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A review by crazycatgeek
Polgara the Sorceress by Leigh Eddings, David Eddings
5.0
4,5*
What a wonderful book!
It's taken me a while to pick it up, but after re-reading the BELGARIAD and MALLOREON series for the third (fourth?) time, I decided I wanted to read its two companion pieces as well. I started with POLGARA and... wow. It's been an incredible ride. I thought I wouldn't like this book as much as I do the original series, because it doesn't have all the characters I've come to know and love (aside from Polgara, Belgarath, and a handful of others). I found myself falling in love with all the new characters throughout the story, however.
Polgara's story is a long and complicated one, starting in her mother's womb before she and Beldaran are even born. It tells of her relationship with her mother and her twin sister, the animosity she feels towards her father and her ongoing relationship with him, the way she finally loses Beldaran (multiple times, in several ways), and the way she learns about her gift and how to use it. Her time in Arendia is covered thoroughly and I loved reading about her time in Vo Wacune, keeping the Arends in check, and being the Duchess of Erat. The story is told in such a way that I could almost feel my heart break every time something terrible happened, showing how awful it can really be to have a lifespan as long as Polgara's.
Of course, the fact that she watches over the Rivan line - her sister's line - is also an important plot element. We find out what it was like for Polgara to raise so many little boys, to keep them hidden and take care of them as she waited for the Godslayer to be born. The final part, leading up to Garion's birth and briefly afterwards, was beautiful and so sad at the same time. So many bad things happen in Polgara's story, but there are also so many wonderful things.
I really felt myself drawn into this story and although it dragged ever so slightly a couple of times, it was never for long. It's quite action-packed, in a way, so each time I started feeling like nothing much was happening, something did happen that had me on the edge of my seat again. A beautiful companion read to the BELGARIAD and the MALLOREON. I'll be picking up Belgarath's story next!
What a wonderful book!
It's taken me a while to pick it up, but after re-reading the BELGARIAD and MALLOREON series for the third (fourth?) time, I decided I wanted to read its two companion pieces as well. I started with POLGARA and... wow. It's been an incredible ride. I thought I wouldn't like this book as much as I do the original series, because it doesn't have all the characters I've come to know and love (aside from Polgara, Belgarath, and a handful of others). I found myself falling in love with all the new characters throughout the story, however.
Polgara's story is a long and complicated one, starting in her mother's womb before she and Beldaran are even born. It tells of her relationship with her mother and her twin sister, the animosity she feels towards her father and her ongoing relationship with him, the way she finally loses Beldaran (multiple times, in several ways), and the way she learns about her gift and how to use it. Her time in Arendia is covered thoroughly and I loved reading about her time in Vo Wacune, keeping the Arends in check, and being the Duchess of Erat. The story is told in such a way that I could almost feel my heart break every time something terrible happened, showing how awful it can really be to have a lifespan as long as Polgara's.
Of course, the fact that she watches over the Rivan line - her sister's line - is also an important plot element. We find out what it was like for Polgara to raise so many little boys, to keep them hidden and take care of them as she waited for the Godslayer to be born. The final part, leading up to Garion's birth and briefly afterwards, was beautiful and so sad at the same time. So many bad things happen in Polgara's story, but there are also so many wonderful things.
I really felt myself drawn into this story and although it dragged ever so slightly a couple of times, it was never for long. It's quite action-packed, in a way, so each time I started feeling like nothing much was happening, something did happen that had me on the edge of my seat again. A beautiful companion read to the BELGARIAD and the MALLOREON. I'll be picking up Belgarath's story next!