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13th out of 1,560 books
—
10,555 voters
The Belgariad Boxed Set (The Belgariad #1-5)
Paperback, 1635 pages
Published
October 28th 1986
by Del Rey Books
(first published 1984)
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I'm a closet sci-fi/fantasy/adventure fan. I make no apologies for that. And I'll make no apologies for loving this series of books. I've read this series at least a dozen times and it never fails to entertain.
This series is deceptive. Because the five books are quick reads, it can be easy to dismiss them as light reading in the genre. they're not. Mark Twain once apologize for writing a long letter because he didn't have time to write a short one. David Eddings (and his noncredited co-author wi...more
This series is deceptive. Because the five books are quick reads, it can be easy to dismiss them as light reading in the genre. they're not. Mark Twain once apologize for writing a long letter because he didn't have time to write a short one. David Eddings (and his noncredited co-author wi...more
Truly great story. When I read LOTR, I was left with images of all of these grim people with little in the way of comic relief.......to which you might respond "Sauron's got the world practically in his grasp, what's the humor in that?" I just think that I'd rather sit down and have a drink with Belgarath, Silk, Barak and company rather than Gandalf and Frodo.
Having said that, LOTR is the far superior work, but I don't think that Eddings had that sort of goal with his series. Just a lot of fun t...more
Having said that, LOTR is the far superior work, but I don't think that Eddings had that sort of goal with his series. Just a lot of fun t...more
This is the series that really got me hooked into the fantasy genre. The pace at which the story moves along is one of the best... introducing you to the innocent, somewhat naive farmboy Garion, who quickly grows on you as everything that has been kept secret from him is slowly revealed, forcing him to come to grip with his destiny. The variety of characters and their unique personalities are great, and the often funny banter between the characters makes this a guaranteed enjoyable read!
Yes, you are reading that correctly - this is a fantasy series of five books. Actually, ten, for there is a sequel series of five called The Mallorean, although it isn't quite as good. As would would expect in a series of such length, there are many characters and storylines, but not so many that you get lost in them. The five books of the Belgariad are wonderfully creative; Eddings creates a fantasy world that is fun to become part of.
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The Belgariad series and its sequel, the Mallorean series (also 5 books) are some of the best fantasy novels you will ever read. Unlike most fantasy books, it is relatively easy to quickly figure out the world in which they take place. The characters are absolutely fantastic - some of the best characters in any fantasy book I've ever read. I think Silk is my favorite. So read all 10 of these books. They are great!
Mar 08, 2007
Leon Brown
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone with a good imagination
Shelves:
fantacy
The Belgariad is the best series of books I have ever read.
The books take you into a well defined world, each country very different from the next, and envelops the reader in such a riveting story-line that he would want to never put the book down.
The series is full of magic (sorcery), action, and believeble characters.
Well worth the read
The books take you into a well defined world, each country very different from the next, and envelops the reader in such a riveting story-line that he would want to never put the book down.
The series is full of magic (sorcery), action, and believeble characters.
Well worth the read
These books are entertaining, up to a point. Even as a teenager, when I was most into these novels, however, I started skimming at the end of the series, wanting to know what was going to happen, but wanting to skip Eddings' verbosity and plot twists that were created for their own sake.
This is the weaker of the two major series he writes. This is probably because Garion is the kind of hero who is too good for his own good and therefore fairly boring. One usually looks to the slightly crusty Bel...more
This is the weaker of the two major series he writes. This is probably because Garion is the kind of hero who is too good for his own good and therefore fairly boring. One usually looks to the slightly crusty Bel...more
I read this fantasy sequence as a young teenager and enjoyed it. Re-reading as an adult I was struck by the formulaic nature of the plots (basically a series of searches for various MacGuffins). I also noticed that the 'clever' banter between the characters was repetitive, taking the form of continual 'witty' putdowns and 'oh-so-clever' sarcastic remarks.
The character of Polgara in particular is a deeply unpleasant person who, far from being a strong and confident female character comes across...more
The character of Polgara in particular is a deeply unpleasant person who, far from being a strong and confident female character comes across...more
This was my introduction to high fantasy. My gateway drug, I suppose. I have loved these books since they were loaned to me in high school, and I used to reread them at least once a year. When times were bad, I could still follow along with Garion, sigh over Silk (one of my original literary crushes), enjoy the interplay and intrigue, and the DIALOGUE!!! I had never read a book like that. I still haven't. My opinion on the series may have changed somewhat on my latest reread but David Eddings st...more
In the Belgariad, David Eddings leverages archetypes to the hilt--the orphaned child of destiny, the old and wise advisor, the protective mother-of-all--and weaves them into a beautiful detailed world, populated by people in nations who seem determined to live up to every stereotype about their race. What might have otherwise come across as dull and repetitive characterization instead turns into an insider joke of which the reader is a part. When a character rolls their eyes and says, "Alorns!",...more
Okay, what to say about Eddings?
Let me start by saying that while LOTR was the first fantasy I read (back in the early 90's, when there was a sense that there wasn't a fantasy genré yet, at least not in the small time where I lived, there was just SF and then there was LOTR) Eddings was the one that made me a fantasy fan.
There's a lot of (for good reasons!) dismissing of Eddings, yes, it's a simple narrative, yes, the characters are stereotypes, yes, it's sometimes pretty blatantly racist, he re...more
Let me start by saying that while LOTR was the first fantasy I read (back in the early 90's, when there was a sense that there wasn't a fantasy genré yet, at least not in the small time where I lived, there was just SF and then there was LOTR) Eddings was the one that made me a fantasy fan.
There's a lot of (for good reasons!) dismissing of Eddings, yes, it's a simple narrative, yes, the characters are stereotypes, yes, it's sometimes pretty blatantly racist, he re...more
The Belgariad by David Eddings is one of those epic sword-and-sorcery fantasies. It was a good story, with lots of interesting characters, a detailed world and a unique sorcery system. I quite enjoyed it.
One thing I didn’t enjoy about it though, was that it was in many ways very very similar to Lord of the Rings. I realize that LOTR is a seminal fantasy work, and it’s hard to be completely unique and still have a similar storyline, but there were quite a few times that I thought - as I was read...more
One thing I didn’t enjoy about it though, was that it was in many ways very very similar to Lord of the Rings. I realize that LOTR is a seminal fantasy work, and it’s hard to be completely unique and still have a similar storyline, but there were quite a few times that I thought - as I was read...more
Wow. I happened across these on a list and realized I remembered reading them. I think this was my first, go into the bookstore and pick out your own fantasy book series. I am not sure if it's marketed as young adult, but I think it is. It definitely was for me. This was my Harry Potter series... back before it was cool and mainstream to read fantasy books!
I actually remember alot about these. Garion is a young orphan boy who lives with his "Aunt Pol" and "Grandfather" and has a quiet life on a...more
I actually remember alot about these. Garion is a young orphan boy who lives with his "Aunt Pol" and "Grandfather" and has a quiet life on a...more
Probably my favorite series. I got hooked on this in early, early high school and it's still the story I compare similar books to when I try to decide if they're good or not. Unfortunately, near as I can tell, everything else David Eddings wrote sucked so the jury's still out on who my favorite author is.
I like this series because it's really easy to read. The characters have qualities that make them engaging and their relationships with one another are well defined and detailed. Eddings' dialog...more
I like this series because it's really easy to read. The characters have qualities that make them engaging and their relationships with one another are well defined and detailed. Eddings' dialog...more
Dec 07, 2007
Wendi
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
all fantasy readers and lovers of Tolkien
I read these books starting in Jr High, I think, and read them all multiple times. I love the author and the world he created. His characters are alive and well in my imagination. Though Eddings world is not nearly as developed as Tolkien's, if you liked The Lord of the Rings, you'll like these too.
I've read this set several times. When I sold off a bunch of books, I kept this set because I liked it enough that I planned to read it again. The Garion character's development was really well done, but it was Aunt Pol - the great Poledra - and Wolf - the legendary Belgarath who kept me back for more. They came to life for me as I read the story. I could see the motherly side of Pol and the gruff, yet loving side of Garath as they guarded and guided Garion to fulfill his destiny. The banter bet...more
A young adult series that stands the test of re-reading as an adult. I suspect that I first read the series in the early 90s, it wasn't new at the time, and I was in my early twenties. It still grabbed me, and I find that it has an enduring appeal, from the naivete of the main character to the oddly subdued but supremely powerful elder figures, with a quick plot, nice dialogue, and well structured action sequences. In talking to random people over the years, I have been periodically surprised by...more
Warm and entertaining, with likable characters, Eddings' series is fun but light. It's classic quest-based high fantasy, but there's an odd current of racism involved, more than the usual "orcs are bad" sort of thing. In the world of the Belgariad, the various humans are divided into several different countries, each with their own overriding and somewhat arch characteristics. The bad guys are the dark-skinned Murgos, and they're basically all bad. Be on the lookout for Romans, Jews, Egyptians,...more
it was good, i liked the story but the pace remained the same through the entire series and he tended to spend the same amount of time on both traveling and adventure. the traveling grated on my nerves: as soon as they got somewhere they immediately had to leave through the same old endless forest or frigid mountain as before. It probably didnt help, however, that i read them all over the course of three days; it probably encouraged the repetitivenes of the story. Not to mention that garion is t...more
The Belgariad is a series of five books that are the first of 12 that follow the same characters. Edding's most powerful feature is his characters. It is the intimate relationship that the reader cannot help but develop with his characters that will make reading these books seem like all too short of an experience. The characters that Eddings creates in the collection that includes the Belgariad, the Mallorean, Belgarath the Sorcerer and Polgara the Sorceress are what truly makes them my all tim...more
I've been told by countless people that this book is horrible because it's predictable - but, isn't some predictability a good thing in a book? I'm sure not everyone will agree with me, but I don't like to be completely surprised by a book. Not all surprises are good, after all.
Anyway, with that being said, I first read this book when I was 8 years old. I skipped the prologue, and went straight into reading the book with very low expectations...I am a creature of habit, and my mother had request...more
Anyway, with that being said, I first read this book when I was 8 years old. I skipped the prologue, and went straight into reading the book with very low expectations...I am a creature of habit, and my mother had request...more
I read this series essentially as one book, because they flow into each other so much, and that's how they were presented to me.
This is a cookie cutter story. Youth is discovered, happens to be from important lineage, there is an important magic item, special people can do magic, and there is a big looming evil that needs to be defeated.
The difference here is simply that Eddings tells the story the best. A bard can be known for their new story lines, or they can be known as a storyteller. Eddi...more
This is a cookie cutter story. Youth is discovered, happens to be from important lineage, there is an important magic item, special people can do magic, and there is a big looming evil that needs to be defeated.
The difference here is simply that Eddings tells the story the best. A bard can be known for their new story lines, or they can be known as a storyteller. Eddi...more
David Eddings' finest work. Tough to break the books down individually...so I'm cheating and writing about the 5 book series as a whole. All the characters are fresh...wizards, princesses, mystic swords...This series just rocks.
The Belgariad and The Mallorean are two five book series that follow the same characters and story thread. The story is the common—good vs. evil, save the world genre of high fantasy, but Eddings breathes vibrant life into the formula. Eddings is a master at crafting characters and that is where he truly shines as an author. Each character introduced is incredibly deep and filled with layers of history and quirks. The comical way they interact with one another also lends itself well to the stre...more
Okay, so I thought this was more like a 2.5 stars. I think under normal circumstances (like when I am not pregnant) I might have liked the series more, but to quite honest it was just too violent for me! It had fighting throughout and some of it rather gory. I am super sensitive these days and I found myself crying at the slightest drama (someone important dying, or perhaps a more soft moment of love--which didn't come all that often mind you). Rediculous. For those who like an adventure, this w...more
So finished the whole series, these five and the next five and they were fine, but not really compelling to read. I just would have a hard time recommending these books to anyone because they aren't that spectacular. Also someone commented on my review of the first book that the various gods/peoples are not that difficult for even the most juvenile of minds. However the way the gods are portrayed is not god-like at all. They are, except Aldur, kind of irritating. Also, after having read Eddings...more
Another great fantasy series about a boy who has to save the world. This series has it all: great characters, lots of funny banter, plenty of fighting, and magic.
This remains to date one of my favorite series ever. I reread it every now and then and after recommending it to someone today I had to check and make sure it was on my Goodreads list. Alas! It was not! What an oversight!
Unlike some series, the books in this series do not stand alone. It is basically a five book long novel. There is not really a subplot that ends at the end of each book. They pretty much just meld into one so I rated them all together. In fact I don't even remember the names of...more
Unlike some series, the books in this series do not stand alone. It is basically a five book long novel. There is not really a subplot that ends at the end of each book. They pretty much just meld into one so I rated them all together. In fact I don't even remember the names of...more
I read these in my younger years - and enjoyed them. Eddings character development is very strong, and his description of the actions are top-notch, with a magic system that makes sense in its way (with notable cause-and-effect consequences). The only reason I gave it 3 stars is because after awhile, it seemed like the same villains repeated. Not to say I still didn't enjoy these villains, but the world itself started to seem 'limited', and the arch-villains rather shallow. The main characters t...more
Awesome characters!
I also loved how the world is so complex yet it all fits together so well.
I also loved how the world is so complex yet it all fits together so well.
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David Eddings is an American author who has written several best-selling series of epic fantasy novels. David Eddings' wife, Leigh Eddings, is uncredited as co-author on many of his early books, but he has lately acknowledged that she contributed to them all.
David Eddings' first books (which were general fiction) sold moderately well. He later switched to writing epic fantasy, a field in which he...more
More about David Eddings...
David Eddings' first books (which were general fiction) sold moderately well. He later switched to writing epic fantasy, a field in which he...more
