Customer Reviews

The Elenium: The Diamond Throne The Ruby Knight The Sapphire Rose

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I admit it, I enjoy the Eddings. They write big sprawling books that are pure escapism. When I stop my world long enough to read, I don't want the "Great American Novel" full of angst. I want entertainment with enjoyable characters, Good vs. Evil plots and enough travel to get me out of my day to day rut. I can snicker over Sparhawk's horse, Faran, and his nasty attitude and appreciate the pragmatic, broken-nosed Pandion who would never think he could be anyone's Paladin. The Elenium: The Diamond Throne The Ruby Knight The Sapphire Rose

Eddings tells the same story over and over again, but it's a good story and the characters are what make it so enticing.

Here's the spoiler. The Universe makes mistakes every now and again and those mistakes make good and evil. To sort out the difference, the Universe makes one man and then makes a world for that man to stand on so he can get the job done. No job is ever finished in a single day or a single series and the motivations of that man are neither pure nor truly dastardly, but tend towards the iconic in Arthurian tradition. Save the Damsel in distress, avenge the death of your friends, and serve the faith as it serves others. Almost all of Eddings good works subscribe to this formula, but within it are characters who jibe and jab like family members, like old army buddies or people you meet at work, college or on the bus. Everyone you bother to hear from in the Eddings universe is either a slack jawed simpleton, a hero with a few rough edges, a genius, or perhaps a God or their disciple.

I hope I've spoiled nothing, but the reason you'll read Eddings and hopefully re-read him is because you miss the people you met in his books and would like to revisit them. This 900+ page tome replaces three tattered paper backs on my shelf, and will probably serve me until I buy a hard bound collectors edition or slam one on a Kindle in that contraptions 2nd or 3rd generation.

"The Elenium perhaps matches Edding's Belgariad. A fantastic high fantasy series featuring one of the great heroes of modern fantasy literature - the knight, Sparhawk."
-- Glenn G. Thater, Author of 'Harbinger of Doom'

For people who enjoy reading for the purpose of getting into the story. The books written by David Eddings' are for people who get attached to characters and love to immerse themselves in reading. To me his books are like coming home for a visit.

If you want to read simply to get to the finish line---Eddings is not for you.

I enjoyed this book. It is your basic sorcery/fantasy escapism, and I really like that sort of thing. This is the first book by Eddings I have ever read, and am looking forward to reading more of his works. If you like fantasies that are set in the usual medieval surroundings (complete with castles, serfs, and vast stretchs of largely uncivilized land) you'll probably like this. If you like not having to worry too much about whether the main character will live to see the end of the book, and the fact that most of the bad guys will probably meet suitably grisely ends, you'll probably enjoy this. If you like swords, theives and beautiful queens, you'll probably like it. It's not going to change your life; you won't be inspired to be a better person and you won't have a sudden, deeper understanding of the world, but I think that's ok. Not every book needs to do that to be worth the read. If you want a way out of the world for a little while: maybe the bills are a little too high, or the family is getting to be a challange, or maybe you aren't feeling good, this is a good book to slip away with. After all, you can't (or, at least, probably shouldn't) drop everything and run. Responsiblities are important, but everyone needs a break.

Is this the best of its kind I've ever read? No. The characters are good but not brilliant, the plot is interesting but not terribly unique. The romance is frankly ham-fisted, and, as another reviewer said, a teensy bit disturbing (I am never really comfortable with romances between young girls and the men that raise them, related or not, never mind the fact that the author never really convinced me that the hero was truly in love with the girl to begin with. You know she loves him, in the way that all teens love, and you know he loves her, but he usually seems to love her as a father loves a daughter, and when things progress, it's just hard to switch the gears)

Thankfully, the romance is not the starring plot. Sparhawk is usually fighting or traveling rather than making love, and while I love a good romance (Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorites) I infinately prefer it this way in this book. This book is humourous, interesting, and ends satisfactorily. I'm glad I got it!

This is one of the books (series) that got me into reading. I read this around 16 years ago and it kept me interested and wanting for more. It is action packed with a new twist here and there. This a great book for an early reader.

The Elenium was quite enjoyable and easily engaging, starting off slow but building characters takes time and once you reach that point you know there is no turning back. You want and need to know what happens to these beloved characters and how it ends. I recommend it highly.

I love the series and glad it's in one book...
Great price I will have this for a long time.

In The Elenium, David Eddings has created a cast of characters that make you fall in love with them -- you care about what happens to them and hate when the book is over! I've reread The Elenium and The Tamuli so many times, I've worn out two sets of books!

I've read both the Belgariad and the Mallorean, as well as Polgara and Belgarath and loved them all...I've since reread them many times. I always liked Eddings' humor, characters and convoluted politics.
The Elenium lives up to all these expectations. It has the humor, the great characters and some truly awesome conspiracy/political moments. Who would have thought political manuevering could be so exciting?!
A great read, though I felt the second half of the third book of the trilogy dragged a bit.