The Belgariad, Vol. 1 (Books 1-3): Pawn of Prophecy, Queen of Sorcery, Magician's Gambit by David Eddings Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Belgariad, Vol. 1 (Books 1-3): Pawn of Prophecy, Queen of Sorcery, Magician's Gambit
Book Review: Worth the time!
Summary: 4 Stars
This series is very worthy of your time. I am often disappointed in the fantasy authors, and don't like cheesy and undeveloped stories. This one was well done. You will like the characters as they are well developed. If you are like me and always looking for fantasy that lives up to a higher standard, then this is for you. Other well done books that I like are the Robin Hobb series Sorcerer's Apprentice. Of course, all the Tolkein books, as well as the Harry Potter series. Book Review: Long time favorite rediscovered
Summary: 5 Stars
I hadn't read The Begariad in years, then I saw the one volume and got it immediately. This series of novels is compelling and hard to put down. The author keeps your intrigue peeked until the end. The characters almost jump out at you while you read.
Book Review: A Refreshing Fantasy
Summary: 5 Stars
My first experiance with Eddings came in the form of 'The Redemption of Althalus', a stand-alone novel by David and his wife. At the time I found it interesting, so I promptly moved on and - by sheer luck of the draw - hit on the very first book in the Belgariad series.
I am competely flabbergasted!
The characters leap from the pages and drive themselves straight into your blood so that you actually care what happens to them. David's talent for creating compelling, dynamic characters from almost anything - even steriotypes (Age-old wizard? Thief? Ranger? Yea...) - comes into full swing in this, his first five-book series. When it comes to the characters and their personalities, he did a commendable job.
Many people will inevitably compare this to Tolken: There are some reviewers in the world that, with any book whatsoever, seem to scream 'Tolken! Tolken!' like horribly scarred and broken records. Don't let them fool you - this book is a must-read for any fantasy fan that values the overt simplicity that a good story brings, yet craves the subtile plot-twists that make a series like this so compelling.
The Redemption of Althalus (Which, by the way, I will also reccommend if you're bored) got me interested in this writer, and I wanted something to pass the hours. Something that rings with that old-time high fantasy; it's rare to find somebody who is so darn good at portraying what he wishes that he can take almost any plot - and this is an intesting plot - and put a good spin on it. To put it frankly? I wanted good fantasy, David delivered.
If you've got a library card, check it out.
Now.
You'll thank me later.
Book Review: I do not want to give my review a title.
Summary: 3 Stars
I wouldn't call this a terrible book, but I definitely wouldn't call it a great one, either. Obviously, the plot is a cliché, but there's a reason that plot is a standby. People enjoy reading it. I enjoy reading it. That's not really the problem I had. The problem here, I find, is that I seriously don't know if the author expected us to be as in the dark as Garion throughout this series. I'd like to think that isn't the case. I assumed we were meant to know who Aunt Pol was, but it was revealed with such fanfare that I worried that, perhaps, the author believed we wouldn't guess. It was extremely clear from the start who Garion was, but as it took four books for this 'shocking' reveal, I can't help wondering if Eddings thought it was going to be a large surprise for the readers.
Aside from that, Eddings has a severe problem with the 'show, don't tell' rule. I'm not sure if he ever learned it. Most of the characters' inner thoughts are narrated with, "This made Garion angry because it was unfair." "When Ce'Nedra flirted with Mandorallen, it made Garion feel jealous but he wasn't sure why."
The characters, though, are enjoyable, and if you're someone who doesn't mind a bit of standard fantasy fare, I wouldn't say there's no point in picking these books up. But if you're looking for something new and astounding, you may want to look elsewhere.
Book Review: A must for Fantasy lovers
Summary: 5 Stars
Eddings in the Belgariad is on top of his game. The story is a ton of fun and I honestly cant think of anything wrong...well, I could have handled a tad more magic, but that's all.
The Belgariad rates in my top 10 all time reads/series right under the likes of Martin and Erikson. Of course Eddings is much more fantasy "lite" than those guys, but he is an extremely fun author.