David Eddings - The Redemption of Althalus (The Redemption of Althalus - David and Leigh Eddings)

Member Name: Alindrail

Product:	The Redemption of Althalus - David and Leigh Eddings
Date:	31/08/00 (22 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good plot, and characters that are easy to slip into

Disadvantages: Sections seem lifted straight out of his other series

This is the latest offering by David and Leigh Eddings. The book is a stand-alone epic and hence benefits from the fact that when you buy it, you don't need to mentally add the price of several other books which is normally the case with fantasy series.

The book can be divided into two parts. The book follows the adventures of Althalus, a thief, and the first part of the book is written in a very new style compared to other Eddings books. It starts off in the bronze age, and the story of Althalus is very well written, and a distinct departure from the Belgariad series or the Sparhawk books. It comes across as the telling of a tale rather than from the direct point of view of Althalus. The second half (well really more like the last three quarters of the book)returns to traditional Eddings ground however, and it is here that the book falls down.

The plot line of the books is good. In fact, it was what kept me reading. Sadly however the plot in the second part of the book drowns under old Eddings cliches. Reading it one gets a sense of deja vu as things from the Garion and Sparhawk series come back to haunt the reader. 'Why Me' and 'Trust Me' pop up, as well as gods who are childish and other things we have seen before. The great character established in the first half of the book becomes drowned in Belgarath traits and the same happens to the other characters. Essentially you find yourself stuck with the same characters just in a different setting. This is a real shame as it brings down the whole quality of the book and ruins what had started out so well.

The book is good for Eddings fans, but will be a dissapointment if you have begun to feel disillussioned by the other books. As a newcomer however the style of the book will be interesting as it is so much more down to earth than most fantasy epics (in the second part of the book), and will be entertaining as the jokes will come across as new and interesting, and the ch
aracters will be endearing as oppossed to seeming stereotypical.

If you haven't read Eddings before; enjoy, if you have and found the last few books a little dissapointing, this is not the best buy you could make, and wait for the paperback. If you are an Eddings lover, then you'll enjoy this as more of the same.

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