Horror Book Reviews
|
Title: The Belgariad ( Vol. 2 (Books 4 & 5): Castle of Wizardry) |
Review of The Belgariad, Vol. 2 (Books 4 & 5): Castle of Wizardry, Enchanters' End Game
- David Eddingsâ acclaimed series, The Belgariad, reaches its stunning conclusion in these final two gripping novels. Continue on this magnificent journey and be entranced by a saga of strange lands and peoples, of prophecy and strife set against the background of a seven-thousand-year war of men, Kings, and Gods.
The quest may be nearing its end, but the danger continues. After discovering a shocking secret about himself he never could have imaginedâall in pursuit of the legendary OrbâGarion and his fellow adventurers must escape a crumbling enemy fortress and flee across a vast desert filled with ruthless soldiers whose only aim is to destroy them. But even when the quest is complete, Garionâs destiny is far from fulfilled. For the evil God Torak is about to awaken and seek dominion. Somehow, Garion has to face the God, to kill or be killed. On the outcome of this dread duel rests the future of the world. But how can one man destroy an immortal God?
âFabulous . . . Eddings has a marvelous storyteller style . . . exceedingly well portrayed and complex people. . . . More! More! More!â
âANNE MCCAFFREY
Product Description
[ Back to Homepage | Back to Horror Movie Reviews Index ]
HellHorror.com not responsible for reviews/comments and they may be removed at any time.
Login / Join/Register for a free account
Comments for The Belgariad ( Vol. 2 (Books 4 & 5): Castle of Wizardry)
- Posted on 2008-09-17
Wonderful end of the book
What an incredible series this was. I still wouldn't call it perfect, but it is up there among the best 3 or 4 fantasy series of all time. Frankly, at least for now it would be 2 or 3 on my list. No, it's not perfect, but it was outstanding, and kept me going throughout. I finished the entire series in a week, and now can't wait to start the next set - though I may have to put it off for a brief bit while I attend to other things.
As always, the dialogue is masterful, the pacing was good. I definately recomend this to any and everyone.
Score: 5
- Posted on 2008-08-20
Good book
While not my favorite fantasy series, this series was pretty good. I think some of the traveling that the characters had to go through was a bit monotonous but perhaps if I had read the books with some break between them instead of all 5 back to back, it may have broken the monotony some.
Score: 4
- Posted on 2008-08-10
A Review for the Unsure
First of all, in my experience with David Eddings readers, they are either in love with the story or not. As such, this review is for those unsure as to whether or not to continue their literary journey over to Volume 2 of the Belgariad Series.
There were many problems that plagued the first three books (the first volume) of this series. Most apparent would be that the book was riddled with cliches (pretend there's an accent on that "e"). And though Eddings fans will rush to say that these cliches were written well, and I do grant them that the writing itself is decent, the less enthused will point out that the story is the same old one. In large part, it is. There's a prophecy, there's a farm boy destined to be king, a princess, the typical "evil" race of soulless warriors, the traveling group of mismatched adventurers, etc. But what I was looking for in Volume 2 was whether Eddings deviated from the tried and true path in front of him. Unfortunately, he did not. Every action is predictable, and even a startling death in this volume is upset by knowing how it will play out later (if you've read enough fantasy that is). As such, this book is somewhat stale. New enough to keep your attention, but cliched and predictable enough to keep you from getting enthralled.
Another issue I found with the the first three books of the Belgariad Series (Volume 1) is that there is little to no character development. For a fifteen year old, I found Garion helplessly daft, and entirely uninteresting. In a similar note, I found the large characterizations of the races in Volume 1 horribly unrealistic. For example, all of race a were sly, under-handed thieves -- no exceptions. In Volume 2, I hoped Eddings would develop the characters and the races more, and thereby giving them a more realistic feel to them. Unfortunately, Eddings fails to deliver on either. Garion continues to show little to no signs of any real, intelligent thought, and goes through his quest with little, true internal conflict. Overall, his character growth seemed stunted at best. Meanwhile, if you know the race of one character, you can predict how they'll act all the way through Volume 2. Some characters, in particular Princess CeNedra, are so petty and carping, and completely lopsided, I wonder if Eddings perceives everyone in that way. Every character here is simple, based off one defining characteristic, and as such unrealistic and boring.
There are other, minor problems I found with Volume 2 that do not detract so much from the offering, but merely annoy. Though some may love it, I personally find the style of Mr. Eddings somewhat dull. And though he does present a diverse and vast world (if not entirely realistic in respects to the people), I sometimes found his extra scenes that tried to inform you of each culture a bit obnoxious. A good example was how in one tavern, a wife was being sold, and the segment lasted a couple of pages with no influence on the plot or any of the main characters. Again, some might appreciate it, but in volume 1 and 2, I did not.
Really, what's so tragic about this series is that there's a lot to like, but not a lot to love. The world is interesting, even if the people are not. The writing is sometimes beautiful, but many times too stiff. The plot runs on cliches and the characters on linear paths. It's enjoyable to some extent, but never quite lovable. For an offering that is such a mix of pros and cons, I give Eddings the benefit of the doubt. It is not a great book as many are praising it as, but it's not a bad one either.
Score: 3
- Posted on 2008-06-14
Love these books
I have read the series several times and still find something new in them! They ARE my favorite books
Score: 5 - Posted on 2008-02-23
Belgariad
Fantastic Book, one to read over and over. I never tire of reading this wonderful series.
Score: 5
