Tomes of Spellcasting--King of the Murgos

Tomes of Spellcasting

Welcome to the land of mystery, where the impossible is possible, and the improbable the reality. Join me as I investigate worlds filled with magic and meet the souls that wield this wondrous powers.

W A R N I N G !

This review does not represent the opinions of the general public. It reflects my personal thoughts and opinions on the book.

That said, on to the review!

Title: King of the Murgos
Author: David Eddings
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Format: Paperback
Copyright Date: 1988

The quest to recover Geran, Garion's son and heir to the throne of Riva, kicks into gear as the companions follow the trail of the kidnapper into Nyissa, where Queen Salmissra reigns supreme. There they learn something none of them expected and acquire a new addition to their party. Then it's off to the south into Cthol Murgos, where they must work their way past the stronghold of the Dagashi into the heart of the hostile nation. There, they run afoul of one of the Grolim Hierarchs even as they learn a surprising truth about the Murgo king. Then it's off again to battle strange ghouls and traverse uncompromising land and sea, all while battling the timeline set upon them by Prophecy and Necessity. Will Garion and his family ever know peace and contentment? Not as long as there's evil in the world!

King of the Murgos continues The Mallorean and takes it into its second volume. As I said, the quest for answers gets more fully underway. This time there's no mini-war to resolve or background information to provide. From the very beginning it is the search for Geran that drives the companions on. The Prophecy at this point provides only a secondary plot for the companions. Of course, they're determined to resolve once and for all the conflict between the Prophecy of Light and the Dark Prophecy, but their focus remains on recovering Geran. Rather admirable of them, I'd say.

One thing I found most intriguing is the set of parallels drawn between the Dagashi stronghold at kahsha and the Grolim fortress of Rak Cthol. A similar comparison had been drawn in the first series about Prolgu and Rak Cthol, both cities supposedly dedicated to a god (albeit different gods). Seeing this new comparison between the religious and secular power bases provided a sense of connection back to the original series even as it emphasized how very different the poles of power in Cthol Murgos is. I like it!

King of the Murgos does a good job of carrying on the tradition of the Belgariad and the work begun in Guardians of the West. In addition to adding new creatures to the panorama of Garion's world, and altering the power structure in one of the largest nations in the world, it does a great job of exposing to light the strengths of peoples' convictions and the acts of courage that anyone worth an ounce of your attention performs. Get the first books, then read this one and you'll see what I mean.

Rating: Thumbs up! Travel across one of the largest nations in the world and see how quickly you find a needle in a haystack!

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