Pawn of Prophecy

Rating:
Summary: AWESOME
Review: Mr. Eddings started a ball rolling with this book that I don't think even he knew when it would stop. He puts our dreams on paper with this book...and sets us up for the ride of our life. Geoff Painte

Rating:
Summary: Eddings begins an unforgettable tale in a vivid world.
Review: This is a book that is difficult to put down. Eddings builds a world that will remain in your mind long after you close the book. As the characters embark on a classic good versus evil adventure, the reader is swept along with them, begging for more. And Eddings delivers. The rest of the Belgariad is as good as the beginning. Eddings writing style is simple, making Pawn of Prophecy a saga to read just for fun and suitable for junior high students and up.

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable read
Review: Being such a fan of Fantasy it's odd that it's taken me this long to get around to reading the Belgariad series. I quite liked the book and at only about 250 pages it was a quick and refreshing read. The first few chapters are packed with what are now such standard Fantasy cliches (mysterious black rider watching from a distance, parents dead, and on and on) I had to remind myself constantly that this book was written before they had become so hackneyed. That aside, I enjoyed reading the book. I have a minor quibble with the names Eddings chooses, they don't feel perfectly natural to me, but thats not really a big deal. Certain Fantasy authors have made us expect to spend 800+ pages before anything of note happens. Perhaps thats why I felt there was a slight lack of detail that I enjoy, but again, only a minor quibble. The real test is how bady I wanted to read the next volume when I finished this one. I went directly to the bookstore and picked up volume 2.

Rating:
Summary: Flawed but Who Cares!
Review: Pawn and Prophecy was a terrific book! When I first started the book, I found the dialogue to be unrealistic, even for fantasy, but as I read on the unique way the characters interacted added to the allure.
Although Pawn and Prophecy has the "typical fantasy plot" (throw a motley crew together to save the world)the characters are unique and loveable. Because Eddings writes in such a unique way the plot remains unpredictable.
I would highly recommend this book, it is like no other, and the story line only gets better throughout the series!

Rating:
Summary: A Good Book/Series For Adolescents & Kids.
Review: I hate to go against the grain here, but if I had not been raised on J. R. R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Ring Trilogy," and if I had not read tales of faeries and mythology omnivorously as a child, I would be kinder when reviewing David Edding's "Pawn of Prophecy." Tolkien, however, and superb folk and fairy stories are difficult acts to follow. I think it is important to mention, if it is not obvious with my first sentence, that I came to this book, and series, as an adult. Children and adolescents should take to it much more enthusiastically than I. I also have little patience with cliches. And David Eddings begins Volume I, Book I of the Belgariad with a biggie - the battle between Good and Evil, fought by the most obvious of opponents. There are few shades of gray; one is either a supporter of one destiny or another.

The Prologue provides the reader with the mythology of the Gods, and the history of the tremendous war amongst them which triggers major changes in the face of the earth, all its Kingdoms, its peoples and their alliances. There is a Great Lord of Evil, Torek One-Eye, who steals a most powerful Artifact through which one can wield mighty power. The Lords/Gods of Good, must regain possession of the Orb or the Dark Power will reign supreme. Humans are used as avatars to do the Gods' bidding. A company of humans, heroes all, must go on a dangerous quest to wrest the precious jewel back from the Dark One's clutches. Sound familiar? And there is a young boy, (a "child of destiny" ), who leads them - an orphan -a seemingly normal child, who is being raised in the hinterlands as a household servant by his aunt, the cook. The boy, Garion, is the heir to the most noble of lines, and has a great purpose in this series. Substitute Tolkien's Ring, or Arthur's Sword for the Orb, and Gandalf or Merlin for Aunt Pol and one basically has the storyline. Now, I never expected author Eddings to reinvent the wheel, but he could have made his plot more subtle, more of a challenge. I was a third of the way through Book One when I had things pretty much figured out.

I will say, in spite of overdoing the tried and true, the book has definite merit. I enjoyed many of the Belgariad characters. It is difficult not to like Garion, or be at once fascinated and delighted by Aunt Pol. Eddings has a definite flair for creating vivid characters, so alive they come right off the page. However, none of them are quite tested to their limits. Again, I think the novel, and the series, lack edge. The humor is terrific at times, as is the dialogue. The "evil ones," however, are not anywhere near as scary as they could be, and as a veteran of some rather frightening books peopled by some terrifying beings, this was a disappointment. Again, this "flaw" turns into a plus for a younger audience.

Overall, "Pawn of Prophecy" is well written and moves along at a good pace. I would definitely recommend this for teens interested in fantasy, and I think reading this aloud to a child would be a fun experience.
JANA

Rating:
Summary: Clicheed but very cute
Review: This is going to deal with the whole series, not just this one book, since no one book makes sense on its own.

First of all, to reply to all the critics who hated this clicheed story, I would have to reply that they are all 100% correct. Yes, it was clicheed, yes Eddings did need a thesaurus, except for that one line, "Silk's predations were broadly ecumenical" or something like that, where he overused it.

I was first given this book a few years ago, when I was concentrating on serious fantasy--Terry Goodkind, George RR Martin, and of course, Tolkien. Confession: I did not like Tolkien.
I started it, and got insanely bored by the prologue, which I recomment either skipping or skimming. It is useful later on, but very boring and a bit preachy.
I tried again a few months later, and this time really got into the book. I am still not sure why. I'll admit that the characters are two-dimensional, though I really liked Pol(gara) and Silk was always amusing. I'll also admit that (Bel)garion is a whining little child who is so utterly clueless, it is hard to believe he is awake at all throughout the first few books. The plot is clicheed and a bit trite.

Later on, in "The Rivan Codex" this is all explained--this is precisely what the author wanted to do.

All this, however, is only marginally relevant. My number one criteria is whether I enjoyed the book(s). I did. They are light, airy, and just cute. Even if any reader with half a brain figures it all out by page 40 or so, the stories are fun. The best aspect, for me, was the comedic twist. Silk is hilarious, Beldin is also rather funny, and Belgarath pulls off a few amusing lines. I read these with a corny smile on my face.

While I'll repeat that this is not serious fantasy, it is fun, and that is all that counts.

The unfortunate thing is that the plot is recycled for Mallorean, and the characters are recycled for the Elenium and Tamuli. Durnik= Kurik Sephrenia=Polgara Torak=Azash Orb=Bhellium Flute=Ce'Nedra, etc.

So, if anyone wants unexpected twists and turns, sorry. For anyone who wants to enjoy a few hours, go ahead, pick up something by Eddings

Rating:
Summary: Great children's literature.
Review: This would be an awesome book for a seventh or eighth grader to read or maybe a bright sixth grader to read with a parent. Classic storyline, simple and quick-moving adventure, colorful characters. It just isn't really complex, gritty, or novel enough for an adult audience. 5 stars for kids, 2 stars for adults, average=3 stars (rounded down because this is passed off as adult literature by your local book store).

Rating:
Summary: Let's face it.
Review: Let's face it. David Eddings' storyline sucks. Period. There are so many plot holes and contradictions, I can think of a dozen off the top of my head. But does it matter? Not in the least. Eddings is unique. The way he writes his books is extraordinary. After a few pages, I got totally hooked(hooked enough to buy every single book in both series, 2nd hand of course). I sort of glossed over the story in my mind, and just enjoyed what was being written. Read it, and you'll see what I mean.

Rating:
Summary: ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTFUL
Review: This Edding series is one of the best. The story is pleasant, fast moving and just plan fun to read, worts and all. The books must be read in order, i.e. The Belgraid, in order to follow the complete and almost never ending story. As far as this particular genre go, these are simple books, with a good strong story line which is very readable and easy to follow. Many people I know, myself included, have read and reread this entire series several times. Highly recommend!

Rating:
Summary: Nice story...but...pretty.......slow
Review: Pawn of Prophecy is the starting point for David Eddings' five book set called the Belgariad. Like any first book in a series, the first book lays the foundation and builds the characters and plot. The Belgariad fits the pattern of most fantasies, young bratty kid's gotta step up or the world is doomed. Fortunately he has prophecy, birthmarks, and powerful old wizard's on his side. Now the only question is which lowly position will this child have to fit the formula: woodsman, goatherder, paperboy. If you guessed hanging out in the kitchen cleanin' stuff you get a smiley face sticker.

The dull life is about to end though as danger comes to town in the forms of mysterious strangers, dangerous farmhands, and sinister visions. The more our kitchen kid discovers, the more he finds out he has no idea who he is or where he came from.

Soon he is wisked away with the old and quirky wizards out of town. They meet up with some other friends and you got your basic adventuring group (wizards, fighters, thieves, kitchen kids). Now Eddings does a remarkable job of building characters' personalities and wonderfully witty dialogue. I love it.

The book is really pretty simple. George R.R. Martin and Terry Goodkind have really taken the fantasy genre to a more realistic, gritty, and adult-oriented place (and those are wonderful books as well). But David Eddings is more of a throwback to the old school days of fantasy. You won't find descriptive torture or vivid sex scenes. But you do get a wonderful story with delightfully unique characters.

The reason I mention this book as being slow is because most of the time they're just traveling from place to place. A pattern forms at each stop and it feels like nothing new is happening. However, through it all Eddings is building the characters' relationships and he does eventually start to pull it together. It's worth the slow parts. Stay with it.