David and Leigh Eddings, The Younger Gods

The Younger Gods

David and Leigh Eddings

Warner, August 2006, $26.99

ISBN: 0446532282

For eons, the four elder sibling gods (Dahlaine, Zelana, Aracia, and Veltan) have ruled Dhrall, except every 25,000 years or so they take a breather and delegate their duties temporarily to the younger foursome of gods. The time for rest is upon them; however, there is no respite for the weary as the Vlagh, a deadly adversary, challenges the Elder Gods' reign.

The Vlagh's plan is simple. Coming from within she has arisen from the central wasteland of the realm; people are cattle to be eaten by the evil offspring insect army. As her horde expands and conquers, the Elder Gods need rest, yet they must fight at a time when one of them, Aracia, seems to have become a dangerous megalomaniac demanding worship, while a younger God, Lillabeth wants to replace her as a top gun. Aracia plans to break the first taboo of the Elder Gods of thou shall not kill a younger god.

The Dreamers series is a fun somewhat simplistic saga, with a subtle underlying theme involving parental-child relationships, as immortality means the heir remains the heir forever. The storyline is action-packed, with the Elder Gods facing a crisis at a bad time for them (not that any time is a good time to face a crisis). Fans of the Eddings will enjoy this tale that can stand alone, but the nuances will be better understood by reading the previous three fantasies.