Written by David Eddings, these books are laden with many little things, common and supposedly on purpose, that corrospond with so many other fantasy books, where the societies are static, where no progression is made, no scientific advances, nothing post middle age tech is available... And these books say why that is... Because as the beginning of time, something happened, where the Purpose of Existance was split, which made it to where there could be no advances, things would remain static, entill the Purpose was re-united.
It's a very good read. There's a second saga after it, called the Mallorean. It's where it all comes together.
As you mentioned, he followed this saga with the Malloreon; Guardians of the West, King of the Murgos, Demon Lord of Kharanda, Sorceress of Darshiva, and Seeress of Kell. He had two more books that finally brought closure to the whole 10 voloume storyline; Belgarath the Sorcerer, and Polgara the Sorceress, taking place after the closing of Seeress, with one last book based in that world - the Rixan Codex, like a " who's who/what's what " appendix .I have all of the Belgariad and Malloreon,( as well as the ones about Belgarath and Pol, and the Rivan Codex), all hard cover bound, with dust jackets- each signed by the author himself! big thrill to get him and his wife to sign them,as he lives here in NV just a few short hours away from me( I live in Vegas) I have them all in PB, though, although they're all tatters pretty much, now