The Redemption of Althalus
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4.5 • 92 Ratings
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- $1.99
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- $1.99
Publisher Description
David and Leigh Eddings were mythmakers and world builders of the first order. With The Redemption of Althalus, the authors of the Belgariad and Malloreon sagas created a thrilling stand-alone epic—boldly written and brilliantly imagined.
It would be sheer folly to try to conceal the true nature of Althalus, for his flaws are the stuff of legend. He is, as all men know, a thief, a liar, an occasional murderer, an outrageous braggart, and a man devoid of even the slightest hint of honor.
Yet of all the men in the world, it is Althalus, unrepentant rogue and scoundrel, who will become the champion of humanity in its desperate struggle against the forces of an ancient god determined to return the universe to nothingness. On his way to steal The Book from the House at the End of the World, Althalus is confronted by a cat--a cat with eyes like emeralds, the voice of a woman, and the powers of a goddess.
She is Dweia, sister to The Gods and a greater thief even than Althalus. She must be: for in no time at all, she has stolen his heart. And more. She has stolen time itself. For when Althalus leaves the House at the End of the World, much wiser but not a day older than when he'd first entered it, thousands of years have gone by.
But Dweia is not the only one able to manipulate time. Her evil brother shares the power, and while Dweia has been teaching Althalus the secrets of The Book, the ancient God has been using the dark magic of his own Book to rewrite history. Yet all is not lost. But only if Althalus, still a thief at heart, can bring together a ragtag group of men, women, and children with no reason to trust him or each other.
Praise for The Redemption of Althalus
“Highly recommended . . . Featuring a cast of engaging characters, some fanciful plot twists, and a light-hearted atmosphere that should appeal strongly to fans and first-time readers alike.”—Library Journal
“The story takes off. The interactions between characters, straightforward plotting, and doses of wry humor keep the tale humming.”—Booklist
“An engaging young reprobate hero . . . [A] magical realm of good-natured fun.”—Publishers Weekly
“A compelling, involving story.”—Science Fiction Chronicle
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
As the first stand-alone one-volume epic fantasy by the popular Eddings team (whose series include The Belgariad; The Malloreon and The Elenium), this hefty saga about Good trouncing Evil plumps an engaging young reprobate hero into the arms of aDliterallyDdivine feline heroine. A professional thief and occasional murderer, Althalus accepts a commission to steal a supernatural tome known as the Book. When he arrives at the mysterious House at the End of the World, a lissome black cat with emerald eyes turns out to be the fertility goddess Dweia. Together they enlist a Mission Improbable team to out-sorcel the assorted villains marshaled by the sorcerer Ghend, who is bent on converting this medieval-like world from the worship of Dweia's good god-brother, Deiwos, to awful servitude under their wicked sibling Daeva. Plenty of derring-do spices up the first two-thirds of this jolly romp, and some zingy flashes of wit home in neatly on stuffy human institutions like overorganized religion and landed aristocracies. Unfortunately, the Eddingses can't resist a lengthy time-traveling reprise, which drags the story down into so-so conventionality. Though the Eddingses' multitudinous fans will likely feel right at home here in their safely magical realm of good-natured fun, this circle of would-be faerie has been trodden so often that here it yields very little deep-rooted literary greenery to munch on or to savor, still less to ruminate upon.
Customer Reviews
So far so go
I have two versions of this book. Both have different covers. I've read several other books from them.
(insert fan boyish comment here)
As somebody whose always enjoyed the enigmatic sneak-thieves with fingers too sticky for their own good... All I have to say, it's about time one was made more than a well-developed side-character.
Another classic Eddings' book... if you like the Belgaraid or the Ellenium, well... here you go.
(just for the record, I seem to recall there being some friction between Dwea and Althalas, regarding his general disregard for morals. In the story itself, she never struck me as so much a thief as somebody who didn't allowed him his proclivities.)
Pure Eddings
This stand-alone fantasy novel by the Eddings' brings back all the familiar elements that make David and Leigh Eddings some of the most successful authors of the fantasy genre.
The only disappointment about The Redemption of Althalus is when you finish the last page and realize the book is finished.
I strongly recommend this novel for any fans who enjoyed the Belgariad/Mallorean sagas or the Elenium/Tamuli trilogies.