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The Rivan Codex: Ancient Texts of the "Belgariad" and the "Malloreon"
 
 
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The Rivan Codex: Ancient Texts of the "Belgariad" and the "Malloreon" [Illustrated] (Paperback)

by David Eddings (Author), Leigh Eddings (Author) "The myths of the Alorns describe a time when men and Gods lived together in harmony ..." (more)
3.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
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Frequently Bought Together

The Rivan Codex: Ancient Texts of the "Belgariad" and the "Malloreon" + Polgara the Sorceress (Belgariad) + Belgarath the Sorcerer
Price For All Three: £21.07

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Product details

  • Paperback: 496 pages
  • Publisher: Voyager; New edition edition (5 Jul 1999)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0006483496
  • ISBN-13: 978-0006483496
  • Product Dimensions: 17.6 x 10.6 x 3.4 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 97,379 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #34 in  Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Authors, A-Z > E > Eddings, David

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Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
David and Leigh Eddings take readers on a fascinating behind-the-scenes tour of the extensive background material they compiled before writing their epic fantasy The Belgariad and the Malloreon and the two companion volumes, Belgarath the Sorcerer and Polgara the Sorceress

The tour stretches from the wealthy Empire of Tolnedra to the remote Isle of the Winds, from the mysterious mountains of Ulgoland to the forbidding reaches of darkest Mallorea. Readers visit the time before Time when two opposing Destinies began the cataclysmic struggle for supremacy that would involve Gods and men alike, crack a world asunder, and threaten to unravel the fabric of the universe itself. One also gets to see the origin of the Orb of Aldur and glimpse the final act upon the Sardion Stone. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
'The Rivan Codex is the definitive handbook to his fantasy domains by Eddings and his wife Leigh' Weekend Telegraph

Already a smash hit in the UK, this latest addition to the Belgariad and Malloreon cycles (most recently, Polgara the Sorceress, 1997), featuring evil gods, kings, sorcerers, orbs, and whatnots, comprises a wretched jumble of unreconstructed notes together with gnarled, gnomic utterances - that is to say, background material accumulated before the authors wrote the stories themselves. It consists of an introduction, a preface, six headed sections, and an afterword ("This collection provides a kind of running description of a process") that's a sort of "how-to" for budding fantasists. The headed sections weigh in, variously, as: "The Holy Books" (of Alom, of Torak, etc.: "And so passed the companions again unto the north and returned they unto the west"); "The Histories" (of The Alorn Kingdoms, of Sendaria, of Ulgoland, and so forth - luckily, "The caves of the Ulgos are naturally heated by geothermal forces"); "The Battle of Vo Mimbre" ("And great was the wrath of the Accursed One, and fire was in his right eye and also in the eye that was not"); "Preliminary Studies to the Malloreon" ("When speaking of this era, some confusion is possible"); "The Malloreon Gospels" ("Sit no more upon the earth in vain and foolish lamentation"); and "A Summary of Current Events." Fanatics only. (Kirkus Reviews)

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The Rivan Codex: Ancient Texts of the "Belgariad" and the "Malloreon"
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The Rivan Codex: Ancient Texts of the "Belgariad" and the "Malloreon" 3.2 out of 5 stars (17)
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Polgara the Sorceress (Belgariad) 3.7 out of 5 stars (26)
£5.99
Belgarath the Sorcerer
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Belgarath the Sorcerer 4.5 out of 5 stars (33)
£8.09
Sorceress of Darshiva (Malloreon)
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Sorceress of Darshiva (Malloreon) 4.7 out of 5 stars (7)
£5.99
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Customer Reviews

17 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
3.2 out of 5 stars (17 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent background information, 13 Mar 2002
By A Customer
This is not the book to read if you are expecting another Belgarion et all story. It quite clearly states that it is not about that. What this book gives you is some idea of the details that the Eddings applied to create their world. In it you will find such mundane things as countries economic base, ruling structure and coinage - but if you keep going you will also be able to read the histories of all the countries you read about in the books as well as all their major texts (the prayer of Issa is particularly interesting). Eddings is at pains to point out in this book that this was just his approach to writing, and in no way should you attempt to recreate it as it may not work for you.

And valuable insight in the amount of detail required to bring to life a fantasy world.

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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Double edged sword, 27 Mar 2005
By Philip Unsworth (UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Having been a fan of this series for many years - indeed waiting impatiently for him to publish the ongoing books as he was finishing them, and having enjoyed the post-series prequel accounts (figure that one out), Belgarath and Polgara, I had to have this book when it came out. The amount of sheer hard work that has gone into constructing the world where we have followed the whole saga unfolding is extremely impressive and the origins of the different races, cultures and conflicts are well laid out, filling in a number of gaps left by the books themselves. Other reviewers have outlined the content of the book very well so I would like to make a slightly different point. The book was spoiled for me to a degree by Eddings's arrogant (I thought) dismissal of Tolkien right at the start. I doubt there is anybody alive who has read The Belgariad et al who has not read the Lord of the Rings. You must decide for yourself which you prefer or if you feel they both have equal merit but this element of 'one-upmanship', implying almost a contemptuous deisregard for the man who did it first altered my perception of Eddings. Having said that, the whole series, culminating in this detail-laden crowning work still stands as a landmark in fantasy fiction and will remain so for a long time to come.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars For true lovers of the Belgariad and Mallorean, 23 Jan 2001
By A Customer
This is definately a book for those readers who want to know how the ideas behind the stories were formulated. It is really just a comprehensive list about each of the different gods and their people, but to the avid fan such as myself, I would reccommend it whole heartedly.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars Should perhaps have been published before the Belgariad, etc
I saw no reviews before I bought this book and would have paid no heed if I had - this may have been my mistake. Read more
Published on 28 Nov 2001

4.0 out of 5 stars Scary levels of background detail
I can understand people being disappointed in this book if they were expecting it to be another standalone prequel telling a single coherent story, but as long as you know what... Read more
Published on 22 Jan 2001

1.0 out of 5 stars Dont get this!!!
I have read all of the Eddings books, except Althalus so far, and was appaled at the quality of this book. Read more
Published on 22 Dec 2000

1.0 out of 5 stars A book to easily put down.
This book is a collection of details about charcters who are in previous books. It reminds me of a Friday afternoon publisher thinking what can we do very little work for to make... Read more
Published on 13 Nov 2000

3.0 out of 5 stars One for fans of the earlier works.
This book sets out some of the material used in the production of David and Leigh Eddings' eariler series "The Belgariad" and "Malloreon". Read more
Published on 7 Jul 2000

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic, a great insight into the Belgariad and More
If you have read The Belgariad, The Mallorean and the books on Belgarath and Polgara this work is an amazing read. Read more
Published on 31 Mar 2000

2.0 out of 5 stars oh puhleese, not more merchandising
This is a definite anoraks only book for the sort of people who have trouble remembering that the belgariad and mallorean are fiction. Read more
Published on 19 Sep 1999

4.0 out of 5 stars A History book for Eddings's world's fans.
Do not expect a book as thrilling as the Belgariad or the Malloreon because this time, there's absolutely NO action. Read more
Published on 1 Aug 1999

1.0 out of 5 stars A poor offering from a talented author!
After the success of the Belgariad and the Mallorean you would expect another classic from David and Leigh Eddings. Pity this book does not match up to that. Read more
Published on 25 May 1999

2.0 out of 5 stars Milking it for all its worth
What you have to understand is that this is not a Novel, this sets the scene for the Belgariad and the Mallorean. Strange that as it has come out after the others. Read more
Published on 24 April 1999

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