April 2020 Reread: Even with Ce'Nedra's POV chapters this remains my favorite in the series so far. I find her highly irritating in this read through! Still, there's no better way to get through stressful times than a comfort re-re-re-read :) Review from 2012 below. ------------Magician's Gambit is the third book of The Belgariad. The first portion of the story is told from Ce'Nedra's point of view. It was interesting to see Garion and the party from another view point. The best part of this com...

I would rate this installment of the Belgariad at 3.5 stars.The pace has picked up from the first two books and things are moving along quite well. Belgarath and Polgara have actually started to give Garion some information (which would have been more useful to him earlier, truth be told). But, better late than never, and his sorcerer training has finally begun.One writing tic that Eddings displays—Belgarath scratches his beard about every second page! The poor old sorcerer either has anxiety is...

Review will come after book five

I flew through Magician's Gambit, and it was a very enjoyable read, though it's more a set-up for the next book. The climax is where it ends, quite abruptly in fact. Possibly in the middle of the sente-Yup, that's how abruptly this book ends.The characters are super likeable, and I'm enjoying the mythology and the centuries of history Eddings so meticulously created.It's a classic hero's journey, and it doesn't deviate from the usual tropes, at least not so far, but it's a comforting one, light-...

Another great book in this amazing series. You continue to follow the group as they are in search of the orb that was stolen. This is a huge, world changing event. They travel through many different areas of this continent and are constantly pursued by one danger or another. It is such an epic adventure story that I truly love more the second time around.I can't say enough how much I love these characters and how you get to know them more each book that you read. The little group is brought toge...

I'm speechless,this is next level.😂🙌5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Book 3 in The Belgariad series published 1984.3 stars for the memory.There was a time when my appetite for all things fantasy was voracious; it was all Mr. Tolkien’s fault of course. After reading and devouring Lord of The Rings it was akin to being converted to a new and exciting religion. I read everything I could get my hands on and the works of David Eddings was right up there.So many years later I wanted this wander down memory lane to be as awesome and exciting as my memories perceptions.

Magician’s Gambit is the third of five books in David Eddings’ Belgariad series. I enjoyed this at the same level as the previous book. This is the first book that adds another POV character, (view spoiler)[Ce’Nedra, the girl who joined their party in the previous book (hide spoiler)], although her POV doesn’t get too many pages. I enjoyed seeing a different POV, although she can be annoying at times. Garion, on the other hand, seemed a little less annoying in this book than in the previous two....

!I had forgotten there were scenes and sections in MAGICIAN'S GAMBIT that were entirely from Ce'Nedra's point of view. I knew there were in CASTLE OF WIZARDRY, but I had no recollection of it in MG.This endears the book(s) to me as an adult even more than as a teen. I was not one of those female readers who as a child felt left out because all the stories were about boys and I wasn't a boy so therefore couldn't relate. Yes, well, there wasn't a magical passageway in my closet that led to Narnia,...

3.5 stars

Once more I feel the need to ask, "Is Garion an idiot? How can he possibly have no clue about who he is and what his mission will be?" I mean, for goodness' sake. That's my only real complaint, though. Also, since Eddings doesn't really do emotions at all, I got kind of irritated with Ce'Nedra and her random outbursts of crying or whatever, because I was like, why the heck are you crying? But they're fun, fun books to read, and I really like the characters. I feel like Eddings did a good job in

A meandering middle volume with much too little plot and overly simple and small advancement of the same group of adventurers endlessly traveling to dull locations. Only the final 30 pages were interesting. I hope to find the next volume of more interest.

I flew through this & enjoyed every minute. A few more characters are added, a couple are subtracted. They really needed to be & I enjoyed those moments immensely. Eddings might not write horses as well as some authors, but he occasionally pays attention to them, which is nice. They're not just cars with hooves, although I certainly wish we could clear up our lameness issues as fast as he can! On to the next!

A 4 star read for me.A lot of fantasy folk who are into the "shiney and new" type fantasy will never understand why I am giving this hokey little story high ratings. Personally, this is the type of story that drew me back into the genre. Straight forward, action packed and characters that you get very attached to. I am really enjoying the series, and intend to move forward.With this installment the group of adventurers has expanded, and it appears that all parties needed for fulfillment of The P...

If there is one thing that I like about David Eddings’ fantasy work, its his ability to add humor to the mix. It is almost his signature, and none of his characters personify that more than the quick wit and dry humor of the weasel faced Drasnian spy and thief, and occasional businessman Silk. He is probably the most important non-lead character and has the most interactions with the three leads of the Belgariad so far. He gets the best lines and his sarcastic wit gets under the skin of Belgarat...

In this book, our heroes continue on their quest to unite the races of men and cast the Ring of Power into the fires of-wait, wrong book. Although it's an easy enough mistake to make. In Magician's Gambit, we see Garion begin to gain some control over his power. We watch the continued juvenile interactions between him and Ce'Nedra (but they are young teenagers, so why not? The other central characters continue to do their thing, none of them seem to change much as this series evolves, but they a...

The Belgariad has been beloved by me since I was a kid, but having read many more books of as many genres and authors since then, I've realized that Mr. Eddings authorship leaves much to be desired. I still love the story, characters, mythology, and magic, but there are a number of glaring problems. Mr. Eddings omits tactical and practical details. If it really takes Garion and friends weeks and months to travel around, then why don't Polgara and Belgarath use the time to teach Garion about sorc...

If possible, even better than the first two books in the series. Things are speeding up, now that Garion's gotten past the initial shock and denial, and it's fascinating as the party of travellers grow to include some more crucial (and extremely fun) new characters. The only downside is Ce'Nedra, who is an absolute pain, but even she can be charming when she wishes to be. It's exciting to watch as Garion begins to realize his talent and potential.

Somewhere in the middle of book three is when I start to wonder: does anyone out there actually read a standard heroic journey myth with most of their attention on the main character? After all, one knows exactly what's in store for Garion. It's hardly a spoiler if I tell you he's going to tromp in and out of every kingdom on the continent before heading off to fight the final battle.No, it's not the hero who's the key player in the heroic journey. The real action's off on the sidelines, where y...

And so this is how long it took for the derivative nature of the series overwhelmed me. At first it was quite an exciting series, but at this point I can no longer ignore the fact that there is not a single original aspect of this, nor even any suspense.Strangely (or perhaps not?) it also seems to have made an impact that I read this book as en ebook, and the previous two as physical copies. Holding a physical book in your hand is always a superior experience.All that being said, I will continue...