The Belgariad
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The Belgariad is a five-book fantasy epic written by David Eddings.
Volumes include:
- Pawn of Prophecy (1982)
- Queen of Sorcery (1982)
- Magician's Gambit (1983)
- Castle of Wizardry (1984)
- Enchanters' End Game (1984)
Another five-book series, The Malloreon, is the sequel to the Belgariad. Belgarath the Sorcerer (1995) and Polgara the Sorceress (1997) are prequels that share the setting and most characters. The Rivan Codex (1998) features annotated background material.
Each book's title combines a chess term (Pawn, Queen, Gambit, Castle and End Game) with a fantasy term. The concept of a Game of Destiny is a significant motif in the story.
The books tell of the journey and coming of age of Garion, an orphaned farmboy (later known as Belgarion). Garion is accompanied by his aunt Polgara the Sorceress, and the ancient sorcerer Belgarath and a number of other important characters.
Contents |
[edit] Works in the series
[edit] Pawn of Prophecy
| Author | David Eddings |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Belgariad |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy |
| Publisher | Del Rey Books |
| Released | 1982 |
| Media Type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 258 pp (paperback edition) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-345-33551-1 |
| Preceded by | none |
| Followed by | Queen of Sorcery |
The farmboy Garion, Polgara (known to Garion as Aunt Pol), the sorcerer Belgarath disguised as an old storyteller (called Mister Wolf by Garion and Old Wolf by Polgara), and the blacksmith Durnik set out from Faldor's farm to pursue a mysterious stolen object. On the journey they are joined by Silk (a.k.a Prince Kheldar who is a Drasnian prince, spy and thief) and Barak (a Cherek warrior and Earl of Trellheim).
The story begins with a brief prologue concerning all that had transpired from the creation of the world by the seven gods through the recovery of the Orb of Aldur by Belgarath the Sorcerer, King Cherek and his children. It tells of how Cherek's youngest son Riva was able to hold the Orb, but no one else would be able to. All of his line would be responsible for watching the Orb.
The story then goes on to tell of Garion's earliest experiences of the kitchen and the smells and "Aunt Pol," how he met Durnik the blacksmith, his early games and friends, and something of the romance between himself and a young love named Zubrette. It also introduces his contact with "The Story-teller" who, of course, is Belgarath himself, his vision of a man robed in black who casts no shadow, and a "dry voice" in his mind. The reader later discovers that this is the voice of prophecy which occasionally talks to and advises him.
When the story-teller arrives with news of the theft of a mysterious object by a thief no-one will name, "Mister Wolf" (as he is known to Garion) and "Aunt Pol" must leave the farm to chase him down. Garion finds himself in diverse and mysterious companionship. He visits several cities as Mister Wolf follows an invisible trail. Eventually he and his companions are arrested and taken to a meeting of monarchs. Garion proves himself uniquely useful through all of this and shows his great potential, which is followed through upon in the subsequent books and series.
Garion also begins to have doubts about his relation to "Aunt Pol," especially when he discovers that "Aunt Pol" is 3000 years old and known alternatively as Polgara the Sorceress and that Mister Wolf, who is known likewise as Belgarath the Sorcerer, is 7000 years old.
The book ends with their departure.
[edit] Queen of Sorcery
| Author | David Eddings |
|---|---|
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Belgariad |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy |
| Publisher | Del Rey Books |
| Released | 1983 |
| Media Type | Print ( ) |
| Pages | 327 (paperback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-345-32389-0 |
| Preceded by | Pawn of Prophecy |
| Followed by | Magician's Gambit |
Garion and friends chase after the stolen Orb of Aldur. They are joined by two more companions whilst travelling through Arendia, the Mimbrate Knight Mandorallen and the Asturian archer Lelldorin.
After Arendia the companions travel to Tolnedra, seeking audience with the Emperor Ran Borune XXIII. Whilst in the imperial palace, Garion meets the imperial Princess Ce'Nedra, who is seen throwing a tantrum at her father for limiting her freedom to leave the palace due to fears over her safety. Upon leaving the capital, the group once again encounter Princess Ce'Nedra while she is trying to run away from her father, and the flighty Princess joins them on their quest.
In an encounter in the Wood of the Dryads, it is revealed that Garion also has the power of the Will and the Word. This is done in an encounter with Chamdar, a Grolim high priest who has been posing as a Murgo merchant named Asharak, where Garion kills him by hitting him and commanding him to "Burn!" after learning he is the man responsible for his parents' death. We discover that he is also the man with no shadow that was always lurking about in his life.
Garion is later kidnapped when travelling through Nyssia by Queen Salmissra, who drugs him and begins to seduce him; he is rescued by Polgara and Barak in the form of a bear. As retribution Polgara transforms Salmissra into an immortal snake. After this Barak can no longer hide his secret, so reveals to Garion that he is fated to be Garion's protector and guardian, turning into a giant bear whenever Garion becomes endangered.
[edit] Magician's Gambit
| Author | David Eddings |
|---|---|
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Belgariad |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy |
| Publisher | Del Rey Books |
| Released | 1983 |
| Media Type | Print ( ) |
| Pages | 320 (paperback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-345-32731-4 |
| Preceded by | Queen of Sorcery |
| Followed by | Castle of Wizardry |
After learning that Ctuchik, the evil Angarak sorcerer, has stolen the orb from Zedar, Garion and friends plan to go after him, but first take a detour to the Vale of Aldur. In a cave on the way, (which incidently is the cave in which the Gods stayed while creating the world and everything in it), Garion brings a dead colt (which he had helped birth minutes before) back to life. This event is of great significance as both Polgara and Belgarath maintain that before this, it was impossible to use the Will and the Word to restore life to the dead. The group passes through the haunted land of Maragor, home of the Marags. Maragor was and still is full of gold, so the greedy Tolnedrans had coveted it. The merchants had urged the Tolnedran Emperor to force the Maragors to participate in trade (they had a barter economy and were largely self sufficient). When they would not, however, the merchants started telling stories of the Marags being cannibals (while not untrue, they would scarcely have cared if every stream of Maragor was not filled to overflowing with free gold). The Tolnedrans invaded Maragor a short time later, not to simply control the country but to eradicate its inhabitants and take the gold for themselves. When the gold hunters swept in after the 'war' however Mara (the God of the Marags) unleashed the ghosts of the lost people onto them and they all went mad with fear. They then either killed themselves or lived out the rest of their lives in monasteries. Meanwhile Mara is still there, weeping over the death of his children.
While in the Vale, Garion learns more about his powers. The group enters Ulgoland, and, after some dispute, recruits an Ulgo zealot named Relg to serve as a guide to Cthol Murgos. As they find out Relg has the amazing ability, as a diviner, to pass his body through solid rock. Ce'Nedra is left behind as a guest of the Gorim, because the Ulgo god UL warns that if she enters the city of the Murgos, she will die.
Garion and friends enter the city of the Murgos and infiltrate Ctuchik's headquarters. Belgarath and Ctuchik fight an epic battle that ends with Ctuchik's destruction as he attempts to will the Orb out of existence. The group escapes, with the now unconscious Belgarath, Errand (the boy who carries the Orb), and an escaped Marag slave Taiba, who reveals that she and some Marags had been prisoners of Tolnedra, and the Tolnedrans had sold them into slavery.
[edit] Castle of Wizardry
| Author | David Eddings |
|---|---|
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Belgariad |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy |
| Publisher | Del Rey Books |
| Released | 1984 |
| Media Type | Print ( ) |
| Pages | 416 (paperback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-345-30080-7 |
| Preceded by | Magician's Gambit |
| Followed by | Enchanters' End Game |
Leadership is thrust upon Garion for the first time when Belgarath and Polgara are incapacitated, the former by his battle with Ctuchik and the latter by maintaining a shield to protect the innocent boy Errand, as they escape. Garion destroys the focal point of the power of the Hierarchs of Rak Cthol in retaliation of an attack upon Durnik.
Garion is revealed as the heir to the line of Riva Iron-grip and King of the Isle of Winds on Erastide (the Winter solstice festival and his sixteenth birthday) which infuriates Ce'Nedra. Since, as a Princess of imperial Tolnedra, this destines them to be betrothed on her sixteenth birthday (incidentally, the first day of Spring).
Shortly after the betrothal, Garion learns of what the Mrin and Darine Codices really say about him, namely that he must slay the god Torak or be slain. Garion, Belgarath and Silk set out to fight Torak, leaving only a small note to Polgara and Ce'Nedra with instructions not to pursue them, and sneak off in the night with the Sword of the Rivan King, Orb of Aldur included. Ce'Nedra immediately assumes she has been jilted by Garion and destroys her apartments within the Citadel, while Polgara knows the truth and proceeds to destroy anything she can get her hands on (and is significantly more effective at doing so).
After much sulking and finally learning the truth, Ce'Nedra overhears a conference of the Alorn kings and decides to assist them with their plan to raise an army to distract the Angaraks from Garion's quest so that he may reach Cthol Mishrak safely and destroy Torak.
Ce'Nedra proves herself by travelling through Arendia, and with her emotional soft spot for Garion as a motive, she begins giving speeches to the Arends about why they should join her army. By the time she crosses into Tolnedra, every able-bodied Arend has joined her army.
[edit] Enchanters' End Game
| Author | David Eddings |
|---|---|
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Belgariad |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy |
| Publisher | Del Rey Books |
| Released | 1984 |
| Media Type | Print ( ) |
| Pages | 384 (paperback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-345-30078-5 |
| Preceded by | Castle of Wizardry |
| Followed by | none |
Garion proceeds through Gar Og Nadrak, and despite a few incidents (such as being forced to join the army at one point, having been mistaken for a Nadrak), reaches Mallorea. Despite being tempted by Torak to accept him as a father, he rejects the temptations and manages to reach Cthol Mishrak.
Ce'Nedra's plan, however, is less successful. Despite a victory at Thull Mardu, she, Polgara, Durnik, and Errand are captured by Mallorean forces and taken to Kal Zakath, who turns them over to Zedar. This is particularly disastrous because Torak wishes for Polgara to be his bride, and with her power, not even Garion can stop them.
Inside Cthol Mishrak, Zedar holds his prisoners in Torak's chamber. Durnik charges Zedar, but Zedar kills him. Belgarath then seals Zedar alive inside the stone of the room. Torak revives, and attempts to sway Polgara, but Garion sends images of Durnik into her mind, thereby helping her to withstand the temptation. In the final battle, during which Garion and Torak swell into immensity, a titanic conflict ensues. Garion ultimately rejects the God of Angarak, slaying his corporeal form with the sword of the Rivan king, and Torak is finally defeated. Torak, in his final--and most ultimately human--act, cries out, "Mother!" as he dies, referring the Earth herself as he believed that she was the only one to ever truly love him for who he was.
The gods arrive and take away Torak's body. UL agrees to revive Durnik, but Mara objects, yet relents on the condition that Relg and Taiba (who is a Marag) help restore the Marag people. Durnik is restored after Polgara affirms that she will co-operate with Durnik and would agree to be "limited" in her own power in order to have him as her consort. (Specifically, she agrees to have power 'no greater than' that of the non-magical Durnik.)
Upon the company's return to Riva, Garion and Ce'Nedra plan their wedding and reception, but Polgara and Durnik marry in a private chapel on the same morning, just slightly before Belgarion and Ce'Nedra's ceremony. Durnik reveals that he was gifted with the Will and the Word when he was brought back to life, and Polgara is at a loss for words when she realizes that her powers were not gone after all, because as Belgareth explains to her it would be impossible for the gods to 'take away' her power as that would in effect be unmaking something, which is strictly forbidden by the universe itself. She was quite unsure whether to hate or love her father for the surprise.
The actual wedding of Belgarion and Ce'Nedra goes 'quite well' in Belgarion's opinion, but the word 'later' keeps cropping up, until, when Belgarath goes and talks to the Orb, they are being inconspicuously watched by the Orb in the Royal Apartments.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
| Garion novels | The Belgariad • The Malloreon • Belgarath the Sorcerer (prequel) • Polgara the Sorceress (prequel) • The Rivan Codex (supplement) |
|---|---|
| Sparhawk novels | The Elenium • The Tamuli |
| Other fantasy novels | The Dreamers (series) • The Redemption of Althalus |
| Other works | Regina's Song • High Hunt • The Losers |
