OK, here's why I didn't like The Redemption of Althalus.



On the other hand, has anyone read the Black Company series by Glen Cook? I really like these, although Cook can be a little sparse on the descriptions. But this fits, because the stories are the annals of a soldier.

I may look into Jack Vance after Yrth's mention.

I bought Althalus because it was an Eddings book and I didn't mind his other work. It was also highly praised after it's UK release, but not the best by far.

I've not read Glen Cook, but another serie you might have read and not mentionned here is Mickey Zucker Reichert's "The Renshai Chronicles". It's a short serie, 3 books, I read it a ways back and haven't re-read it in a couple of years, but I had really liked it, too bad I hardly recall anything, but you might want to get it at the library and give it a look.

Time to rant, why are all the book covers so damned ugly? I have very few books with nice covers, most being very ugly. I think it has to do with the way they draw the characters... they always seem so stupid looking. I much prefer make my own imagery of the people in the book, not look at them on a cover. You want a good example of ugly, look at Eddings, I mean YUK, those covers are the ugliest things I've ever seen.

p1forest --
I've read most of the Black Company books. In general, I like them. However, my main problem with them is

As to Vance, I have to tell you that his style is unique; you'll be pulling out the dictionary (at least I usually have to). I think one has to acquire a taste for Vance. Give Cugel's Saga a twirl. It's not as good as the Lyonesse stuff (IMO), but it is an easy read. Has some hilarious stuff. I'll give you an example from "Cugel's Saga". Cugel and another character (Bunderwal) are competing for the same job aboard a sea vessel (Soldinck is the name of the owner):

quote from "Cugel's Saga":

Cugel gave Bunderwal a careful inspection. "He seems to be a modest, decent and unassuming person, but definitely not a sound choice for the position of supercargo."

"And why do you say that?"

"If you will notice," said Cugel, "Bunderwal shows the drooping nostrils which indicate an infallible tendency toward sea-sickness."

"Cugel is a man of discernment!" declared Bunderwal. "I would rate him an applicant of fair to good quality, and I urge you to ignore his long spatulate fingers which I last noticed on Larkin the baby-stealer. There is a significant difference between the two: Larkin has been hanged and Cugel has not been hanged."

.....<break>....

"Cugel's qualifications are impressive," Bunderwal admitted.

"Against them I can counterpose only honesty, skill, dedication, and tireless industry. Further, I am a dignified citizen of the area, not a fox-faced vagabond in an over-fancy hat."

Cugel turned to Soldinck: "At last - and we are lucky in this - Bunderwal's style, which consists of slander and vituperation, can be contrasted with my own dignity and restraint. I still must point out his oily skin and over-large buttocks; they indicate a bent for high-living and even a tendency toward peculation. If indeed you hired Bunderwal as under-clerk, I suggest that all locks be reinforced, for the better protection of your valuables."

[Edited by Yrth on 05-24-01 at 09:19 PM]

2 points -

Point 1- Have you realized that in many fantasy books where there was an "old" world that changed due to destruction or a natural disaster, cataclysm or the like, that old world was always like Earth. In Terry Brooks and Robert Jordan they both make mention of our world. In the former, they get attacked in an area with old steel buildings by a monster made by man. In the latter, in book 5, Rand has a dream of the world Lews Therin lives in where he talks of buildings rising tall in the sky and travel done in creations like beetles and some other bug used to represent bugs. He also mentions wings flying without the bird part, probably airplanes. Quite interesting though, but when you look at it, if there was a major disaster and most of the population on Earth was destroyed, we could end up just like they live in the books because we wouldn't have cities, we wouldn't have machinery or the skills needed to make some, we'd lose electricity, fuel for vehicles, we'd be set back a whole whack of years. Kinda makes you wonder, the philosophers who say we follow cyclical time and once an age ends, the next age starts to rebuild on the remains of the last. We've gone through many ages of constant progress and advancements, but that has to stop has some point when man hits the peak and destroys itself like the civilisations in the pass... would that lead to a whole new age where we're basically reduced to living like the first humans fighting the elements in a struggle for survival?? (Yes... I've gone crazy).

2nd point, much shorter- In Robert Jordan's work,

Some people turn it around and say that lots of fantasy (and even some science fictional) works over-use a kind of medieval template. I've seen people query why a planet or world's society should seem to be stuck in such an era for any other reason than the laziness of the author! HArsh people, these critics!I don't think I've read that far yet and will probably need to go back to the beginning again. Again! That summary sounds a little like something from Nostrodamus....

Years ago when I started reading the WoT series I noticed the science-fictional elements; machinery; alternate worlds etc. I wondered if Jordan would become more obvious as time went on, so to speak. Don't forget - in line with your own coments - within the book itself he talks about the circle; the wheel; things repeating etc.

[Edited by benedict on 05-30-01 at 12:05 PM]

I know this thread is 2 years old, but I was looking through some fantasy fiction titles and one thing lead to another, and here I find a discussion about David Eddings. Since I absolutely love David Eddings work (have not read Althalus), I guess I'll just throw in a few comments.

I know Eddings isn't the most highly regarded of fantasy writers out there, and from the comments I've read, it seems that there are just as many people who dislike his work as there are who praise it. The Belgariad was the first fantasy series I read (when I was 13) so it brings back many fond childhood memories (discussions at school about the latest book), and I really do like the characters in his books. Someone mentioned that Eddings repeats a lot of phrases (like the "yes dear" or "I do love you" comments) and character traits (Silk's twitching nose) but I actually like them because it establishes identifying traits for those characters- I think it helps to give them life. Whenever I hear Aunt Pol say "yes dear" to Garion, I get the picture of Aunt Pol thinking of Garion as the little boy she raised at Faldor's farm, and it makes her sound like Aunt Pol rather than Polgara (if you know what I mean).

I also like the development of the characters throughout The Belgariad. During their quests from one book to the next, the people change and grow up. For Garion and Ce'Nedra, who both are pretty much whisked away from the comfort and safety of their homes (Faldor's farm and Ran Borune's palace), the path leading from their initial wariness (traveling amongst strangers), and reluctance (longing to return to their homes), to their eventual maturity and acceptance of their task (and accepting that life for them will never be the same) is a very fascinating and absorbing read for me. I particularly enjoyed reading Garion and Aunt Pol's little side-trip back to Faldor's farm in Castle of Wizardry (book 4, or was it in the last book?), knowing how things have changed drastically. Garion's thoughts about what it would be like if he had remained an ordinary peasant are quite touching. In The Mallorean, I was very impressed with how Garion- being only an inexperienced ruler of his own kingdom- offered his honest but frank opinions to Zakath- the arrogant and cruel Mallorean emperor- about how be a successful leader.

I could go on and on and on about specific areas of the books that I've enjoyed. In regards to the women in the books- yes, there's a definite and very pervasive sense of the ladies being manipulative. Polgara- because of her power and duties. Ce'Nedra- because she loves Garion and is very childish. And in The Mallorean, Velvet- because she loves Silk. Oh yeah, and even Merel is a bit mischievous too in how she handled her "domestic disputes" with Barak. But not all the females are conniving. Each of the queens and Garion's cousin Adara tip the balance back a little. Overall, I enjoyed the diverse and rich characterizations and didn't feel that anything was too overdone.

But I think these books would probably attract more of a young teenage crowd than an older one. I've read The Belgariad and The Mallorean only twice. Once when I was 13, and again when I was 25. In my first read, I thought everything was just perfect. After my second viewing, I got the impression that, at times, everything was tied together a little too conveniently. A picture-perfect ending where everyone lives happily ever after, and the people who die (very few) are only minor characters.

I don't know what to say about The Elenium and The Tamuli, because I haven't read them in a long time. They seem to have more political plots. A refreshing change and still enjoyable.

My favorite is definitely The Belgariad and The Mallorean. I'll probably be reading the individual Belgarath and Polgara stories eventually- not sure how good they are. Then I'll do The Elenium and Tamuli again, and another ten years later, back to Garion for a 3rd trip.


And a little side note about the book cover art. I grew up reading the UK/Australia editions and their cover art simply kicks butt. When I moved to the US and wanted to re-read the books, I couldn't get myself to buy the US editions because the cover art was so bad. I ended up ordering from a UK supplier. That's how picky I am.

Thoughts from anyone else who liked or disliked Eddings' novels?

I think Feist went WAY OVERBOARD which his religions system in the Midkemia books. First, he created like 15 different gods that the people follow. Then a couple books later, he blew em up and said those gods are all fake, there's only two gods, here they are. Then later, he even altered it so those two gods weren't really gods at all. After awhile he just dropped the whole subject and never mentioned a god or deity again!