Rating: 
Summary: Great and magical story
Review: I just realized that it's been over 15 years since I read this, but it still sticks in my mind as one of the best books (and series) that I've ever read.Magic abounds, but not at all in the sometimes typically over-used way. The characters are real in their reactions to situations and to magic. If you like Tolkien, Terry Brooks or Robert Jordan, this is a book you must read.
Rating: 
Summary: very linear
Review: I've found with these reviews that people arent very critical. Is this really the best book youve ever read?? Its got that definite, "they go here, then they go there, then they travel here. etc etc". Nothing ever really happens. There is only 1 battle in the book which goes for about 10 lines. There is no finale either. Yeah its part of a series, but you still need a climax. The end of the book finishes with the party heading out on the road again (so Im not sure if I want to read the 2nd). There is also no real use of magic either. I dont know how this can be compared to the likes of Gemmell and Feist.
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Summary: Pawn of Prophecy
Review: This is one of the best fantasy books ever. The series is great. It's a must read for anyone who likes fantasy.
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Summary: In the Beginning
Review: This book starts off as any normal book would but, a chapter into it things start to happen and you get drawn into the plot and become a part of the group in the story. Very well written, Pawn of Prophecy is one of the best beginning books I have read in a long time.
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Summary: The book that brought me back
Review: I had read fantasy almost exclusively as a child and a young man. As I entered high school, fantasy had fallen to the wayside. I really couldn't care less if Thringmarr needed to find the Five Mystic Keys of Fentoozler to free the people of Okemok from the Evil Black Mage... fantasy was all looking the same. But, at the age of sixteen, a friend turned me on to this book, and I was sucked back in to reading fantasy. Eddings can do that to you... pull you in, and make you care about the characters. The story is sweeping and majestic, similar to Tolkien in scope, but unique in style. And the writing is witty, subtle, and well crafted. The only complaint I have about this book is that all of his characters have the same, dry sense of humor. It's as if they all share one mind. I understand that friends often think alike, but sometimes it seems as if the characters have interchangable points of view. The words out of Durnik's mouth could just as easily have come from Belgarath's, or Polgara's, or Silk's, or.... you get the picture. But, despite that complaint, this is a terrific book, and the first in a series that led me back to fantasy, a course that I have generally not strayed from for the last eleven years.
Rating: 
Summary: Enjoyable
Review: ..but not quite mythical. But as I learned from the other reviewers, I would have enjoyed it much more 10 years ago (at age 15), and it was written quite a while ago, and was inventive then. So - it's good. The things that bothered me a bit were the how you can tell what's going to happen at every turn, like the music in a horrormovie is playing in the background "it's going to get scary now!" :-) and some situations were not very believable (I mean, your galloping on horseback through the night - but can still see how the snow is covering your tracks behind you? no way! it's dark right? and if it were snowing that heavily even in light, you couldn't see that far anyway..), which can interfere with the cinematics in your head :-) If you liked Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series you'll like this. It's a classic, and there's a lot worse fantasy..
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Summary: My Analysis
Review: I have read a lot of reviews on this page saying that the characters in the Belgariad are two dimensional and flat. I disagree 110%. Look at Polgara and Silk. These two were easily my favorite, and far from two dimensional. The same can be said for Mr. Wolf (a.k.a Belgarath). This series is far from perfect, but it is a lot more interesting then the Lord of the Rings by Tolkein, Shannara series by Brooks, and The Wheel of Time by Jordan. The Mallorean does get a little silly (i.e. the "choice" at the end), but the prequels leave readers wanting more. After reading Belgarath the Sorcerer and Polgara the Sorceress, you feel like you know these two characters on a personal level. It's as if they actually existed. The character development is tremendous. And since we already know most of the story, the point of Polgara the Sorceress is to basically see it from another point of view. To get in her head (for lack of a better term) and see what she's thinking. I realized she's a much stronger woman than she was perceived in the previous books. A lot of people found her "bitchy" and "manipulative". But I rather enjoyed that side of her... I think adults can enjoy this series as much as the average teenager. It's not complex, but it's by no means simple.
Rating:
Summary: A really great book
Review: I'm sure the Belgariad (of which this is the first book) is one of the best fantasy series ever written, together with the Mallorean and both the Elenium series by the same author. This series is fashioned in the traditional Medieval Romance structure: there's a quest (to defeat Torak -evil dragon god-) with many subquests included, a hero and heroine (though they don't seem to really fill the roles at first), a company, a prophecy that needs to be fulfilled, a wise sorcerer...the works; and it's really fun reading. I've already read the series thrice and will surely keep on reading it, as you always discover something new in it. In this first book, we meet Garion - raised as a farmer by his aunt Pol and Durnik. One night he and his aunt must leave the farm to begin a trek that will only end five books later. Garion meets those that will become his company and begins to learn what his destiny is.
Rating:
Summary: Classic, enjoyable fantasy
Review: Who am I trying to fool? I'll establish this now: my review is, quite bluntly, about the whole of the Belgariad, NOT just the first book, but I will only post this review in the Pawn of Prophecy category. This entire five book series can be summed up by calling it a 'simple, enjoyable, easy read.' Classic storyline, classic characters, classic fantasy elements; in short, the typical bull**** that David and his wife are famous for. Now don't get me wrong, this is great stuff. I thorougly enjoyed all of the books in The Belgariad, but what I'm trying to say is, these books were written. . . like 20 years ago. At that time fantasy was a new, growing development. In these days, people expect more inventiveness and creativeness. But, of course, when these books were written, they were inventive and creative. For example, someone who reads mainly Forgotten Realms and Dragonlance fantasy certainly won't enjoy David Eddings very much, in comparison to the endlessly inventive D & D literature that's being perptetually pumped out, but, when writing the series, it is obvious that David didn't intend to write any hard-core fantasy. Appeal: There is no one, not even non-fantasy readers, who would not enjoy this great series. In fact, if one is going to begin reading fantasy, I would strongly suggest that they start with The Belgariad, rather than a long, heavy epic such as J. R. Tolkien. Only some, who are used to more advanced, modern fantasy, may not be totally satisfied by this series. 8.5/10 Pros: Memorable characters, storyline, the dry, sharp satirical, logical dialogue humour for which David is popular. 10/10 Cons: There are actually no flaws, cons, in this book. It may not have what many hard-core fantasy readers want, but this series was designed to be light, enjoyable fantasy, appealing to all. 10/10 Total, average score: 9.5/10 My personal, overall score: 10/10.
Rating:
Summary: Well Worth the Time
Review: I have read the all of the Books in the Belgariad and the Malloreon all ten books are among the best I have ever read in my life. Along with Eddings Elenium books i would recommend almost all the books I have read by him. Eddings takes you into the mind and world of Garion, Belgarath, Polgara and all the others. He gives them life befor your eyes and you grow th love them. This was a great book. I have read all of Eddings books at least twice.
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