Polgara the Sorceress

Polgara the Sorceress

She soars above a world of warriors, kings, and priests. The daughter of Belgarath and the shape-shifter Poledra, she has fought wars, plotted palace coups, and worked her powerful magic for three thousand years. Now, Polgara looks back at her magnificent life, in this fitting crown jewel to the saga that is the Eddings' Belgariad and Mallorean cycles. Her hair streaked white by her father's first touch, her mind guided by a mother she will not see again for centuries, Polgara begins life in her Uncle Beldin's tower, and in the prehistorical, magical Tree that stands in the middle of the Vale. There, she first learns the reaches of her powers. There she assumes the bird shapes that will serve her on her adventures. And there she starts on the path toward her destiny as Duchess of Erat, shepherdess of the cause of good, adversary of Torak the One-Eyed Dragon God, and guardian of the world's last, best hope: the heir to the Rivan throne. Here is the legendary life story of a woman of wit, passion, and complex emotions, a woman born of two majestic parents who could not have been more unlike one another. Ordained to make peace and make war, to gain love and lose love, Polgara lives out her family's rich prophecy in the ceaseless struggle between the Light and the Dark. Polgara is the epic culmination of a magnificent saga, and a fitting farewell to a world which, once experienced, will never be forgotten. A sorceress reminisces on her proud life in this final volume in the authors' best-selling sf series, "The Belgariad" (e.g., Belgarath the Sorcerer, LJ Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. Already a runaway bestseller in the UK, this latest doorstopper fantasy from the husband-and-wife team expands upon the events encompassing two huge five-book sagas, The Belgariad and The Malloreon, plus a sequel-cum-companion volume, Belgarath the Sorcerer (1995). This enormous tome focuses on Belgarath's daughter Polgara, the 3,000-year-old shape-shifting sorceress, and her tumultuous world of magic, one-eyed evil gods, kings, swords, orbs, and whatnot. Neither sequel nor prequel, but--what? Postquel? Omniquel? (Radio satellite tour) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. From the very beginning of PAWN OF PROPHECY, I was in awe of the character Polgara. I think all Eddings' fans are: she's the ultimate woman. And I mean that in a down-to-earth, very practical sense: of course she's gorgeous and a mighty sorceress, but she's also the one who has to pack when they're going on some epic quest; she's the one who makes sure they eat sensibly: gruel and tea instead of roast ox and beer for breakfast. She knows how to handle men and small boys and hysterical redheads, and she makes sure to have clothes fit for a throne room and a sharp rejoinder ready for her father. Big Dave thinks that Belgarath is the central character of The Belgariad and The Malloreon. But Leigh and I and hosts of others know better: Polgara is at the heart of these wonderful books. --Veronica Chapman, Senior Editor ove a world of warriors, kings, and priests. The daughter of Belgarath and the shape-shifter Poledra, she has fought wars, plotted palace coups, and worked her powerful magic for three thousand years. Now, Polgara looks back at her magnificent life, in this fitting crown jewel to the saga that is the Eddings' Belgariad and Mallorean cycles. Her hair streaked white by her father's first touch, her mind guided by a mother she will not see again for centuries, Polgara begins life in her Uncle Beldin's tower, and in the prehistorical, magical Tree that stands in the middle of the Vale. There, she first learns the reaches of her powers. There she assumes the bird shapes that will serve her on her adventures. And there she starts on the path toward her destiny as Duchess of Erat, shepherdess of the cause of good, adversary of Torak the One-Eyed Dragon God, and guardian of the world's last, best hope: the heir to the Rivan throne. Here is the legendary life story of a woman of wit, David Eddings published his first novel, High Hunt, in 1973, before turning to the field of fantasy and The Belgariad, soon followed by The Malloreon. Born in Spokane, Washington, in 1931, and raised in the Puget Sound area north of Seattle, he received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Reed College in Portland, Oregon, in 1954 and a Master of Arts degree from the University of Washington in 1961. He has served in the United States Army, has worked as a buyer for the Boeing Company, has been a grocery clerk and college English teacher. Leigh Eddings has collaborated with her husband for more than a dozen years. The Eddings live in the Southwest. Excerpt: Chapter One This was not my idea. I want that clearly understood right at the outset. The notion that any one person can describe "what really happened" is an absurdity. If ten--or a hundred--people witness an event, there will be ten--or a hundred--different versions of wha