The Malloreon Volume One: Guardians of the West King of the Murgos Demon Lord of Karanda #1 New York Times Bestselling Author; With a New Forewo

Love this book. But this copy is terrible

Along with The Belgariad, the Malloreaon is probably my most beloved series of fantasy. I read all the books in the series over 10 years ago & to this day when I just need to escape, I find myself in this world. What David Eddings has crafted is every bit as beautiful as the Tolkien world, as magical as Harry Potter, and as rich as Anne Rice's history in the Vampire Chronicles. The characters are faceted & complex, the story line flows easily & I feel that I am a lucky reader to have found such a magical world!

In the Mallorean Mr. and Mrs. Eddings continue and close the wonderful story they began in the Belgariad. The combination of high adventure and wonderful wit are a joy to read. With characters you will never forget (and probably notice traces of in your own friends!) these books are a must have for any fantasy library.

As always, I love the books by David Eddings. It was a real treat to get this this series in 2 omnibus volumes. The story itself is engaging and the pacing is good. While some might not like the stereotying of the different races or nationalities, I find them quite humerous. All in all, The Mallorean is a nice followup to the Belgariad. It isn't all that complex a read so for those of you looking for convoluted plots and serious, complicated characters, this might not be your cup of tea. Personally, I have read both of the Begarion series as well as Belgarath the Sorceror and Plogara the Sorceress several times and have enjoyed them each time just as much as I did the first time through. My only complaint really has nothing to do with the stories, but has more to do with the fact that the binding in this particular volume was a bit off... as in there was a gap in the spine between the cover and the actual pages.

I was introduced to this series a couple of years ago and I've been in love with it ever since. I can't believe I never came across it sooner. Of course now that I've read it I come across it in book stores all the time now. This series is a beautiful series for all readers. I wouldn't limit it to fantasy lovers because it is simply a terrific series. It has everything you can ever want to read in a book - humour, fear, action and satisfaction that good does indeed have a say in what goes on in the world. The characters come alive in your head without even trying, the storyline is addictive so it's best to either buy all the books in the series from the start or make plans to get it as soon as you can. It was great to get these books in 4 books instead of 10. I still re-read this series and I've recently bought them as christmas presents. It's an excellant buy for any avid reader or even for those you might want to encourage to read. For all those who do buy this series, check out Belgarath and Polgara - the companion editions.

"The Malloreon" is the sequel in five tomes to David Eddings' "The Belgariad". This special edition compiles the first three books of "The Malloreon": "Guardians of the West", "King of the Murgos" and "Demon Lord of Karanda". In those books, we get to meet the characters we learn to love in "The Belgariad", and some new ones (for example, Silk will meet a young woman that is more than his match). There is plenty of adventure, magic and a lot of that quirky sense of humour so characteristic of Eddings at his best. There is also a new quest: Belgarion's son has been kidnapped by an evil sorcerer named Zandramas in order to fulfill an ancient prophecy. If Belgarion and his friends want to save him, they will need to fulfill a parallel prophecy, and vanquish Zandramas. The fate of the world as they know it is in their hands... Of course, and almost needless to say, I strongly advise you to read these books in order. By that, I mean reading first the five tomes of "The Belgariad" and only afterwards start the five tomes of "The Malloreon". That is the way in which these books were meant to be read, and they are strong reasons for that. Make yourself a favour, and read them books in the correct order, as you will enjoy the series even more. All in all, I highly recommend "The Malloreon Volume One". I read these books ages ago, but I still enjoy them a lot. Truth to be told, I didn't really need this special edition of the first 3 books in "The Malloreon", as I already am the proud owner of these books in their Spanish edition. All the same, I decided to buy them again in order to be able to read the series in its original language, English. Other advantages of this edition are that it isn't expensive at all, and that it doesn't take up to much space in your library. On the whole, buying "The Malloreon Volume One" is a win-win situation. Enjoy it :) Belen Alcat