I'm tempted to not refer to this novel as the beginning of another series. Most of our beloved characters are back, and Eddings' writing style hasn't really changed all that much. There are subtle differences, but they aren't enough to get worked up over. Guardians of the West starts out (I know, and very nearly ends up) so gloomy that at first I thought this series would be a deviation from Eddings' happy-go-lucky writing style that I so love. Thank goodness I was wrong. In this continuation of the story of Garion and his friends, we see new insights into the mind of sorcerers, and more importantly, we see new facets of characters who are developing. Thank you, Mr. Eddings. I am so glad that one of my friends recommended I read this series.
Addiction Rating: 5.0, Overall Rating: 4.0.