The Belgariad & Mallorean

The Belgariad and the Mallorean, by David Eddings

David Eddings tends to follow a formula when writing his books; protagonist, world, magical item, some God wreaking havoc. But this time, his formula works. This follows the story of Garion, a farm boy, with a very fantastic destiny.

This series features some of my favourite characters of all time. Yes, there are five books, and then another five following, but those science-fiction fantasy lovers, this is a must. Ce'Nedra, the flighty princess (and love interest ho ho ho), the "wise" Belgarath (greatest sorcerer of all time, minus the greatest, he's also slightly drunk), Silk (the perfect theif, with a nose like a rat), Mandorallen (talks in thou's and thees... did I mention is extremely stupid, but good looking?), Barak (looks like a bear), Durnik (perfectly steadfast), Polgara (the most beautiful woman of all time) and a couple of highly amusing gods thrown in for good measure.

This series is description-rich, the characters are loveable, and I couldn't put the books down. That was highly inconvenient, as with that many books, I didn't achieve anything else for a very long time. You are bought into Eddings' world, and you even provided a map which you can refer extensively to. You can tell how much effort was put into this. Each of the characters have their own history, whims, and things to overcome. It is certainly worth the read, and this series is what got me interested in genre. It isnt as difficult to read as Lord of the Rings, and it is also riddled full of jokes.

My rating? 4 stars.