Pawn of Prophecy

When I was in high school, I didn’t like to read that much because I was a slow reader.

My best friend was an avid reader and he loved fantasy in particular. One day he handed me this book and said I needed to read it. He said the characters were amazing and the book was not one of the big thick fantasy tomes I refused to read.

I decided to try it and I read it cover to cover in about two days. I continued on and read the entire five book series, and then went on to read… show more.

I first read this book (and the rest in the series) when I was in middle school and have read them all many times since. I get more out of them with each read. The first book builds up the characters and the history of a world that fires your imagination. The reader learns more as the main character does and you feel you are growing up with him. This is the book that first got me interested in Fantasy and I have become addicted to the genre. 

Pawn of Prophecy was the very first novel I ever read for pleasure, loaned to me by a friend who remains responsible for much of my artistic influences. It opens the immersive and character-driven 5-book epic fantasy series, The Belgariad (which is itself part of a larger sequence of books). Pawn of Prophecy plays on the ancient trope of ‘the hidden child’ dating back to pre-biblical tales (in the Bible, you’ve got Moses, Josiah, and later even the Jesus story in Mark features this trope); in which Garion notices himself watched by a mysterious figure while his Aunt Pol hides… show more.

This is the first in an epic 10-book high fantasy series featuring a great ensemble cast. While there are no elves or dwarves, Eddings fills his world with culturally distinct kingdoms and all the political intrigue that entails. Plot driving prophecy has become a bit of a trope, but Eddings adds the twist of competing prophecies with missing elements. The opposing views or interpretations create the grand arc of the tale. The story’s flow reflects then contemporary issues such as the cold war and religion including cults and zealots. I never interpreted it as an allegory, but rather a framework.… show more.

This is a difficult book to get into as it begins with pages of details about Garian’s idyllic childhood as he grows up on a farm. When an old wizard finally shows up to get the story moving, readers are more than ready to embark on a quest with Garion and his party of adventurers. As a hero, Garion is a trifle boring, so it’s up to the rest of the characters to keep things interesting. The wisecracking friendship between Silk (a short, nimble, unscrupulous spy) and Barak (a huge, burly, noble warrior) delivers. Much of my enjoyment of this… show more.

I know this book is old school, but that’s literally what I love about it. I started reading the series when I was a teenager and I’ve loved it so much ever since I’ve reread the entirety every other year since. To the point I’ve memorized lines from it, including the first one that gets me every time: “The first thing the boy Garion remembered was the kitchen at Faldor’s Farm.” It’s an epic adventure that takes an unknown and unwitting boy from a tiny village to a life-and-death battle for the future of his world in truly fantastic fantasy… show more.