Point of View

The point of view of the novel is written from the first-person perspective, with the exception of the prologue and epilogue, which are recounted in the third person. Belgarath, the sorcerer, offers the primary narrative and he admits himself to being less than reliable at places. The point of view of the novel is important because the tale is Belgarath's, and he has been asked by his descendants to put it all to paper so that they can better understand how things got to be the way they are.

The story is recounted mostly through dialogue and character interaction. Descriptions tend to be short and very effective, grounding the reader in the scene firmly. Belgarath spends much of the novel flitting about from one minor character to another, making certain that various tasks are completed or family lines are begun. Throughout most of the book, time...