Castle of Wizardry

Castle of Wizardry (1984) David Eddings

Book four of the Belgariad finds Garion and his companions with the Orb, and needing to make their way back to safety. We discover who Garion really is, and what the future has in store for him.

There are some marvelous passages in this book. Such as this bit between Relg and Taiba:

“My body doesn’t bother me, but it bothers you very much, doesn’t it? But is the wickedness in my mind or yours? I can sink you in sin any time I want to. All I have to do is this.” And she pulled open the front of her dress.
Relg spun about, making strangled noises.
“Don’t you want to look, Relg?” she mocked him as he fled.
“You have a formidable weapon there, Taiba,” Silk congratulated her.

And there are some more lovely little bits about the Ulgos.

“We were nothing,” the Gorim explained. “Less than nothing. We had no place and no God , but wandered outcast in the world until UL consented to become our God. Some of the zealots have even gone so far as to suggest that if one single Ulgo displeases our God, he will withdraw himself from us. I don’t pretend to know the mind of UL entirely, but I don’t think he’s quite that unreasonable. Still, he didn’t really want to be our God in the first place, so it’s best probably not to offend him.”

Reading this 20-some years later, I find the passages like this far more interesting than I did the first time I read them. It’s a fascinating theology.

But my favorite bits come halfway through, when Garion and Belgarath and Silk go off.

“What do they want?” Garion asked.
“Breakfast, obviously,” Silk answered, still holding his sword.
“Don’t be stupid, Silk,” Belgarath told him. “Why would they want to eat a raw Drasnian when there’s a whole swampful of fish available? Put the sword away.”

I adore Silk the longer the series goes on. And by the Mallorean, he’s hands down my favorite character.

This is also the book where Ce’Nedra comes into her own and grows up a great deal. I never forget how irritating she can be, but I love the reminder of how much more she is than her childish manipulations.

I also love the little bits and pieces dropped throughout the series, such as Lammar and Denton and the boy with the flute and how the keep popping up again and again, giving us glimpses as to what life is like.
Rating: 8/10

Published by Harper Voyager

• Browse the archives:
  
• Enchanters’ End Game » »
• « « Magician’s Gambit