Scan barcode
midici's review against another edition
3.0
*3.5 stars
This book is from the 1980s, so what is now considered to be very 'classic' or 'overused' was (probably?) still new(ish?) when this was published. This is a good vs evil epic tale, full of wizards/witches pretending to be normal, nobility pretending to be low class, and a secret protagonist who doesn't know how important he is. The small-town teenager is suddenly swept into an adventure they don't understand with a group of characters who are on a quest that will decide the fate of the whole world.
I would say the most annoying part is how badly everyone is trying to pretend Garion is normal even as the villains are looking for him specifically. At a certain point if everyone but you knows who you are, the ignorance isn't keeping you safe it's just ridiculous. The reader, of course, knows he's the 'lost' Rivan king-to-be, but that doesn't make it less annoying. Pol is so dedicated to this ruse she didn't even teach this kid to READ. He's out here learning "secret" sign languages (that every 3rd character knows, so, not so secret) and sword play and can't spell his own name. Just... why.
There is a lot of travel and not so much action in this first book, which may or may not change as it continues. Just as LOTR characters spend much of their quest getting from point A to point B, I suspect this will be the same. I am trying not to judge this for some things that only seem over-used because this book is 40 yrs old, but it is occasionally a little difficult to remind myself of that.
This book is from the 1980s, so what is now considered to be very 'classic' or 'overused' was (probably?) still new(ish?) when this was published. This is a good vs evil epic tale, full of wizards/witches pretending to be normal, nobility pretending to be low class, and a secret protagonist who doesn't know how important he is. The small-town teenager is suddenly swept into an adventure they don't understand with a group of characters who are on a quest that will decide the fate of the whole world.
I would say the most annoying part is how badly everyone is trying to pretend Garion is normal even as the villains are looking for him specifically. At a certain point if everyone but you knows who you are, the ignorance isn't keeping you safe it's just ridiculous. The reader, of course, knows he's the 'lost' Rivan king-to-be, but that doesn't make it less annoying. Pol is so dedicated to this ruse she didn't even teach this kid to READ. He's out here learning "secret" sign languages (that every 3rd character knows, so, not so secret) and sword play and can't spell his own name. Just... why.
There is a lot of travel and not so much action in this first book, which may or may not change as it continues. Just as LOTR characters spend much of their quest getting from point A to point B, I suspect this will be the same. I am trying not to judge this for some things that only seem over-used because this book is 40 yrs old, but it is occasionally a little difficult to remind myself of that.
cosmo_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
listless_librarian's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
juicemom's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
peg77's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
nepanipsu's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence
dromwald's review against another edition
5.0
The first fantasy novel I ever read way back in the late seventies was Lord of the Rings, which is of course incomparable, but the series of books that really got me into fantasy was this book. At a time in my life where money was tight and life in general was pretty bleak this series was a gateway to another world, a true means of escape. A really good place to start too if you are unfamiliar with the fantasy genre.
brendanlambourne's review against another edition
5.0
How a fantasy novel should be, lovable characters and flowing storyline
tarawe's review against another edition
4.0
Enjoying this series (even though I'm reading the series in a weird order). Looking forward to the next one.