The Shining Ones (Book Two of The Tamuli)

Rating:
Summary: Full of typical stereotypes a la Eddings
Review: When I read the first book of Eddings' Tamuli trilogy ('Domes of Fire') several years ago, I was disappointed because Eddings just tried to repeat his success of the previous Elenium trilogy by featuring the same cast of characters and mixing them up with an all too familiar threat from evil foes, who'd just be there to offer Prince Sparhawk's crew of Pandion Knights some sparring partner for their, admittedly amusing, undertakings.
Now, some years later, I picked up 'The Shining Ones', because I had felt it was time to give Eddings a new chance. Oh, boy, how wrong I was.
The Shining Ones is just another string of Pandion Knights antics who stroll across the land pretending to fight for right and justice. Justice? Heck, Eddings' heroic knights are in fact nothing but a bunch of self-righteous, arrogant and brutal bullies, who order the murder of hundreds of humans just because they happened to work for the wrong side (not knowing how ill advised they've been when they chose that side) and whose biggest concern appears to be making the most wittiest comments. Sorry, I rather live without such a band of 'heroes'.
But not enough, the plot itself is horrible. The so-called enemies are plainly brushed aside like leaves in the autumn wind by Eddings' oh-so-kewl Prince Sparhawk and his omnipotent jewel Bhellion. The major informations necessary to understand the evil side's schemes are revealed by a mind-reading witch, thus successfully killing all suspense for the reader. And the name-giving Shining Ones, who are carefully built up in the first half of the book as an unpredictable force to be reckoned with, just get assimilated into the ever growing bunch of flawless heroes assembled around Sparhawk, his perfect wife Queen Ehlana, and the plainly bothersome Child Goddess. Bleh.
So, how many times will Eddings write a tiring tale about a group of witty heroes set out to rescue the world from some evil forces who are doomed to get wiped away by the protagonists who never err nor fail? I hope not many more: The Police Academy movie series also stopped after the sixth sequel....