The Belgariad, Vol. 1 (Books 1-3): Pawn of Prophecy, Queen of Sorcery, Magician's Gambit

I grew up on these books as a teenager and have re-read them several times. They are some of my favorites in addition to the Terry Brooks books. They are a great escape from the day-to-day world that takes you into fantasy and adventure. Above all, however, I really like the way subtle sarcasm and humor are strewn throughout. The characters are all very unique in their own way which adds enjoyment to the plot and character interactions. I was also impressed with the way these books integrate into the other stories of Polgara's and Belgarath's backgrounds. The history of those two books is a great read to even better understand their character backgrounds. I noticed several people comment negatively on the binding of this book. I had seen it in the book stores and got it for that very reason. I prefer a more loose binding with thinner/lighter pages versus the often stiff pages of a paperback (where I inevitably break the binding because it's so stiff). It also allows for all three books to be included in one small novel. One of the things I like especially about these books is that they're relatively "clean." There is no sexual content other than very mild or innocent (and often humorous) innuendos but nothing that would be considered inappropriate. Battle scenes are also described only generally and not in an overly gruesome or graphic way. Because of that, I'm able to give them to my kids to read and enjoy the characters and plot as much as I did as a teenager. I definitely couldn't do that with a George R.R. Martin book. I think the general themes of good vs. evil, loyalty to family and friends, doing the right thing, dealing with trials and tragedy, etc. are all strewn throughout these books which gives it somewhat of a human quality that I find appealing. I enjoy the Elenium and Tamuli series by Eddings as well, but not as much as the Belgariad and Mallorean series.

David Eddings and his wife have dreamt up a wonderful world here that I and my children visit frequently in this and the nine remaining books that follow the lives of a cluster of wonderful and varied people becoming richer and more detailed as they go, building up the world and it's many colorful varied races of men! They masterfully weave history and present, solid reality and practicality along with sorcery and witchcraft in this "classic" good vs evil story. They move beyond the "norm" tho giving us ample understanding of peoples on BOTH sides so well that you, as the reader, really care that the central characters can prevail in their tasks thereby preventing world war! And a world war is horrific enough without adding some pretty powerful magic as well on both sides! Intricate plots inside plots that unfold over the course of the series so completely that as sad as I am every time I finish it and have to say goodbye to the characters again at least the story feels well and truly finished as far as the wondering what might happen to these many people you've come to abhor, or care deeply for! So completely and well written we even come to care about some characters that we start out fearing and abhoring! :-D Clever, moving, funny, terrible, fascinating, insightful, complex, ugly and beautiful, silly and wise...Eddings plumbs the depths of humanity for this epic and I can't say enough in praise of his humbly offered stories!

This volume includes the first three books in David Eddings' well-known "The Belgariad" series. Those books are "Pawn of Prophecy", "Queen of Sorcery" and "Magician's Gambit", and I can sincerely said that they are excellent, so good that I still enjoy them even though I first read the series more than 12 years ago. "The Belgariad" brings a strange world to the readers, a world where magic is a reality that is accepted, even if it isn't overly common. Eddings somehow managed to bring to life a whole world, with different countries and plenty of political intrigue, as well as deities that take a close interest in mundane affairs. The main character is Garion, a very level-headed young orphan who will suddenly find himself in the midst of action when a magical stone, the Orb, is stolen. Strangely enough, our very common teenager will involuntarily become involved in a quest to retrieve it, along with his Aunt Pol, a storyteller and some very interesting characters from diverse parts of the world. The fact is, the retrieval of the Orb involves very ancient prophecies that must be fulfilled, and Garion and his companions are part of it all. Garion will discover that his Aunt Pol is no other than Polgara the sorceress, and that the old man who from time to time drops by and tells him stories is both his grandfather and Belgarath the sorcerer. Garion will be eager to know more, specially what he is supposed to do in the grand scheme of things. Despite that, nobody tells him a thing, the excuse being that he will learn everything when it is time to do so. All in all, I can tell you that I am still thankful that this series caught my eye many years ago. "The Belgariad" is pretty popular in USA, but that isn't the case in Argentina, and I could have overlooked it. Fortunately that wasn't the case, and due to that I am in the position to highly recommend "The Belgariad" to you, knowing very well what I am saying. Please take into account that "The Belgariad, Vol. 1" only includes the first three books in the series, so you will do well to buy it at the same time than "The Belgariad, Vol. 2", that compiles the last two books. That is likely to save you time, because as soon as you finish the first volume you will be so full of curiosity regarding the rest of the story that you will probably run to a nearby bookstore to purchase the rest of the series, if you hadn't already done so. That having been said, happy reading :) Belen Alcat

great read

Honestly went into this book expecting great characters, decent world building, and an age old plot that be satisfying and well written. For those expectations being fully satisfied I rate this book 5 stars. The characters are very well written and have hugely individual personalities they don’t feel bland or basic by any means they feel very much like dynamic witty funny real people. I also love how David’s wife is probably the one writing the female characters ever so often we have male writers overly simplifying females as dramatic damsels in distress or making them act just like men’s versions of seductive warriors but in this we have an honest look into the female mind and their abilities to command multitudes of men and strike fear into any wise mans heart and their wittiness where they seem to always know when men are going to screw everything up and they are able to sweep the situation a way as well as their more emotional and reactive side which at times is illogical. That being said it’s very tastefully written and true to both our nature instead of being a man who can’t write female characters. The world building is good and well thought out interesting enough especially the piece about UL for me I found that really enchanting and kind of spiritual. The plot is well done we know what’s gonna happen there’s no real surprises only satisfying conclusions and it’s a cut and dry fantasy to the bone done right. That’s why this gets 5 stars cause it satisfies what I was looking for. Comparing to other works it’s not as advanced in world building or plot twists or the magic system there’s not 200 characters and it’s not from so many perspectives and conclusions that are like holy crap everything is colliding and your feverishly turning the pages but it is a pleasant character driven old school fantasy and I appreciate it.

I recommend just getting all 4 of these Combined books, normally it would be 10 books, but I was thrilled when I saw they merged them together to reduce total books. Would have prefered just each collection as one large book, but that is a personal preference.

First, let me mention that this book, which combines books 1 to 3 in one volume, is physically large. I had originally bought this to read while exercising on an elliptical, but it is too bulky for that purpose. Doesn't affect the contents, just when I read it. The writing is engaging and enjoyable. The story line is fairly simple and predictable. The characters are fairly well filled out, although they tend to be stereotypical within each culture depicted in the book. As a previous reviewer had written, one of the nicest things of this series is that it has a definitive ending, and does not drag on forever. I only give the book 4 stars because the plot follows the epic fantasy formula so closely. But still a book well worth picking up to read on the beach or as an escape in the evening. (It helped distract me while I had a cold. Captivating enough to keep my attention even though I wasn't feeling that well, and not so deep that it made me pause and reflect.)

Stop me if you've heard this one before: a quest for a magic/holy item, a group of mighty warriors with a cunning thief, the wizened old magician and his beautiful daughter, and the ordinary lad caught in the middle of it all who might not be so ordinary once the curtains are drawn... That's The Belgariad in a nutshell. Chock full of every cliché and trope Eddings could recall, it's a very detailed love letter to The Lord of the Rings and its ilk. The familiar structure leaves your mind free to engage with the characters instead of trying to figure out the plot twists and turns. Even with the familiar archetypes of the sneak thief and boisterously confident warrior, there are some surprising depths to even the most shallow seeming of them all. The plot is a bit old and dusty, but we can let the characters worry about the EVENTs in their path--we just want to watch them as they do it.

La Saga de Eddings, The Belgariad es una saga clásica de fantasía que pocos lectores conocen, aquí los 3 primeros libros en un solo tomo.

I bought these books over 30 years ago and have read them at least 3 times. Great read.

I re-read this several times a year. Its a great book, the story and characters are like old friends. The humor is my favorite and truth be told I have used some of the lines in my personal life David and Lehigh you are sorely missed

Excellent story. Really enjoyed these books.

Lovers of high fantasy can't go wrong with an Eddings book and the twelve volumes of the Belgariad cycle will keep you paging through the night. This particular anthology contains the first three books in the series, Pawn of Prophecy, Queen of Sorcery and Magician's Gambit. It weaves all the best elements - the heroes, the heroines, the wielders of magic, the creators of evil. Myth and legend blend across centuries with a magic talisman, an ordinary child marked by the gods and of course the ultimate quest to restore balance and light to the world. I first read Pawn of Prophecy over 40 years ago and I still dust it off and revisit it about once a year.