The Composition of Kepler's Astronomia nova.

Book Description

This is one of the most important studies in decades on Johannes Kepler, among the towering figures in the history of astronomy. Drawing extensively on Kepler's correspondence and manuscripts, James Voelkel reveals that the strikingly unusual style of Kepler's magnum opus, Astronomia nova (1609), has been traditionally misinterpreted. Kepler laid forth the first two of his three laws of planetary motion in this work. Instead of a straightforward presentation of his results, however, he led readers on a wild goose chase, recounting the many errors and false starts he had experienced. This had long been deemed a ''confessional'' mirror of the daunting technical obstacles Kepler faced. As Voelkel amply demonstrates, it is not.

Voelkel argues that Kepler's style can be understood only in the context of the circumstances in which the book was written. Starting with Kepler's earliest writings, he traces the development of the astronomer's ideas of how the planets were moved by a force from the sun and how this could be expressed mathematically. And he shows how Kepler's once broader research program was diverted to a detailed examination of the motion of Mars. Above all, Voelkel shows that Kepler was well aware of the harsh reception his work would receive--both from Tycho Brahe's heirs and from contemporary astronomers; and how this led him to an avowedly rhetorical pseudo-historical presentation of his results. In treating Kepler at last as a figure in time and not as independent of it, this work will be welcomed by historians of science, astronomers, and historians.

Customer Reviews:

Voelkel has done it again!.......2001-11-15

As the world's leading authority on Kepler, James Voelkel has once again demystified the oft misunderstood astronomer. While not nearly as accessible to the layman as Johannes Kepler : And the New Astronomy (Oxford Portraits in Science), it is a brilliant analysis of Kepler's work. It is not enough to read Astronomia Nova (1609), but to truly appreciate it one must look at the story behind it. And Voelkel takes us on that journey.

Book Description

Johannes Kepler, master mathematician and astronomer, developed his theories in 16th century pre-Renaissance Germany. His work laid the foundation on which his successors, notably Isaac Newton, built the modern picture of the universe that held until Einstein.

The author shows us a Rabelaisian world...chaotic, muddled, and dirty. Kepler's famly mirrored this disorder, and he retreated into his own cerebrations for relief.

Kepler took the theories of his time and stood them on their head. He extracted truth from superstition and the story, in Banville's hands, is a triumph, heroic and exuberant." (E.R.S. Reviews)

Customer Reviews:

Astronomy and Counter Reformation forces in Kepler's life.......2007-06-18

John Banville is an exceptional writer and his biography of Kepler is excellent. Banville is able to show the frustrations in the career of an exceptional thinker and also to capture in beautiful poetic language the three principles that he developed that influenced future scientists.

Banville does a good job of showing the conflicting religions of Roman Catholicism and Lutheranism that were practices throughout the Holy Roman Empire. The more northern the state and the more remote, the more likely that the Lutheran faith was practiced. Kepler was a Lutheran but it would be difficult to claim that the followed entirely the teachings of Martin Luther but used his own perceptions and experiences as a mathematician and scientist to interpret the gospels. He was born in Germany but taught in a Lutheran school in Graz Austria, a town that underwent forced conversions to Roman Catholicism during the counter Reformation.

Kepler is known for developing the three laws of planetary motion, his support for Copernicus, his use of the vast observations of Tycho Brahe to prove his points, and his laying the groundwork for Newton. Banville deals with the principles in a poetic language that explains the principles to the non-scientist reader in the language of myth and dream and lyric.

Kepler was hired as the assistant to Tycho Brahe, the Danish scientist who used systematic observations of the stars to establish a vast amount of observational data of the heavens. Kepler used the 10 years of observing Mars to make his breakthrough discovery that the planets do not travel around the sun in a circular path but in an ellipse. Tycho Brahe was looking for a smart assistant to help carry his work forward, Kepler was not able to agree with Brahe but was able to use the tables developed by Brahe and his assistants to prove his own theories. The novel shows that great men with great minds have difficulties following each other. Jung was forced to break with Freud and thus Kepler was forced to break with Brahe. Kepler did inherit Brahe's position as Imperial Mathematician for the Holy Roman Empire, a position for which he rarely was paid and for which he had to produce astrological charts for fortune tellers for Emperors and Generals.

Brahe is an interesting character in the novel. He wishes to use Kepler's mind and work to support his own theories and did not realize Kepler's level of brilliance and independence. Brahe lost his nose in a duel and used a gold and silver prosthetic nose. Brahe was the first to use nightly systematic observation of the heavens with recorded results over long periods of time. This resulted in his being able to be the first person in 1600 years to identify a new star in 1572, which ran counter to Church teaching that the heavens never change. Brahe was allowed to work in isolation in a castle on a Danish island, a small paradise, until he ran afoul of the Danish king and was exiled to Bohemia.

Kelper was able to also demonstrate that the planets speed up as their elipse nears the sun and then to slow down as they travel further from the sun. He was also able to develop the period formula for the elipse of each planet. His theory that a unifying force the force of gravity.

Kelper's life was sad in many ways, considering that his first marriage was unhappy since he never met the social expectations of his wife Barbara. They lost small children to disease which broke Kepler's heart. Kepler's mother is a cruel sarcastic woman who dabbles in healing which eventually gets her accused of witchcraft. He serves two Holy Roman Emperors, both of whom fail to pay him correctly. He is often under religious persecution for his Lutheran belief in a Roman Catholic court. He is in debt most of his life and yet despite all the challenges, Banville is able to show who Kepler was able to detach himself and think through complex astonomical issues to their end using mathematics, geometry and observation.

This is a thoughful and satisfying book.

Elliptical Prose.......2006-12-24

A short review, for a change: I agree with the other reviewers that these "scientific" novels of the early Banville do not hold an early Renaissance tallow candle to his later work.--Please see my review of Doctor Copernicus in re this lack--but just to reiterate, Banville is still Banville, in a celestial sphere above the scrum of other writers.

Yes, as one reviewer has noted, the letters in Harmonia Mundi, the fourth part of the novel, form a chronological circuit of some sort. Call it an ellipse if you must, but methinks this is a wee bit of preciousness on Banville's part.

The other reviewers have covered all the other, ahem, shall we say, foci? - Good period detail (q.v. C.V. Wedgwood's account of the Thirty Years' War if you want more horrors from this ghastly period of history.), interesting insights into Kepler's moods, states of mind etc.

And, most of all, Banville's elegant prose in embryonic stage. How would you describe a layer of fallen snow? Banville describes it thus:

"Cold it had been that morning, the sky like a bruised gland and a taste of metal in the air, and everything holding its breath under an astonishment of fallen snow."

Even in these early works, Banville can still astonish.

Novel of ideas - not Banville's forte.......2006-01-23

Kepler is a well written historical novel written during a time when Banville was attempting to write what he considered 'European novels of ideas'. In writing about the mind of a great scientist, has found a way to write about creativity without going down the established, oft cliched route of writing about writing, or painting. However it is fundamentally a poor book, which Banville has subsequently admitted. It artfully chronicles the ideas of Kepler, his struggle, but fails to invoke this in a passionate or beautiful manner.

Banville's best novels are works of art. As Beckett said of Joyce, his work is not about anything, it is about the work itself. Kepler is a novel about something, a novel of ideas. It does not work well.

Excellent Biographical Novel.......2006-01-17

Close on the heels of finishing Banville's novel Doctor Copernicus, a story based on the life of Nicholas Copernicus, I started reading this novel on the life of Johannes Kepler. I had enjoyed Mr. Banville's book on Copernicus but I found that I enjoyed this book on Kepler even more. In terms of structure and power of prose, the two books are much the same but in Kepler Banville seems to know his man much better.

Doctor Copernicus powerfully evokes its time period and setting but it does so at the expense of the main character in some ways. Here, Kepler and his story seem to be more the driving force which made for an even more interesting read. Many of the main conflicts of Kepler's life are here--his struggles with Brahe, his problems with his wife, his mother's trial for witchcraft, his endless search for riches & fame along with truth--and they are brought out well through the eyes of the main character.

Banville's mastery of beautiful prose my still lie in the years following this early novel; however, he was a writer of incredible power from his earliest books. For someone interested in science as I am, reading this book is a no-brainer: it needs to be read. However, any reader will find much to enjoy here.

Elliptically told, fitting Kepler's own perigrinations.......2005-12-01

This earlier historical novel in the scientific series Banville wrote in the 80s sparkles with detail. Especially in the first section, you feel the damp of a castle, the gloom of a chamber, and smell the slops and suds. It's slow going at the start, "Mysterium Cosmagraphicum," as Kepler squares off against Brahe, and tries to gain favor with the Emperor. But this part, in hindsight, dazzles the most for the density of texture, in the prose and what it describes. You glimpse the tension between teaching schoolkids basic skills and Kepler's longing to plunge into elevated research--certainly I could relate to this as a teacher! Banville sketches easily the battle between living in a decaying world and pondering in an ethereal realm timeless (so Kepler thinks) truths.

Part II lacks a title but shows how Kepler the husband must deal with the mundane among an increasingly perilous era when witches are burnt and Protestants are expelled, and how he must make a living thanks to the formidable tension created by his relationship with his father-in-law and his wife. The household and domestic strife both ring with recognizable scenes, despite the superficial differences in decor and diet, and show Banville's ability to capture drama in the everyday affairs that we too share, if in less fraught situations. Throughout the novel, a loved one's loss and the ebb and flow of intimacy within a family as expressed through Kepler's ruminations make for eloquent, yet unadorned prose that convinces you of its truth.

Part III, "Dioptrice," focuses upon his mathematical ambitions and the possibilities and competition opened up by Galileo and his telescope. Here again, the exile from favor he endures balances well with the cosmological theories he seeks to verify slowly and painfully.

For "Harmonia Mundi," part IV takes the form of not only letters to colleagues and friends relating his discoveries, but these letters, from 1605-11, form themselves an arc or an ellipse! I've never seen this before in a book. The letters start in 1605, progress chronologically to 1611, and then slowly retreat again from the verification of his contention that planets move elliptically back gradually to 1605.

For part V, fittingly titled "Somnium," the later years of Kepler are movingly described as once more he must wander out of favor with the imperial contenders within an ideologically divided Central Europe.

This book moves at an uncertain pace, mimicking its protagonist. At times, it drags, perhaps intentionally illustrating the frustrations frequently felt by Kepler within a society that does not understand his devotion to the stars or his introspective fits and starts of genius. You get--to my surprise--few of the details of Prague parading itself that I had expected, given how in the non-fictional "Prague Pictures," (also reviewed by me on Amazon) written two decades after "Kepler," the struggles of Kepler and Brahe are grippingly told by Banville in exactly this Czech context.

The prose does not leap out as vividly in later sections as the former ones, but one quote remains in my mind. Banville provides Kepler's recollection of the loss of his virginity to a teenaged girl he meets at a pub. "Yet beyond the act itself, that frantic froglike swim to the edge of the cataract's edge, he had found something touching in her skinny flanks and her frail chest, that rank rose under its furred cap of bone." (38) The female body and the sexual act have been depicted millions of ways perhaps in literature; at this late state, Banville still can make such familiar scenes vivid again.

The Jordan beachhead;: A novel of Biblical times

Average customer rating:

The Jordan beachhead;: A novel of Biblical times
James H. Kepler
Manufacturer: Exposition Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B0007ECTAS

Average customer rating:

Underwhelming and disjointed

This book drowns in Pullman's notions about religion

A great book

Do Not Buy For Children!

A great fantasy book.
The Amber Spyglass, His Dark Materials Book Three

Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

His Dark Materials | Science Fiction | Series | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

His Dark Materials, Book II: The Subtle Knife

The Golden Compass, Deluxe 10th Anniversary Edition (His Dark Materials, Book 1)

Lyra's Oxford

The Ruby in the Smoke (Sally Lockhart Trilogy, Book 1)

Physik (Septimus Heap, Book 3)

ASIN: 0965096734

Customer Reviews:

Underwhelming and disjointed.......2007-10-04

While I liked the Golden Compass and really enjoyed the Subtle Knife, I like many other reviewers here, was entirely underwhelmed by the Amber Spyglass.

All the carefully crafted storylines that were so compelling in the first two books came to a very unsatisfying conclusion. The final big battle is very short, unclear, and a good 100+ pages before the end. After that the book just sort of putters out into ridiculously maudlin conversations and make-out sessions between the two very young protagonists. I just couldn't help thinking "That's it?" at the end. After all the build-up, I expected something more.

And additionally, there were lots of storylines and characters that were just sort of dropped or never fully explained. I was really intrigued in how Lyra was the new Eve and would have to remake the decision in Eden, but I don't really see how that was played out, or how another character served as the snake. If it was in there, it was very unclear. Other characters, like the villain Mrs. Coulter, have very uncharacteristic - and frankly, ridiculous - motivations for their actions in this book.

And as religion seems to be brought up in many of the reviews, I would like to address it briefly too. Everyone is entitled to their beliefs, of course. But Pullman spends so much of this book talking about how close-minded and judgmental organized religion is, he just comes across as close-minded himself. All his characters who believe in religion are evil, corrupt, ignorant, or stupid. It just seems very hypocritical to be so judgmental about religion when he is preaching open-mindedness. His belief in atheism is fine, of course, but he allows it to overtake his story, and the plot suffers as a result.

All in all, it is a disjointed story that does not live up to the potential of the first two.

This book drowns in Pullman's notions about religion.......2007-10-02

Throughout the Dark Materials trilogy you can see Pullman gradually moving away from great character development and plot, to a virtual manifesto for Atheism. This in itself can't be faulted too much, except these books are generally "marketed" toward a young audience, however the books characters, events and overall story are sacrificed on the altar of his personal anti-religious agenda.

As others have stated, there are many plot devices and character traits that are simply abandoned: one wonders why they were in the book in the first place (one example: the species the mulafa are warring with).

If you are a "free-thinking" new-age left-winger, this book is perfect for you. If you are a typical, mainstream, religion-respecting person who enjoys good storytelling, you can do better elsewhwere, and I would not recommend this book to anyone under the age of 15.

A great book.......2007-10-01

I was given "The Golden Compass" when I was 12, (Im 16 now), not knowing what the book was about. However, by the time I finished The Amber Spyglass, I knew I had just finished a book series that will never be duplicated again. In his last book, Philip Pullman ties up loose strings, opens up new ones, and settles on the very nature of Dust and God. The series is advertised as a children's series, but its about as children's series as the Narnia chronicles. Sure children will love the books, but to really understand MR. Pullman's main ideas and motifs, one must be old enough to know of religion and love and more "adult" themes. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who wishes to have a book to read while sipping coco near a fire(after all, winters almost here), but beware: if you are not willing to read this series, and especially this book, with an open mind, you will find it blasphemous and degrading to religion. But read it with no thought of such issues, and you just might be reading something truly bigger than Narnia.

Do Not Buy For Children!.......2007-09-19

These books are very well written, however by the time you finish all three you will see the point is clear that they are anti-Christian, and anti-Catholic. Very Sad, for such great story telling.

A great fantasy book. .......2007-09-15

I read His Dark Materials because the movie Golden Compass is coming out in December 2007. I am so glad I did! It is a beautifully written series. Amber Spyglass was my favorite of the 3 books.

I would recommend this title for ages 12 and up.

The Amber Spyglass - His Dark Materials, Book Three

Average customer rating:

The Amber Spyglass - His Dark Materials, Book Three
Philip Pullman
Manufacturer: Alfred A. Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Average customer rating:

Again - enjoy

Great book

Excellent, gripping conclusion

Beautifully done

Great Reading

The Malloreon, Vol. 2 (Books 4 & 5): Sorceress of Darshiva, The Seeress of Kell
David Eddings
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Book of Kells | Bible & Other Sacred Texts | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Eddings, David | ( E ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Anthologies | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Anthologies | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Malloreon, Vol. 1 (Books 1-3): Guardians of the West, King of the Murgos, Demon Lord of Karanda

The Belgariad, Vol. 2 (Books 4 & 5): Castle of Wizardry, Enchanters' End Game

The Belgariad, Vol. 1 (Books 1-3): Pawn of Prophecy, Queen of Sorcery, Magician's Gambit

Belgarath the Sorcerer

Polgara the Sorceress (Malloreon (Paperback Random House))

ASIN: 0345483871
Release Date: 2005-08-30

Book Description

Here is the epic conclusion of David Eddings’s enthralling series The Malloreon–two magnificent novels in one volume. This monumental fantasy follows the story of two age-old opposing destinies locked in a seven-thousand-year war for control of the world, its gods, and its men. Indeed the victor will determine nothing less than the fate of all creation.

Troubles mount as King Garion, Belgarath, and Polgara pursue Zandramas, the Child of Dark, across the known world. The wicked creature has abducted the King’s infant son for sinister purposes. If Garion and his companions cannot reach the Place Which Is No More, as the Seeress of Kell has warned, then Zandramas will use Garion’s son in a rite that will raise the Dark Prophecy to eternal dominion over the universe. Only the Seeress of Kell can reveal the mysterious locale, but first Garion and Polgara must fulfill an ancient prophecy in the mountain fastness of the Seers. Although Kell is closed to Zandramas, her dark magic can forcefully extract the intelligence she needs from one of Garion’s party. Setting traps and dispatching her foul minions, she is determined to claim the world for the Dark Prophecy. But Garion will let nothing stand between himself and his son. . . .

Customer Reviews:

Again - enjoy.......2007-09-25

Eddings writes mindless drivel, but it is ENTERTAINING mindless drivel - great for telling the world to go soak its head and just sitting back and having a good time.

p.s. The good guys win.

Great book.......2007-08-04

This is a wonderful book to read. You should read the first 8 books in this series to completely understand it. Once you starting reading these books you just can't stop.

Excellent, gripping conclusion.......2007-05-15

The Malloreon took a little getting used to - new characters, and most of the ones from the Bellgariad weren't allowed on this trip. All in all a good read that made me have to purchase the Belgarath and Polgara books to prolong the wonder the Eddings created.

Beautifully done.......2007-03-09

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.

Great Reading.......2006-11-13

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 Seeress of Kell: (#5) (Malloreon, Book 5)

Average customer rating:

Definitely Anti-Climatic Ending !
As bad as it gets for epic, formulaic fantasy
Enjoyable, but flawed
Game, Set, and Match
um.......WOW talk about a good ending

The Seeress of Kell: (#5) (Malloreon, Book 5)
David Eddings
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Book of Kells | Bible & Other Sacred Texts | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0345330064
Release Date: 1991-04-03

Product Description

Book Five of the Melloreon. Time was running out for Garion and his companions in their quest to recover Garion's infant son and heir. If they could not locate the Place which Is No More, then Zandramas, the Child of Dark, would use Garion's son in a rite that would raise the Dark Prophecy to eternal domination over the universe. Read by Cameron Beierle. 15 CD's 16.9 Hrs.

Customer Reviews:

Definitely Anti-Climatic Ending !.......2007-10-05

I just thought this ending was so bad. But, hey, at least it did end ! So, I give him credit for that. There was just no final battle. I really wanted a battle. I agree that the lack of "choice" in the characters made it a little borring. Still liked it, but just not there.

As bad as it gets for epic, formulaic fantasy.......2007-03-13

I read Belgariad and Mallorean, around the same age 16-17. Enjoyed Belgariad quite a bit and I still have fond memories of it. However, unlike the Belgariad, I was frustrated, disgusted and just plain annoyed by Mallorean.

I can't remember other examples when I had two such polar opposite reactions by works from the same author.

Everyone calling each other "dear" as a sign of affection really grated on me, mainly because the person using the word came off as a patronizing prissy. It was mostly Polgara doing it in The Belgariad, but in Mallorean, we find that everyone in David Eddings' world throws around "dear" as a sign of affection. I think I wanted to scream my lungs out every time Eddings had one of his characters use the word.

In the Mallorean, I remember hoping to see Garion and Ce'Nedra act like adults. No such luck, Eddings has 25-26 year-olds act like adolescent, imbecilic, incompetent and inept babies. The presence of Polgara, Belgarath and Poledra really made Garion & Ce'Nedra look dumb most of the time. Garion is constantly going OH-MY-GOD "What are we going to do, Grandfather?" or "Aunt Pol, do something!" or "Oh my god, they're blocking our way, what are we going to do?" C'mon, you're a king, you're an adult, can't you make some decisions on your own, Garion?! Don't get me started on Ce'Nedra, Eddings needs a helpless, stupid and just plain dumb girl in the Mallorean and Ce'Nedra fits the bill. Unlike other women in Eddings' novels, Ce'Nedra constantly needs protection, she's fragile, and Eddings uses her to ask the dumbest questions during banter to move the conversation forward (Polgara answers them with a "dear", of course). Don't get me wrong, I like Ce'Nedra's character best from Belgariad/Mallorean, and whenever Eddings deigns to write her perspective every now and then, I enjoy the story that much more. But she's completely useless besides breeding some kids for Garion. Even Velvet - who's younger than Ce'Nedra - is smarter and more competent than Ce'Nedra.

All the books in the Mallorean were just plain pointless. Eddings could have written the 5-book series in one 500-page book. There was a lot traveling, pointless banter to make Ce'Nedra look dumb, waking up in the morning, setting up camp, etc.

What I found most frustrating in the Mallorean was the lack of personal choice. The lack of choice was there on some level in the Belgariad, but Garion was more or less a teenager in the Belgariad so I didn't find it as bad. In the Mallorean, everyone has a =task= to do at a certain =time= and there's no wavering on that =task=. Everyone does what they're supposed to do, and the formulaic and predictable prophecy comes to fruition. What's funny is I remember the Mallorean hinging on a character's =Choice= at the end. Pfft, give me a break. Lamest ending ever. There's always a voice guiding Garion, or Belgarath or Polgara to help him, or if he wanted to do something that he wasn't supposed to do, his limbs become locked in place so he can't. Choice?!? Please...

In the Mallorean, the characterizations have exacerabated with age and the feeling of deja vu in the story is too strong to even acknowledge the Mallorean as a piece of literature.

Alright I'll stop whining now. In general, I do like Eddings, I think he writes acceptable literature for young adults, but you can only take so much of the same thing.

Enjoyable, but flawed .......2006-08-10

I must say that I literally had to drag myself through the Belgariad. Something about those books bored me beyond belief and I'm not even really sure why. So you can imagine my reluctance to start another five book series about the same characters. But I did, and boy, was I surprised by the outcome.
The Malloreon books are much better than the the Belgariad series (to me anyway). I was very pleased with this series despite the fact that the plot is stetched out to fill five books when it could have easily taken up only three.
The books are still flawed, however. I don't really like Ce'nedra or Polgara still. Polgara just seems very mean to Garion and Balgarath all the time. And Ce'nedra is angry with Garion one instant and in the next, starts laughing and says, "I do love you, Garion." and he says, "I certainly hope so." Talk about annnoying!
Mr. Eddings also left out some of my favorite characters from the last books. Barak and Silk's relationship was fun and funny and Mandorellan was comically dumb. Hettar was just cool. But they are hardly in these books and are replaced with characters that are pretty unimportant.
Also, very few of the minor characters had many lines. In fact, most of them spoke so rarely, you forget there are there! And I liked some of them (Velvet and Poledra, mostly).
The plot was predictable (did we really think Cyradis would chose the Darkness?), even the part with with Eriond (I think I guessed what would happen to him as soon as they said there was going to be a new God). The end was agonizing stretched out (both the Choice and the happy ending that summed everything up). Like another reviewer, I was a little annoyed that Garion killing Torak seemed utterly pointless. Oh, I was also upset that Beldin just left. I adored him and he was hilarious.
After all these negitive remarks, no one is going to believe I enjoyed this book, but I did. It was humorous and it was an enjoyable, light fantasy with a happy (if predictable) ending that made me a little sad because there won't be much more about the characters (I still have to read Belgarath and Polgara's stories, so I don't have to say goodbye yet). Anyway, this was a good book and I'm glad everything got all wrapped up.
The previous 9 books are an absolute necessity if this one is to make any sense so read those before.

Game, Set, and Match.......2005-07-17

It's with a sense of relief that I can finally turn to the last volume in this series. While the Malloreon is better written than the Belgariad, Eddings overplayed his hand in telling a story which is a derivative echo of its predecessor, and then using a repetitive architecture to expand the tale to five volumes. Had this series been whittled down to four, or even three volumes it would have been easier than on the reader.

Belgarion, C'Nedra, and the rest of those one the quest for their kidnapped child must now follow the last steps in fulfilling the prophecy that will enable Cyradis, Seeress of Kell, to make the final choice between alternate futures. Two candidates exist for the God who will replace Torak - who was slain by Belgarion in the first set of books. Errand, who has been in the care of Polgara and Durnik, will stand for Belgarion, the child of light, and Geran, Belgarion's own son is Zandramas's offer. If Geran is chosen darkness will fall and Belgarion will face having to kill his own child.

They voyage first to Kell, then to Perivor, and finally to Korim where the last clashes will be fought. There is a complex set of requirements to be fulfilled before Cyradis can make her choice, and Zandramas is intent on making sure that there really is no choice. Tense times come as Belgarath solves the last puzzles just in time and the find the altar in the place that is no more.

Seeress of Kell is noticeably better paced than Sorceress of Darshiva. It doesn't really bog down at all until after the choice is made, when Eddings proceeds to take 80 pages to wind down the tale in epilogue. Again, it's not Eddings writing ability that is at fault, but his inability to know when to stop. If you go on to the Elenium you will immediately discover that when Eddings keeps to three volumes and is carefully edited he is still capable of a story compels and entertains. Again, the best thing one can say about the Malloreon is that even with flaws it is much better than many attempts at epic fantasy, which is a far more difficult genre than you might believe.

um.......WOW talk about a good ending.......2005-05-28

I love this series, so I don't think I could just talk about this one book.

Once I started reading this series I couldn't stop I just had to keep getting the books and devouring each one. I read Belgarath and Polgara first so I already had the background and then I started the ten book series. I recomend this to first time Eddings Readers.

The characters are so complex and they all change through the whole series, matureing with Eddings. These books are so full of different emotions; battles, love stories, intrigue, friendship, immense power of hatred but love at the same time.

I must have read the whole series about three times already and I wish there was more to the story, more chapters so Belgarath and co will continue their adventures.

This is definately the greatest end to the series and I don't think it could've been any different. Well done guys for producing an amazing universe for us to see.

Malloreon/Boxed Set (Guardians of the West; King of the Murgos; Demon Lord of Karanda; Sorceress of Darshiva; Seeress of Kell)

Average customer rating:

At least as good as The Belgariad!
Typical Eddings: Awesome!
This is best!
Top-Notch Fantasy
At least as good as The Belgariad!

Malloreon/Boxed Set (Guardians of the West; King of the Murgos; Demon Lord of Karanda; Sorceress of Darshiva; Seeress of Kell)
David Eddings
Manufacturer: Del Rey Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Science Fiction & Fantasy | Boxed Sets | Formats | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0345379888

Customer Reviews:

At least as good as The Belgariad!.......2000-01-14

But then again - this is David Eddings, and this man IS the best! These books are absolutely fantastic - funny and well written. Everything David Eddings writes - Belgariad & Malloreon + prequels, Elinium and Tamuli - it's just perfect.

PS. I know I've written this once, but this time it'll link to my user-site.

Typical Eddings: Awesome!.......1999-12-09

I have found myself reading and re-reading David Eddings work with great frequency. He writes about believable characters that bicker, pout, and get along much like my friends with whom I grew up. This is not Tolkein. The heroes aren't perfect. Belgarath is about as flawed as they come and is perfectly contrasted by his prudish daughter Polgara. Poor Belgarion is caught in the middle with the way he was raised and egged on by his little queen. This makes for a great comedy. The adventure is almost secondary to the story or as Alfred Hitchcock would put it, the McGuffin; a simple plot device.

David Eddings is one of the best writers there is.

This is best!.......1999-12-03

This is better! then the 5 star Belgarion serie. The characters are so lively. It's more comedy than in a real comedy but also excitement. If you haven't read this do it!

But a tip read the Belgarion serie first. For you that have read the Belgarion I just want to say that this is more comedy and less excitement. But at my opinion it is better.

Top-Notch Fantasy.......1999-11-08

If you enjoy Fantasy, you will love both the Belgariad and the Mallorian. I've read them so many times, I've lost count. So have both my kids. What makes Eddings' books so good is his ability to bring his characters to life. They become more than just fictional constructs - in fact, they become friends.

At least as good as The Belgariad!.......1999-10-23

Seeress of Kell: Book Five of the Malloreon

Average customer rating:

Seeress of Kell: Book Five of the Malloreon

Manufacturer: Bantam Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Book of Kells | Bible & Other Sacred Texts | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: B000HKHHJK

3 HBs by David Eddings, The Malloreon: #2 King of The Murgos, #4 Sorceress of Darshiva, #5 The Seeress of Kell (The Malloreon)

Average customer rating:

3 HBs by David Eddings, The Malloreon: #2 King of The Murgos, #4 Sorceress of Darshiva, #5 The Seeress of Kell (The Malloreon)
David Eddings
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000RJOEJW

Product Description

3 hardbacks

5-Book Set: Malloreon Series By David Eddings - Guardians of the West, King of the Murgos, Demon Lord of Karanda, Sorceress of Darshiva, The Seeress of Kell

Average customer rating:

5-Book Set: Malloreon Series By David Eddings - Guardians of the West, King of the Murgos, Demon Lord of Karanda, Sorceress of Darshiva, The Seeress of Kell
David Eddings
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Book of Kells | Bible & Other Sacred Texts | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000V98HDM

Product Description

Malloreon Series (5 Books) By David Eddings - Guardians of the West, King of the Murgos, Demon Lord of Karanda, Sorceress of Darshiva, The Seeress of Kell.

Average customer rating:

BTH Seeress of Kell
David Eddings
Manufacturer: Random House Value Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Book of Kells | Bible & Other Sacred Texts | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Average customer rating:

BTH-SEERESS/KELL-EASL
DAVID EDDINGS
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 034537312X
Release Date: 1991-03-16

Average customer rating:

The Seeress of Kell
David Eddings
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000M66ZCE

Average customer rating:

The Seeress of Kell
David Eddings
Manufacturer: New York: Ballantine Books, 1991
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NXKCC0

Book Description

This apologetics title provides support that the Bible was inspired by God.

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