David Eddings

[I, Brian]

Raymond E Feist's "Magician" might be a good place to start if you can hold from buying up his entire works - might be a tad expensive.

Alternatively, George R R Martin's "A Game of Thrones" is an interesting mix of mediaeval and fantasy, and that is only a trilogy for the moment.

[Ashen Shugar]

[quote=I, Brian]Raymond E Feist's "Magician" might be a good place to start...
Alternatively, George R R Martin's "A Game of Thrones" ...

Two of the best Brian - Can you suggest anything for someone who's read these but is looking for something just as good...

[I, Brian]

Well, Gemmell seems the other natural suggestion - but really my personal speciality isn't fantasy. You might find better recommendations asking on the Books and Literature board, where people might see it better.

[Ashen Shugar]

Fantasy may not be your speciality, but your taste is right up my alley if Feist & Martin are anything to go by, so Gemmell it is. I have one sitting on my shelf called Dark Prince. Is this a good place to start?

[I, Brian]

I'm afraid I haven't read that one - simply "Legend" - which is really Gemmell's key work. The novel is focussed around one big siege, set within a castle/fort with no less than seven outer walls that are forced down one by one. Gemmell said he was inspired to write the work after a cancer scare, with the seven walls symbolising the seven stages of psychological grief - despair, rage, denial, acceptance, etc. A decent read.

It was so successful that it spawned a following series, which I'm told is effectively just a repeat of the theme in Legend from different angles.

[Ashen Shugar]

Looks like I'll be picking up a copy of Legend then.
Thanks again

[Suzie]

After looking at the other postings, I feel I should defend The Redemption of Althalus. I thought it was great and a nice change not to have to read 10 books to find out how it ends!!!!!!!!

Enjoy, I did!

[Mark Robson]

Originally Posted by Suzie

After looking at the other postings, I feel I should defend The Redemption of Althalus. I thought it was great and a nice change not to have to read 10 books to find out how it ends!!!!!!!!

Enjoy, I did!

I can understand how a devoted Eddings fan would enjoy The Redemption of Althalus, Suzie. I could particularly understand someone who had never read any Eddings before really enjoying it. But for me there were not enough new ideas in it to make it a satisfying read. I found there were far too many repeated ideas, and particularly phrases and one liners from his previous works, to make it truly enjoyable to read. Don't get me wrong - I'm a big fan of most of the works of Eddings, but this just felt tired to me.

[Princess Ivy]

Mark, those are exactly the points about Althulus which bothered me. also the repitition of characters. The same problem with Renatas song. I'm really hoping for better with the elder gods series, but i'm getting them from the library so that i don't end up forking up for a repition of books already on my shelf.

[freight_train6]

I agree with you on this one I have read the mallorean-belgariad series and belgarath the sorcerer and think it was my own quest most the way through it was very delightful and I read the first series 2ce.

[AZDMIN16]

I'm probably a bit behind in answering all this, but I just thought I'd say something anyway. The only books I've really read were the Belgariad and the Mallorean. Both were very good, and caught my attention like no other. I haven't really read anything else from Eddings, other than those affiliated with the Bellgariad and Mallorean (except the Rivan Codex). It's quite funny, though, because I have a lot of his other works. I guess I just haven't taken the time to pick them up. But the Belgariad and Mallorean were great books, personally. I found them books that you can't really put down because you're always wondering what happens next. So yeah. Great choice of books.

[Becca]

I read the Belgariad and the Mallorean, and thoroughly enjoyed both of them. I read Polgara the Sorceress too but it was so long ago i can't remember what i thought of that one.

[The Ace]

Yeah, The Belgariad, read all five books one after the other, good characters, solid plot, great dialogue. The quality deteriorates a little in THe Malloreon, but it's still good, likewise Polgara and Belgarath. Trouble is, most of his later stuff is dross and in the case of The Rivan Codex, self important, pontificating dross.