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Submitted by Princessyentel 
(May 28, 2007)

I'm reading the last book in "The Dreamers" series and I was messing about on the computer and thought - I wonder if I'm the only one who thinks this series has been an absolute disgrace to the name of Eddings, and guess what??? Everyone seems to think the same.

This story could have been told in 1, maybe 2 books. As with everyone else who's posted a review - I have worn out copies of The Belgariad and The Mallorean, I have given many copies of The Pawn of Prophecy away to introduce people to the ways of Eddings. I would be ashamed to let them get so far down the collection as to read this drivel that has been published.

At First I liked the different perspectives, however reading the same story 3 different times with very little variance in each characters take on what's happening is boring. Unfortunately, I'm one of those people, when I start a book or series, I need to finish it, so I've forked out for 4 books and am grudging handing over the money at the book shop but have to because I need to know what happens!

I understand the Vlaugh is an insect, however, when you look back at the characters in previous books, you had a really good villain and fantastic underlings. If Eddings had taken more time to put these in the story instead of going over old ground, he would have had an amazing series.

Anyway, I'm off to skim through the rest of the last book and find out what happens. I'm praying that he doesn't do a series with they younger gods as protagonists because I really don't want to have to buy it!!!!

(I apologise if this review repeats it's self just like the series but God help me I'm so happy that I'm not the only one who feels this way!!!)

Having red all three books (so far), I have to say they are somewhat stilted and very simplistic. From the outset, I found myself feeling very irritated as the author seemed to be talking down to his readers - probably assuming the same somewhat arrogant and sarcastic stance as his godly creations. Having bought the books, I decided to read them all and found that as I got somewhere near the middle of each, I began to enjoy them a little more. I suppose I'd got used to the simplistic plots and predictable dialogue as well as the somewhat unconvincing characters (the gods anyway). I did appreciate the flashes of brilliance in the creation of the likes of Longbow, Narasan and Keselo. Ironically, the ordinary beings far outshone their superiors. Unfortunately, the underlings were the only flashes of brilliance that were reminiscent of Eddings' previous books which I hardly put down and have read again and again. I also found the so-called bug people and the Vlagh hardly a challenge for myself or the book's characters. To summarise - disappointing, irritating, repetitive, superficial and, dare I say it, almost childish. I'm afraid, for the moment, I'll think twice before tackling another Eddings offering.

I was so looking forwards to reading this new set of books (the dreamers). I got the first two for Christmas. I'm sorry to say that this is the worst start to any new series that I can remember. The fact that the same story line is re-told in two different chapters in the first book is beyond me the old "Yes i thought i saw you noticing me noticing " gags were there. You can only read "Kiss.kiss" from a small child like Godess so many times, and the old chestnut" They are such NICE boys" left me cold. I finished the second book but will not continue with the others. I went back and started the Balgariad again from the start. Was the effort a contract filler??
Everything else the Eddings have done I love, and am now into my second set of Balgariad & Malloreon books as the others wore out.
Save your cash, you have been warned!!

I find it difficult to convey my sense of disappointment, even all out betrayal, with this series from Eddings, but I will certainly give it my best shot if only to spare other former fans from throwing away their time & money.

I have been a fan of Eddings since the Belgariad/Mallorean for the simple reason that the stories were gripping and the characters (if sometimes a little sappy and predictable) were unique & believable. My enthusiasm only grew with the Elenium/Tamuli and when the Polgara, Belgarath & Rivan Codex novels were released I was amazed by the almost Tolkienian attention to the details of the world they had created. And so it was with no hesitation that I picked up the hardcover of the Elder Gods as soon as I saw it, and showing almost unbelievable restraint, I waited to read it til I owned all 4 books in hardcover.

Now where to begin now that we are up to the current series? First let me say that my disappointment is not limited to the writing, but the editing also! There are countless errors from simple typos, through misplaced words right up to referring to the wrong "Land". Did the editors simply run spellcheck and not concern themselves with little details like a sentence making sense? Are we simply stupid sf/fantasy fans that won't notice? It irritates me to think that there are people being payed to edit and blatant mistakes like this are allowed!

But on to the writing! The first thing I noticed in these novels was a striking familiarity with all the characters, like I'd met them in another book. Have David & Leigh run out of creative thoughts for their plots and characters? I have found very few of the characters in this series come to life the way former heroes and villains did... In fact I find very little to separate the personality & sense of humour of most of these characters. For example, I apprehensively turn each page for fear that yet another character will spout a dry, witty comment "without a trace of a smile" (this exact phrase is used 8 times in the second novel alone!). Even the storyline that initially had some promise drags as things are repeated over and over (again, for the benefit of us stupid sf/fantasy fans or is it just to stretch it out into 4 novels?). How many times does "You missed me with that one, [fill in name here]" lead to another explanation of the events that have transpired thus far? I appreciate the attempt at character development, but do we really have to retrace everything that happened in book 1 from 3 different perspectives?

This is not the exciting page-turner I was expecting! I feel betrayed by the writers foisting sub-standard and condescending writing on loyal fans who know what the name Eddings meant to the world of fantasy. I feel betrayed by the editors who didn't feel the need to give the work their full attention and I feel betrayed by the publishers who had the nerve to print "there is myth. there is legend. and there is Eddings." on the cover! (unless, of course what they meant was that Eddings has dropped to the other end of that spectrum!) I think it highly unlikely that I will ever put another coin in the coffers of the Eddings' by supporting their literary endeavors. (which is too bad because my copies of the Belgariad are in sorry shape and need replacing!)

I read almost all of Eddings' books except for Regina's Song and some other like Losers (might pick them up one day). You can easily recognized Eddings' writing style on this series. The storyline is almost the same as the rest of his books. Frankly, after reading Belgariad, Mallorean (which are still my favorites amongst all of their works), Sparhawk, etc., this series (Dreamers) and along with Althalus could not really capture my attention fully. I found myself getting tired of reading the same thing over and over again. Mind you, I still finish them just to read it, but it did not excite me like when I first read their earliest works. I found myself reading this when I was trying to go to sleep and other spare time that I could't find anything else to do. I am quite disappointed with their work lately (since Althalus). The humor and the story are quite bland and predictable. The protagonist are basically invincible and the antagonist are just there to be slaughtered. I mean... come on... Why hire the stupid outsider armies just to show them that whee... I am an almighty god that can do anything I want, and if you go against me, you'll be squashed like all these bugs here in my domain, la di da. Oh boy... sorry, got carried away there, but really... Eddings... please, come up with better stories. I want to feel excited for the heroes, want to be scared of the bad guys, and like what you guys did on your earlier works, I want to be able to not put down the books even if my eyes are tired from reading.