Alright.. sorry but I had to do that.
Ahead there be SPOILERS

The Belgariad is an odd series in that it is five books long but really should ultimately consist of two trilogies. The first trilogy would consist of books 1,2 and 3 and the second would consist of books 3,4 and 5. Now there are going to be some people that look at that statement and say "Yeah I get it" and others that say "That guy makes absolutely no sense" so let me explain.

First off let me say that I think that Magician's Gambit is the tightest and most focused book in the series. We (the readers) and the characters now both know what the goal is, they know WHERE the goal is and they are now actively headed to get the Ring..ahem I mean Orb so there is a feeling that finally everyone is on the page to some extent. Yes there are surprises along the way and yes there is a fair amount of just sitting around yaking it up but for the firt time the story is moving in a solid direction. (The first two books were very much like "Oh.. we're going here? Oh.. no? Let's go talk to these people? Ok.. Where are we going? Hey look I just blew a guy up.. was that supposed to happen?" and so on)

Now, if you read the first paragraph of my review you can see that 3 is an overlap point. This book has the properties of both the first AND last books of a trilogy.

It feels like it's the last book because by the end the companions are finally all with the company, the Orb has been gotten and one of our principal villains has blown himself into oblivion. There is the obligitory fantasy pyrotechnic moment where a city is blown off of a mountain. By this point we have met all of the main characters and kings (Brand being a major exception). We're familiar with most of the culture and we've even met a god or two. In some fantasy series this would be enough and we could go home (It is even in Eddings other series The Elennium).

It feels like the beginning of a trilogy.. actually for some of the same reasons. With the addition of Relg, Errand and the Marag girl Taiba this kind of feels like Act I where we introduce new characters. We also see Garion start stepping up to fill his newly acquired role as a sorcerer. If you know where this series goes then you know he'll be moving on to become a king and "Overlord of the West" and that path begins in earnest in this book.

Anyone who has read my reviews for the previous books has seen me rail against Eddings writing of female characters. While my feelings about Polgara haven't changed, C'Nedra has definately grown here and Taiba, while only being introduced briefly here is my favorite Eddings female up to this point. But more on that in the next review.

So the upshot is: If you didn't like this book.. you might as well give up on this series (Or at least not expect much better from it)

First, everyone is a critic, few get paid to do so.

Any work had rave reviews and negative reviews. Take a chance and read it for yourself to be the final judge.

Well, Unlike most reviews, I'm not going to 'book report' it and summize what happened. The story continues nicely, and a tension that started in the first book continues to build.

If you've read the first 2, then, you'll want to finish!

I would recommend it! A+

David Eddings does many things well in this book. As usual his characters are unique and very likable. There's much adventure, with many memorable scenes. My favorite part of the story is their run in with a weeping God who lost all his people. This was a very original scene that effectively tugs at the heartstrings. I loved it. I wish I could say this book is filled with such scenes.

Magician's Gambit shares the repetitive patterns of the first book in the series (Pawn of Prophecy). The group goes from place to place. They fight different creatures at each stop and always win rather easily. Along the way they share playful dialogue and Garion learns more about magic. And to me the climax of this book is just another stop, like all the others. Same thing happens, over and over.

Some say this is to build the characters, but now in the third book, I believe these characters are already well established. It's time to move on. There is more cliche' in this book as well as David Eddings does his best to explain what it's like for a young girl to have a crush. I winced while reading a few of these. It seemed a bit stereotypical.

This installment in the five-book series doesn't really bring anything too new to the table. It's easy enough to read, and folks who want a fun and fast-paced old-school fantasy will probably enjoy this. It's not a bad book, but I expected more after how much I enjoyed the previous book in the series.

I also would like to recommend Greg Keyes' The Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone series. (The Briar King) I believe this series offers a little more, but maintains the fun that David Eddings is so good at.

Magician's Gambit by David Eddings is the 3rd book in the Belgariad saga.

Being that this is the third installment of this saga, the reader should pretty much know what they are getting into with Eddings. Admittedly I was fairly critical of the first book, Pawn of Prophecy, but was pleasantly surprised by the 2nd book Queen of Sorcery. So, I went into this book with a little bit higher expectations than what I went into the 2nd book.

There are usually two sections that I touch on in my reviews, those regarding the plot and those regarding the character development as I think those are two of the most important parts of any story. So with that said, here we go.

The plot in this one seems to be rather linear, in that there is not a lot of deviation from the main plot line. I am not sure if Eddings doesn't like subplots, or he simply wanted to fully concentrate on the main characters in this book. At times the plot in this book seems a little too `easy' for lack of a better word. Fans of the genre will be able to see what is going to take place chapters before it happens. This is partly due to Eddings not adding many twists and turns within the story. This is not to say this is a `bad' story, it's just not up to the level I am used to reading as many fantasy books as I have read. The main plot line is actually pretty decent in that it does a good job at setting the stage for the next book while also advancing the characters. Yet, I got the feeling, several times while reading this, that the 2nd and 3rd books could have been combined into one book and saved some time. While there are big events in books 2 and 3 I think 1 book combined would have been just as effective. As I said before, this is not a bad story it just (at least so far anyway) doesn't encompass everything I am used to in fantasy novels.

The character development again takes center stage. The main character Garion continues to be more and more fleshed out. He continues the trend of slowly discovering himself with the help of Pol and Mr. Wolf. I will continue to say though that the character of Silk continues to steal scenes left and right, that's not necessarily a negative, just an observation. I will say though that the characters in this book are beginning to become more and more memorable. I am not to the point yet of `needing' to know what happens yet, but I am intrigued at the story and where it may lead.

All in all I think this is another decent book by Eddings and one I would most likely recommend to fans who are just starting to get into the fantasy genre. I would also recommend it to long standing fans of the genre with the caveat of what to expect and that these books should not be considered a deep all encompassing read or else they will be disappointed. It's not the greatest fantasy work out there, but certainly not the worst either.

Yes, Eddings' Belgariad continues with dessert for your mind. Eddings continues to lead us throughout his world at a delightful pace, giving time to each country passed through and their people. The last members of the band are also added, completing the prophetic gathering.

A personal delight; we get insights into Princess Ce'Nedra, as Eddings shifts perspective in his storytelling. The book opens from Ce'Nedra's point of view and we learn a good many things about the princess before the storyteller's view shifts back to Garion.

Edding's also tips his hand as to the driving force inside Garion, and the scope is staggering when one really stops to meditate on it.

"Magician's Gambit" ends with a very large bang, and a significant part of the quest accomplished. However, astute readers will already realize that this in no way invalidates the last two books in this series. In truth, the story is really ready to take off now...