasured One, will be better known as book 1.5 rather than book 2.Easily, two-thirds of the book goes back to the events in book one, The Elder Gods, but through different characters perspectives.

Much like the first book of the series, there is a lot of backtracking to help develop and introduce characters into the story.Normally, this would be perfectly fine.In this book, though, it is not.Readers will probably not want to spend nearly 300 or more pages reading about the previous book in the series.There is simply too much going over the events of the first war that took place in book one.If you are patient and are able to trudge through this boring large segment of the second book, then you will be happy to know that things do pick up and get interesting again.

The last small portion of The Treasured One brings out the second war with man against the man-bugs.Some of the newer creatures which the Vlagh conjures up are particularly interesting, but not completely original--you could think of a few other stories where similar enemies exist.Most readers will want more detailed action sequences of the war as the battle scenes are cut rather short and things seems to end the exact way as the war did in the first book.

Unfortunately, the bad outweighs the good in this second book of the Dreamers series.It's still an interesting story, but it looks like with a little editing, this four book series could be cut down to three, if not two, books.Hopefully, the rest of the series (two more books) will pick up and get better.

Just not the same...
Like many of those providing comments, I have been a follower of the Eddings books from the start.The Belgariad and Malloreon series were books that were hard to put down, even reading them for a second time.

All of the "cute" banter between characters that used to be amusing is now just irritating.And the multiple viewpoints from different characters allow the plot to progress extremely slowly.

This series continues to be disappointing, which seemed to start with the Redemption of Althalus.What I have noticed is that there just doesn't seem to be any sense of danger in these books...Something that makes you keep reading to find out how the "good guys" will get out of an impossible situation.Good always seems to have the upper hand and there's never any doubt that they'll come out ahead.If even the slightest advantage seems to come to the other side, "something" will happen to completely erase that within a few pages.None of the main characters get into any kind of trouble, the battles seem to be mentioned as an afterthought...Just hearing "This war might end up being easier than we thought" for the tenth time doesn't provide any kind of concern about the outcome.Any time a new enemy appears, someone will instantly discover a brilliant way to keep them away and they'll be a non-factor for the rest of the book.

It is still an okay story, but just doesn't compare to the previous books and gets drawn out much further than it needs to be. I may read the rest of the series, probably just because I've gotten this far already.I'd suggest waiting until they hit the bargain bin, where I coincidentally found the first two books.Hard to say, but maybe the authors are just getting too old to put an exciting story together...

Nothing New Here
This book continues another Eddings series that is eerily like all his others. You have to wonder if Eddings has had an original idea for characters and storyline since The Belgariad. How many times do we have to have the same bantering dialogue with the same or similar characters? How many times do we have to have cute child god/goddesses who want to be hugged and kissed? How many times do we have to methodically plod from country to country on a mythical continent with the same group of characters spouting the same old tired dialogues?
I have read every Eddings series (Belgariad, Malloreon, Elenium, and Tamuli) and this one is pretty much the same. In fact, it is not even as good as those. I could barely make it through this book and I would not recommend it or this series to anyone who hasn't read those other superior series I mentioned above and is just starving for more of the same. ... Read more

Product Description
For the first time in one magical volume–the three exciting novels of David Eddings’s epic heroic fantasy THE TAMULI

Danger stalks Queen Ehlana’s realm. Peasants whisper of the heroes of old who will rise again. Outlaw bands ravage the hill country. Then comes an ambassador from the far-off Tamuli empire, requesting aid: Tamuli is being torn apart by monsters, ancient warriors, and foul magics. Queen Ehlana turns to the great knight Sparhawk, and the two begin the perilous trek to the distant empire of the east, toward a glittering court seething with corruption and treachery.
This tale of rousing adventure, glory, and betrayal is fantasy at its best, as told by one of the finest storytellers of our time.

“This tale of comradeship, dastardly doings, multiple gods, strange races and noble and ignoble humans is vintage Eddings.”
–Publishers Weekly, on The Shining Ones

“Eddings continues to reward lovers of great, sweeping fantasies with creative ingenuity in characterization, world building, and magical effects.”
–Booklist, on The Hidden City ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

fun!
I love David Eddings's books. The characters are quirky, warm, and loving and the plot is fun. The Tamuli is no exception to this. I find this series to be a lovely example of the optimism that David Eddings shows in his portrayal of the ways that people can be. The characters undoubtably have their faults, but the good guys are easy to love despite their faults and the bad guys seem more messed up then evil. I reread David Eddings's books frequently for the comfort of his writing, it is a reminder to me of all the good things about people that I sometimes forget when things are going poorly for me.

The best of Eddings I've read thus far!!!
The Tamuli is hands down my favorite of David Edding's writing thus far.I have read all of his books at this point except for "The Dreamers."
Eddings is a master of political intrigue, culture and intricate conspiracy.It makes his plots quite meandering and wide flung.However, his true, greatest strengths are his characters.He is able to give them such life and personality.I also love his humor, which is not something often found in high fantasy in general.

The Tamuli, I feel, shows Edding's writing at its best.Sparhawk and co are back to right the world once again.This time they have to literally go to the other side of the world, sounds a bit like the Mallorean...;)So plot wise it ends up being a lot of travel and cultural interaction.In Matherion, things come to a head, and Edding's political imaginings are supurbly ridiculous and fun.

In the end my favorite parts usually revolved around Danae and Sparhawk.There is a brilliant balance struck between daughter and father, goddess and man, which leads to amazing quips and, for me, many laughs.

At this point, I've only finished the first two books in the trilogy, but I'm so impressed by what I've read so far, I felt compelled to review!Will update when finished!
UPDATE:
So now I've finished.I have to say it was a very satisfying ending.If you like Edding's, this will not disappoint.I'm sad to see it end, but now I get to look forward to rereading it!

Great epic! Entertaining and fun!!
For people who like stories of knights in shining armor, this one's for you! But you should start with the first three stories: The Elenium. There you will be introduced to the great cast of characters. David Eddings created a world that is fun to visit over and over again (this is the third time I've purchased these books because I reread them so often, I've worn them out!). My only complaint is that there is no sequel to The Tamuli -- come on Mr. Eddings! Tells us what happens next!

The Tamuli - Excellent
The Belgariad, Vol. 1 (Books 1-3): Pawn of Prophecy, Queen of Sorcery, Magician's Gambit This is the first book by David Eddings that I read and enjoyed so much. Since then I have followed up with The Elenium: The Diamond Throne The Ruby Knight The Sapphire Rose and The Malloreon, Vol. 1 (Books 1-3): Guardians of the West, King of the Murgos, Demon Lord of KarandaThe Tamuli follows along seamlessly, the characters stay with you and you even care about the Trolls. There is always some fun involved as well with jesting among the warriors and the women's views on their men. Very enjoyable.

Love it
I love David Eddings and I loved The Tamuli series as well as the previous series The Elenium.

I feel this is a great sequel to the Elenium. And I love how David brought back the old characters and some new ones that are easy to fall in love with. This is a great adventure story that is a relatively easy yet enthralling read, especially for people who are just getting into fantasy stories. The Elenium and Tamuli were actually the very first books that I read on my own outside of school over 10 years ago. And I have reread them any numerous amounts of time since then.

My only issue with this copy of the Tamuli series is that, since it isnt a hardcover edition, I found it difficult to keep the covers looking nice. My poor copy got pretty bent up. I know most paper backs get beat up preatty easily, but I feel since this volume was a bit larger then an average sized book, it was harder to keep it in tact. That and something about the way I was holding it caused the clear plastic covering on the book to start to peel apart.

So if you decide to purchase this particular copy of this really good series, those are just some things to look out for. However I would definitely recommend this book to others. It is just so much fun to read and reread. ... Read more

Product Description
THE DRIVE OF PROPHECY

The quest was over. The Orb of Aldur was restored. And once again, with the crowning of Garion, there was a descendant of Riva Iron-grip to rule as Overlord of the West.

But the Prophecy was unfulfilled. In the east, the evil God Torak was about to awaken and seek dominion. Somehow, Garion had to face the God, to kill or be killed. On the outcome of that dread duel rested the destiny of the world. Now, accompanied by his grandfather, the ancient sorcerer Belgarath, Garion headed toward the City of Endless Night, where Torak awaited him.

To the south, his fiancée, the princess Ce'Nedra, led the armies of the West in a desperate effort to divert the forces of Torak's followers from the man she loved.

The Prophecy drove Garion on. But it gave no answer to the question that haunted him: How does a man kill an immortal God?

Here is the brilliant conclusion to the epic of The Belgariad, which began in Pawn of Prophecy--a novel of fate, strange lands, and a Prophecy that must be fulfilled--the resolution of the war of men, Kings, and Gods that had spanned seven thousand years! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (60)

wordy and dragged on and on and on...
I'd like to start by saying I like the world and the characters, I think they are quite imaginative and interesting.

These books could have been condensed into one book.The plots are a bit thin, but ok.Once the plot is established however the books are then filled with page after page of meaningless drivel.For example, when the group passes through a town, I don't need to read 3 or 4 pages of the town's history and political structure which has absolutely nothing to do with the plot but this kind of thing happens over and over.I understand trying to drag out the suspense a bit, but saying he went completely and ridiculously overboard is an understatement.

The books would be ok for teens I guess except for the questionable moral behavior.The books seem to continuously advocate that lying and deceit are perfectly fine if it gets you what you want.Also, most of the main adult male characters binge drink whenever possible.I wouldn't want my teens reading about that, they have enough bad ideas already.

and so it concludes...or does it
Many people think David Eddings is overly formulaic which he is a bit but since I enjoy the tale he tells I do not mind reading it over again.His characters always have great humor at their core and you can't beat a good epic tale for entertainment value.This particular book is one of my favorites by him.

A pleasant conclusion to the series.
This is the fifth and final book in the Belgariad (after Pawn of Prophecy, Queen of Sorcery, Magician's Gambit and Castle of Wizardry).

In this volume, Garion, accompanied by Silk and Belgarath, makes his way through Drasnia and Gar Og Nadrak, and finally crosses the Sea of the East to Mallorea. There in Cthol Mishrak, the evil god Torak is stirring from his endless sleep and waiting for their prophesied battle, the outcome of which will decide the fate of the world.

Meanwhile, Ce'Nedra, self-proclaimed Queen of Riva in Garion's absence, is travelling across Arendia and Tolnedra, raising an army with her speeches. Although it breaks her heart to know that it will be badly outnumbered and that it won't stand a chance against the hordes of Thulls, Murgos and Malloreans, she knows this is a necessary sacrifice to create the diversion Garion needs to reach Mallorea.

The part I preferred in this final volume is when Ce'Nedra's army is encamped in Algaria. There Durnik and the Alorn Kings engineer clever contraptions to carry King Anheg's fleet up the mile-high Eastern Escarpment. I also enjoyed reading about the battle of Thull Mardu, where all plans start to go awry, not to mention the final encounter between Garion and Torak, where all the pieces of the Prophecy click into place. All in all, a pleasant, if not tremendously mind-boggling, conclusion to the series. On to the Malloreon now!

Not Free SF Reader
What's love got to do with turning to the dark side, anyway?


Even the god Torak thinks Polgara is a babe it seems, trying to convince her and wizard boy that his ideas are pretty cool.

Needless to say, they disagree, and the heart of the matter will be a giant-sized magic sword fight between Belgarion, our hero, and the dark lord.

Or, this is the end of an archetypal completely light, fluffy, devoid of consequence and disposable fantasy series for younger readers where the major characters are generally clearly stamped with 'not going to be hurt' markers, and all will be good in the end.

Love Eddings
For people who enjoy reading for the purpose of getting into the story. The books written by David Eddings' are for people who get attached to characters and love to immerse themselves in reading. To me his books are like coming home for a visit.

If you want to read simply to get to the finish line---Eddings is not for you. ... Read more

Product Description
THE FINAL RECKONING

Time was running out for Garion and his companions in their quest to recover Garion's infant son and heir. If they could not locate the Place Which Is No More, then Zandramas, the Child of Dark, would use Garion's son in a rite that would raise the Dark Prophecy to eternal dominion over the universe!

Only the Seeress of Kell could reveal the site of that mysterious place--and that she could do only once Garion and Polgara had fulfilled an ancient prophecy in the mountain fastness of the Seers . . .

Kell itself was closed to Zandramas--but her dark magic could force the knowledge she needed from one of Garion's party. She laid her traps and dispatched her foul minions, determined to claim the world for the Dark God. But Garion would let nothing stand between him and his son . . .

Here is the epochal conclusion to David Eddings' bestselling The Malloreon, the culmination of an unparalleled quest across strange lands and among strange peoples--a magnificent fantasy of men, Kings, Sorcerers, and Gods caught up in the seven-thousand-year war between two ancient, opposing Destinies battling to determine the fate of all creation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (59)

the final volume
Many people think David Eddings is overly formulaic which he is a bit but since I enjoy the tale he tells I do not mind reading it over again.His characters always have great humor at their core and you can't beat a good epic tale for entertainment value.This particular book is one of my favorites by him.

great purchase
I am very pleased with my purchase. My book was delivered in good time and was in good condition. I have no complaints at all.

One word
that sums up the whole Malloreon series - cheap.
The battles are cheap - the good guys ALWAYS win and come through unscathed. I didn't really see the point after the 27th time they slaughter a party of ______ that is three times their number.

The plot is cheap - "Let's go on a quest to rescue the kidnapped baby!".

The dialogue is cheap (don't know if it is the author's fault or the editor's)- the sarcasm and recycled conversations got old REAL quick. I lost count of how many times it read:
1. Would I do that?
2. I really need to talk to ____ about _____.
3. Why, thank you! _____said while making a mocking bow.
4. _____ sighed and rolled his/her eyes towards the sky.
5. I knew you would see it my way.
6. If I use sorcery now, every Grolim from miles around will hear us.

The author obviously disdains organized religion and has some nice messages about family.

I read all the books because I had to find out what happened at the end. I kept hoping for something fresh to pop out of the pages, but the staleness stayed.

One of the characters has to die near the end. It didn't take me long to begin thinking, "Just one?!". I disdain most of the 'heroes' so much that I would have been very happy if Garion's wenchy wife Cenedra, Silk, Sadi, Velvet, Beldin, and even Belgarath were to all kick the bucket.

Do not buy these books. Be cheap like me and check them out from the library if you feel you must read them. I'm done with Eddings.

Anticlimactic and unworrisome.
This is the fifth and final book in the Malloreon (after Guardians of the West, King of the Murgos, Demon Lord of Karanda and Sorceress of Darshiva).

In this volume, the heroes first make their way to Kell and the place of the Seers to learn the location of the Place Which Is No More, where the final meeting between Garion and Zandramas must take place.

They then sail to the Island of Perivor and its very Arendish society, and finally to the Turim Reef in the middle of the Sea of the East.

I found this final volume rather anticlimactic. Even though Zandramas does everything to hinder Garion and his friends, trying to prevent them from reaching the appointed place at the appointed time, I knew (and not only because I've already read these books) that the Prophecy that's been dictating their lives and the destiny of the world for eons would get them there eventually, so I wasn't even worried about the outcome. The final chapters were a little too mushy for my liking too.

Love Eddings
For people who enjoy reading for the purpose of getting into the story. The books written by David Eddings' are for people who get attached to characters and love to immerse themselves in reading. To me his books are like coming home for a visit.

If you want to read simply to get to the finish line---Eddings is not for you. ... Read more

Product Description
The thrilling conclusion to David Edding's monumental fantasy The Belgariad - includes Castle of Wizardry and Enchanters' End Game. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Nice to finally see a hardbound edition
I purchased both volumes for my library.The cover art could be better, but that's not the issue.The book size and print is smaller than a standard Hardcover edition for any of the other books, especially the Mallorean series.The story is 5 star, but I wish they published it using the larger "standard" book size. ... Read more

Product Description
Her mind guided by a mother she will not see again for centuries, Polgara beings life in the Vale, growing up in her uncle's Beldin's tower and in the prehistoric Tree that is the heart of that magical place. There she first learns the reaches of her powers and assumes the bird shapes that will serve her on her far-flung travels. As her adventures carry her far from the safety of the Vale, her spellbinding fate unfolds. For Polgara is destined to be guardian of the world's last, best hope: the heir to the Rivan throne. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (219)

Disappointing to say the least
This, and I say this as a fan of David Edding's work, is one of the worst books i've ever read.
Why?
I think it was the tone that annoyed me that most. As a narrator Polgara comes across as very patronising and just a bit smug and she seems to spend most of the book putting the world to rights because, you know, she's just so much cleverer than everyone else.
Sorting out warring nations by treating their leaders like naughty children and telling them to behave (and i'm not taking the mick here, that is pretty much what she does) does not make for a riveting read.
Another problem is that because this story is trying to encompass however many thousands of years it was between Polgara and Garion's births everything is very rushed and in places it reads more like synopsis of a story that a story itsef. Supporting characters come and go I couldn't of cared less about any of them as they get no characterization at all.
Not recommended

Not as good as I remembered it.
This is the second prequel to the Belgariad and Malloreon (after Belgarath the sorcerer).

This volume, as the title implies, tells us Polgara's side of the story, from her childhood in the Vale, growing up with her twin sister Beldaran, spending time in her tree, to the guarding of the Rivan line and her moving to Faldor's farm with Garion.

She tells us about the pain of the separation from her sister when the latter leaves to marry Riva, about her learning medicine when Beldaran becomes pregnant, and about the devastating loss when her sibling finally passes away.

Then follows an account of the time she spent in Asturia as the Duchess of Erat, trying to reunite the belligerent Wacites, Arends and Mimbrates into a semblance of peace, and of the war that finally breaks out, killing several close friends. Polgara then retires to her estate near Lake Sulturn and later creates Sendaria.

Polgara manages to save the Rivan line when she rescues young Geran, the only remaining heir after an terrible attack on the Isle of the Winds. From then on her task will be to protect these little boys from Torak and his minions, and to secure the progeny until the Godslayer is born.

All in all, this volume wasn't as good as I remembered it, although I'm sure I enjoyed some chapters, such as Polgara's time in Asturia, more than the first time. The favourite passages I was looking forward to weren't actually that poignant, and I found her tone and haughty petulance rather irritating in the long run. Not to mention the awfully long months it took me to read it again, which seem now a bit like a loss of time.

A great story spanning thousands of years told in just 750 pages
I'm not sure where to begin. I dug up this book after doing a bit of spring cleaning some 5-6 months ago and found this book buried amongst my other high school reading books and the cover lured me to want to read it. I figured I had kept it for a reason so I decided to read it. Nine months later (I'm a slow reader and I work--it's difficult to find spare time to read), I'm almost done with it and I must say that the authors of this book have got the visuals, the storytelling, and the background history down pat.

I read the other people's reviews that said that you can't read this book without knowing the previous 9 books and I disagree. It can be read as a stand alone. The authors did a good job making a complete and very detailed summary of the events that took place. This book is read like a time line or a reminiscence coming from the perspective of the main character, Polgara the Sorceress, as she retells or recalls all the events that have taken place many thousands of years ago. And when you read the book, you'll notice that it is spoken in the first-person perspective--as if you're actually reading the old manuscript from the 'person' who wrote it. I thought that this was a neat tidbit and it really gets you involved in the storyline.

All I can say without divulging the juicy details is that it's very rich in visuals, great storytelling, and out-of-this-world creative imagination. The way in which it is written makes you feel like you can relate to what the character is saying--which is probably why it is such a good book--precisely because you can relate to the character or characters in the book. It's funny, it's sad, and tragic at times. You will feel a wide range of emotions while reading this book--or at least I did.

Now, if you're an avid reader of fantasy novels, you might not like this book. I can imagine that some of the themes are 'cliche' or "have already been done before." I read this book in a "fresh" state. That means that I haven't read a book of any kind for leisure for some number of years--7 years to be exact. And coming back to the world of book reading and reading this book, I found it extremely enjoyable and addicting.

I totally recommend this book to any young adult and adult readers.

Only read if you love Eddings
I'm not a huge eddings fan. I read his books many years ago and recently picked up Polgara. Ug, what a slog. I have never wanted an arrow to pierce the heart of a protagonist until now. The main character, Polgara, is a self indulgent, controlling, snob. Somehow she has all the knowledge of modern day living, as well as the language, sans technology, but she lives in a feudal, medieval society. She is incredibly condescending and patronizing to everyone. Also, somehow everyone around her seems to be an idiot except herself. She has no qualms about condemning the immorality of her adversaries and then has no issue with using torture herself.

Unless you are a huge Eddings fan, this book will simply make you gag. She is basically a spoiled princess goddess among men and treats everyone with that attitude. If you have ever had to deal with this type of personality, you just want to slap them.

Not Free SF Reader
Backstory the younger.


Set before the time of the Belgariad, the conceit here is that the princess asks said titular character to write her autobiography.

In so doing, we get to investigate her birth, twin, gaining of powers, her father, and how she comes to learn of the not very nice prophecy concerning who she is to marry, etc.

Actually better than some of the Belgariad books.


2.5 out of 5 ... Read more

Product Description
In the thrilling conclusion to The Dreamers, the Vlagh prepares for one merciless attack that will pit her forces against the might of both the Elder Gods and the Younger Gods. All may be for naught, however, if the allies fail to respond to the fact that one within their ranks is losing her mind. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (50)

Well...at least I didn't pay money for it
I've been an David Eddings fan since High School (over 20 years ago).I've loved his work...but this entire series seemed flat at best and downright bad at worst.Then I got to book four.There is no way not to hate this.Actively hate.

I have never, ever been so downright angry at the end of a series before in my life. Then I read the epilogue and it was even worse than I thought.I thought about ripping the book in half...it was borrowed, and I didn't want to have to actually pay money for this horrid piece of trash, so I didn't.I had for years avoided reading anything about the series assuming that I would have gotten around to reading and buying it one day.I'm glad a friend offered to loan it to me before I wasted money on it.It was awful.

Do not waste your money on this book or this series.Buy a different Eddings series...any of the other Eddings series.

Absolutely Dreadful
I finally....and I put the emphasis on finally, finished this series. What a slog it was. I've been a fan of all the other series so I had high hopes going into this one. Was I wrong? Oh yeah. The first book introduced the world of the Dreamers as basically a very primitive world with the different groups on different continents with a group of gods over one particular continent. Trouble ensues on the god continent due to the ambitious expansionist dreams of an invasive bug. Help is needed to resist the bugs so the gods recruit "slightly" more advanced people from across the sea.
These people are of course natural enemies to each other but are persuaded to lend a hand due to all the gold those gods can conjure up on a whim. The outlanders take the pay and head to the god land to fight the first of four upcoming battles against the bug queen or as it's called the "Vlagh". You'd think that since these gods are creeping around that they could just kill the Vlagh with a thought. Nope. They have a rule against killing anything. So now they need the outlanders to do the killing but they can help here or there with some miracles that can kill a lot of bugs because they're basically manufactured natural disasters...so they don't count as "direct" killing. Anyway books 2 and three follow the 2nd and 3rd war and finally book 4 finishes everything with a sleight of hand that changes the story and shows total disdain for the reading audience. You might ask why I bothered to read the whole thing if it was so bad? Well I thought it was at first an interesting premise but too many knock off characters from the other series kept cropping up along with A LOT of the same dialog. I really don't want to hear about little gods wanting to hug and kiss everyone into submission. Jeez you get a sugar rush having to read that all the time. I was hoping it would get better but after I got to book 3 I figured it was a lost cause but since I had come this far I might as well finish it. Well Eddings we'll just have to see if you can get the mojo back or if this is the nail in the coffin. Here's hoping.

The long journey ends
Each of the books in this series is between 400 and 500 pages.So all in all we took in over 1600 pages to find out none of them mattered anyway since the ending basically erases everything that happened before it.Had the Eddings clan simply published a single page with a dot on it I think the same thing would have been accomplished--and a great many trees saved from pointless destruction.

Weak ending for what should have been another great series.
In my opinion, Eddings is one of the top ten living authors. The previous series that he wrote (alone and with his wife) where awesome. However I was deeply disappointed in the ending for this one. I won't say any more in order to avoid a spoiler.

A horrible book, IMO
Tis book is horrible. I can't even get past the 1/4 of the book. A complete waste of money. I've been fantasy reading for about 30 years, and this is by far the worst thing I've ever read in print. Too bad I didn't come here first, but next time I'll check reviews before purchasing a fantasy novel. Loved the Belgariad series and all previous works. I can't believe they let this be published. David, you should be ashamed and give everyone a refund. This one is going in the recycling, I can't even give it away in good conscious. ... Read more

Product Description
As the bestselling THE Mallorean series contnues, Garion is pursuing Zandramas, in the form of a great dragon flying over them, across the known world. With the forces of evil threatening on both sides, Garion still had to get to the Place Which Is No More, as the Seeress of Kell had warned, but they had no idea where that might be....
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Customer Reviews (26)

best in the second series
Many people think David Eddings is overly formulaic which he is a bit but since I enjoy the tale he tells I do not mind reading it over again.His characters always have great humor at their core and you can't beat a good epic tale for entertainment value.This particular book is one of my favorites by him.

Too few things of note.
This is the fourth book in the Malloreon (after Guardians of the West and King of the Murgos, and Demon Lord of Karanda, and Seeress of Kell).

In this volume our companions keep heading further East, as far as the island of Melcene, and start heading towards Kell where should be revealed the location of the Place Which Is No More.

Too few things of note happen in this volume. Our heroes are still tailing Zandramas and dodging various conflicts taking place around Mallorea (between Urvon's Karand army, Zandramas's Darshivans, their demons, Dals, Gandahar and their war elephants...). A couple of passages were enjoyable though: in the University of Melcene when Garion and company meet Senji, a clubfooted alchemist and untrained sorcerer who tells them more about the Sardion, and when the party is finally caught up by Zakath, the emperor of Mallorea, whom they gave the slip in the previous book.

LOVE THIS SERIES - MY "COMFORT BOOKS."
As you can readily see by the reviews posted here, there are two camps; those that absolutely cannot stand Eddings and this series, and those that love it.Now I am one of those that love this series, but possibly for different reasons than some.Yes, I admit that I have read literally hundreds upon hundreds of books in this genre and, others that, that were and are much better.No doubt about it.These are not literary masterpieces.That being said, I have to admit to having read them over and over again.For me, these books are what I call my "comfort" books.I can mindlessly read them, enjoy them, and almost always have one in the process being read constantly.I read a lot of history, biographies, etc.Some of these books are a pain and a strain to get through, even though I love reading them.I am one of those individuals that have anywhere from five to ten books going at any given time.These books by Eddings give me a break, clear my mind, and to be quite frank, tickle me.

Now if you have gotten this far in the series, you only have one book to go after this one, so you might as well suck it up and finish them off.This entire fantasy epic started with Book One:Pawn of Prophecy and went through five books in The Belgriad.You think you are finished at this point, but no....now you have The Malloreon to read through, another five books (this book being reviewed is the next to the last in The Malloreon).There are ten in all.Again, to be honest, other than the very first book of The Belgariad, none of these books has the ability to stand alone.It is almost impossible to understand the story unless you start from the beginning.That is the nature of selling a book series and making some money out of them (referencethe Wheel of Time series.)

This particular work, Sorceress of Darshiva, takes our band characters (somewhat reduced from the first series) on their continuing quest to find the Place Which Is No More and their ultimate battle with the Child of Dark, Zandramas.To be honest, this book is absolutely no different than the previous books.It is quite predictable, same characters appear and reappear and the same banter takes place between the various members of the quest.I will say that this particular book, the one being reviewed here, the second series, as a whole, certainly has it's share of "fillers."This book ends, and.....well, I will let you read that for yourself.

Do not short change David Eddings and his wife, who was actually the coauthor of this and previous works, though.The author has done a pretty good job of creating a complete different world, based of course, on past civilizations in our own world.The society they build and world they create is full of Gods, Wizards, monsters and truly strange folks.There is plenty of magic, plenty of mild action (nothingtoo descriptive or bloody) and the story moves along quite nicely. (Sorry folks, no sex in these books although there is plenty of flirting).Eddings was one of the first in this genre to actually give women a leading role and made many of these women quite powerful.He also made most of his characters dumb as a fence posts at times, including all the leading characters.This is sort of refreshing. My wife, children and grandsons tease me about one of my habits which I indulge in while reading this series.I check it for errors.Not just nuts and bolts errors such as typos, but errors in plot, contradictions, impossibilities in the story line, etc.I actually cross reference these errors in my "about to fall apart" set of books.So far I have identified 233 of these errors and have conscientiously noted them and cross referenced them.This is a fun game within itself.No, I don't need a life, it is no worse than working a cross word or other such game.Sort of compulsive behavior disorder working here,I admit, but hey, we all have our little problems.

Recommend you read the first book in the series.If you like it, push on.If you don't like it, dump it and go on to something different as there are just too many good books out there and life is far too short to read something you do not like and enjoy.

If you are reading to read this is awesome
For people who enjoy reading for the purpose of getting into the story. The books written by David Eddings' are for people who get attached to characters and love to immerse themselves in reading.

If you want to read simply to get to the finish line---Eddings is not for you.

Eddings strikes again
I am surprised that there are still so many complaints about repetition and and slow plot by the fourth book, if you dislike this kind of writing you might have stopped at the second or third.
Eddings makes it very clear in the beginning exactly how long the quest is going to be, how many characters will die, and even whether or not the heroes will succeed (at least in reaching their destination). I've never seen another author manage to do that and still keep a grip on his readers.
There is definitely a sense of humour in how he lets things happen over and over again in opportune moments. Even those who complain about the repetition probably haven't noticed half the things in the book that ties back and forth and even across to other series. Noting some of these is really quite fun.
Thirdly, this is obviously not a book about gory battles of demons and clashing armies. All of us enjoy those books at times, but we also need something to read under lamplight just before sleep. Eddings usually keeps me awake for hours.
If there is one complaint I have to make, it is that Eddings needs to work on his olde English, it's not very convincing. ... Read more