Likable fantasy fayre. - Rated 
This is old school fantasy by one of the genres elder statesman. It readss like a grandfather telling a story to little children on his knee, and it is no bad thing. It gives the books a very distinct feel, added warmth so to speak. As for the plot it isn't overly complicated and you will be able to predict many of the events coming a mile off, I don't mean to sound critical because I greatly enjoyed the series. In some ways the predictability and familiar feel make the series a good comfort read.
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
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Childish and flat - Rated 
I bought all five books of the Belgariad based on the many '5 star' reviews on Amazon and a recommendation from a friend, who is also a fantasy buff. Unfortunately I could not get past chapter one. The writing style would be suitable for kids of ages ten to fifteen, not any older. The characters are not interesting and the plot is sooooo predictable I feel I have not missed out on reading the rest of the book. If you want a good fantasy yarn, try Robin Hobbs' Farseer trilogy instead.
Absolute Masterpiece - Rated
I was first introduced to this book by my father when I was eight years old. He handed me a dog-eared and yellow-paged paperback, with a watercolour illustration of three characters, a sword and a valley on the cover. He had read them during his years at police training school and I was soon to be bewitched by them as well.
I took Pawn of Prophecy with me on holiday to Spain, and read it in three hours on the way home. Everything about it entranced me. The characters, the setting, the incredible way in which Eddings weaves his story using beautiful language, it was all mesmerising for an eight year old girl with a mammoth imagination. But you don't need an immense imagination to read it. I believe anyone could pick up this book and be fully immersed in it by chapter four. My father had a copy of Queen of Sorcery and I devoured that straight away, and it wasn't long before I owned a full set of the Belgariad and the Mallorean. I read the series' every year, like some people I know read the Lord of the Rings every year.
The story, the first in two series that span ten books, follows farm boy Garion, his Aunt Pol and their blacksmith friend Durnik, along with the mysterious storyteller Mister Wolf through a world alive in sorcery, swords and evil gods. Garion has grown up on Faldor's farm, a practical place where his Aunt Pol holds sway over the kitchens. He couldn't be happier in this home, until one Eristide festival he hears the story of how the world came to be and becomes wrapped in a conspiracy of hidden identities, an ancient prophecy and his true destiny. Over the course of the five books of the Belgariad, Garion will be faced with questions over his past and his future. Is Aunt Pol the woman he thinks she is? And who exactly is the grizzled Mister Wolf? These questions begin to be answered in Pawn of Prophecy as Garion's story begins to gain momentum and move towards its' ultimate and heart stopping climax.
This book has been with me for ten years now, and it's still fresh every time I read it. It's been a huge inspiration for my life, my own writing and keeping my treasured imagination alive. I fully believe that Eddings deserves to be placed amongst the greatest fantasy writers of all time. Read this book, and you will not be disappointed.
A Stunning Book; A Stunning Series - Rated
The title pretty much describes it perfectly
This is a book only bettered by a few, namely The Lord Of The Rings.
A truly amazing read, you cannot take your eyes off the story and before you know it, the sun is rising. (based on my experience anyway)
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