The Diamond Throne (The Elenium #1) ★★★✬☆

 

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Title: The Diamond Throne
Series: The Elenium #1
Author: David Eddings
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 352
Words: 134K

Synopsis:

From Fandom.com & Me

Sparhawk, a Pandion Knight, has returned to his hometown Cimmura after ten years of exile in Rendor.

He finds his Queen and former pupil, Ehlana, has fallen ill, having been poisoned by Annias, the Primate (an ecclesiastical rank) of Cimmura. Queen Ehlana has been encased in diamond by magic performed by Sephrenia, the Styric tutor of magic to the Pandion Knights. The diamond will keep Queen Ehlana alive for up to 12 months while a cure is found.

To aid him on his quest, Sparhawk takes his childhood friend and fellow Pandion Knight Kalten, his squire Kurik, and Sephrenia. In a show of unity, the other three Church Knight Orders also send their champions to be his companions: Genidian Knight Ulath of Thalesia, Alcione Knight Tynian of Deira, and Cyrinic Knight Bevier of Arcium.

Sparhawk finds out that only Bhelliom, a magical jewel infused with the power of the Troll Gods, can cure Ehlana. With both rings at his command, Sparhawk can now begin to find Bhelliom, while his Pandion comrades drop one by one.

My Thoughts:

This was the first book by Eddings that I read back in the 90's. As such, it has long held a cherished nostalgia part of my heart. Even this time around I enjoyed it immensely but had to admit, Eddings' Belgariad is the better series.

Eddings deliberately wrote as tropey as possible. I think on the back of some of his books it claims that he is “experimenting with certain literary styles” or somesuch high faluting nonsense. What it means is that he is writing to see what people will accept. And they accept a lot, let me tell you!

Does that mean this was a bad book? Not a chance. You simply have to accept it for what it is, or if you can't, pass it over. I certainly wouldn't recommend this to anyone over 30 who hadn't read any Eddings before though. Check out a certain Elderly Guy who reads Eddings for the first time. It's not pretty, hahahaa.

After this Elenium trilogy I suspect that I'll be leaving Eddings in my past. While we can learn from the past, it's not good to live in the past and I think this book proved that to me.

★★★✬☆