King of the Murgos (The Malloreon, Book 2) [Mass Market Paperback]

David Eddings (Author)

Book Description

Series: Malloreon (Paperback Random House) | Publication Date: February 13, 1989

Guided by the Orb of the God Aldur, Garion and Ce'Nedrea begin a great quest to rescue their kidnapped child. Making their way through the foul swamps of Nyisssa, then into the lands of the Murgos, they must ultimately face a horrible danger--to themselves and all mankind....

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

King Belgarion and Queen Ce'Nedra are still searching for their kidnapped son Geran in this second volume of The Mallorean, Eddings's sequel to his bestselling fantasy series The Belgariad. After pursuing the Bear Cult in the last book, they now have information that the culprit is actually the evil Zandramas. Despite the seeming urgency of their quest, the journey becomes almost leisurely as the company, including the ancient sorcerer Belgarath, his daughter Polgara and the spy called Silk, stop repeatedly along the way. They visit the cave-dwelling mystics, the Ulgos, the imperial Tolnedrans, the forest Dryads, the Serpent Queen and the city of Rak Urga, where they make an unlikely ally of timid, wily Urgit, King of the Murgos. If this is seldom really gripping, the flavorful interplay among Eddings's stubborn, resourceful characters keeps the narrative continually entertaining.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

As the words of the Prophecy lead the Rivan King Garion and his companions across the lands of the Snake-Queen and the once hostile Murgos, the malignant Zandramaskidnapper of Garion's sonpursues another Prophecy which, if fulfilled, will lead to the triumph of Darkness. Eddings continues to provide solid fantasy entertainment featuring engaging characters and warm, wry humor in this sequel to Guardians of the West. Recommended for fantasy collections. JC
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey; 1st edition (February 13, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345358805
• ISBN-13: 978-0345358806
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1.1 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #283,420 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

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a very whimsical fantasy series, July 1, 2003

By 

Joe Sherry (Minnesota) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: King of the Murgos (The Malloreon, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

Book 2 of the Mallorean

King of the Murgos continues Belgarion's quest to find his kidnapped son. He is following someone named Zandramas but he is several months behind. The search begins with Belgarion and a group of people named by Prophecy. Belgarion's grandfather, the sorcerer Belgarath, mentions that while it may appear to be a roundabout way to go about the search, it is actually quicker to follow the instructions of prophecy. In this way, Belgarion gains ground on Zandramas.

In King of the Murgos, the party (Belgarion, Belgarath, Polgara, Silk, Durnik, Toth, and CeNedra) journey in the quest to find Belgarion and CeNedra's son. Oddly enough, they stop many times along the way and spend a good deal of time at each place. In the odd way that the world of David Eddings works, this actually helps them gain time on Zandramas. They learn some more of the reasons of why Zandramas kidnapped Geran and where she is going. As they journey we are introduced to more characters (some of whom join Belgarion's quest).

I have seen comments to the effect that the Mallorean is essentially a rip off of the first series, the Belgariad. In a sense, this is true. We have most of the same characters and the quest feels similar. Eddings actually addresses this in the book and it becomes inherent in the world of the Belgariad/Mallorean. It is part of how the prophecy works. On the other hand, the story is more mature than the first and some of the characters have matured (Belgarion, for one). We have to remember that this is not high fantasy on the level of Tolkien or George Martin. David Eddings writes a more light hearted and whimsical fantasy. He has an entirely different touch and Eddings is just a lot of fun to read. King of the Murgos is another entertaining entry in a very fun and familiar world.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A GOOD READ, A FUN READ FOR EDDINGS' FANS, October 6, 2005

By 

D. Blankenship (The Ozarks) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: King of the Murgos (The Malloreon, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

Flawed though they may be, this continuation of the ten volume saga is a fun read for Eddings fans. This is the second to the last in "The Malloreon" and takes our friends through previously covered ground and into new. While the character developement is rather stinted, Eddings never-the-less packs a lot of action into each chapter the the story keep moving at a nice brisk pace. There are a couple of nice, predictable twists and some not so predictable. All in all, Eddings fans will enjoy the work. Those who are not fans probably won't. Either way, if you have read this far into the series, why stop now? All in all, recommend.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Malloreon seems to be a weak immitation of Belariad..., March 19, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: King of the Murgos (The Malloreon, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

Belgariad was a good series... The characters were funny and likable. Its plot, believable. I had no trouble suspending my beliefs to go along with the storyline. In Malloreon series, the plot is too similar. The characters too static, as in they don't seem to grow except physically. Moreover, they are all becoming alike. Most male characters drink too much and most of the time are rather clueless. Female characters take too much delight in making male characters suffer... They are all too witty. It seems forced, almost. Some parts are still very funny but in my opinion, David Eddings took too much of his time trying to make his characters funny. But again, I loved Belgariad series, so I probably will give Malloreon one more try and buy the third book.