Pawn of Prophecy - Book 1 - David Eddings

...to change.

Pawn Of Prophecy is the work of author David Eddings* and is the first of five books in The Belgariad series. I know that reading five whole books for a single story might sound off-putting to some people, but I urge these people to persist as they are some of the most well-written and gripping examples of literature that I've ever had the pleasure of reading. The Belgariad is a fantasy series which incorporates a lot of ...
...what's it all about? Well, Pawn Of Prophecy begins with a short history lesson. It introduces you into the makings of the world, where the seven gods willed the land and it's creatures into existence, and sets the scene for the story to begin proper. It introduces you to a few key details and will be referred back to later in the later plot, and it's almost like a story within a story. Each of the five books has an introduction like this, but they ... more

Nothing sets your emotions and imagination soaring like a good book. They can take you away to strange lands full of excitement and adventure. They can make you laugh or cry, sometimes even both. They introduce you to different people of all shapes and sizes, some of whom you'll grow to love like family, and others you'll despise, hate or even fear. Books are free from the constraints of reality, and have no boundary save for the imagination of the author, and the reader alike. Within their pages contain whole worlds just waiting to be explored by those brave enough to turn the pages. Best of all, you can be swept away into the many worlds of fiction from the comfort of your favourite armchair.

I came across this particular book when I was in my late teens. I had been given a college assignment to read, and then review, a book of my choosing which I had not read before, and present it to the rest of the students in my class. Due to the excited... and repeated... recommendations about this particular book from my girlfriend at the time, I decided to see what all the fuss was about. And I think it was at this point, sitting in the college library reading the blurb on the back cover, that my opinion on not only fantasy novels, but fiction in general began to change.

Pawn Of Prophecy is the work of author David Eddings* and is the first of five books in The Belgariad series. I know that reading five whole books for a single story might sound off-putting to some people, but I urge these people to persist as they are some of the most well-written and gripping examples of literature that I've ever had the pleasure of reading. The Belgariad is a fantasy series which incorporates a lot of staple fantasy ideas, and throws a whole lot of new ones in for good measure. When this was first published in 1982 it introduced a new take on a usually stuffy genre. It made reading fantasy more accessible... more forgiving, unlike some well-known works that are full of irrelevant details and infuriating hobbit songs every other page. I would almost compare this to Harry Potter in as much as it is a story that can be enjoyed by people of all ages (although I would advise to read it yourself before reading it to your kids at night... some of the images and themes can be a little... graphic).

So what's it all about? Well, Pawn Of Prophecy begins with a short history lesson. It introduces you into the makings of the world, where the seven gods willed the land and it's creatures into existence, and sets the scene for the story to begin proper. It introduces you to a few key details and will be referred back to later in the later plot, and it's almost like a story within a story. Each of the five books has an introduction like this, but they are subtly different, written in a different perspective each time allowing the reader to get a deeper understanding of the different races in the world. I thought this was a nice little touch, although once you start reading the rest of the books in the series you may find that you'll want to skip these prologues in order to get back into the story proper. You really shouldn't, but you might feel like it.

Speaking of the story proper, it begins in a country called Sendaria, more specifically on a small farm known as Faldor's Farm. Here, a young boy lives with his Aunt Pol and his friends, unaware that his cozy, simple life working in the kitchens is about to be turned upside down forever... it sounds like just another coming-of-age fantasy bore-fest. But you see, the thing is, once you start reading you can't put the book down. He manages to convey his world to the reader without getting boring, and his descriptions of people or places are kept brief and to the point, whilst containing enough information to conjour up a fully-detailed image within your mind. But I think the trump-card in Eddings' writing are his characters. Each one... feels different. Throughout the book you'll meet many different types of character, and each one whether they be a sorcerer or a king, behaves in a way unique to their very own character. It isn't long before you begin to understand the way each character's mind works, and it makes your time spent with them even more enjoyable. Perhaps something which is even more amazing is how he has managed to capture the inner-workings of the female mind (something which I believe his wife had a lot to do with*) and managed to put it down onto paper. Some of the very best characters in this book are female, simply because they are so well realised, something that perhaps is lacking in other areas of the genre. The way the characters think, the way the younger characters struggle with growing up, dealing with issues such as honour, trust, and love... each character was clearly a labour of love for Eddings and it really does show in his work. I honestly believe that it is the characters in the story that turn this already good novel into a great one. The quick quips from Silk, the pouts of Ce'Nedra (whom you'll meet in book two), the stern yet loving Pol, and the confused yet honest Garion, the central character to the series. Throw in a cast you you care about and you're already halfway there.

The way the land has been divided up is also of note. The countries in the world are as diverse as the characters you meet, each with their own traits which, whilst not uncommon in the genre, is a nice touch as it shows that the world has been thought about in great detail. And it's a good thing that the world is diverse as you will visit every one before the series is done, exploring some in a great amount of detail. Plus, of course, you have possibly the single most ingenious magic system ever in The Will and the Word (which is, basically, if you want to do something enough, and focus your thought into it enough, and then release that will with a word... magic occurs). It almost... ALMOST sounds plausible and to do that, with something so non-plausible as magic, is an impressive feat.

It occurs to me, as I type this that I could sing this book's, and the whole series' praises until you all get bored of me harping on about it. It also occurs to me that there are already some excellent reviews of this book elsewhere on Ciao, and probably all of them go into a lot more detail and critical analysis of the book and series than I have. But before I wrap things up here I just want to put things into perspective. I don't re-read books very often, as I find it a waste of time to revisit something that I have already done, and would rather spend my time seeking out new experiences with other books. I have read each Harry Potter book only once, for example, and there are many other great examples of literature which I will probably never read again. I have ready the ENTIRE Belgariad on no less than four occasions, and it's sequel The Mallorean twice. I love these books. In fact, I honestly believe that I cannot write a fair, unbiased review about them and properly criticize them the way I should as a reviewer. So how about I just give it five stars, tell you that this is part of the greatest series of books ever written, and recommend that you go out and buy yourself a copy. Sound good? Excellent.

* To give credit where it is due, Mr. Eddings' wife Leigh contributed heavily to the series, and was credited in future works including the sequel to the series, The Mallorean. 

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