[Cygnus]

Hi all! I decided to post this topic because I'm curious who all has read The Redmeption of Althalus and what they thought of it.

I have to admit that David Eddings is one of my favorite authors with the Belgariad and the Mallorean series being high up on my list of favorite books. BUT, the latest book has got to be one of the worst I have ever read. The plot was paced poorly, the characters were flat and there was so much repetition I thought I was having a deja vu attack. If you haven't read it, I would advise you to not bother, especially if you are an Eddings fan.. it's just a big disappointment.

This is, of course, only my humble opinion! I'm sure there are those out there who loved it.

Cygnus

[Ntschotschi]

I loved to read Edding.
Sure after a while there are repetitions and there are a lot of things that can be said against him. But still - he's got a lot of imagination (although he exploits his ideas to the limit - over and over ) But still...
he had some new ideas.
I read all his books but I stopped reading him after Polgara the Sorceress. Too much exploiting the reader's goodwill. Again telling the same story over and over again. So I didn't buy his new book.
As it seems it was a wise decision.

[trask5]

What is the new book about? Does it follow one of the other series?

[Bardos]

A QUESTION about EDDINGS:
WHO LIKES SPARHAWK?

Tell me your opinion, lads n' lasses, then I'll tell you mine.

[Shadowen]

I always had a soft spot for Eddings, I think because his was one of the first fantasy books I read (many aeons ago)! but I must say, I do tend to class him with children-orientated authors - Narnia, Harry Potter etc. Maybe this isn't entirely fair. However, I can't agree more about the new book, the Redemption of Althalus. Utter, utter rubbish. Thankfully, I got it through the library where I work, so it cost me nothing. I read about 50 pages and brought it back in disgust. All the same characters rehashed - even with the same catchphrases (be nice)! And a completely abysmal, unbelievable, tedious plot line.

Did anyone here actually finish it?

BTW, I quite likes Sparhawk, but i'm damned if I can remember why.

[Cygnus]

I actually did finish it against my better judgement. Although I too work in a library, I bought it under the assumption that it would be good and I'd would like to own a copy. So I read the whole thing to get my money's worth and I think it was also out of amazement that anything so bad could be published. I agree with you, Shadowen, about Eddings being oriented towards the younger crowd. Though I actually liked the Potter series.

[Shadowen]

Don't get me wrong - I enjoyed the Potter series too (I bought them for my stepson and he had to wait until I'd read them first - yes, I AM a wicked stepmother!) And the Narnia books by CS Lewis are among my favourites too. I think Eddings had the same kind of charm in his earlier books - you know who the good guys/bad guys are and you just read comfortably on in the secure knowledge of who is going to win.

[Loki]

I think the book is a total remake of the Mallorean replacing the names. Eddings is so unoringinal, everyone says that you read eddings for the humour. The problem is that its always the same type of humour and it gets so boring. The only reason i like him because he was the second fantasy author i read.

[Solero_58]

I've actually read the Redemption of Althalus, but this is the only Eddings book I have read. The characters were all new to me unlike those of you who have read his other works. In my opinion, the story had its ups and downs, but it was slow to get off the ground, and the conlusion was not a great ending by anyones standards. Only read it as a time-filler but don't go out of your way for it.

[Cadfael]

Hey People...

"Be Nice"
"Don't pout dear, it's not nice"
"But you still love me, right?"
"Try not to fall in the water dear"

I have just saved you all a load of time, because that is a typical Eddings book... http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif

Okay... I'm a synic