Polgara the Sorceress |
Published by HarperCollins (UK) |
The book marks the last novel in Eddings' Prequel Series, which begin with "Belgarath the Sorcerer",and tells the story of what occurred before the original Belgariad and Mallorean series started. The main character is a woman called Polgara, a sorceress and daughter of the most powerful and renowned sorcerer to live, Belgarath. The world that the series is set in is standard fantasy, swords and sorcery, stuff.The book tells the story of Polgara's life up until the point where the original Belgariad series began.
The premise behind the whole series is that an event occurred early on in the life of the universe that divided it into two possibilities. These two possibilities with god-like powers must clash through the ages, in events, that will eventually come down to a final event that decides which possibility will occur.
The story covers almost all of the events of Polgara's life that were mentioned in the original Belgariad and Mallorean series. It does go on for all long time, at 697 pages, but I am pleased there were no major gaps in her life story. Polgara was never my favourite character and it would probably been better if Eddings had chosen Silk's character to give a novel to themself. The book lacked must of the comedy that was in "Belgarath the Sorcerer", but it did show how the events of Polgara's life shaped her into the character that she became.
This is the final novel that is set in the world of the Belgariad and Mallorean. It will be interesting to see what Eddings is going to write next, as he has stated that the next book will not either be set in the world of his original series or the series of the Elenium and Tamuli.
8 out of 10. The only thing it lacked was originality.
P.F. 20th July 1997
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Paul Farris 1997