I Have a Question For Fans (And Critics) of David Eddings

[The Fisher King]

This is not meant as a slam. When I was 12, (many moons ago) I read every single book of his and Garion and pals became like friends. Loved them.

 

When I became older, I began to notice something and it is the essence of my question, which is:

 

Has anyone else ever felt like the ''Witty'' Banter and ''Clever'' Back-And-Forth between the characters was actually a bit repetitive, predictable, pedantic, childish and  even slightly off-putting after reading the same lines every few pages book after book?

 

 

That is my question - thank you for all input.

 

 

 

Fish

[MsDanya]

Nah, I loved it when I was little, still love it today  ;D

[The Fisher King]

Fair Enpugh, Dear Danya! ;)

 

Actually, like I said...I still love them too..Garion and Co are like old pals...

 

And there was actually more sublte and deep characterizations that most people ever realized or gave Eddings credit for....like Silk being inlove with his Aunt-In-Law...His Claustrophobia...etc...

 

BUT...Even when i was TWELVE the repetition of the 'witty' and 'clever' remarks between characters page after page made me grind my teeth a bit.

 

Thats JMO - and theyre still wonderful stories...

 

 

 

 

Fish

[reyler]

I still kinda like the Belgariad, but I don't have a problem trashing Eddings' faults. The thing about the "witty and clever banter" is that it really wasn't clever at all, it was just Eddings being snide and then congratulating himself for it. Where it really started to grate was in the Malloreon, where there wasn't really anything else going on besides his characters being a little snide and Eddings acting like it was hilarious. Of course, the Malloreon is inferior to the Belgariad in every way. But yes, it did go on far too much and it was far too repetitive. "Got you that time, didn't I Pol?" No, Belgarath, you didn't. With regard to the textual flourishes, the point where things finally fall completely apart is in the last book of the Malloreon, when Anheg says something in French.

 

Things like Silk's Relg-induced claustrophopbia were handled the same way Storm's claustrophobia was handled in her earlier X-Men appearances - the writers would put her in situations where we can be reminded that she has claustrophobia so that we can pretend like she's a well-developed character because she has Character Traits. The problem is that Eddings' characters ended up being little more than their Character Traits.

[The Fisher King]

Thats about as Excellent and Accurate an analysis of Eddings/Belgariad/Mallorean as anyone is ever going to find.

 

Yeah, when Anheg (or was it Zakath) drops a little les majeste, I came very very close to throwing my book against the wall with the massive amount of superhuman strength that only True Disgust can bring!!!

 

The only thing I would even SLIGHTLY disagree on in the above excellent post, is that I actually DID think Eddings showed FLASHES of an authorial ability to develop Beyond-The-Surface characters...he just never really followed up on it. It was never meant to be a deep treatise on how to write ''Serious Fantasy'' to begin with, but, the sad part is that by the end, Eddings himself actually seemed to be taking himself pretty seriously!!!

 

If you read the Rivan Codex, his ''Writing Tips'' make him come off about as poorly and massively arrogant as they come, with healthy loads of thinly-veiled condescenion towards his readers added in.

 

Interestingly, every rule has its exception and in Rivan Codex, ''Anheg's Diary'' was that exception. Those 28 pages blew all 5 books of The Mallorean out of the water.

 

 

Fish

[OptimusPrime]

I understand what you mean but saying that I do think it is a book that is... not necessarily aimed at... but deliberately written to be appealing towards a younger audience. I did enjoy the books when I read them although as mentioned, a lot of it is repetitive banter and sameold-same-old to a point.

 

I like a lot of the characters and how the nations fit together. The Murgos and their priests were intriguing, Barak the Bear Defender was a great character concept. Im an aspiring writer and I cannot deny that Silk has influenced my protagonist.

 

Ce'Nedra still gets on my nerves now and I read the books over ten years ago

[The Fisher King]

Hey OP

 

Actually, Im glad you bring up Ce'Nedra.

 

I actually think she is one of the RARE times that Eddings really Hit a HOMERUN with Character Development.

 

The first 5 - 6 books I have never so badly wished I could jump into a book and Strangle a character (Not even Faile or Miranda) as I did with Ce'Nedra!!!

 

However...wow...she really grew and was a Bright Spot in The Mallorean where she was, imo, an Amazing Young Woman.

 

Fish

[reyler]

It was Anheg, in the last book, on Greldik's ship, trying to get out of doing any manual labor. Funny how he can speak French in a world where there is no France and even the barbarians living in caves on the other side of the world speak the same language as you.

 

I own the Rivan Codex, as it happens (the only book involved with that series I don't own is Belgarath the Sorceror, and I've still read it), and you'll note that the Anheg's diary bit is sort of an early sketch that he ended up straying from - Polgara, Cyradis, and Zandramas don't all three meet up until deep in the story, Anheg and Islena are never mentioned as having a child, etc.

 

Another couple of points in the Malloreon and the two "memoir" books that piss me off. First, despite all that talk in the Tolnedra section of the Rivan Codex about having a solid timeline, Eddings is all over the place with just how far after the Belgariad the second series takes places. Depending on what point you're reading, Geran's birth and the subsequent events of the Malloreon take place anywhere from eight to fourteen years after Torak's death. Second, Eddings retcons the hell out of his earlier books in the two memoirs by giving Belgarath and Polgara a metric eff-ton of advance knowledge about What Has To Happen that they quite obviously did not have in the Belgariad. In Queen of Sorcery, for instance, they don't give a whole lot of credit to the Archetypes that the rest of the party is supposed to represent, or much else in the Mrin Codex. He changes his mind a lot throughout his series.

 

Also, somewhat like Jordan, Eddings often gives his villains ultimate punishments that seem a little disproportionate to what we've seen of their villainy. Downtrodden and slighty repentant tool-of-fate Zedar gets entombed deep in the earth's crust Forever because he killed Durnik in self-defense. Um, okay, like Our Heroes haven't slaughtered their fair share of people in self-defense, but oh! They were part of the Bad Guy Race, so it's okay, they're clean.

 

You'll note I haven't once busted on Eddings for adhering strictly to the Planet of Hats trope.

[The Fisher King]

Wow! Thats a bunch of great stuff, Reyler...id like to hit a bit of it!

 

It was Anheg, in the last book, on Greldik's ship, trying to get out of doing any manual labor. Funny how he can speak French in a world where there is no France and even the barbarians living in caves on the other side of the world speak the same language as you.

 

This was disgusting and unforgivable lol!

 

I own the Rivan Codex, as it happens (the only book involved with that series I don't own is Belgarath the Sorceror, and I've still read it), and you'll note that the Anheg's diary bit is sort of an early sketch that he ended up straying from - Polgara, Cyradis, and Zandramas don't all three meet up until deep in the story, Anheg and Islena are never mentioned as having a child, etc.

 

If it wasn't for the smirking, self-satisfied, condescending tone of it, The Rivan Codex is ALOT of fun and Anheg's Diary was Great! ... I do know about it being Earlier Sketch ... I do think it is proof that Eddings had the ABILITY to develop great charactes that so many minor side characters like Vordai (unusually deep) Porenn, Anheg etc could be remembered so well...he just, sadly, CHOSE not to develop the main guys too much.

 

Another couple of points in the Malloreon and the two "memoir" books that piss me off. First, despite all that talk in the Tolnedra section of the Rivan Codex about having a solid timeline, Eddings is all over the place with just how far after the Belgariad the second series takes places. Depending on what point you're reading, Geran's birth and the subsequent events of the Malloreon take place anywhere from eight to fourteen years after Torak's death. Second, Eddings retcons the hell out of his earlier books in the two memoirs by giving Belgarath and Polgara a metric eff-ton of advance knowledge about What Has To Happen that they quite obviously did not have in the Belgariad. In Queen of Sorcery, for instance, they don't give a whole lot of credit to the Archetypes that the rest of the party is supposed to represent, or much else in the Mrin Codex. He changes his mind a lot throughout his series.

 

Well, I would like to talk for a minute about your comments concerning the Timeline and later Continuity Errors. First, I actually thought *Guardians of The West* was the ''strongest'' of the ten, but it DOES hop around...Don't ask me how I remember this, but i CAN tell you that it is right at 14 years between the end of Belgariad Number 5 and The beginning of Mallorean Number 2...In other words, Guardians itself  spanned 12-14 years...The two ''Companion Novels'' were overall cloying and condescending...ESPECIALLY Polgara's...The Belgarath one too, although PARTS of that one had some of the ''Freshest'' writing since the early days...Way back in the beginning, in book 2, the opening few paragraphs about Vo Wacune is some of the most beautiful writing you will find...it was serious and heartfelt and WAY WAY WAY out of place with the series as a whole.

 

Also, somewhat like Jordan, Eddings often gives his villains ultimate punishments that seem a little disproportionate to what we've seen of their villainy. Downtrodden and slighty repentant tool-of-fate Zedar gets entombed deep in the earth's crust Forever because he killed Durnik in self-defense. Um, okay, like Our Heroes haven't slaughtered their fair share of people in self-defense, but oh! They were part of the Bad Guy Race, so it's okay, they're clean.

 

I would like to say here that yes, the amount of self-justification among the ''Good Guys'' is staggering ... Also, though I seriously doubt Eddings was thinking anywhere deeply enough to have intended this, this series really is about the greatest work of fantasy that could probably ever be put together - to obliterate any positive aspects of organized religion in an unbiased reader's mind lol

 

You'll note I haven't once busted on Eddings for adhering strictly to the Planet of Hats trope.

 

I still cherish these simple stories of my youth...if you read the later books and the Codex though, it is a bit irksome the massive amount of egotism he seemed to have developed

 

 

Fish

 

 

EDIT - P.S. - The greatest tragedy in the series was what was done with Zakath. Started out having endless potential to be so complex and fascinating...and by the end, he is JUST LIKE all the others in the special little group!!! I understand he had to ''soften'' and regain his humanity or somesuch nonsense, but does that come with a requirement of becoming another clone of the ''good guys.''

 

Urgit and Vordai are also two characters that seemed to have had the potential to have bcome slightly ''deeper'' than any in the main crew.

 

Lastly...Man, just how OBVIOUS was it that Eddings came midway through the Mallorean to MASSIVELY Regret his decision to exclude Hettar, Barak etc...that HORRIBLE plot device of having them go after the rest and be involved but stay ''just behind'' them was truly actually painful.

[reyler]

I read the first book of The Dreamers in like two hours at the library and it was utter trash. Firstly, I should not be able to get through that much book in that little time. Second, more self-satisfied smarm, more Planet of Hats.

 

As to the timeline, Belgarath says something about it being fourteen years at one point, I think when they're reading the uncorrupted Ashabine Mysteries, but Guardians of the West and especially Anheg's diary in the Rivan Codex make out like it's only eight years to Geran's birth, from which the rest of the Malloreon spans two years (most of which is spent walking around with nothing happening, I guess). Also, Eriond is introduced in the Belgariad as seeming about 4-5, yet he's presented in the Malloreon as being the same age Garion was when the story started (14-15)

 

Also Eddings came down on Tolkien for writing about women as if "they didn't exist below the neck", so his alternative to that was to make the majority of them man-chasing coquettes. Wow, that really elevates your women characters.

 

As to the original subject of the thread, I'd just like to call attention to the scene that first introduces Beldin, where he and Polgara exchange a couple of tame little insults that apparently the rest of the cast find very offensive, and then we're told that they throw some more around that are so bad that Ce'Nedra has to run out of earshot, but obviously Eddings can't be arsed to actually come up with any of them in dialogue, because he's already used up his best material.

[The Fisher King]

I read the first book of The Dreamers in like two hours at the library and it was utter trash. Firstly, I should not be able to get through that much book in that little time. Second, more self-satisfied smarm, more Planet of Hats.

 

As a youth, I loved Belgariad, Mallorian and Elenium - still cherish them, despite the obvious list of irksome factors...Couldn't finish the second book of Tamuli, couldn't get halfway through Althalus and couldn't get 5 pages into Elder Gods...Haven't come across Dreamers...

 

As to the timeline, Belgarath says something about it being fourteen years at one point, I think when they're reading the uncorrupted Ashabine Mysteries, but Guardians of the West and especially Anheg's diary in the Rivan Codex make out like it's only eight years to Geran's birth, from which the rest of the Malloreon spans two years (most of which is spent walking around with nothing happening, I guess). Also, Eriond is introduced in the Belgariad as seeming about 4-5, yet he's presented in the Malloreon as being the same age Garion was when the story started (14-15)

 

I think I see the main problem...see, the Time Line early in Mallorean is indeed very consistent, and Guardians is right at a 14 year span...HOWEVER, what I think frustrates you, and that you are 100% correct on, is that this early mallorean Time Line DEFINITELY does NOT mesh with the earlier facts we were given such as the ones you list.

 

Also Eddings came down on Tolkien for writing about women as if "they didn't exist below the neck", so his alternative to that was to make the majority of them man-chasing coquettes. Wow, that really elevates your women characters.

 

And kinda unlikeable too...especially Ce'Nedra until about halfway through Guardians where she does an instant 180 and just...grows up...Also, I never was a big Pol fan...why everyone worshipped her always mystified me ... she was Bit<h...Id have much rather hung out with Porenn...

 

As to the original subject of the thread, I'd just like to call attention to the scene that first introduces Beldin, where he and Polgara exchange a couple of tame little insults that apparently the rest of the cast find very offensive, and then we're told that they throw some more around that are so bad that Ce'Nedra has to run out of earshot, but obviously Eddings can't be arsed to actually come up with any of them in dialogue, because he's already used up his best material.

 

Indeed...embarrasing...when you know you are reading 3rd Grade material that you will pull out as an adult affectionately like an old favorite blanket or something...

 

Still, like I said in some EDITS a few posts up...the Greatest wastes were the potentials once present in the likes of Zakath...and to a lesser extent, Urgit...Vordai could have been interesting too...she should have beat Polgara up...

Fish

[The Fisher King]

Oh, also, I thought it was hysterical how hard Eddings worked to keep the ''Mystery'' of Vella's Fate going when it was obvious even to the most slobbering of idiots as soon as Vella and Beldin met that they were going to end up together.

 

One thing about that that always bugged the heck out of me regarding Vella...well, TWO things, really:

 

1 Porenn literally READS VELLAS FUTURE!!! ... Uh, WHAAAAT??? Since when is it mentioned tha Porenn had Fortune-Telling Powers??? ... Oh thats right - NEVER lol!!!

 

2 When Porenn realizes this, she immediately starts trying to make Vella into a ''Proper-Lady'' ... Uh, WHY??? ... That would be the EXACT OPPOSITE of what Beldin would want LOL!!!

 

 

Fish

[reyler]

Another problematic timeline thing is that Unrak, who has just been born when they first land at Riva in Castle of Wizardry, is like 18-20 at the end of Seeress of Kell. What teh eff.

 

Apparently Polgara and Ce'Nedra were his answer to what he perceived as the role of women in fantasy literature up to that point in time: wispy little porcelain dolls whose role is to sit in a tower and pine for the hero. Apparently he equates bitchy with self-assured and assertive.

 

Don't talk to me about Urgit, he may have been Eddings' way of trying to make Them more human and not just the Bad Guy Race, but all he did is say that the Bad Guy Race can only be good guys if they're like Us. You'll note that we only get to know three other western Angaraks, one of which is Nathel (retard), one is Drosta (sleazeball), and one is Yarblek (also exactly like Us). Also don't talk to me about Vella, she exemplifies the most retarded piece of supposed womens' lib. theory I've seen expressed in literature.

 

Dreamers, Elder Gods, whatever it was called. One was the name of the first book in that series.

[The Fisher King]

OMG - You are LITERALLY Cracking me UP, reyler!!! - Literally LOLing!!!

 

Drosta = Sleazeball...Vella and Nathel Retarded LOL!!!

 

Another problematic timeline thing is that Unrak, who has just been born when they first land at Riva in Castle of Wizardry, is like 18-20 at the end of Seeress of Kell. What teh eff.

 

Good call on Unrak...Also, it cracked me up how many times after like Book 2 in The Belgariad it was totally forgotten that Barak should have turned into a Bear LOL!!!

 

Apparently Polgara and Ce'Nedra were his answer to what he perceived as the role of women in fantasy literature up to that point in time: wispy little porcelain dolls whose role is to sit in a tower and pine for the hero. Apparently he equates bitchy with self-assured and assertive.

 

Unfortunately, this is not exactly rare...the last decade or so has featured multiple authors who promise ''Strong'' female characters and theyve either been Total Biatches or Sluts!

 

Don't talk to me about Urgit, he may have been Eddings' way of trying to make Them more human and not just the Bad Guy Race, but all he did is say that the Bad Guy Race can only be good guys if they're like Us. You'll note that we only get to know three other western Angaraks, one of which is Nathel (retard), one is Drosta (sleazeball), and one is Yarblek (also exactly like Us). Also don't talk to me about Vella, she exemplifies the most retarded piece of supposed womens' lib. theory I've seen expressed in literature.

 

Well, this paragraph was literally one of the FUNNIEST things ive read in awhile LOL!!! ... Yes, funny wasn't it, how every character that became ''Good'' by the end of the series became just like the regulars and the ones that still retained any spark of individuality were still ''Evil.'' ... Best example is how Silk and Barak and Belgerath all mainly Whore, Drink and Gamble in THEIR Free Time but Drosta is such a disreputable fellow for doing the EXACT SAME Thing LOL!!!

 

Like I said, Vordai had rare depth (wasted) and Zakath could of been Great...but of course was telling the same lame jokes and sharing the same ''witticisms'' as the rest of the crew by the end...his ruination firmly complete...lol...

 

 

Fish

 

 

[The Fisher King]

Oh. Meant to add the following earlier about three times now - Most Ridiculous Thing EVER:

 

The ''Dire Warning'' at the beginning of the quest that ''One of Them'' would ''Die''

 

LOL!!!

 

Anybody that didn't IMMEDIATELY know Toth was Toast had a brain the size of a Walnut!!!

 

I mean...Just Imagine ... Some reader fretting and worrying their way through The Mallorean about ''Which One'' it would be LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

It was hilarious that the one guy that couldn't even talk, had never been in any other books, had no connection to the core family etc would be the one ''of them'' to get offed!!!

 

The funniest part ever was in The Codex though, where Eddings says that he is proud of the series because of their ''Gritty Realism''

 

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL - I kid you not!!!

 

 

Fish

[reyler]

Well, when he said that about "gritty realism", what he was talking about was rubbing his readers' noses in the physical reality of wandering in the wilderness for a month. Which basically ended up just being them durn womenfolk whining about wanting a bath.

 

Toth was a non-entity. Which I don't fault Eddings too much for, as I don't see too much success in attempting to portray a character without dialogue in a non-visual context. What I fault him for is thinking anyone would care when he got bumped off.

 

Honestly, though, the whole notion of having these archetypes or whatever that have been prophesied to be in the Party is utter nonsense, because most of them, especially in the Malloreon, contribute nothing uniquely helpful except to kill somebody specific, and otherwise just waste space. Although Velvet's hissing little booby trap (pun intended) was mildly amusing. Seriously, Lelldorin was in the party and back out in like five chapters or so - what was the point?

[The Fisher King]

Reyler Said: Honestly, though, the whole notion of having these archetypes or whatever that have been prophesied to be in the Party is utter nonsense, because most of them, especially in the Malloreon, contribute nothing uniquely helpful except to kill somebody specific, and otherwise just waste space. Although Velvet's hissing little booby trap (pun intended) was mildly amusing. Seriously, Lelldorin was in the party and back out in like five chapters or so - what was the point?

 

I have seen, more than once, on other Boards, the opinion that the whole deal was Eddings take on The Cold War...Garion's Western Side = U.S./Allies and The Angaraks were the Evil Soviets!!!

 

Be Like US!!! ... When youre NOT like us, youre BAD BAD BAD!!!

 

Booby Trap...LOL!!!

 

Lelldorin...that was weird...Relg was brief too...one thing that annoyed me, speaking of side-characters, was, in the Mallorean, you could LITERALLY have given 90% of Sadi's lines of dialogue to Silk...

 

 

Fish

[reyler]

Well, I think Eddings said himself in the Rivan Codex was that the point of Sadi being in the group was that up until then, the Nyissans were a Bad Guy Race.

 

Along the same lines as Unrak's questionable age, the same applies to Khevan, who is a newborn when they hit Riva in book four, but like twenty by the end of the series.

 

Grouchy nitpick complaints, but I also got pretty sick of the phrase "crackling vituperation", which showed up at least five times, and how pretty much every single "principal" character at some point said "what an astonishing thing", those exact words, because every single character talks exactly the same.

 

I think my largest overall problem with the series is the wasted potential in it. If a better author than Eddings had tackled it, it might have been truly great. For instance, Hettar is a great character somewhere under there, but Eddings didn't write a great character, he wrote a couple of character traits. The Belgariad is the summer popcorn flick of fantasy literature, but Eddings went the route of Michael Bay and thought he was doing Great Works.

 

I'm a very visual reader, and when I read these books, I picture exactly the type of fantasy film they were making when these books were written. Eddings didn't really do much of a job in describing it, but I still picked that up, I don't know how. Watch Beastmaster and you can sort of see bits of the visual world of the Belgariad. Nyissa and Rak Cthol are supremely cool. Salmissra is a pretty good character for her brief moment of time. Less of a generic villain than all the Angaraks (and by the way, less generic than half the Forsaken, just thought that needed to be said). I actually liked early Ce'Nedra (as a character, not a person), she was so ridiculous.

[reyler]

And just to clarify, I wasn't saying Vella herself was retarded, I'm saying the concept of freedom/slavery of women in Gar og Nadrak that she was used to personify is what was retarded. She can't own anything, not even herself, but somehow being owned gives her power and freedom? And Leigh Eddings gave her okay to this?

[The Fisher King]

Grouchy nitpick complaints, but I also got pretty sick of the phrase "crackling vituperation", which showed up at least five times, and how pretty much every single "principal" character at some point said "what an astonishing thing", those exact words, because every single character talks exactly the same.

 

Oh my yes! However, especially in The Mallorean, the repetition that got, at least for me was the constant eye-rolling and exclaiming of 'Men!'' or ''Alorns!'' or ''Women'' or etc etc etc...

 

 

I think my largest overall problem with the series is the wasted potential in it. If a better author than Eddings had tackled it, it might have been truly great. For instance, Hettar is a great character somewhere under there, but Eddings didn't write a great character, he wrote a couple of character traits. The Belgariad is the summer popcorn flick of fantasy literature, but Eddings went the route of Michael Bay and thought he was doing Great Works.

 

I soooo agree here. Ce'Nedra, Hettar, Zakath, Vordai...just a few of what could of been truly fascinating characters...but yes, the thing is, WE the reader, understood that Belgariad/Mallorean was ''Feel-Good/Young/Surface-Level'' Fantasy Reading...but,, somewhere along the way, David Eddings himself began to think he was writing ''Serious Fantasy'' LOL!!! ... The Smirking, Condescending tone evident in later books coupled wit some of the comments made in The Codex were truly astonishing...Michael Bay indeed lol!!!

 

Yes, Vella, representative of a woman in slavery of the times...except she does what she wants, sets her own price and is allowed to carry KNIVES - LOL!!!!

 

 

Fish

[The Fisher King]

Oh, last thing, before I forget (again) - regarding all the continuity errors.

 

Probably the most glaring is how Belgerath is very very clear early in The Belgariad that ''The Voice'' heard by Garion had never been heard by him before. Theres also an instance in The Mallorean where he affirms this...AND a place, I think where it is made clear that POLGAGRAhas never been privy to this Voice either...

 

Then, in The Prequels, Both Belgerath and Polgara are guided intimately throughout the books by The Voice and have MANY direct conversations with the Voice!!!!

 

 

Fish

[reyler]

Yes, Vella, representative of a woman in slavery of the times...except she does what she wants, sets her own price and is allowed to carry KNIVES - LOL!!!!

 

Well, the notion is that she is allowed these things precisely because she is owned, and the books suggest that this system that regards her as property is okay because she gets a cut. Eddings presents it as some sort of nonsensical womens' lib theory when it really is just aggresively perpetuating the idea of women as objects, as property, because even the women of Gar og Nadrak apparently see themselves as merchandise to be bought and sold, and not so much as people. Seriously, I would love it if someone could explain how this makes sense. Is it supposed to be some warped relic of the Nadraks being the merchant class of Angaraks?

 

Also, re: the Voice (which is a dumb idea in itself), not only had Belgarath and Polgara not heard it before Maragor, they didn't even know what it was.

[The Fisher King]

Very True...yet, in the prequels, The Voice of Destiny/Prhphecy is an old friend to them.

 

 

Another BIG, uh, and I mean BIG, uh OOPS was the fact that at the very end of The Belgarath Prequel, Silk and Belgarath encounter Asharak/Chamdar but in The Belgariad, both men, (Especially Silk) see Asharak as a stranger.

 

 

Fish

[reyler]

Yes, apparently guys named Asharak and pretending to be Chamdar have been popping up all over the place, but neither one bats an eye at the name in Pawn of Prophecy.

 

I really sort of prefer to acknowledge only the Belgariad, because everything else written in that series is tripe. The Belgariad is fluff, but decent fluff, that doesn't contradict itself too often, and doesn't get up its own ass, as the later books do, with having the Mature Characters telling everyone else to grow up (re: act like them)

[The Fisher King]

The Belgariad is fluff, but decent fluff, that doesn't contradict itself too often, and doesn't get up its own ass, as the later books do, with having the Mature Characters telling everyone else to grow up (re: act like them)

 

ROFL!!! That Is DEFINITELY Pretty Much The Essence Of It Ha Ha!!!

Fish