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Redemption of Althalus

The Redemption of Althalus is a stand-alone fantasy novel by David and Leigh Eddings. It is notable because, unlike in the vast majority of fantasy novels, the world evolves over the ages, going from a bronze-age barter economy to a more traditional high fantasy setting over the course of the work.

It primarily concerns Althalus, a professional thief enlisted by the Goddess Dweia to save the world from the depredations of her evil brother Daeva and his henchman Ghend. As with other Eddings books, it is written in a style which combines dramatic storytelling with plenty of humour and light relief.

As the title suggests, the book's story revolves around Althalus, a professional thief with a gift for storytelling and a reputation for uncanny luck. One year his luck turns sour, and after a disasterous expedition to the southern 'civilised' lands, Althalus returns to the more savage lands of the north, where he grew up. Another unsuccessful venture at the fort of a clan-chief in Arum leads him to accept a commission from a man named Ghend.

Ghend hires Althalus to travel to the House at the End of the World to steal a Book. Although he suspects something is amiss, Althalus accepts the job and goes there, only to find that the House is occupied by a talking cat, later revealed to be the Goddess Dweia. The Book is the Book of Deiwos, the God who created the world, and the cat (named Emerald by Althalus, and frequently called 'Emmy') teaches Althalus to read it. After some two and a half thousand years, Emmy teaches Althalus that some words in the Book, which is written in the original language of the Gods, can be used to accomplish feats of what in another book might be called magic.

The intervening two millennia have seen many changes in the world, including the initial stages of an ice age triggered by the evil God Daeva. Emmy tells Althalus that Ghend is Daeva's agent, and is working to deliver the world into his master's hands. Emmy and Althalus set out to gather a party of people who are destined to save the world from Daeva's dominion. Each of the party has a special gift or talent, and they return to the House at the End of the World to learn how to use them. They are:

Eliar, a young Arum soldier who can use the doors in the House to travel through space and time at will
Bheid, a Black-Robe Priest of Deiwos
Andine, the Arya of Osthos, a city in Treborea
Leitha, a telepathic mind-leech saved from burning as a witch
Gher, a ten-year-old genius with a unique way of perceiving the world
Each of the party has an opposite in Ghend's group, who they must eliminate or neutralise:

Pekhal, a brutish warrior eliminated by Eliar
Gelta, the 'Queen of the Night', eliminated by Andine
Koman, another mind-leech, eliminated by Leitha
Argan, a defrocked Priest, eliminated by Bheid
Khnom, who uses the doors of Daeva's city Nahgharash as Eliar uses those of the House, eliminated by Gher
Some of these conflicts take place amidst open warfare, while others are more personal conflicts, or purely supernatural in nature. Ultimately, Ghend and Althalus face off in the House at the End of the World, with the destruction of the Book of Deiwos or the Book of Daeva - the ultimate forces of Good and Evil - as the prize.