Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #297010 in Books
• Published on: 2002-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 496 pages

Synopsis
An omnibus edition featuring the final two novels in the epic saga includes Castle of Wizardry in which Garion regains the Orb and struggles to escape from the brutal Murgo soldiers and the deadly magic spells of Grolim Hierachs, and Enchanters' End Game in which Garion is crowned as Overlord of the

Customer Reviews

The conclusion to a thoroughly engaging fantasy epic...
"The Belgariad, Vol. 2" includes the last two books in "The Belgariad" series, "Castle of Wizardry" and "Enchanters' End Game". Truth to be told, these books are even better than the first three, and it is highly likely that you will find them thoroughly enjoyable.

Despite that, a word of advice is in order: remember to read the books in "The Belgariad" series in their correct order, because only then will you fully enjoy them. That means that even if you are given "The Belgariad, Vol. 2" as a gift, you should buy "The Belgariad, Vol. 1" (that includes the first three book in the series) and read it first. It seems simple enough, but I think I must highlight the importance of that little tip.

If you are still reading this review, it means that you have already read "Pawn of Prophecy", "Queen of Sorcery" and "Magician's Gambit". In "Castle of Wizardry" and "Enchanters' end-game", we meet once again with the same characters, but we are allowed to watch the way in which they have grown. That is specially noticeable in the case of Belgarion, who comes to terms with his destiny, and with what it implies. C'Nedra is also somewhat surprising, as the spoiled little queen becomes a general while trying to aid Belgarion's quest.

On the whole, I can say that I highly recommend "The Belgariad, Vol. 2" to teens and adults alike, because I believe that both will find it entertaining and worthwhile reading. I think that everybody will be able to appreciate the fast-paced action and the dry humour that pervade these books.

Of course, there is a pitfall. This fantasy epic is so engaging that after finishing it you will be left wanting for more. Fortunately, David Eddings has written a wonderful sequel, "The Malloreon", that I also recommend to you. Having said that, happy reading :)

Belen Alcat

A true fantasy epic
I first attempted to read Pawn of Prophecy one summer holiday, but failed to break through the first few chapters set in Aunt Pol's kitchen and on the dusty old Sendarian farm where Garion spends his early years. Imagine my surprise when a couple of years later I finally escaped the slowness of the first hundred pages (check out the Rivan Codex, I'm not the only reader to have this trouble) to find myself so immersed in the series I went through it at the rate of nearly a book a day, and the final book was consumed in one sitting.

Truly, this is a work of fiction to rival any of the "great" fantasy writers, with a world rich and complete in its existence, with a history stretching seven thousand years into the past, rivalling Tolkein's Middle Earth for details of places and peoples. The style is so different to any other - thanks mainly to the large amounts of dialogue, although the descriptive sections are the equal of any I have yet encountered. The characters are all well written, each with the power to arouse feelings, both in our party of heroes and their inevitable enemies.

If you've been introduced to Eddings on the newer books, namely the Redemption of Althalus and The Dreamers series, this is a far superior work. The lack of any constant godlike presence - which makes the action of the newer books (and to a lesser extent, the Sparhawk novels) somewhat less exciting - allows the human sides of all the characters to be shown in rich depth, building to a truly stunning conclusion.

A fantastic set of books, worthy of a place in all fantasist's bookshelves.

Brilliant
I first read the Belgariad in the early 90's. Being the first serious attempt at reading fantasy i was imediately hooked.
The early chapters of Belgarion's life on a farm with his Aunt Pol and the reminders of childhood life were enjoyable, and the later chapters/books continued to add to this. The characters almost become real and the often humourous dialogue enriches them.
10 years on im reading them again for the umpteenth time and enjoy it just as much as the first time, the only other series of books that has the same re-readable factor (for me anyway) is the Dragonlance series (by Weis/Hickman).