Belgariad & Malloreon: Worth Reading in 2026?
As of the time I’m writing this, it’s 2026, and a question to start with is whether the series is still worth reading in this day and age.
I’m going to keep this at a higher level and a little vague, since my intent isn’t a book report and I want to let someone read the series if they choose without tainting them one way or another with names, spoilers, or anything.
Some call The Belgariad a mini Wheel of Time. I’d argue—and will point out later—how Robert Jordan was influenced by it, or at least pulled a lot of ideas and themes from them. The issue with that is that even though these series are much shorter, they still have some more boring bits, and for better or worse they don’t have the details of Wheel of Time.
The story then ends up being something a little closer to Lord of the Rings in a way. It has details where they are needed, but doesn’t dive in like Robert Jordan and describe every single little thing, and so far there isn’t a traveling circus. It’s also not as powerful. There are some emotional payoffs, but in general it stays pretty consistent.
For instance, in Wheel of Time, Knife of Dreams Chapter 20—the Golden Crane. This ends with one of the more iconic and emotionally motivating scenes in the book. My audiobook has that chapter as about an hour long, and generally these books are around 30-35 hours. Listening to that chapter again, not only the ending, it’s amazing at what Jordan packs in. The Belgariad and The Malloreon are generally 10-12 hours per book, and the whole story is basically told within 1-2 Wheel of Time books’ length.
All that said, I think “should you read this” goes a few different ways. If you enjoyed Wheel of Time, made it through “the slog,” and want to read something that deals with similar ideas, then yes, you should read this. The other way is if you want something lighter and easier before going to Wheel of Time; The Belgariad is a great starting point, and due to its brevity it doesn’t bog down in the same ways (no traveling circus here). Either way, there are a ton of similarities and nods to each.
To any Wheel of Time reader, I strongly suggest at least reading the last battle chapters from here, since at least with Jordan’s notes (or what his estate gave to Brandon Sanderson to finish) it’s very similar and was interesting to read.