The Runes of the Earth (Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant)

Did any 5 star reviewers actually attempt to read this masterpiece of boredom before reviewing it? It is horrible. Trash. I really enjoyed Donaldson's earlier work but I actually think he's running an experiment on his fans; "How cruddy of a book can I write and still have my fans give me two big thumbs up?" I couldn't even finish it and I really tried. Seriously. It was painful. The only thing that kept me awake while reading it was having to stop and look up all the bloated words he chose to throw at the audience.. Good job Mr. Big Words. I won't even make a donation of this book but promptly put it out of its misery by using it as a fire starter.

The guy can still paint such a vivid picture with words. It is like you are there.

His choices of words did not send me to the dictionary nearly as much as the first trilogies. That makes it much more readable.

The ending is a real breathtaker. I cannot wait until the second book comes out. I just saw on his official page, it's scheduled to come out in October!

I received the book promptly and in very good condition. I ordered the back series of all of his chronicles & haven't had time to read particular book, but all the used book's I've ordered,(quite a few) I'm not disappointed. Will continue to order books this way thru the store as my husband and I are retired, read a lot, & like most Americans who are feeling the "pinch", this is one more way to save money. Thanks the store & & the previous owner of this book.

I read the first two Covenant trilogies when I was a much younger man. They were a pleasant diversion in the fantasy genre, with at least a hint of originality at a time when the D&D crowd was buying up any drivel that bore a resemblance to Tolkien. However, they were good for maybe one re-read. When this volume came out, I must admit that I did not know what to expect as far as the actual plot. However, I did fully expect to have to subject myself to Donaldson's ponderous style (why do illiterate pastoral people who have been living a virtually neolithic lifestyle for millenia, speak like Oxford dons?). It was, as I expected, tedious. I won't read it again. However, the STORY was engaging enough to invoke my interest to the point that I will read the second in the series, assuming it is published. Therefore, I give it 3 stars. Anything lower than that and I would be forced to compare it to something written by Robert Jordan; and despite its pace and shortcomings, it simply isn't THAT BAD. So far, the plot is not overly predictable, nor have I been so consumed with my urge to slap Linden Avery that I have lost interest in the story line.

Why did I buy this novel in the first place, if I have such a low opinion of Donaldson's writing style? Is the field of fantasy literature such a barren wasteland that I will revisit "the land", when it is about as fresh as the plot in a Louis Lamour western, simply because I know what to expect? The answer is yes (and please, don't anyone suggest I read George R.R. Martin - I have, see my comments about Robert Jordan above). This is more of a chance to visit and reminisce with a slightly tedious old friend, than an inspiring literary experience. I used to watch "Barney Miller" around the same time I was reading the first Covenant trilogy. It wasn't art any more than McDonalds is good food. It was simply a pleasant diversion and the quality (if you want to call it that) was consistent. If they had a reunion show, I would watch it and expect to see the same old thing. I feel the same way about a third Covenant trilogy. Read it because you know what to expect and you a comfortable with that, but don't expect anything spectacular.

I do recall being frustrated in the first series about how many pages were dedicated to Covenant's self-examination, self-doubt and denial but I also remember some very engaging characters and subplots that provided relief. By page 388 almost NOTHING had happened in this book. Sure he has to set up the passage of time and Linden's life on earth, but for goodness sake this book reads like Robert Jordan: lets think about what to do, move a few miles, meet some new folks, think about what do, move a few miles, think about what to do, blah blah blah. Oh yeah, every 2 pages stop the plot (what little there is) and spend 5 pages on Linden's inner struggle. If I hadn't loved the first trilogy and liked the second I'd have put this book down.

Second issue I have is mentioned by an earlier comment. The entirety of recorded human history on the planet Earth, China included, is only about 6,000 years. So far the Covenant series has encompassed nearly a 7,000 year span and we are dealing with essentially the same culture, the same races and even the same cities and buildings. Sumer, Egypt, Rome, the Crusades, the various European Empires have risen and vanished in that same time period.

What was this audio book like?
Never bothered, if I had known it was abridged I would never have purchased it.
Would have been helpful if it has said something about it on the webpage.
Wasn't till it arrived I had any idea! the store has plenty of them and it says nothing.
So being in Australia and the hassle you have to go through its just not worth trying to return it.
So listeners everywhere hear me!
If your after the unabridged version don't buy this abridged one!
If I can save just a few people from making the same mistake,
my wasted $$$ aren't in vain...............

There is no doubt that the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant (first, second, and probably last) is one of the finest fantasy series out there. Keep that in mind when a Covenant fan, probably enchanted by the earlier books in the impressionable teenage years, writes a review expressing disappointment of some kind. The weakest book in the lot is still a must read.

I should first of all mention that I am currently only 3/4 of the way through this travesty called a Covenant novel, but unless the last 1/4 wows the living heck out of me, this review holds true.

Simply put, its a bad book. I know that's hard to believe from a guy who wrote the first two Covenant triligies (which were great), but there it is. The characters are flat and unbelievable, the plot is virtually nonexistant, and the descriptions of the Land make you want to bash your head against a desk. Just do something for God sake! The characters either sit around telling stories about the past, whine about their problems, or wander aimlessly up and down hills for no apparent reason (and at the pace the book progresses, it will take Donaldson at least 3 pages to describe that hill). I really hope Linden dies at the end, I dislike her so much.

I don't know about you guys, but what really captivated me in the first series was the antihero qualities of Covenant himself. He made the story. Without him, the Land is kinda lame. And Linden is the lamest. I'm usually a sucker for finishing a series even if it starts to suck (Wheel of Time, Sword of Truth), but even I am refusing to buy the next book in this series. Wish me luck as I drag myself through the remaining pages of this disaster.

Being a great fan of the first two Covenant trilogies, I must say that this first book in the "last" series I found rather ho-hum. Linden Avery is just not that interesting of a character in this book, and I could really care less about her son's abduction by Lord Foul...and we hear it over and over and over..."He has my son!" Anele the old man I found annoying and frustrating with his madness and cryptic mumblings. Stave is your typical dull, dispassionate Haruchi, and Liand the Stonedowner is well...sweet but pretty darn dull. Esmer reminds me too much of "Q" from "Star Trek: Next Generation" (who I always hated). I miss The Man himself; Thomas Covenant!! I miss characters with great emotional depth like the Giants. I miss the wisdom and love of the Old Lords (okay, the second trilogy had no Old Lords, but was still a great read).

I have a hard time believing in Linden's abilities; entering a Fall and believing that she can change the flow of time, knowing that if she makes a mistake (having never done this before) that the entire Universe could be destroyed by breaking the Arch of Time...it's just too "much" for one person who is just learning about this arcane phenomenon.

One of the most frustrating aspects of this book is how long it takes for Linden to get translated to the Land...way too long for me...which made this first part really really dull. I only became interested around one-third of the way in. Also, there is no (feeling of) completion or resolution at the end...it's one of those cliff-hanger episodes that left me saying, "Well that sucks". In contrast, with (the ending of) each of the books in the first two trilogies I was left with a very satisfying feeling of resolution and grounding.

And finally, it seemed to me that Donaldson's writing style has changed since the first two trilogies. I can't put my finger on it, but somehow it feels less polished, less insightful, more of a "first-timer's" novel.

I thank all of the honest readers who provided reviews on this book. I struggled to get through the first few chapters. I had hoped that once Avery got to the land things would pickup and get better. Nope, it just seemed to get worse. I turned to the store and found that all of critiques were mirrored here. I have *rarely* stopped reading a book, but I think I should here. Sad since it now makes me questions my earlier judgement.
Here is my complaint (mirrored by others)
- The prose is just awful- too wordy. Filled with poor metaphors. And some really obscure word choices that even after I looked them up with my Kindle I felt were just wrong- in fact at least 2x a word was used incorrectly!
- The pace is way to slow. I found myself skipping paragraphs (partly to avoid the poor metaphors and partly in hopes that something would happen.
- The plot lines are contrived- they just don't seem real. The decisions seem constantly wrong and unnatural- even for troubled or mentally ill people- the explanations are poor and don't match reality.
- None of the characters interest me. I agree with some others that Avery is irritating, but I didn't feel that way in the Second Chronicles- I LOVED the second chronicles.

I'm not against building a plot. And I don't think every book needs to be perfect- I just finished the whole 15 novel Wheel of Time Series. It has a couple slow books, way too many characters, a lot of "big" words you need to look up (thank you kindle dictionary) but nothing remotely close to this. I never even considered stopping reading those books, but is there anyone that can give me a compelling reason to pick this series up again?

I struggled with the one star rating for this book, because I have a soft spot for the Thomas Covenant series - unfortunately this book didn't live up to either expectations or to the standards of good epic fantasy.

Firstly there is a paucity of events - the beginning sequence in the 'real world' is suitably violent and horrible but at least compelling. Once we're in The Land however, time slows to a stand-still and vast majority of the remaining book is Linden arguing with the various current inhabitants of the mystical place.

The usual strengths of Donaldson's series are missing 1. the historical twists and turns of the intervening time in The Land (Ok there are a few, but they suck) and 2. Covenant himself - I never attached to Linden and to read an entire book from her perspective without the anti-hero himself was agony.

Here is hoping the next one improves.

I am a longtime fan of the Thomas Covenant books, having read the original series (books 1-6) many times over the years. I love them very much and appreciate the creativity, originality of characters, and the uniqueness of Covenant himself. I have waited very impatiently for the new series and waited until all four books were released. I have now just finished reading them. I was not overly impressed.

The character archetypes are brought back over and over with almost no change, despite thousands of years passing. However, the new characters seem like cardboard copies of earlier ones and in some spots it seems like the writer himself forgets some of their names and instead reverts back to memories of previous characters. You could easily swicth out some of these 'new' characters easily with the ones in previous books with no one noticing.

It seems like everyone in this series now has super magic powers. To deal with this, the bad guys are made even more powerful and even white gold (which can end the world) can't hurt some of them. It seems very out of touch with the 'everyman' type of heroes in earlier volumes.

The writing itself seems like it was done on auto-pilot, with most of the key events being written in the same manner using a lot of the same words even. It all seems very formulaic, almost as if he wanted to breeze along to the ending and didn't bother to go back and re-write anything. It has the sense of being almost a stream-of-consciousness style with all of the events taking the same route. Even the point-of-view seems to have shifted, with the story no longer from Covenant's point of view... and with very little "unbelief" anymore.

That said, by the time you grind through the four volumes, you may enjoy the ending if you persevere. I think the story could have been told in about half the amount of words used and I found myself trying t push through the volumes. They plod along slowly and some of the main characters get very boring after a bit. I was not a fan of Linden or Jeremiah throughout this set... the same whining and concerns over and over get old quickly.

If you are not familiar with the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, read the first 6 and do NOT start here. I recommend this set (7-10) only for the most hard core rabid fans that refuse to avoid them. HAving read them, I think I would have been happier staying with the ending of book 6. I'll probably re-read 1-6, and probably will not ever re-read these four (7-10).

As a fan of the first two Covenant trilogies, the notion of a third Thomas Covenant series initially worried me a bit. I mean, didn’t the Second Chronicles end on a note of finality? What would be the point of revisiting this story? Also, as evidenced by the reviews, many (though not all) Donaldson fans who have already read the Last Chronicles consider it a lesser work. Maybe I should take a pass on this? However, multiple factors encouraged me to forge ahead. For one, Donaldson’s second Covenant series amazed me by being a fresh and vital addition to what was already in 1977 a finished, artistic whole. Perhaps he might be able to come up with “something new” again? This line of thinking seemed especially persuasive because Donaldson’s post-Covenant works, such as Mordant’s Need and The Gap series, are great reads in their own right. I’ve yet to encounter a Donaldson series I have not admired and enjoyed. In addition, I figured that even if the Last Chronicles does turn out to be a lesser work, it would still likely contain plenty of good material to enrich my Covenant “experience.” Finally, I was simply curious to see how it all turns out. So I decided to take the plunge.

ROTE is not my favorite Covenant book, but I don’t consider it a disappointment. This is a nuanced, emotionally and psychologically rich story, and Donaldson once again demonstrates a willingness to take creative risks. Donaldson also starts and finishes the book on a high note. Admittedly, much of the rest of the book is somewhat frustrating and bewildering (though this is deliberately intended); this, combined with the fact that ROTE is a story fragment that doesn’t really serve as a stand-alone tale, makes a wide variety of reactions to this book understandable. ROTE is difficult to evaluate. Personally, I think ROTE is a promising (if relatively slow and subdued) opening to the series. Because Donaldson’s mastery shines through at various points in the tale, I am hopeful that in this series, as in other Donaldson series, the whole will be greater than the sum of its parts.

ROTE starts off very strong with a great 5-chapter prologue. Dr. Linden Avery is shown to be exemplifying the affirming lessons she learned during her first trip to the Land. She finds meaning and fulfillment by loving and caring for her adopted, traumatized son Jeremiah, working at Berenford Memorial Hospital, and living and participating in her little town’s community. Her world is ripped apart by Thomas Covenant’s son Roger, who at the behest of Lord Foul kidnaps both Jeremiah and Joan, his own hospitalized mother. Linden, like Roger, Jeremiah and Joan, is translated to The Land. However, she arrives alone. Foul has possession of both her son and Thomas Covenant’s wife, and Roger is unaccounted for. Linden must find a way to fight Foul if she is to rescue her son. Based on this prologue, I would assume that parent-child relations will be a major theme in the Last Chronicles, much like male/female love and interaction was a major theme in the Second Chronicles.

Once the action moves to The Land, the story involves an escape from Mithil Stonedown, a flight to the Ramen Verge of Wandering, a quest for the lost Staff of Law that involves time-travel (!), and a return flight to Revelstone, where something of importance is revealed.

Dr. Avery is quite mystified and frustrated trying to figure out what has happened in The Land since her previous visit over 3,000 years earlier. Avery meets an insightful but mad old man named Anele on Kevin’s Watch. He is a potentially valuable guide who, as it turns out, just might be able to track down the Staff of Law, but gleaning understandable information from him is not easy. She soon runs across several Haruchai, but they have become Masters of the Land, who do not countenance the use of Earthpower and who strive to keep the denizens of The Land ignorant of their true history. The Masters capture Anele, who is strong in Earthpower. The Haruchai do not appear to Avery to be trustworthy allies she can easily turn to. Liand, a Stonedownor youth willing to help Avery and Anele escape from the Masters at Mithil Stonedown, cannot offer Avery much knowledge. He has been deprived of his true heritage both by the Masters and by the mysterious Kevin’s Dirt, which erodes the health sense the Land naturally engenders. As they sojourn, Avery realizes that Anele is possessed by various beings at various times. These include Foul, Thomas Covenant, and others as well. Trying to make sense of the cryptic utterances and hidden agendas of the possessors is difficult. And Foul claims to have even deeper plans than his well-worn notion of destroying the arch of time, though what this could possibly be is not clear.

Once Linden, Anele, Liand, and Stave-the Haruchai tracking the trio-end up at the Ramen Verge of Wandering, more puzzles appear. Ur-viles, ancient servants of Lord Foul, are now working in concert with their old enemies, the Ramen. Crucial to coordinating communication between the two sides is Esmer, perhaps the biggest mystery and enigma in the whole book. Esmer, a figure with demi-god-like powers, is divided against himself, and hence both helps and hinders Avery. Esmer helped Linden and her companions make it safely to the verge of Wandering, and helps Linden and her companions-now including 3 Ramen, and Ranyhyn mounts for the entire party-travel back in time to search for the Staff of Law. (The time travel itself is made possible because of Joan Covenant.) Ur-viles accompany the quest as well.

As Avery’s knowledge of what is occurring in The Land is insufficient, her path forward is ambiguous as well. Avery needs the Staff of Law if she is to fight Foul in order to rescue her son. However, going back in time risks altering the Land’s history, thus setting Foul free by destroying the arch of time. And though Avery is not comfortable with the notion that good can be accomplished by evil means, she finds herself at times treating others in a heavy-handed manner given the exigencies of her situation.

Avery’s group returns from their quest to the Land’s present time accompanied by some allies from the past and pursued by deadly enemies whose appearance is the result of Esmer’s treachery. At the refuge of Revelstone, which is ruled by the Masters, Avery’s Haruchai companion Stave surprises everyone with a “declaration” he has been waiting to unveil since he and Avery partook in the horserite of the Ranyhyn prior to the quest for the Staff. Stave’s declaration, which occurs in a chapter entitled “The Masters Of The Land,” is the highlight of the book, ending ROTE in fine fashion and providing strong counter-evidence to those who think Donaldson has lost his touch. And Donaldson offers yet another surprise in the concluding lines of the book.

A common complaint concerning this book involves the extent to which Donaldson insists on keeping Linden Avery (and the reader) in the dark as to what is really going on. Donaldson here is keeping his cards very close to his chest and is very stingy with the information he dishes out. Yes, this can make for some frustrating reading and slow pacing. However, Donaldson surely intends for us to experience Avery’s frustration, and he apparently has his reasons for unfolding the story slowly. This is all part of his creative risk-taking. Still, I can understand why some people might conclude that the book delivers too little pay-off for the work required. I personally was happy to return to the Land, want to see what’s next, and agree with the sentiments Lord Mhoram uttered in a different context: “Do not pass judgment upon this mystery until it is complete.” And, I will add, there really is a lot to savor in this volume. I find it improves with multiple reads.

A related complaint is that ROTE does not deliver the same level of excitement, the same “wow factor,” that fans of the first Covenant trilogy experienced when they opened The Wounded Land. To me, this seems like comparing apples and oranges. Donaldson was trying to astonish his readers in The Wounded Land. In ROTE he attempts to mystify them. Should Donaldson be blamed right out of the gate for adopting a different approach to his opening volume of the Last Chronicles? If readers really want a creative new effort from Donaldson, he seems to be providing it here. What he is not providing is an encore. Successive creative efforts need not be similar. In fact, it would be odd if they were.

*Ruinous Spoilers Right Below*

I'm not qualified to say this, but I really think the original Thomas Covenant trilogy holds up as one worth reading, comparable to Lord of the Rings. When this disappointing effort finally ends, with Thomas Covenant mysteriously/miraculously riding up to Revelstone Keep at the end, it seems like the end of a bad, 500 page commercial for the next book in the series.

Donaldson has said he didn't really want to do a second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant and I think it shows. By the time we get to this book, it seems like he'd rather be doing some knitting. Each book in the series (although the first series held up), and each series, has gotten worse. Almost as if, perhaps, when he wrote the first book, editors demanded rewrite after rewrite, something I doubt they could do now. Each series has become more fantastical, too, and it hasn't worked for me. With the first Chronicles, it seemed as tho these events could really be happening, an alternate world, this world coincides with our world or something. The connection being, maybe, that Foul is some kind of devil trapped by the forces of good (Ok, God) and kept locked up there. I think it was something I noticed, after I finished the second serious, pehaps an 'aftertaste', hehe, trying to make sense of it. I think I thought, after reading the second series ~ this isn't some kind of possible past history, and it doesn't make sense in any kind of real way - it couldn't really be true. With this book I was looking for that as I went along, or I noticed it pretty quickly. Perhaps the mistake is in taking Covenant too seriously.

Perhaps this book is less fantastical than the 2nd series, but dour-faced me is still not happy. The horses or 'Rhyanyn' blinking in time was not too outlandish to me, not at all (but it wasn't as if the books had been leading up to this revelation all the time). By the end, tho, the overview (that you really mostly just think back on) is the 'worm at the worlds end', a ridiculous overview?

The hero in the first book is unquestionably The Land. I personally recommend it. The frustration of the Unbeliever, spending so much time disbelieving, being unable or unwilling to 'use his power'; the frustration on the part of the reader with our hero being unable to do anything is only part of the charm. I've heard it said, I think, that all real drama, or the best drama, consists of man in conversation with himself. There's a Lot of that in the Covenant series. Both Thomas Covenant and Linda Avery are out of place in the Land and don't quite fit in so the 'drama' here is more effective perhaps.

It can be charming, and we put up with their ability to not be able to do anything, but by this book some of that charm grows old. When Linda Avery needs to use her power, when falling from a rock slide, the wildmagic just somehow works for her. Later on she's completely clueless as to how to get it to work. I should admit I may never have fully took to the character of Linda Avery despite the gimmick (or the archetype of the character) - this book lacks a gimmick the first two series had, by the way, unless you count the exploitative theme of her child being abducted. A Man Rides Through It and The Mirror of Her Dreams had a gimmick (a wonderful one too) and those stories worked for me. Perhaps my not completely taking to Linda Avery is even some kind of sexism on my part. I think I particularly liked some parts of her portrayal in the 2nd Chronicals, but can't even remember for sure. I did appreciate the character Morn Hyland in The Gap Series.

When the deranged man in Runes of the Earth has feinting spells and is taken over by other personalities, at one point I just knew one of them would be Thomas Covenant, somehow. The book picked up. On more than one occasion, Donaldson uses 'foreshadowing' to kind of reveal what is about to happen before it happens. All throughout Runes of the Earth he does this (at least in two or three places). I even read back to see how he did it but couldn't tell. Donaldson has become a master storyteller, no doubt. This story was geared toward those who've read his other two series. As if 'they' or 'he' knew few others would buy it. Even so, it STILL didn't work for me. The flashbacks or references to those other works only served to remind me how much better the first series was. It even seemed kind of cheap. Maybe my tastes have changed but I can only imagine what it would seem like (probably not good) to those who haven't read his other works. He should have just rewrote the original series improving it. Who knows, maybe it's a story that could last? It's interesting that Runes of the Earth may just be an attempt to appeal to readers, just as it may be designed to sell the second book.

I liked the 'Bloodguard' taking on a different role, but the story itself was very, very, 'lazy' or something. Parts of it didn't make sense and weren't explained. Including the fact that the always scouting and traveling hundreds of leagues new masters of the land, the Bloodguard, are completely oblivious to packs of 'Urviles' and Yellow Wolves living what translates to only 20 miles from the town of Milth Stonedown?

The only upside to Runes of the Earth is, since his other works tended to get weaker and weaker as they progressed (and this one is definitely proof of that!) there's the possibility that each book in this series will dramatically improve. I certainly hope so. Not sure I'm even going to give the follow ups a chance after reading this one.

Having read and enjoyed many books by Mr. Donaldson, I purchased all four books in this series and started reading. I finished the first book with dismay. Is this the man who wrote the previous Chronicles? I don't remember so much gratuitous profanity in the two earlier trilogies. Worse, the story seemed to plod laboriously. The plot stops repeatedly as Mr. Donaldson's characters explain what happened in the past to each other. This is a long book, but it could have been much shorter. Indeed, it should have been much shorter. I feel as if I have been swindled to purchase a quadrilogy when one book might have sufficed for the story. Well, on to the next book, but let the buyer beware.

I have been a huge fan of the original "Chronicles" and was able to enjoy the "Second Chronicles," but this goes even beyond my ability to endure the ceaseless whining of the characters. Face it...the only word that Mr. Donaldson does not use in any of his books is "depressed." Thomas Covenant is suffering from depression, not "despite" or "inadequacy." Frankly, this makes the whole story a bit of a bummer, as who is really that interested in a character who is (literally) terminally depressed? The first series was able to keep things under control. The second series relied way too heavily on the whole depression/ethics/self-reliance thing. This final series is just way too heavy on introspection and too light on action and imagination. The major strength of the first two series was that Donaldson created a world (again, literally) that fascinates the reader. Once he descends into the quasi-philosophical self-examinations that pad too many sequences, it becomes pretty boring. (I will add a personal note, perhaps in the hope that I won't be flamed for these observations. My wife was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor about ten years ago and I spent 2-1/2 years caring for her at home, knowing full well that she would die. I have little patience for whining and self-pity.)

Rating System:
1 star = abysmal; some books deserve to be forgotten
2 star = poor; a total waste of time
3 star = good; worth the effort
4 star = very good; what writing should be
5 star = fantastic; must own it and share it with others

STORY: Linden Avery, is thrust back into The Land in an effort to rescue her son and help once again save the Land from destruction

MY FEEDBACK:

1. I liked how the book has a nice summary of the previous six books. Though his stories are deep and involved to the point where a summary cannot do them justice, it was still nice to get some reminders of "what has come before" (as the chapter is so titled)

2. Linden as the main protagonist is believable and as expected with Donaldson's characters, not always likable though we feel for her at the same time.

3. The rest of the cast is complex and interesting as usual. What shines is how he depicts how the Land has changed and how the races who live there have changed over the hundreds of years that have passed since Linden was last in the Land.

4. What I felt dragged the story terribly is that every second we have to jump into Linden's thoughts instead of move the story along. Especially in the first 100 pages I just kept SCREAMING, because after the umpteenth time of jumping into her thoughts, I already get it that she is deeply and emotionally involved with Thomas Covenant and those feelings drive the rest of her. The constant STOPPAGE to the story to PAUSE for Linden's thoughts did not end even to last several pages. Darn!

5. For me the story didn't take off till page 325. We finally get the bigger picture of what tasks/quests lie ahead for her and her companions and they start to do something about it. Thus, you need to stick with the book past this to let the story finally move along at a more regular pace.

OVERALL: Donaldson is a gifted writer and his imagery is fantastic. If he would have pulled back and not spent so much of the book sharing every single thought of Linden's I would have rated it higher. Nice intro to what is to come as far at the series plot, but I just hope he picks up the pace in the upcoming books.

First, let me say: Bravo! Well done, Mr. Donaldson!

Next, I want to direct my comments to those readers who have never read any of the Covenant books, but are contemplating reading this book. Your main concern, undoubtedly, is, "How can I possibly enter a complex series at book seven? Won't I be so incredibly lost that it won't make any sense for me to buy this book and see what all the fuss is about Covenant?" Both questions are easily answered. Donaldson has taken extraordinary care to construct the beginning of this book in such a way that if you are entering the Covenant series at this late point, by the time you get to page 200, all that went before will be explained, and you'll (almost) feel as if you have read the first six books. He does this primarily in two ways. First, he has written a "What Has Gone Before" prelude, which succinctly wraps up the essential plots and dilemmas of the first six books into about eight pages. It is *superbly* done. Second, from almost the very beginning of the book itself, he meticulously and purposefully takes the reader back to prior events in the last two trilogies, while at the same time moving the story forward with the tremendous urgency of his past works. While someone like myself (who is probably more familiar with these books than I should be), can see what's happening as plainly as I can see that Shaquille O'Neal is a very large man, people less familiar with the work will not feel burdened or bludgeoned by what is, essentially, catching readers up. For reader like me, this will likely feel somewhat tedious as we know all of the legends of the Land. But for readers who are unfamiliar with the legends, you will find them to be like a drink from the source of a mountain spring. The stories and legends of the Land are as tantalizing, exciting, and wondrous as the story itself.

So - new readers to Covenant, feel safe. Whereas you couldn't jump into Book 7 of Jordan's Wheel of Time series, you can jump into the seventh book of this series. You will not be disappointed.

And now to the book. There is a wonderfully written 77-page "Prologue", which details the events that take place in the "real world", the events which lead to Linden and, perhaps others, to be conveyed to The Land. I read this in astonishment. I've read everything that Donaldson has ever written, and this was his best piece of writing. It was like reading Henry James. His descriptions were immaculately clear, the kind of descriptions that distinguish good writing from bad; the kind of descriptive writing that allows the reader to touch, feel, hear, see, and smell; the kind of writing that separates truly great writing from mediocre writing (which, sadly, accounts for about 90% of what's being published today, regardless of genre).

When we arrive in The Land, the threat is less clear than it was in the previous Chronicles. In the first, Lord Foul laid it out to Covenant in no uncertain terms - he was going to destroy The Land, destroy The Lords, and he stopped just short at telling him how he was going to do it, so great was his confidence. Foul's approach was distinctly Hitlerian, his tactics a blitzkrieg in every way. In the second, his attack was more insidious and subtle, but still devastating. Here he attacked nature, Earthpower; the Sunbane was a blight that all could see and feel, and the millions of readers who had fallen in love with the stunning beauty and tangible health of The Land in the First Chronicles couldn't help but to weep at the devastation. In the Last Chronicles, the threat is palpable, it is significant, and it is devastating (not to mention terribly creative). The difference is, the threat isn't only Foul. As we delve deeper into the book, and learn some of the secrets therein, we come to realize that The Land has more than one enemy, with perhaps a different agenda than Foul, and only one true defender with any estimable might: Linden Avery, The Chosen.

It is a testament to Donaldson's mastery of The Land that an entire book can be written in a series titled, "The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant", and not have Thomas Covenant in the book for more than ten seconds, and still have that book turn out to be a revelation. In other reviews of sequels, I have been critical, stating that they don't make sense - they don't follow logically from the prior book, or series. (For example, anything by Goodkind; The Mallorean by Eddings; Shannara.) I can't be similarly critical of Donaldson. His sequels follow a perfect logic flow. The Sunbane was *absolutely* what Foul would have done after spending three and half millennia licking his wounds, and while we don't know Foul's full intentions yet, the events that occur within The Runes of the Earth are exactly what they should be, considering the events of the First and Second Chronicles. Donaldson is not writing this to make money, although he is certain to make truckloads of it. He's writing this because he had a vision of how to complete the "Covenant cycle", and waited twenty-one (agonizing!) years to publish Runes because he needed to grow as a writer. Reading Runes, I understand him completely. This book placed demands on him as a writer that he has never encountered before, and the growth during the intervening years served him well.

The result is a book to be savored, reread, and added to the canon of great fantasy. If the First Chronicles were the War and Peace of fantasy literature, I wonder how this will be judged. It is superior - superior to something that is already recognized as one of the most important works of fantasy of all time.

The first two chronicles of Thomas Covenant left me almost breathless with its agony and passion. I decided to star this series, doubting Donaldson would be able to replicate what he did in his other six books.

Wow. Was I happily wrong!

This and the others series are not for those who are used to the pulp that goes under the name "Fantasy" these days. It is exceptionally rare to find a book such as this that is a serious work of literature; the fantasy genre is not taken seriously because of this lack. Authors like Donaldson offer rare gems like this book (and hopefully the rest of this seres) that show that one can write books about magical realms and strange beings without it sounding like he is a former (or present) D&D nerd.

I have read in places that one can read this series without having read the previous two, but I would disagree. Donaldson's synopsis is marginally helpful, but woefully inadequate - though not his fault! If you want to know what happened, read the books! Admittedly, it was hard for me as I read the other books over the span of almost 2 decades.

Follow the travels and travails of Linden Avery and the hole left in her heart after her loss of Thomas Covenant.

Read and Enjoy!

It's a complicated equation: it has been 21 years since fans of Stephen R. Donaldson have been able to visit the Land with a new Thomas Covenant novel, 10 "real-world" years since an outsider has walked in the Land, and about 3,500 native years since the Land itself has seen an outsider. Now Linden Avery returns accompanied by 3 (or possibly 4?) others, including Thomas Covenant's mad wife. Once in the Land Linden must search for her son, who is threatened by Lord Foul--and Foul now has influence over one of two white gold rings that have come to the Land. Linden holds the other; it being the ring she took from Covenant when he died 10 years earlier. Sure, Covenant is dead, but that shouldn't worry fans--Donaldson has titled this "The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant" for good reason. Through the course of the book we are reminded that the Law of Death was broken in the first chronicles, and the Law of Life broken in the second. Now it is the Arch of Time and the foundations of the Law itself that are in very real danger. To complicate matters, the Land is afflicted with a malevolent pall to rival the Sunbane and massive reality-storms known as "Caesures."
For Linden's return to the Land, Donaldson has marshaled many of the unique elements of the past six novels, reviving certain wonders that seemed to have disappeared forever from the Land. He also raises questions left open by the other books, questions fans may never have even considered. What ever became of the Ramen and the Ranyhyn, the ur-viles and Waynhim? What came of the Haruchai Cail's lust for the merewives? What use was made of the Staff of Law after Linden began the healing of the Sunbane, then left the Land? And perhaps most troubling is the transformation we see that has come to the Haruchai. Once known as the faithful Bloodguard and servants of the Lords of Revelstone, the Haruchai now occupy Revelstone themselves as "the Masters of the Land."
Donaldson has written a captivating novel to launch this 4-part series. The 90-page prologue delivers heavy echoes of the prologue piece to "The Wounded Land" and very effectively kicks off the story with a suspenseful edge. Once Linden has been transported from the real world to the Land, things slow down a bit. The rest of the book consists of two parts, labeled: "Part I: Chosen for this Desecration" & "Part II: The Only Form of Innocence." Personally, I feel that the first few chapters of Part I are somewhat loose and could have used some tightening to focus the events and drama of those chapters. However, the story soon recovers its pace. By Part II, Linden defines a quest for herself and her companions, and the unprecedented audacity of that quest is truly breathtaking. At the end of the book, this fan found himself savoring the last bite of a bitter-sweet cliffhanger and was hungry for more. Bravo, Mr. Donaldson. Keep the Covenant books coming--your fans haven't eaten in 21 years!

I was pretty nervous when I bought this - the first Chronicles were my favorite books I EVER read - and I read them when I was young enough to be swept away by the story in a way I no longer feel. (I won an "academic Decathlon" speech contest in high school by describing why I liked these books). These books were a REALLY big deal for me. I still remember ignoring my parents calling me down for dinner as Covenant destroyed the Illearth Stone. I don't think I ate that night...or slept.

But I didn't like the Second Chronicles the same way...I liked them, but they were different or I was, or both. So I was apprehensive about this Last Chronicles. I think that the first Chronicles are literature (that is they write in relation to a literary tradition about the great themes of life and love, and leaves the tradition changed by it's passing), I don't think the Second Chronicles were, and I am not sure this last Chronicles will make that grade either.

I read the book in one night - and was carried away by it.

I have criticisms - the description of the Land lacked the poetic depth it had in the first books, but still...I love the way Donaldson writes, I love the emphasis in his words - the feeling that comes through in such tangible way. And I woke up thinking I better renew my Greenpeace, and PIRG memberships - and I'll take that feeling where ever I can get it.

So yeah, you should read this book. And the other ones too.

I agree with reviewers who claim that this book is a "prologue" to the Last Chronicles. It took Mister Donaldson over four hundred pages to get to a place that is genuinely disturbing and interesting.

Mister Donaldson's space opera, the Gap Saga, was riddled and bullet holed with moral ambiguities. "The Runes of the Earth" makes the Gap Saga look like the work of a fundamentalist demon- possessed by black and white thinking. Chapter after chapter I was confused and alarmed by all the strange moral tricks Mister Donaldson kept pulling out of his black magical hat. Mister Donaldson has always been obsessed with ethics (though he claims that he does not write with a message) and that is part of why I love his writings so much.

His works contain a rare moral fury and moral color that makes him one of the greatest living ironists - an ironist with an ethical pulse so savage and strong he is practically a prophet.

Mister Donaldson is a tragic writer. This comes from a resolute acceptance of death; a resolute acceptance of the facts. The protagonist, Linden Avery, has her child stolen from her. Her attempt to regain her child is full of all of the moral brutality that parental love is capable of.

It was both with a sense of excitement and trepidation that I elected to read Stephen R. Donaldson's The Runes of the Earth next. This current series is The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. And it's been more than 2 decades since the last one. In the intervening years, both Covenant series have attained "classic" status. A rare feat in the fantasy genre. . .
Could it possibly live up to expectations? I have to admit that Donaldson set the bar rather high with the previous Covenant Chronicles. Truth be told, the bar could not have been set higher. Which is why I was apprehensive. Both Chronicles of Thomas Covenant figure among my all-time favourites. Shades of Star Wars Episode 1 drifted inside my mind, making me wonder if this new book would fall short. Because anything that did not live up to the high standards set by its predecessors would be considered a letdown.
Could Donaldson conjure up the magic that captivated millions of readers worldwide? Could he write yet another tale that would capture the imagination life few fantasy series ever could? Could he, twenty years later, return to the Land and cap off what has become one of the best high fantasy sagas ever written?
The answer, quite simply, is a resounding yes! Don't get me wrong. If you have not enjoyed Donaldson's Covenant books, this novel will not change your mind. I'm afraid that one either loves or hates Donaldson and his novels. There appears to be no middle ground when it comes to his work. I've always made that claim, and I'm not about to change my position. But for those who have enjoyed past Covenant books, then by all means jump on this opportunity to return to the Land!:-)
What makes this one so special, you ask? Well, everything! To begin with, Donaldson doesn't miss a beat. It's as if he never left the Land at all. Honestly, the author has such mastery over his creation that it's as if White Gold Wielder was published last year instead of 1983.
Just a chance to voyage through the Land once again is an exceptional treat. The landscape is as vivid as it ever was, the images it conjures up as magical. More than 3 millennia have passed since the Sunbane was neutralized. This book gives us the opportunity to rediscover the wonders of the Land, even if things have changed, sometimes dramatically.
Once more, this is a highly imaginative saga. This novel is in itself a somewhat vast introduction with a satisfying ending. But we catch more than a few glimpses of things to come, promising to make this series as interesting and captivating as its predecessors.
Vast in scope and vision, once again with a cast of three-dimensional characters, this book is unquestionably the work of a master. It's a feast for readers who crave high fantasy tales with depth and substance. As you read along, you get the feeling that this is truly something special, something that comes along only rarely.
My only complaint (which is always the same with a Donaldson novel) is that some of the dialogues don't ring true. Stephen R. Donaldson is probably one of the very best fantasy writers ever. His prose is superior to all but a few authors in the field. But when a simple villager possesses a vocabulary that would put an English major or a Ph. D. holder to shame, there's something wrong!
For all you fans out there, rejoice at the opportunity to return to the Land. The Despiser threatens the Arch of Time once more, and it's up to Linden Avery to find a way to stop him. But this time, Lord Foul has access to white gold, and Linden will have to face several challenges before she can even hope to succeed. The Land is not as she remembers it. There will be new allies, ancient foes and new enemies.
So return to the land of the Elohim, the Haruchai, the Ranyhyn, the ur-viles, the Staff of Law, the Ravers, and so much more!:-)
One word of warning, however. There is absolutely no point in beginning this series if you haven't read the previous two. If you have time to spare, reread the Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. I wish my schedule would have permitted me to do so. I'm persuaded that it would have made my reading this novel an even more wonderful experience.
The Runes of the Earth is the work of an unequivocal master of high fantasy, writing at the top of his form. This one has "CLASSIC" written all over it.
If you are a fan, this a book to own in hardcover. I cannot wait for the next installment!
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I know many people will be reading this, since this book is causing quite a stir right now among fantasy lovers. A lot of you are young and have never read a Donaldson book, and are probably just setting down your Robert Jordan and George R. R. Martin, wondering what all the fuss is about.

Quite simply, Stephen R. Donaldson helped create the fantasy genre with the first Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. Only Tolkien looms larger in the history of fantasy.

The Runes of the Earth is technically book seven of a ten-book megaseries, but don't be frightened off. Even if you didn't read the first six, you won't be lost here. Donaldson provides a recap of all that has gone before, though you will be in for a treat if you do buy the first six...

These books are seriously good. Donaldson is my favorite author for many reasons: the depth of his characters, the skill with which he builds a believable world, his boundless imagination and tight narrative. Unlike, say, Tad Williams, Donaldson can write gripping action scenes. Unlike Stephen King (whose Dark Tower series ended with an enormous thud), Donaldson's dialogue is realistic and effective. And unlike a myriad of mediocre fantasy authors, Donaldson delivers the goods when the climax hits.

I'm not going to delve into the plotline of the books, like other reviewers have done. I leave that to you. I'm just trying to reassure you that, yeah, this guy really is as good as you are hearing. Do yourself a favor and hop on the bandwagon, you won't be disappointed.

If you read the previous books and liked them, go buy this one (and the next), it's more of the same in a good way.

If you need a refresher on the series, or are new to it, read this: This is an epic story about a parallel universe called the Land, which is stunningly beautiful, healthy, and fascinating to read about. Over this backdrop, the themes of his writing are often ones of guilt, loss, remorse, desperation, pain. The (anti-)heroes often stumble from one even to the next, barely able to carry themselves. In other books, heroes might put themselves danger of physical harm or death, here we see more than one broken inside past any remedy, where death is a welcome relief. The danger is harm *and* eternal damnation.

If you can stand the dark themes, there's also hope, companionship and beauty to behold. The Land is a convincing, rich construct that successfully conveys to the reader why the heroes are fighting to save it. The writing is rich and imaginative.

Ah, about this book. There isn't much new in terms of Land lore, there is a lot of retelling of storylines of previous books, and most of the personae are known entities or stereotypical replicas of dead people. The only change we see is some known parties in new roles or on different sides than before. I know the retelling is needed to give context to what is going on, but I still felt it was a flaw still. Other authors have been able to combine continuity with the new, taking the story to a new province, a new time, and so forth. Hence the known can make its presence felt in a reassuring way and still give way to a new story.

A worthy read despite its flaw, I could not put it away. Not a 5-star due to its derivative nature and mindbending cliffhanger. A missed chance for greatness but addictive nonetheless.

No fantasy opera ever so thoroughly captivated as the first six instalments. The redefined scale, originality and the ability to entirely enmesh the reader in an epic tale where a deeply flawed hero triumphed in his confrontation of supreme and implacable evil, was and has remained largely unmatched. It was therefore with anticipation and some glee, I picked up The Runes of The Earth, admittedly a good time after it had been released.

A question immediately presented itself. Had the intervening 30 years exhausted Donaldson's ability to write a coherent sentence or was it that the thousands of books I had personally read over this time matured my tastes; either way the archaic language, the malapropisms, the desperate straining for a mythic note, seemed now to have achieved something quite unusual in contemporary novel: great tracts of a book that were largely unreadable. I'd pick up The Runes of the Earth at least a dozen times, desperate to be reunited with the grand magic and high drama of the earlier Chronicles only to stuff the hefty volume back in the shelf, dismayed that this book appeared to have been published without even the passing scrutiny of an editor. The language is often preposterous, the meanings of words mangled to Donaldson's personal intent. The author's hand is everywhere and it's a linguistic St Vitus dance. Disbelief is not suspended, it's been entirely shattered by the shaking of the reader's head.

And yet...

And yet the pull of this novel was like that of The Land itself: compelling and engrossing. Donaldson's depth of characterization is at best, shallow, motivations no more than flight or fight, yet this is so thoroughly redeemed by a relentless inventiveness, so great are the narrative enchantments, so magnificent the plotting, you forgive him everything. The silly sentences aside, the travails of Linden Avery become your own. After six novels, he manages to return to familiar tropes with a freshness and verve that has the pages flying under your fingers. It is story-telling on such an enormous scale, the action is extended, symphonic, his narrative control uncontested. He has again taken on the mantle of one of the world's greatest fantasy writers. Again you care.

Twenty-one years ago, Stephen R. Donaldson, released White Gold Wielder, the final book in the Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. It would have seemed that the series had run its course. The Staff of Law was reformed, the Land was saved, Lord Foul was banished, Linden Avery was restored to her world and Thomas Covenant lay dead. There was nothing more to write about Thomas Covenant.

But even as a sixteen-year-old, I was a sophisticated enough reader to have been left with a feeling of dissatisfaction. I didn't put my finger on the reasons until much later on, this past year when I decided to reread both trilogies, and indeed, I was left with a much greater sense of disappointment in the loose ends upon finishing the second time.

Sunder and Hollian, the villagers that were recruited along Covenant and Avery's journey, were now the custodians of the Staff, and the heirs of the Forestal Caer Cavarel; but the healing of the land would be slow, and Hollian was pregnant. The two surviving Giants of the Search still had to reach their ship. Joan Covenant, the hero's estranged wife was still insane, and although Thomas's son, eleven-year-old Roger had never been more than an absent character, but with no parents, his future still remained desperately uncertain. Finally, although Lord Foul has been once more destroyed, we know that he will always return, even if it takes him millennia to do it. Mere years in Avery's world.

It was mere chance that I read Stephen R. Donaldson's website one day and learned of the newest entry into the Thomas Covenant Chronicles, The Runes of the Earth. Here I thought White Gold Wielder ended it all, but Thomas Covenant's legacy has somehow survived his passing.

The only disappointment I felt for Runes was that I read it too fast, and it ended on a cliffhanger. I want more, and fear that with Donaldson's history of writing, I will have to wait a year before I get it. Runes held true to the earlier chronicles, and left me wanting for more.

It is ten years after the events of White Gold Wielder on Linden Avery's world, and she is confronted by a newly 21-year old Roger Covenant seeking the release of his catatonic mother into his custody. At once we can sense the aberrant behavior in Roger Covenant, and suspect the young man is under some darker influence. Linden denies the younger Covenant his request, and turns the young man away, but left feeling uneasy at the events that soon unfold. She must protect her quasi-autistic adopted son, Jeremiah, whose hand was maimed in the very same fashion as Thomas Covenant's was, as a child, in the events that brought Avery first to the Land.

When Linden Avery is transported to the Land, as we know what must ultimately happen, we find that another three and a half millennia have passed, and just as in The Wounded Land the wondrous land has been changed and deformed by dark forces, in both the form of an invisible fog that disables Avery's inherent earthsense called "Kevin's Dirt" and a macabre storms that breaches reality known as "Falls." She encounters Anele, a blind and crazy old mystic with a world of unlocked knowledge, Stave, one of the Haruchai who have set themselves up as "Masters" of the land, intending to save it from itself, and Liand, an ordinary man from Mithil Stonedown, the same little village that we find our protagonist(s) in at the beginning of the first two trilogies.

The Runes of the Earth begins series of four books, according to Donaldson, intended to tie up all the loose ends. I managed to spread the last hundred pages out among a few nights, but ultimately found myself finishing the book far sooner than I wanted. The Covenant series are destined to put Donaldson among the very greatest writers of epic fantasy; in the ranks of names such as Tolkein and Bradley.

Having never read The earlier books of this series, I nevertheless decided to give this a go as the synopsis really appealed to me. For anyone who is also considering bying this book, there is a brief summary at the beginning of what has happened so far, which enables the reader to catch up, and I didn't feel that the book lacked anything from not having read the others.

It is without a doubt the most original fantasy I've ever read. The heroine, Linden Avery, is I believe one of the strongest characters to come out of fiction for a while. The huruchi Stave is also the most interesting character I've ever come across. At times, the author's language makes it a little difficult to follow, yet he maintains an intensity that caught and held me throughout, and a cliff-hanger ending that left me crying out for the next in the series.

Scott Brick is one of my favourite american narators and I'm always glad when he reads a book. I hope he reads the next one, and I hope the earlier books make it on to audio soon.

The first 30 minutes of the book was pure infodump backstory. When the story actually began, it was very slow. I am new to his work and, although it is categorized as fantasy, it reminded me strongly of Stephen King's writing style.

It took me FOREVER to finally have the patience to get into the original first novel of the first Chronicles way back in the mid 80's (Lord Foul's Bane)...I was young, dumb & stupid and had no real ability to get into a serious Fantasy series without large doses of action, humor and magic. One other factor which didn't help was the fact that Donaldson's imaginative Land was so stunningly original and, well, different than anything that had come before I just had a hard time really getting into it. I am pretty sure I'm not the only one this happened to...but like those who eventually did, I can say that I was profoundly impressed with such an amazing accomplishment. More than likely I'd say that the First & Second Chronicles can stand side-by-side with Tolkien and Martin's 'Song of Ice And Fire' series for sheer scope.

After a fortunate opportunity to interview Mr. Donaldson as this novel came out, I discovered one really HUGE detail that many who are fans of this series did not know. As he finished up the original Chronicles, Stephen never really had plans to write a second series. After being pestered by Lester del Rey about possible storylines, Stephen came up with the plot for the Second AND Last Chronicles at the same time. For those who have read both original series and after getting into this Last Chronicles, you will see how Mr. Donaldson carefully crafted that 2nd series leaving bread crumbs here and there alluding to what will eventually come--but I have to admit that as I read the novels for the first time I missed them altogether not even considering that another series would ever happen...and after waiting for well over 20 years, I just assumed I was right all along. Imagine my surprise finding out that the series would continue, and that for those interested enough, by re-reading the 2nd Chronicles, you would discover amazing storylines that only now would make total sense. While I interviewed Stephen, I asked what I thought was the obvious: Why then did you take so dang long to write the story?? He admitted that he was absolutely certain he wasn't good enough at writing back when he finished the 2nd series to attempt what he knew the series would need in order to be done right. That wasn't the answer I was expecting to be sure. What author admits readily that they aren't good enough?

So after all the wait, how is it? There will ALWAYS be the Thomas Covenant Purists who have read and RE-read the first two series over and over again so often that this final series will NEVER be capable of living up to such anticipation. As I have read here since the novel came out, there are many who consider this newest addition to be every bit as good, and in some ways maybe even better...so obviously there are going to be a great number of split decisions regarding everything. Personally I found the story to fall somewhere in the middle. I tremendously enjoyed going back to such an incredibly detailed world like the Land, and yet some of the noted problems with the story that some have brought up I can identify with as well. While thousands of years have passed, why do so many of the characters seem almost EXACTLY the same as before? I felt a shade of regret at feeling, 'Been There, Done That' a little more often than I would have liked--but having been away from the Land for so long, I ignored a great deal of it simply because I was too excited to be back to complain too much. Will I anxiously buy up a copy of book 2 in this series? DUH. For those who want this series to be similar yet different to the first two series, I really don't know what to tell you other than some of you will absolutely adore it, and some won't. I wish I could be more descriptive, but as always, opinions DO vary. I was too thrilled to finally be reading a new Thomas Covenant book to be too upset, and if you are like me, you will be fine with all the other criticisms...but just as easily you may not be. Sure I realize I am being way too cryptic to be a help to everyone, but for those familiar with Donaldson, this will pretty much make perfect sense, and hopefully it'll help.

The Runes of the Earth is subtitled The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, Book 1, and it is author Stephen R. Donaldson's return to the series after more than 20 years. Our last glimpse of Thomas Covenant was to witness his death, and thus this new work focuses on his companion, Linden Avery. This story picks up 10 years after the previous book ended, and we see Linden living her current life as director of a psychiatric hospital with Covenant's wife Joan in her care. As one might expect, Linden is soon drawn to return to The Land, arriving millennia after her last visit to face many changes which she is unable to comprehend. She meets up with an insane old man, Anele, a Haruchai, Stave, and a Stonedowner, Liand, all of whom become her companions in her new quest.

It has been many years since I read the original Covenant novels, and I found that there were quite a few things I had forgotten in that time. Although Donaldson provides an excellent "What Has Gone Before" prelude at the start of this book, I found that I relied heavily on the Glossary to re-familiarize myself with the language of The Land. For this reason, I think that in order to derive maximal pleasure from The Runes of the Earth, most readers will want to read the prior two chronicles first (even though this might not be an absolute necessity). Also, it took me a little while to get used to seeing The Land solely through Linden's eyes, although by about halfway through the story, I was totally hooked. I now eagerly await the remaining books in this series and fervently hope that Donaldson can continue to provide us with high-quality entertainment in his tales of The Land.

I liked each of his previous series, though I always rated them below Lord of the Rings and maybe even the Sword of Shannara. However, Donaldson has an unusual tone (the anti-hero) and it kind of resonates. Plus his creation of singing, lovable giants, honorable Haruchai, the Ranyhyn, and Ravers shows a great imagination. Therefore, I did NOT mind the references to what'd gone before and instead took it as a grateful trip down memory lane. However, like some of the other reviewers, I found his repetitive pain and suffering angle a little tougher to take this time around. Add me to those who say - enough of the constant fatigue in Linden and the other main characters. She usually comes thru anyway and doesn't fall asleep in her stew so stow that stuff a little.

Also, I ultimately found the rigidity of the Haruchai a trifle annoying and less than honorable, and to a lesser degree, that goes for the Ramen. These people are actually a little bit stupid in some of their stances and ways, and should be smart enough to knock it off. The Land's people need to lighten up a little bit and while Linden knows this, she doesn't ever say it. (She dances around it and does holler at them, but it's just not enough.) Instead Donaldson says it to us throughout the book but that just makes the lack of any characters saying it all the more frustrating.

I guess that's the word I'd use most to describe this book - frustrating. It was a word I'd certainly use to describe Donaldson's previous Covenant epics too, but it would be just one amongst many, like glorious, rich, fascinating, and unusual. Mind you, all of these are here in Runes too - it's just that frustrating would be in bold type while the others would not.

Regardless, sign me up for the next one because I'm a fan. I just hope SRD gets a tiny bit more direct in the next one, instead of the maddening clues and riddles that seem unending, and the characters are a touch more rested.

I read the two previous trilogy concerning Thomas Covenant over 20 years ago. I was captivated by the story and characters. The world that Donaldson conceives was fresh and full of interesting creatures and beings.

I was surprised to run across this book in my local library and had to read it. I was surprised how much of the preceeding stories I did not remember. A lot of the details were lost, and even with the explaination in the beginning of the book I still felt detached from the original stories.

That being said, I struggled a little getting back up to speed with the chracters, and stories. I thought the story was very slow to get moving. This would have been expected if I came through it with a good feeling about the names, events, and places being refernced in the story.

Luckily, the story started to clink for me and by the end of the book, I was ready for more. I am very glad (and surprised) that Donaldson decided to add another trilogy to an already classic tale.

I read the first Chronicles of Thomas Covenant 26 years ago, as an avid reader of fantasy books, and I was mesmerized - this was Tolkien with a twist - a dark twist of unbelief and doubt about the legitimacy of fantasy worlds themselves. I was thrilled when the Second Chronicles came a few years later, and devoured them, although I found them less interesting and more formulaic than the first series.

So I approached this third series with excitement, but also apprehension. I haven't read a new fantasy book for years. I had tried to read some of Donaldson's other series and was never much captivated by them. I feared the worst -

Yet I was very pleasantly surprised. The Runes of the Earth returns to the excellence (and excitement) of the original Chronicles. I was caught up in the twists and turns of the new story, as well as the maturity of the writing (despite a dependence on unneccesarily complex words like "puissance," when more familiar words like "strength" would suffice). Donaldson pulled me in and I couldn't put the book down - something I have not experienced with a new book for quite some time.

I highly recommend this new series to anyone who enjoyed the First and Second Chronicles -- you will not be disappointed, and indeed, like me, you may be surprised and very pleasantly so. If you are new to the Covenant series, I can also recommend this book (Donaldson gives a thorough summary of what has gone before at the beginning of the book), and it might inspire you to read the other 6 books after this one (you will have plenty of time before the second book of the Third series is published!).

The only problem is that now I have to wait for the next book. But it is a good problem to have - excited about a fantasy series again.

After 20 years, Stephen R. Donaldson has polished his writing craft just enough to make "The Runes of the Earth" more approachable than his previous trilogies. Oh, the unnecessarily obscure vocabulary is still there, but now he will follow a particularly pretentious choice of words with an explanatory phrase. The internal dialogue of the main character is still repetitiously dire, and there is no (absolutely No!) humor allowed.

But the strengths are allowed to shine through. Perhaps it helps that the straits of the Land are more subtle than the 2d Chronicles. The designs of Lord Foul, the enemy, are also more refined. As before, the Land is in trouble, and the denizens of the Land are clueless. This time, there are some twists on the characters from the previous trilogy which add a fascinating layer of conflict.

This book focuses on Linden Avery, who was introduced in the 2d trilogy as Thomas Covenant's doctor, who, in the course of that trilogy, fell in love with him. She is a more accessible protagonist than Thomas which also adds to the "slightly lighter than lead" feel of the newer trilogy. Donaldson had a problem in writing the "Last" Chronicles of Thomas Covenant in that Thomas died at the end of the previous "last" chronicles.

Is Thomas going to pull a Michael Jordan and have multiple finales? You'll have to read the whole book to find out.

Despite all the Donaldson baggage you have to wade through, the Runes of the Earth pays off. The world Donaldson has created is very well detailed (without the need for Tolkienesque appendices) and, although grim, surprisingly enchanting. While Donaldson offers standard fantasy characters, his plots are uniquely creative. If you need happy people and situations to be entertained, go elsewhere. If you relish a challenge, stick this one out.

Like many sci-fi/fantasy sagas, a successful author writes the next book in a series and the editor seems to disappear. 750 pages, and it seemed like every one included either "formication", "puissance", "caesure", or a variation on "würd".

The plot and story are just fine, but could have been compelling if the editing brought it down to half the length. We don't need to be beaten about the head with the fact that Linden wants to save her son. Instead of Linden repeating that fact repeatedly to the reader, how about a bit of faith that after the first few times being spoon fed that fact, the reader can see that desperation in her actions?

Comparing the newest published fantasy works of two of my favorite writers, I notice the similarities in North Plains of Stephen Donaldson and Northland of Terry Brooks. For some reason this kind of book requires maps so the reader can look back to see where the action is at the point they are reading.

I've always said that, after Paul Theroux, Stephen Donaldson can use the English language the way it should be expressed. His six previous novels in the Thomas Covenant saga, THE CHRONICLES OF THOMAS COVENANT, were not complete. Now, after devoting his marvelous writing abilities toward other genres, he returns with THE LAST CHRONICLES OF THOMAS COVENANT.

It was some of those in between which appealed to me, a romantic, starting with THE MIRROR OF HER DREAMS and A MAN RIDES THROUGH. Those two really touched me and inspired me to read (or try to) some of his science fiction, THE REAL STORY, CHAOS AND ORDER, and FORBIDDEN KNOWLEDGE from the GAP series. Those, I did not understand so well, but loved his style of writing just the same. Why do they have to use such strange names for people in Science Fiction?

Then he went on to write a THE MAN WHO.... series which I missed completely. THE RUNES OF THE EARTH is the first in a four-volume conclusion to the turmoil of Thomas Covenant's life. The first few pages gives a brief background of "What Has Gone Before." Thomas is now alone and thinks at first that his excursions into the dream-like world, Revelstone and Mithil Stonedown, which he calls only the Land, are just in his unconscious imagination. The South Plains has caves and the mountains not as tall as those in North Plains, which has a Glimmermere Falls.

Whatever your preference, Fantasy or SciFi, this is the writer for you. He is a master at the English language, American-style, not that difficult British guttural stuff. Read all or some of the above listed novels. This fellow is great!

This is an absolutely stunning book. I read it with the anticipation that this sequel to the series would somehow be inferior, as was the last book written for the EarthSea Trilogy (Ursala LeGuinn). I was very mistaken. I found it very hard to put this book down. I am left the same as when I read the original and secondary series: awed, amazed, and hungry (very hungry) for the next book.

If you haven't read the original and second series, read them first. This book does not suffer from a lack of reading the prior books, however you will have a much richer and fully developed understanding of the lead character, Linden Avery, and her love and need for Thomas Covenant, as well as the Land. You also really need to know Thomas Covenant, not just because this book refers to him often, but because he serves as one of literary history's most unwilling characters. This series should be a staple in any literature course.

Donaldson is a literary master - if the vocabulary is too strong, do what I do: grab a dictionary and keep it close by. You'll have a rounder understanding of the story being told and you're vocabulary will be all the wealthier.

And a note: if you are contemplating reading the entire series, but you haven't read Lord of the Rings yet, read LOTR first. While it has nothing to do with this story, you'll be doing LOTR harm by not giving it its due. Donaldson is a master story teller. You'll never read anything as good as this series.

Also - Lord Foul's Bane is a hard read - STICK WITH IT! You'll be happy you did.

What can you say? :)

This is REAL reading. I used to want to write fantasy/fiction books when I was younger. That pretty much ended when I picked up Lord Foul's Bane. Runes just enforces the envious fact (for me) that Donaldson is a true literary master. He is a man, and his main character is a woman. That is a tough undertaking, and well done. He is a master storyteller. There are things that I miss from the old books, but he has the truth to realize that they can't be re-hashed all over again. And the new ideas are just as awesome as the old. The whole whirlwind beginning was frantic, you could feel it. If I read late at night, I found myself later dreaming about parts of the book in lateral ways, especially Foul's eyes, it was appalling and awesome at the same time! That hasn't happened to me since his first books. Plus, the ending is pure, awesome, Donaldson. It is well known among fantasy readers that his is THE original fantasy work of our time, from which many of today's authors get their ideas and writing style. (you know who they are, now there is more to pilfer!).

For those who wrote a bad review, I can only think that they are not patient enough to absorb this masterpiece. Yes, there are some big words, but that has always been his style, and even if a reader misses the meaning of a particular word, they don't need a dictionary to grasp the intent of the words. This is how you really improve your reading ability, in the usage of the words, not the definition. And he always uses particular words to describe corresponding characters and situations, thus eluding to foreshadowing, sequences, and premonitory semi-conscious leading of the reader.

I can't wait the 3 years for the next book! Must...invent...time machine!!!

Background: I just went back and re-read the entire first two series after some 25 years, and now I'm reading this one.

Contrary to some other reviewers, I enjoyed The Runes of the Earth even more than the first series. It feels richer and more complex, and for me even the "non-action" passages are compellingly good. It also seems driven more by mystery than the previous books, and to me everything fits together just fine. I am also enjoying Linden Avery rather more than Thomas Covenant, as memorable as he is. This has been the best book I've read in a long time.

Side note: I am in the middle of Fatal Revenant now, and I am not enjoying it as much, but that's another review.

Stephen R. Donaldson's The Runes of the Earth brings us back to The Land where Thomas Covenant was the White Gold Wielder. For those of you who have not read the first six books of this series you'll want to start with Lord Foul's Bane. Mr. Donaldson does not disappoint in this much anticipated sequel set thousands of years after the first 2 series. I won't get into details because I really don't want to give away anything from the first 6 books for those of you who may be interested. However this time around we are following Dr. Linden Avery as she is transported back into The Land that she shared with her love Thomas Covenant. Although it had only been ten years in the real world thousands of years have passed in The Land. Mr. Donaldson does what he does best and that's get inside the head of the characters in such a way that you feel their innermost parts. Their thoughts and emotions are just as much an adventure as the story that unfolds around them. I can do nothing but praise these books for what they are...true fantasy at it's finest.

One of the most important things that I appreciated about this book is that Mr. Donaldson took the time to recap all six previous books and the main plot. Since it has been several years since the previous six books this was refreshing for me personally. Typical of his books they start out a little slow for my liking however once you get past the first couple chapters (yet still very important) you are transported into a fantasy off epic proportions. (I always wanted to say that)

I give The Runes of the Earth: The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant a rating of MUST READ for all you fantasy fans out there. I would however caution folks that this is not an easy read but a bit more complex than the average fantasy book that I've read in a while.

Sincerely,
Daniel L Carter
Author of The Unwanted Trilogy

Perhaps it was because I read the first two trilogies when I was but a lad, but I previously saw the series as a good fantasy story, without the depth and symbolism that one finds in (the obvious example) Lord of the Rings. Then again, I didn't see the depth and symbolism there the first time I read it, either. I now suspect I was wrong in that earlier view, and to be sure, I'll be starting Lord Foul's Bane again tomorrow.

What really jumped out at me in this latest installment of the Covenant series was the recurring theme of regret and shame. While the names have in large part changed, the characters seem to remain the same: Stoic, principled Haruchai; skilled, servant Ramen; simple, earthy Stonedownors; majestic and earth-powerful Ranyhyn; dark and mysterious ur-viles and waynhim. What has changed with these characters is the state wherein they find themselves. On the surface, these beings maintain the same pride and stature they previously held (with the exception of the Stonedownors, who have been sheltered into ignorance). Beneath the exterior of these once-proud beings lies the shame of having failed the Land, allowing the power of Despite to once again roam free. In their own way, they acknowledge (if only sub-consciously) their failures and follies. The millenia that have passed have not changed them outwardly, but the scars within leave them all wounded and certain of their inadequacies, leading to inaction and desertion of all that had long ago preserved the beauty and majesty of the Land and its inhabitants.

It is from a similar shame that Linden Avery rises. Her own shame stemming from her failure to help Joan Covenant, her failure to reach her scarred son's psyche, and when transported to the Land again, her realization that her mistakes in her home world have been the cause of the damage to the Land that she now witnesses.

There are places in the story where the mental anguish and indecisiveness become almost unbearable, but who hasn't felt this same anguish while wrestling with their own conscience in every day life? These slow moving "pools" are the depth in the story which serve to emphasize the humanity of the characters and allow the reader to become immersed in the machinations of a three dimensional world, rather than simply revel in the two dimensional comic book stylings of sword play, dragons, and flashy magic.

This depth serves to slowly bring about the unlikely relationships between the diverse characters that remember each other well, but neither trust nor respect each other enough to change their perspectives. The psychological levels of the story easily overshadow any storyline flaws or plot "cheats" that a discerning reader might find.

This isn't your childhood's "Young Adult" fantasy story. It is a mature piece of literature within a genre that very rarely sees such company. While it can be argued that the author may or may not have grown as a writer, a solid conclusion to that argument cannot be found unless the reader has grown up as well.

I loved the first two series. The author applies excessive words to describe minute details that are unimportant nor even remotely interesting to the reader. PLEASE, get on with the story! I am at 17% of the book and ninety percent of which are words without substance. I cannot continue. Think of reading one hundred words to describe a flower. I'll gladly read a condensed version.

Yet another annoying differently sized paperback. This one is over-wide. So, annoying to hold and to read, with more sideways eye movement needed. Definitely detracts from the enjoyment. A large amount of italicising of names of other races, groups, clans, or whatever, that got to be a real pain, as it was done continually.

Before I started this I guessed 'ok, with thousands of pages written already, what else can he do? Oh, I know, make the Haruchai antagonists'.

Yep, that is what he did. Bah.

This feels a bit padded. Also had 2 words I had never seen before in the first 150 pages, so I think Donaldson has been playing with his thesaurus for a while. Donaldson is clearly a talented writer, but he may be over indulging a little, here.

One good point - a much needed recap of the other six books that I found very useful, and it seemed in the case of this book, the editing was very good, as far as a lack of typos, etc., compared to a lot of publications recently.

The plot throws Linden Avery back into The Land, after 10 years in the real world, running a psychiatric instutition that has Joan Covenant as a patient. Covenant's son turns up, violence ensues, and it is off they go back to fantasy land, so to speak.

The thing I didn't pick beforehand is that they start playing with time travel.

So, yet again, Lord Foul gets up off the mat, the Staff of Law is nowhere to be found, etc., etc. Throw in some new magical conditions, another group of humans, some magical horses and there you go.

Presumably there are two more, but Reader's Digest versions might do me.