Brief Biography
David Eddings was born in Spokane, Washington, on July 7, 1931, and was raised in the Puget Sound area north of Seattle. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Reed College in Portland, Oregon, in 1954 and a Master of Arts degree from the University of Washington in 1961. He served in the United States Army, worked as a buyer for the Boeing Company, has been a grocery clerk, and has taught college English. He has lived in many parts of the United States to this day.
His first novel, High Hunt (published by Putnam in 1973), was a contemporary adventure tale. The field of fantasy has always been of great interest to him, however, and he turned to THE BELGARIAD in an effort to develop certain technical and philosophical ideas concerning that genre, which he has ever since written novels in.
Eddings and his wife, Leigh, currently reside in the southwest of the U.S. (Carson City, Nevada). Eddings married on October 27, 1962.
David Eddings, at some time, wrote the following of himself:
'My current excursion into fantasy has given me an opportunity to test my technical theories [on writing]. I made a world that never was, with an unlikely theology splattered against an improbable geology. My magic is at best a kind of pragmatic cop--out. Many of my explanations of how magic is supposed to work are absurdities - but my characters all accept these explanations as if there was no quibbling about them, and if the characters believe, then the readers seem also to believe. Maybe that's the "real" magic. That's the basic formula for fantasy. Take a bit of magic, mix well with a few open-ended Jungian archetypal myths, make your people sweat and smell and get hungry at inopportune moments, throw in a ponderous prehistory, and let nature take it's course.'
The Elenium
The Diamond Throne - Excerpt
Slowly, Sparhawk raised his eyes to his queen. She was beautiful. There was almost luminous perfection about her countenance. Her pale blond hair was long and loosely framed her face. She wore her state robes and the heavy gold crown of Elenia. Her slender hands lay upon the arms of her throne, and her eyes were closed. But now she was locked in the semblance of death, embedded in a transparent crystal hexahedron, like some bug frozen in clear amber.
Then he heard and felt it, a regular thudding sound, growing louder by the moment as it announced to any who might enter the throne room that her heart was still beating.
Sparhawk sank to one knee in a move of profound respect, his eyes suddenly filling with tears. “I am here now, Ehlana,” he murmured. “Somehow, I’ll make everything right again.”
Description
After ten long years of exile, Sparhawk came home to Elenia to take up his duties as a Pandion Knight and the Queen’s Champion. It was not a happy homecoming, as he soon learned.
His young Queen, Ehlana was supposedly stricken with a fatal disease—the same as that which had killed King Aldreas, her father. She still lived, but only because of a great sorcery invoked by Sephrenia, ageless instructor in magic to the Pandions. Now she sat on her throne, frozen in a block of crystal, doomed unless a cure could be found within the year.
Annias, corrupt and ambitious Primate of the Church in Elenia, had made Ehlana’s bastard cousin, the weakling Lycheas, Prince Regent and now ruled through him. By using the kingdom’s treasury lavishly, Annias planned to bribe his way to Archprelacy and power over all the land. Only Sephrenia and the Church Knights opposed him, and for them he had dark plans.
But as Sparhawk and Sephrenia, now accompanied by Flute, an odd girl-child with strange powers, sought to save Ehlana and the land, they discovered the evil was greater than they had dreamed.
Behind Annias was Azash, the ancient demon-god of Zemoch, whose armies had barely been defeated by the magic and blood of the Church Knights five centuries before. But now the Zemochs were stirring again, and Azash was working through Annias and his henchmen to destroy the one person in the west who might defeat him.
That person, Sephrenia eventually revealed, was Sparhawk!
Here, in a brilliant novel, unrelated to his previous bestselling works, David Eddings begins a new series of novels of dark magic, chivalry, high adventure, and selfless courage, set against a complex history dominated by the quest for a jewel of supernal powers. This is mature fantasy and Eddings at the top of his form!
The Mallorean
Sorceress of Darshiva - Excerpt
The Orb continued to pull steadily at Garion’s hand. He noticed that the stone was glowing redder and redder and it was getting uncomfortably warm.
Then it stopped before a glass case where a rotting cushion lay behind the dusty panes. Aside from that, the case was empty. The Orb was hot now, and its ruddy glow filled the entire room.
“What was in this case?” Belgarath demanded.
Senji leaned forward to read the inscription on the corroded brass plate attached to the case. “Oh,” he said. Now I remember. This is the case where they used to keep Cthag Sardius—the Sardion—before it was stolen.”
Suddenly, without warning, the Orb seemed to jump in Garion’s hand, and the glass case standing empty before them exploded into a thousand fragments.
Dave's original notes on The Redemption of Althalus:
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Polgara Timeline - "A few hundred words that took more work than you realize."
Polgara Prologue
Polgara Chapter One
Phénix magazine cover - issue 52, September 1999
Published Works by David Eddings
High Hunt
The Belgariad - I much enjoyed this series.
Pawn of Prophecy {Book I}
Queen of Sorcery {Book II}
Magician's Gambit {Book III}
Castle of Wizardry {Book IV}
Enchanters' End Game {Book V}
The Mallorean (Continued adventures of Belgariad) - I did not enjoy this that much, but I read it much later than The Belgariad.
Guardians of the West {Book I}
King of the Murgos {Book II}
Demon World of Karanda {Book III}
Sorceress of Darshiva {Book IV}
Seeress of Kell {Book V}
The Elenium - This was and remains my favorite series of books which made me laugh abundantly and inspired me to do what I do.
The Diamond Throne {Book I} - I loved it, couldn't put it down.
The Ruby Knight {Book II} - Eerie and disturbing, I haven't re-read it yet. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it thoroughly.
The Sapphire Rose {Book III} - My favorite Eddings book. Martel rules.
The Tamuli (continuing from Elenium) - Enjoyed it.
Domes of Fire {Book I}
The Shining Ones {Book II}
The Hidden City {Book III}
Other Books
Belgarath the Sorcerer (character autobiography) - reading
Polgara the Sorceress (character autobiography)
The Losers
The Rivan Codex
The Redemption of Althalus
Regina's Song
The Dreamers - series in progress
The Elder Gods {Book I}
The Treasured One {Book II}
My Word on Eddings
I became obsessed with the books at the age of 12, beginning with The Elenium. As Dave himself pointed out, his books are aimed at young people. I have gotten tired of the books and the style over the years, but most people I know who enjoy fantasy enjoy at least the first few books they read. The style is humorous and somewhat different, but the plots are utter clichés.
Nevertheless, I owe my life to ol' Dave and Leigh. Dave said they are teaching young people to read, and that's the bloody truth. I began reading a lot only when I picked up the The Diamond Throne. And I decided to write. So I will say it again: THANK YOU, Eddings.
