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The Elenium #2
Rubiiniritari
Mahtavan fantasiasarjan toinen osa: Eleniumin taru on huikea kertomus ritarista keskellä ikiaikaista hyvän ja pahan taistelua.
Vain ammoin kadonnut Bhelliomin jalokivi saattoi taikavoimillaan elvyttää Elenian kuningattaren, joka oli väkevin loitsuin suljettu kristallikammioon, Sen sisällä nuori kuningatar kamppaili elämästään ja sinne hän oli menehtyvä, ellei jalokiveä löydettäisi ennen kahdentoista kuunkierron täyttymistä.
Ritari Sparhawk, Kuningattaren Puolustaja ja Pandionin ritari, lähti kumppaneineen vaarojen täytteiselle retkelle jäljittämään jalokiveä, joka satoja vuosia sitten oli kadonnut maanpiiristä. Mutta tarunomaista kiveä havitteli myös mahtava vastustaja yliluonnollisine voimineen.
Vain ammoin kadonnut Bhelliomin jalokivi saattoi taikavoimillaan elvyttää Elenian kuningattaren, joka oli väkevin loitsuin suljettu kristallikammioon, Sen sisällä nuori kuningatar kamppaili elämästään ja sinne hän oli menehtyvä, ellei jalokiveä löydettäisi ennen kahdentoista kuunkierron täyttymistä.
Ritari Sparhawk, Kuningattaren Puolustaja ja Pandionin ritari, lähti kumppaneineen vaarojen täytteiselle retkelle jäljittämään jalokiveä, joka satoja vuosia sitten oli kadonnut maanpiiristä. Mutta tarunomaista kiveä havitteli myös mahtava vastustaja yliluonnollisine voimineen.
456 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1990
154 people are currently reading
4894 people want to read
About the author
David Eddings
220 books5,568 followersDavid Eddings was an American author who wrote several best-selling series of epic fantasy novels. David Eddings' wife,
Leigh Eddings
, was an uncredited co-author on many of his early books, but he had later acknowledged that she contributed to them all.
They adopted one boy in 1966, Scott David, then two months old. They adopted a younger girl between 1966 and 1969. In 1970 the couple lost custody of both children and were each sentenced to a year in jail in separate trials after pleading guilty to 11 counts of physical child abuse. Though the nature of the abuse, the trial, and the sentencing were all extensively reported in South Dakota newspapers at the time, these details did not resurface in media coverage of the couple during their successful joint career as authors, only returning to public attention several years after both had died.
After both served their sentences, David and Leigh Eddings moved to Denver in 1971, where David found work in a grocery store.
David Eddings' first books (which were general fiction) sold moderately well. He later switched to writing epic fantasy, a field in which he achieved great success. In a recent interview with sffworld.com, he said: "I don't take orders from readers."
On January 26, 2007 it was reported that Eddings accidentally burned about a quarter of his office, next door to his house, along with his Excalibur sports car, and the original manuscripts for most of his novels. He was flushing the fuel tank of the car with water when he lit a piece of paper and threw into the puddle to test if it was still flammable.
On February 28, 2007, David Eddings' wife, Leigh Eddings (born Judith Leigh Schall), died following a series of strokes. She was 69.
David Eddings died on June 2, 2009 at the age of 77.
They adopted one boy in 1966, Scott David, then two months old. They adopted a younger girl between 1966 and 1969. In 1970 the couple lost custody of both children and were each sentenced to a year in jail in separate trials after pleading guilty to 11 counts of physical child abuse. Though the nature of the abuse, the trial, and the sentencing were all extensively reported in South Dakota newspapers at the time, these details did not resurface in media coverage of the couple during their successful joint career as authors, only returning to public attention several years after both had died.
After both served their sentences, David and Leigh Eddings moved to Denver in 1971, where David found work in a grocery store.
David Eddings' first books (which were general fiction) sold moderately well. He later switched to writing epic fantasy, a field in which he achieved great success. In a recent interview with sffworld.com, he said: "I don't take orders from readers."
On January 26, 2007 it was reported that Eddings accidentally burned about a quarter of his office, next door to his house, along with his Excalibur sports car, and the original manuscripts for most of his novels. He was flushing the fuel tank of the car with water when he lit a piece of paper and threw into the puddle to test if it was still flammable.
On February 28, 2007, David Eddings' wife, Leigh Eddings (born Judith Leigh Schall), died following a series of strokes. She was 69.
David Eddings died on June 2, 2009 at the age of 77.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 353 reviews
February 19, 2015
When provoked, Sparhawk was not the most reasonable of men.
The Ruby Knight is a direct continuation of The Elenium, picking up almost exactly where The Diamond Throne let off, so don’t let grass grow beneath your feet between books. That said, this book doesn’t have the same impetus going for it; it takes a while to build up steam, and there is a lot of moving around from point A to B to C. There and back again…
“I'm starting to feel a very powerful urge to hurt some people."
“The Younger Gods of Styricum like symmetry. We were ten when we began this search, so now we have to be the same ten every step of the way.” Um. Really?
As bizarre (and random) as some of the plot parameters appear to be, the big “revelation” at the end of the story actually puts everything nicely in perspective. It wasn’t a real surprise to me, since there are more than enough hints, to be honest. Eddings also seems to be foreshadowing events here that will only take place much later. As late as The Tamuli even.
"You're a bloodthirsty one, aren't you, Sparhawk?"
The action scenes are quite good. Counterpointed with the lighthearted vibe of the dialogue (and the story in general), though, it sometimes comes across as surprisingly dark and violent. Sparhawk is always entertaining though, since his impulses often place him (and his friends) in some rather awkward situations.
"Are you mad, Kalten?" Ulath exploded. "You want me to draw my axe on my own king?"
"Of course not," Kalten grinned, "only on his funeral cortege. If he goes up against Sparhawk, he'll be drinking heavenly mead after the first pass."
The religious theme can be quite funny, since it touches on a reality that many can likely identify with: even among religious folk, there are different levels of commitment.
“You go with him, and if he tries to pray more than once a day, you have my permission to brain him."
"That could have some interesting political ramifications, Your Majesty."
"Lie about it. Say it was an accident."
In conclusion. It’s not as good as The Diamond Throne and it does get a bit repetitive, but it’s still fun, and I still want to finish the trilogy.
"That's a very ugly horse you've got there, you know?"
"We're a matched set, Your Majesty."
Cover art – notes
Firstly:
Keith Parkinson is responsible for the art, and it’s pretty good, but I’m not entirely sure what it relates to. That saurian fellow on the right confounds me. It isn’t The Seeker since that worthy is clearly depicted as insectile, and it most certainly isn’t Ghwerig the (stunted and hairy) Troll either. This leaves one possibility: namely the vaguely described being that Sir Tynan inadvertently summons by necromancy. Any thoughts?
Secondly, and lastly:
Whoever designed the cover on the Del Rey mass market paperback should be severelychastened chastised. The cover art is cropped to death, and slotted into a little block at the bottom of the cover. It looks ludicrous, since you can only see the top half of the picture, like a child took a scissors to it. And to think, how marvelous the older editions looked…
“If he stops to pray one more time, I'm going to strangle him.”
The Ruby Knight is a direct continuation of The Elenium, picking up almost exactly where The Diamond Throne let off, so don’t let grass grow beneath your feet between books. That said, this book doesn’t have the same impetus going for it; it takes a while to build up steam, and there is a lot of moving around from point A to B to C. There and back again…
“I'm starting to feel a very powerful urge to hurt some people."
“The Younger Gods of Styricum like symmetry. We were ten when we began this search, so now we have to be the same ten every step of the way.” Um. Really?
As bizarre (and random) as some of the plot parameters appear to be, the big “revelation” at the end of the story actually puts everything nicely in perspective. It wasn’t a real surprise to me, since there are more than enough hints, to be honest. Eddings also seems to be foreshadowing events here that will only take place much later. As late as The Tamuli even.
"You're a bloodthirsty one, aren't you, Sparhawk?"
The action scenes are quite good. Counterpointed with the lighthearted vibe of the dialogue (and the story in general), though, it sometimes comes across as surprisingly dark and violent. Sparhawk is always entertaining though, since his impulses often place him (and his friends) in some rather awkward situations.
"Are you mad, Kalten?" Ulath exploded. "You want me to draw my axe on my own king?"
"Of course not," Kalten grinned, "only on his funeral cortege. If he goes up against Sparhawk, he'll be drinking heavenly mead after the first pass."
The religious theme can be quite funny, since it touches on a reality that many can likely identify with: even among religious folk, there are different levels of commitment.
“You go with him, and if he tries to pray more than once a day, you have my permission to brain him."
"That could have some interesting political ramifications, Your Majesty."
"Lie about it. Say it was an accident."
In conclusion. It’s not as good as The Diamond Throne and it does get a bit repetitive, but it’s still fun, and I still want to finish the trilogy.
"That's a very ugly horse you've got there, you know?"
"We're a matched set, Your Majesty."
Cover art – notes
Firstly:
Keith Parkinson is responsible for the art, and it’s pretty good, but I’m not entirely sure what it relates to. That saurian fellow on the right confounds me. It isn’t The Seeker since that worthy is clearly depicted as insectile, and it most certainly isn’t Ghwerig the (stunted and hairy) Troll either. This leaves one possibility: namely the vaguely described being that Sir Tynan inadvertently summons by necromancy. Any thoughts?
Secondly, and lastly:
Whoever designed the cover on the Del Rey mass market paperback should be severely
“If he stops to pray one more time, I'm going to strangle him.”
April 21, 2022
Reread April 2022: I enjoyed this one more this time around. Bumping up to 4 stars. It's funny how even 10 years later enough of the story stayed with me to remember the main plot arc though it's been long enough I'd forgotten where events ended. I was thinking that parts of book 3 were in this one.
August 17, 2025
It would be confusing to pick this up and try to read it on its own. The second book in this trilogy brings more depth to the characters and world of Eddings' imagination. With a clear target for their quest, this group of knights and companions now roam the world seeking lore for a powerful magic gem lost for 500 years. We get to tour different kingdoms and meet new people who are variously helpful, hurtful, desperate, and kind. Each national character may be a little forced, but it helps the reader keep the many locales straight. 3.5/5
January 16, 2020
Fantasy politics: the road trip. See the sights, tour the continent, brick up a woman driven crazy by a dark god in a tower - you know, the usual bro activities.
If you enjoyed the first book, you’ll enjoy this one. If you didn’t because it was too cliché then you won’t enjoy this one either.
I enjoy the clichés because it means I don’t have to work hard as a reader, and Eddings can focus on throwing tidbits about characters into the story without having to explain or show their basic characterisations.
It always annoys me somewhat when people proclaim that newer fantasy is good because it’s ‘doing never before seen things’ as though the old ‘fantasy team goes out to defeat evil’ was ever uninteresting. It’s fun.
Do I wish the weird lazy racism and classism wasn’t a thing? Boy do I. Styrics are simple idiots once again, who become flustered when anything ‘surprising’ or logical is introduced while the Elenes (despite their plots being maddeningly simple) are somehow masterminds. It’s lazy stereotyping done so characters can be certain stereotypes, which is typical Eddings. If it wasn’t for the Styric and Zemoch tropes it wouldn’t be too terrible, but it reeks of actual real world racism when people explain their cultures. The non-nobles just being stupid by way of birth is also just ridiculous.
If you enjoyed the first book, you’ll enjoy this one. If you didn’t because it was too cliché then you won’t enjoy this one either.
I enjoy the clichés because it means I don’t have to work hard as a reader, and Eddings can focus on throwing tidbits about characters into the story without having to explain or show their basic characterisations.
It always annoys me somewhat when people proclaim that newer fantasy is good because it’s ‘doing never before seen things’ as though the old ‘fantasy team goes out to defeat evil’ was ever uninteresting. It’s fun.
Do I wish the weird lazy racism and classism wasn’t a thing? Boy do I. Styrics are simple idiots once again, who become flustered when anything ‘surprising’ or logical is introduced while the Elenes (despite their plots being maddeningly simple) are somehow masterminds. It’s lazy stereotyping done so characters can be certain stereotypes, which is typical Eddings. If it wasn’t for the Styric and Zemoch tropes it wouldn’t be too terrible, but it reeks of actual real world racism when people explain their cultures. The non-nobles just being stupid by way of birth is also just ridiculous.
January 8, 2015
The Ruby Knight is the second book in the Elenium and follows Sparhawk on the quest to obtain the magical artefact known as the Bhelliom in order to save the life of the Queen Ehlana who has been poisoned by rival contenders to the throne who themselves are pawns in a bigger plot! :D
As in The Diamond Throne the pace of the book is relentless as again in The Diamond Throne, which set up the world and events at it were depicted prior to the events in the Elenium, the heroes now have a target and a mission which turns The Ruby Knight into a bit of a on the road fantasy book! :D This again takes the series in a different route to the previous book giving our characters plenty of opportunity to encounter new and strange lands on their quest! :D
And also gives us a chance to see another site our characters as they pay a visit to various medical professionals for example and end up having to recruit help in a less than heroic fashion! But this also gets show the levels that they are willing to go to in order to accomplish their goals! This takes home away from any issues with clichés and goes on to illustrate that the characters are very three-dimensional in that we also get to see, as they will, the multiple solutions to the difficulties they encounter in other parts of the book that they come across them! :D
Throughout the book we will to get to see many more of the peoples of as a travel through and also we get some more information on the Troll gods and what their motivations are as well as the Elder Gods and how characters like flute and all of them interact! We also get to see how all the knightly orders work together and what some of the differences between them are some of them are a little bit more straightlaced than others! :D Plus there is also more insight into how the political structures in this world work which the participants are partaking in a very enthusiastic fashion throughout! :D
Throughout there is much humour with little one-liners that you will often have to take a double look as you are reading along and they are thrown in so randomly that you barely registered on the first time until you see the other characters reactions and this makes for a much funnier road trip through the various lands which makes the perfect set for the action scenes which are end of the seat stuff! :D The action scenes themselves have a brutal efficiency to them when the characters about are plotting to embark on them are calmly plotting the dismemberment of their opposition! :D
The Ruby Knight is fast-paced, gripping, funny edge of the seat stuff that will keep you up late with one more chapter syndrome as you try to get everything before you certainly go to bed and you will certainly want to have the sequel to hand Seda plunge straight into it as there are many mysteries left at the end! :D
Brilliant stuff and highly recommended! :D
As in The Diamond Throne the pace of the book is relentless as again in The Diamond Throne, which set up the world and events at it were depicted prior to the events in the Elenium, the heroes now have a target and a mission which turns The Ruby Knight into a bit of a on the road fantasy book! :D This again takes the series in a different route to the previous book giving our characters plenty of opportunity to encounter new and strange lands on their quest! :D
And also gives us a chance to see another site our characters as they pay a visit to various medical professionals for example and end up having to recruit help in a less than heroic fashion! But this also gets show the levels that they are willing to go to in order to accomplish their goals! This takes home away from any issues with clichés and goes on to illustrate that the characters are very three-dimensional in that we also get to see, as they will, the multiple solutions to the difficulties they encounter in other parts of the book that they come across them! :D
Throughout the book we will to get to see many more of the peoples of as a travel through and also we get some more information on the Troll gods and what their motivations are as well as the Elder Gods and how characters like flute and all of them interact! We also get to see how all the knightly orders work together and what some of the differences between them are some of them are a little bit more straightlaced than others! :D Plus there is also more insight into how the political structures in this world work which the participants are partaking in a very enthusiastic fashion throughout! :D
Throughout there is much humour with little one-liners that you will often have to take a double look as you are reading along and they are thrown in so randomly that you barely registered on the first time until you see the other characters reactions and this makes for a much funnier road trip through the various lands which makes the perfect set for the action scenes which are end of the seat stuff! :D The action scenes themselves have a brutal efficiency to them when the characters about are plotting to embark on them are calmly plotting the dismemberment of their opposition! :D
The Ruby Knight is fast-paced, gripping, funny edge of the seat stuff that will keep you up late with one more chapter syndrome as you try to get everything before you certainly go to bed and you will certainly want to have the sequel to hand Seda plunge straight into it as there are many mysteries left at the end! :D
Brilliant stuff and highly recommended! :D
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 25, 2013
I never considered myself a huge fan of fantasy before I started this series. Yeah, I'd pick one up every now and again. Sure, I like some token fantasy books...but I never considered myself a hardcore fan.
I might actually hurt myself before the copy to the sequel to this book gets to my house in the mail. I mean it. Eddings defines the term cliffhanger in the most literal way possible. How anyone could read the ending of this book and not be crazed to get their hands on the next volume is beyond me.
As with The Diamond Throne, there's no lack of plot. The Ruby Knight picks up where its predecessor left off and doesn't let up for a single page of book. There were moments where, like Sparhawk, I found myself wanting to rush forward, eager as can be, absolutely anxious that I get to the end so that we can see if things really work out.
Beyond that, the characters have become members of my little mental family. I've built a nest for them and when something happens that moves me I find myself tearing up. Let me tell you, I'm not a crying kind of girl. But I find myself completely unable to hold back. For heaven's sake, I can't help but smile when we get to see Faran acting up and he's a horse for sweet pity's sake.
The thing that I think I love most about the characters, and the way this is written in general, is that there is a lot of pragmatism. There is chivalry, yes. There is danger and creepy creatures and evil lurking around every corner but the level of practicality of the characters makes me love them. Are they the good guys? Yeah. Are they the ones we want to win? Heck yes. But there's never a moment we aren't reminded they are human, fallible and dang it- sometimes cutting an innocent man's head off us just easier than waiting to see if he turns out to be a bad guy. I admire that. Even the most pious knight doesn't pull punches about death. I like that.
As for the series as a whole- I haven't found a reason to not love it. To be honest, I've badgered every person I know who hasn't read it to pick up the series, if only so I have someone to talk to about how great it is....
I might actually hurt myself before the copy to the sequel to this book gets to my house in the mail. I mean it. Eddings defines the term cliffhanger in the most literal way possible. How anyone could read the ending of this book and not be crazed to get their hands on the next volume is beyond me.
As with The Diamond Throne, there's no lack of plot. The Ruby Knight picks up where its predecessor left off and doesn't let up for a single page of book. There were moments where, like Sparhawk, I found myself wanting to rush forward, eager as can be, absolutely anxious that I get to the end so that we can see if things really work out.
Beyond that, the characters have become members of my little mental family. I've built a nest for them and when something happens that moves me I find myself tearing up. Let me tell you, I'm not a crying kind of girl. But I find myself completely unable to hold back. For heaven's sake, I can't help but smile when we get to see Faran acting up and he's a horse for sweet pity's sake.
The thing that I think I love most about the characters, and the way this is written in general, is that there is a lot of pragmatism. There is chivalry, yes. There is danger and creepy creatures and evil lurking around every corner but the level of practicality of the characters makes me love them. Are they the good guys? Yeah. Are they the ones we want to win? Heck yes. But there's never a moment we aren't reminded they are human, fallible and dang it- sometimes cutting an innocent man's head off us just easier than waiting to see if he turns out to be a bad guy. I admire that. Even the most pious knight doesn't pull punches about death. I like that.
As for the series as a whole- I haven't found a reason to not love it. To be honest, I've badgered every person I know who hasn't read it to pick up the series, if only so I have someone to talk to about how great it is....
July 28, 2012
These books are quickly becoming addicting and I can't say that I'm complaining. This one is even better than the first one. I think that it's partially due to the fact that the characters are more familiar to the reader now, and the story becomes even more compelling as it advances.
I have to comment once again on the beautiful way in which Eddings could spin a tale. Sprinkles of humour and compassion help to alleviate any tension or sorrowful turn of events that might crop up, and there's enough action throughout to keep the books at a steady pace. The writing is clever and the characters are the type that immediately draw you in.
I really enjoyed learning more about Sparhawk's companions and seeing how they interact with one another. The friendships they've weaved are most amusing, and it's fun to see them working through the little predicaments they get themselves into. The story itself flowed seemlessly from the last book, and I'm looking forward to seeing how well this one flows into the next. :)
I have to comment once again on the beautiful way in which Eddings could spin a tale. Sprinkles of humour and compassion help to alleviate any tension or sorrowful turn of events that might crop up, and there's enough action throughout to keep the books at a steady pace. The writing is clever and the characters are the type that immediately draw you in.
I really enjoyed learning more about Sparhawk's companions and seeing how they interact with one another. The friendships they've weaved are most amusing, and it's fun to see them working through the little predicaments they get themselves into. The story itself flowed seemlessly from the last book, and I'm looking forward to seeing how well this one flows into the next. :)
April 15, 2014
Many series suffer from the "Sophomore Slump", and this is a prime example. It's a stereotypical trope of fantasy to tell stories in trilogies, but not all stories need a trilogy to be told.
Whereas the first book seemed to cram in as much information as possible, this one seems filled with pure filler. There is nothing really new here, just excused to drag the story on until the third book. Pointless side quests abound. The characters don't really develop any more, simply rehashing their stereotypical traits established in the first volume. The hero, Sparhawk, is as vanilla and typical a hero as you'll find anywhere. There is a needless inclusion of some gruesome and graphic scenes in this book, too.
You could definitely skip this one and go on to the third book, and that is not a good thing. Overall, a big disappointment.
June 3, 2022
5 stars - English Ebook
So many trials and tribulations! It seemed like Sparhawk was never going to save Ehlana, The world seemed set in stopping him at every turn but fate would not be beaten!
The story with the, by now, well known characters goes on. And again I went into another place. A fantasy world. A knights world. The battle between right or wrong.
So many trials and tribulations! It seemed like Sparhawk was never going to save Ehlana, The world seemed set in stopping him at every turn but fate would not be beaten!
The story with the, by now, well known characters goes on. And again I went into another place. A fantasy world. A knights world. The battle between right or wrong.
February 6, 2019
At this point, the fantasy genre has thoroughly explored the whole idea of "there ain't no good guys, there ain't no bad guys," and it's terribly refreshing to return to a world in which the heroes are stalwart, the villains are vile, the universe is orderly (in a fashion, if far wilder and weirder than any one philsophy can comprehend), and you just know that things are going to work out for the best. This series was among my favorites when I first started reading the genre, and I'm happy to report that it stands the test of time shockingly well. (I particularly enjoyed the side quest into Countess Bathory's (cough not what the book called her but come on cough cough) castle.) If you're tired of wandering around in the grey fog of modern moral ambiguity, this might be the series for you.
September 12, 2022
Yet more sidequest-riddled adventure for Sparhawk and company. Unlike the last book, in which Sparhawk travelled across much of the world in search of something only to have it revealed to him in a vision, in this book Sparhawk painstakingly searches broad swathes of the continent for something only to have a goddess take the reins, point him at it, and eventually hand it directly to him. It's about the journey, of course, and I wouldn't deny enjoying it, but sometimes the diversions seem a bit puzzling. The case of Count Ghasek, for one, includes the cast carefully and elaborately walling up an insane woman in a tower, only for them to learn a couple of weeks later that a servant soon did the humane thing they wouldn't do, and killed her. I don't get the impression Eddings was so much intending to make them seem foolish as he was, in some strange fashion, revising a sentence delivered.
March 7, 2014
What can I say? What was true for The Diamond Throne is also true for The Ruby Knight.
Eddings weaves a wildly entertaining tale, with a surly Pandion knight who is not precisely the model of chivalry you would expect as its lead.
There is something to be said for the style of writing. The first couple of lines had me thinking, 'This is so silly.' And it was, if I'm being coldly objective. Very silly. Yet all the same I was drawn into the world of Sparhawk and company not five sentences in.
As a narrative, it flows very smoothly from the first book to the second, beginning the narrative right where book one left off.
The story is exciting and the writing filled with humour that had me chuckling very often. I make no pretence at defending this. I enjoy smart asses and it seems that every character in this book is one at one point or another.
Quite seriously, the writing carries none of the blinding brilliance I admire so much in Steven Erikson, or the depth of J.R.R. Tolkien but then Eddings isn't trying to be either of them, and the writing is fresh now as it was when I first read this when I was little.
Unfortunately, it does suffer from the Eurocentrism that plagues the fantasy genre, but that would only be problematic if Eddings ever uttered the troubling views of some speculative fiction authors (who claim 'teh wymenz and teh forgeinerz' are ruining their precious genre (dickheads)). To my knowledge, Eddings never made such a proposition. While it would be nice to see a larger world than just the thinly veiled magical Europe presented, doing so would not aid the story in any way, shape or form.
As a very quick comfort read, nothing can beat this series. Looking forward to finishing it up with The Sapphire Rose!
Eddings weaves a wildly entertaining tale, with a surly Pandion knight who is not precisely the model of chivalry you would expect as its lead.
There is something to be said for the style of writing. The first couple of lines had me thinking, 'This is so silly.' And it was, if I'm being coldly objective. Very silly. Yet all the same I was drawn into the world of Sparhawk and company not five sentences in.
As a narrative, it flows very smoothly from the first book to the second, beginning the narrative right where book one left off.
The story is exciting and the writing filled with humour that had me chuckling very often. I make no pretence at defending this. I enjoy smart asses and it seems that every character in this book is one at one point or another.
Quite seriously, the writing carries none of the blinding brilliance I admire so much in Steven Erikson, or the depth of J.R.R. Tolkien but then Eddings isn't trying to be either of them, and the writing is fresh now as it was when I first read this when I was little.
Unfortunately, it does suffer from the Eurocentrism that plagues the fantasy genre, but that would only be problematic if Eddings ever uttered the troubling views of some speculative fiction authors (who claim 'teh wymenz and teh forgeinerz' are ruining their precious genre (dickheads)). To my knowledge, Eddings never made such a proposition. While it would be nice to see a larger world than just the thinly veiled magical Europe presented, doing so would not aid the story in any way, shape or form.
As a very quick comfort read, nothing can beat this series. Looking forward to finishing it up with The Sapphire Rose!
January 7, 2016
Damn, I've loved this series since I was 10, and I think it's the 4th time I'm re-reading it, but I find myself annoyed by this particular book. I guess I've outgrown it, but it's not just that. Too many things just don't agree with each other. Why can't a god feel a major magical artefact where it's lost in the world? Why can't they locate it with magic if they have two rings made from it as the perfect connection? It's the way magic works everywhere else, why is it so irrational here? (No matter how ridiculous that sounds lol)
Then Bhelliom is discovered, and BOOM, they can feel it moving through the world! Wow. Really.
And then this Seeker, who is connected directly to a god and can throw Kalten out of his saddle with a flick of his finger, but needs people to kill the troll for him...
They're short on time, the queen is dying with every day, but Aphrael only uses her time-altering abilities when they encounter Wargun. No one seems to notice that 6 knights died for nothing while they were running back and forth in search of the cure.
I still love the characters, I really do. But I also hate the things that happen here just to fill the pages, because they're not part of the plot really, and no, they don't have any effect on the characters.
Here's to the first sound off of the year! *opens the third book of the series*
Then Bhelliom is discovered, and BOOM, they can feel it moving through the world! Wow. Really.
And then this Seeker, who is connected directly to a god and can throw Kalten out of his saddle with a flick of his finger, but needs people to kill the troll for him...
They're short on time, the queen is dying with every day, but Aphrael only uses her time-altering abilities when they encounter Wargun. No one seems to notice that 6 knights died for nothing while they were running back and forth in search of the cure.
I still love the characters, I really do. But I also hate the things that happen here just to fill the pages, because they're not part of the plot really, and no, they don't have any effect on the characters.
Here's to the first sound off of the year! *opens the third book of the series*
October 22, 2015
Entertaining enough, but slightly disturbing in a few places. I know the book is a product of its time etc, but there really isn't much excuse for some of this.
For example:
- a man they meet who describes how he is going to bundle his wife off to a monastery because it was an arranged marriage and he can no longer stand the sight of her
- the way that Flute is basically in a child's body, but then there are descriptions of how she kisses Sparhawk soundly in an adult way
- the fact that various adults threaten to beat Talen.
- an extended scene detailing a woman slicing up victims and eating their flesh
Plus, everyone is so dense about Flute that it becomes tiresome. It is very obvious from the word go who she actually is, and I can't see why these supposedly sensible and clever Knights fail to realise.
And a lot of the book involves wandering around with very little purpose or direction.
In fact, I did have this at three stars, but am dropping it to two for all of the above.
For example:
- a man they meet who describes how he is going to bundle his wife off to a monastery because it was an arranged marriage and he can no longer stand the sight of her
- the way that Flute is basically in a child's body, but then there are descriptions of how she kisses Sparhawk soundly in an adult way
- the fact that various adults threaten to beat Talen.
- an extended scene detailing a woman slicing up victims and eating their flesh
Plus, everyone is so dense about Flute that it becomes tiresome. It is very obvious from the word go who she actually is, and I can't see why these supposedly sensible and clever Knights fail to realise.
And a lot of the book involves wandering around with very little purpose or direction.
In fact, I did have this at three stars, but am dropping it to two for all of the above.
February 27, 2017
SO LONG AND DRAGGED OUT... AND SO. MUCH. DEBATING. I love and respect Mr. Eddings and all, but I never understood why all his books are like this. Hahaha. They're all twice as long as what they probably should be.
Still, this story was pretty good. 8)
Still, this story was pretty good. 8)
August 19, 2016
O final foi foda, me deixou com vontade de ler logo o terceiro.
June 15, 2017
I have finished yet another re-read of The Ruby Knight, Mr. Eddings' second novel in The Elenium. At the end of the last novel, Sparhawk learned that Bhelliom, a powerful yet dangerous artifact, is the only item capable of curing young Queen Ehlana of the poison the Primate Annias fed to her. The entirety of this novel concerns the search Sparhawk and his companions make for this powerful relic. Their path is a difficult one - they must try to determine its resting location as it was last seen over 500 years ago during the war with Zemoch. Their quest will take them through many lands and they will have to overcome many obstacles along the way. Will they be able to recover Bhelliom in time to save Queen Ehlana's life?
As with all of Mr. Eddings' work - I remain enamored of all the characters and the stereotypical races of the the world in which they inhabit. In particular, in this novel, we are introduced to the humorous region of Lamorkand - a region where everyone lives for revenge. In Lamorkand, one landowner might mercilessly lay siege to another for forty years over the smallest of infractions. Sparhawk and his companions become tied up, briefly, in one such altercation, started by none other than one of Sparhawk's most bitter rivals, Martel.
If there's anything about these novels that gets to me at times, it is the banter between the characters - while it endears you to them, it can get old. For example, whenever Flute does something that annoys Sparhawk or one of the others, she'll make a statement like, "But you do love me, right?" Once or twice is one thing. But phrases like these start to feel old hat - repeated about as often as, "You can bet your sweet bippie," was repeated on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-in.
But aside from that, you will find very little to complain about as you read through this novel. The Seeker - a giant, insect-like creature that trails the party throughout most of the novel, a succubus, and the troll Gwerig all make for excellent adversaries along the heros' paths. The church personages, the monarchs, the local 'historians' (so to speak) that Sparhawk and his companions encounter along the way all make for excellent characters and interactions. And a hidden identity of one of the characters of the main party is revealed.
So if you haven't already, finish The Diamond Throne and then take up this novel - The Ruby Knight, which I give four out of five stars. Thanks for the novel, David!
As with all of Mr. Eddings' work - I remain enamored of all the characters and the stereotypical races of the the world in which they inhabit. In particular, in this novel, we are introduced to the humorous region of Lamorkand - a region where everyone lives for revenge. In Lamorkand, one landowner might mercilessly lay siege to another for forty years over the smallest of infractions. Sparhawk and his companions become tied up, briefly, in one such altercation, started by none other than one of Sparhawk's most bitter rivals, Martel.
If there's anything about these novels that gets to me at times, it is the banter between the characters - while it endears you to them, it can get old. For example, whenever Flute does something that annoys Sparhawk or one of the others, she'll make a statement like, "But you do love me, right?" Once or twice is one thing. But phrases like these start to feel old hat - repeated about as often as, "You can bet your sweet bippie," was repeated on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-in.
But aside from that, you will find very little to complain about as you read through this novel. The Seeker - a giant, insect-like creature that trails the party throughout most of the novel, a succubus, and the troll Gwerig all make for excellent adversaries along the heros' paths. The church personages, the monarchs, the local 'historians' (so to speak) that Sparhawk and his companions encounter along the way all make for excellent characters and interactions. And a hidden identity of one of the characters of the main party is revealed.
So if you haven't already, finish The Diamond Throne and then take up this novel - The Ruby Knight, which I give four out of five stars. Thanks for the novel, David!
June 28, 2009
If I'd rated this book back when I first read it in the 90's it would've gotten five stars, no doubt. It's very fun, and Eddings had this talent for snappy dialog that's tough to beat.
However after rereading it lately, it's like he tried a little TOO hard to make it clever. Every time there's a dramatic scene it's like there are big arrows pointing at it that say "DRAMATIC SCENE! THIS IS A POWERFUL MOMENT." Sometimes it stops just short of being a parody. Maybe that's what he was going for, who knows. I feel bad to say anything negative about these books, just because I loved them so much back in the day. They really are fun, but sometimes they take themselves a little too seriously.
And as I said for the Diamond Throne: someone seriously needed to stop him from using the word "bleak" in every frigging chapter. It's hilarious, I never noticed it before, but he was IN LOVE with that word, and it starts to become a game: How Many Pages Will Go By Before He Uses The Word 'Bleak' AGAIN. And the answer? Not many. In one chapter he uses it THREE TIMES, and it wasn't a long chapter. It's never good when you start to notice things like that, it's like a public speaker who can't stop saying "um." After a while that's all you notice.
However after rereading it lately, it's like he tried a little TOO hard to make it clever. Every time there's a dramatic scene it's like there are big arrows pointing at it that say "DRAMATIC SCENE! THIS IS A POWERFUL MOMENT." Sometimes it stops just short of being a parody. Maybe that's what he was going for, who knows. I feel bad to say anything negative about these books, just because I loved them so much back in the day. They really are fun, but sometimes they take themselves a little too seriously.
And as I said for the Diamond Throne: someone seriously needed to stop him from using the word "bleak" in every frigging chapter. It's hilarious, I never noticed it before, but he was IN LOVE with that word, and it starts to become a game: How Many Pages Will Go By Before He Uses The Word 'Bleak' AGAIN. And the answer? Not many. In one chapter he uses it THREE TIMES, and it wasn't a long chapter. It's never good when you start to notice things like that, it's like a public speaker who can't stop saying "um." After a while that's all you notice.
September 1, 2010
Although I'm interested enough to finish this trilogy, I'm finding that the writing is annoying me. And I'm particularly disturbed by the women in the story (or the lack thereof.) It's like every woman is either a mother or a whore or completely deranged. The hero, Sparhawk, is singularly virtuous as concerns the women, but the little girl he championed into her pre-teens is now becoming an object of desire. But she's held in stasis in a diamond/glass encasement, so she's not a real character yet. She's like this lofty, remote, unachievable goal. And at the end of the book, the blurb about the final book reveals that she becomes his wife. Well, way to spoil us! I shouldn't be too peeved...you can see it coming even if the pairing of this older, very worldly warrior knight and the little girl he mentored is kinda creepy.
Guess I can't really get into the characters. They are all too smug, sarcastic...with no surprises. I'm going to read three other books on my agenda before I finish the final book. I'll have to wait and see if I feel differently about it as the story wraps up.
Guess I can't really get into the characters. They are all too smug, sarcastic...with no surprises. I'm going to read three other books on my agenda before I finish the final book. I'll have to wait and see if I feel differently about it as the story wraps up.
January 28, 2019
Really enjoying this series. I wish I had known about it earlier.
Refreshing to read a fantasy novel where there's no sudden betrayal by a character you thought was a good guy, and there's not an overabundance of moral grey area exploration. Just a good story about heroes, villains and an interesting pantheon of gods.
Refreshing to read a fantasy novel where there's no sudden betrayal by a character you thought was a good guy, and there's not an overabundance of moral grey area exploration. Just a good story about heroes, villains and an interesting pantheon of gods.
March 12, 2017
I thought this book was fairly enjoyable. The writing style is nice and simple so it was pretty easy to read through. The story is entertaining but I didn't think it was anything super amazing. I look forward to finishing the final book in the trilogy.
April 9, 2019
That was a lot of walking around to find the plot again.
March 20, 2024
I’ve never quite had a difficult time writing up a review as I did for this book.
Let’s begin.
There are certain books I do not touch in the fantasy spectrum, and because of this I wont read things like Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, The Witcher or anything from SJM. This is turned into one of them and I’m so very disappointed about it because David’s writing is so soo good.
Why I wont read it:
Witchcraft.
Too much Roman Catholic superstition. Internally rolled my eyes a few times, especially when a goddess was perceived as holy 🫤. This second book felt more heavily in Roman Catholic ideology/ theology and it gave way to more eye rolls.
Chapter 15 took a darker turn that I didn’t like (there’s 25 chapters in total), one that was too demonic for me. People who play with the dark realm have no idea how real it actually is, that there is a demonic supernatural force out there, and so many testimonials from ex witches and warlocks will testify of that. Do not play with darkness. Period.
I’m really struggling to come up with why I liked this book at all, because of what he did. I fell in love with the first book because of how Eddings wrote description, dialogue, and the character’s growth through their journey together.
This book follows Sparhawk once again on the road searching for an antidote for his poisoned queen. And even though they visited new places and were coming closer to finding the object they were searching for and ultimately found, I felt this book lagged. I think instead of a trilogy, the series would have been better as a duology. David placed the characters too much on the road that it got boring and repetitive, even though each new character and place was different, I felt like the plot was a mirrored one from the first one.
Overall: honestly I can’t in good conscience recommend this, especially to my christian bookstagrammers...sadly this author will be written off.
Let’s begin.
There are certain books I do not touch in the fantasy spectrum, and because of this I wont read things like Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, The Witcher or anything from SJM. This is turned into one of them and I’m so very disappointed about it because David’s writing is so soo good.
Why I wont read it:
Witchcraft.
Too much Roman Catholic superstition. Internally rolled my eyes a few times, especially when a goddess was perceived as holy 🫤. This second book felt more heavily in Roman Catholic ideology/ theology and it gave way to more eye rolls.
Chapter 15 took a darker turn that I didn’t like (there’s 25 chapters in total), one that was too demonic for me. People who play with the dark realm have no idea how real it actually is, that there is a demonic supernatural force out there, and so many testimonials from ex witches and warlocks will testify of that. Do not play with darkness. Period.
I’m really struggling to come up with why I liked this book at all, because of what he did. I fell in love with the first book because of how Eddings wrote description, dialogue, and the character’s growth through their journey together.
This book follows Sparhawk once again on the road searching for an antidote for his poisoned queen. And even though they visited new places and were coming closer to finding the object they were searching for and ultimately found, I felt this book lagged. I think instead of a trilogy, the series would have been better as a duology. David placed the characters too much on the road that it got boring and repetitive, even though each new character and place was different, I felt like the plot was a mirrored one from the first one.
Overall: honestly I can’t in good conscience recommend this, especially to my christian bookstagrammers...sadly this author will be written off.
August 1, 2019
Really enjoyed reading this book. Still in love with Tierelier.
De robijnridder is het tweede boek van de trilogie Het elenium. In dit boek word verder gegaan op de gebeurtenissen uit het eerste boek De diamanten troon.
Cover
De cover toont ons de rode steen die ook verwerkt zit in de ringen die een belangrijke rol spelen in het verhaal.
Verhaal
In het verhaal word er gewerkt met verwijzingen naar boek 1 en word er veel duidelijk dat in boek 1 nog niet afgesloten was. Het verhaal bevat hier en daar wat vernieuwende elementen.
De actie word opgetrokken naarmate men het einde begint te naderen van het boek.
Personages
We leren onze personages terug beter kennen. Ze zijn ook enorm gegroeid tov boek 1.Qua persoonlijkheid zijn ze allen gegroeid. Waar iedereen wel blijft naar uitkijken is het personage Tierelier. Veel word duidelijk rondom haar afkomst.
Slot
Het slot brengt vooral duidelijkheid rond Tierelier maar stoomt ons ook klaar om het derde boek te lezen waarin alles tot een einde komt
Conclusie
Het middelpunt van een trilogie die vragen over boek 1 oplost maar ook vragen oproept voor het laatste deel. Een verhaal waar vriendschap centraal staat en waar men de vraag moet stellen of er echt maar 1geloof is.
De robijnridder is het tweede boek van de trilogie Het elenium. In dit boek word verder gegaan op de gebeurtenissen uit het eerste boek De diamanten troon.
Cover
De cover toont ons de rode steen die ook verwerkt zit in de ringen die een belangrijke rol spelen in het verhaal.
Verhaal
In het verhaal word er gewerkt met verwijzingen naar boek 1 en word er veel duidelijk dat in boek 1 nog niet afgesloten was. Het verhaal bevat hier en daar wat vernieuwende elementen.
De actie word opgetrokken naarmate men het einde begint te naderen van het boek.
Personages
We leren onze personages terug beter kennen. Ze zijn ook enorm gegroeid tov boek 1.Qua persoonlijkheid zijn ze allen gegroeid. Waar iedereen wel blijft naar uitkijken is het personage Tierelier. Veel word duidelijk rondom haar afkomst.
Slot
Het slot brengt vooral duidelijkheid rond Tierelier maar stoomt ons ook klaar om het derde boek te lezen waarin alles tot een einde komt
Conclusie
Het middelpunt van een trilogie die vragen over boek 1 oplost maar ook vragen oproept voor het laatste deel. Een verhaal waar vriendschap centraal staat en waar men de vraag moet stellen of er echt maar 1geloof is.
August 19, 2018
Cada vez mais vidrado na escrita do Eddings... É impossível não amar Sparhawk, Sephrania, Flauta e os outros... Uma jornada clássica, mas com personagens muito cativantes e carismáticos. Estou muito ansioso pra ler The Sapphire Rose logo!
April 1, 2025
This book is very solid. I really love how the author makes the fantasy scene of this book very exciting.
September 24, 2023
Wow, didn't see that coming at the end.. I'm loving this tril.
February 12, 2018
A Bleak Quest Through the Bleakest Lands, as Told by Sir Bleaky McBleakerton, Bleak Champion of the Knights Bleak
Qualifier: Eddings knows how to entertain. His pacing is solid and his characters are enjoyable, if not always entirely relatable or believable. His tales are quick to consume, eminently enjoyable and great fun. But... there are other ways to present the rising of darkness in a fantasy world without beating the reader over the head by using the same word to describe said rising darkness... over and over again. Or, without becoming overly reliant on a single term, remind the reader of the gravity of the tasks to which the characters are committed in an otherwise 'normal' fantasy setting. "The Ruby Knight" feels like Eddings was making a deliberate example of overusing a word (i.e., consciously failing to offer adequate diversity in vocabulary) so the audience could plainly see the consequences. Or maybe he made (or lost?) a bet and had to use a certain word a minimum number of times. Those seem the most likely reasons a writer of Eddings' caliber would have opted to avoid some analogous terms like desolate, dreary, austere, grim, gaunt or weather-beaten. Whatever the case, 'bleak' is the worst offender in this issue of repetitive word bingo.
As other Goodreads reviewers have noted, Eddings is comfort reading of the highest order and the text equivalent of brain candy. Yes, it is possible to drive a cavalry charge through some of the plot holes in his stories. Yes, there will be times where you'll wonder about story consistency. Also, no one reads Eddings for revolutionary plot, narrative wonder or astounding insights into the human condition. We read his work for the witty exchanges between characters, to thrill at the fantastic adventures we know our heroes will surely escape from and for that comfortable feeling we get when the bad guys finally receive their just desserts.
To that end, "The Ruby Knight" is a splendid foray into genre fantasy. It absolutely reads like the second volume of a trilogy. Not only does it rely on reader's previous experience with the events and characters from the first book, but it's conclusion serves as a mere bridge to the next novel as opposed to offering true resolution on it's own. It's an amusing middle piece. But that's what it is: the middle piece to a bigger story.
TLDR: one thumb up. It's quick, fun fluff. Expect somewhat stereotypical, light-hearted fantasy fare with little in the way of surprises or character development and you won't be disappointed.
"There's honour in your profession?"
"Oh yes, My Lord. It's not based on any knightly code, though. It's based on not getting your throat cut."
"You have a very wise son, Kurik," Kalten said.
---
"I'm starting to feel a very powerful urge to hurt some people."
---
"That's up to you, my friend," Kalten said with equal regret, "but I don't advise it. Even if you get past Sparhawk, you'll still have to face me, and I cheat a lot."
---
"He was trained, moreover, in levels of violence no footpad could match and a seething anger inflamed him at this point."
---
"I'll pay for it if I have to."
Talen winced. "After I went to all the trouble of stealing it? Sparhawk, that's degrading. It might even be immoral."
Sparhawk looked at him quizzically. "Someday you're going to have to explain the morality of a thief to me."
"It's really very simple, Sparhawk. The first rule is not to pay for anything."
Qualifier: Eddings knows how to entertain. His pacing is solid and his characters are enjoyable, if not always entirely relatable or believable. His tales are quick to consume, eminently enjoyable and great fun. But... there are other ways to present the rising of darkness in a fantasy world without beating the reader over the head by using the same word to describe said rising darkness... over and over again. Or, without becoming overly reliant on a single term, remind the reader of the gravity of the tasks to which the characters are committed in an otherwise 'normal' fantasy setting. "The Ruby Knight" feels like Eddings was making a deliberate example of overusing a word (i.e., consciously failing to offer adequate diversity in vocabulary) so the audience could plainly see the consequences. Or maybe he made (or lost?) a bet and had to use a certain word a minimum number of times. Those seem the most likely reasons a writer of Eddings' caliber would have opted to avoid some analogous terms like desolate, dreary, austere, grim, gaunt or weather-beaten. Whatever the case, 'bleak' is the worst offender in this issue of repetitive word bingo.
As other Goodreads reviewers have noted, Eddings is comfort reading of the highest order and the text equivalent of brain candy. Yes, it is possible to drive a cavalry charge through some of the plot holes in his stories. Yes, there will be times where you'll wonder about story consistency. Also, no one reads Eddings for revolutionary plot, narrative wonder or astounding insights into the human condition. We read his work for the witty exchanges between characters, to thrill at the fantastic adventures we know our heroes will surely escape from and for that comfortable feeling we get when the bad guys finally receive their just desserts.
To that end, "The Ruby Knight" is a splendid foray into genre fantasy. It absolutely reads like the second volume of a trilogy. Not only does it rely on reader's previous experience with the events and characters from the first book, but it's conclusion serves as a mere bridge to the next novel as opposed to offering true resolution on it's own. It's an amusing middle piece. But that's what it is: the middle piece to a bigger story.
TLDR: one thumb up. It's quick, fun fluff. Expect somewhat stereotypical, light-hearted fantasy fare with little in the way of surprises or character development and you won't be disappointed.
"There's honour in your profession?"
"Oh yes, My Lord. It's not based on any knightly code, though. It's based on not getting your throat cut."
"You have a very wise son, Kurik," Kalten said.
---
"I'm starting to feel a very powerful urge to hurt some people."
---
"That's up to you, my friend," Kalten said with equal regret, "but I don't advise it. Even if you get past Sparhawk, you'll still have to face me, and I cheat a lot."
---
"He was trained, moreover, in levels of violence no footpad could match and a seething anger inflamed him at this point."
---
"I'll pay for it if I have to."
Talen winced. "After I went to all the trouble of stealing it? Sparhawk, that's degrading. It might even be immoral."
Sparhawk looked at him quizzically. "Someday you're going to have to explain the morality of a thief to me."
"It's really very simple, Sparhawk. The first rule is not to pay for anything."
September 6, 2018
Re-read after a decade away.
I did enjoy this series a lot back in the day, rereading it at least once a year, mostly because of the world it is set it. I have my ups and downs with Eddings' characters, but they could create fascinating worlds.
They've taken the 'sacred glowing blue orb' from the Belgariad/Mallorean and fashioned it into a 'sacred glowing sapphire rose' for this series. We also have the 'guiding mother sorceress' Polgara reshaped as Sephrenia, the woman who instructs the Pandions in Styric 'magic' and in this book we meet the chief horseman Kring, who is not Hettar but is totally Hettar, just with a willingness to commit rape after a battle.
There is also Platime, a criminal who 'has commited every crime except barratry (deliberately wrecking his ship)' and gets a pardon for it. So he's an admitted rapist also. And both he and Kring become valued & trusted members of the Sparhawk crew.
My problem with some of Eddings' characters in a nutshell.
Leaving these two minor characters aside, I still like this series. Sparhawk & friends are searching for the Bhelliom, the glowing blue item of this series, so they can save the poisoned Queen of Elenia & prevent Annias, who now has control of the Elenian treasury, from bribing his way into becoming Archechancellor of their faith.
But it's been missing for 500 years and one of the multiple Elder Gods, Azash, wants to find it as well. So Sparhawk & crew must follow old tales while dodging enemies sent by both Annias & by Azash.
There is a good deal of action in this book as a result, plenty of fights & even more travel. It's difficult to get a sense of time because so much happens & the only way to really keep track is from the dead knights turning up to hand over their swords to Sephrenia. We get more information about the various religions. Plus there is the usual humor & witty dialogue
We get more of Flute/Aphrael in this book. Not a good thing IMO as I find her incredibly annoying for the most part. It's not too bad in this one, but each of the following get worse and worse with the cutsey "I notice you noticing" nonsense and her flat out rude bossiness. For someone who *needs* love to survive she isn't very nice.
I did enjoy this series a lot back in the day, rereading it at least once a year, mostly because of the world it is set it. I have my ups and downs with Eddings' characters, but they could create fascinating worlds.
They've taken the 'sacred glowing blue orb' from the Belgariad/Mallorean and fashioned it into a 'sacred glowing sapphire rose' for this series. We also have the 'guiding mother sorceress' Polgara reshaped as Sephrenia, the woman who instructs the Pandions in Styric 'magic' and in this book we meet the chief horseman Kring, who is not Hettar but is totally Hettar, just with a willingness to commit rape after a battle.
There is also Platime, a criminal who 'has commited every crime except barratry (deliberately wrecking his ship)' and gets a pardon for it. So he's an admitted rapist also. And both he and Kring become valued & trusted members of the Sparhawk crew.
My problem with some of Eddings' characters in a nutshell.
Leaving these two minor characters aside, I still like this series. Sparhawk & friends are searching for the Bhelliom, the glowing blue item of this series, so they can save the poisoned Queen of Elenia & prevent Annias, who now has control of the Elenian treasury, from bribing his way into becoming Archechancellor of their faith.
But it's been missing for 500 years and one of the multiple Elder Gods, Azash, wants to find it as well. So Sparhawk & crew must follow old tales while dodging enemies sent by both Annias & by Azash.
There is a good deal of action in this book as a result, plenty of fights & even more travel. It's difficult to get a sense of time because so much happens & the only way to really keep track is from the dead knights turning up to hand over their swords to Sephrenia. We get more information about the various religions. Plus there is the usual humor & witty dialogue
We get more of Flute/Aphrael in this book. Not a good thing IMO as I find her incredibly annoying for the most part. It's not too bad in this one, but each of the following get worse and worse with the cutsey "I notice you noticing" nonsense and her flat out rude bossiness. For someone who *needs* love to survive she isn't very nice.
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