After reading Polgara, It turns the first chapters of 'Pawn of prophecy' into a cliff hanger; realizing that she is on the run and barely escaped to sendar with garion's life.
@@JeffMPalermoread the Belgariad and Mallorean I advise the latter is exponentially better cos you revisit all these guys and then bam a legitimate follow up five books that just flesh the whole damn universe out so much more just I dunno man trust
Was hoping to hear your run down on Hettar. Not as deep as some of the other characters, but predictable in his lust for blood, and a formidable fighter with an interesting talent.
I don't read much. I turn to audiobooks for my attention span issues from reading. However, when I was growing up my step-mom introduced me to the first book and I spent the whole weekend reading it non-stop. The book took me on a trip and I enjoyed the journey! I have a subscription to Audible now and have the whole series. The voice actor reading the books gives it a different life and I highly suggest it!
I think this is one of the most memorable series of books I've ever read. The dialogue hugely influenced my own writing and I felt like I knew the characters. The Belgariad and Mallorean, The Time Master Trilogy by Louise Cooper are in my top 3. My number 1 favorite is the Prydian series by Lloyd Alexander.
The series by Alexander is one of the better series around. Disney screwed it up with the Black Cauldron which probably resulted in my mind at least the pushing aside of the series by prospective readers. Despite the movie the series is not for a young child. Another series that was trivialized by the movies was The Wrinkle In Time series, which, although highly Chistianized, deals with the nature of evil in a very stark but easy to swallow way.
I got introduced to The Belgariad by my dad. I have re-read the whole series (The Belgariad, The Mallorean, Belgarath and Polgara) many times since then and I still love them. Another book by Eddings that I enjoy is The Redemption of Althalus. I find that whenever I read it I always wish at the end that there was another book about Althalus so that I can stay in that world for just a bit longer.
This is an awesome and thoughtful piece on the novels. I read the first 2 a few years back having not revisited for a while and recently bought the two volume version of the series and planning to re-read on holidays.
Favourite series in order… and it may suprise most.. Riftwar Saga by Fiest, Belgraid/Malloreon (all 10 books) by Eddings, demon cycle war by Brett. Magician being my all time favourite fantasy book.
I have every single book this man and his wife have ever written and have read them countless times. Two favourite authors in the entire world. They also had an incredibly distinct and consistent sense of humour. Love them.
The golden age was for sure the 90's as the commercial sales of Fantasy books were at the highest. We can thank Dungeons and dragons and their settings adding a lot to this genre. It really did launch what are now the adult readers of today.
Great video. I’m of a similar age to you I think and I read these in my early teens and loved them. They cemented my love of fantasy and were a really important part of my growth as a reader I think. I completely agree that the characters are a big strength of the series. Hearing you talk about them brought them instantly to mind again. I rebought the series a while ago (in the UK version of the original mass market paperbacks)but haven’t reread them yet. I read the Mallorean back then as well and my memory of it is that it’s entertaining, but not as good as the Belgariad. I think that might in part be because it lacks the coming of age element that was (for me at least) an important part of the original series given my age when I read them. Interestingly, over here anyway, the most recent republication of the books has marketed them as YA.
The Belgariad is still a cozy day comfort read for me. But I must admit its limitations - it never truly rises above the level of an adventure story, never grapples with any great moral questions, which probably has a lot to do with why it never truly builds tension either. By the very genre of the story you know the good guys will win, and without anything deeper than “good vs. evil” where the evil is fairly cardboard storybook, it’s hard to feel real urgency to the stakes. I enjoy the Mallorean more but ultimately it has the same issue. As you said, it’s ultimately the characters that make both series.
Hi Jeff, just stumbled across your review. Was a joy to listen and very fair judgement, though I am a huge Eddings fan myself, having read his stuff multiple times ovee. And yes, what keeps me reading is Eddings humor and talent for character generation. Wonder if you ever managed to read what really completes his main saga: the Mallorean and the two books on Pol and Belgarath? Only with those the story of the Belgariad is realy completed... Havent found a review on your channel on the same....?
Glad you enjoyed the review! I still have not read the Mallorean (or the Elenium/Tamuli) sadly. I have them all on my shelf but they remain on my ever growing TBR....
@JeffMPalermo Thanks for your answer, Jeff. Hope you will find the time because the end of rge Belgariad is not the end of the story, the mystery of the split prophecies still unsolved - what may explain why you felt there was no real climax. In addition, the books on Pol and Belgarath explain events (way) before the Belgariad thus adding to the World building. On the Elenium/Tamuli - some of my friends said the Elenium is a Belgariad in disguise. Similar main characters, personal traits just mixed up a little. I kinda disagree and root cause of this impression might be that it is still Eddings and the focus is on characters and humor again instead of all time great epic battles.... Btw, the Elenium also makes for a great DnD campain which is how I got introduced to it as our gamemaster had read the books first and transformed them into our next campaign. 😉
One of my favorite series as a kid. I read all 12 books every few years because it feels like I'm visiting old friends. The characters make the series.
Just got here from your podcast. So glad to see you still making content. I got worried there for awhile. Great overview of this series. One I've had on my backlog for awhile and need to get to.
Great review, I just got done reading this series and I have to confess it's the very first fantasy series I've ever read. I've never been much of a reader but what Leigh and David Eddings created was a fun, interesting magical world and the character development felt genuine and really payed off at the end. I already have the Malloreon ordered and look forward to continuing my journey with the gang. Again, great review and you really hit the nail on the head. I would say this is a fantastic series for new fantasy readers such as myself.
My take on Aunt Pol’s relationship with Garion is that it’s similar to Mary Poppins’ relationship with the children. Strict when necessary, but loving.
One thing that's interesting about the Belgariad that you didn't mention is that Eddings, more than most fantasy writers, actually comes up with a pretty realistic military strategy for the heroes. Like a lot of series, there's an enemy race who threatens the world and who can't really be defeated by normal means because there's just too many of them. But where Tolkien doesn't spend much time on military tactics, he just sort of throws armies at each other, Eddings actually has his characters come up with a pretty well-thought strategy for the West that exploits political rivalries among their enemies, and logistical problems they have, and taking advantage of the fact that at least some of the Angaraks don't want to fight at all and would just as soon stay out of it. Basically it involves sneaking a fleet of ships through enemy territory into the Eastern sea, which will allow them to cut off their troop transport, and then they'll be unwilling to risk the troops they've already got because they're more worried about each other than the good guys. The plan is a good one, and then there's a major plot twist where the plan fails and suddenly the good guys are in seriously deep shit, and even the way they rush to plan out a quick retreat is well thought out. There's a lot of suspense built in the way Eddings lays out the plan, and then we watch it slowly develop, worrying about how it could go wrong.
Although I read LotR first, the Belgariad was my personal gateway to fantasy. I enjoyed them when I read them in high school. The second five books (the Malleroen) was the first books I waited to be published. I agree about you about the characters. Eddings was great at writing scenes between major scenes. I especially like Silk's conversation with Wolf about a character who is thrown off a ledge. I think David Eddings' Elenium trilogy holds up strongly today. At least it does for me.
I read these back in ‘82/‘83 and they made a big impression on me. To say they’re forgettable is plainly wrong. The characters definitely make the story.
My first real reading experience outside of school curriculum. This was the early 90s and fantasy was still strictly nerd territory long before Lotr or Harry Potter popularised among the mainstream. Loved this series. Characters like Relg and Mandorallan still stick with me.
I love these books… and Edding’s style.. the prologues were alway dry. They were basically like reading a history bookk… and the prologues were similar takers on the same story… repetitive and boring like droning through a previously on narrative. Never interesting. But then you get into the story and he switches styles. Brilliant!
Nice review/discussion. Around the 10 minute mark, you say something I never considered, that Eddings changed direction because of feedback. I always assumed he just wasn't sure where he was heading when he started writing. Pol changed but also the magic system also seemed to change. But feedback and sketchy magic also fits. Ce'Nedra and Mandorallen were my favourites. Pity Mandorallen wasn't in the second series. Lelldorin is a strange character. Turns out to be very minor but was written in the stars/prophecy, which must mean the Arendish sub-plot was very important in the story. Silk is shallow to me - most interesting part is that his love interests are someone he can't have and someone he shouldn't. The serfs are brutal when reading as an adult. Why are they poor/slaves? It is what it is. Do they need to die in the war? It is what it is. Hard to say who was the thirstiest character out of Garion, Mandorallen, Durnik and Relg. Unfortunately it gave all the characters a degree of sameness despite what you say about them having differences because of their backgrounds. The women characters also become similar especially in the second series, which definitely ran out of steam. One thing that seemed to jump around was the relative power of the various nations. Sometimes the Tolnedran legions are all-powerful while the Alorns could easily crush them at other times. And the Alorns talk as though they just haven't gotten around to exterminating the Angaraks, then the entirety of the Western nations could only ever conduct guerilla warfare against the might of just the Murgos, let alone the Malloreans. Weird. PS: I pronounce every single name differently to you! Search online for an Eddings recording of his own pronunciations. Hopefully it has been saved by someone. He sent a cassette to a fan in response to a letter way back in the day and it got posted on the internet, but I stick to my own pronunciations.
I didn't know about the pronunciation! Will have to check that out. I do agree about the power issue - it wasn't locked and it was part of what makes these novels B tier for sure.
I read the series when I was a teen and again in my 50s and found the series more fun as an older reader. I think you are right on the money with your thoughts about Jordan being heavily influenced by this series. Overall the series is a good way to escape your daily life but not a life changing series like Tolkien. if you never read the Belgariad series you should but do not look for it to blow you away.
If you look at Eddings and many of the other late 1970s, early 1980s Fantasy authors, many (most?) of the emerged from a phenomenon later virtually killed by Computer games, the "Fantasy Role Playing Games"
I know I’m late to the game, but happy I came across your review. This (and the following) series is my absolute favourite, mostly due to sentimentality 😅 Also like my third venture into fantasy and got me hooked in the genre. Your review is on point, entertaining and I look forward to explore your other content 👍
He wrote a few other books. One of his earlier books, The Losers, is, shall we say, not politically correct. "A social worker is a nice young girl who never learned to type". It is however not bad. He also wrote The Redemption of Athalus which is one of my favourites. I also liked the Elenium series more the Belgariad.
The absolute best Fantasy books ever written.I disagree with your assessment that this series is not memorable. I’ve re read this series once a year since 1992.
Nice video. I've only read part of the Tamuli, and basically enjoyed that, but that was a long time ago (20 years?), so perhaps should revisit that or the Belgariad. I'm struck to realize I don't read very much true epic fantasy. I tagged you in my Forgotten Realms Book Tag video, by the way.
I appreciate your perspective on the series. I too read the series as a teenager and have revisited it in my adulthood. Eddings has passed now, so it is great to see someone keeping the memory of his work alive.
Nice review of this series. These books were so good as they came out back in the 80s, and I think your assessment of Eddings' strength being the dialogue and interaction of the characters is spot on. I re-read the series about 10 years ago and, while the story elements themselves didn't seem to hold up as well, I still really enjoyed the interchange between and among the characters. Other than this series, I really recommend the Elenium and the book Belgarath the Sorcerer (although you need to read both the Belgariad and the Mallorean to enjoy all the references in that book). The only book done by Eddings that was disappointing was The Redemption of Althalus. Imagine cramming all of the Belgariad and the Mallorean into one book by removing all the good and engaging material and that is pretty much The Redemption of Althalus.
There used to be a bookstore in my area where I saw the pawn of prophecy for the queen of sorcery on the shelves for maybe at least a year before I decided to buy them I spent the whole night up till 5:00 a.m. reading them woke up at 9:00 in the morning and rushed back into town to buy the third book this was the first series the first time ever reading where a death made me cry when dernick died it brought tears to my eyes I have since then read and listened to an audiobook this series maybe 15 or 20 times
Hanseatic League. A trading organization spanning most of northern and north-western Europe in the Middle Ages. Basically coastal cities heavily influenced by merchants.
You might be disappointed in the Malloreon. The writing deteriorates so markedly towards the end that I almost wonder if Eddings was experiencing a brain disorder of some kind. Still, the Malloreon is interesting because in the first series, the Angaraks are just this evil race of baddies who live way off to the East, and all we really know about them is that there's five tribes of them, but the Malloreon gives us a travelogue through the Angarak kingdoms just as the Belgariad was a travelogue through the Western kingdoms, and Eddings manages to humanize the Angaraks quite a bit, and show that they're not just generic evil. It's quite an optimistic series, in that it always holds up this hope of real and lasting peace between east and west, which is very unlike Tolkien. Nobody who reads Tolkien is ever going to think that Man and Orc might just learn to get along.
Very enjoyable video review, Jeff! 😁🤩😎 This reminded me of the discussions my SF/F and D&D loving pals used to have while sitting around in my basement from '83 to '88 (I was 18-23 years old). I worked in retail book stores in the 80's & 90's with a 4 year stretch (JUL '83 TO AUG '87) at Coles, the Book People in Chicago Ridge Mall (Illinois), where I managed the SF/F section. I lived for new release days, and spent my paycheck on books! I wasn't just a voracious reader: I was an out-and-out WHORE! 😋😛🤤😂🤣😜🤪 I had a system: I'd check-out anything new that came out in HC from the library, but only buy PB. The only exception to this were art books or special & omnibus editions from the SFBC! I agree with everything you stated, but I personally feel that The Belgariad *IS* a memorable series - because of the characters, and that's why people do re-read and enjoy recommending it. I also believe it was influential (I've heard people logically and strongly contest that Terry Goodkind effectively found a way to re-write this 5 book series and the works of Ayn Rand into his 16 book "Sword of Truth" series!). I found this video refreshing for many reasons, but mainly because you accept the series for what it is, and didn't try to shred it by comparing it to a modern, over-hyped, too wonderful for its own good book / series / author. My biggest complaint about these You Tubers doing reviews of older series is that they're *way too critical* - they don't know how to enjoy a "fun read" without over-analyzing it, and picking it apart. I've read over 5K books since 1977 - with 90% of them being SF/F. Many (probably half, if I'm being totally honest) were forgettable, obviously. I've slowed down dramatically since 2016 when I suffered a massive stroke, as I'm no longer able to see to read the print in a book, hold a book, or get in a comfortable position while using my Kindle. I listen to audiobooks now, but even that requires a certain amount of discipline. The 80's were a wonderous time for the book industry! There were re-issues galore, Dragonlance, the emergence of TOR Books, the SF/F imprint lines from the big publishers... Bantam had Spectra Pocket had Timescape Warner had Questar & Aspect However, things changed and companies merged or went under. Digital became a thing and the bookstore giants all died-out like dinosaurs. Barnes & Noble and Books A Million still exist, but by comparison, I so miss the early 80's landscape of retail book stores! Sorry to rant, but you sent me down a rabbit hole! LOL!
This is a really good review. Excellent insight. It's interesting that you picked up on the childrearing issues within the series. I read this series as a tween and I missed it. This may come as a shock, but Eddings and his wife were both incarcerated for physically abusing two children they adopted. Very sad, but worth noting I think.
the big difference between Eddinds and Jordan is that Eddings kept his side plots close and to the point. Jordan however wanders of in details and sideline that are confusing. He makes it hard to follow the exploits of the characters and constant throws new names in. I think I bought about 7 books at the same time I bought Eddings books, but I lost my way in Jordan's second book. It is only with the help of the internet I managed to read about 5 books of Jordan now. The position of women is completely different between Eddings and Jordan. Most time the women are the common sense in Eddings, with Polgara as a leading figure, commanding but never bossy as Jordan's women. Jordan's women constantly downplay the men, like men did downplay women in the 19th, 20th century, something that does not happen in Eddings work.
Great review! The Belgariad was the first fantasy series I read in English. I re-read it a couple of years ago, and like you, I think the strong point of the books are the characters and the banter between them. The world-building is a bit basic, with kingdoms and nations being very distinct and not changing for thousands of years. One gets the impression that there was more progress in medieval Europe in 500 years than in 5000 years in the world of the books. Another sign of somewhat sloppy writing is the passage of time. Many years ago, I had the idea of using that world for a roleplaying campaign. I sat down and made a timeline of the plot, and couldn't get things to match up. Tolkien used a real calendar when he wrote LotR to make sure that the phases of the moon would be correct at any given date. It is clear Eddings didn't do that. Still, an enjoyable read, and like you, I found them to hold up better than expected.
I am older than you so The Belgariad was no where near an introduction to fantasy to me (my introduction was Narnia). I am a great fan of much of his work. I really liked the series because of the characters. I knew where it was basically going all the time but it didn't matter. I much preferred The Elenium series where the most pf the major characters are church knights. In this series the gods are real but the Elenian god is the most powerful because he has the most worshippers. The Elenian god is not a character but does exist because the child goddess Aphrael is very much a character and considers him "stuffy". Although she appears as a child she is as one character put it "Don't be mistaken she is very much in charge". As with all of Eddings work what drives the book is the interplay of the characters. The story is just a way to showcase the interpersonal dynamics.
I love these books, currently re-reading them. There are 10 books tho, since it's a two part series. The Belgariad and The Mallorean. I enjoyed the video but it's obvious you didn't pay attention well enough or you didn't enjoy it as much as you claim. Yes it's very Tolkien inspired but there's so much in the series that's amazing. Lord of the rings is boring by comparison.
Thanks for putting your opinion out there! I'd disagree on the dialogues. My problem with them is that too many characters discuss in sarcasm in order to create a comic effect. If it was just Silk + a few characters (like the Drasnian king, or heck, even Barak), I'd be happy with it as it would characterize them. But here, it feels like 70% of the characters speak in the same style, and it is both immersion breaking and repetitive for me. After 2 books, I was tired of reading the same "Oh, this guy is not doing so well since I killed him ahaha" kinda dialogue. But for the rest, I agree. Overall, I enjoyed it a lot, it is light but I was still emotionally committed, thanks to characters like Silk. I was also uncomfortable with the "parenting style" of Pol, especially after reading about the Eddings' personal experience on the matter, but this aspect slowly goes in the background as Garion grows up, so it was bearable.
Great review . The belgariad has a very special place for me as was a massive part of my childhood so it is hard to be objective. I have reread them several times and can see the narrative flaws as an adult but the characters and their relationships and banter always draw me in like old friends. The sequel the mallorean is an almost remake of the first and it actually is self aware of it as well and the characters discuss it which is interesting and could be perceived as lazy writing but again I still loved reading every page.
I finally bought the paperback version of the Malloreon, and I definitely want to give it a read. I wasn’t inspired to read it when I was younger after the Belgariad for some reason.
I remember loving the first series, but the second series was a slog as it just seemed to repeat the same beats over and over. My memory of it (30-something years later) all the 'fun' stuff with Silk and ... the others (cant remember their names) became super repetitive and forced. But the first series was great.
I love the Belgariad...however I must demurr with some and expand that the follow-up five books of the Mallorean are superb fleshed out epics that mature the reader with the adult Harion in more dark themes quicker while never being graphic...it never needed to be to still dark grim and abrupt...no fuck words etc but it's still brutal in it's elements just implied bs written niin and adjective the Olay by pmay of child abuse...so I dig that take too...both really are needed to appreciate the other perhaps I dunno iiked more extreme novels too so whatever these rock...make these into a movie series as it is actuyreally deeply fleshed out in mythology in a way I'd not seen like others too too much before as it's not really based on a British and pseudo northern Eurao anglo centric...perhaps Hellenic Mediterranean...polish? The Maorean makes it adult...it's a real fantasy I think how we'd say it now...be vris them with you...ten books man ten books...then Belgarath and Polgara each get their own first person autobiography novels from their perspective of these historic events over the millennia...make these with theove LoR got and it's in my opinion a no brainer exponentially and objectively (ahuk I know subjective bias is a must but still) it's a better sorta sensed mythology I think. Honestly all magic and myth compares with this as it's my favorite of the series out there so far. Subjective Theory I acknowledge.
i think silk is one of the best characters to show david eddings ..humour ... also the first series titles where all based on chess terms .. each side of the prophecy moving their players into place .. :-)
Glad I stumbled upon this video. You don't hear many people talk about Eddings. You nailed it. Great characterizations. B level overall, probably due to how quickly he pumped these books out. Still a very enjoyable series, as were the next ones he wrote. Not on a level with Donaldson or Brooks for me, but still fun.
Read the belgariad, its really good, loving warm etc. 5 books one story. IF you need more then read the Mallorean it's 5 books one story, a continuation of the same characters but be warned its basically repeating the belgariad execpt the dialogue & overall writing & message is painfully bad like its written by someone unpleasant who just wants to cash in. Almost like Eddings stole the story for the first book but then wanted to do it again but couldn't. He then starts the whole thing again with the same story but different characters in The tamuli. But the belgariad is definitely worth reading & book one of the Mallorean is good continuation before it all gets cringe.
It’s basically the same story. He even says it through characters in the book. I wonder if the publishers pressured him to do a sequel. He had another trilogy that was basically like the Belgariad also.
@@christianrapper Lol, yes it's basically the same book, convenient that it all needs to happen again. But now the so called "heroes" have become a lot nastier/shallower. The Mallorean Is basically a band of Alcoholic serial killers attempting genocide based on race & laughing about it & the banter is word for word repeated often within a few pages. It's so cringe.
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
Also, let’s not forget Durnik. He’s just the salt of the earth, and offers a moral sounding board for the other characters.
This was the first real fantasy series my father introduced me to, and it’s still one of the best I’ve ever experienced.
Hi try Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman Dragonlance chronicles brilliant books amazing you will love them book one is dragons of autumn twilight
After reading Polgara, It turns the first chapters of 'Pawn of prophecy' into a cliff hanger; realizing that she is on the run and barely escaped to sendar with garion's life.
Interesting…
@@JeffMPalermoread the Belgariad and Mallorean I advise the latter is exponentially better cos you revisit all these guys and then bam a legitimate follow up five books that just flesh the whole damn universe out so much more just I dunno man trust
Was hoping to hear your run down on Hettar. Not as deep as some of the other characters, but predictable in his lust for blood, and a formidable fighter with an interesting talent.
I don't read much. I turn to audiobooks for my attention span issues from reading. However, when I was growing up my step-mom introduced me to the first book and I spent the whole weekend reading it non-stop. The book took me on a trip and I enjoyed the journey! I have a subscription to Audible now and have the whole series. The voice actor reading the books gives it a different life and I highly suggest it!
I think this is one of the most memorable series of books I've ever read. The dialogue hugely influenced my own writing and I felt like I knew the characters. The Belgariad and Mallorean, The Time Master Trilogy by Louise Cooper are in my top 3. My number 1 favorite is the Prydian series by Lloyd Alexander.
The series by Alexander is one of the better series around. Disney screwed it up with the Black Cauldron which probably resulted in my mind at least the pushing aside of the series by prospective readers. Despite the movie the series is not for a young child. Another series that was trivialized by the movies was The Wrinkle In Time series, which, although highly Chistianized, deals with the nature of evil in a very stark but easy to swallow way.
I can see that😊
A thoughtful and mature review in the fantasy genre. All too rare on youtube. Please make more!
Thank you! Will do.
I got introduced to The Belgariad by my dad. I have re-read the whole series (The Belgariad, The Mallorean, Belgarath and Polgara) many times since then and I still love them. Another book by Eddings that I enjoy is The Redemption of Althalus. I find that whenever I read it I always wish at the end that there was another book about Althalus so that I can stay in that world for just a bit longer.
This is an awesome and thoughtful piece on the novels. I read the first 2 a few years back having not revisited for a while and recently bought the two volume version of the series and planning to re-read on holidays.
Favourite series in order… and it may suprise most..
Riftwar Saga by Fiest, Belgraid/Malloreon (all 10 books) by Eddings, demon cycle war by Brett. Magician being my all time favourite fantasy book.
I have every single book this man and his wife have ever written and have read them countless times. Two favourite authors in the entire world. They also had an incredibly distinct and consistent sense of humour. Love them.
The golden age was for sure the 90's as the commercial sales of Fantasy books were at the highest. We can thank Dungeons and dragons and their settings adding a lot to this genre. It really did launch what are now the adult readers of today.
Really unique and informative content. Subscribed keep going man really enjoyed the review....
Great video. I’m of a similar age to you I think and I read these in my early teens and loved them. They cemented my love of fantasy and were a really important part of my growth as a reader I think. I completely agree that the characters are a big strength of the series. Hearing you talk about them brought them instantly to mind again. I rebought the series a while ago (in the UK version of the original mass market paperbacks)but haven’t reread them yet. I read the Mallorean back then as well and my memory of it is that it’s entertaining, but not as good as the Belgariad. I think that might in part be because it lacks the coming of age element that was (for me at least) an important part of the original series given my age when I read them. Interestingly, over here anyway, the most recent republication of the books has marketed them as YA.
The Belgariad is still a cozy day comfort read for me. But I must admit its limitations - it never truly rises above the level of an adventure story, never grapples with any great moral questions, which probably has a lot to do with why it never truly builds tension either. By the very genre of the story you know the good guys will win, and without anything deeper than “good vs. evil” where the evil is fairly cardboard storybook, it’s hard to feel real urgency to the stakes. I enjoy the Mallorean more but ultimately it has the same issue. As you said, it’s ultimately the characters that make both series.
Hi Jeff, just stumbled across your review. Was a joy to listen and very fair judgement, though I am a huge Eddings fan myself, having read his stuff multiple times ovee. And yes, what keeps me reading is Eddings humor and talent for character generation.
Wonder if you ever managed to read what really completes his main saga: the Mallorean and the two books on Pol and Belgarath?
Only with those the story of the Belgariad is realy completed...
Havent found a review on your channel on the same....?
Glad you enjoyed the review! I still have not read the Mallorean (or the Elenium/Tamuli) sadly. I have them all on my shelf but they remain on my ever growing TBR....
@JeffMPalermo
Thanks for your answer, Jeff.
Hope you will find the time because the end of rge Belgariad is not the end of the story, the mystery of the split prophecies still unsolved - what may explain why you felt there was no real climax.
In addition, the books on Pol and Belgarath explain events (way) before the Belgariad thus adding to the World building.
On the Elenium/Tamuli - some of my friends said the Elenium is a Belgariad in disguise. Similar main characters, personal traits just mixed up a little. I kinda disagree and root cause of this impression might be that it is still Eddings and the focus is on characters and humor again instead of all time great epic battles....
Btw, the Elenium also makes for a great DnD campain which is how I got introduced to it as our gamemaster had read the books first and transformed them into our next campaign. 😉
One of my favorite series as a kid. I read all 12 books every few years because it feels like I'm visiting old friends. The characters make the series.
Just got here from your podcast. So glad to see you still making content. I got worried there for awhile. Great overview of this series. One I've had on my backlog for awhile and need to get to.
Great to have you! welcome aboard!
Great review, I just got done reading this series and I have to confess it's the very first fantasy series I've ever read. I've never been much of a reader but what Leigh and David Eddings created was a fun, interesting magical world and the character development felt genuine and really payed off at the end. I already have the Malloreon ordered and look forward to continuing my journey with the gang.
Again, great review and you really hit the nail on the head. I would say this is a fantastic series for new fantasy readers such as myself.
You should read some David Gemmell next!! Can't emphasize this enough.
@@jadewolf1024I'll give them a go, thanks! :)
My take on Aunt Pol’s relationship with Garion is that it’s similar to Mary Poppins’ relationship with the children. Strict when necessary, but loving.
Great work on this! Always enjoyed this series! Eddings had a bit of a workman style of writing that I enjoy.
One thing that's interesting about the Belgariad that you didn't mention is that Eddings, more than most fantasy writers, actually comes up with a pretty realistic military strategy for the heroes. Like a lot of series, there's an enemy race who threatens the world and who can't really be defeated by normal means because there's just too many of them. But where Tolkien doesn't spend much time on military tactics, he just sort of throws armies at each other, Eddings actually has his characters come up with a pretty well-thought strategy for the West that exploits political rivalries among their enemies, and logistical problems they have, and taking advantage of the fact that at least some of the Angaraks don't want to fight at all and would just as soon stay out of it. Basically it involves sneaking a fleet of ships through enemy territory into the Eastern sea, which will allow them to cut off their troop transport, and then they'll be unwilling to risk the troops they've already got because they're more worried about each other than the good guys. The plan is a good one, and then there's a major plot twist where the plan fails and suddenly the good guys are in seriously deep shit, and even the way they rush to plan out a quick retreat is well thought out. There's a lot of suspense built in the way Eddings lays out the plan, and then we watch it slowly develop, worrying about how it could go wrong.
I definitely agree about the military tactics. But I would go to bat for Tolkein with the Helms deep battle.
Although I read LotR first, the Belgariad was my personal gateway to fantasy. I enjoyed them when I read them in high school. The second five books (the Malleroen) was the first books I waited to be published.
I agree about you about the characters. Eddings was great at writing scenes between major scenes. I especially like Silk's conversation with Wolf about a character who is thrown off a ledge.
I think David Eddings' Elenium trilogy holds up strongly today. At least it does for me.
I was surprised how much it held up for me, what with the current trend in grimdark. A nice surprise.
I read these back in ‘82/‘83 and they made a big impression on me. To say they’re forgettable is plainly wrong. The characters definitely make the story.
My first real reading experience outside of school curriculum. This was the early 90s and fantasy was still strictly nerd territory long before Lotr or Harry Potter popularised among the mainstream.
Loved this series.
Characters like Relg and Mandorallan still stick with me.
I love these books… and Edding’s style.. the prologues were alway dry. They were basically like reading a history bookk… and the prologues were similar takers on the same story… repetitive and boring like droning through a previously on narrative. Never interesting. But then you get into the story and he switches styles. Brilliant!
Nice review/discussion.
Around the 10 minute mark, you say something I never considered, that Eddings changed direction because of feedback. I always assumed he just wasn't sure where he was heading when he started writing. Pol changed but also the magic system also seemed to change. But feedback and sketchy magic also fits.
Ce'Nedra and Mandorallen were my favourites. Pity Mandorallen wasn't in the second series.
Lelldorin is a strange character. Turns out to be very minor but was written in the stars/prophecy, which must mean the Arendish sub-plot was very important in the story. Silk is shallow to me - most interesting part is that his love interests are someone he can't have and someone he shouldn't.
The serfs are brutal when reading as an adult. Why are they poor/slaves? It is what it is. Do they need to die in the war? It is what it is.
Hard to say who was the thirstiest character out of Garion, Mandorallen, Durnik and Relg. Unfortunately it gave all the characters a degree of sameness despite what you say about them having differences because of their backgrounds. The women characters also become similar especially in the second series, which definitely ran out of steam.
One thing that seemed to jump around was the relative power of the various nations. Sometimes the Tolnedran legions are all-powerful while the Alorns could easily crush them at other times. And the Alorns talk as though they just haven't gotten around to exterminating the Angaraks, then the entirety of the Western nations could only ever conduct guerilla warfare against the might of just the Murgos, let alone the Malloreans. Weird.
PS: I pronounce every single name differently to you! Search online for an Eddings recording of his own pronunciations. Hopefully it has been saved by someone. He sent a cassette to a fan in response to a letter way back in the day and it got posted on the internet, but I stick to my own pronunciations.
I didn't know about the pronunciation! Will have to check that out. I do agree about the power issue - it wasn't locked and it was part of what makes these novels B tier for sure.
I read the series when I was a teen and again in my 50s and found the series more fun as an older reader. I think you are right on the money with your thoughts about Jordan being heavily influenced by this series. Overall the series is a good way to escape your daily life but not a life changing series like Tolkien. if you never read the Belgariad series you should but do not look for it to blow you away.
Can you review gene Wolfe?
If you look at Eddings and many of the other late 1970s, early 1980s Fantasy authors, many (most?) of the emerged from a phenomenon later virtually killed by Computer games, the "Fantasy Role Playing Games"
Just finished it for the 20th time,love both series.
I know I’m late to the game, but happy I came across your review. This (and the following) series is my absolute favourite, mostly due to sentimentality 😅 Also like my third venture into fantasy and got me hooked in the genre.
Your review is on point, entertaining and I look forward to explore your other content 👍
While I read and enjoyed these books they are also the point where I really started to pick up and burn out on the major fantasy tropes.
He wrote a few other books. One of his earlier books, The Losers, is, shall we say, not politically correct. "A social worker is a nice young girl who never learned to type". It is however not bad. He also wrote The Redemption of Athalus which is one of my favourites. I also liked the Elenium series more the Belgariad.
The absolute best Fantasy books ever written.I disagree with your assessment that this series is not memorable. I’ve re read this series once a year since 1992.
I can’t believe I haven’t read these. Great overview of the series.
I know! You, with so little on your TBR.... :-)
Nice video. I've only read part of the Tamuli, and basically enjoyed that, but that was a long time ago (20 years?), so perhaps should revisit that or the Belgariad. I'm struck to realize I don't read very much true epic fantasy. I tagged you in my Forgotten Realms Book Tag video, by the way.
I did see that. Thank you!
I appreciate your perspective on the series. I too read the series as a teenager and have revisited it in my adulthood. Eddings has passed now, so it is great to see someone keeping the memory of his work alive.
Thank you!
Nice review of this series. These books were so good as they came out back in the 80s, and I think your assessment of Eddings' strength being the dialogue and interaction of the characters is spot on. I re-read the series about 10 years ago and, while the story elements themselves didn't seem to hold up as well, I still really enjoyed the interchange between and among the characters. Other than this series, I really recommend the Elenium and the book Belgarath the Sorcerer (although you need to read both the Belgariad and the Mallorean to enjoy all the references in that book). The only book done by Eddings that was disappointing was The Redemption of Althalus. Imagine cramming all of the Belgariad and the Mallorean into one book by removing all the good and engaging material and that is pretty much The Redemption of Althalus.
I am actually looking forward to the Mallorean and the rest. There good, diverting, "in between more demanding series" books.
This man knows what he's talking about
There used to be a bookstore in my area where I saw the pawn of prophecy for the queen of sorcery on the shelves for maybe at least a year before I decided to buy them I spent the whole night up till 5:00 a.m. reading them woke up at 9:00 in the morning and rushed back into town to buy the third book this was the first series the first time ever reading where a death made me cry when dernick died it brought tears to my eyes I have since then read and listened to an audiobook this series maybe 15 or 20 times
Thank you for sharing that. I love stories like that.
The European analogue to Darsnia I think it the Hascionic (sp?) League. Trading was central to their culture.
Hanseatic League. A trading organization spanning most of northern and north-western Europe in the Middle Ages. Basically coastal cities heavily influenced by merchants.
You might be disappointed in the Malloreon. The writing deteriorates so markedly towards the end that I almost wonder if Eddings was experiencing a brain disorder of some kind. Still, the Malloreon is interesting because in the first series, the Angaraks are just this evil race of baddies who live way off to the East, and all we really know about them is that there's five tribes of them, but the Malloreon gives us a travelogue through the Angarak kingdoms just as the Belgariad was a travelogue through the Western kingdoms, and Eddings manages to humanize the Angaraks quite a bit, and show that they're not just generic evil. It's quite an optimistic series, in that it always holds up this hope of real and lasting peace between east and west, which is very unlike Tolkien. Nobody who reads Tolkien is ever going to think that Man and Orc might just learn to get along.
Very enjoyable video review, Jeff! 😁🤩😎
This reminded me of the discussions my SF/F and D&D loving pals used to have while sitting around in my basement from '83 to '88 (I was 18-23 years old). I worked in retail book stores in the 80's & 90's with a 4 year stretch (JUL '83 TO AUG '87) at Coles, the Book People in Chicago Ridge Mall (Illinois), where I managed the SF/F section. I lived for new release days, and spent my paycheck on books! I wasn't just a voracious reader: I was an out-and-out WHORE! 😋😛🤤😂🤣😜🤪 I had a system: I'd check-out anything new that came out in HC from the library, but only buy PB. The only exception to this were art books or special & omnibus editions from the SFBC!
I agree with everything you stated, but I personally feel that The Belgariad *IS* a memorable series - because of the characters, and that's why people do re-read and enjoy recommending it. I also believe it was influential (I've heard people logically and strongly contest that Terry Goodkind effectively found a way to re-write this 5 book series and the works of Ayn Rand into his 16 book "Sword of Truth" series!).
I found this video refreshing for many reasons, but mainly because you accept the series for what it is, and didn't try to shred it by comparing it to a modern, over-hyped, too wonderful for its own good book / series / author. My biggest complaint about these You Tubers doing reviews of older series is that they're *way too critical* - they don't know how to enjoy a "fun read" without over-analyzing it, and picking it apart.
I've read over 5K books since 1977 - with 90% of them being SF/F. Many (probably half, if I'm being totally honest) were forgettable, obviously. I've slowed down dramatically since 2016 when I suffered a massive stroke, as I'm no longer able to see to read the print in a book, hold a book, or get in a comfortable position while using my Kindle. I listen to audiobooks now, but even that requires a certain amount of discipline.
The 80's were a wonderous time for the book industry! There were re-issues galore, Dragonlance, the emergence of TOR Books, the SF/F imprint lines from the big publishers...
Bantam had Spectra
Pocket had Timescape
Warner had Questar & Aspect
However, things changed and companies merged or went under. Digital became a thing and the bookstore giants all died-out like dinosaurs. Barnes & Noble and Books A Million still exist, but by comparison, I so miss the early 80's landscape of retail book stores!
Sorry to rant, but you sent me down a rabbit hole! LOL!
This is a really good review. Excellent insight. It's interesting that you picked up on the childrearing issues within the series. I read this series as a tween and I missed it. This may come as a shock, but Eddings and his wife were both incarcerated for physically abusing two children they adopted. Very sad, but worth noting I think.
I did read about their brushes with the law. A sad story, yet very insightful when I think about how they wrote about Garion.
The Belgariad is my second favourite fantasy series behind Lord of the Rings. Love it. Got the audio cd's that I still listen to when I go to bed.
That's high praise!
the big difference between Eddinds and Jordan is that Eddings kept his side plots close and to the point.
Jordan however wanders of in details and sideline that are confusing. He makes it hard to follow the exploits of the characters and constant throws new names in.
I think I bought about 7 books at the same time I bought Eddings books, but I lost my way in Jordan's second book.
It is only with the help of the internet I managed to read about 5 books of Jordan now.
The position of women is completely different between Eddings and Jordan. Most time the women are the common sense in Eddings, with Polgara as a leading figure, commanding but never bossy as Jordan's women. Jordan's women constantly downplay the men, like men did downplay women in the 19th, 20th century, something that does not happen in Eddings work.
Eddings were harsh parents
Both should have been locked up much longer. Neither deserved the success they received. Pure evil what they did.
@@Roondawg_Valhallaindeed
Great review! The Belgariad was the first fantasy series I read in English. I re-read it a couple of years ago, and like you, I think the strong point of the books are the characters and the banter between them. The world-building is a bit basic, with kingdoms and nations being very distinct and not changing for thousands of years. One gets the impression that there was more progress in medieval Europe in 500 years than in 5000 years in the world of the books. Another sign of somewhat sloppy writing is the passage of time. Many years ago, I had the idea of using that world for a roleplaying campaign. I sat down and made a timeline of the plot, and couldn't get things to match up. Tolkien used a real calendar when he wrote LotR to make sure that the phases of the moon would be correct at any given date. It is clear Eddings didn't do that. Still, an enjoyable read, and like you, I found them to hold up better than expected.
Thanks!
I am older than you so The Belgariad was no where near an introduction to fantasy to me (my introduction was Narnia). I am a great fan of much of his work. I really liked the series because of the characters. I knew where it was basically going all the time but it didn't matter. I much preferred The Elenium series where the most pf the major characters are church knights. In this series the gods are real but the Elenian god is the most powerful because he has the most worshippers. The Elenian god is not a character but does exist because the child goddess Aphrael is very much a character and considers him "stuffy". Although she appears as a child she is as one character put it "Don't be mistaken she is very much in charge".
As with all of Eddings work what drives the book is the interplay of the characters. The story is just a way to showcase the interpersonal dynamics.
i’m looking forward to reading the Elenium at some point.
Read twice. Enjoyed.
I love these books, currently re-reading them. There are 10 books tho, since it's a two part series. The Belgariad and The Mallorean. I enjoyed the video but it's obvious you didn't pay attention well enough or you didn't enjoy it as much as you claim. Yes it's very Tolkien inspired but there's so much in the series that's amazing. Lord of the rings is boring by comparison.
Thanks for putting your opinion out there!
I'd disagree on the dialogues. My problem with them is that too many characters discuss in sarcasm in order to create a comic effect. If it was just Silk + a few characters (like the Drasnian king, or heck, even Barak), I'd be happy with it as it would characterize them. But here, it feels like 70% of the characters speak in the same style, and it is both immersion breaking and repetitive for me.
After 2 books, I was tired of reading the same "Oh, this guy is not doing so well since I killed him ahaha" kinda dialogue.
But for the rest, I agree. Overall, I enjoyed it a lot, it is light but I was still emotionally committed, thanks to characters like Silk. I was also uncomfortable with the "parenting style" of Pol, especially after reading about the Eddings' personal experience on the matter, but this aspect slowly goes in the background as Garion grows up, so it was bearable.
It's true in tone (characters sounding alike) , but somehow I sense the differentiation in character by content. Thanks for the comment!
Great review . The belgariad has a very special place for me as was a massive part of my childhood so it is hard to be objective. I have reread them several times and can see the narrative flaws as an adult but the characters and their relationships and banter always draw me in like old friends.
The sequel the mallorean is an almost remake of the first and it actually is self aware of it as well and the characters discuss it which is interesting and could be perceived as lazy writing but again I still loved reading every page.
I finally bought the paperback version of the Malloreon, and I definitely want to give it a read. I wasn’t inspired to read it when I was younger after the Belgariad for some reason.
I remember loving the first series, but the second series was a slog as it just seemed to repeat the same beats over and over. My memory of it (30-something years later) all the 'fun' stuff with Silk and ... the others (cant remember their names) became super repetitive and forced. But the first series was great.
I love the Belgariad...however I must demurr with some and expand that the follow-up five books of the Mallorean are superb fleshed out epics that mature the reader with the adult Harion in more dark themes quicker while never being graphic...it never needed to be to still dark grim and abrupt...no fuck words etc but it's still brutal in it's elements just implied bs written niin and adjective the Olay by pmay of child abuse...so I dig that take too...both really are needed to appreciate the other perhaps I dunno iiked more extreme novels too so whatever these rock...make these into a movie series as it is actuyreally deeply fleshed out in mythology in a way I'd not seen like others too too much before as it's not really based on a British and pseudo northern Eurao anglo centric...perhaps Hellenic Mediterranean...polish? The Maorean makes it adult...it's a real fantasy I think how we'd say it now...be vris them with you...ten books man ten books...then Belgarath and Polgara each get their own first person autobiography novels from their perspective of these historic events over the millennia...make these with theove LoR got and it's in my opinion a no brainer exponentially and objectively (ahuk I know subjective bias is a must but still) it's a better sorta sensed mythology I think. Honestly all magic and myth compares with this as it's my favorite of the series out there so far. Subjective Theory I acknowledge.
i think silk is one of the best characters to show david eddings ..humour ... also the first series titles where all based on chess terms .. each side of the prophecy moving their players into place .. :-)
Silk rocks!
@@JeffMPalermo Silk vs Talon vs Althalus?
Glad I stumbled upon this video. You don't hear many people talk about Eddings. You nailed it. Great characterizations. B level overall, probably due to how quickly he pumped these books out. Still a very enjoyable series, as were the next ones he wrote. Not on a level with Donaldson or Brooks for me, but still fun.
Thanks!
Read the belgariad, its really good, loving warm etc. 5 books one story. IF you need more then read the Mallorean it's 5 books one story, a continuation of the same characters but be warned its basically repeating the belgariad execpt the dialogue & overall writing & message is painfully bad like its written by someone unpleasant who just wants to cash in. Almost like Eddings stole the story for the first book but then wanted to do it again but couldn't. He then starts the whole thing again with the same story but different characters in The tamuli. But the belgariad is definitely worth reading & book one of the Mallorean is good continuation before it all gets cringe.
The Malloreon had a very nice conclusion though.
It’s basically the same story. He even says it through characters in the book. I wonder if the publishers pressured him to do a sequel. He had another trilogy that was basically like the Belgariad also.
@@christianrapper Lol, yes it's basically the same book, convenient that it all needs to happen again. But now the so called "heroes" have become a lot nastier/shallower. The Mallorean Is basically a band of Alcoholic serial killers attempting genocide based on race & laughing about it & the banter is word for word repeated often within a few pages. It's so cringe.
So great with dialog
i realy like the belgariad thanks
Beware Zandramas
These are great books and a big part of my childhood. Sadly, the authors where not very nice people. You should Google eddings and his wife. Nasty.
Oh, I did...
1st book was enough, made me want to pluck out my eyes out of boredom and trope overdose
Congratulations on finding a way to mispronounce almost every single name.