Pawn of Prophecy
Ratings148
Average rating3.9
I was in the mood for classic high fantasy, and this book certainly captured that. It's a pretty straightforward quest story about a boy discovering his mysterious past and how the fate of the world hangs in the balance. It is very obviously the first of a trilogy, and as such primarily feels like exposition, but I think it will probably feel better as part of a whole rather than a stand alone. This book was written before 900 page fantasy novels were a norm, so I'll cut it some slack there. The series has been sitting on my shelf for a while in the “classics what I should have already read” section, so I'll likely finish it out.
It's been decades since I read this series. And I've been introduced to many, more recent, fantasy books. I have to say, this book stands up well today, not outdated or uninteresting to my tastes today. Good characters, the author doesn't veer off the storyline, and the pace keeps moving.
It's going back into my collection and not the repurpose box.
Really good writing, but too slow for my taste. This book is as slow as The Wheel of Time, but the plot seems to be weaker.
About half way into the book and here the following is all that happens:
A young boy goes out into a journey with his aunt and some old storyteller/vagrant guy, both of which may be more then what they appear to be. They are both fleeing from some people and looking for something as well. They are also keeping some secret about the boy's true identity.
It is implied that the people that are looking for the boy, which is a whole race of them (race as in Men of the West from LotR) are known to serve this dark lord of evil, but they live among everyone else as if that is not a problem.
Old school epic fantasy with the boy from the farm who is the only one who doesn't know that he is to save the world.
Contains spoilers
By far one of my favourite books in the world. Usually I would hum and haw if someone asked my what my favourite anything is, like a song or movie, but if asked after my favourite book I will undoubtedly give them the name of this series. Having read it once a year since I was possibly 12 or 13, I do have quite the personal connection to it, but I genuinely believe that it doesn't influence my current opinion on it.
To begin with, the world building is absolutely astounding for the genre. Sure, it's simple, but isn't simplicity just the ultimate form of sophistication? It's clear-cut, it's defined, it's interesting and it's engaging. The different kingdoms and races are so different from each other, and so many things to love about the people, I feel like they're as real and recognisable as if they were in our own world. And on that note, the characters are incredibly vivid and loveable. Their relationships are evident through genuine writing, time and effort is put into illustrating their stories and characteristics. I feel like I'm in the same room as them, able to see them for all they are like I could any of my material friends.
Despite the series being a prophecy, chosen-one type trope, a trope that I would typically avoid, the plot is still grappling enough to keep you on board, and possibly engaging enough to illicit public emotion. I have often cried and laughed at chapters that I knew were coming, but couldn't help myself from feeling a genuine emotion towards these people of ink on paper. The prophecy trope might ruin a plot by making it far to easy to guess at, it might steal away the intrigue that a series of five would need, but Eddings managed to balance such a beautifully complex plot with this trope and make it work, keeping you lead on.
I could genuinely ramble and yap for hours about the series but have never found someone who has read it, even after my insistence. Sure, Eddings wasn't the best fellow around, but he won't be listening to my adoration.
Originally posted at www.instagram.com.
A lot of people seem to regard this series as an old friend, but I come to it completely fresh, and after reading the first book I have mixed feelings about it.
On the one hand, it's a very standard fantasy that seems to have been created by reading Fantasy For Dummies and following the instructions. I don't specialize in fantasy and I've read only a limited amount of it; but, even so, nothing is very original or surprising about this one.
On the other hand, Eddings writes quite fluently and confidently, and the story makes pleasant light reading. If you want something to read on a journey, this would serve well.
I'd describe it as a book for adolescents that can also be read by adults. I don't think it's aimed directly at the adult reader. The central character is a boy of 14; the story hints that he has undiscovered powers. Well, if we find a 14-year-old boy as the central character of a fantasy series, and he turns out to have no special powers, that would be rather surprising, no?
Bear in mind that this book has a “to be continued” ending. If you want any real end of story, you have to buy more books.
I thought it was a little slow at first, but once I got the characters figured out, I thought it picked up. I think the next one will be even better since this one seemed to set everything up. I love Garion and his “aunt”. I'm excited to see what happens in the next one.
Sometimes you just need a nice book to read. This is that book. Thoroughly recommended. Old-school fantasy without any grimness.
Neither here nor there. Too formulaic in its telling and plot. The only thing it does different is that it is short. The benchmark is always whether you will go on to read the second book. I guess this one fails that test.