Queen of Sorcery (The Belgariad, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

by David Eddings (Author) "Vo WACUNE WAS no more..." (more)
Key Phrases: Aunt Pol, Mister Wolf, Tol Honeth (more...)

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 the Audio CD edition.

Product Description
"BELGARIAD is exactly the kind of fantasy I like. It has magic, adventure, humor, mystery, and a certain delightful human insight."
PIERS ANTHONY
The master Sorcerer Belgarath and his daughter Polgara the arch-Sorceress were on the trail of the Orb, seeking to regain its saving power before the final disaster prophesized by the legends. And with them went Garion, a simple farm boy only months before, but now the focus of the struggle. He had never believed in sorcery and wanted no part of it. Yet with every league they traveled, the power grew in him, forcing him to acts of wizardry he could not accept.


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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey (February 12, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345335651
• ISBN-13: 978-0345335654
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (64 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #48,642 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 2 in The Belgariad Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book suspends the reader in a majestic world of sorcery, November 5, 1999

By A Customer

Queen of Sorcery is second in The Belgrariad series, following Pawn of Prophecy. This series takes the reader into an entire world of fantasy and sorcery all its own. The characterization was outstanding. The vividness with which the author described the characters was remarkable. Eddings has a way in which he gives you front row seats inside each character's mind. Throughout the book I could always tell how each character would respond in a situation. Also, David Eddings introduces so many characters in this book. There is Garion, an average scullery boy just months before and now the center of the struggle. Belgarath, the ancient but mischevious sorcerer. Polgara, the perfectly beautiful and sorceress and daughter of Belgarath. Durnik, the sensible Sendarian smith. Barak, the hulking bear of a man from Cherek. Silk, the small rat-faced mna from Drasnia who often disgueses as a Drasnian merchant. Lelldorin, the brave and rebellios young Arend who proves to be an extrememly skilled archer. Hettar, the stern-faced Algar with the ability to talk to horses. And Mandorallen, the extrememly strong and noble Mimbrate kinght. The plot is fantasitc. The story line revolves around Garion. Garion has to overcome many conflicts, both mentally and physically. Throughout the book I felt involved in Garion's struggle with the self-resented fsct that he is a sorcerer. In conclusion, Queen of Sorcery is a wonderfully written piece of literature. Its world is indepth and complete. Every addoloscent can relate with Garion as he conflicts with his ability. I think this book should be read by every young adult who has ever asked "Why me?" in times of crisis.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Out Of The Frying Pan Into The Snake, June 19, 2005

By	Marc Ruby™ "The Noh Hare™" (Warren, MI USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)

Queen of Sorcery is the second volume in this series, and the one where the story really takes off. Now that we know the central players and have established their personalities and their goal, Eddings eases off on the bricks a bit and begins to introduce is to many of the cultures that people the seven kingdoms of Karanda. As you will quickly discover, this is a world full of the strange, the eccentric, and even the downright funny.

We are off again on the trail of Zedar, who has stolen the Orb of Aldur. The first stop for Garion, Belgarath, Polgara, and the remaining questers is Arendia, home of several knightly classes that always teeter on the edge of war and a large population of serfs who live in grinding poverty. Eddings will return to this theme of slavery and serfdom several times although it is not really a focus of the main plot. What is clear is that the writer has strong feelings, and they color his characters. For the better, I think. In Arendia we will meet Lelldorin, an Asturian archer and all around hot head. Then we meet Mandorallen, a Mombrate knight, and while not quite as crazy as Lelldorin, he takes his knightly code so seriously that it is hard to take him equally seriously. Eventually the knight will win your heart, as do all the others.

Next we're off to Tolnedra, where politics and money are both a religion and a way of life. Garion finds that there is a Grolim under every stone and it takes all their wits for the team to make it out intact. Ce'Nedra, the spoiled imperial princess, decides to run away with Belgarath and Polgara (whom she refuses to believe are Belgarath and Polgara). For a good bit of the story to come Ce'Nedra will make Garion's life a bumbling confusion, as he struggles to cope with his role, and sort out his feelings about being a sorcerer and the object of a prophecy.

Finally we come to Nyissa, where people worship snakes, and poisoning is the state religion. This is another bad time for Garion, who very nearly comes of age much faster than was planned. It also goes a bit hard for Belgarath, whose quest for Zedar and the Stone come to a sudden hard stop against a tree. All is not lost, but it is time for a shift in strategy.

As you can see there is quite a bit of plot in Queen of Sorcery. In the midst of this a young boy establish boundaries around ethics and intent, and continues to struggle with a fate he didn't choose. Eddings spends countless paragraphs developing his characters an maintaining the frequently sarcastic dialog among the players. For me, this banter is what sets Eddings' work apart from other, wannabe epic writers. It doesn't always succeed, and ten volumes from now it will wear a bit thin. But right at the moment it makes a long tale worth the reading.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fine holiday fun, May 9, 2005

By	Jared Garrett (Utah) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Obviously if you are looking for deep and deeply moving literature, David Eddings is not the author you are looking for. However, if you crave straightforward storytelling in which setting, character and plot are unfolded at a steady, entertaining pace, this is the right book for you. Heck, this is the right series for you. I'll even go so far as to say this is the right author for you. Eddings doesn't let himself or his stories get bogged down in endless description of the nice little world he has created. Rather, he has a lot of story to tell and he tells it crisply and with steady determination. His characters reveal humanity at just the right intervals, drawing us readers into the story deftly. Eddings has returned to good versus evil, magic and destiny (like the old, delicious fantasy of our younger years).
As for this book specifically, it continues the Belgariad quite satisfyingly. Garion does seem a little bit slow at times, but really, is it easy for a young man to come to terms with being the King of the World? Polgara steps up in this addition also, adding to our knowledge of the way magic works in this universe. Honestly, the fringe characters are my favorite thing about this series. Destinies intertwine wonderfully as one man fights the beast within while another avoids his birthright at all costs.
All in all, thoroughly enjoyable reading.