David Eddings
Pawn of Prophecy (Volume 1 of The Belgariad)
Ballantine Books 1982

David Eddings
Queen of Sorcery (Volume 2 of The Belgariad)
Ballantine Books 1982

David Eddings
Magician's Gambit (Volume 3 of The Belgariad)
Ballantine Books 1983

David Eddings
Castle of Wizardry (Volume 4 of The Belgariad)
Ballantine Books 1984

David Eddings
Enchanter's End Game (Volume 5 of The Belgariad)
Ballantine Books 1984

Garion grows up as an orphan at Faldor's farm in the Sendarian countryside. Aunt Pol takes care of him, and sometimes the mystical story-teller Uncle Wolf visits them. But one day, Uncle Wolf and Aunt Pol must go away on an important mission. Pol knows that Garion has an important role to play in what soon will come, and the farm hand Durnik has fallen in love with Aunt Pol and swears to protect her. Together with Barak, the Cherek warrior, and Silk, a Drasnian merchant and spy, they set out to save the world, according to the prophecy.

This is the introduction to the Belgariad, probably one of the world's most read fantasy series. Why it's so widely spread I really can't understand, because it's not very good. In some ways it's clearly in the tradition of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings: a group of very different people sets out to save the world from an evil god. But the world is really closer to one created in Walt Disney's studios than to Tolkien's Middle-Earth. Countries where everyone is heroic but very stupid, or traders/thieves/spies (all-in-one), or just plain unintelligent... And his description of the gods of this universe (who are active in the story), is even worse. All characters are one-dimensional, and the racial stereotypes may even have made a certain German chancellor with a moustache proud. I wonder if mr Eddings even can spell the words "psychological realism".

So - I hated every minute I spent reading these books? No, not really. When I had begun reading the first book, I read until I, four or five days later, was finished with the fifth. It's easy reading, the pages just run away. But after finishing you ask yourself "Was this really a good book?". And the answer is no. Robert Jordan, for instance, does it much, much better.

Karl Henriksson

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Order your copy from Amazon.com now:

The Belgariad (Book I-III)	Hardcover
Pawn of Prophecy	Trade Paperback
Pawn of Prophecy	Paperback
Queen of Sorcery	Trade Paperback
Queen of Sorcery	Paperback
Magician's Gambit	Trade Paperback
Magician's Gambit	Paperback
Castle of Wizardry	Trade Paperback
Castle of Wizardry	Paperback
Enchanter's End Game	Trade Paperback
Enchanter's End Game	Paperback

See also Fantasy Finder's guest book: 970312, 970317, 970330, 970428, 970529, 970729, 970801.

Eddings, David: The Eddings Page (fan page)