Magician's Gambit by David Eddings

This book is excellently written, and is my personal favorite book in either series.  While the beginning is from Ce'Nedra's point of view (and offers some interesting bits, such as what she thinks of her companions), the rest is from Garion's point of view, and if the book can be said to have a main character, Silk would be it.  In Magician's Gambit, we learn about his past and his phobias, we see him undergo a dramatic character change (well, sort of...you know Silk), and he's present more than in any of the other books.  You have to read the other books too, naturally, but if you're a Silk fan, this book is definitely for you.

The third book in Eddings' Belgariad, this also happens to be my second favorite book in the series.  This is one of the more intense books, as Garion and co. finally begin closing in on the orb.  This book is absolutely crucial.  You can't skip this one, but I don't see why you'd want to.  This is one of my favorite Eddings books, a must read for anyone who intends to read anything by him at all.

First, a brief synopsis. If you haven't read the rest of the series, by the way, definitely read them first. You'll get so much more out of the books by reading them in order. This series is in-depth and beautifully constructed -- you'll miss out on so much by skipping around. Now that I've gotten that out of the way... In Magician's Gambit, Garion, Belgarath, Silk, Polgara, and Co. continue on their quest. They journey through the haunted the remains of Maragor and visit the underground caves of the pale, devout Ulgos. In my opinion, this was the funniest book of the Belgariad, although some people of the Ce'Nedra Haters Club may dislike parts of the book told from her perspective. True, she can be irrational, but that's part of her. You meet a couple of interesting new characters, and the plot really develops toward the end. Then, of course, Brill makes another virtuoso performance. Quite impressive, in fact (hehe). Happy reading.