Pawn of Prophecy

Update: *sniffs* my son has now read the series and loved it. I have so many feelings.
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This will be the same review for all the books in ‘The Belgariad’ and ‘The Mallorean’.

These books changed me.
I started reading them as an 11 year old who was kind of floating around in this thing called life. I had friends at school, but no meaningful connections. This I didn’t understand until I was older. By reading these books I was drawn into an incredible world filled with characters that I knew and loved, and in some cases wanted to be (come on people, I can’t be the only kid that put a streak of white paint in their hair). The story is Garion’s ‘hero’s journey’ but I felt that the adventure belonged to me too. It was show more my ‘Neverending story’ if you will and it gave me the confidence to be more present in my own life. I own all the copies of both series set in this marvellous world and most of the extras too. They are a pretty tired looking collection of books because I bought them as a university student from second book shops all over Christchurch and Auckland. I love that they have been released again relatively recently with a fresh new look so that they can appeal to the younger generation. I thoroughly recommend these books for lovers of high fantasy, action, and relatable characters. It is the quintessential hero’s journey. show less

I had these books many years ago when they were first published, but just never got around to them. I can never understand why I never read these books.
I must be honest, about half way through this book I was starting to wonder if there would ever be any real action or meaty plot. Every time I turned the page I thought something incredible might happen, but I didn't find it. No big battles, no massive magic war, no dwarves or elves or any other mystical creature. Nothing.
I was a little confused as to why this journey was happening, what Garion was all about and why he was kept in the dark with so many things, who are Wolf and Aunt Pol (I figured her out fairly quick though, not too hard).
Then I realized something. I've been looking show more for the typical tropes and failed to find what really matters in a good novel... excellent and very realistic character and world building. I found myself really connecting with all these characters as though they were standing right in front of me. It was at this time when I realized, this book is absolutely beautiful!
I do have to say that the world building was a bit intense and heavy for a mere 262 page book. There was a lot to swallow in such a short story, but it really worked well in the end. I am very very excited to read the next book of the series.
If the rest of the series is similar to this book, then I think, in my opinion, I would hold this up to the same standards as the original Dragonlance series! Some people may not agree, but that is my go-to fantasy of all time, along with Lord of the Rings. That's a nice place to be! show less

{First of 5 in The Belgariad; fantasy, high fantasy, epic fantasy, quest, adventure} (1982)

The first thing the boy Garion remembered was the kitchen at Faldor’s farm. For all the rest of his life he had a special warm feeling for kitchens and those peculiar sounds and smells that seemed somehow to combine into a bustling seriousness that had to do with love and food and comfort and security and, above all, home.

We meet Garion at a very young age as he is growing up under his Aunt Pol's care at Faldor's farm, deep in Sendaria, which is the most ordinary of all the countries and Sendars are known for the practicality and unimaginativeness. Soon, though, Garion is tagging along with Aunt Pol and the itinerant story teller he calls Mister show more Wolf on the adventure of a lifetime as they race through the kingdoms of Aloria on the trail of a mysterious object that has been stolen. Along the way they meet a multinational cast of characters. Garion, now fourteen years old, is too young to be entrusted with the details of their quest and often feels sidelined. But ... can Mister Wolf really be hundreds of years old and is there really such a thing as sorcery?

This book does not end on a cliff-hanger but the quest is not complete so you do have to read on.

I first read this series in the '80s when it had been recently published; the (UK Corgi) cover illustrations with their fanlights and art by Geoff Taylor drew me in and were some of the books that got me really started in fantasy in my teens. I was worried that this book wouldn't live up to my memories but it has and I've really enjoyed re-reading it.

I like the way Eddings took time to set the world up beginning with Garion's childhood and his everyday adventures growing up on a farm; I think it grounds the start of the story and invests us in the characters and their interactions as a close-knit group. I think Eddings got 'sulky teenager' right without making Garion bratty. I was around the same age when I first read this series and I could empathise with him; I could see why he didn't appreciate being ignored when there were important events happening around him and everyone else seemed to know what was going on. Now my kids are the same age I still find him relatable. And, though the teenage boy might not have seen it, I liked seeing how deeply Aunt Pol cared for him.

I also remember liking the way that the people of each nation have their own quirks and characteristics; it may not be considered altogether pc in this day and age but I think it works well (and gives Silk many opportunities to poke digs at his friends).

"Thank you for your permission, Captain," Silk said, inclining his head. "Do you know what the King of Sendaria said then, Garion?" he asked.
"No," Garion said. "What?"
"I pray you, your eminences,' the king said, 'have a care for your finery. I have just well manured the bed in which you are kneeling.'"
Barak, who was sitting nearby, roared with laughter, pounding his knee with one huge hand.
"I find this less than amusing, sir," Captain Brendig said coldly, rising to his feet. "I make no jokes about the King of Drasnia, do I?"
"You're a courteous man, Captain," Silk said mildly, "and a nobleman. I'm merely a poor man trying to make his way in the world.
Brendig looked at him helplessly and then turned and stamped from the room.

And I also liked the way that, as they went on, people from almost every nation (in the west) joined their quest; it gave the story a sense of inclusivity and unity.

It's not high literature but it is written well and lots of fun; it's a bit irreverent with a lot of banter between the characters. It has good pacing and enough description and little incidents (relevant or not) to paint in the landscape and the background and invest you in the characters. This is a world-sweeping fantasy with a well constructed world; it has history, geography and distinct cultures to different countries.

I like the way Eddings shows and doesn't tell; mainly we learn about events as Garion does. But it's also easy to put together information and understand a bit more than he has, so far, from the stories of this world.

Best of all, it lived up to my memories of it.

January 2022

4.5-5*****
By Belar! Give it an additional half star for nostalgia, why not:
5-5.5***** show less

A very familiar story in many ways, with a very familiar protagonist. It was written and published during the 80s (something I take into account when looking at fantasy stories, especially ones that fit this particular mold).
The religious elements, the creation account, etc. are interesting.
There are elements which are clearly influenced by Tolkien.
I was a little surprised that I've never seen certain attitudes or tones in the book (towards women, in the division of the races, in certain descriptions) mentioned in anything I have ever read about this series.
I would not put it in my top series (especially because of said tones), but I enjoyed it. I quite like Aunt Pol.

Wikipedia defines GrimDark as something that is "particularly dystopian, amoral, or violent” and that’s pretty much the definition of what I do not like in my fantasy books.

When I read fantasy, I want the heroes to be good people at their core. I want a world that’s essentially worth saving and not a dystopia that basically deserves going down the drain anyway and while violence is nothing I abhor, it’s something that should be used sparingly and only if necessary for the story.

Fortunately, “Pawn of Prophecy”, the first volume of “The Belgariad” is quite the opposite of GrimDark and pretty much exactly what I outlined above:

Garion, a young farmhand, tutored by his “Aunt Pol” grows up on the farm of a modest, show more good-natured man who cares about his people. When strangers arrive at the farm, Pol and an elderly story-teller, “Mister Wolf”, come to the conclusion it’s time to make a move of their own and so they leave with Garion and the local blacksmith to go on a dangerous trip through the land, searching for a dangerous ancient artefact and its thief. They’re closely followed by their mysterious adversaries at each step...

A lot of this book reminded me of Tolkien and I suspect Eddings was inspired by Lord of the Rings to some extent. The story, albeit simple so far, is original enough, though, to have kept me entertained throughout the entire about 80.000 words and I was actually surprised when I hit the end of the ebook edition I was reading.

Of course, this being a somewhat simple story, there’s no philosophical depth to be expected or huge new insights into life, the universe and everything to be gleaned but even simple truths are helping me feel “at home” in a book and in this particular case, I was captured by the very first paragraph of the first chapter already:



“THE FIRST THING the boy Garion remembered was the kitchen at Faldor’s farm. For all the rest of his life he had a special warm feeling for kitchens and those peculiar sounds and smells that seemed somehow to combine into a bustling seriousness that had to do with love and food and comfort and security and, above all, home. No matter how high Garion rose in life, he never forgot that all his memories began in that kitchen.”



As everyone knows, the kitchen is the (secret) haven of any respectable home and the heart of every good party as well as the place where it starts and ends. As such, it is only fitting for any respectable book to start right there!

That and quite a bit of humour...



“My Master wanted me to move a rock,” Wolf said. “He seemed to think that it was in his way. I tried to move it, but it was too heavy. After a while I got angry, and I told it to move. It did. I was a little surprised, but my Master didn’t seem to think it so unusual.”



… are good enough for me to be happy.



Anyway, depth and insights are not required for my personal taste in fantasy anyway, though, and so I enjoyed this book for what it was – an excellent start into a work of epic fantasy that’s new to me.

That said: Please excuse me while I start devouring the next book in the series... show less

Wikipedia defines GrimDark as something that is "particularly dystopian, amoral, or violent” and that’s pretty much the definition of what I do not like in my fantasy books.

When I read fantasy, I want the heroes to be good people at their core. I want a world that’s essentially worth saving and not a dystopia that basically deserves going down the drain anyway and while violence is nothing I abhor, it’s something that should be used sparingly and only if necessary for the story.

Fortunately, “Pawn of Prophecy”, the first volume of “The Belgariad” is quite the opposite of GrimDark and pretty much exactly what I outlined above:

Garion, a young farmhand, tutored by his “Aunt Pol” grows up on the farm of a modest, show more good-natured man who cares about his people. When strangers arrive at the farm, Pol and an elderly story-teller, “Mister Wolf”, come to the conclusion it’s time to make a move of their own and so they leave with Garion and the local blacksmith to go on a dangerous trip through the land, searching for a dangerous ancient artefact and its thief. They’re closely followed by their mysterious adversaries at each step...

A lot of this book reminded me of Tolkien and I suspect Eddings was inspired by Lord of the Rings to some extent. The story, albeit simple so far, is original enough, though, to have kept me entertained throughout the entire about 80.000 words and I was actually surprised when I hit the end of the ebook edition I was reading.

Of course, this being a somewhat simple story, there’s no philosophical depth to be expected or huge new insights into life, the universe and everything to be gleaned but even simple truths are helping me feel “at home” in a book and in this particular case, I was captured by the very first paragraph of the first chapter already:



“THE FIRST THING the boy Garion remembered was the kitchen at Faldor’s farm. For all the rest of his life he had a special warm feeling for kitchens and those peculiar sounds and smells that seemed somehow to combine into a bustling seriousness that had to do with love and food and comfort and security and, above all, home. No matter how high Garion rose in life, he never forgot that all his memories began in that kitchen.”



As everyone knows, the kitchen is the (secret) haven of any respectable home and the heart of every good party as well as the place where it starts and ends. As such, it is only fitting for any respectable book to start right there!

That and quite a bit of humour...



“My Master wanted me to move a rock,” Wolf said. “He seemed to think that it was in his way. I tried to move it, but it was too heavy. After a while I got angry, and I told it to move. It did. I was a little surprised, but my Master didn’t seem to think it so unusual.”



… are good enough for me to be happy.



Anyway, depth and insights are not required for my personal taste in fantasy anyway, though, and so I enjoyed this book for what it was – an excellent start into a work of epic fantasy that’s new to me.

That said: Please excuse me while I start devouring the next book in the series... show less

What is there to say? The plot follows the formulaic epic quest that is standard fare for the high fantasy genre, as laid down by Tolkien. It doesn't bring anything truly original or interesting to the table. The prose is serviceable at best and even awful at times. Yet it is for precisely these reasons that I love Eddings' work. His novels are so comfortable. Picking up an Eddings novel is like conversing with a good friend, an old friend but a good one nevertheless.