Demon Lord of Karanda

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Eat your heart out Tolkein - Rated
This book forms part of a terrific series beginning with `Belgareth the Sorcerer'. I don't read much of this genre (fantasy) but like The Hobbit/ Lord of the Rings this will appeal to a large audience.

Following Belgareth the Sorcerer there are two series of 5 books, `The Belgariad' and `The Mallorean' and it is advisable to read them in order, and if you can read `Belgareth' first (although you could save it and read it afterwards like a prequel).

I raced through the series. The Eddings' (the books were written by a couple) create a Tolkein-esque world with our hero Belgareth learning powers known as `the will and the word' through centuries of study under a benevolent God (the gods that created this world still live on it in physical form). This study elevates him to the status of a sorcerer and elongates his life span - he becomes a legend and a force for good in the world. However, another disciple of his benevolent master rebels and steals the holy `Orb' stone, following a more sinister God. In the later series the Gods have left the planet in fear that their battle will destroy the world but their peoples continue to war - following the Prophecies left to them by the Gods. The two series follow the course of events as Belgareth leads the hunt for the traitor and the stone. It's very cleverly written and characters and events reappear as we become familiar with the history of this fictional world through the course of the books.

Really good fun and a definite recommendation if you want a light hearted escape that will keep you reading late into the night.

This is the order of the books:

The Belgariad
1. Pawn of Prophecy
2. Queen of Sorcery
3. Magician's Gambit
4. Castle of Wizardry
5. Enchanters' End Game

The Malloreon
1. Guardians of the West
2. King of the Murgos
3. Demon Lord of Karanda
4. Sorceress of Darshiva
5. The Seeress of Kell

enjoyable light fantasy - Rated
Book 3 of the Mallorean

This book continues the quest of King Belgarion to rescue his kidnapped son from the hands of Zandramas. Picking up right where "King of the Murgos" left off, Garion and company (Belgarath, Polgara, Sadi. C'Nedra, Silk, etc) head off to the continent/Empire of Mallorea under the power of the Emperor Zakath. This seems to be a side trip as they are trying to get to The House of Torak at Ashaba, but the group keeps getting sidetracked. However, as Belgarath says in the book, even with all the distractions, they keep gaining ground and time on Zandramas. That fact is no different in this novel.

While in the capital city of MaL Zeth, reports start coming in about a sorcerer who is raising a legion of demons. While the quest for Garion's son is important, a legion of demons threatens all and must be addressed. Add to this a touch of plague to the city, and Zakath's refusal to let Garion leave, and you have the makings of this novel. Like the other books of this series, it is a familiar story that mirrors that of The Belgariad (the first series involving these characters).

I would consider this to be light fantasy, but because of how well Eddings writes his characters, they feel like old friends from the start, and it is easy to get wrapped up in the story. This is also the 8th book featuring these characters, however, and we are getting the same story over and over again, so that there is really nothing new here. Silk acts like he always does, and says the same things, and Polgara responds the same way. If this is your first time through the series, and you have enjoyed it thus far, you will continue to enjoy it. After reading it multiple times, it begins to grow a little tiresome because of how similar everything David Eddings writes is to each other. This is a fun little series that I greatly enjoyed years ago, and less so today.

-Joe Sherry

A good middle to a brilliant series - Rated
Every series needs a beginning, an end and a middle. This was a good middle with good character and plot development. Overall I enjoyed it and it left me wanting to read the next one in the series. However, there are some noticeable similarities between events in this book and events in the last series which irritates me somewhat, although it is explained as part of the plot. I can only wonder whether it was deliberate or not? All in all I would recommend the series and this book since the repitition is only a minor thing and there are enough original and exhilarating parts to make it an enjoyable and memorable read.

pretty good - Rated
Another wonderful Eddings book! I waited about 3 months before I had money to spend on books, and boy was it worth the wait! It brings you all the best characters, plus a few interesting plot twists and his charming character dialogue. Thinking back on it, the book didn't actually cover that much ground, but its so well written and you race through it so quickly that it's over disappointingly soon.

You can't put it down! - Rated
An absolutely fantastic book which I couldn't put down. I recommend reading the series so you understand the characters and the story line before this book. This is the only set of books I can read over and over again. David Eddings portrays the characters in such a way that you can't wait to see what will happen next. Well worth the time and money.