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'THE RIVAN CODEX: ANCIENT TEXTS OF THE…
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'THE RIVAN CODEX: ANCIENT TEXTS OF THE ''BELGARIAD'' AND THE ''MALLOREON''' (original 1998; edition 1998)

by David and Leigh Eddings (Author)

Series: The Malloreon (Companion), The Belgariad (Companion), Belgariad universe (Companion)

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1,87938,837 (3.22)12
Fantasy. Fiction. Short Stories. Thriller. HTML:

Join David and Leigh Eddings on a fascinating behind-the-scenes tour of the extensive background materials they compiled before beginning the masterpiece of epic fantasy unforgettably set down in The Belgariad and The Malloreon and their two companion volumes, Belgarath the Sorcerer and Polgara the Sorceress.

Our tour stretches from the wealthy Empire of Tolnedra to the remote Isle of the Winds, from the mysterious mountains of Ulgoland to the forbidding reaches of darkest Mallorea. Along the way, you will meet old friends and enemies alike. Rare volumes will be opened to your eyes. Sacred holy books in which you may read the secrets of the Gods themselves and of their prophets. Scholarly histories of the rise and fall of empires from the Imperial Library at Tol Honeth. The profound mysteries of the Malloreon Gospels. THE RIVAN CODEX will enrich your understanding of all that has gone before . . . and whet your appetite for more spectacular adventures from this talented team.

From the Paperback edition.

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Member:Carolannecx
Title:'THE RIVAN CODEX: ANCIENT TEXTS OF THE ''BELGARIAD'' AND THE ''MALLOREON'''
Authors:David and Leigh Eddings (Author)
Info:Harper Collins (1998), Edition: Reprint, 600 pages
Collections:Your library
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The Rivan Codex: Ancient Texts of the Belgariad and the Malloreon by David Eddings (1998)

  1. 00
    The Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien (Ludi_Ling)
    Ludi_Ling: For those less interested in the narrative of epic fantasy fiction, and more in the mythology, history and construction of imaginary worlds, both books serve as interesting and instructive reads.
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» See also 12 mentions

Showing 3 of 3
If you're really into the Belgariad series, this is great background. A more historical look at the overall layout of the fantasy world Eddings creates. ( )
  SarinaLeigh | Apr 21, 2017 |
The Rivan Codex is actually quite entertaining, for what it is - a collection of notes and reference materials used in the creation of the Garion books, bookended by Eddings's firmly-stated opinions about how to go about writing a fantasy series. This was pure 'nip to me when I was a teenager - I am fascinated by the process of worldbuilding, and while large chunks of this are fairly dry, they're interesting, at least to me. (And the bits that aren't purely notes are largely written in the more formal style that I think Eddings does reasonably well - the prose ends up being tighter and less digressive, and actually has some rhythm. Compare the origin of Belgarath here with the version in his eponymous book.)

It was a little ironic that I felt this held up fairly well, when one of my big complaints of all of Eddings's work that I've bothered to reread is the sloppiness and shallowness of the worldbuilding. I think he did too much of the wrong kind of worldbuilding to lead to the sort of books I like - there's too much history and geography, and not enough character of any kind. So, for example, when we meet a secondary character, he ends up being a shallow collection of racial characteristics, because Eddings had a nice detailed list of what all the races were like - but no particular thought seems to have been given as to what individual people were like, outside of the main characters. And so we end up with a world that feels very shallow overall. And there are all sorts of minor bits of worldbuilding that end up getting retconned, because they were invented separately from the needs of the actual story.

This is actually a book I would recommend to aspiring fantasists who are familiar with the Garion books, because I think it highlights many of the series's strengths and weaknesses. I don't necessarily think Eddings's advice should be followed without question, but that's true of all writing advice. ( )
  JeremyPreacher | Mar 30, 2013 |
I really liked the Belgariad & the Mallorean was OK, but this is taking it too far for me. I really liked the original Star Trek, but never had any interest in learning Klingon. If you did or do, maybe this book is for you. ( )
  jimmaclachlan | Sep 25, 2009 |
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» Add other authors (25 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
David Eddingsprimary authorall editionscalculated
Eddings, Leighmain authorall editionsconfirmed
Colbert, CathyCover designersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
De Angelis, LindaTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Taylor, GeoffIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed

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The Belgariad (Companion)
Belgariad universe (Companion)
The Malloreon (Companion)

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For Malcolm, Jane, Joy, Geoff and all the staff at HarperCollins. It's always a genuine pleasure to work with you. With all our thanks

David & Leigh
For Malcolm, Jane, Joy, Geoff and the rest of the bunch. It's always a genuine pleasure to work with you. With all our thanks.
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My decision to publish this volume was made in part because of a goodly number of flattering letters I've received over the past several years.
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Fantasy. Fiction. Short Stories. Thriller. HTML:

Join David and Leigh Eddings on a fascinating behind-the-scenes tour of the extensive background materials they compiled before beginning the masterpiece of epic fantasy unforgettably set down in The Belgariad and The Malloreon and their two companion volumes, Belgarath the Sorcerer and Polgara the Sorceress.

Our tour stretches from the wealthy Empire of Tolnedra to the remote Isle of the Winds, from the mysterious mountains of Ulgoland to the forbidding reaches of darkest Mallorea. Along the way, you will meet old friends and enemies alike. Rare volumes will be opened to your eyes. Sacred holy books in which you may read the secrets of the Gods themselves and of their prophets. Scholarly histories of the rise and fall of empires from the Imperial Library at Tol Honeth. The profound mysteries of the Malloreon Gospels. THE RIVAN CODEX will enrich your understanding of all that has gone before . . . and whet your appetite for more spectacular adventures from this talented team.

From the Paperback edition.

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