The Belgariad, Vol. 1 (Books 1-3): Pawn of Prophecy, Queen of Sorcery, Magician's Gambit

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Description

Millions of readers have discovered the magic of David Eddings’ New York Times bestselling series The Belgariad. Now the first three books in this monumental epic appear in a single volume. Here, long-time fans can rediscover the wonder—and the uninitiated can embark upon a thrilling new journey of fantasy and adventure.

It all begins with the theft of the Orb that for so long protected the West from an evil god. As long as the Orb was at Riva, the prophecy went, its people would be safe from this corrupting power. Garion, a simple farm boy, is familiar with the legend of the Orb, but skeptical in matters of magic. Until, through a twist of fate, he learns not only that the story of the Orb is true, but that he must set out on a quest of unparalleled magic and danger to help recover it. For Garion is a child of destiny, and fate itself is leading him far from his home, sweeping him irrevocably toward a distant tower—and a cataclysmic confrontation with a master of the darkest magic.

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Customer Reviews

Glad this is such a long series
In short, I'm happy this is such a long series. Why I like this series: fun/interesting characters, gods, magic, war, heroes.

2010-08-31 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Considering the reputation...
...I'm not terribly impressed, to be honest. Oh, don't get me wrong, Eddings spins a good yarn, and I enjoyed the Belgariad, but I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. I kept thinking "surely it can't be this obvious. He's not actually going to play this as straight as it looks. Got to be a twist in here somewhere..."

Well, no, actually. The series proceeds pretty much exactly as you expect it will after reading the prologue and chapter one. Which means that anyone with half a brain will have figured out every revelation and plot point long before they occur, and the only real pleasure is in seeing them played out. It's like watching a movie as an adult that you already saw as a child: you know the main points of what's going to occur, and just stick around for whatever entertainment is found in the details.

In fairness, the details can be entertaining. Eddings has a charming, folksy style, and his characters (while a bit shallow) are generally at least amusing as they bounce off one another. I laughed out loud at some of the things Aunt Pol said, and the depiction of the genial kings, Silk the sly thief, and the Mandorallen the stereotype Arthurian knight are always fun. Even Belgarath, for all that he's channeling a heck of a lot of Gandalf, has an amusing personality all his own. While it's true that none of these characters, Garion included, feels as though they might truly surprise the reader, there's a certain enjoyment in just watching them. They're like reminiscences about a bunch of kindly characters met a long time ago: the company never fails to feel good-hearted and easy-going.

The flip side of the coin is that, once again, this isn't helping the suspense at all. There's no real instance of two characters being at odds (at least none that Aunt Pol can't fix with a motherly tongue-lashing). None of the characters are threatening or spine-tingling. None of them ever makes you wonder about their motives, and NO ONE ever moves too far from that sort of aw-shucks-we're-all-good-fellas-here attitude that seems to sustain them as a group.

I suppose the word for this series is charming. It really is. If we put aside the fact that Eddings as a writer is so damn likable and his characters are so cute, it becomes fairly clear that The Belgariad is just a lesser son of greater parents (i.e. Lord of the Rings, Lord of the Rings, and let's not forget...Lord of the Rings), much like the Shannara series. It's also, as I said above, almost unbelievably predictable.

Fortunately, Eddings IS a likable author, his character ARE cute, and so despite its flaws this story ends up being a fun, if not particularly riveting, diversion.

As a final note, this seems, after the manner of the Drizzt or Shannara books, like a good introduction to epic fantasy for younger kids, say the 10-14 range. If possible, get them into the Hobbit first, but the Belgariad would make a solid (and nonthreatening) stepping stone between "kid's fantasy" and "adult fantasy".

2010-08-28 (Canada) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 3

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One word: EPIC
This series is amazing. My favorite fantasy series ever. Quick and easy to read, but very deep on a philosophical and creative level. If you liked Lord of the Rings this is definitely worth reading. I enjoyed this more than Lord of the Rings since it appeared to be more straight forward and down to earth than LotR. Highly recommended.

2010-06-15 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Still a Series that's a blast to re-read
Every couple of summers I enjoy the chance to make the Belgariad my reading material for a week or two. The characters are still just as endearing, the dialog is still written just as wittily, and the pace moves just as fast - every time! Eddings did a great job at not trying to be too serious, at understanding the need to stick to a main plot line, and to really love his characters as he wrote them. Don't pass up a chance to come to know this series!

2010-04-24 (Maryland) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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great book
This is a classic fantasy series. I first read it many years ago when my oldest was a teen, and wanted to revisit this world. Very worth it.

2010-02-07 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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The Younger Gods (The Dreamers, Book 4)

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• ISBN13: 9780446613323

Description

In the thrilling conclusion to The Dreamers, the Vlagh prepares for one merciless attack that will pit her forces against the might of both the Elder Gods and the Younger Gods. All may be for naught, however, if the allies fail to respond to the fact that one within their ranks is losing her mind.

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Customer Reviews

Well...at least I didn't pay money for it
I've been an David Eddings fan since High School (over 20 years ago). I've loved his work...but this entire series seemed flat at best and downright bad at worst. Then I got to book four. There is no way not to hate this. Actively hate.

I have never, ever been so downright angry at the end of a series before in my life. Then I read the epilogue and it was even worse than I thought. I thought about ripping the book in half...it was borrowed, and I didn't want to have to actually pay money for this horrid piece of trash, so I didn't. I had for years avoided reading anything about the series assuming that I would have gotten around to reading and buying it one day. I'm glad a friend offered to loan it to me before I wasted money on it. It was awful.

Do not waste your money on this book or this series. Buy a different Eddings series...any of the other Eddings series.

2010-03-17 | ADR (Sioux Falls, SD) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 1

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Absolutely Dreadful
I finally....and I put the emphasis on finally, finished this series. What a slog it was. I've been a fan of all the other series so I had high hopes going into this one. Was I wrong? Oh yeah. The first book introduced the world of the Dreamers as basically a very primitive world with the different groups on different continents with a group of gods over one particular continent. Trouble ensues on the god continent due to the ambitious expansionist dreams of an invasive bug. Help is needed to resist the bugs so the gods recruit "slightly" more advanced people from across the sea.
These people are of course natural enemies to each other but are persuaded to lend a hand due to all the gold those gods can conjure up on a whim. The outlanders take the pay and head to the god land to fight the first of four upcoming battles against the bug queen or as it's called the "Vlagh". You'd think that since these gods are creeping around that they could just kill the Vlagh with a thought. Nope. They have a rule against killing anything. So now they need the outlanders to do the killing but they can help here or there with some miracles that can kill a lot of bugs because they're basically manufactured natural disasters...so they don't count as "direct" killing. Anyway books 2 and three follow the 2nd and 3rd war and finally book 4 finishes everything with a sleight of hand that changes the story and shows total disdain for the reading audience. You might ask why I bothered to read the whole thing if it was so bad? Well I thought it was at first an interesting premise but too many knock off characters from the other series kept cropping up along with A LOT of the same dialog. I really don't want to hear about little gods wanting to hug and kiss everyone into submission. Jeez you get a sugar rush having to read that all the time. I was hoping it would get better but after I got to book 3 I figured it was a lost cause but since I had come this far I might as well finish it. Well Eddings we'll just have to see if you can get the mojo back or if this is the nail in the coffin. Here's hoping.

2008-11-03 | DarthLord (Fond du Lac, Wisconsin) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 1

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The long journey ends
Each of the books in this series is between 400 and 500 pages. So all in all we took in over 1600 pages to find out none of them mattered anyway since the ending basically erases everything that happened before it. Had the Eddings clan simply published a single page with a dot on it I think the same thing would have been accomplished--and a great many trees saved from pointless destruction.

2008-09-20 (MO United States) | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 1

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Weak ending for what should have been another great series.
In my opinion, Eddings is one of the top ten living authors. The previous series that he wrote (alone and with his wife) where awesome. However I was deeply disappointed in the ending for this one. I won't say any more in order to avoid a spoiler.

2008-07-28 | Reality is for wimps. (Phoenix, Az) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 3

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A horrible book, IMO
Tis book is horrible. I can't even get past the 1/4 of the book. A complete waste of money. I've been fantasy reading for about 30 years, and this is by far the worst thing I've ever read in print. Too bad I didn't come here first, but next time I'll check reviews before purchasing a fantasy novel. Loved the Belgariad series and all previous works. I can't believe they let this be published. David, you should be ashamed and give everyone a refund. This one is going in the recycling, I can't even give it away in good conscious.

2008-06-28 (Iowa) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 1

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The Malloreon, Vol. 1 (Books 1-3): Guardians of the West, King of the Murgos, Demon Lord of Karanda

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Description

Discover the magic of The Malloreon–David Eddings’s acclaimed series, the sequel to his bestselling The Belgariad. Now the first three Malloreon books appear in a single volume, taking us on an epic quest across strange lands among gods, kings, sorcerers, and ordinary men. It is a gripping tale of two ancient warring destinies fighting a battle of good against evil.

Garion has slain the evil God Torak and is now the King of Riva. The prophecy has been fulfilled–or so it seems. For there is a dire warning, as a great evil brews in the East. Now Garion once again finds himself with the fate of the world resting on his shoulders. When Garion’s infant son is kidnapped by Zandramas, the Child of Dark, a great quest begins to rescue the child. Among those on the dangerous mission are Garion and his wife, Queen Ce’Nedra, and the immortal Belgarath the Sorcerer and his daughter, Polgara. They must make their way through the foul swamps of Nyissa, then into the lands of the Murgos. Along the way, they will face grave dangers–captivity, a horde of demons, a fatal plague–while Zandramas plots to use Garion’s son in a chilling ritual that will make the Dark Prophecy supreme. . .

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Customer Reviews

suspenseful fantasy sometimes, ultimately tedious
Eddings is (with wife Leigh..are?) a terrific fantasy writer. He creates sprawling epics that maintain their page-turning intensity and characters that are interesting. He does that here, too, at times, but there are disquieting aspects to this sequel to the Belgariad. It is very fine at times, but it is not as good as the original, The Belgariad. In part, that is simply because the sequel runs into what sequels usually run into--the sense of excitement coming from a new discovery is gone and can't be recaptured. But in addition, Eddings goes out of his way here to recreate the first series--the heroes have a similar goal in mind and the plot is more or less the same. Even that's not enough for him, evidently--not only is the plot more or less the same, Eddings even goes so far as to introduce a plot device that has certain events from the Belgariad deliberately repeated (the characters even explicitly discuss fate recreating past events along the way). This makes the Malloreum sometimes seem like a cheap rehash, particularly given that the basic plot is identical to the Belgariad, with a few extra cherries on top. Second, the tight knit band of heroes becomes a little tiresome now. Eddings goes to the well too often with the repetitive interplay between the characters. It is as if the same joke is repeated over and again. It was funny the first time we met Beldin. It is not as funny the 50th time he insults Belgarath, or Velvet takes the wind out of Silk's sails, or Silk pretends to take offense when someone uses a candid word (like "swindle"), or Vella reaches once more for her daggers at some slight. Enough! By the end of the series, actually, well before that, the characters are simply caricatures. Third, this band of sorcerers (and others) consists of most of the most powerful sorcerers in the world. As a group, they arguably have more power than anyone else. Yet, they let themselves be taken prisoner (by Atesca, for instance) and slink along like helpless derelicts hiding from cops. Eddings tries to explain this by various rationalizations because he wants and needs the quest to meander along. Ok, so they're afraid the Grolims will "hear" the use of their power, etc. I suppose I can live with that little evasion--it just grates a little that so many people with such vast power never actually seem to use much of it to accomplish their goals. There are no vast magical battles. They might as well be a band of simple soldiers at times. Finally, the series starts out far better than it proceeds. The first two books are best, when anticipation and some hope of freshness remain. By book 4, it is tedious as a series and that book rambled on. If you haven't begun to wonder yet how there can possibly be any real choice to make between Dark and Light, you should. But Eddings never really explains it, relying only on a very quick, very cursory rationalization at the end in Book 5. Indeed, in book 5, we never really come to understand what basis Cyradis has to make the choice. If it is confusing that there is actually some great debate about whether dark or light should win, we never really learn what criteria exist, other than the crisis of the moment, to make the choice, or why it couldn't be done more simply and earlier. It all seems rather contrived. The Prophecy seems to be little more than a contrivance to take away free will and justify Eddings in rambling along for five books. By book 5, I mostly just wanted it to end. I would give a better rating to Books 1 and 2; Book 3 is average; Book 4 is poor and Book 5 only slightly better than Book 4. Perhaps some editing and condensing this into a trilogy would have helped a lot. The ending of the series (ignoring the long post-climax chapters) is pretty much a microcosm of the book--there is some good tense writing as the band of heroes faces Zandramas' bag of tricks. And then it peters out into a predictable, hard-to-explain mess. All that said--this reads very well at times, particularly in the first couple of books, and if it is not as good as the Belgariad, it is something fans of the Belgariad will likely want to read.

2010-09-01 | monsieurms (USA East Coast) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 2

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se
I'm falling in love with a whole new author...Belgariad and Mallorean are the most intertaining books ever...I can't hardly put them down, the story just keeps evolving and growing...well written.

2010-03-22 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Old friends
Ah, the Malloreon - Belgarion and his eastern counterpart managing NOT to carve up the world. The only problem is... there ain't no more! Yet, anyway. There are the stories from the rest of his family, but no continuation. I'd still like to see how the Riven Queen manages childrearing. Maybe Pol will tell us some other day.

This particular pair of books is a nice size- the first three sets I purchased, I got the individual books, and the only thing missing is the various cover art. But for those of us who already know exactly how the characters look, it's not an unimaginable loss.

Maybe, with multiple books in one volume, they won't leave my house so fast. Maybe.

2009-10-03 (Durham, NC United States) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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Not as good as the first series, but worth reading!
These are not as good as his first series, that being said I still think they're well worth reading. If you're just starting on your Fantasy adventure then these books are perfect for you or if you're a kid who wants a good fantasy yarn then any of Eddings's work will be enjoyable. However if you're a veteran Fantasy reader who might be expecting a series like Erikson's or Martin's then Eddings's work is not for you. While he writes well his writing is nowhere near the standard of the top writers of Fantasy, what I usually do is read Eddings after I read a top notch Fantasy, just to sort of mellow me out a bit. lol This all being said I still think Eddings's work is well worth reading for any Fantasy lover and for all ages.

The story starts a few weeks after the end of The Belgaraid, Belgaraid is just starting to settle down being King when a crisis is start, the bear cult have united behind one leader and are preparing for war. It falls to the new King of Rivan to put a stop to their fanaticism, behind the scene a new plot is being brought together, while Belgaraid is away fighting the bear cult a new dark power kidnaps his new born son Garan. Here starts the new war between light and dark, as the Rivan King and a few chosen companions race to fight this new evil, they will face fanatic Golems, demons from the very pits of her and the new possibility that a new dark God will rise.

2009-05-11 | Fantasy Doctor (Liverpool,England) | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 4

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Mallorean Vol 1
A real joy to re-read this epic fantasy with a new forward by the author. Enjoyable and shelf-saving to have all five books in two volumes. I received the Belgariad Vol 1 and 2 for Christmas and then purchased these. A welcome addition to my library.

2009-03-21 (Astoria, OR) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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The Malloreon, Vol. 2 (Books 4 & 5): Sorceress of Darshiva, The Seeress of Kell

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Description

Here is the epic conclusion of David Eddings’s enthralling series The Malloreon–two magnificent novels in one volume. This monumental fantasy follows the story of two age-old opposing destinies locked in a seven-thousand-year war for control of the world, its gods, and its men. Indeed the victor will determine nothing less than the fate of all creation.

Troubles mount as King Garion, Belgarath, and Polgara pursue Zandramas, the Child of Dark, across the known world. The wicked creature has abducted the King’s infant son for sinister purposes. If Garion and his companions cannot reach the Place Which Is No More, as the Seeress of Kell has warned, then Zandramas will use Garion’s son in a rite that will raise the Dark Prophecy to eternal dominion over the universe. Only the Seeress of Kell can reveal the mysterious locale, but first Garion and Polgara must fulfill an ancient prophecy in the mountain fastness of the Seers. Although Kell is closed to Zandramas, her dark magic can forcefully extract the intelligence she needs from one of Garion’s party. Setting traps and dispatching her foul minions, she is determined to claim the world for the Dark Prophecy. But Garion will let nothing stand between himself and his son. . . .

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Customer Reviews

Great series
I have shared this series with my kids and grand kids thanks for allowing this to continue

2010-02-01 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Splendid Read!
All I really need to say about this: it is a splendid read! The book was in new condition, physically. And the material within the covers is nothing short of magic! If you are just starting out in fantasy, The Belgariad and The Mallorean will make you a life-long fan. I would recommend for anyone from teens to adults. I would also recommend the seller, as I said, the book was new.

2009-11-19 | Lady of Literature (West Virginia, USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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David Eddings
Over the years I've worn out the 10 paperbacks that made up the series. While I like the fact that 10 paperbacks have been compressed to 4 larger books, the pages are very thin.

2009-08-30 | babyziff (Chicago, IL) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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A good ending to a good series.
Like with all of Eddings's work these are very good light Fantasy, I think this would be the perfect Fantasy for beginners or for kids just starting out on their Fantasy adventures. A like all of the characters in this series from Garion to Silk and even the King of the Murgos, Eddings writes his characters very well to the point were you really start to care about them and I even found myself sad when main characters were killed. All in all these works are great traditional Fantasy that is a must for any Fantasy fan to read. Also this omnibus edition of The Malloreon is great value for money.

After escaping the plague ridden city of the Malloreon Emperor, they must race to find the missing codex texts and also find the lost city of Kell. Along the way they will meet old friends and older enemies, do battle with demons and dodge assassins all the while trying to stay one step ahead of two huge armies that plan to end their quest. The fate of the world stands in the hand of the child of light!

2009-05-11 | Fantasy Doctor (Liverpool,England) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

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NICE EDITION: SAVE SOME SHELF SPACE
This is of course a combination of the first three books which make up "The Melloreon," which is the continuation of the five books that made up "The Belgariad." In this one volume you get Gardians fo the West, King of the Murgos and Demon Lord of Karanda. This is actually a pretty good deal as it does save some space. On the other hand, the print in this edition is smaller than normal and if your eyes are getting as old as mine, then this is something to consider. That is really the only gripe I have about this particular book.

As has been pointed out by many, many reviewers, these books are not "high literature," and in fact are completely filled with errors from the first book to the last. That is not a problem though. As I have pointed out in other reviews on this series, these books are simply fun to read. The plot is simple and to be honest, The Melloreon is just another version of The Belgariad, only told just a bit differently. Again, this is okay, they are still fun. I read these books purely for the relaxation. I know the characters as I have read the books several times, could care less about the plot, and don't rally have to give any deep thought to the reading process. Now don't get me wrong, it would be horrible to have an absolute steady diet of this stuff, but to read these books between heavier works sort of acts as a cleaning agent.

For a light read that is purely for entertainment, you cannot go wrong. You must start though with the first book in The Belagriad which is the Pawn of Prophecy, and read all the books in order our you will never know what is going on. After reading the first book in the two series, and if you find you do not like it, then drop them and don't waste your time as you get about ten books of the same.

Personally, I love this entire series and plan to keep reading them even as I wear copy after copy out.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

2008-11-15 (The Ozarks) | Helpful Votes: 6 | Rating: 5

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The Elder Gods (The Dreamers, Book 1)

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Description

Somewhere beyond the farthest pole of the world, the land of Dhrall lies anchored by the will of four powerful Gods. Able to bend reality to their whims and influence the lives of mortal men, these deities are still bound by the laws of nature and cannot take lives. Yet the Gods are not the only power. For in the center of Dhrall lives a voracious horror known as the Vlagh. A nightmare made flesh, the Vlagh has bred a massive army of hideous monsters to overrun the world. In the coming battles the people of Dhrall will be aided by a ragtag force of foreign mercenaries and pirates, but the true champions of the war will be four enigmatic children known as the Dreamers. Raised by the Gods themselves, these children can alter the fabric of reality. But, unlike the Elder Gods, the Dreamers do not hesitate to kill...

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David and Leigh Eddings introduce readers to their newly minted Land of Dhrall with The Elder Gods, the first book in the four-book Dreamers Saga. Dhrall is under the gentle rule of four gods representing the four compass points. These gods are reaching the end of their terms of power when the god of the North brings four children who are destined to take over for them into his siblings' lairs. The children are dreamers and able to see the possible outcome of battles in a coming war with the evil creature that controls the wasteland at the center of Drahll's map. Thus, the gods and their young charges undertake quests to hire mercenary armies and thwart the initial invasion into their lands.

The book unfolds like a children's primer. This pedantic style proves to be heavy-handed for adult readers and will quickly try their patience. If the Eddings were trying to concoct a book that would be suitable for reading aloud to fifth graders they've succeeded, but even the most die-hard fantasy fan will tire quickly of the sing-song approach and plot twists that can be sniffed out from miles away. --Jeremy Pugh

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Customer Reviews

Don't buy this book, get the Belgariad instead.
If you haven't read David Eddings, read the Belgariad The Belgariad, Vol. 1 (Books 1-3) and The Belgariad, Vol. 2 (Books 4 & 5). They are excellent. If you read those and liked them, please please don't start this series. It looks like someone else took a fairly interesting 1-page outline and padded it to 400 pages. It's not the worst book I ever read: That would be volume 2 of this same series, which is worse. Whole paragraphs are cut and pasted. I recycled these books rather than put them on the bookshelf at work for somebody else to read. Supposedly volumes 3 and 4 are worse still, but I'm not planning to find out.

2010-09-06 (Puerto Rico) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 2

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Waste of time and money!
This book, and especially this series as a whole, is a terrible waste of time and money. After managing to plod through all four books, hoping somehow they would get better, I just found myself getting angrier and angrier that the books are as bad as they are. Normally I wouldn't have wasted my time with a series as bad as this, but unfortunately I didn't have any other books to read at the time.

You never really get drawn into the story, the plot execution is terrible, and it's eye-gougingly repetitive. Every event is told from 3 or 4 different people's perspective making you just want to scream because you already know exactly what will happen and who cares if this character thinks slightly different thoughts about the outcome! All four books could have easily been condensed into 1 book without losing any content of the story - that's how repetitive it is.

I strongly urge anyone considering buying this book or this series to think again and find another book that looks interesting. Don't waste your time and money on this!

2010-06-05 | FantasyFanVII | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 1

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The worst series he's ever written
I've never before been so disappointed with a familiar author's work. I've read all but two of the books that Eddings wrote before this set, and every one of them is still on my shelves so that I can curl up with them again and settle down for what I know will be an exquisitely enjoyable read. Not this set. This set is going in the recycle bin. I won't even take them to the used book store to foist off on some other unsuspecting soul.

The Belgariad is a grand adventure with all the right elements: a mythic tale; well-developed characters, each with a unique personality; intrigue and spying; sorcery; witty dialog; excellent plot development with every element revealed at its proper time. The Dreamers was 4 books that told the same basic story over each time; characters from 4 continents and 7 different cultures who are barely differentiated and even use the same odd turn of phrase; dialog that repeats several times from the viewpoints of different characters who were in the same conversation -- once an entire paragraph was reused verbatim 2 pages later with only one sentence added; and one of the most rudimentary plot lines I've ever encountered: gather the troops, build some forts, worry about how we are going to kill the enemy, fight some, talk a lot, have an unknown god take care of everything for us. I've seen better in fanzines.

I read all 4 volumes of The Dreamers like someone watching a train wreck. I kept hoping it would get better, but it does not. I agree with so many of the other reviews. Was it ghost written? Eddings would have been over 70 when this started to come out. Maybe he's done writing. Was there no editor? If there was, he or she ought to be fired. Did Eddings need money and get paid by the word? I've never before, in 50 years of reading fantasy & science fiction, encountered a series that felt so utterly padded and inflated in ways that were of no value to the story. Did Leigh Eddings write this series? I certainly don't see David's deft story handling and phrasing here.

If this is your first experience with Eddings, I so *very* strongly urge you to go read the Belgariad, the Mallorean, the Elenium, and the Tamuli. They are all orders of magnitude better that this dreck.

Personally, I've already started to re-read the Belgariad to wipe the "taste" of this horrible mess out of my mind.

2010-03-24 | Nana Sarah (Springdale, PA United States) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 1

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This series is horrible, "wouldn't you say?"
What a disappointing series! I've always been a huge Eddings fan. The Belgariad, Mallorean, Tamuli, and Elenium are some of my all time favorite series of books. The Dreamers on the other hand...horrible...I find it hard to believe Eddings wrote this nonsense.

The story had a decent basis to start with, but fell flat quickly. There was never any flow to the story, because once an event took place, that event was re-told from another character's viewpoint. Now this may have been ok if it would have added something to the story, but it never did. It just seemed a simple regurgitation of events to fill out the pages. Even how the "end" of the Vlagh happened, was told twice..from the same viewpoint. Still scratching my head over that.

I think the most irritating thing about this series though, was the very frequent repetition of phrases used by the characters. I'm sure in the 4 books, the phrase "wouldn't you say?" was used 200 times(if not more)....heck, sometimes you'd see it 2-3 on a single page! I also lost count how many times a character covered their mouth with a hand to conceal a grin.

Save yourself time and money. Here's how the 4 books all play out:

1) Bugs attack 2)Outlanders create breastworks and forts. 3) Blah blah blah for 300 pages. 4)One of the gods finishes off the bug army.

Wash, rinse, repeat.

2009-03-05 | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 1

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pink effing dolphins?!?!?!?!?!?!?
i had to stop when the god mounted his pet lightning bolt (insert incredulity here) and tells her "let's go home, baby"... let's go home baby????? seriously? (insert vomit sound effect here). unbelievable. i suffered through 164 pages of this dreck before i had to check other reviews to see if i was just crazy. alas, i am not crazy. this appears to be a lazy attempt to make publisher's happy. i absolutely loved the belgariad and mallorean, and i can't believe eddings wrote this s#*&t.

2008-10-02 (dc) | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 1

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Crystal Gorge (The Dreamers, Book 3)

Product Details

• Notes: BUY WITH Self-assurance, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and mending to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
• ISBN13: 9780446613316
• Health circumstances: New

Description

The epic trilogy by two "New York Times" bestselling authors concludes. Aracia, sister of the goddess Zelana ("The Elder Gods"), and Veltan ("The Treasured One") have ignored the prophecy of The Dreamers. Now their ignorance may bring about the destruction of Dhrall.

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Customer Reviews

great book
This is the third in a series of 4 books by David & Leigh Eddings. I had books 1, 2 & 4 so of course needed this one to complete the set. The entire series (The Dreamers) is an excellent, well written series.

2010-04-29 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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The Crystal Gorge
The book was everything it was suppose to be. I was very happy with it.

2009-10-30 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Great Series
David and Leigh Eddings are great writers. This series is filled with unexpected delights. Where does their imagination come from? A great book to be followed by the rest of the series.
Have always loved the Eddings books.

2009-10-30 | MRSGADGET71 (APO, AP, USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Getting worse and worse...
How low can this go? The Belgarion series was great, but the quality has dropped with each series. Is there ever any doubt that the heros will win? Not only do they have 4 "old" gods on their side, but 4 "new" gods, as well as an uber-god, who takes care of problems at the end of each book. The bad guys/gods get more and more cliche each time, and at no time did I feel anything could go wrong for the good guys.

The heroes are caricatures as well - the greatest archer (able to kill a buffalo at 200 yards with one arrow the first time he sees one), the greatest general ever, the most inventive man ever, the greatest sailor ever, and on and on. Thank goodness I bought thisu sed for 50 cents.

2008-05-30 | Panfold (Chicago) | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 1

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A Steady Decline. Who's Really Writing This???
The third book of the Dreamers, Crystal Gorge, is actually worse than the dreadful second book; and that's a near impossible feat to accomplish.

The once interesting story of four Gods battling an evil being called the Vlagh is getting bland and horribly repetitious. What happens in this book is pretty much what happens in the other two previous installments of the Dreamers. The four Gods are nearly non-existent until the end of the book when all the sudden, they do everything--again. The human characters all talk in the ridiculous, overdone sarcasm that is boring and not funny in the slightest way (older David Eddings series/books were just not like this). The characters that are "hired" by the Gods do all the talking, but actually do absolutely nothing for the story--they only talk about building forts and about the weather while all they do is build and then abandon these forts when the Vlagh's servants attack. The story is about war, but there are no action sequences, and, in fact, there is very little mention about this war. The "good guys" always win while not losing any allies--even when the enemy gets smarter and stronger. There's too much dialog among characters that are ALL alike. Any difference among the characters that existed in the first book, The Elder Gods, is completely gone now. They all talk the same, try to be funny when they aren't even close to being funny, and they all say the same things even though they are from different parts of the world. Too much unnecessary italicizing, too.

This book is nothing new to this series. It starts the same, ends the same, but manages to get worse in the middle of it. Not to mention that the entire story is falling apart and is beginning to get confusing. The story mentions that the Gods are hiring Man to do the fighting because the Gods aren't allowed to kill anything. In the end, though, Man kills virtually nothing while a God (as in all three books, so far) kills off the vast majority of the enemy which leaves everything that is said and done throughout the book meaningless. Hopefully the fourth and final book of the Dreamers will bring this story to a good conclusion and explain everything. Nothing makes sense; and that's not a true David Eddings story.

2007-04-15 (Brooklyn, N.Y. United States) | Helpful Votes: 3 | Rating: 2

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