The Rivan Codex: Ancient Texts of the " Belgariad " and the " Malloreon " [Import] [Hardcover]

David Eddings (Author), Leigh Eddings (Author), Geoff Taylor (Illustrator)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Voyager; De Luxe Ed edition (May 28, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 000224702X
• ISBN-13: 978-0002247023
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (62 customer reviews)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy this book, IF..., June 16, 2000

By 

Kevin P. Costello (Riverside, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rivan Codex: Ancient Texts of THE BELGARIAD and THE MALLOREON (Mass Market Paperback)

This is a great book, so long as you have already read the earlier books in the series.

I repeat, THIS BOOK IS LIKELY ONLY WORTHWHILE IF YOU HAVE ALREADY READ AT LEAST THE BELGARIAD (and preferably other books in the series as well).

There, now that that's out of the way, this is actually a really interesting book! If you're looking for a plotline, or new stories of Garion and Polgara, sorry. Not here. What this book does contain, however, is the fascinating history of the work BEHIND the 12 books written thus far set in the lands of the Belgariad. It opens with a short introduction by Eddings, giving some of the history behind the series and some of his reccomendations for the budding fantasy writing. The remainder of the book was actually written before any of the other books of the series. It consists of the histories and texts Eddings designed to give himself an idea of what his world would be like. As I said, no plotline whatsoever. What it does give, however, is a rewarding look in the mind of Eddings. What's more, it made the next time I read the series itself even more rewarding than the last (or the first, for that matter). If you haven't already read the series, it won't make much sense. If you have, however, this is a must-read if simply for the appreciation of the work Eddings put into everything.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good book for patient people, August 4, 2001

By 

S. Hameed "shire-reader" (Berkshire, England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Rivan Codex: Ancient Texts of THE BELGARIAD and THE MALLOREON (Mass Market Paperback)

The Rivan Codex is not actually part of the series of either the mallorean or the belgariad. Its also quite different from the Belgarathe and Polgara books. If you were expecting a continuation of the Garion storie, your going to be disappointed. But, if you want to know stuff like how the other books were written, or if you want to know more about the individual civilizations of the series then this is the book for you. It starts with a foreword by David Eddings, describing his own adventures while writing the book. After this mini-autobiography, is a series of chapters including all the books, eg. the Book of Torak, the book of Ulgo, etc. Most of this is given at the beggining of the belgariad and mallorean books, but its here altogether. Then comes the part I liked best, which is an analysis of the different cultures, i.e, stuff like what currency each race uses, what they dress like and other interesting stuff. Then to top off the book there's King Anhegs diary, which is the closest youll come to another Garion story. It gives a very small account of what happens after the mallorean. I bought it in the hope of another Garion story, and was a little disappointed at first, but in the end I enjoyed quite a bit.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars If you Loved the first 12, then read this one too., November 1, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Rivan Codex: Ancient Texts of THE BELGARIAD and THE MALLOREON. (Hardcover)

I did Love the first 12 books, so you other avid Eddings' fans can relate to my delight when I seen this tome on the shelf. However, for those of you who haven't yet bought it ... wait for the paperback. This novel does provide some interesting information about Belgarion's world, and a great bonus is when we are treated to something that readers rarely get in hearing about the inside thought processes of the authors. However, there is simply too much in here that any observant reader should have picked up in the wonderful first 12 novels (which would all get 5 stars from me), and even worse is the almost bitter, resentful feeling that Eddings relays in his sporadic diatribes to the reader. It's almost as if he felt forced, not by the readers, but by his publisher to produce this book. I, though, remain glad that he did write this novel and look forward to some NEW adventures.