Rivan Codex

by David and Leigh Eddings

Published by Voyager (UK)
U.K. 14.99
394 Pages
ISBN 0-00-224677-5

www.SFBookcase.com

The "Rivan Codex" is really the result of the notes that Eddings put together before writing "The Belgariad".

The novel is divided into the following sections: The Holy Books, The Histories, The Battle of Vo Mimbre, Preliminary Studies to the Mallorean, The Mallorean Gospels, A Summary of Current Events. The illustrations consist of black and white drawings similar to the Belgariad and Mallorean novels.

The introduction and afterword were very interesting, in which Eddings puts forward his views and the background of his writing. I was disappointed that there were not a full colour portraits of the characters, or maps. Some of the sections contained original material that was not mentioned in the series, while others seemed just to be fillers added to provide a balance to represent all the separate peoples.

If you are looking for a novel, with a plot, then this is not for you. It is just a companion sourcebook for the Belgariad and Mallorean series.

Overall this only for the fan of the Belgariad. 7 out of 10.

P.F. 2nd August 1998

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