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What we're reading

Find your new favourite book or recommend one on our Book forum.

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Original poster

The Belgariad/ The Mallorean

78 replies

waltermittymissus · 07/09/2012 20:02

Wow. Why am I only reading these now? Any other fans out there? I'm on book two of the Mallorean. Love it!

OP posts:

epeesarepointythings · 07/09/2012 20:14

The Belgariad and the Malloreon are both very enjoyable, but Eddings goes downhill after that and gets quite repetitive, I'm afraid.

I do rate him for being the author who made humour permissible in heroic fantasy - before that everything was so po-faced and sober it was dreadful...

Yddraigoldragon · 07/09/2012 20:19

Signing in as a fan!

Loved Polgara etc after the end of the Mallorean - not so keen on the latest series.

WestleyAndButtockUp · 07/09/2012 20:22

Ah, the series where every single character has the same 'dry, ironic' sense of humour?

I loved the first series but gave up part way through the Mallorean series because it became so repetitive.

Oakmaiden · 07/09/2012 20:28

I loved them - first read them as they came out when I was at school, frighteningly enough. They started my passion for fantasy :)

The characters are stereotypical enough to be almost archetypes, and the plot is really not that involved, but oh, I loved (and still do love) those books. I have read them so many times!

shrinkingnora · 07/09/2012 20:29

I love them. they are my comfort books. I read Eragon and it was such a rip off of Eddings it made me fume. No-one could say they were great literature but they are a bloody good read. I am off to start again at the beginning.

shrinkingnora · 07/09/2012 20:32

Oakmaiden -they came out when I was at school too. I read Guardians of the West first and then went back and read them all. Can still remember ordering them from the bookshop and how exciting it was when the next one came out.

Bimblepops · 07/09/2012 20:35

Absolutely love them, started reading them with my Dad when I was about 9, then when I was older I had my name down on the reserve lists for the Mallorean books. Read the whole series every couple of years as a comfort thing. They're almost as familiar as family!

andthenshewasdone · 08/09/2012 10:22

another school days fan here! read and re-read and reenacted with my bemused sister! also dragon something series by tracy someone, Tanis the half-elf etc. Anyone else?

Oakmaiden · 08/09/2012 19:17

Oh, Dragonlance. I loved them too, at much the same time. Hasn't had the sticking power in my heart that Eddings has, though.

Original poster

waltermittymissus · 08/09/2012 20:17

So glad to have found fellow fans! My sibling read them years ago but only started myself. I haven't been a big fantasy reader in the past and I have heard that too, about Eddings' other works but really enjoying these.

Prior to this I'd only read Tolkien!

I agree too about the humour. And it being quite easy to read. My only criticism I suppose is that sometimes the dialogue seems a little modern to me? Some of the phrases they use? But seems I'm the only one who picked up on it!

OP posts:

andthenshewasdone · 08/09/2012 21:19

yes, Dragonlance! loved those characters, but belgariad such a warm, easy read.

Netcurtainstwitching · 08/09/2012 21:31

Ooh never thought I would see that as a thread title! I have just reread the series after about 10 year break, reread and reread as a teenager...love love love them!

Notice in the Diamond throne series he just recycled the characters...still liked them tho...always had a bit of a crush on Bevier. First time confession that...

Have you tried Anne Mccafferey's dragon series? They just top Eddings for me.

Original poster

waltermittymissus · 08/09/2012 21:35

Netcurtains I haven't really read any fantasy but the more I read the more of a convert I think I shall be!

I do find the Mallorean very similar but then I've just reached a point in the book that says this is on purpose! :)

DH just finished reading them and I'm doing his head in asking questions about who Eriond is!

OP posts:

tribpot · 08/09/2012 21:40

I agree - they are very light reading and pretty stereotypical in lots of ways but they did break down some of the barriers of fantasy fiction. The fact Belgarath even says early on that he prefers not to think of it as good vs evil but us vs them - even if Eddings does go on to give no redeeming qualities whatsoever to the 'bad guys'!

I'm another school days fan, they are lovely comfort reads.

Polgara2 · 08/09/2012 22:04

Me, me me! Can you tell

They were my first foray into the fantasy genre, and I was hooked. Totally spot on about them being comfort reads too. I actually enjoyed all of his books, even the later ones. I just love being able to lose yourself in them without too much effort. Some fantasy fiction gets very convoluted as the author tries a bit too hard, although I must admit that it takes a lot for me to give up on a book - its very much "I've started so I'll finish" for me where books are concerned! I have since read lots of fantasy books but these are still my favourites.

oldsilver · 08/09/2012 22:13

Me too, absolute yonks ago - think I worked backwards in fantasy; started off with Stephen Donaldson, moved with David Eddings and finally got stuck and keep going back to Anne McCaffery

Original poster

waltermittymissus · 08/09/2012 22:19

Ok I have to check out this Anne McCafferty now! :)

They really are timeless aren't they? My brother who got me to read them read them years ago.

He's currently reading (and raving about) the Game of Thrones series.

OP posts:

Poledra · 08/09/2012 22:21

Did somebody call?

PodiumOfWinners · 08/09/2012 22:25

If I mention the Wheel of Time series by (mostly) Robert Jordan you will loose months of your life

KatyMac · 08/09/2012 22:26

I love them & love Anne McCaffery too & Mercedes Lackley

The last Eddings book I read I was a bit tied up in knots about tho' - I kept getting lost in "The Redemption of Althalus"

Original poster

waltermittymissus · 08/09/2012 22:43

Poledra

Strongly considering changing my username to Ce'Nedra but I am neither a red head nor a queen!

OP posts:

BeeBawBabbity · 09/09/2012 09:48

Ah yes I remember adoring these in my early teens. Another lot to add to my "must re-read" list.

shrinkingnora · 10/09/2012 14:35

Thought of you lot yesterday afternoon as I sat under a tree at the park and started again at the beginning. Bliss.

sleepyhead · 10/09/2012 14:40

Me! I was obsessed with the Belgariad in my early teen and then had to wait for the Mallorean to be published one book at a time.

I agree that his later stuff isn't as good. I remember at one point him saying that his wife had a lot to do with the writing of his female characters, and it shows. They're basically all the same person.

Anne McCaffery's books were another teenage favourite and I'd recommend the GRR Martin A Song of Ice & Fire series - I've just finished book 5 and I haven't raced through anything fantasy like that in a long time.

MKP1 · 10/09/2012 14:42

Lovely light reading - and still love the Dragonlance "Twins" trilogy...also Mercedes Lackey and (original) Anne McCaffrey (as far as I can tell the new stuff is just the same stories as the originals set in different time periods).

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