Reply Wed 15 Oct, 2003 12:54 pm
He's just started a new series called "The Dreamers," which prompted me to create this thread asking whether anyone has read "The Belgariad" and "The Mallorean" series, and whether anyone who has liked them. They begin with a book called "Pawn of Prophecy." I've met a few people who hated them, but I loved them. For several years, they were great companions, and I looked forward to those moments when I had some spare time to read them. I found them to be both exciting and funny. Tell me what you think.
  • Topic Stats
  • Top Replies
  • Link to this Topic
Type: Discussion • Score: 1 • Views: 2,176 • Replies: 10
No top replies

 
Vivien
 
  1  
Reply Wed 15 Oct, 2003 02:01 pm
Yep, I like them too - I didn't know there was a new series out though so I'll have to look for it.

He's an entertaining writer - influenced by Lord of the Rings probably but still good.

Do you like Anne McCaffrey and Terry Brooks?
0 Replies
 
Brandon9000
 
  1  
Reply Wed 15 Oct, 2003 02:12 pm
Vivien wrote:
Do you like Anne McCaffrey and Terry Brooks?

I'm sure that I've read the first dozen pages of a few Terry Brooks novels and not liked them. I believe the same is true of Anne McCaffrey, but if so, it would have been many, many years ago. What do you like about those two writers? What are their good points?
0 Replies
 
Noddy24
 
  1  
Reply Wed 15 Oct, 2003 03:08 pm
I've enjoyed the Eddings as pleasant, self-indulgent reading rather than as Great Literature or Ground Breaking Fantasy. I felt that Belgarath the Sorcerer and Polgara the Sorceress and The Rivan Codex were simply reshuffled working notes--overpriced and not terribly interesting.

The Redemption of Althalus seemed a little slow-moving and ponderous, but the fault could have been in me.

A complete bibliography:

http://scifan.com/writers/ee/EddingsDavid.asp

Two weeks ago I lent @The Belgariad@ to a sixty-five year old classmate who had read very little fantasy. She thought they were delightful escape reading.
0 Replies
 
Vivien
 
  1  
Reply Thu 16 Oct, 2003 12:01 pm
Terry Brooks Running with the Demon was a very different storyline and quite dark. I enjoyed it. It is part of a series of 3. I can't say too much without giving away the storyline - like Eddings and McCaffrey they are entertaining, not heavy literature. It is worth trying Running with the Demon again?

McCaffrey - I like the way she creates worlds that interlink through various books , her imagination in creating alien species and ethoses (lord that probably isn't a proper word!). They are just a good read when you don't want something that needs too much concentration and a fun storyline (like Eddings).

I liked the Wizard of Earthsea trilogy by Ursula le Guin as well.

I'm a painter and not good at literary crit I'm afraid
0 Replies
 
elan
 
  1  
Reply Tue 28 Oct, 2003 08:17 am
Re: David Eddings
Brandon9000 wrote:
He's just started a new series called "The Dreamers," which prompted me to create this thread asking whether anyone has read "The Belgariad" and "The Mallorean" series, and whether anyone who has liked them.


I've read the Belgariad. It was fine but i felt that some of the concepts weren't exactly original and the way it is presented, pales in contrast to other authors. For light reading/ entertainment probably.
0 Replies
 
Noddy24
 
  1  
Reply Tue 28 Oct, 2003 09:49 am
Here is a link to an exerpt from Edding's latest:

http://www.twbookmark.com/books/63/0446532215/chapter_excerpt17594.html

Personally, I find Eddings discoursing on the gods a bit tedious. He's much better on the foibles of mortals. Still, I ordered the book from the Science Fiction Book Club--www.sfbc.com--and anticipate a Good Read.
0 Replies
 
Fedral
 
  1  
Reply Wed 29 Oct, 2003 12:09 am
I really loved the Ellenium and the Tamuli ..... I much prefered them over the Belgariad and the Mallorian.

Sparhawk was one of the greatest characters ever.

The byplay between him and Flute (Aphrael) always made me laugh.
0 Replies
 
Turner 727
 
  1  
Reply Wed 29 Oct, 2003 12:29 am
I liked Althalus simply because it wasn't like the Belgariad. A book all by itself. No sequals, no series, just that and nothing else.

Don't get me started on Robert Jordan.

I read the first few Belgariad and another one, I forget the series, but the main character was a warrior, and had a g/f / crush who was to be queen. That was mildly interesting. Seemed to me tho, with the Begariad and the other one, that he drew a map and decided to go to all the places there.

The Word series that Viv was talking about was a great read. I enjoyed those. Also liked Robin Hobbs Liveship Traders series. Still need to read the last one. Her Assassin series I didn't like, but after reading the Liveship I decided to take another look at the Assassin series, and have re-read the first book. Better than I remember it being. I recall that series being dark and it seemed to me she picked on Fitz quite a bit.

If I never read another Wheel of Time book it'll be too soon for me. Too many words on too many pages with nothing happening. I got up to the one before Winter Heart before quiting in disgust. Closure, man! Closure! Try it some time.

I have found, tho, that I much prefer a series of books that take place in the same universe, like the Liveship books, or Raymond Feist's Midkemia stories. You know the universe, and what to expect, but with different characters, and different times, it seems to go better. I have noticed when Feist likes to kill everyone off at once and hand it off to the next generation. Don't really agree with that, but I will admit he does it well; it fits the storyline quite well.
0 Replies
 
Vivien
 
  1  
Reply Sat 8 Nov, 2003 01:30 pm
Fedral wrote:
I really loved the Ellenium and the Tamuli ..... I much prefered them over the Belgariad and the Mallorian.

Sparhawk was one of the greatest characters ever.

The byplay between him and Flute (Aphrael) always made me laugh.


maybe i should give it another go but i didn't warm to Sparhawk as a character.
0 Replies
 
rosborne979
 
  1  
Reply Wed 19 May, 2004 10:33 am
Re: David Eddings
Brandon9000 wrote:
He's just started a new series called "The Dreamers," which prompted me to create this thread asking whether anyone has read "The Belgariad" and "The Mallorean" series, and whether anyone who has liked them. They begin with a book called "Pawn of Prophecy." I've met a few people who hated them, but I loved them. For several years, they were great companions, and I looked forward to those moments when I had some spare time to read them. I found them to be both exciting and funny. Tell me what you think.


I read the first two books of The Belgariad, and liked them a lot. But the others seemed less interesting. Or maybe I just got tired of the same story.

I read these books a long time ago, but one small scene stuck in my mind. For some reason, the boy in the story uses some magic to create a small flower. The deed seems relatively unimpressive to the more powerful magicians who are watching, but what none of them realize is that the flower has seeds, and they are viable, and a new form of life has just been created. The idea of creating not just an item, but a living organism, complete with a genetic history was intriguing to me.
0 Replies
 
 

Related Topics

 
  1. Forums
  2. » David Eddings
Copyright © 2024 MadLab, LLC :: Terms of Service :: Privacy Policy :: Page generated in 0.04 seconds on 11/02/2024 at 06:35:05