So, I'm rereading the Belgariad (technically audiobooking, which is a little awkward because the speaker gives everyone vaguely European accents, and the Angaraks sound... Chinese, maybe? But a bit harsher. Like what I imagine Ghengis Khan sounded like).

I'm on Castle of Wizardry, and have just gotten to the part where the court of Riva is dealing with Garion, Belgareth and Silk sneaking off into the night.

Ce'nedra... Well, Ce'nedra is always a little annoying. She tantrums and sulks for a few days, until she's finally told off by one of the other queens. After that she more or less shapes up- she's still kind of annoying, sort of a combination of Egwene and Faile but a little dumber, but I can deal with it, and she gets a few good scenes coming up.

But Polgara? Ugh. I guess it's good to know that a 3,000 year old woman can still behave like a 3-year old. Destroys her rooms, terrorizes an entire nation, behaves like an irrational loon for weeks on end... she is just the worst.

She's annoying throughout most of the series, actually- constantly looking down on everyone, seemingly incapable of empathy or humor, and incredibly smug.

Bah. Poor Durnik. Dude deserves better, although he did get some sweet magic powers out of the marriage. Best dowry ever.


(That's not to say all the female characters are awful- Porenn is great, and I wished she had been used more)
____

While I'm ranting, I want to mention how irritating it is that the books constantly act as if mundane threats are a problem. Throughout much of the series, the characters are often chasing people, or being chased, or being afraid of guards, or other prosaic issues.

Belgareth can turn into a super-wolf. The entire series could have been averted if he had chased down Zedar by himself in the first month.

Other things, off the top of my head, involve various officials threatening to detain them or send them where they don't want to go. Border guards. Running away from Brill, a guy who they thought was a common footpad for three books!

In Polgara's aforementioned rant, she brings enough energy to bear to devaste the city of Riva (she directed towards the clouds and the ocean, but the implication is there).

Granted, Belgareth and Polgara never seem particularly concerned about any of these delays. Their attitude tends to be "Eh, let's see where these armed guards take us, maybe it will be interesting." Which is all well and good when you're a major supporting character in a fantasy series, but it's still maddening to know they could just say "Pop!" and flick all the guards' heads off like dandelions.


Heh, I'm suddenly remembering the Mallorean, where Garion is arguing with Zedar, trying to be reasonable, and he basically ends up snapping, "If you don't let us go, you can't stop me from leaving!" and ends up taking down a few walls.


(Another pet peeve is that Garion carries around the Orb of Aldur, an artifact so powerful that it would allow him to mend the crack in the world if he wanted it to, and he uses it maybe... twice? Bah.)