Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #138368 in Books
• Published on: 1998-07-06
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 600 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
David and Leigh Eddings take readers on a fascinating behind-the-scenes tour of the extensive background material they compiled before writing their epic fantasy The Belgariad and the Malloreon and the two companion volumes, Belgarath the Sorcerer and Polgara the Sorceress

The 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. Readers visit the time before Time when two opposing Destinies began the cataclysmic struggle for supremacy that would involve Gods and men alike, crack a world asunder, and threaten to unravel the fabric of the universe itself. One also gets to see the origin of the Orb of Aldur and glimpse the final act upon the Sardion Stone.

Synopsis
This text comprises the background material to Edding's best-loved series, "The Belgariad" and "The Malloreon" . History, georgraphy, myths and folktales, peoples, gods, customs, social organization and more are presented. The series grew out these preliminary sketches.

Customer Reviews

Excellent background information
This is not the book to read if you are expecting another Belgarion et all story. It quite clearly states that it is not about that. What this book gives you is some idea of the details that the Eddings applied to create their world. In it you will find such mundane things as countries economic base, ruling structure and coinage - but if you keep going you will also be able to read the histories of all the countries you read about in the books as well as all their major texts (the prayer of Issa is particularly interesting). Eddings is at pains to point out in this book that this was just his approach to writing, and in no way should you attempt to recreate it as it may not work for you.

And valuable insight in the amount of detail required to bring to life a fantasy world.

Double edged sword
Having been a fan of this series for many years - indeed waiting impatiently for him to publish the ongoing books as he was finishing them, and having enjoyed the post-series prequel accounts (figure that one out), Belgarath and Polgara, I had to have this book when it came out. The amount of sheer hard work that has gone into constructing the world where we have followed the whole saga unfolding is extremely impressive and the origins of the different races, cultures and conflicts are well laid out, filling in a number of gaps left by the books themselves. Other reviewers have outlined the content of the book very well so I would like to make a slightly different point. The book was spoiled for me to a degree by Eddings's arrogant (I thought) dismissal of Tolkien right at the start. I doubt there is anybody alive who has read The Belgariad et al who has not read the Lord of the Rings. You must decide for yourself which you prefer or if you feel they both have equal merit but this element of 'one-upmanship', implying almost a contemptuous deisregard for the man who did it first altered my perception of Eddings. Having said that, the whole series, culminating in this detail-laden crowning work still stands as a landmark in fantasy fiction and will remain so for a long time to come.

For true lovers of the Belgariad and Mallorean
This is definately a book for those readers who want to know how the ideas behind the stories were formulated. It is really just a comprehensive list about each of the different gods and their people, but to the avid fan such as myself, I would reccommend it whole heartedly.