My Aunt Anna told me that she won’t read this. She sort of skips over whatever I write about science fiction or fantasy. In one sense, I can understand. I mean, it’s a somewhat hermetic world, as genre writing tends to be. But, I still like to think I’ve got something worthwhile to say, even if the subject leaves something to desired (some would say).

Queen of Sorcery is very similar to its predecessor. A little longer, at just a touch over three hundred pages, but, overall, as economical as Pawn. Yes. Economical is the word. Most of the traits of the characters are described as being ethnic or cultural traits. Skip over most of the deeper psychology; he’s sneaky because he’s a Drasnian. Again, economy. There were several battles, but only described in semi-graphic detail, and that was done to create a bit of emotional catharsis for the young hero, Garion. Economy of writing.

There is a one mystery, though I think I’ve figured it out, but Eddings isn’t trying to leave something nagging at the back of the reader’s mind after he or she has put the book down, besides, obviously, a desire to make the reader want to read the next book. He is trying, though, to offer some solid craftsmanship.

Economy of prose. I’ll have to think about that. Something to be learned from the late (great?) David Eddings for a budding fantasy writer. An antidote to Robert Jordan and George R.R. Martin (there’s no antidote to J.R.R. Tolkien; he’s on another level, I think we can agree).

A bit of geekdom, especially for fans of Brandon Sanderson. Eddings has created a reasonably unique system of magic for his world. Sanderson, of course, is famous for finishing off Jordan’s Wheel of Time sequence, but also because he specializes in developing original and interesting systems of magic (one reason why he must have seemed like an obvious pick to finish off what the late Jordan wasn’t quite able to complete). Eddings, back when magic in novels was more like magic from Dungeons & Dragons, tried to do something a little more precise (though closely related to magic in the writings of Ursula K. LeGuin, who is not a genre writer, truly, but sui generis).