Do I have to read The Elenium before the Tamuli?

[Waylander]

Basically what it says in the title really. Can I read the Tamuli without the Elenium, or do I have to read the Elenium first to know what is going on? Thanks for any tips and pointers.

[HarryT]

You really need to read them in the correct order, or else you'll be missing a lot.

[pwalker8]

Yep, both his two major series, the Belgariad/Mallorean and the Elenium/Tamuli, should be read in order.

[Dr. Drib]

From Wiki:

"Belgariad is Eddings' first fantasy series; The Malloreon is the sequel. The books follow the adventures of Belgarion, Polgara, Belgarath, and their companions."

The Belgariad series

1) Pawn of Prophecy (1982)
2) Queen of Sorcery (1982)
3) Magician's Gambit (1983)
4) Castle of Wizardry (1984)
5) Enchanters' End Game (1984)

The Malloreon series

1) Guardians of the West (1987)
2) King of the Murgos (1988)
3) Demon Lord of Karanda (1988)
4) Sorceress of Darshiva (1989)
5) The Seeress of Kell (1991)

Books related to The Belgariad and The Malloreon

1) Belgarath the Sorcerer (1995) with Leigh Eddings
2) Polgara the Sorceress (1997) with Leigh Eddings
3) The Rivan Codex (1998) with Leigh Eddings

[HarryT]

Elenium/Tamuli are separate series. Entirely separate from Belgariad/Mallorean.

[pwalker8]

Yes, what I meant is that you can consider The Belgariad and the Mallorean as one long series of 10 books and the Elenium/Tamuli as a long series of 6 books, rather than them being four separate series. For what it is worth, I thought that the Belgarion was the best of the lot, though I found all the books an enjoyable read. Didn't really care that much for his last series (The Dreamers) or the Redemption of Althalus.

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

Yes, what I meant is that you can consider The Belgariad and the Mallorean as one long series of 10 books and the Elenium/Tamuli as a long series of 6 books, rather than them being four separate series. For what it is worth, I thought that the Belgarion was the best of the lot, though I found all the books an enjoyable read. Didn't really care that much for his last series (The Dreamers) or the Redemption of Althalus.

I read the first 2 or 3 books in the Belgariad series when they first came out in 1982-84, but then got sidetracked.

I've been thinking about getting the entire series and reading them.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

I read the first 2 or 3 books in the Belgariad series when they first came out in 1982-84, but then got sidetracked.

I've been thinking about getting the entire series and reading them.

They are among my favourite books. I re-read them every few years.

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by HarryT

They are among my favourite books. I re-read them every few years.

Unfortunately, I don't have much of a memory of them, but the positive posts here have gotten me excited about acquiring them and reading them all.

[AlbertaCowboy]

Originally Posted by HarryT

They are among my favourite books. I re-read them every few years.

I do as well.
Actually, I think I'm about due for a reread of all four series soon.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by HarryT

They are among my favourite books. I re-read them every few years.

Same here. They are in a group of books that I call my comfort books, books that I re-read on a regular basis, especially when I'm in an antsy mood and unable to focus on a new book.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

Same here. They are in a group of books that I call my comfort books, books that I re-read on a regular basis, especially when I'm in an antsy mood and unable to focus on a new book.

I feel exactly the same way about them.

[PKFFW]

I loved them all when I first read them and re-read them all a couple of times when I was younger. Then I tried re-reading them when Eddings died. I guess my tastes had changed too much as I just didn't enjoy them this time. That was kind of sad.

As a separate question, does anyone else feel that the Mallorean was more or less a re-telling of the Belgariad and the Tamuli very much a re-telling of the Elenium?

[Dazrin]

Originally Posted by PKFFW

I loved them all when I first read them and re-read them all a couple of times when I was younger. Then I tried re-reading them when Eddings died. I guess my tastes had changed too much as I just didn't enjoy them this time. That was kind of sad.

I haven't tried to re-read them for a long time, but hopefully they hold up better than Sword of Shannara which was a favorite when I started reading fantasy in the late 80s.

Originally Posted by PKFFW

As a separate question, does anyone else feel that the Mallorean was more or less a re-telling of the Belgariad and the Tamuli very much a re-telling of the Elenium?

YES! I figure you only need to read the first series in either case. But you do need to read the first one since while the second one has the same general plot you miss out on a lot of the world backgrounds and backgrounds of some characters which is important.

[Dr. Drib]

I'm going to consume "The Ill Lemon," before tackling "The Tamale."





= OUCH!