Product Description

Long ago, the evil God Torak fought a war to obtain an object of immense power - the Orb of Aldur. But Torak was defeated and the Orb reclaimed by Belgarath, the sorcerer. Garion, a young farm lad, loves the story when he first hears it from the old storyteller. But it has nothing to do with him. Or does it? For the stories also tell of a prophecy that must be fulfilled - a destiny handed down through the generations. And Torak is stirring again...

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5049 in Books
• Published on: 2006-09-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

From the Back Cover
An ancient prophecy – and a maimed God . . .

Long ago, the evil God Torak fought a war to obtain an object of immense power – the Orb of Aldur.But Torak was defeated and the Orb reclaimed by Belgarath the sorcerer.

Garion, a young farm lad, loves the story when he first hears it from the old storyteller. But it has nothing to do with him. Or does it?For the stories also tell of a prophecy that must be fulfilled – a destiny handed down through the generations.

And Torak is stirring again . . .

PAWN OF PROPHECY is the first book in a magnificent fantasy epic set against a history of seven thousand years of struggles between Gods and Kings and men.

'Fun, exciting, intriguing fantasy . . .

About the Author
David Eddings was born in Spokane, Washington State, in 1931, and was raised in the Puget Sound area north of Seattle. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from theUniversity of Washington in 1961. He has served in the United States Army, worked as a buyer for the Boeing Company, has been a grocery clerk and has taught college English. His first novel, High Hunt, was a contemporary adventure story. The world of fantasy has always been of interest to him, however, and he turned to The Belgariad in an effort to develop certain technical and philosophical ideas concerning that genre. David Eddings currently resides with his wife, Leigh, in northwest America.

Customer Reviews

The start of a set of books I will never forget
The story starts with a simple scullery boy, named Garion growing up on Faldors Farm in the farming country of Sendaria. You encounter characters like, his aunt Pol, the storyteller Mister Wolf and Durnik the smith. you learn of the history of the lands, through the story teller and the writings of history at the beginning of the book.

But Garions small country life is rudely interrupted when the story teller arrives with grave news and soon Garions life is turned upside down as you learn about the true identity of Garion's Aunt Pol and the old story teller and the truth of garions grave heritage is finally revealed.

Allong the way you meet a great many characcters such as Barak, the Cherek warrior or Silk, the theif and spy of Drasnia. David Eddings writes as though he knows the characters as if were his best friends and by the end I promise you that you will know each characters life history as if it was your own.

These books are addictive, once you have picked one up, BEWARE for you will not put it down until you have read the set.

Halfway between Tolkien and Terry Pratchett
This book starts with a couple of pages of beautiful observational writing about growing up on a farm. From there on you are immersed in a thoroughly enjoyable quest that spans two five book long epics.

I admire Tolkien, and I am entertained by Terry Pratchett; this is halfway in between. Tolkein has substance and knows how to tell a great tale, but he's often more than a bit dour. Prachett, of course, has humour, and can make a telling point through it, but he has never attempted an epic tale. The strenghts of both approaches come together here. Plot development takes place, philosophical questions are debated, and serious points are made in the naturalistic conversations during which so much of the action of these books takes place, with no shortage of humour.

Yes, there are some weaknesses, if you call using the archetypical characters and devices of this type of literature weaknesses. The authors (David and his wife Leigh, who finally gets acknowledged in later books)have been quite open about there methodology in more recent volumes. My view is - it works - and the 'stock characters' have rarely been so well depicted, or so much plain fun, as here.

How it all began...
This was one of the first fantasy stories I ever read and what an introduction it was! I read this whole series of books (ten in all- five in the Belgariad set and five in the Mallorean) over a three month period while commuting to work by train and I missed my station more than once as a result of this utterly engrossing and enchanting series. The characters are vivid, the story is effortlessly gripping and the cliffhanger endings that draw each book to a close are impossible to endure for even a millisecond.

Garion, Polgara and Garath are all introduced here for the first time and very soon they'll become entrenched in your imagination and as the quest they embark upon gains pace and we learn ever stranger and ever more fateful details about our young hero Garion...it only becomes harder not to love these characters, especially after ten books travelling along beside them through good times and bad times and truly horrific times. Upon finishing 'Seeress of Kell' (book five in the Mallorean) I'm not ashamed to admit that I shed a tear at having to leave the side of each and every one of these wonderfully drawn characters. I guarantee you that once you pick up 'Pawn of Prophecy' (the first book in the Belgariad) in a surprisingly short space of time you'll be putting down 'Seeress of Kell' and thinking back to how it all began on the farm where Garion knew nothing of what he would become, nothing of the secrets he would uncover and nothing of his future, or what it held for him, his companions and especially not for the entire world...