Would you recommend David Eddings?

Hoarnet said:
Hi guys new to the forums here and just want some opinions from fellow fantasy readers.

I am a huge fan of science fantasy having read the works of Terry Brooks, Raymond E Feist, Robert Jordan, Robin Hobb and David Gemmell to name afew.

I have always steered clear of David Eddings, i can't say why maybe just preconcieved notions? maybe it was whispered to me when i was very young that his books were no good? :)

I recently read "Redemption of Althalus" and really enjoyed it, however from wat i've read on here this seems to be his most unpopular work. Is that because it is so different from his other books or more of the subject matter/writing in itself?

Basically i'm asking if you would recommend Eddings to someone based on the fact that they enjoy the aforementioned authors.
Thx in advance guys.
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Hi Hoarnet. Welcome to the club.

I only have one short comment. If you loved something, then it's good. Well as long as it's not a crime, not immoral, not unethical or such like. Why care about what someone else says?

And, since you enjoyed it, why don't you recommend it to a friend. A like minded one, better. Mr. Eddings would love you for that.

Since you've also read DG's fantasy stuff, how about progressing to his HF? Have a browse through his Troy trilogy some time. I recommend it to you.
 
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It is very easy to be snobbish about David Eddings. Yes his books are often childish and contain quite possible the worst battle scenes in the whole of the fantasy genre (beating off very strong competition). World building seems to consist of putting together nations and cultures from different stages of history with little thought of how they would interact in reality.

and yet...

His system of magic, gods etc, is quite inventive in his first two series (Belgariad and Mallorean) and characterisation, and character interaction is extremely strong as well. As a teenager I read both of these series a number of times and they would still be worth reading for me now.

Sadly his inventiveness was a one off and later series consisted simply of the same characters and nations given different names. Personally I would have preferred a new adventure with the same world and characters if that is all he has.
 
FionaW said:
I get tired of people dissing Eddings. OK, he wasn't the most talented writer out there, but his (belgaraid/malloreon) characters stay with you, in my case for decades.

There are very few characters from other books that I remember so vividly; Paragon is one, Collan another. But a whole bunch of characters from one story? Only Tolkein and Eddings achieved that for me, and that has to say something about those books.
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Agreed

Characterisation is an important part of the writers art and in those early works Eddings was very good indeed.
 
ghost8772 said:
After the authors, Eddings would be a light easy read, but still some good storytelling. Its escapism, why put an age limit on a story because it was written for a younger audience? Harry Potter is being read by kids and adults alike. Eddings books can be too. Like I said, a lighter tale than Tolkien and Brooks specifically, but still some great character and plot development.
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This sums up my feelings on the matter perfectly.:) I would recommend Eddings, especially the Belgariad and Malloreon, and to a lesser extent the Elenium and Tamuli.
 
Clansman said:
Disappointment with Eddings began to set in during The Elenium
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I found that the character of Mirtai spoiled what is essentially a good series. Sparhawk's introduction - up until he goes to the palace at the beginning of the book is a literary masterpiece - it does tend to fall down and there is some dialog that is only there to prep the reader.

Mirtai spoiled the book as she appeared to be better at fighting than the entire ranks of Church Knights and in an age when females were supposed to be seen and not heard (royalty excepted) then as a mere servant she just doesn't fit.

In the Tamuli, Mirtai has a larger role but she still spoils the book, but not as much as the Shining Ones do.

Both are good stories in their own right, but I re-read the Elenium every time.
I also find that Pawn of Prophecy (book 1 of the belgariad) is too windy and drawn out. I don't want to waste 250+ pages on how garion grew up, and feel like it could be cut completely without affecting the plot.
 
Simple concept of good versus evil, but it was what I read when real life was junk throughout high school.

I was sorry to see it end. Most of the books in the 4 series are entertaining. I was attached to the characters. The books made life a lot more interesting.
 
I am in my early 30's and I am reading The Belgariad for the first time and loving it. It is by no means just for kids, it is for anyone who loves a great adventure.
 
The Belgariad was my first series of Fantasy books I ever read and I absolutely loved them. I would recommend them to any aspiring fantasy fan.

Yes, David Eddings does start to rehash his ideas in his later books, but I see that as a nod to all his fans, rather than a limited scope for story telling. The characters across his many series, while similar, all have slightly different aspects to their personalities which I find endears me to them.

I must confess to being slightly biased when it comes to recommending Eddings, as I've read all his works multiple times over the years, without once becoming bored of his own brand of story telling.
 
Eddings found a niche in light fantasy. Yes, it's dull and cliched, but that's why it's easy to read, plus it has bits of humor.
 
I really enjoyed reading Eddings books but like some of the other posts here they are a little simplistic. I read the Belgariad to my son when he was about 10 years old and he loved it. The characters were simple and the good guys were good and the bad guys were really bad.
 
I grew up reading and loving Eddings's work. I re-read some of it recently, and while I do agree that it may not hold up as well as I had hoped, I would still recommend him to anyone who is reading fantasy, for one big reason: his books are fun. Trope ridden? sure. Cliched at times? Maybe. But I always found them fun. I still do.
And, I think they can be a great alternative to the heaviness and darkness of a lot of stuff out there (which i love as well). His stuff isn't the literary equivalent of a steak dinner, but sometimes, what you really are in the mood for is a pepperoni pizza Hot Pocket and some Steak-Umms.
 
I have to admit that I'm fairly fond of, 'Belgarath the Sorceror,' (Eddings lets the old b*gg*r off the leash to tell us what really went on over those 7000 years, and the result is surprisingly good) and, 'Polgara the Sorceress,' (still making the odd dig at her father, Pol punctures a few of his loftier ideals and fills in the bits he missed).
 
Eddings, usually in his 'Alorns and Angaraks' universe, is one of the oases I relax in after every few months or years of hard SF interspersed with the odd serial-killer novel. I'm pretty sure my next visit to the five volumes of 'The Malloreon' will be my nineteenth.

It may well be seen by some as juvenile fantasy. It isn't the best, most intricate, most disturbing or most intellectual. But it is a nice, easy world to pass through. The good guys are very likeable, and the bad guys aren't. The bad guys always get their come-uppance, the good guys their reward, so plenty of feel-good.

After fourteen times through the Belgariad and eighteen times through the Malloreon I could probably do pretty well on Mastermind with the series as my subject (if I was brave enough to face those cameras - and the knowledge that more than two people I didn't know were likely to be watching), but I'll still keep going back there to catch my breath after the Ashers, Banks, Hamiltons, Morgans, Reynolds and Zebedees (when I lay hands on a copy) .

.
 
steelyglint said:
Eddings, usually in his 'Alorns and Angaraks' universe, is one of the oases I relax in after every few months or years of hard SF interspersed with the odd serial-killer novel. I'm pretty sure my next visit to the five volumes of 'The Malloreon' will be my nineteenth.

It may well be seen by some as juvenile fantasy. It isn't the best, most intricate, most disturbing or most intellectual. But it is a nice, easy world to pass through. The good guys are very likeable, and the bad guys aren't. The bad guys always get their come-uppance, the good guys their reward, so plenty of feel-good.

After fourteen times through the Belgariad and eighteen times through the Malloreon I could probably do pretty well on Mastermind with the series as my subject (if I was brave enough to face those cameras - and the knowledge that more than two people I didn't know were likely to be watching), but I'll still keep going back there to catch my breath after the Ashers, Banks, Hamiltons, Morgans, Reynolds and Zebedees (when I lay hands on a copy) .

.
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Any is there a problem with the good being good and the bad being bad? I love stories like that! In fact, that is one of the main themes in my own book.....I sometimes get tired of grey books and the good old fashioned black and white characters can be really refreshing. :)
 
David eddings can be recommended for people around 12-14 years old. Older than that, i'd say no. It's too cliche, too repetitive for adults, too dare i say it childish imo.
 
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