Eddings followed up with two new series set in a different world. The Elenium tells the story of Knight Sparhawk and his quest to save queen Elhana who has been poisoned by finding a magic gem called Bhelliom. The Tamuli continues the story of Sparhawk as he ventures forth on another quest as the warrior of Bhelliom to conquer an ancient evil force.
Eddings readily admitted that he began writing The Belgariad for money. He was struggling as a grocery store manager, with one published modern novel, when he happened upon Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series, which was in its 78th printing. Realizing that there was money to be made in the fantasy genre, Eddings soon made the switch. The popularity of The Belgariad and The Mallorean seemed to take the publishing world by surprise. Yet Eddings did not consider himself a literary giant. He preferred to call himself a storyteller. All together, Eddings wrote over 25 books, many of which were co-authored with his wife, Leigh Eddings, who passed away in 2007.
Eddings died in his hometown of Carson City, Nevada. His works have enriched the fantasy world and he will be missed.
Article comments
1 - Jimmy
I was a huge fan of Eddings work when I was younger. When I got older and reread the works I didn't find that as enjoyable but they were still great fantasy with a lot of originality. Fantasy has certainly lost one of its greats. Few authors these days can garner the sales this man and his contemporaries did.