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Mythmakers and world builders of the first order, the Eddingses spin tales that make imaginations soar. Readers have thrilled to The Belgariad and The Malloreon, magic-filled masterworks chronicling the timeless conflict between good and evil. But with those sagas brought to their triumphant conclusions, fans were left hungry for more. Now at last the wait is over. With The Redemption of Althalus, the Eddingses have created their first-ever stand-alone epic fantasy... 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.
A notorious thief finds himself recruited by a goddess to save the universe from an ancient deity intent on total annihilation. Althalus, a man defined by his lack of honor and penchant for crime, is thrust into a cosmic conflict when he encounters Dweia, a divine entity disguised as a cat. Tasked with mastering the secrets of a powerful book, Althalus must navigate the manipulation of time and history while assembling a disparate group of allies to oppose a god who seeks to rewrite reality. The narrative follows his transformation from a self-serving rogue into a reluctant champion, utilizing a third-person perspective to track the shifting tides of a multi-millennial struggle.
This work is often characterized by its lighthearted tone and the signature banter typical of the authors' collaborative style. Readers frequently note the contrast between the protagonist's initial lack of morality and the grand scale of the cosmic stakes he eventually faces. The narrative structure relies heavily on the interplay between the central duo, whose relationship drives much of the plot's momentum. While the pacing is deliberate, the focus remains on the character development of Althalus as he navigates a world defined by divine machinations and temporal shifts.
Page Count:
704
Publication Date:
2000-07-03
Publisher:
Voyager
ISBN-10:
0007103522
ISBN-13:
9780007103522
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