The Elenium
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The Elenium is a series of fantasy novels by David Eddings. The series consists of three volumes:
- The Diamond Throne
- The Ruby Knight
- The Sapphire Rose
The series is followed by The Tamuli.
The Elenium is Eddings' second fantasy series, and has proved popular; however, it has been criticised due to the similarity of the plot with previous series[citation needed].
Contents |
[edit] The Diamond Throne
| Author | David Eddings |
|---|---|
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Elenium |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy |
| Publisher | Del Rey Books |
| Released | 1990 |
| Media Type | Print ( ) |
| Pages | 448 (paperback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-345-36769-3 |
| Preceded by | none |
| Followed by | The Ruby Knight |
Sparhawk, a Pandion Knight, has returned to his homeland Cimmuria after ten years of exile in Rendor.
He finds his Queen and former pupil, Ehlana, has fallen ill, having been poisoned by Annias, the Primate (an ecclesiastical rank) of Cimmuria. Queen Ehlana has been encased in diamond by magic performed by Sephrenia, the Styric tutor of magic to the Pandion Knights. The diamond will keep Queen Ehlana alive for up to 12 months while a cure is found.
To aid him on his quest, Sparhawk takes his childhood friend and fellow Pandion Knight Kalten, his squire Kurik, and Sephrenia. In a show of unity, the other three Church Knight Orders also send their champions to be his companions: Genidian Knight Ulath of Thalasia, Alcione Knight Tynian of Deiria, and Cyrinic Knight Bevier of Arcium.
[edit] The Ruby Knight
| Author | David Eddings |
|---|---|
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Elenium |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy |
| Publisher | Del Rey Books |
| Released | 1991 |
| Media Type | Print ( ) |
| Pages | 384 (paperback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-345-37352-9 |
| Preceded by | The Diamond Throne |
| Followed by | The Sapphire Rose |
Sir Sparhawk and his companions seek the Bhelliom, a powerful magical artifact in the form of a sapphire carved in the shape of a rose, the only object with enough power to cure the rare poison administered to Queen Ehlana. The Bhelliom was last known to have been mounted on the Crown of the Thalasian King Sarak.
The characters travel to the house of Count Ghasek whose sister is ill, as her soul was stolen by Azash, an Elder God of Styricum, whose spirit was confined in a clay idol. Sephrenia and the others manage to cure Lady Belina, though she has been rendered hopelessly mad by destroying the idol which was controlling her power. The Count then tells them about the giant's mound where King Sarak was buried.
After finding King Sarak's grave they learn that the crown had not been buried with him. They encounter a serf who tells them about the great battle which killed the King and how the Earl of Heid retrieved the fallen King's crown and cast it into the dark murky waters of Lake Randera. The search for Bhelliom suffers a set back when Ghwerig, the deformed dwarf troll who originally carved the gem into the shape of a rose, retrieves the Bhelliom first after his own centuries-long search to reclaim his beloved gem.
Sparhawk and his companions follow Ghwerig to his secret cave hidden in the mountains of Thalasia. The book ends with Sparhawk and his squire Kurik killing Ghwerig by throwing him into a bottomless chasm, Bhelliom still clutched in his hand. The girl Flute dives into the chasm only to rise out again with the Bhelliom and depositing it into Sparhawk's hands, thereby revealing her true identity as Aphrael, Child-Goddess of Styricum.
[edit] The Sapphire Rose
| Author | David Eddings |
|---|---|
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Elenium |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy |
| Publisher | Del Rey Books |
| Released | 1992 |
| Media Type | Print ( ) |
| Pages | 512 (paperback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-345-37472-X |
| Preceded by | The Ruby Knight |
| Followed by | none |
Sparhawk now has possession of the Bhelliom, so he returns to Cimmura and uses it to cure Queen Ehlana. Unfortunately, when returning the symbolic ring of the monarchy to her, she mistakes his action for a marriage proposal. The engagement has been publicly announced before he has had time to clarify this - although it seems unlikely that Ehlana would have been willing to break the engagement anyway.
Meanwhile, the evil God Azash and his servant, Otha, have been massing their forces along the eastern border of Eosia in preparation for an invasion of the west. Sparhawk decides, after consultation with his superiors in the Church, to take Bhelliom and travel to Zemoch with several others, with the intention of destroying Azash.
They reach the city of Zemoch, and find the temple which contains the mud idol to which Azash is confined. By a slightly odd mixture of subtlety and brute force, they gain access to the inner room - but not without the loss of Kurik, Sparhawk's squire and friend. Sparhawk duels with Martel, another of Azash's accomplices, and kills him; he then goes on to destroy Azash himself, who takes Otha and Annias with him.
Sparhawk returns to his wife and Queen in Cimmura, and the series comes to a close.
[edit] Characters
[edit] See also
- The Tamuli
- Races in the Elenium
- List of Knight Orders in The Elenium and The Tamuli
- List of Countries in The Elenium and The Tamuli
[edit] External link
| Garion novels | The Belgariad • The Malloreon • Belgarath the Sorcerer (prequel) • Polgara the Sorceress (prequel) • The Rivan Codex (supplement) |
|---|---|
| Sparhawk novels | The Elenium • The Tamuli |
| Other fantasy novels | The Dreamers (series) • The Redemption of Althalus |
| Other works | Regina's Song • High Hunt • The Losers |
