Genre: Fantasy Age Range: Adult Star Rating: 3 stars Series: yes - third book in companion series
*SPOILER ALERT: contains SPOILERS for GUARDIANS OF THE WEST and KING OF THE MURGOS*
Synopsis:
Captives of His Imperial Majesty…
Zandramas had stolen King Garion’s infant son and fled to use the child in some ritual that would make the Dark Destiny supreme. Garion and his friends had followed, but now they were captives of Zakath, Emperor of Mallorea, who, while friendly, stubbornly refused to let them leave.
Meanwhile, a horde of demons was ravaging the cities through which they must travel. Zandramas was escaping further toward her goal. And the Seeress of Kell revealed that they must be at the anient palace of Ashaba within a matter of days or Zandramas would win by default. Then a horrible, fatal plague struck the city of Mal Zeth. closing it against all traffic in or out.
Synopsis taken from Goodreads. Add to your shelves here.
Reveiw:
I forgot that this book was effectively another filler (or at least feels like it.)
I like the first section, in Zakath’s court with the scheming and disasters happening across the country playing out with Zakath tries to put those fires out. There’s time for the Zakath/Garion friendship to put down tentative roots, and also to get an overview of this pretty much entirely new continent.
However, then they leave and start wandering around, moping up a few minor villains from earlier books along the way, but still don’t make any actionable progress on big-villain Zandramas at all. She also doesn’t really cause them any problems – other than two minor interactions that only last a few pages, she doesn’t really put any stumbling blocks in their way or affect the story much, beyond the goal of “catch her and get baby Garan back.”
In that way, she’s really not a satisfying villain, and thus isn’t providing a challenge or any sort of obstacle. This means it feels like there’s little tension in this series, little pushing it on, because you know she’s not going to do anything until the final book.
If we’re being honest though, I’m not listening to these books for an engaging story. It’s because it’s a story I have fond memories of, and is familiar so the sound is something to concentrate on in order to block out others. So, in that respect, it’s doing it’s job.
Read my reviews of other books by David Eddings:
The Belgariad (chronologically before this series:)
- PAWN OF PROPHECY (#1)
- QUEEN OF SORCERY (#2)
- MAGICIAN’S GAMBIT (#3)
- CASTLE OF WIZARDRY (#4)
- ENCHANTER’S END GAME (#5)
The Malloreon (this series):
- GUARDIANS OF THE WEST (#1)
- KING OF THE MURGOS (#2)
- SORCERESS OF DARSHIVA (#4)
- SEERESS OF KELL (#5)
Companions to the Belgariad and the Malloreon:
The Elenium:
- THE DIAMOND THRONE (#1)
- THE RUBY KNIGHT (#2)
- THE SAPPHIRE ROSE (#3)
The Tamuli (chronologically after the Elenium):
- DOME OF FIRE (#1)
- THE SHINING ONES (#2)
- THE HIDDEN CITY (#3)
Sifa Elizabeth Reads 