''Polgara the Sorceress'' is a

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...

by American writers

David David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

and

Leigh Eddings Leigh Eddings (30 September 1937 – 28 February 2007; née Judith Leigh Schall), was the wife of David Eddings and co-author of many of his later works and uncredited co-author of his early works, and married him 27 October 1962. Biography Born ...

, and the twelfth in the setting of ''

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 fir ...

'', ''

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 o ...

'' and ''

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 sto ...

''. 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 Third person, or third-person, may refer to: * Third person (grammar), a point of view (in English, ''he'', ''she'', ''it'', and ''they'') ** Illeism, the act of referring to oneself in the third person * Third-person narrative, a perspective in p ...

placing it in context relative to the earlier stories. The

fictional character In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, ...

of Polgara is the (many generations removed) aunt of

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 gran ...

and the daughter of

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 ...

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, ''

''. The main part of the story then opens, revealing that Polgara and her twin sister

Beldaran 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 ...

were raised by their adoptive uncles, the deformed Beldin and the twin sorcerers Beltira and Belkira (all disciples of

Aldur 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 f ...

, like Belgarath), after the apparent death of their mother,

Poledra 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 ...

. Their mother was a shape-shifting

wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly u ...

at birth; she was distressed that her human babies would be born deficient in lupine instinct, and therefore educated them

telepathically Telepathy () is the purported vicarious transmission of information from one person's mind to another's without using any known human sensory channels or physical interaction. The term was first coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Frederic W ...

prior to parturition. After the birth of the twins, Poledra was presumed to have died; but continued communication with Polgara. For many years, Polgara resented her father's long absence from her own upbringing; and when Belgarath resumed care of his daughters, Beldaran was quick to forgive him but Polgara often fled to the Tree at the center of the Vale of Aldur, where she learned to speak to birds and ultimately mastered the Will and the Word. Belgarath (with Beldaran's help) eventually negotiated an uneasy peace, and Polgara began her training under him. Following Beldaran's marriage, Polgara also resented the "loss" of her sister; but the shared loss eventually reconciled her to Belgarath. Over the years, she maintained a relationship with the descendants of Beldaran. A relatively young Polgara spent many years in the Arendish duchy of Vo Wacune, where she mitigated the Arendish civil wars. Ultimately she was proclaimed the "Duchess of Erat". When Vo Wacune was destroyed, Erat became part of the new kingdom of

Sendaria ''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 fir ...

. When the Rivan King (Beldaran's descendant) was assassinated, Polgara became the guardian of a secret line of surviving heirs, incognito in Sendaria and its neighboring domains. At the Battle of Vo Mimbre, Polgara learned that in the prophecies of her enemies, she was the intended bride of the dark god Torak, whom she therefore defied at each meeting. Following Torak's defeat at Vo Mimbre, Polgara returned to caring for the descendants of Riva, eventually raising Garion.

References

{{David Eddings 1997 novels Novels by David Eddings 1997 fantasy novels Del Rey books ja:女魔術師ポルガラ

Plot summary

See also

References