David Eddings

A two-volume compilation presents the five previously published novels in the epic saga which begins with the theft of the protective Orb from Riva.

Volume Two: Castle of Wizardry, Enchanters' End Game

The Belgariad Volume 2

Becky A

I super enjoy this series and always have. Something resembling an actual review is here: http://www.rebecca-allen.net/?p=519.

Jenna T.

I read this series on the recommendation of a few friends, and wow. I really can't believe I had never heard of it before! Everyone I've since heard discussing it after looking it up has treated it as a classic of the fantasy genre, a staple, a fallback that's on everyone's shelves... and here I was, a lifelong fantasy lover who grew up on Tolkien, who had never even heard of it? Color me shocked!The way one of my buds described it was, to paraphrase, "every fantasy cliché you can think of—all executed perfectly." And I think that's the best description of The Belgariad that I could possibly come up with. You've got your old wizard mentor, your intrepid young Chosen One, your evil sorcerers, your flighty love interest, a Completely Average guy, a big strong warrior guy, a sneaky spy guy, so on and so forth... Even the nations themselves are each centered on one major quirk/stereotype. The plot is textbook Hero's Journey stuff. It sounds completely stupid and one-dimensional and boring, doesn't it?And yet.It took me forever to get through this story due to some life events that interrupted me midway through this volume, but also because the text is long and... Not dense, exactly, not in the way my good buddy Tolkien's is, but it felt like it took me a long time just to get through a few pages. And yet I was never bored reading it, and I immediately got sucked back into the story no matter how long a break I had taken between chapters. It was, to put it simply, a delightful read.The story has so much heart, and the characters, for all their tropes and clichés and Flanderized quirks, were wonderfully nuanced and developed. I was able to keep track of the huge cast even despite my big breaks between reading sessions, and I was pleasantly surprised by the way a few character arcs resolved. Though it seems rote in many ways, this story felt fresh and exciting. I would say that it has earned its place among the all-time greats, and I'm only sorry that it took me so long to learn of its existence.

The Belgariad Volume 2 Volume Two: Castle of Wizardry, Enchanters' End Game

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