Belgarath the Sorcerer

Before starting the review, get these books before they disappear again. Not sure why, but the come and go without explanation. Im not a fan of the ebook cover, however, at least I have them all together again.

This book in particular is responsible for my love of reading and my addiction to fantasy books. As a 12 year old boy, this book grabbed my imagination and took it soaring.. I felt so connected to Garion, Mr Wolf, and Aunt Pol. It was almost as if I knew them. There was something about Mr. Eddings writing style that transported me to this world and had me literally feeling the warmth of the fire and the cold of the rain. I cant recommend them enough for a younger person that may not read for pleasure yet. Ive reread these books countless times since then and they always bring a smile to my face. Its almost sitting down with an old friend and reliving the glory days over some drinks.

As I grew older and read more books, I began to look at this and his other series with a more critical eye. Characters show up in his novels with little variation, only the names and ages change. Somethings dont hold up so well as an adult reader. Everyone has a neat little box they fit into, this race of people do this and seem to be unable to break from their character traits. Even the heros hit some notes over and over again, but thats ok with me. Sometimes I just need to put on that old sweatshirt that feels good and reminds me of good times and places. It may be faded and have a few holes, but it helps you feel warm and safe and sometimes thats all you need.

It’s probably been over a decade since I first read. Pawn of Prophecy. I was coming into reading and picking up anything that interested me. I actually started with the prequel, “Polgara the Sorceress” first, and it’s still my favorite of the series. I decided to do a re-read of the series.

After doing a re-read of another childhood favorite that was sadly disappointing compared to my memory of it, I was slightly fearful going into it. I was really hoping that a re-read wouldn’t spoil fond memories. Fortunately, It worked out for me and I enjoyed it as much as I did years ago.

I said in the title that it’s complex for it’s time. I don’t mean that there are twists and turns that you don’t see coming. This book pretty much lays one of the older tropes out there, of the young farm boy turned chosen one. What I meant is that a lot of the books around that time were very linear. A sage shows up and collects the soon-to-be hero and they form a party of heroes who might not have existed till they need to support the lack luster hero in his quest for the shiny.

What I really liked about this book was the characters, and I feel like that makes any story, regardless of the genre. Not right off the bat, but throughout the story, you keep finding out about these characters and realize that they’ve been living lives well before you cracked the spine on the book. They have pasts and emotions tied up in those pasts. This makes them feel real and makes me empathize with them.

I’ve seen other people talk about this series and how women aren’t portrayed in the light they’d like them to be. That’s not an overwhelming complaint, just one I’d like to address. My response is that this book/series does very well for the time it was written. Many authors of the time didn’t give women nearly as much character as this book. The previous re-read I mentioned was from much later on, had a female author, and still didn’t have as strong of female character as this book. Polgara doesn’t take crap off of anyone, but better, she doesn’t come off as a harpy doing it. She knows what needs doing and expects it to be done. When someone balks, she handles them in an efficient manner that’s a combo of wit and authority. She doesn’t feel the need to dissemble, make excuses, or anything else. She knows what she’s worth.

The other female characters aren’t as powerful and don’t have the same rights, but there are still other females with varying amounts of authority, and typically their husbands take their advice in making decisions. This isn’t the ideal for todays novels, but we’re talking about something written in 1982. Not only has a patriarchal society been the norm for most of time, wrong as it may have been, but at the time fantasy readers were predominantly male and writing for a male audience. Most people reading fantasy back then were looking for wish fulfillment. Same today really. We read a book or watch a movie and we want to empathize with the main character and put ourselves in their position. We want to feel that accomplishment and like we’ve overcome those trials and gotten those rewards ourselves. In fantasy writing of the time, that tended to be a young boy coming from a normal to poor situation and finding out they’re special. They go through trials, but are victorious in the end and get the girl that wants to be with them as well. True love.

So while I agree that the portrayal of women in the novel could be better, I say that you shouldn’t judge it by todays standards. I’m making a big deal over it, because I feel like people do these days, often to the detriment of the story. I cited an example recently of a book-to-screen adaptation where they made the female lead a bada** from the start, when in the books she has a much more compelling arc by starting week and finding strength in doing what she had to anyway. They took that away from her in the interest of being PC from the start. I think female readers will enjoy the book as well and find strong females to empathize with.

Another thing I liked about the story was how the MC and even other characters don’t want to be on the quest and just want to go back home and for things to be normal again. I like that they aren’t trying to explore the world and can’t wait to be away from their old life, moving on to what they “deserve”. The hole situation scares them and they just want the security and comfort of what’s “normal”.

I like that the MC isn’t supernaturally talented at everything he puts his hand to. There is a funny scene in the book where he’s learning something and is super proud of how much he’s improving in just three days. That’s pretty typical for a lot of fantasy back then. Then the character teaching him cuts his feet out from under him by telling another that he’s doing well and will really start progressing when they move out of the most basic version. MC’s heart sinks hearing that. I really like that touch. Also, as far as teaching goes, I like that the MC learns skills from people who are very talented at what they do. I feel like their casual competence sets a high bar in the MC’s mind and that when he does things he thinks are way below their level, he’s actually way more competent that he thinks. I’ve only seen this in a few other books.

It’s pretty common in books I read, but I also like how those with real power or authority don’t make a big deal of it. I think it’s a lesson most of us fantasy readers learn pretty quickly. Those who really throw their weight around are the ones that don’t really have that much power. You see here how lesser nobles and house staff really make a big deal about who has authority where, but the ones with real power just do what needs doing or command it done and expect it to be.

I think for me, the thing that stood out as most dated was the different “races”. I can’t say I really thought about it when I was younger, but it kind of popped out at me now. There are several different kingdoms and in the book, they’re basically treated like different species with unique characteristics. They describe this people as all being blank, blank, and blank. They’re talked about like every person of that kingdom share the same characteristic, be that size, mental prowess, etc… Some of that is cultural, but it gets ridiculous to the point where you stop and think that from the way they talk, they can’t even interbreed. Which they obviously do. They way they act and what’s portrayed don’t mesh. Yes, most of the people in a kingdom act similarly, but when the story is being told there are all levels and kinds of people in each kingdom and they do marry and travel outside of their kingdoms. It just stuck out like a sore thumb to me on this read-through, but it’s not really something focused on a ton, so I generally don’t’ even think about it.

Something else that stood out to me is how he quest is interrupted and even thought the party contains some powerhouses that could use their power to get out of it, they go along with the interruption, because they’re smart enough to know it’s actually quicker to deal with it than to fight it. I think a lot of stories would just have them blast their way through any opposition and stay on task. That’s not how the real world works and they get bogged down with bureaucracy in this book.

There was some good foreshadowing I noticed in this book. Like I said, I’ve read it a few times before, so I know where it’s going. I don’t remember all the details. I’ve forgotten enough that I can still be surprised and the re-read is enjoyable. What I really like to do on re-reads is to find the foreshadowing a reader does and there are some subtle ones in this book.

Another thing done mostly well is how the MC is in position to experience most of the events. Of course he’s the hero, but he’s also a young person. Thus the adults want to keep them out of it and safe. In many other books, the MC is put in a position to overhear or act on info that doesn’t come across as plausible for the most part. For instance, the MC wakes up at night and decides to take a stroll to clear their head and see enemies coming over the wall. Yeah, it’s possible, but how many of us really wake up at night and decide to go for a walk in the dark?

For the most part, in this book, it was done well. You piece together info over the whole book from snippets of conversation the MC ease drops on or figures out themselves. Instead of just giving you the answers or hiding them for no reason, you get to work to ferret them out with the MC. I feel like they have a legitimate reason for wanting to know what they learn and in most instances have a valid reason to be where they are to overhear that info. There is only one specific scene where my incredulity was stretched about the coincidence of the MC being where they could know something important. Other than that, I was satisfied.

So if you’re looking for a classic fantasy read to enjoy, I think you’d really like this series. I think there are characters that anyone can sympathize with and get behind. I think the characters have depth and feel like real people. Lastly, the author leans into the trope and instead of hiding info from you, basically provides a lot up from through inference. I think it’s a unique way to tell the story and so far, I’m just as fond of it as I was in my teens.

David Eddings is a popular and famous author, but this book is terrible. First, the depiction of women is cliche and sexist, regardless of their age. Second, the main character (who is a teenager) thinks and acts with the maturity of an eight year old. Third, very little confrontation actually happens, and when it does the writing is poorly executed and not engaging. Forth, the characters are quite one-dimensional with very little character development or truly meaningful relationships. Fifth, the writing is quite simple and infantilizing. Sixth, the book unintentionally makes the case that adoption is only okay if its done by a blood relative. Lastly, the book is generally boring and predictable. I bought this book, because it was on the NYT list of top 100 fantasy novels. Its unfortunate that popularity seems to have trumped quality. I really cant recommend this book for anyone.

I was never much for fantasy, growing up. But I have always had a fondness for stories that depict relatable, contemporary-feeling characters in unusual circumstances. “Pawn of Prophecy,” and the entire Belgariad series, had that feel for me. Even though the setting is distinctly fantasy and otherworldly, the characters feel contemporary and alive to me.

This book also has the ability to make me feel nostalgic, despite its setting. Garion, the protagonist, starts as a young boy, and his relationship with his Aunt Pol is essentially the relationship most young boys have with the women who raise themwhether that be mothers or grandmothers or aunts. I re-read this book every now and then just to revisit that warm and golden part of my own boyhood, and all the adventure that seemed to lurk around my home and my neighborhood growing up. Not to mention all the trouble I managed to get into.

This book is the first in a 5-part seriesthough you could actually call it a 10-part series, since the Belgariad’s sequel series the Mallorean ties in so smoothly. I recommend it to anyone who loves a good story with a dramatic hero’s journey. You will not be disappointed. This is Lord of the Rings for people who want more direct language and a more pure character arc.

Time for a re-read. One of my favorite series of books. Surprised that Corgi seem to (by this edition) be trying to market these books as young adult fiction. They can certainly be read by teenagers, I read the series initially when I was 11, but I don’t believe Eddings was ever writing to that audience specifically. If you think the books are for kids/teenagers and this is putting you off buying them as an adult, ignore the marketing, they are great books.

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