Castle of Wizardry (Belgariad 4) [Paperback]

David Eddings (Author)

Book Description

Series: Belgariad 4 | Publication Date: August 3, 2000

Now, at last, the Orb was regained and the quest was nearing its end. Of course, the questors still had to escape from this crumbling enemy fortress and flee across a desert filled with Murgo soldiers searching for them, while Grolim Hierarchs strove to destroy them with dark magic.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Absorbing. Touches all the right Fantasy bases. Warring gods, political intrigues, supernatural creatures, and appealingly human magicians." -- Publishers Weekly

"Exactly the kind of fantasy I like. It has magic, adventure, humor, mystery, and a certain delightful human insight." -- Piers Anthony

"Fabulous! Eddings has a marvelous storyteller style. Exceedingly well portrayed." -- Anne McCaffrey --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Publisher

David Eddings [The Belgariad series] -- This is like Bonanza, or like I Love Lucy. There will be other fantasy series, but there can never be another that's so seminal, that so captures the essence of fantasy. Big Dave and Little Leigh grow their heroes from the ground up, and they grow the best.

--Veronica Chapman, Senior Editor --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 443 pages
• Publisher: Transworld Paperbacks (August 3, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0552148105
• ISBN-13: 978-0552148108
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1.1 x 7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (65 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,122,145 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

David Eddings was born in Washington State in 1931 and grew up near Seattle. He graduated from the University of Washington and went on to serve in the US Army. Subsequently, he worked as a buyer for the Boeing Aircraft Company and taught college-level English. His career as a fantasy writer, with his wife Leigh, has been spectacular.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Smooth as Silk, February 7, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Castle of Wizardry (The Belgariad, Book 4) (Paperback)

I don't know what it is about David Eddings that keeps you glued to his books. Is it his plots? No, they tend to be overly complex, even if they are linear. Is it his narrative? While he is definitely entertaining, Mr. Eddings often drags the story out a bit too long (hence, two 5-part series). Maybe it's the dialogue? It is, after all, highly witty.

No, what keeps me turning page after page are Mr. Eddings' characters. I don't recall ever having a fondness even remotely close to what I have with Garion, Belgarath, Pol, and Silk.

That's why this book stands out as my favorite of any of his novels. This book best demonstrates the bravery, yet naivete of Garion while contrasting Ce'Nedra's strength against her fragility. It defines the true roles of their companions and sets up the confrontations and fates that await them. It goes beyond what most fantasy novelists write and gives us a truly fantastic epic.

Read this book. Every page is worth it.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It's the sweet dessert served after a heavy literary meal., March 21, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Castle of Wizardry (The Belgariad, Book 4) (Paperback)

The Belgariad as a whole is an entertaining piece of work. The stereotypical characters are fun to watch and listen to, and the plot doesn't tax your senses or raise the tension too high that you stop being entertained and actually start worrying about whether the heroes are going to make it or not. For those who haven't read the rest of the series yet, I'll recap quickly. It's the story of a young hero named Garion who has no idea he is the descendant of kings of old, whose destiny is to reclaim his ancient throne and kill the mad god Torak. He's aided in the quest principally by his Aunt Pol and his grandfather Belgarath. Other memorable companions include the wiley thief/merchant/spy Silk, the flightly princess Ce'Nedra, and the knight Mandorellen. Compared to the rest of the books in the series, Castle of Wizardry is a standout in this regard because this is where the lull in the story occurs. Readers that require it get some breathing room. This is the calm before the storm. As such, I don't find it to be as entertaining as the next book in the series. Nevertheless, you do get a lot of playful banter and relatively safe plot. The characters get to explore their own selves for a little bit, as opposed to being acted on by a whole lot of external forces in the previous books of the series. I like this book precisely because we learn more about the characters themselves. We find out the who and the why behind a prophecy that's thousands of years old. We get to follow the progress of a young kitchen scullion (Garion) who would be king of half the world, as he learns more about the extraordinary family of which he is the latest, and arguably the most important, member. We get to see old companions from previous books return. We get to see all the preparations being made for a titanic battle between the West and the East, and the struggle of a young hero to find a way out of all the bloodshed to come. Though it doesn't try to reach the level of literature with a capital L, it does obliquely ask some interesting questions. The question of how a mortal man can kill an immortal God is an intriguing one, and Castle of Wizardry ends on a rather high point by asking the question but not providing any hint of an answer. Overall I liked Castle of Wizardy. I think it's the best of the series behind the final book, Enchanter's End Game. Sure it's not high literature, but it's great "safe" reading for a rainy afternoon.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT BOOK, April 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Castle of Wizardry (The Belgariad, Book 4) (Mass Market Paperback)

I've read all the books in the Belgaraid seris but this one's my favourite!! I was reading the other reviews and I just can't understand how people could not like the book!! But then I'm only a teenager whilst others are adults so my bottom line is: this book is great for younger people because from an adult's point of view the book might be too immature and boring.