Rating: 
Summary: Far from the best, but further from the worst!
Review: As I scan the current reviews of Polgara the Sorceress, I notice the same complaints cropping up again and again. It's repititious...we've seen it before...it isn't original. Well, I would like to see how Eddings' could have written this work and NOT have used the old storyline. The premise of this book was to discuss the previous events from a differing viewpoint. I believe that fans of the series will only enjoy learning the inner workings of Polgara's mind during the trials and crisises that crop up during her 3000+ years before the start of the Belgariad. This book makes an excellent companion piece to Belgareth the Sorceror, and a wonderful close to an epic and immensely enjoyable series. It is not, however, a stand alone read...but let's all be rational; it was NEVER intended to be one. The magic of the Belgariad and the Mallorean was special, and finding that type of suspense and mystery this far along is nigh impossible. So, I cannot give this book a higher rating. But, unlike many of the reviews, I found the Arendia plot, the time in the Vale, the love of Ontrose...all of these were excellently done, and elevate the worth of this read. In closing, Eddings' fans should definately add this to their collection. And if you are like me, silently grieve a little knowing that the series is definately over. A good run, Mr. Eddings.
Rating: 
Summary: Fitting cap, if only for fans
Review: If you haven't read the Belgariad (mostly) or the Malloreon, then don't even bother picking this up because you probably aren't going to know what the heck is going on. David Eddings seems to polarize people even more than say, Robert Jordan, there are people like me who have read the Belgariad a million times (and I generally don't read books more than once) and there are folks who spit in his general direction upon hearing the name Eddings. So I'm biased. Who isn't? Like the similiarily gigantic Belgarath, this is basically the three thousand year history of Eddings' world told from the point of view of the woman who wound up guarding the line of Rivan kings for about a thousand years or so. Polgara is an engaging narrator and even though she's going events that we know a lot about already, her perspective is both different from the omniscient narrator of the series and Belgarath's from the other book. The thing I most liked about the Eddings' books (at least initially) was they had a bit of a gentle, homespun quality. There may have been high sorcery and world shattering events going on around everyone but you got a sense of wonder and a feeling that these are regular people being thrust into something that's been going on forever that they have little conception of. Of course that's Eddings' best and worst trait as a writer. He's pretty much incapable of detailing complex emotions in any way shape or form and over the course of seven hundred pages it can get tedious, it's never less than entertaining but you may want to take short breaks from the book before going back to it. It's also very slow moving, because being immortal is mostly sitting around and waiting for stuff to happen. With Polgara being three thousand years old, it takes a while to get anywhere and there's a lot of repetition in events, heck, even the Rivan king names start repeating after a while. Also, for some reason, every fantasy writer except for Tolkein decides that he has to give his or her personal view of male/female relationships, Jordan is notorious for this and it never really bothered me in Eddings until now, perhaps because of said repetition. All the woman are manipulative, but tender and sensitive, the men are gruffy ineffectual, needing a woman to guide them and nobody is ever complete until they are married, and just about everyone falls apart completely when his or her spouse dies. Polgara winds up restating the same point several times, which isn't uncommon in a long, somewhat ramblinh narrative but still jarring nonetheless. Still, there is lots to recommend to fans, Polgara's accounts of how she became a duchess and basically created Sendaria are pure Eddings and the Vo Mimbre section of the book alone is worth the price of admission, if only because it's the only really epic action packed thing there (it was the last clash of Light and Dark before the Belgariad). Definitely a kind and gentle way to say goodbye to a series that has thrilled me more times than I can remember and it was great revisiting all those great characters and events one last time. If you've grown up on Eddings, you owe it to yourself to get this, if you're new, get the Belgariad first and see if you like that, then come back here. It'll be waiting. Or something.
Rating:
Summary: at times slow paced but great read for the fans
Review: I read this book at same time with Belgarath the Sorcerer, chapter by chapter, event by event, and it was a great deal of fun but the differences were also easier to perceive. while Belgarath the Sorcerer is at times very humorous, the strength of this book is delving to the realm of less known events and a more mysterious character. Belgarath always felt like a good old friend but Polgara, while homely had retained her mysteries which are unveiled here.For me the book is clearly separated in two parts. Most of it proves what we already know: Belgarath spent most of his time recovering from his life's great tragedy and was greatly involved in the grand story but had no strength nor desire to dedicate his time for problems smaller than the fate of the universe. Polgara is involved with the subplots and generally doing her best keeping the western world out of trouble until the final showdown. The second part starts when Polgara accepts her new role and leading a more normal life, which is when the book gets boring, but the climax is worth is and if Belgarath's story got the most laughs, Polgara laughs last and hardest. ;)
Rating:
Summary: Companion book to Belgarath the Sorcerer
Review: Read this after you read "Belgarath the Sorcerer," since this book picks up where BtS left off. Queen Ce'Nedra of Riva, having finished reading Belgarath's autobiography, decides to visit her distant in-laws in the Vale of Aldur. Once there, Ce'Nedra's true mission comes forth: she wants Polgara, the immortal sorceress, to "fill in the gaps" of Belgarath's autobiography and write her own story. Of course Polgara dismisses this idea as childish, until Polgara's mother, the divinely wise Poledra (undoubtedly THE most powerful and respected person ever) simply orders her to do it. Reluctantly but obediently Polgara pens her tale... Born and raised in the Vale of Aldur, Polgara and her twin sister Beldaran were raised by the other sorcerers, since the twins' parents were not there. Polgara was the dark one, quiet and brooding. Beldaran was the light one, sunny in appearance and disposition. Polgara went through a misfit teen stage and lived in a tree for years while bright and happy Beldaran lived in a quartz castle surrounded by love and affection. Soon though, Beldaran, who is mortal, was betrothed to a prince destined to become a powerful king. Polgara, accepting responsibility, cleans up her act and begins the long trip to immortal supremacy. Along the way she learns to harness her godlike magical powers, falls in love with an Arend and gains the title of "Duchess of Erat," is briefly "owned" by a wealthy Nadrak merchant, loses loved ones in wars, pines for her sister, oversees a long line of nephews, and of course, gets exasperated with her father, Belgarath. Polgara, who came across as cold, scheming, strict, and "waspish" in the Belgariad/Mallorean, here is quite different. She seems warmer, more compassionate, more approachable, more tolerant of people, a bit silly, and still quite serious about what she obviously considers to be the most important virtue, Sobriety. Not quite the same Polgara from the First Ten books. This one is more "girlish" in a giggly sort of way. Polgara the Woman of PtS seemed more realistic than the icily calculating Polgara the All-Powerful Sorceress of Belgariad/Mallorean. Two similar but different Polgaras, and I'm not sure which one I liked better. Belgarath is even more of a bumbling dunderhead here in PtS than he was even in "Belgarath the Sorcerer," yet Polgara's exasperation and unwavering love for him is still evident. Poledra, who was born a wolf, lacked any real warmth yet remained acceptable in her "wolfishness." A very poignant part of Polgara's story is her deep and genuine love for the charming Ontrose, a Wacite Arend nobleman. This was very moving, and a bittersweet memory that Polgara had cherished for countless centuries. A disappointing aspect of PtS was the briefness of Polgara's tale of her stay with a Nadrak. This was mentioned briefly in Belgariad/Mallorean, "the time when Polgara was owned by a Nadrak." Now, talk about intriguing! Polgara being led around on a leash and SOLD (although for a goodly amount of gold) to Belgarath? I wanted more; the Nadraks are one of the more interesting tribes of Eddings' world, and while being "owned" is nothing like slavery, it was an interesting position for Polgara to be in. I was looking forward to it and was quite disappointed that the entire ordeal was covered in only a few pages. The Eddingses should be commended for making the voice of Polgara different from the voice of Belgarath. I'm not saying that Polgara's book was "feminine" or that Belgarath's story was "masculine," just that the two books had two different (although sometimes similar) souls. While not as joyous in temperament as "Belgarath the Sorcerer," PtS was still an enjoyable read. Now if only the Eddingses would grace us with the tale of Beldin! Recommended for Eddings fans, and for fans of general Fantasy.
Rating:
Summary: An entertaining story, but a bit long-winded and cliched.
Review: After having read the Belgariad and Mallorean series twice each, Belgarath the Sorcerer and Polgara the Sorceress were necessary follow-ups that added depth to two excellent sagas. But while Belgarath's "biography" was a great source of missing information and at the same time very funny, Polgara's story fell a little short of the mark. It was a great idea to get a woman's perspective for the sagas, and certainly Polgara was a woman to be reckoned with, but she was portrayed in her own book as being arrogant and conceited at times, and this was very unsettling. Her early childhood story was predictable, since Belgarath had explained a great deal and the two previous chronicles had also dealt with that time quite a bit, and at times I wished that I were there so that I could smack her. Her petulance and childishness diminished her character in my eyes. The description of the bond she shared with her sister was interesting, but this did not offset her bad manners. Her arrogance during her time at court was cute for the first few pages but also grew old quickly. Her attraction to Ontros was a mystery to me, but admittedly I am a man and don't pretend to understodd the female mind. I really liked Killane, and thought he was one of the best characters in the book. Her role as peacemaker in Arendia was nicely done, and of course her role at the Battle of Vo Mimbre. The last section of the book was largely a rehash of Belgarath's explanation of the family line leading to Belgarion, and the smart-aleck comments of the characters, which were supposed to be droll humor, grew quite annoying. These conversations were cute through the Belgariad, became tiring through the Mallorean, and were overdone with the last two books. All in all, the book did offer a new perspective on this incredible epic, but the point was belabored far longer than these fascinating characters deserved.
Rating:
Summary: I am SO wowed
Review: This is one of the best books I have ever read. I was completely engrossed from start to finish- the whole 700 some pages. Polgara's autobiography filled in many of the gaps left by Belgarath's. This book has all of the classic elements of a book written by David Eddings- humor, realistic emotions, and the most believable characters you'll ever come across. I think the Eddings have outdone themselves writing this spectacular literary work and would recommend it to anyone who has already the Belgariad and the Mallorean. If you haven't read those, go read them!
Rating: 
Summary: I had hoped for better
Review: As a lover of David Eddings' writing, I was disappointed by this book. I wasn't going to buy this book because Mr. Eddings is now writing with his wife. Much is often lost when an author takes on a co-author, as is the case here. There are definite glimpses of David Eddings' writing, though, not consistent. I had the biggest problem with the dialog. At times, it was so sophmoric that I had to bypass it. The constant use of "Pol", short for Polgara, was more than annoying. In addition, the authors were regularly redundant. It seemed as if the authors could not trust their readers to remember what happened in the previous chapter. Initially, I gave this book two stars; however, I changed it to three stars. The story alone deserves three stars, maybe more. Once I got past my perceived annoyances, I was able to enjoy this book. I suppose I would recommend this book to David Eddings lovers with a slight warning.
Rating:
Summary: Polgara the Great
Review: Polgara the Sorceress was a great book which helped me fill in a lot of spaces which Belegarth the Sorcerer left out. I have to say that David and Leigh Eddings know how to keep their history straight.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: Great ending to a wonderful series that I will always remember.
Rating:
Summary: Best Book Ever
Review: I've read all 10 of the Belgariad type novels. All of them deserve 5 stars, but Polgara should get 6! Simply the best book ever, especially for those who love being among well loved characters. A must read!
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