This will be the same review for all the books in ‘The Belgariad’ and ‘The Mallorean’.
These books changed me. I started reading them as an 11 year old This will be the same review for all the books in ‘The Belgariad’ and ‘The Mallorean’.
These books changed me. I started reading them as an 11 year old who was kind of floating around in this thing called life. I had friends at school, but no meaningful connections. This I didn’t understand until I was older. By reading these books I was drawn into an incredible world filled with characters that I knew and loved, and in some cases wanted to be (come on people, I can’t be the only kid that put a streak of white paint in their hair). The story is Garion’s ‘hero’s journey’ but I felt that the adventure belonged to me too. It was my ‘Neverending story’ if you will and it gave me the confidence to be more present in my own life. I own all the copies of both series set in this marvellous world and most of the extras too. They are a pretty tired looking collection of books because I bought them as a university student from second book shops all over Christchurch and Auckland. I love that they have been released again relatively recently with a fresh new look so that they can appeal to the younger generation. I thoroughly recommend these books for lovers of high fantasy, action, and relatable characters. It is the quintessential hero’s journey....more
This will be the same review for all the books in ‘The Belgariad’ and ‘The Mallorean’.
These books changed me. I started reading them as an 11 year old This will be the same review for all the books in ‘The Belgariad’ and ‘The Mallorean’.
These books changed me. I started reading them as an 11 year old who was kind of floating around in this thing called life. I had friends at school, but no meaningful connections. This I didn’t understand until I was older. By reading these books I was drawn into an incredible world filled with characters that I knew and loved, and in some cases wanted to be (come on people, I can’t be the only kid that put a streak of white paint in their hair). The story is Garion’s ‘hero’s journey’ but I felt that the adventure belonged to me too. It was my ‘Neverending story’ if you will and it gave me the confidence to be more present in my own life. I own all the copies of both series set in this marvellous world and most of the extras too. They are a pretty tired looking collection of books because I bought them as a university student from second book shops all over Christchurch and Auckland. I love that they have been released again relatively recently with a fresh new look so that they can appeal to the younger generation. I thoroughly recommend these books for lovers of high fantasy, action, and relatable characters. It is the quintessential hero’s journey....more
This will be the same review for all the books in ‘The Belgariad’ and ‘The Mallorean’.
These books changed me. I started reading them as an 11 year old This will be the same review for all the books in ‘The Belgariad’ and ‘The Mallorean’.
These books changed me. I started reading them as an 11 year old who was kind of floating around in this thing called life. I had friends at school, but no meaningful connections. This I didn’t understand until I was older. By reading these books I was drawn into an incredible world filled with characters that I knew and loved, and in some cases wanted to be (come on people, I can’t be the only kid that put a streak of white paint in their hair). The story is Garion’s ‘hero’s journey’ but I felt that the adventure belonged to me too. It was my ‘Neverending story’ if you will and it gave me the confidence to be more present in my own life. I own all the copies of both series set in this marvellous world and most of the extras too. They are a pretty tired looking collection of books because I bought them as a university student from second book shops all over Christchurch and Auckland. I love that they have been released again relatively recently with a fresh new look so that they can appeal to the younger generation. I thoroughly recommend these books for lovers of high fantasy, action, and relatable characters. It is the quintessential hero’s journey....more
This will be the same review for all the books in ‘The Belgariad’ and ‘The Mallorean’.
These books changed me. I started reading them as an 11 year oldThis will be the same review for all the books in ‘The Belgariad’ and ‘The Mallorean’.
These books changed me. I started reading them as an 11 year old who was kind of floating around in this thing called life. I had friends at school, but no meaningful connections. This I didn’t understand until I was older. By reading these books I was drawn into an incredible world filled with characters that I knew and loved, and in some cases wanted to be (come on people, I can’t be the only kid that put a streak of white paint in their hair). The story is Garion’s ‘hero’s journey’ but I felt that the adventure belonged to me too. It was my ‘Neverending story’ if you will and it gave me the confidence to be more present in my own life. I own all the copies of both series set in this marvellous world and most of the extras too. They are a pretty tired looking collection of books because I bought them as a university student from second book shops all over Christchurch and Auckland. I love that they have been released again relatively recently with a fresh new look so that they can appeal to the younger generation. I thoroughly recommend these books for lovers of high fantasy, action, and relatable characters. It is the quintessential hero’s journey. ...more
Re-read. Still every bit as amazing second time around! I stand by my first review below!
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It has taken me half a year to write this review becausRe-read. Still every bit as amazing second time around! I stand by my first review below!
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It has taken me half a year to write this review because of the level of feeling I have about this remarkable series. In the meantime I have recommended these books to everyone over 13 who has a pulse.
Where to start...
Nona is everything I have ever wanted in a character.
“That's my secret and my shame. I'm Nona Grey, war is in my veins, and the screams of my enemies are music to me.”
Chills. Literal chills.
She is the dark underdog that lies in everyone's heart. She is the difference that we all see in ourselves. She feels unwanted like we all secretly fear we are. Vulnerability and invulnerability inhabit the same space in Nona and the vacillation between the two are played out for all to see. At the Sweet Mercy Convent all the harsh and sharp edges that are Nona, get honed to a fine point.
“I was born for killing - the gods made me to ruin.”
Here she finds a sisterhood that provides a relatively loving, stable environment for her to become a killing weapon. It has all the wonderful drama that you would associate with a school based story like mean-girls, competitiveness, jealousy etc. but the stakes are a lot higher when the school is filled with such powerful young women. I loved the sense of female strength and empowerment that this world is imbued with. The cast is diverse and characters relatable.
To some Readers the story can feel slow in parts. These parts are necessary to allow us to see the connections Nona is making with her classmates. We as Readers need to believe what they have is real so then the author can rip our hearts out and we can ugly snot cry later down the track (you owe me a few boxes of tissues, good sir).
Next I will move on to the writing. It is so lyrical and passionate.
“There is, in the act of destruction, a beauty which we try to deny, and a joy which we cannot. Children build to knock down, and though we may grow around it, that need runs in is, deeper than our blood.”
It is also intensely dramatic as the opening line shows.
“It is important, when killing a nun, to ensure that you bring an army of sufficient size. For Sister Thorn of the Sweet Mercy convent Lano Tacsis brought two hundred men.”
Lastly, the world that has been created is complex but so wonderfully described as the story progresses that there is no need for huge info-dumps as the intricate details are seamlessly delivered to us as the story moves forward.
I am going to stop here. It is really one of the books where you just need to jump in and luxuriate in it's amazingness!
I truly loved The Book of the Ancestors series....more
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