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.
Reviews
Though full of treasures, this farewell to the world of the authors' bestselling Belgariad and Mallorean sagas is rather a mixed bag. The book contains an autobiographical foreword, explaining the roots of the double saga in David Eddings's reading of medieval epics, the editorial influence of the late Lester del Rey, the longstanding but only recently acknowledged role of the author's wife as "unindicted collaborator" and the perils of writing high fantasy in general. The volume then presents a variety of well-crafted pseudobiblia, such as Belgarath's autobiography and many of the Holy Books. It goes on to the historical, economic and ethnographic background of the major nations of the sagas. There are many other pieces that reflect well on the Eddingses' world-building skillsÄas if the novels themselves had not already demonstrated their craft. This book may be unintelligible to those who are not Eddings fans, but it will be irresistible to those who are. It is also of some scholarly interest in revealing the roots of one of the founding megasagas in modern English-language fantasy. Science Fiction Book Club alternate selection. (Oct.)
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Reviews
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Fans of The Belgariad and Mallorean series will find this an interesting companion to the books. I was interested to see what details and information Eddings had compiled to support the structure and action in his books. It was an interesting look into the development and process involved in writing an epic fantasy series. This book would really only be of interest to those who have read and enjoyed the books it discusses.
I found this an entertaining read, as I am a huge fan of the Belgariad/Mallorean series'. It gives personal insight into David Eddings' writing style and personality which, as Eddings himself admits, is very, very like that of Belgarath the sorcerer! It isn't a challenging read, as both the style and content are in many ways 'more of the same'. For that reason I wouldn't read it straight on the back of having read the whole series, but rather leave it for a bit later.
This is an interesting book, which acts as a companion to the Belgariad/Malloreon saga, which includes the prequels ‘Belgarath the Sorcerer’ and 'Polgara the Sorceress’. It includes an autobiographical foreword by Eddings, who explains the processes he uses when writing his epics and tells of some of the tribulations he had with the editing and writing process, as well as an extensive collection of notes that fill in the background of the series; everything from the Holy Books of each of the main religions and nations of the world, to King Anheg’s journal and a collection of histories. It’s very interesting to anyone who’s a fan of this massive series, however if you aren’t familiar with every book in the saga, give this one a miss. There is also the issue that Eddings can come off as rather self-satisfied and over-confident of his skills, as some of the book is dedicated to giving instruction to anyone who wants to write a fantasy series, but that differs from person to person. Myself, I found it an interesting, if rather pretentious read.
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