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lily_marigold's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
anythya's review against another edition
5.0
I first read this book back in 2001, and have had my copy since then.
This book has been a beloved favourite of mine for so long, i deeply enjoy the bond between Emmy (Dweia) and Althalus, and loved the concept of the doors leading to anywhere.
Unfortunately my love of this book has been tainted by finding out that the authors are literal monsters who adopted children and kept them in cages.
So while i am giving this book 5 stars, due to it being a cherished memory of mine, i can no longer read it, or support the authors!
This book has been a beloved favourite of mine for so long, i deeply enjoy the bond between Emmy (Dweia) and Althalus, and loved the concept of the doors leading to anywhere.
Unfortunately my love of this book has been tainted by finding out that the authors are literal monsters who adopted children and kept them in cages.
So while i am giving this book 5 stars, due to it being a cherished memory of mine, i can no longer read it, or support the authors!
therltd's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.25
sams84's review against another edition
3.0
Having read some (alright one) of the Belgariad series I had high hopes for this book and I was not disappointed. All the characters are witty and loveable and you even find yourself enjoying the 'evil' characters as they have their own quirks and idiosyncrasies that allows you to warm to them slightly (while still wishing for their demise...strange mindset that I admit). The story is epic in every way and my only complaint is that it did get a little to long, primarily through the sheer level of detail that the Eddings' added to the story, which on one hand is fine (Tolkien pulled it off in all his works) but it did slow the story in a few places which was a shame. Otherwise the story flows well, is engaging and will keep the reader enthralled for hours, particularly as it approaches the finale.
lootgoblin's review
1.0
The Redeption of Althalus is the first book I read by the Eddingses. Supposedly their books are good, but I found this one to be boring.This is over a 700 page book, and by page 520 I decided I just couldn’t read it anymore.
I found that the story was predictable and formulaic, which usually doesn’t bother me, but in this case it became really boring with the addition of long, drawn out, detailed explanations of battle tactics. I like reading about battles and such, but I don’t need this much detail behind it. The battles were also uninteresting and you have a pretty good idea who is going to win within a page or two. Additionally, throughout the novel there weren’t any surprises or twists in the story, so there was nothing to keep me intrigued. I don’t know why I even read as much as I did. I guess I figured it would get better.
The plot really did have potential and their were some interesting aspects to the book, but it was just poorly executed.
The characters were also one-dimensional and uninteresting. What I didn’t like were the descriptions of the characters. All the women on the good side were beautiful, the one woman on the bad side was ugly, and this seemed to be the same for the men. The fat characters were slow and lazy and the skinny characters were athletic. There wasn’t any variation. I didn’t really come to like any of them or think of them people. None of the characters had any difficulty completing their tasks or coming up with and executing ideas. They just weren’t real. I also did not particularly like some of the dialog between the characters. Calling someone “pet” is just a little strange. There was also a bit of repetition with the dialog and storytelling.
What I did like about the book was the lack of detailed violence. I would recommend this book for young adults because its not as graphic as many other adult fantasy novels. The writing was also good with few to no errors. As previously mentioned, the plot did have some interesting aspects and their was definitely potential for a better story.
I would recommend the book to young adults who haven’t read much fantasy or to people who really like reading about battles. Otherwise, I wouldn’t waste any time reading this book.
I found that the story was predictable and formulaic, which usually doesn’t bother me, but in this case it became really boring with the addition of long, drawn out, detailed explanations of battle tactics. I like reading about battles and such, but I don’t need this much detail behind it. The battles were also uninteresting and you have a pretty good idea who is going to win within a page or two. Additionally, throughout the novel there weren’t any surprises or twists in the story, so there was nothing to keep me intrigued. I don’t know why I even read as much as I did. I guess I figured it would get better.
The plot really did have potential and their were some interesting aspects to the book, but it was just poorly executed.
The characters were also one-dimensional and uninteresting. What I didn’t like were the descriptions of the characters. All the women on the good side were beautiful, the one woman on the bad side was ugly, and this seemed to be the same for the men. The fat characters were slow and lazy and the skinny characters were athletic. There wasn’t any variation. I didn’t really come to like any of them or think of them people. None of the characters had any difficulty completing their tasks or coming up with and executing ideas. They just weren’t real. I also did not particularly like some of the dialog between the characters. Calling someone “pet” is just a little strange. There was also a bit of repetition with the dialog and storytelling.
What I did like about the book was the lack of detailed violence. I would recommend this book for young adults because its not as graphic as many other adult fantasy novels. The writing was also good with few to no errors. As previously mentioned, the plot did have some interesting aspects and their was definitely potential for a better story.
I would recommend the book to young adults who haven’t read much fantasy or to people who really like reading about battles. Otherwise, I wouldn’t waste any time reading this book.
gilroy0's review against another edition
3.0
Not bad. not the best.
This was very readable, as Eddings books are. But it suffers, ironically, from being a bit TOO “Eddings”. The characters are echoes of earlier characters, and the plot - despite involving some timey-wimey shenanigans- is surprisingly linear. I don’t regret reading it; I’m unlikely to ever revisit it.
This was very readable, as Eddings books are. But it suffers, ironically, from being a bit TOO “Eddings”. The characters are echoes of earlier characters, and the plot - despite involving some timey-wimey shenanigans- is surprisingly linear. I don’t regret reading it; I’m unlikely to ever revisit it.
nic3's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Some of the narrative attitudes are outdated now, like the precious delicate girls needing to be protected. But overall a non-serious quest novel
itspronouncedtessa's review against another edition
Sweary spoilery rant:
The man was locked up in a tower for 2500(!) years and he was still wearing his damn shoes every day? Bro lived in a glorified hotel room and decided to just get dressed every day? What, for shits and giggles?
And then, when this lunatic got out, after said 2500 years, people still spoke the same language? Technology had advanced only from bronze to steel weapons? People still told legends from - again - 2500 years ago?
To put this into perspective, Pythagoras was just starting to dick around with triangles 2500 years ago. But sure, in their world, nothing fucking it happened in 2500 years. Sure.
You know where else nothing fucking happens? This fucking story.
I give up
And then, when this lunatic got out, after said 2500 years, people still spoke the same language? Technology had advanced only from bronze to steel weapons? People still told legends from - again - 2500 years ago?
To put this into perspective, Pythagoras was just starting to dick around with triangles 2500 years ago. But sure, in their world, nothing fucking it happened in 2500 years. Sure.
You know where else nothing fucking happens? This fucking story.
I give up
matthiel's review
4.0
Cheesy, but fantastic.
The Redemption of Althalus is, to me, David Eddings summed up in a single book. His characters are witty and lovable, the plot is engaging and epic in scale whilst still being simple and easygoing. This book was one of a few that got me into fantasy when I was younger, and while it's probably not the greatest book of all time- it's still a good story well told, if slightly lacking in depth.
As a standalone novel, it's perfect for the job- everything is all tidied up and resolved by the extremely cheesy finale and the decent length means you're not left with a gaping hole in your chest that begs for more of the book. My copy's been through a lot now, and has suffered the abuse of years of rereading and being carried about in bags that were far less waterproof than anticipated, but every time I pick it back up to read it's like spending time with an old friend whose company I can still enjoy years later.
The Redemption of Althalus is, to me, David Eddings summed up in a single book. His characters are witty and lovable, the plot is engaging and epic in scale whilst still being simple and easygoing. This book was one of a few that got me into fantasy when I was younger, and while it's probably not the greatest book of all time- it's still a good story well told, if slightly lacking in depth.
As a standalone novel, it's perfect for the job- everything is all tidied up and resolved by the extremely cheesy finale and the decent length means you're not left with a gaping hole in your chest that begs for more of the book. My copy's been through a lot now, and has suffered the abuse of years of rereading and being carried about in bags that were far less waterproof than anticipated, but every time I pick it back up to read it's like spending time with an old friend whose company I can still enjoy years later.
sianw1992's review
5.0
Although to begin with I found it hard to get into, by the time I'd finished I wanted to start it all over again. It was exciting, funny and the characters were brilliant. It was a very original story as well. Some people might struggle with the names but this wasn't the case for me, unlike the Lord of the Rings books. If you're a lover of fantasy this is a must read!