Belgariad
''The Belgariad'' is a five-book fantasy epic written by David Eddings, following the journey of protagonist Garion and his companions, first to recover a sacred stone, and later to use it against antagonist Torak. It was a bestseller from the first book in the series. It has been called both the "last gasp" of traditional fantasy and "one of the founding megasagas" of modern fantasy. Background David Eddings, who had been writing adventure and thriller genres, has said he developed the idea for a fantasy series somewhat "cynically" after noticing how many times J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings'' series had been reprinted. He had an epiphany, realizing the fantasy genre might be very lucrative and was currently "underserved". He mapped out an imaginary world to use in developing the story for the Belgariad. He has also said he was influenced by reading medieval epics and by Lester del Rey's editorial input. In later works he acknowledged his wife, Leigh Eddings, as a ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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The Malloreon
The Malloreon is a five-part fantasy book series written by David Eddings, which follows ''The Belgariad''. The Malloreon is set in the same world as The Belgariad, but expands on several aspects of the setting, especially the eastern continent of Mallorea. Works in the series # ' () # ' () # ' () # ' () # ' () While the story concludes in The Malloreon, minor events occur in the prequels '' Belgarath the Sorcerer'' and '' Polgara the Sorceress'', which otherwise cover the history of the world. ''Guardians of the West'' At the end of ''The Belgariad'', Garion has slain the evil god Torak and expects lasting peace. The first half of the book concentrates on the first eight years of Belgarion's reign, describing minor problems including Queen Ce'Nedra's seeming infertility and a civil war in Arendia. All of these problems are resolved without much trouble, their resolutions providing some comic relief. The book also depicts the life of Errand, Polgara's ward. During h ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Belgarath
This is a list of ''The Belgariad'' and ''The Malloreon'' characters. ''The Belgariad'' and ''The Malloreon'' are two parts of a fantasy epic written by David Eddings and Leigh Eddings. Note: All of the statements (deceased, married) are written from the information by the end of the series. Protagonists Note: These characters are the main protagonists to the story. There are many other minor and supporting protagonists, including some royalty. *Garion (later Belgarion), the main protagonist of the story and later the King of Riva, with the titles of Overlord of the West, Lord of the Western Sea, and Godslayer. Husband of Ce'Nedra, father of Geran and Beldaran (named after Polgara's deceased sister). Garion is called the "Child of Light" in the Mrin Codex and the Darine Codex. (Note: he is not the ''only'' Child of Light; that is a position passed from individual to individual. At one point it is Belgarath; at another, Poledra; and finally, Eriond.) *Belgarath the Sorcerer, ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Belgarion
Belgarion (also called Garion) is a fictional character and the chief protagonist in ''The Belgariad'' and ''The Malloreon'', two fantasy epics written by David Eddings. Garion is the distant nephew of Polgara the Sorceress and the distant grandson of Belgarath the Sorcerer, though in truth his lineage is many times removed from them, through Belgarath's other daughter and Polgara's twin sister, Beldaran, the wife of Riva Iron-Grip, the first king (and founder) of Riva. Garion's father was Geran, a stonecutter in the Sendarian village of Annath and hidden heir to the Rivan throne. His mother, Ildera, was the daughter of a clan chief of Algaria. Geran and Ildera were killed after a Grolim sent her into premature labor while he had Pol out looking for Garions grandmother. After Garion's birth he set fire to their home, and he (Garion) was taken by his aunt to live on Faldor's farm. He lived there in ignorance for 14 years. He was watched all his life by Chamdar, the man who ki ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Polgara The Sorceress
''Polgara the Sorceress'' is a fantasy novel by American writers David and Leigh Eddings, and the twelfth in the setting of ''The Belgariad'', ''The Malloreon'' and ''Belgarath the Sorcerer''. Like the latter novel, it is presented as a first-person narrative recounting the life of the eponymous character, Polgara, framed by a prologue and epilogue in the third person placing it in context relative to the earlier stories. The fictional character of Polgara is the (many generations removed) aunt of Belgarion and the daughter of Belgarath. Plot summary ''Polgara the Sorceress'' begins with Ce'Nedra entreating Polgara to write a book about her life, filling in the gaps left by her father's story, ''Belgarath the Sorcerer''. The main part of the story thus begins, revealing that Polgara and her twin sister Beldaran were raised by their adoptive uncles, the deformed Beldin and the twin sorcerers Beltira and Belkira (all disciples of Aldur, like Belgarath), after the apparen ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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David Eddings
David Carroll Eddings (July 7, 1931 – June 2, 2009) was an American fantasy writer. With his wife Leigh, he authored several best-selling epic fantasy novel series, including ''The Belgariad'' (1982–84), '' The Malloreon'' (1987–91), '' The Elenium'' (1989–91), '' The Tamuli'' (1992–94), and '' The Dreamers'' (2003–06). Early life and career Eddings was born in Spokane, Washington, to George Wayne Eddings and Theone (Berge) Eddings, in 1931. Eddings was known to claim to be part Cherokee. Eddings grew up near Puget Sound in the City of Snohomish. After graduating from Snohomish High School in 1949, he worked for a year before majoring in speech, drama and English at junior college. Eddings displayed an early talent for drama and literature, winning a national oratorical contest, and performing the male lead in most of his drama productions. He graduated with a BA from Reed College in 1954, writing his first novel, ''How Lonely Are The Dead'', as his senior thesis. Af ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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The Rivan Codex
''The Rivan Codex'' is a collection of background material to the Belgariad and Malloreon fantasy saga by David and Leigh Eddings. It consists of two bodies of material used in writing the novels, one for each series, with three informal essays by David Eddings. ''Belgarath the Sorcerer'' and '' Polgara the Sorceress'' do not have dedicated sections, but are referred to in the Eddingses' discussions, and drew on the material of the first ten books. In particular, one text presented in the background to the Belgariad forms the basis for the first chapter of ''Belgarath the Sorcerer''. The Rivan Codex also contains the holy writings of the various religions in the world and the economic diversities of the different countries. It starts off with a creation story where each god takes a people and then goes into their specific money, religion, economy method, trade relations, weights/measures, etc. One of the essays also lists the following formula for epic fantasy: # The Underlying ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Belgarath The Sorcerer
''Belgarath the Sorcerer'' is a fantasy novel by American writers David Eddings and Leigh Eddings. Set in the same universe as the Eddings' ''The Belgariad'' and ''The Malloreon'', it is a prequel to the other series, although the framework story is set after the events of ''The Malloreon''. The novel begins shortly after the end of ''The Malloreon'' with Belgarion, with help from Durnik, pestering Belgarath to write an autobiographical account of the events prior to ''The Belgariad ''The Belgariad'' is a five-book fantasy epic written by David Eddings, following the journey of protagonist Garion and his companions, first to recover a sacred stone, and later to use it against antagonist Torak. It was a bestseller from the f ...''. The core of the book is in the form of Belgarath's memoirs starting with his becoming an outcast from his village and becoming first disciple of the god Aldur and ending with the birth of Belgarion—a span of about seven thousand years. ' ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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High Fantasy
High fantasy, or epic fantasy, is a subgenre of fantasy defined by the epic nature of its setting or by the epic stature of its characters, themes, or plot. Brian Stableford, ''The A to Z of Fantasy Literature'', (p. 198), Scarecrow Press, Plymouth. 2005. High fantasy is usually set in an alternative, fictional ("secondary") world, rather than the "real" or "primary" world. This secondary world is usually internally consistent, but its rules differ from those of the primary world. By contrast, low fantasy is characterized by being set on Earth, the primary or real world, or a rational and familiar fictional world with the inclusion of magical elements. Characteristics The term "high fantasy" was coined by Lloyd Alexander in a 1971 essay, "High Fantasy and Heroic Romance", which was originally given at the New England Round Table of Children's Librarians in October 1969. "High fantasy" often serves as a broad term to include a number of different flavors of the fantasy ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures. The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, which later became fantasy literature, fantasy literature and drama. From the twentieth century onward, it has expanded into various media, including film, television, graphic novels, manga, animation, and video games. The expression ''fantastic literature'' is often used for this genre by Anglophone literary critics. An archaic spelling for the term is ''phantasy''. Fantasy is generally distinguished from the genres of science fiction and horror fiction, horror by an absence of scientific or macabre themes, although these can occur in fantasy. In popular culture, the fantasy genre predominantly features settings that reflect the actual Earth, but with some sense of otherness. Characteristics Many works of fantasy use magic (paranorma ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Prophecy
In religion, mythology, and fiction, a prophecy is a message that has been communicated to a person (typically called a ''prophet'') by a supernatural entity. Prophecies are a feature of many cultures and belief systems and usually contain divine will or law, or preternatural knowledge, for example of future events. They can be revealed to the prophet in various ways depending on the religion and the story, such as visions, or direct interaction with divine beings in physical form. Stories of prophetic deeds sometimes receive considerable attention and some have been known to survive for centuries through oral tradition or as religious texts. Etymology The English noun "prophecy", in the sense of "function of a prophet" appeared from about 1225, from Old French ''profecie'' (12th century), and from ''prophetia'', Greek language">Greek ''propheteia'' "gift of interpreting the will of God", from Greek ''prophetes'' (see prophet). The related meaning, "thing spoken or writt ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Hero's Journey
In narratology and comparative mythology, the hero's quest or hero's journey, also known as the monomyth, is the common template of stories that involve a hero who goes on an adventure, is victorious in a decisive crisis, and comes home changed or transformed. Earlier figures had proposed similar concepts, including psychoanalyst Otto Rank and amateur anthropologist Lord Raglan. Eventually, hero myth pattern studies were popularized by Joseph Campbell, who was influenced by Carl Jung's analytical psychology. Campbell used the monomyth to analyze and compare religions. In his book '' The Hero with a Thousand Faces'' (1949), he describes the narrative pattern as follows: A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man. Campbell's theories regarding the concept of ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Stephen Hunt (author)
Stephen Hunt (5 May 1966) is a British writer of fantasy novels. He was born in Canada and studied in the United Kingdom. He worked for a time managing online services for a number of newspapers and journals until he broke into writing in the 90's. His writing influences include Jack Williamson, Stephen Goldin, David Gemmell, Bruce Sterling, Larry Niven and Michael Moorcock. Career Hunt's stories have appeared in various magazines in the US and UK. Some of his earliest works were written in the cyberpunk style. One of these was ''The Hollow Duelists'', which won the 1992 ''ProtoStellar'' Prize for Best Short Fiction Story. Hunt's first fantasy novel, '' For the Crown and the Dragon'', was published in 1994 after winning the WH Smith's New Talent Award. Reviewer Andrew Darlington used Hunt's novel to coin the phrase "Flintlock Fantasy", describing the subgenre of fantasy set in a Regency or Napoleonic-era period. In 2005, Hunt became the first client of the John Jarro ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |