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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
3.5 stars. Holy god, the Vo Mimbre section is slow. There's a shocking amount of bloat here compared to Belgarath the Sorcerer, and that book is like, 100% fan service. I mean Given the two of them have legit reasons to sass each other - Belgarath abandoned her as an infant and has caused most of the most traumatic moments in her life thanks to The Prophecy -- -- but man, Polgara is vicious to him and spends 3500 years lying to him about - but they're both aware enough to realize that's how they handle the eons of trauma the Prophecy has put on them means their family love is not a surprising revelation.
Also, there's a lot of retcon, most of which I don't hate, but the Duchess of Erat retcon is still a leetle intense. On the other hand, without it, it is like "what exactly did Polgara do until she had to hide the Rivan King again?" It's well-done retcon, compared to so many other series, it's just a lot of it.
Also, shocked I hadn't marked this as read before considering I bought this in hardcover 20 years ago and still own it. Isn't THAT interesting? (sorry, had to go for the easy Eddings joke there)
Spoiler
it really takes 3500 years for Polgara to realize she loves her father? Nonsense.Spoiler
having her let Beldaran go, having her let Ontrose go, that shockingly thoughtless comment when Chamdar tracks down Geran and IlderaSpoiler
Poledra not being even a little bit dead, even though Poledra's death is WHY he abandoned Polgara as a baby and has most of the shitty habits Polgara nags him about endlesslyAlso, there's a lot of retcon, most of which I don't hate, but the Duchess of Erat retcon is still a leetle intense. On the other hand, without it, it is like "what exactly did Polgara do until she had to hide the Rivan King again?" It's well-done retcon, compared to so many other series, it's just a lot of it.
Also, shocked I hadn't marked this as read before considering I bought this in hardcover 20 years ago and still own it. Isn't THAT interesting? (sorry, had to go for the easy Eddings joke there)
I enjoyed the story of these books so much. I love the world that it is set in; it is so well developed (even if it is a bit static, no culture stays the same for 7000 years) and I appreciated getting Polgara's adventures that rounded out Belgarath's. I enjoyed all the time spend in Arendia & Sendaria, her run ins with various Salmissra's & Tolnedran emporers and all the time she spent raising generations of Rivan heirs.
I do not enjoy her, and her mother's, rampant misandry. Men are all little boys that never grow up and have to be guided by the wiser and more mature women. I didn't enjoy it 20 years ago either but with the changes in culture we have experience in that time it's even harder sometimes to read. (see, and only 20 years have passed). I can ignore some of it but it's so constant and unrelenting. Its difficult to shrug off now. If a male character spoke about women the way Polgara spoke about men I wouldn't have finished the book 20 years ago. The endless misogyny would have driven me to throw the book in the trash.
Polgara is possibly the bossiest person I have ever encountered in fiction. She is supremely convinced of the rightness of her actions. She and she alone is the 'grown up' in the room and everyone else is under her thumb or else. Her terrorizing the Arendish dukes into doing what she says by basically torturing one of them with stomach ulcers is just an example.
But while I often dislike the main character (and never warm to Poledra), I do love the overall story this book is a part of and as with all my reading, I'm going to reread it for completeness every time.
I'll just be annoyed while I do it.
I do not enjoy her, and her mother's, rampant misandry. Men are all little boys that never grow up and have to be guided by the wiser and more mature women. I didn't enjoy it 20 years ago either but with the changes in culture we have experience in that time it's even harder sometimes to read. (see, and only 20 years have passed). I can ignore some of it but it's so constant and unrelenting. Its difficult to shrug off now. If a male character spoke about women the way Polgara spoke about men I wouldn't have finished the book 20 years ago. The endless misogyny would have driven me to throw the book in the trash.
Polgara is possibly the bossiest person I have ever encountered in fiction. She is supremely convinced of the rightness of her actions. She and she alone is the 'grown up' in the room and everyone else is under her thumb or else. Her terrorizing the Arendish dukes into doing what she says by basically torturing one of them with stomach ulcers is just an example.
But while I often dislike the main character (and never warm to Poledra), I do love the overall story this book is a part of and as with all my reading, I'm going to reread it for completeness every time.
I'll just be annoyed while I do it.
4 Stars
Polgara the Sorceress by David Eddings is the amazing companion book to Belgraith the Sorcerer. Another epic fantasy from the clever imagination of Mr. Eddings this story is well worth the read for any fantasy lover.
We met Polgara back in The Belgariad Series, and I have to admit that at first I really didn’t like her much at all. But slowly , over time, I began to understand her more and by the end of that series I didn’t think she was as annoying as I had first thought.
In this book we get a lot more background information, and learn things that weren’t revealed in earlier books. This story really explains why/how she is the way she is. And she definitely won me over.
Another enthralling, well written story from Mr. Eddings.
Happy Reading!
Polgara the Sorceress by David Eddings is the amazing companion book to Belgraith the Sorcerer. Another epic fantasy from the clever imagination of Mr. Eddings this story is well worth the read for any fantasy lover.
We met Polgara back in The Belgariad Series, and I have to admit that at first I really didn’t like her much at all. But slowly , over time, I began to understand her more and by the end of that series I didn’t think she was as annoying as I had first thought.
In this book we get a lot more background information, and learn things that weren’t revealed in earlier books. This story really explains why/how she is the way she is. And she definitely won me over.
Another enthralling, well written story from Mr. Eddings.
Happy Reading!
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I know that David Eddings books are very much a repeated formula from series to series but that does not take away from my enjoyment of them. I first read his books many years ago when I chose them because they were the longest books I could find. I enjoy his characters and the plot and I find that in general they stand up to the test of time as long as you can enjoy the raging sexism.
This book brings a very satisfying end to what I believe is an amazing series. So many interesting characters and old ones that are like friends. Reading this made me want to go back to the first book in the series and start it all over again.
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
the retcon! or, women know more than men actually
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes