Back in the day, when I was a young kid trying to spend every waking moment in some world other than my own, I picked up the first book in David Eddings’ Belgariad series.
It’s no surprise that I bought it. Back then, I chose books based on how thick they were and how many books were in the series. I wanted to escape for as long as possible. I didn’t even look at author names. Nope! Just “How many hours of happiness will this book give me?”
With the Belgariad, I was not disappointed. I devoured the whole series, again and again.
Silk, darling Prince Kheldar, was one of my first True Loves. Oh, how I pined for him! Sometimes when I reread the books, I would skip to just the parts with him for a quick hit of longing and a few more weeks of daydreams.
C’Nedra was no prize, but Lady Polgara! How strong and regal, how formidable! For a long time, I all of my D&D characters had dark hair with a single white lock on the side.
But I loved the other characters, too. I loved everything about these books. David Eddings didn’t just give me a few pleasant hours, he saved me for weeks, for months, maybe even for years.
Thank you, Mr. Eddings. I don’t really care why you wrote the books, I’m just grateful you did.
Nice tribute!