The Diamond Throne
(Elenium 1 of 3)
by David Eddings
fantasy
copyright 1989
read in June 2018
rated 7/10: well worth reading
There on the cover it states, clearly, "book one". Yes, this is the first book of a trilogy. Excellent: an honest publisher !
Better yet -- the book can be read by itself. Okay, there is a lot of unfinished business. Yet the end is reasonable... Definitely "to be continued" but not a ridiculous cliff-hanger.
Part of the satisfaction is due to the style of the book, a weakness, in fact. The book is a rollicking adventure, a series of action scenes related by a quest. Action, humour, sword & sorcery -- good development of the plot but not too much suspense. The question is not, Will they succeed? rather, How will they succeed.
I reach the end of this book -- a brand-new plot development is revealed -- I am perfectly happy with what has happened so far. I am not desperate to read book two... but I definitely want to read book two.
The plot itself is well developed but simple. Full of lucky coincidences and simple, strong-arm solutions. Nothing wrong with that :-)
At the beginning, though, I am confused. The hero is returning home, after ten years in exile. Is there an earlier book? One which describes the reason for the exile? There is so much reference to backstory that it is hard for me to believe that this is really "book one". But... as far as I can tell... it is.
There is a lot of backstory, a lot of world -- characters, geography, politics, history -- that seems to be assumed. After a while, this is not a problem. Much of the backstory is gradually revealed. And the story is good fun -- regardless of knowing "what came before".
This is a wham-bam adventure, with pleasant characters acting humorously and heroically. The plot is like a Russian doll, with depths revealed within complex depths. I'm sure that most of the problems will be resolved by use of a sword and a strong right arm :-)
A very enjoyable book, lots of fun, I look forward to reading books two and three.
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19mar23: Read it again...
It's a lot of fun. Some cunning plans. Lots of solving problems by violence or by lucky coincidence. Likeable characters (as characters... perhaps less pleasant if you really meet them).
Not many characters that gain my sympathy. The hero, and most major characters, are so tough and self-assured that you know that they will look after themselves... or be happy to give their lives in a good cause.
It is a small number of minor support characters that I care about: Nice people, not so tough, they could easily be accidental damage. But the book is not about characters... it is entertaining, solid action, sword and sorcery. And a lot of fun.
Oh... though the descriptions of the desert prophetsare perhaps less-than-acceptable in these enlightened times.
Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
... Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved
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"What a trial it is to submit to the whim of fools." … Captain Trumane, The Waking Fire
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