Customer Reviews

Crystal Gorge (The Dreamers, Book 3)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(23)

 

 

This book (and series) is both very different and very similar from the Belgariad and Mallorean. It is very different because it lacks the originality, style, wit, and charm of its predecessors. It is very similar because all of the characters from the previous series (including Elenium and Tamuli) have been regurgitated into this series. The characters are cookie-cut--but that's not the worst part. For some reason, the authors had difficulty separating their characters into distinct personalities--the characters all say the same things, speak the same way. This third book is particularly disappointing because the authors waste a lot of pages retelling us things we already know--either things from the previous books or things that happened earlier in the book. We are retold many things MULTIPLE TIMES in this book. The wit and charm in the Eddings' writing style and their characters from the previous series have become stale and overused in this series. As an avid fan of the Belgariad and Mallorean (of which the books "Polgara" and "Belgarath" are MASTERPIECES), I am really sad to say that the authors have completely lost their touch.

If anyone doubts that David Eddings has talent, read "The Belgariad." It's one of the best fantasy series to appear since Tolkien came down the pike. There are plenty of original ideas, good characterization, and excellent writing in "The Belgariad."

The basic idea for "The Dreamers" is pretty good. It's not original, but that's not necessarily bad. The evil critter wants to take over the world, the heroic warriors and magicians (the gods play this role) fight the evil critter, diverse alarums and excursions, the evil critter comes within a hair of winning, truth and beauty triumphs, The End. In the hands of a good story teller, which Eddings has proved he can be, this plot provides an enjoyable read.

Unfortunately, in "Crystal Gorge" in particular and "The Dreamers" series in general, Eddings seems to be coasting. As others have said, much of the book consists of the same incidents, seen by different characters. This would be all right, except there's no point in an explanatory scene with Red Beard as the Point of View character and then, 28 pages later, the same scene with Rabbit listening to the same information being given out. Since the two characters have the same reaction to the scene, why bother?

Eddings is recycling many of his characters from previous books. The characters who aren't recycled are interchangeable. Narasan has two sidekicks. One is sardonic while the other is cynical, but that's the only difference. Otherwise they're the same character.

I am quite disappointed in "The Dreamers" series. Eddings is capable of so much better.

I just read this book last night. I was checking over and over to make sure I wasn't losing my place...because I would swear I was reading the same thing I read 2 minutes earlier. The characters even say the same phrases to eachother continually like they all have the same sense of humor. One character is mentioned to be quite somber and serious, then the next moment Eddings is writing about what a great sense of humor he has. ALL of the chracters seem to turn to one another and ask eachother if so and so has to be a certain way...for ex. some one makes a joke, cpt. Sorgan turns to Narasan "does he have to do that" he asks dryly...no lie, that senario must have occurred at least 25 times. Also, there are 4 children dreamers and 4 books. I would think each dreamer would play an intricate part (besides the dreams)of the solution...however, the helper/mother takes over and fixes it. Why even have the dreamers if the dreams and actions are coming from the helper/mother. The original idea was sound, a little repetitive, but now the third book has completely lost the whole entire focus the first two books set up. What a waste of a perfectly good idea. The Elenium is my favorite series because I actually read that serious first and I thought it was brilliantly written, and his other books are fantastic as well, but this book...sad to even say the words...is a total disappointment.

Generally I love Eddings but this was not a good read. I feel like every other page was mentioning that bison are harder to kill than deer. It was like a horrible game of telephone where every single character in the book had to say the same exact thing to every other character.

Once they finished discussing bison I then had to hear every single character mention that Rabbit makes arrows. Over, and over, and over...

I have bought every fantasy novel written by Eddings. My conclusion is that, since the Belgariad, every book has progressively fallen in standard. Since The Tamuli the standard has dropped dramatically, but I kept buying in the hope ... you know what I mean.

The Dreamer series started out C grade and with the Crystal Gorge has dipped to D grade. I will not be buying any more Eddings books!

Crystal Gorge is pathetic!

Where is the menace? Where is the uncertainty? Where is the drama? Nowhere! It took about 400 pages before we had a decent conflict ... but even that was diminished because I really didn't doubt the outcome for one second ... it was going to be romp in the park for our jive-talking good guys and the bugs didn't stand a chance! Suspense was non-existent!

And as for the climactic confrontation (10 pages from the end of this turgid tome) ... well, I couldn't believe it! A couple of battles where the bugs got bashed a bit and then the 'unknown friend' waltzes in and wipes them all out in the blink of an eye! Pathetic!

And as for all the re-telling of what went on before ... what a bore! And the cutesy, jokey byplay between some of the characters ... just plain drivel!

Hang up your word processor, Eddings, and enjoy the spoils ... but don't ask people to buy more books. Man, I can only imagine the tripe in the fourth book when the Vlagh gets spiked ... haha!

I am not a sexist. Women, generaly, write every bit as well as men, and often better. But every sentence crafted under the stewardship of the Eddings couple causes my bile to rise anew. So trite, so banal, so. . .bad. I keep asking myself, is it just that I was really young when I read the Belgariad? I did read it in my early teens, but I was fairly well read then, and I don't remember it being anything like the peurile swill they've got us slogging through here. Very disappointing. Even worse than the Althalus book, and that was pretty bad too. I swear he's letting his kid write it, or something.

The Belgariad was the series that really got me engrossed in the fantasy genre and ignited my passion for reading. As such I regard the works of David and Leigh Eddings highly and eagerly await all their work.

In saying that The Crystal Gorge is the first Eddings novel that has left me feeling empty as I turned the last page. And to be honest it took me a good 2 months to complete it, whereas most Eddings works are "devoured" in 2 days.

As has been mentioned in other reviews I find the trend of repeating the same events over and over from alternate characters Point of View gets tiresome very quickly. However, I believe I could live with that if the Eddings "voice" hadn't become so stale.

The most frustrating thing for me about the Crystal Gorge is that all the characters "sound" the same. Yes, the differing races have slight variations in their dialect and word choices. However, when they speak if it didn't have their name beside it I would be totally lost as to who made that comment, as anywhere up to a dozen characters could have made that statement.

I apologize to again refer to The Belagariad. Yet in that series I knew each character intimately. I could close my eyes and have someone read me a line and I would know straight away that was something Silk would say or do. The same went for Barak, Pol, Garion, Belgarath etc. However, in the Crystal Gorge, if I tried that it would be a complete guess as to whether it was Longbow, Narasan, Sorgan, Padan, Rabbit etc. They all tell the same jokes, have the same sense of humour. In fact you have never meant so many people from such varying races and cultures so in tune with each other.

Maybe David Eddings should read his own books, for example "The Rivan Codex," where he blatantly tells people they should not write fantasy adventure books if they are not serious about it. I thoroughly enjoyed all of his books up until "The Redemption of Athalus," I've read and re-read his better books but I am done with this series. I could barely stomache the first two, and now I must give accelades to all of you dear people who had the furtitude to trudge through the 3rd book and then given me the insight to know that I do not want to read it. My only solace is that Eddings may actually read these comments and know that we as fans expect more from him then carbon copied characters, and endless drivel. Read "The Rivan Codex," David Eddings since you wrote it and then re-read this series and honestly ask yourself if you consider this good literature.

I have been an avid Eddings fan from the beginning and own all but one of his books. This latest book was by far the worst I have ever read. Its almost as if Eddings has either given up or let his wife do all the writing or both. The book is rife with repetitive filler, constantly re-stating events seemingly from different points-of-view but often not even changing the words. The plot drags and drags and the ending seems to be more of an off-course wreck than the normal Eddings climax that leaves you wanting more. I was especially disgusted with the childish wry-seeming attempts at humor that never quite make it there such as "I noticed... I thought I noticed you noticing". Overall, it feels like a contractual work rather than the inspiring works of Eddings from days-gone-by. Hooray for including your wife and partner in the credits but Eddings work has made a downhill crash since Leigh has been given equal billing. Coincidence? Who knows. Stick with Eddings earlier series and save your money.

The Belgariad and The Mallorean are some of my favorite books. The next series was okay. The characters did not change but the story was good. This series sucks on many levels. The witty banter is present but the characters are one dimensional and almost all the same. There is no plot to speak of. They all gather, set up a fort and a natural disaster (1 of four can you guess??earth, air, water, and fire) saves the day. They spend most of the time discussing how the bug people evolve over and over and over again. Okay I get it already!!! There was no intrigue, no trying to figure things out, no quests, no fear that they might lose or that any of the characters were in danger. In short these books had nothing interesting. I had to force my way through the first three books and I have no intention of reading the fourth as I'm pretty sure of what is going to happen and I can probably fill in the dialogue too. I feel totally ripped off.