Fantasy Aficionados discussion

I have always glanced at the Eddings books when passing their shelf at the library, but I've never read any of them. I don't know where to start, really. They look interesting enough, though, judging by their titles and covers. So I have for you the following questions:

Who here has read some of his books? Which series did you like best? And is there a particular reading order you could recommend?

Thanks! :)

His Belgariad series is the first he wrote. That's a good place to start. The first book in that five book series is Pawn of Prophecy.

I've read both the Belgariad series and the follow up series The Malloreon and enjoyed them. His novels aren't ground breaking, but they're a fun read. Definitely summer beach reading fantasy.

Yes, ny all means, try Eddings. His Belgariad series is my favorite, and very enjoyable for characters and plot. It is fantasy, suspense, coming of age and humor all mixed together.

I liked the Diamond Throne, first trilogy, but the Belgariad was very good too. He's got a sense of humor that's fun to read.

I find all his books to be similar. They are all like all the fantasy books written in the 80s, all quests stories. What I find it annoy with the first two series that he did, the only ones that I have read, it takes a whole book to set up everything? Come on.

I think that's kind of the point, its the whole 'growth during the journey' type quest. I think the series is often called Tolkien-esque.

An, I wouldn't read any out of order or randomly. The Belgariad is the first 5-book series, then the Malloreon. If you like loads of detail and a singular timeline narrative, it's enjoyable.

Eddings is very good and forming entertaining stories around archetypal characters and plot points. If I remember correctly, I liked the Sparhawk books a bit more than the Belgariad (both were great), but The Dreamers didn't do much for me.

Belgarath the Sorcerer and Polgara the Sorceress both tell the same story as the Belgariad series, but each from their respective points of view, instead of from Garion's. It's interesting (at least I thought so) to get the different viewpoints. Of course, you have to like the story enough to basically read it 3 times. lol Which I did.

I read The Elder Gods and it was truly awful. I was told by some friends that his books with Leigh suck and to try his Belgariad series. I've only heard good things about it. I have the Pawn of Prophecy and plan on reading that sometime soon.

Jackie wrote: "I read The Elder Gods and it was truly awful. I was told by some friends that his books with Leigh suck..."

I agree with that rule. It's weird, because I think they collaborated on all of the books. It wasn't until she got credited on the cover that the quality went way down.

Steve wrote: "Jackie wrote: "I read The Elder Gods and it was truly awful. I was told by some friends that his books with Leigh suck..."

I agree with that rule. It's weird, because I think they collaborated o..."

I've heard that the Elder Gods were actually written almost exclusively by Leigh, but you're right they have always collaborated. I personally really enjoyed Eddings he got me very interested in Fantasy, the Belgariad is good but I really enjoyed the two Sparhawk trilogies.

Also, the Redemption of Althalus is a fun read as well if you don't want to have to deal with a long series.

I'm not sure I'd say Eddings writing is "Tolkienesque" but there's a lot more of a case if you compare the Hobbit than the LoTR. Eddings wrote with a sense of humor that escaped Tolkien's works.

Tolkien, as was C.S. Lewis and his Narnia Chronicles, wrote the Hobbit as one Alegorical Tale (Industrial Revolution, Revolution symbology... or rather a strange sort of counter culture conflict between rural areas (farms too) and the spread and growth of industry across his beloved English Countryside. Why do you think the dragon's name was Smaug (Smog) anyway?

The LoTR held a message about the rise of Hitler,and what it took to get rid of him. THis is another reason why this work should be preserved as a classic.

Basically, To keep evil, like the Nazi's from ruining all that we hold dear, all peoples are going to have to come together! Alone, nobody is strong enough.

His best attempt at Edding's like Humor came from the entrance to Moria where some elf or dwarf wrote "Speak 'friend' and enter." (Sigh) those were simpler times.

Eddings excelled in both, Primary Belgariad series. He had complete characters. Some of the major players are rather 2 deminsional in LoTR--used as symbols of what seemed more like a prophecy for the third world war.

Eddings world was well thought out and planned and he liberally applied comedy and humor in brilliantly funny ways without loosing a grip on the "Epic" feel of the story (meaning seriousness and grave dangers and the risk of loosing "it" all.

I'm not so quick to compare the two, but if I did, I'd say Tolkien sort of "invented" the ground rules (rather reinvented them) for fantasy world development. Eddings was very good, but no more or less skilled than his contemporaries.

As for the best known (largest sellers?) works of Eddings, I'd rank the first Sparhawk Trilogy as my favorite, followed closely by the Belgariad (First series) then the second Belgariad, with the second Trilogy (The Tamuli?) bringing up the distant rear.

Eddings seemed, for another analogy, more like a middle distance sprinter than a marathon runner. His story sets started to loose luster after he pushed them to far but, after taking time to regroup and rest, his next start was as fast as ever, but came to a similar end. Face it, between Sparhawk, the Tamuli and both Belgariads, this guy wrote a lot of books! (never mind all the other things he's written).

Eddings deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as those we usually acknowledge as "the Masters of Epic Fantasy." The Belgariad enough should allow for that. I loved his characters and the world he'd created for his stories. Most of all, I loved his sense of humor. ("Loved" only because it's been a while since I last read anything by Eddings. I'm sure I'd enjoy the rapture if I read any of his greatest works again, or any new ones for that matter.

(thank you for letting me ramble on like a lunatic. I'll go back in the dungeon now.)

hmmm I agree with what everyone above is saying, but I don't think there's been enough of an emphasis on the Redemption of Althalus. One of my all time favourite books.

I read The Belgariad and the Mallorean years ago as a teenager and i don't remember much from those books. I remember that Garion was constantly on the move traveling from place to place and i remember that there were was alot of gods involved in the story? am i right? and there was something about polgara and a snake? i can't really remember much, maybe i should do a reread.

I think I remember an assassin character named Silk? In The Belgariad. If that's the same series I remember liking it alot but not much else.

The only Eddings that I have read is The Elder Gods. Or attempted to read I should say. That was one boring book. I never finished it, just stopped reading and never was even tempted to pick it up again.

It's the only book I never finished and it's firmly in my top 3 of worst fantasy books I've read (along with Brisingr and The Magicians' Guild, but at least I got through those.)

I really want to give the Belgariad a try, but currently Eddings just doesn't rank very high on my tbr list.

KevinB wrote: "The only Eddings that I have read is The Elder Gods. Or attempted to read I should say. That was one boring book. I never finished it, just stopped reading and never was even tempted ..."

I find The Magician's Guild to be a amazing book.

KevinB wrote: "The only Eddings that I have read is The Elder Gods. Or attempted to read I should say. That was one boring book. I never finished it, just stopped reading and never was even tempted ..."

I haven't read The Elder Gods but I've heard that from other readers too. I liked Belgariad and it's pretty well regarded so I'd try that one. It is classic quest fantasy though. If you're not into that?

Traci wrote: "I think I remember an assassin character named Silk? In The Belgariad. If that's the same series I remember liking it alot but not much else."

You're right Traci, Silk is in the Belgariad series. I read the Belgariad and the Mallorean in my early teens and loved them although I'm pretty sure that the writing wouldn't seem quite the same calibre to me if I read them now. I would recommend them to someone just starting into fantasy.

Traci wrote: "I haven't read The Elder Gods but I've heard that from other readers too. I liked Belgariad and it's pretty well regarded so I'd try that one. It is classic quest fantasy though. If you're not into that?"

No problem. I like fantasy in all shapes and sizes, including your standard issue quest fantasy. ;)

Carol wrote: "I think that's kind of the point, its the whole 'growth during the journey' type quest. I think the series is often called Tolkien-esque ..."

I agree. I used to shelve high fantasy into Tolkien-esque and and non-T, but don't find it necessary anymore. These were great to read as they were published and one was trying to relive the Tolkien experience. There were many similar series during the '70s and 80s. The Belgariad and Mallorean were some of the better. After those I think the Eddings series went downhill.

Two of my favorite fantasy characters were from this series: Silk the thief and Polgara, the Mother capitalized. I really enjoyed the novel Polgara which was bitingly funny. I liked her continuing banter with Belgar. And her correcting the major heroic characters' behavior.

@by Hugh (The other Hugh) - I found a lot of humor in LOTR. It was definitely more subtle than in Eddings and even the Hobbit, quite British and often involved plays on words or clever phrases. But, I agree the humor in Eddings was a lot of fun.

Other authors from this period genre include Terry Brook, Raymond Feist, Joel Rosenberg, R.A. Salvatore etc...

Without a doubt, the Belgariad series is the best. I love fantasy with quests.

Eddings and Brooks were the first fantasy authors I read in the 80's and I really enjoyed them in high school. They aren't complicated and the characters are fairly traditional, but the stories are great.

Carol wrote: "I think that's kind of the point, its the whole 'growth during the journey' type quest. I think the series is often called Tolkien-esque.

An, I wouldn't read any out of order or randomly. The Belg..."

Exactly. The character-growth is a little heavy handed (Sly Rogue changes his rootless ways and settles down, Boy learns responsibility, Daughter and Father mend relationship, Teamwork saves the day) but it's there. The fact that the characters must change and grow is in fact key to these books.

The Belgariad and Mallorean are definitely easy-reading, but very, very enjoyable. I think the Belgariad is better than the Mallorean. Likewise, the Elenium is better than it's follow-up series. Redemption of Althalus isn't very good though, and I would suggest not bothering with it.

@ Hugh, very interesting analysis there, thanks.

The Belgariad series had a major impact on me. It showed me there was a way to write 'fun' and 'epic' in the same story.

Unfortunately Edding's writing changed, I couldn't finish The Elenium. Same with Robert Jordan (Wheel of Time, book 3 on). And Terry Goodkind (Sword of Truth, book 3 on). I began to worry that staying in the same genre was bad for an author, or that it was possible to 'write oneself out' and lose the magic. But Terry Pratchett keeps getting better! So I guess it depends on the way your mind twists and turns. Maybe when you try to make a world that is just too vast, you get lost in the world itself and readers struggle to follow...

Either way, I'd recommend the Belgariad. Good clean classic fantasy with a sense of humour.