Book Review: The Diamond Throne
Originally posted on my old blog on November 18th, 2004:
Apparently, I'm on a diamond kick. While listening to The Diamond Age to and from work, I was also reading The Diamond Throne, by David Eddings. That is, I read it at home, not while I was driving. I do not condone reading and driving.
The Diamond Throne is the first of a series by Eddings, "a remarkable series," the cover of the book helpfully specifies. Unfortunately, judging by the first book I doubt its that remarkable, and I don't think I'll be reading it.
Eddings' strength here seems to be his characters. Sparhawk, a Church Knight in this fantasy kingdom, is very well described and has a very distinct personality, as does Sephrenia, his teacher of the "secret arts" (magic), and the rest of his friends and cohorts. Unfortunately, the plot goes in circles in this 435-page book, and almost nothing of consequence happens. Sparhawk's queen, whom he is sworn to protect and whom he kinda wants to kiss, is encased in a crystal cube (thus the diamond throne) to preserve her life while Sparhawk and his friends search for the cure to the mysterious disease with which she had been afflicted, while a handful of colorful badguys maneuver to take the throne - not literally, of course, since its encased in crystal. That is the situation at the beginning of the book, and it is the situation at the end of the book, no closer to resolution than it started.
