Rating: 
Summary: Pile Of Crap
Review: What a complete waste of time, money and effort. How could all the other books be so good, and then they spin out this pile of crap. Don't waste your time...read "Belgarath The Sorcerer" again and use your imagination on what Polgara was up to. I think (and hope) this is the last in this tired old series
Rating: 
Summary: yawn and yawn again
Review: God, I've been waiting for this book.
I've enjoyed the Belgariad and Malloreon very much and read the books several times.
I liked the quick wit, the humorous exchanges between the characters, and the plot. But "Polgara" left me disappointed, rewriting that already twice told long story of what Pol and Belgareth did during 3000 years when noting much of a plot happend, before the actual series (Bel/Mal) started. Just adding the angle of Polgara's perception is definately not enough to salt this journal-of-a-time-of-waiting. It has little entertaining value, and a somewhat shrill lack of those peculiar grins that swept my face reading the Bel/Mal. There is so much more that can be done with the good set of characters the Eddingses created in the Bel/Mal. I do hope they start a NEW plot/series with them.
Rating: 
Summary: This is a very good book
Review: This is his best book yet, and I would recommend it to all who have liked his books
Rating: 
Summary: Companion book to Belgarath the Sorcerer
Review: Read this after you read "Belgarath the Sorcerer," since this book picks up where BtS left off.Queen Ce'Nedra of Riva, having finished reading Belgarath's autobiography, decides to visit her distant in-laws in the Vale of Aldur. Once there, Ce'Nedra's true mission comes forth: she wants Polgara, the immortal sorceress, to "fill in the gaps" of Belgarath's autobiography and write her own story. Of course Polgara dismisses this idea as childish, until Polgara's mother, the divinely wise Poledra (undoubtedly THE most powerful and respected person ever) simply orders her to do it. Reluctantly but obediently Polgara pens her tale... Born and raised in the Vale of Aldur, Polgara and her twin sister Beldaran were raised by the other sorcerers, since the twins' parents were not there. Polgara was the dark one, quiet and brooding. Beldaran was the light one, sunny in appearance and disposition. Polgara went through a misfit teen stage and lived in a tree for years while bright and happy Beldaran lived in a quartz castle surrounded by love and affection. Soon though, Beldaran, who is mortal, was betrothed to a prince destined to become a powerful king. Polgara, accepting responsibility, cleans up her act and begins the long trip to immortal supremacy. Along the way she learns to harness her godlike magical powers, falls in love with an Arend and gains the title of "Duchess of Erat," is briefly "owned" by a wealthy Nadrak merchant, loses loved ones in wars, pines for her sister, oversees a long line of nephews, and of course, gets exasperated with her father, Belgarath. Polgara, who came across as cold, scheming, strict, and "waspish" in the Belgariad/Mallorean, here is quite different. She seems warmer, more compassionate, more approachable, more tolerant of people, a bit silly, and still quite serious about what she obviously considers to be the most important virtue, Sobriety. Not quite the same Polgara from the First Ten books. This one is more "girlish" in a giggly sort of way. Polgara the Woman of PtS seemed more realistic than the icily calculating Polgara the All-Powerful Sorceress of Belgariad/Mallorean. Two similar but different Polgaras, and I'm not sure which one I liked better. Belgarath is even more of a bumbling dunderhead here in PtS than he was even in "Belgarath the Sorcerer," yet Polgara's exasperation and unwavering love for him is still evident. Poledra, who was born a wolf, lacked any real warmth yet remained acceptable in her "wolfishness." A very poignant part of Polgara's story is her deep and genuine love for the charming Ontrose, a Wacite Arend nobleman. This was very moving, and a bittersweet memory that Polgara had cherished for countless centuries. A disappointing aspect of PtS was the briefness of Polgara's tale of her stay with a Nadrak. This was mentioned briefly in Belgariad/Mallorean, "the time when Polgara was owned by a Nadrak." Now, talk about intriguing! Polgara being led around on a leash and SOLD (although for a goodly amount of gold) to Belgarath? I wanted more; the Nadraks are one of the more interesting tribes of Eddings' world, and while being "owned" is nothing like slavery, it was an interesting position for Polgara to be in. I was looking forward to it and was quite disappointed that the entire ordeal was covered in only a few pages. The Eddingses should be commended for making the voice of Polgara different from the voice of Belgarath. I'm not saying that Polgara's book was "feminine" or that Belgarath's story was "masculine," just that the two books had two different (although sometimes similar) souls. While not as joyous in temperament as "Belgarath the Sorcerer," PtS was still an enjoyable read. Now if only the Eddingses would grace us with the tale of Beldin! Recommended for Eddings fans, and for fans of general Fantasy.
Rating:
Summary: Somewhat Disappointing
Review: Like most other reviewers on here, I love the Belgariad series and I simply devoured it when it was written. I thought The Mallorean and Belgareth the Socerer were more tedious, but okay. This book has stretched my patience with the series though. I really liked the character Polgara in the earlier books, but here, she seems like a self-absorbed snob. I got tired of all the bullying, especially of the Arends, and the frequent references to the stupidity of all humans. I'm sure someone who is 3000 years old would have an altered view on human nature and behavior, but I would also have expected her to develop a little more grace and polish and wisdom. The 3000-year-old Polgara has the exact same personality as the 16-year-old one. It was tiresome and did not match her personality from the other books.
The same holds true for Ce'Nedra. I was tired of her by the end of the Belgariad. She didn't improve any in the Mallorean and in the Epilogue of this book, she's supposed to be approximately 20 years older, but she's still the same spoiled brat she always was. Ugh! Garion deserved better.
The Eddings' need to let their characters grow and mature.
Rating:
Summary: Polgara's Turn To Tell-All......
Review: Polgara. The other half of the legendary duo that brought-up Garion/Belgarion to become the King of Riva. In this book, Polgara gets her chance to tell the story of how she raised and cared for generation after generation after generation of the Rivan-line and protected them from the dark-forces that wanted to change the prophecy that was passed down. Polgara leaves very few stones unturned in this novel. She discusses what it was like to be raised by her uncles and her "adventurous" father. The death of her sister, the Vale, her time on the run, the time spent at her `Rose-Chateau' and the decripting of the prophecy are all described in wonderful detail. Pol's conflictive relationship with her father is a strong part of the book too. Her comments about Belgarath and little things in general help the book to flow and provide a bit of humour at the same time. Over the centuries Pol was given many opportunities to show off her lighter side and her manipulative side as well, and her tales of these are truly enjoyable. This book has the Eddings pair at their finest and I highly recommend it. If you have read "The Belgariad" and "The Mallorean" this is a definite must-read. As a stand-alone novel there might be a few questions, but I think the book is still a nice and easy read. Overall, "Polgara the Sorceress" is a great read and a nice insight into `the other side of the story.' All that we have left is to wait to hear Torak's side of the adventure! :-)
|
