My David Eddings Page

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or "how to get away with limited imagination"

 

Don't get me wrong here, I really like the Belgariad and Malloreon series. Those are two of my favourites when it comes to Fantasy. But when I read the Elenium and the Tamuli, I started to get second thoughts. Although it is a new world, it's the same characters and story as in Belgariad.

Check this out:

 

Belgariad/ Malloreon

Elenium/ Tamuli

Comment

Chereks

Thalesians

Big, bearded warriors inspired by the Vikings both in names, customs and appearance.

Algars

Peloi

Horsemen, clad in black leather. Shaved heads except a lock.

Polgara

Sephrenia

Both are blackhaired, strongwilled magicians that likes the expression "Men!" and rolling their eyes a lot at their companions.

The Orb

Bhelliom

Blue stones, both being the most powerful items in the world. Only the hero can touch them.

Torak

Azash

The evil god. Both are mutilated and wicked.

Zedar

Martel

The traitor. Both having once been on the good side and deflected.

Yarblek & Vella

Kring & Mirtai

Except from differences in race, these two cases are more or less identical.

Errand (Eriond)

Flute (Aphrael)

Both are small children that turn out to be gods. Neither of them have real names at first but are called nicknames.

Silk

Talen

Both are the worlds greatest thieves and both find a relative (Urgit and Kurik, brother respective father)

Garion

Sparhawk

Both the heroes end up as kings. Although Garion started as a farm-boy and Sparhawk as a knight.

Dals (Kells)

Styrics

A peaceful people, mostly clad in white robes, good at magic

Singing

Singing

In Malloreon, there is a passage where Polgara, Velvet and Ce'Nedra is singing. In "Domes of Fire", there is a passage where Mirtai, Stragen, Melidere and Alean starts to sing. These two passages are VERY similar.

Mimbratic Knights

Church Knights

These are both the kind that goes "If there aren't more than five-hundred of them, I can handle them by myself…"

 

Both worlds have two large continents, of which one is not very much mentioned in the first series in the pair (Belgariad and Elenium respectively) and the heroes goes to the other continent in the second series (Malloreon and Tamuli) where they meet an emperor which they make an allie.

And for God's sake, the names! Arends - Rends is only the most clear case, but there are several others: Asturians-Astellians, Alorns-Elenes and so on. In fact, all the names in the two worlds could be exchanged and no-one would be able to tell the difference. Same kind of names all over.

 

But, in conclusion, seeing how popular both the series are, I guess you shouldn't change a good concept.

 

/Robert Östberg 1999