While the story concludes in The Malloreon, minor events occur in the prequels Belgarath the Sorcerer and Polgara the Sorceress, which otherwise cover the history of the world.
The first half of the book concentrates on the first eight years of Belgarion's reign, describing minor problems including Queen Ce'Nedra's seeming infertility and a civil war in Arendia.
The inciting action of the story occurs when Garion and Errand are both summoned by the Orb of Aldur, and the Voice of Prophecy warns them "Beware Zandramas!".
The assassins are traced to the Bear-Cult, a legion of ethnocentric fanatics dedicated to reunification of the empire divided among the sons of Garion's ancestor King Cherek.
In this book, Belgarion and his fellow travelers learn more about the murderous woman Zandramas and of her minion, a white-eyed Angarak named Naradas.
Sadi convinces the group to pose as slavers searching for escaped runaways as the Mallorean army ravages Cthol Murgos.
When they enter the wastelands of Cthol Murgos, they are captured by the desert-dwelling Dagashi and given the task of secreting an assassin through the Mallorean army lines.
Nahaz faces the group of sorcerers and the Orb, ready to fight; but when Eriond comes to stand with Garion, the Demon Lord flees, carrying Urvon with him.
The party enters the Melcene Empire, where they discover that the Sardion, the moral opposite of the Orb of Aldur, was once kept in an undersea cave where traces of its power still resonate.
Upon reaching the University at Melcena, Belgarath finds an unmutilated copy of the Ashabine Oracles, which he has sought, and decides that the party must go to Kell to learn of the location of "The Place That Is No More".
Garion, in the same book, sees that in his sole moment of sanity, Torak specifically addressed Belgarion, demanding that if need be he should destroy the world, even kill his own son, rather than let Zandramas complete her plans.
Garion's party and Zandramas's servant Naradas attempt to find maps in Perivor, a kingdom of shipwrecked Mimbrates, that point the way to the Place Which Is No More.
Cyradis, still grieving over the loss of Toth and unable to consult her people, is terrified of making the wrong choice, until Polgara removes her blindfold.
The sorcerers honor the fallen Toth by populating his funeral slab with eternally growing flowers and sealing off the section of Mount Korim with glowing quartz as his tomb.
After leaving Eriond, Zakath, and Cyradis, the adventurers return home in Barak's ship, where it is revealed that both Ce'Nedra and Polgara are pregnant.