Power That Preserves (THE CHRONICLES OF THOMAS COVENANT THE UNBELIEVER Book 3)

Thomas Covenant is crumbling inside under the stress of tortures no human can withstand. Did he just return from a fantasy world in which he saved the day by using the magic power hidden in his wedding ring, or has the leprosy which has destroyed him as a man and barred him from society driven him mad? A second trip to the magical Land doesn't help his mental state at all, especially when he meets fellow Earthman Hile Troy, to whom the Land has given sight for his blinded eyes and employment for his military genius. Troy cannot understand how Covenant can ignore the Land's need, but the Lords, masters of wood and stone lore as well as the secrets of war and Earthpower, understand Covenant's fear of power and committment. As Troy commands the Land's army, Covenant and the High Lord Elena search for a secret power locked away an age ago as too dangerous, while Covenant still insists he is trapped in a hallucination. And what if he is? Even in a dream, should you try to do the right thing?

If you lost everything but your life, what would it take to give meaning to your existence...or break you completely? Thomas Covenant finds himself transported to a world of heart-breaking beauty and strangeness, where his hurts are eased and the white gold ring which is all that remains of his marriage holds the magic to save the world from Lord Foul's Bane. Beauty and terror; the promise of love and acceptance and a place of honor in a world more vivid and real than Earth. It can't be real. It's too good to be true. Nerves don't regenerate, as Covenant knows only too well: he is a leper, and his wife has taken their son and fled from him, just as everyone he meets recoils in horror. His last memory is of a car running him down, and he suspects that his wretched body is dying while his mind wanders this fantasy world. As images of wonder and horror assault his mind, he fights to free himself from the fantasy...or is it reality? Do you have a moral responsibility to a figment of your mind? Is he a fool, a criminal, or a good man pushed beyond the breaking point? Heroic fantasy has never been the same since Donaldson began holding up his mirror to the genre.

First of a multi-volume saga about the battle between good and evil. Unnecessarily obtuse, I thought. Thomas Covenant is a leper who has a dream where he travels to an alternate world. He may be the savior of this world of the means of its destruction. We certainly don't know by the end of volume 1. Some of Donaldson's sentences are so metaphorically over the top, it's exhausting. Still I'm a sucker for this particular fantasy genre, so I may read more just to see what happens and who else will die.

This double trilogy is quite famous, and for good reason. The six books in order are "Lord Foul's Bane", "The Illearth War", "The Power that Preserves", "Wounded Land", "One Tree", "White Gold Wielder".

Not everyone is a fan of the books though, so beware. The reason for this is an irritating feature, (at least in my opinion), of the main character, Thomas Covenant. Basically he denies the reality of his whole experience through most of the first three books. I mean really... Who can say what is real and what isn't. Most of us operate from the paradigm that what seems real will be treated as real until proven otherwise.

I'm glad I got that of my chest. Now, where was I. What makes this series of novels excellent is it's creativity. The creatures, places, natural laws, history, myths and gods are all fabulously bizarre. Thinking about it now just makes me want to dive back in and read the whole lot for the fourth time.

The story is about Covenant's efforts to deal with the Devil of another world. Our hero is hampered by leprosy and disbelief. Of the two, the second is the larger problem by far. On his side is his white gold ring, which has mysterious and mostly uncontrollable powers.

The broad plot is fairly simple but hidden within that is a wealth of detail that makes the whole tale come alive. The other interesting point is how long we live inside the hero's head. There is no small thought or feeling that avoids our inspection. Overall the chronicles are well worth a read if you want to escape into a new world for a while.

I found this book to be truly exciting. The reluctant Thomas Covenant is once again summoned to the Land, as he holds the ultimate power in his white gold wedding ring. The only trouble that plagues him is that he has no idea how to use it! The 'Land' as the world is called in this trip is building towards an enormous confrontation between good and evil. Lord Foul's evil servants have amassed an army that is overwhelming in size, and the army of the good lord's seem out-matched. The darkest times begin to fall on Thomas Covenant and his companions, and only Covenant can save them. This book has some of the greatest characters in fiction, and Donaldson's creativity is astounding. You will certainly enjoy this whole series if you are a lover of a good story that gets you captured in it. For several days in a row I could do nothing but read these books (and think about the next free time away from work that I would get a chance to read them!) They are a great collection, and the Illearth War is one of my favorites as it is quite dramatic and emotional in comparison to the other books. Definitely a top shelf series all together.

I don't usually read fantasy, but after reading Belgariad, I started reading fantasies. This series was recommended to me by my dad, who is also a very dedicated fantasy reader. This book, like my title says, is a amazing book, and is a satisfying end to the first chronicles.

Thomas covenanat is a leper, whose wife divorced him and took the kids. Twice before, he was called into the "Land" believed that he was the reincarnation of the legendary hero, Berek Halfhand, possessing the wild magic of the white gold. His unbelief is stern, and wanting to get out of the land, he decides to confront Lord Foul, the old enemy of the land, himself. Aided by his giant friend Saltheart Foamfollower, and Lena, a woman whom Covenant raped, he sets out to go to Foul's creche and fight him.

I'm not going to reveal too much, but you won't regret buying this amazing book. Once again, this is a fantastic novel!!!

"The Illearth War", book 2 in the Thomas Covenant series is nothing but a maserpiece. Covenant the Unbeliever is again summoned to the Land to help the people survive the first onslaught of Lord Foul's army. Covenant finds himself following a woman who he would have never guess existed. This book is full of nothing but suprises and heartfelt emotions.
Covenant is still questioning the reality of the Land. He can't believe that his leprosy and his failings can simply disappear into nothing. The Land seems too good to be true. But, he seems to be the Land's only hope. Plagued by Ravers, ur-viles, and deformed followers of Foul, Covenant must go on a trek for the Seventh Ward of Kevin Landwaster.
But will his efforts be enough? This book is full of emotions and enough action to keep a reader hooked. Donaldson is an amazing writer who deserves a lot of praise for these books. They are nothing short of amazing.

Covenant's reluctance gets a little old, especially since it takes energy to relate to it. But Donaldson seems to know this, and adds another character from "our" world, Hile Troy, who will lead the Land's armies into battle. He is much easier to like and to cheer for.
Wise move or copout? You have to decide. Maybe both. It's hard to sustain a story around a character who'd rather not be in the story. Covenant is still there, but a secondary plot this time, fairly similar to the one in Lord Foul's Bane, with a romantic twist.
Here's a curveball. I started reading Covenant's plight as an allegory for Christianity and the Kingdom of God. His rigid self-protection makes good sense in the "real" world -- Donaldson gives us a few chapters of real world to remind us of that. But in the Land (or the Kingdom,) where love and trust are freely given and received, it is foreign, harsh, and painful. It keeps Covenant from enjoying the gifts around him, and it renders him powerless, even when his power is desperately needed. I have heard it said that "hurt people hurt people", and Covenant is the poster boy of that proverb.
well, a decent escape fantasy anyway. i'll read the next one on a bus ride sometime.
if you'd like to discuss this review, recommend a book, or just chat, e-mail me at [email protected].

Your view of this series will depend almost totally on your view of the lead character, Thomas Covenant. The "Land" itself is breathtaking, less mythic in feel but more poignant than Tolkien's Middle Earth. But Covenant. . .
He's a coward. Not a physical coward but a moral coward. A self-centered whiner who chooses to witness the destruction of all that is good rather than use his almost omnipotent powers. Donaldson is clearly attempting to presents some interesting moral/psychological issues, but I found his presentation to have fallen woefully short. Covenant is so unsympathetic that I simply could not empathize with his psychological struggle. The only reason we are given for his reluctance to act is that, as a leper, he must remain rooted in reality and therefore cannot accept the reality of his transportation to the Land. But this reasoning is so full of logical/psychological holes that I never found it credible. I found myself reading subsequent books in the series only to see if Covenant would ever bestir himself, and found the climax in the third book unconvincing and cliched.
So, if you find yourself growing aggravated by Covenant and wish to finish the series on the hope that he'll redeem himself, don't waste your time. If, on the other hand, you are fascinated by and interested in the character of Thomas Covenant, than you will truly enjoy this series.

The first "Chronicles of Thomas Covenant" are one of the highlights of fantasy literature. If you're looking for excellent fantasy and haven't read this trilogy yet, look no further. Get all three volumes immediately, take a few days off, and enjoy. But be warned: Covenant is an intense and, at times, bitter and difficult experience, and you'll not quite be the same person afterwards.
For those of you who want to know a little bit more, here's a very brief outline of the tale. On Earth, Thomas Covenant is a leper, a man walking the streets "like a derelict". His entire be-ing is focused upon his illness; he is totally alone and unable to interact with others. Suddenly, as the result of a car crash, he is transported into another world. His illness has vanished; he is whole.
At this point in time almost every writer would have his protagonist dance around with joy. Not Donaldson, and there's the essence of the story's bittersweet beauty. Covenant, over-whelmed by what has transpired, proceeds to brutally rape a young woman; he simply can't handle what has happened. After this, he takes refuge in the only course of action he can: he bluntly refuses to accept the reality he finds himself in. He becomes "the Unbeliever".
What unfolds is a delicate balancing act. Throughout the trilogy, Covenant resolutely clings to his disbelief, in spite of the extremely rich and wonderful world he finds himself in. On the other hand, he is able (and indeed compelled) to act, within the boundaries of his own restric-tions, on behalf on the peoples of that world. More in particular, he is, ultimately, able to take on Lord Bane (Donaldson's version of Tolkien's Sauron).
This results in a truly epic tale (which is rare!), told well and with great feeling for back-ground. That tale is vastly superior to, say, Robert Jordan's generally loquacious and rambling Wheel of Time series, good as some parts of that series are. It is, to give another comparison, infinitely better than Janny Wurts's "War of Light and Shadows" or anything written by David Eddings, Katherine Kerr or L.E. Modesitt.
However, this is only part of what the trilogy is about. Equally important is the character of Covenant himself and his journey towards acceptance of himself and of life. This is perhaps best illustrated by the ending of the trilogy, when Covenant is thrown back to Earth and finds himself in a hospital bed. Given this setting, the trilogy ends with a deceptively simple sen-tence: "He smiled because he was alive." In a sense, The Unbeliever has come to believe. (As an aside: when the trilogy had just been published, Joanna Russ, an acerbic but intelligent reviewer - and writer of science fiction - did her utmost to lambaste fantasy in general and Covenant in particular, claiming that neither dealt with any character development whatso-ever. She seems to have totally misunderstood the essence of this work!)
Donaldson went on to write a second trilogy: The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. There is a great deal to enjoy in this sequel, but to be blunt I feel the entire endeavour was a mistake for a number of reasons. From a literary point of view at least, that project should have been abandoned. On the other hand, his "Gap" series (science fiction) is excellent.
Final words: essential reading for anyone at all interested in fantasy. A true classic!

Once again, tortured antihero Thomas Covenant is drawn to the magical Land, kicking and screaming all the way. Trapped in his wish-fulfilment hallucination, poor Tom confronts the end result of his inability to act: without his wild magic, the Land has become a desolate wasteland, where the survivors' only hope is the Unbeliever's ring. Covenant's inability to take sides and believe has brought the Land itself to a leper's desperate state, miserably awaiting death. There is almost nothing left to fight for, and the lesson of Hile Troy's whole-hearted acceptance of the Land's need is plain. Even the Giant Saltheart Foamfollower has become a killer, haplessly treading the path of despite Lord Foul has decreed. Happy endings don't happen to lepers; they also have nothing left to lose. Only a twisted and corroded key could unlock this puzzle, and the racked body and mind of Thomas Covenant has been forged into such a key by the merciless author. Would you die to save your dreams? Be true; you need not fail.

Donaldson keeps on getting better and better. The Power That Preserves is powerfully made with such a fantastic scope of character depth and the Land's diminishing beauty.

Thomas Covenant is once again summoned to the Land, still struggling with his hatred, love, and Unbelief. Covenant thinks the Land is but a dream, yet after so much pain and destruction made to the Land, he resolves to journey Lord Foul's Creche and put him down. Meanwhile, Lord Mhoram and his fellow Lords are being sieged by a horrendously larger and much more terrifying host of Lord Foul's creatures, including possibly the most powerful of the Ravers. After Troy's sacrifice, the Warwards's power has been tanked, and the Lords's lore is considerably low in strength. Their only hope is the white gold power of Covenant's paradoxical ring, the power that he STILL does not know how to control.

From start to finish, Donaldson engages us in tenser battle sequences, gradual character developments, and the smallest hopes for the Land's survival. The final battle was especially satisfying, leaving me with a hunger for more of Thomas Covenant and his seemingly hopeless adventures.

Buy this book, now. You will not be disappointed. In fact, with the possible exception of The Lord of the Rings, the Thomas Covenant series is the best the fantasy genre has to offer, bar none.
Compared to the melodramatic dreck that populates most modern fantasy pulp fiction, The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, starting with Lord Foul's Bane, shines with originality, gut-wrenching emotions and drama.
The main character is Thomas Covenant, an author who develops leprosy and whose life in the "real" world is stripped of all that is good. Covenant then is transported by The Creator and The Despiser to travel to the Land, a magical place where leprosy does not exist and where Covenant strives not to go mad with his newfound health.
Brilliant. Contrary to one reviewer, who called the Chronicles dark and gave it three stars, that is far too simplistic a review. It's deep, not dark. For every heart-wrenching scene, there are an equal number of transcendent ones. By the end of the first (and best) series, you will find yourself entirely caught up in the Land, wishing that somehow you could be transported there.
In addition to Covenant, The Land is so utterly rich, so complex and so beautifully described, that you will never, ever forget it. Try finding a Piers Anthony novel that you remember ever detail of four months after you read it. I first read the Chronicles 15 years ago (and several times since) and they were imprinted onto my brain.
BTW, Donaldson's Gap series is also excellent (more of a sci-fi epic)... The Mirror of Her Dreams series is derivative fantasy sludge, however, so read it with low expectations.
My only disappointment, frankly, is that Donaldson hasn't written anything in years!

That The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever (comprised of Lord Foul's Bane, The Illearth War and The Power That Preserves) has been both highly praised as well as heavily disparaged is not surprising and is a credit to its author, Stephen R. Donaldson. When this series was first released back in the early 1980's, it pushed the limits of contemporary fantasy, yet even today it doesn't come across as dated. In Thomas Covenant, Donaldson has created a protagonist who has, through leprosy, lost everything he ever held dear - including his wife and child. His disease forces him to live the life of a pariah, an outcast. Physically and emotionally he becomes numb and eventually comes to loathe himself. Then one night he is run down by a car, and when he regains consciousness he finds himself transported into a fantasy world whose inhabitants view him as their savior, come to depose the tyrannical Lord Foul, whose own ambition is to destroy the Land. The locals view the white gold wedding ring Covenant wears to be a talisman of great power against Foul's might. Covenant believes that none of this is real and eschews the burden the local inhabitants heap upon him, and so he comes to be known as The Unbeliever. Slowly the Land cures Covenant of his affliction, and those parts of him that had been numb in his own reality come to life - including his sexuality. Again, believing this to be only a dream and that in reality he lays dying on the shoulder of some road, Covenant rapes a young girl, which may dismay many readers. Still, to Covenant, unable to control his newly awakened virility, this is merely a dream, akin perhaps to a wet dream. But it is an act that will torment Covenant throughout the series.
Readers may question how a rapist can be made into a hero. The answer is simple: Thomas Covenant is in no way a hero. He is an unwilling participant in this fantasy. A sometimes vile and mostly unsympathetic character, Donaldson deftly contrasts Covenant with the people of the Land. Covenant is the underdog, yet each time he does something despicable he manages, through some small act, to redeem himself, and the reader can't help but root for him. Ultimately it is Covenant's guilt - guilt over the rape he committed as well as the guilt he feels over the countless acts of sacrifice the people of the Land make and their willingness to forgive him for all of his transgressions - that drives him to take action against Lord Foul.
Covenant is the lone point of view character throughout the series. Donaldson intended this to lend an air of fantasy to the series - that Covenant is the only real being in an unreal setting - and so the supporting characters come off as one-dimensional. Still, it is an effective technique: it is, after all, Covenant's story.
The narrative is complex and some readers may be put off by some of the grammar. Still, it is an adult fantasy and comparisons to Lord of the Rings are unfounded. It stands alone and, rightfully, has become the standard against which all other fantasy novels are measured.

Well, I first read Lord Foul's Bane approximately 6 years ago, and I quickly read the remaining Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. These books are extraordinary. Thomas Covenant is quite possibly the ultimate anti-hero, with the exception of Elric, of course. He is not a likeable man, but we can sympathize with him to a certain extent:
Thomas Covenant was a successful man; he had it all - a beautiful wife, a son, a bestselling novel, and, unbewknownst to him, leprosy. When leprosy takes the last two fingers of his right hand, his wife becomes scared and leaves him, taking their son with her. Covenant becomes a social pariah, an "outcast unclean", despised in a town where previously people have loved him.
Covenant is (unwillingly) thrust into a fantasy land when he is hit by a car; his leprosy is magically healed, and people hail him as a hero reborn because of his half-hand and white gold wedding band. Covenant refuses to believe in this world, and so is title the Unbeliever. Caught in one of his own fantasies (is it? If you think it's real, then read VERY carefully...), quite possibly lying in a gutter almost dead, Covenant is dragged unwillingly through the landscape of his imagination.
The writing is superb, although you'll probably need a dictionary - Donaldson has a rather large vocabulary. The lessons on hope, love, fear and Despite that one takes away from this trilogy will last with you a lifetime.

Donaldson`s Covenant trilogy is a very strange undertaking. He chooses an unlikely hero, a leper who is anything, but your average fantasy hero. In fact his major concern is how to keep out of things. Of course this doesn`t work for him and he unwillingly destroys everyone around him. For three long volumes we see him struggling. The choice of such a hero and the idea that whole story unfolds only in his imagination is exciting, but the ending is not true to itself. At the very end (after nearly everyone has died)the main character who has not been able to do anything positive in the past three books, suddenly transforms into a real hero, who defeats the enemy with his supernatural powers. This is a very, very disappointing ending to the story, because it goes against the whole plot of the book.
One other thing. This book is strictly for native english speakers (even they will have difficulty).

Power that Preserves completes the first trilogy of the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, and maybe that is where Donaldson should have stopped. As a trilogy author myself (Illiom, Daughter of Prophecy), I know full well the complexity and forethought requred to complete a work of such sweeping magnitude.
When I first read the series, back in the early 80s, I found the first three books gripping in the extreme. The tension between Covenant's inner reality and the exquisite beauty of the Land - regardless of questions about its actual reality - played out beautifully in my own psyche, leaving me with a hunger for more, much more.
And, of course, Donaldson delivered... but much of the second series did not hold the same magic for me. Of course here, too, there were tracts of poignant beauty and evocative narrative, but somewhere on that interminable sea journey in The One Tree, I lost the plot.
I have still been faithfully waiting for the conclusion to the overall story and have read The Runes of the Earth as soon as it came out. I was delighted to discover that my favourite author, who has inspired me in my own writing, has matured gloriously as a writer! So much so that I have been buying (but not yet reading) all of his books in the "Last Chronicles" series. When I have the complete opus in hand, my plan is to start again with Lord Foul's Bane and read it to its completion, hopefully within the same year!
After that accomplishment I intend to leave another review.

First off, I should mention that I came to this novel after having read Donaldson's "Gap" series, which I suspect is his magnum opus. This book is not without its flaws, some glaring, but when all has been said and done I found this book (and the Covenant series in general) far less insipid than any fantasy literature this side of R. R. Martin. I would heartily recommend it to anyone seeking to recapture the magic of a Tolkienesque world without being beset by the incessant cliches and empty pablum of seemingly every other representative of that genre over the last fifty years.

That said, I have to admit there is a price of admission into Donaldson's world, and that is that you have to suffer a fair amount of idiosyncrasy from the main character and a few really tortuously tedious passages, especially in the first novel. I am willing to pay that price, however, as Donaldson is a writer with actual ideas and a real sense of responsibility to his characters and never sacrifices their integrity (or lack thereof) on the altar of formalism or cheap effects. Also, I should point out, as have many others here, that the later novels (in particular "The Illearth War") are less beset by Donaldson's occasionally turgid prose and dramatic pacing.

In short, I'm grateful that Donaldson created this series, warts and all, and if someone out there can recommend me something along similar lines without even better writing/pacing/etc., please do!

I read the first series when I was a freshman in college. Now at age 50, I started re-reading it this past spring and now am in the midst of the third series. It's funny, but the book seems different this time around and far more interesting. I believe the language used will be advanced for most readers (you will learn some english words you probably did not know existed) and the character development is very deep, which is probably why I see it differently through the eyes of a 50 year old versus an 18 year old. Enjoyed it both times and just pre-ordered the last book (book nine). Every reader will take away something different about the plot and what it's supposed to be about. The plot is modest paced - if you like all fast paced stuff it may get boring at times, but it has sections that move at lightening speed and require re-reading to grasp all the details. As noted, character development is deep and Donaldson spends a lot of time on this. If you enjoy getting into the sometimes twisted minds of ordinary people, then this is a great read. He has a way of taking a few character flaws that any one might relate to and really working them into a persona who's whole life revolves around these flaws. I found each book to be a good read in its own right and the story line is well kept (does not stray) throughout the 8 books I have read so far. You will identify with the main characters, whether you like it or not and I am sure most fantasy readers will get hooked. The glossary is helpful to keep the characters straight. There are many human like characters and non-human fantasy beings to get to know in here - giants, stonedowners, elohim, sequents, ur-viles, ramen, ranyhyn, forestals, lords, ravers, haruchai - all with their own special backgrounds and competing interests. Thick with intrigue and betrayals. Lots of magical, mystical and spiritual adventure. Plan on many months of reading.

I've lost count of how many times I have re-read this series since I discovered it as a junior high school student in the early '80s. The main character of the book is Thomas Covenant, an author from "our" world. He is happily married with a young son and a bestselling book when, out of the blue, he discovers he has leprosy. After this horrifying discovery, his wife and son abandon him, and he is taught by his doctors that he cannot afford to allow himself to feel any pleasure in life, for fear of losing control of the rigid self-discipline that a leper needs to survive. Burdened with this bleak picture of the rest of his life, Covenant returns to his home to find himself a pariah, isolated from everyone in town. To put it lightly, he has a hard time handling all this.
Suddenly, in the midst of his grief, he is transported into another world entirely, to a magical place called the Land. He discovers that this is a place of wondrous health and beauty, and all the things that he has been steeling himself to live without for the rest of his days. And, it is under attack by the evil Lord Foul. To make matters worse, everyone in this place believes that Covenant is the reincarnation of an ancient hero, and that he is the only one with the power to save the Land before all is lost. This is made worse (for him) by the fact that his white gold wedding ring, which he could never remove after his divorce, is a talisman of wild magic in the land.
Without revealing too much of the plot, suffice it to say that this volume serves as Covenant's (and the reader's) first introduction to the land. All the major characters and races are introduced here, and Covenant is unwillingly forced to take it all in and try to come to grips with it all as he accompanies the defenders of the Land, as more of an observer than an active participant, in their first crisis in their war against Lord Foul and his minions.
Many have said that this is a dark, depressing series. I couldn't disagree more. The story is told entirely from Covenant's point of view, and he is a man stricken with grief and anger, then suddenly bombarded with an onrush of new sensations and emotions that he is not really equipped to handle. No one can help him through it; he must simply muddle through as best he can. It does make for difficult reading, though, as the reader cannot help but ache at Covenant's distress and confusion, which Mr. Donaldson paints vividly. But, when one looks a little further into the book, one cannot help but be overwhelmed at the native inhabitants of the Land. The noble Lords, the powerful Giants, the noble Ranyhyn and their tenders, the Ramen, the Land's ancient and yet vengeful forests, and even the dark ur-Viles and the loathsome Cavewights are all brought to life vividly. Lord Foul's Bane is not the easiest book in the world to read. Donaldson uses descriptive nouns and adjectives that I have never seen before in any other work, before or since. But, those very words give this work a unique character and flavor all its own. This work, and all of the volumes of the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, are definitely works that reward the intelligent reader.

Truly a masterful book. I have read the first Trilogy three times now, at different times in my life, and each reading has revealed new thematic depths which had passed unnoticed previously. Never obvious, always compelling, and thoroghly well-written; never have I remained so focused on a book. Perhaps the universe of the Land lacks the depth of history and legend found in Middle-Earth, but for what it may lack there, it more than makes up for with its compelling presentation of the fundamental truths of service, power, and responsibility. Not for the faint of heart, distinctly heavier than Tolkien, and truly a demonstration of the power and worth of a much-abused genre.
These books, the first Thomas Covenant trilogy, are truly Donaldson's masterworks. Many of his other books are very, very good, but in my opinion he never equalled his achievement here.

If you read my review of the first book in the series, you know that I was not too impressed with Donaldson's writing style or his main character in the story, Thomas Covenant. Unfortunately, this book starts off and ends with the same old repulsive Covenant character exactly as we left him in the last book. Time seems to drag whenever Covenant is in the picture. You know what to expect around Covenant. He cowers in a corner muttering Hellfire to him self then occasionally bursts into a totally unexpected fit of rage, or performs some totally incomprehensible act. Somehow this madman always comes up with some incredible insight the much smarter characters are oblivious to. Of course he is always scheming ways to save his own rear-end at the expense of others. The other characters have to drag Covenant from point A to point B in the story which really gets tedious. My biggest complaint about Covenant is that he never learns anything from his mistakes. I think that is why his character is so totally unbelievable. The good news for this book is that at least 1/3rd of the story ignores Covenant entirely, and therefore this part flows much better, and is much easier to read.

For some reason Donaldson's use of incomprehensible words seems to abound in this book. Maybe he found a new thesaurus, since the first book? Sometimes it seems he just can't wait to use a newly found word in a sentence, so he throws it in whether it makes any sense or not. Some sentences have 3 or 4 words never before uttered by humans.

The writing is somewhat dark, and it seems that no matter what the good guys in the story do, the evil bad guys are always twice as powerful and at least one step ahead. It looks like we are falling into a consistent theme where the good guys manage to barely survive at the end, but only after a terrible number of causalities. The inconsistency in the various uses of magic by both sides makes the whole thing hard to grasp. In the first book we had rape, and in this one Donaldson brushes very closely to incest. I'm not sure what he is doing with the sexual stuff, but it adds nothing to the story. Covenant can not get any more repulsive than he already is.

Overall this book was an easier read than the firs one, but it is nothing to write home about.

I ignored this series for a long time because of the fact that there's a huge ring on the spine of the books--obvious Tolkien knockoff. I eventually picked it up during the Borders liquidation after seeing it on the "Top 25" list of another fantasy writer whose opinion I trust on such matters.

Lord Foul's Bane is difficult and frustrating to read, but ultimately rewarding. I found the protagonist unsympathetic and obnoxious and the writing somewhat awkward. The author has some good ideas in here though, and by the time I was finished with it, I did want to find out how the story continued, and fortunately I kept reading--the series only improves from here.

Tolkienisms do lie heavy on this novel. The unwilling, ring-bearing hero and his companions must save the land from the supernatural evil in the East and his legions of twisted creations. Donaldson also tries to write in an elevated, archaic register, but he mostly just uses a lot of strange words (you will need to have ready access to a dictionary as you read). This never stops, but it's bearable. Of course both his language and world lack the depth of Tolkien. Nevertheless, the series still stands on its own merits.

Thomas Covenant, the protagonist, is a bitter, ostracized leper living in "our" world. Readers will soon discover he is also a coward, wallows in self-pity, is generally mean-spirited, and capable of various despicable yet pathetic crimes. Following an awkward walk into town to pay his phone bill, he is transported into the Land, a Tolkienesque fantasy world. Covenant is unsure of the Land's objective reality, but his sheer drive to self-preservation prevents him from testing this in the most obvious manner. He meets various characters, explores some of the Land, its history, and its inhabitants, discovers that he must defeat Lord Foul, and goes on a quest to defeat one of Lord Foul's minions that is slightly reminiscent of The Hobbit. He is returned to our world at the end of the book, unsure of the reality of what has happened.

The Land into which Covenant is mysteriously transplanted has its own history, lore, and peoples, which we gradually learn some about. A few details cleverly provide ambiguous evidence that the Land might not be real. Magic and enchantment are commonplace, and based on the closeness of people to the Land. Donaldson does a good job of portraying the Land as idyllic and uncorrupted, and the way in which the embittered, diseased Covenant interacts with his surroundings and vice versa forms the substrate of the narrative. It doesn't feel like a generic Middle-Earth: rather than representing a mythic past, the Land is a world apart from our own.

Lord Foul (the denizens of the Land have other, less silly names for him) is both a discrete being and a supernatural corruption of the Land--or, maybe, a manifesting of Covenant's sickness. We get a taste of his purposive evil and eerie corruption, enough to understand the nature of his threat to the Land--but in this book, that threat is still distant. He makes an excellent villain to oppose such a wholesome world.

I won't go too much into the other characters except to say that they are memorable, varied, and generally more heroic than Covenant. Readers will likely grow particularly attached to Mhoram and Bannor. Getting to know them better is one of the rewards of reading the series.

The evolution of Covenant's character is well drawn, but it occurs over the length of the series and its sequels. You won't see much of it in this book.

Lord Foul's Bane is the start of a great series, and it contains enough to get you hooked, but many will find it difficult to finish. A must read for fantasy aficionados, recommended to anyone with a bit of perseverance looking for a good story.

This sequel is better than the first. It has a more elaborately laid plot and tenser battle sequences. MUCH TENSER! Thomas Covenant and his hated leprosy are back.

This story picks up where Lord Foul's Bane left off. Only a few days pass for Covenant before he is resummoned to the Land, this time with someone from his own world. This man had a problem, too. In our world Hile Troy was blind. Thanks to hurtloam, he now "sees" the Land and its slowly ravaged beauty. While Covenant is on a journey to seek a way to defeat Foul, Troy is finding a strategy to defeat Foul's armies. Troy is like Covenant in a sense because he is just as cynical. However, his major flaw is pride, something that REALLY brings him down later in the book. Meanwhile, Covenant is still caught between his hatred of himself, his love for the Land, and his Unbelief of the Land's existence.

Darker, deeper, and much more exciting, The Illearth War certainly packs a punch. Donaldson has proved himself once again.

This is Donaldson's best book -- the best of the Covenant series and better than any other fantasy written in the past 20 years. It's that good. Continuing the story from Lord Foul's Bane, the reluctant anti-hero leper Thomas Covenant returns to the mysterious Land, where he is again called upon to save it even as he must deny its existence to try and maintain his sanity. Of course, there is the added twist that he doesn't even know how to use the awesome power of the white gold wedding band at his wrist, even if he wanted to. Meanwhile, in the "real world," life is getting even tougher for Covenant. The forces of evil are at work in both worlds, with a titanic war splitting the Land and threatening to destroy it utterly. It's rare these days for a fantasy to be truly fantastic. Too often, hacks like David Eddings or Terry Brooks simply recycle plots from their earlier days and write hack and slash 'em pulp novels that are read one day and mind-flushed the next.
Donaldson's novels sear themselves into your brain, so that you remember them for years, decades after you last read them. The characters -- Foamfollower, the Bloodguard, Lord Mhoram, Lena -- each is deep and rich with emotional scars and a quiet strength and courage. Covenant in comparison can't help but appear bad, yet somehow, through his travels in the Land, he slowly, slowly manages to find his humanity again that had been stripped away by leprosy and VSE. If you haven't read the Covenant series, do yourself a favor and go read Lord Foul's Bane, then the Illearth War and the rest of the books. They are the treasure of modern fantasy.

I was a freshman in high school when I bought this book at the local bookstore. Just having finished The Lord of the Rings, and The Sword of Shannara, I was eager to discover what it was that caused critics to say that Donaldson played hardball to Tolkien's softball. It wasn't long before I found out.
Thomas Covenant (for those who don't look for allegory in fiction, think of Christianity's doubting Thomas), a leper from the "real" world, is transported to a magical place, refered to simply as "The Land", where through its innate Earth-power, he finds his leprosy healed, long dead sensations returning to him not like glory, but rather like plague. So long has he tied his identity to that of a leper (outcast unclean!) who is comfortable only in self-pity, and so convinced is he that what he is experiencing is not real, that he allows himself to lose control, rapes the girl who helped to heal him. It is a sobering beginning, one which sets the tone for the rest of the series.
Here in the Land, Covenant learns that the white gold wedding ring he still wears--though divorced, as his wife left him, took their son away in fear after he contracted leprosy--is a paradox. White gold does not exist in the Land, is not bound by the laws that rule and subdue the Land, and is the keystone of wild magic. "There is wild magic graven in every rock, contained for white gold to unleash or control..."
What Donaldson does here is create a *true* fantasy world. Not one modelled after medieval or Renaissance Europe, not a copycat of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings (though, indeed, in this series, the fate of the world rests in a reluctant hero and a ring -- but the similarity ends, severely so, there), but one crafted from his heart, like a fairy tale.
The strength of this book lies not in its plot; indeed, I find the plotting here to be simple, a trend that does not continue in the next two books of this trilogy. While this is the story of a quest (The Lords of Revelstone set out with Thomas Covenant to wrest the Staff of Law from Drool Rockworm, to keep it away from Lord Foul himself who delves deep within the earth for banes far more powerful and vile), it is also the story of an anti-hero and his discomfort, his challenges. It is easy to dislike Covenant, easy even to hate or despise him. We fall in love with the Land that Donaldson creates, see that Covenenant himself loves the Land, and yet it is Covenant's inability -- or refusal -- to come to terms with his own Unbelief, that may spell disaster. As a teenager I found myself longing to step into the pages of this book, wrest the ring from Covenant, and challenge the Ravers (Foul's servants), Drool Rockworm -- even Lord Foul, if he dared.
Lord Foul -- who is he? He is "...the Despiser...Satansheart and Soulcrusher...Fangthane...Corruption...the Gray Slayer." He is every bit our Devil, is trapped in the Land by the Arch of Time as Lucifer is in Hell, and lusts to break free from his prison, to challenge his "enemy", known simply here as the Creator.
Covenant, it seems, is the only one who can stop him.

Time in the Land has made Covenant out of place in any world. The fruits of his actions haunt him, and his search for peace drives him to the brink of death, a thing that would make too many people witout hearts rejoice. Yet, his heart has been cured of leprosy, even if his body is sicker than ever. So, when he has the chance to save a child, he takes the risk of condemning the Land to save her. Then, he is given the chance to rectify his error and is taken to the Land to find it changed. The Bloodguard and Giants are no more, the girl who loved him is old and insane. It's now or never for the Unbeliever to face Lord Foul, but with a heart so filled with lornness, how can he fight despair incarnate?

This book is another winner, one that reminds us that hope always lives.

No one could love Thomas Covenant. And that's what makes this book so great. Covenant is unique, realistic, and in a stomach turning way, almost tangible. His character could hardly be rammed into the casing of the typical fantasy hero archetype. He isn't young, he's hardly alturistic and self-sacrificing, and he's not going to rush into every battle waving a sword over his balding head.
Now despite the fact that I loved this book, and the rest of the two trilogies, I would never recommend it to everyone. When I first tried reading this book in junior high I got about 50 pages before the "incident" forced me to throw the book down in horror. (And no, no, I'm not going to tell you what that incident was . . . unlike some fellow reviewers . . .) In anycase, the emotions, the actions-this entire book-it's all too much unless you have a strong gut and a desire to read about brutally realistic minds put to the tests of responsibility and tragedy on a journey through the fantasy realm of the Land.

I tried to like this book, I tried really hard, and I kind of liked it at first but it just gets so repetitive, he goes on in never ending descriptions of the land, using unnecessary words and boring the reader, just move on with the story, I know what the land looks like by now. I hate the main character, he complains all of the time and does terrible things which he feels guilty for later. I also dislike how the writer overwhelms the reader with all of this information about lore, this is part of the problem I have with novels where the protagonist isn't from the world in which the novel takes place. The protagonist doesn't know anything about it so the writer has to explain soooooooo much about the world instead of just integrating it naturally into the story; a character could make a reference to history or something instead of explaining the entire concept within one characters narrow-minded narration, its best to disperse the information throughout a novel. His world also didn't seem plausible to me, a world where the land is so healthy and no one gets sick, didn't seem believable; I understand this world only existed within the main characters mind, but this just annoyed me. I can almost understand why so many people like this series and why it's been so influential; Steven Erikson who is one of my favorite writers was influenced by it, however I certainly wasn't; some of his ideas are appealing however. I admit to being a hater of this series, but a lot of people are; it's just one of those polarizing novels. I don't know what those who like it see in it that I don't, but oh well.

"Lord Foul's bane" is one of the best and most complex fantasies stories I've ever seen. It grips the reader from the traumatic beginning to the shocking end. Donaldson, no doubt, took the principles stablished by Tolkien to write the Unbeliever series, but he added so many unique dark elements, situations and characters that, while reading "Lord Foul's bane" it more than often didn't remind of Lord of the Rings.
The first dark thing is that the main character, Thomas Covenant, is a leper. As it is, he proclaims himself an outcast, unclean, avoiding contact with other people and living in reclusion in his farm after being abandoned by his wife and little son. Yet, he refuses to accept his fate, and his mood towards life obviously isn't one of the better. Suddenly, summoned by forces he can't and won't understand, to The Land, his leprosy is cured and he is the carrier of an object (a white-gold ring) that is able to save the fate of The Land in the battle against Lord Foul the Despiser, even if he doesn't know how to use the magic contained in this object.
The Land is an agrarian landscape and many of its elements will remind the reader of Tolkien's Middle-earth. But the relations and backgrounds of the various kinds of people inhabiting The Land are so complex and well-thought that it in itself is one of the best things in the book. In fact, there's much more about The Land than Donaldson will reveal in this first book. I guess this was done to better relate the reader to Thomas Covenant. All the reader knows about The Land is what other characters tell Covenant. This is a smart move, because Covenant the Unbeliever is far from what we would call "a sympathetic character" (the expression anti-hero comes to mind, but in fact Covenant is no kind of hero at all).
Sour, bitter and angry are some of the adjectives that portrait Thomas Covenant. To keep his sanity he refuses to belileve his stay in The Land is more than a dream. Yet, as things keep happening in a fast pace and The Land is revealed to him, he cannot help but starting to care about The Land's inhabitants.
The first 150 pages of the book are very dark and somewhat difficult to follow if you don't pay close attention. When this happens, don't forget to consult the glossary at the end of the book, it will be always very helpful. If the glossary isn't help enough, there are a couple of sites in the internet that will reveal the secrets of The Land, but that could spoil some of the fun. Past the first chapters, there's no way not to like the complexity and dark beauty of The Land and the characters in the book.
One final note about Donaldson's writing style. His vocabulary and phrasal construction are at times so unusefully complex that it makes the readers role their eyes. You'll have to get used to his style and forgive some maneirisms of a first-time writer. In the end, my frank opinion is that The Unbeliever series surely is one of the best fantasy series ever.
Grade 8.8/10

I say unequivicably the Donaldson's series is far and away the most unique fantasy story telling I have read. I refuse to compare anything to Tolkien (which is in a class by itself) so I won't go there.
Thomas Covenant is the ultimate anti-hero, the man who does not want to care, the man who cannot break out of being a leper becuase that is who he is. And yet, The Land draws him deeper into its spell while at the same time his self-hatred grows. The sadness of the giants and their love is overwhelming. The integrity of Mhoram. There is so much here to captivate the mind.
This is one of the only books I can think of where I truly wept with joy and sadness at the end of the last book of the first trilogy. The beauty of Covenant's final ability to love the land and to truly want to save it is heartbreaking.
Donaldson has a unique and highly imaginative way of writing that both captivates and disturbs at the same time. The characters he creates are beautiful and complex, the world he describes is one full of beauty and life.
I cannot commend this series to you more. As a final comment, the Second Chronicles series is also excellent, but not quite as captivating and seems to try to hard to play off the greatnes of the first series.

This is the first book I've read from the Chronicles of the Unbeliever. Unlike many other reviewers, I have not read any of the following books, so I don't bring a wide, forward looking scope to this book. What I do bring is my views and perspective on this one work as a stand-alone novel.
The story started out very strong. Covenant's struggles with his leprosy, the way his disease affects his relationships with his family, community, and self, was the strongest part of the novel.
Once Covenant arrives in the Land, the book loses something, in my opinion, because Covenant doesn't do anything. He floats from one guide to the next, discovering different aspects of the Land, but he doesn't take any action on his own, except for one, and it is so dispicable that I developed a true distaste for Covenant very early. Not only does Covenant rape the young woman who has been helping him through the beginning of the book, he hardly thinks of it through the rest of the novel. The author justifies Covenant's actions by having him stubbornly believe he's having a dream, but one can never be 100% sure Covenant believes that.
The strongest aspect of this book is the world building. Donaldson has created a great and intricate world that even after an entire book remains relatively unexplored. That's the only thing that makes me want to read the next book. I also want to see what Lord Foul has planned.
Drawbacks: Monsters are not clear. I never got a clear picture of ur-viles or cavewights. Worse, I had no idea which was more powerful. The ur-viles and the Waynhim seem more powerful, yet they're led by a cavewight. I couldn't make sense of it.
The biggest drawback was how characters came into Covenant's life and then just fell away by the wayside. His first guide leaves him a third of the way through the book and never returns. Even at the end, we never get any indication of what transpired with Foamfollower. The Quest left him to guard the entrance to the caves, but he never shows up again after that. What happened to him?
Despite hating Covenant and these other drawback, the world was so strong and believable that I would have given this story four starts if it hadn't been for the ending. At the end,... Only four hours had passed in the real world, while weeks had gone by in the Land. This shift is so jarring that it borders on the "it was all a dream" ending. Covenant is changed, he's no longer sure whether his stay in the Land was a dream--in fact, he now is almost sure it wasn't--but the reader can't be 100% sure either.
To sum up, not a bad book. Worth reading, but only if you really don't have a good fantasy to read. I'd rank this behind George R. R. Martin's novels, Goodkind's, the early Jordan, and the early Weiss & Hickman (Chronicles, Tales, and Deathgate cycle). I wish I hadn't been so disappointed with the ending. I'm desperately looking for new, outstanding fantasy novels.

Another of my favourite ever novels, Lord Foul's Bane, features a main character, Thomas Covenant, who is depressing enough to be interesting. Indeed, it is the journey through this character's tortured psyche which is perhaps the most interesting thing about this book.

Covenant is a leper, which is a subculture of which the likely readers of 'he book will know very little. As a leper, Covenant carries a lot of very specific psychological baggage. For example, some of his favourite catchphrases: "Don't touch me!", "Leper! Outcast, unclean!" Author Donaldson paints a picture of someone whose mental defences are absolutely essential to his survival. In addition to his leprosy, or as a consequence of it, he inhabits a world that he should have no qualms about leaving. His wife left him when his leprosy was discovered. His successful career as a writer stalled with his wife's departure. He lives in a constant state of caution against the slightest cut or bruise. No one in the town where he lives will have anything to do with him because they fear his disease.

It is this character who is accidentally or magically transported into another world. And what a world it is. It's called The Land, and when Covenant enters it the tone of the story changes immensely. His depressing worldview is challenged by people who are warm and friendly towards him, opening their hearts and homes, and offering assistance which includes a cure to his leprosy. Covenant refuses to believe in this world, assuming he is in a dream or a delusion, because it's too good and if he gets used to it is defences will be forever ruined.

The land is a world of wonders, lovingly detailed, and is itself perhaps the most sypathetic character in the story. You grow to hate those who would destroy it and love those who would preserve it. The characters might be defined as good or evil depending on their love or hate of The Land.

The evil characters are unmemorable, mostly coming in large groups. The titular Lord Foul is very interesting, mostly operating in the background similar to Sauron from Lord of the Rings, but unlike Sauron he actually makes an appearance in this story. The most visible baddie of the piece, Drool Rockworm, has a memorable name at least. The evil characters are remarkable for their sheer ruthlessness, being willing to kill anyone and destroy anything with no regard to beauty or morality, though it begs the question, how does such a lovely and good land spawn such hateful creatures?

Some of the good characters are extremely memorable, especially: Lena, the girl who acts as Covenant's guide through the land and whom he betrays; Foamfollower, a giant who befriends and loves covenant out of sheer good-heartedness; and Mhoram, a wise and compassionate Lord of Revelstone. These characters serve as a powerful counterpoint to Covenant's own demons.

A theme of this book is the mental anguish that Covenant has to deal with, which causes him to mistreat those he loves. His inner pain is communicated with aching clarity, and makes him quite the antihero -- he claims not to believe in the land, which he uses as a license to do some reprehensible things, and allows some terrible things to be done by his own inactivity. And yet over time he comes to care, both about the land and the people, and does his best to make amends.

Lord Foul's Bane is a fantasy book, set in a land where magic is part of the common experience. Nevertheless, the magic is believable because it is limited and used with restraint.

Stephen Donaldson's language is extravagant, and I would recommend keeping a dictionary to hand while reading. A large dictionary, with plenty of obscure words, would be best.

The richly emotional style of this novel is not to everyone's taste. A friend of mine started it once and couldn't finish because she said it was whiny and pretentious. Several other people level similar criticisms at it, and there is some truth there. It's not a perfect book. It is one of those books books for which I'm willing to overlook the the imperfections because it has so much to offer. The imperfections are minor and don't detract a star from its rating.

Reviewed by the author of Send Him Victorious.

The Power that Preserves is the stunning conclusion to the finest fantasy series since The Lord of the Rings. Once again Thomas Covenant returns to the land, which has been ravaged in the wake of the Illearth War. He must finally come to terms with the rape of Lena, with his leprosy and with The Land. Ultimately, the book is about how even a leper can fight off despair -- or can he? If he can redeem his own sorry self, he can redeem The Land. After the high of the Illearth War, the best of the series, the Power that Preserves is more subdued and philosophical, but you will not be disappointed...After you savor the end of the series for about a year, give the second series a shot. It's not as good, but still far superior to the schlock pervading fantasy shelves nowadays.

Wow.
Just wow.
"The Power that Preserves" is amazing. Astonishing. Breathtaking. The sort of fantasy novel that you expect to find once a decade, if it's a particularly good decade. This is the culmination of a story that so big you can barely believe it fits in three books, so intense that it seems amazing that any person could actually have written it. It is a story you will never forget.
One portion of the novels follows Lord Morham as he attempts to save the Land from total destruction in a final battle against Lord Foul's forces. The giant reaver Satansfist has Morham and the other wizards and defenders of the Land under siege at the castle of Revelstone. This contest is in amazing piece of virtuoso writing, perfectly melding several great action sequences with intense psychological passages to create something dazzling. I feel perfectly comfortable saying the Donaldson is the only fantasy author who has ever equaled Tolkien in writing battle scenes. The emotional triumph at the conclusion of this one is, well, words just can't describe it.
Any lesser author would have devoted an entire book just to that. For Donaldson, however, it's just the prelude to the main event. The main event, it's no spoiler to say, is the final showdown between Thomas Covenant and Lord Foul. And what a showdown it is. When Donaldson started writing this trilogy, the most important decision he made was that his main character would not be a standard fantasy hero. Thomas Covenant, of course, is the most deeply sympathetic and real character ever to appear in any fantasy novel. Having created a person as amazing as this one, of course, poses the problem of how to provide a satisfying conclusion while still remaining true to the character. Probably nobody alive could have pulled it off as well as Donaldson, but then again no one other than Donaldson would ever have attempted a fantasy series this ambitious anyway.
So in conclusion, read it, love it, be amazed by it.

In his Thomas Covenant series, Steven R. Donaldson portrays a world more violent than any other fantasy writer I have read has ever dreamed. The violence though is never glorified but rather used as a metaphor. It represents Covenant's struggle to survive even as he is being ravaged by forces beyond his control who might very well snuff his life out at any moment. While in parts, he does come off as whiny, it is more whining to himself than to anyone else--so less galling--and also makes him more realistic and three-dimensional. Would anyone afflicted with such a pernicious diease honestly consider himself the savior of a land especially when does not know if the land's existence is fact or fantasy? Covenant's rape of Lena is in response to sudden reawakening of long-dead nerves whose inability to feel has eliminated his ability for sexual release. It is gruesome to contemplate such an act, and no one endorses it, but it is to be expected. Think of the Land and its denizens as Covenant's body and Lord Foul as leprosy and you will see the parallels that make the book interesting. Donaldson's world is better developed than the fantasy worlds of Tolkien, David Eddings, or even George Lucas because there is some stigma attached to the conflict...All of the heroes will not be going home after the battle's done, and the villains definitely won't be annihilated with little or no harm coming to the victors. Covenant is also forced to make decisions no other hero is forced to make. While he never wrestles with light and darkness in the fashion of being tempted to join Foul, he must choose to accept and restrain himself from two conflicting rationales if he has any glimmer of hope of proving victorious and wiping the leprosy (Foul) from his body (the Land): He can not choose to completely accept the Land or he will lose his power over the white gold which alone is more powerful than Foul while simultaneously he must not completely reject it or the Land will be annihilated just the same. The incredible complexity of the story is almost ineffable. There are no assurances--of anything. Even Covenant's survival is constantly threatened. There is also no sense that the heroes' efforts will always be fruitful. This is more realistic by far than Lucas, Eddings, or Tolkien, where the heroes always hit on a good plan and keep things from getting to their worst point of chaos. There is no protection for the heroes, most of whom drop like flies or suffer terribly in their war against the disease spreading virulently through the body they are sworn to protect. Things keep getting worse. There are no last-minute saves by rogue pirates who forgot their self-centeredness or forgotten gods who turn out to be almighty. If the hero survives, he does so alone. No sudden, unexpected deus ex machina will arrive to make it easy to decimate the villains completely. Donaldson's element of unpredictability lends a more realistic credence to the story than occurs in most fantasy literature today. An earlier review called him a Tolkine wannabe. That's like saying Stephen King is a Lovecraft wannabe...The similarities between the works are superficial at best. As a closing sidenote too, Covenant and the Land's denizens are more three-dimensional and believable than the two-dimensional, cliched cardboard cutouts of George Lucas' ongoing Star Wars series. (I am a fan of Star Wars, Middle Earth, and Eddings' universes though I think they all lack the sheer enchantment of Donaldson's gothic vision.)

"The Illearth War" is sooooo much better than the first book, I swear it may be a different author. Weak conspiracy theories aside, this second book in the "Chronicles" trilogy is a much better read. The pace is faster, the writing more concise and the characters much more developed (and interesting). In the first book, I had to read several passages twice just to get a clear picture of what was happening. Donaldson's desription of the landscapes are much more vivid and come to life off the pages; again, no so in book number one. Lastly, as a reader, I actually cared about several characters in this book and what fate might befall them. I highly recommend any fantasy reader to plow through "Lord Foul's Bane", to get to this book. Yes, there are many Tolkien "rip-offs" here, but who cares. Imitation is the highest form of flattery. Heck, Keith has been ripping off Chuck Berry riffs for years. Anyway, after you finish this, you'll want to move on to book three ASAP. I just finished book three and it's the best one of the entire trilogy!

In richness of description and imagination, the Thomas Covenant series is on the highest tier. Donaldson excels in the storytelling sense of "putting you there". My one complaint has to do with the dialogue between and inconsistency of various main characters. Visual and psychological description is beautiful but dialogue is so key to a great story. What is my opinion of fine wordplay? Check "The Hobbit" for the confrontation between Smog and the Bilbo. I can safely attest that in terms of description, Donaldson is second the none. His writing is poetic, vigorous, and visually enlightning. The passages describing the "healing of the Land" by Avery Linden in Book 6 left me stunned. Beautiful stuff.

Thomas Covenant - Unbeliever, White Gold Wielder. What a book! I thoroughly enjoyed the Illearth War. Stephen Donaldson's protagonist is human, fallible, tormented, cynical and disbelieving of the magic that carried him from his miserable leprosy-ridden 20th century existence, to a world where he is hailed as a saviour. He finds it difficult to believe that this world needs him, that the people rely on him to save them.
At times, you want to kick Thomas into action, but the cause of his 'unbelief' is extremely plausible. I did question some of his actions, but there is a tangible element of harsh reality in this saga, and in the long run, his actions have a direct consequence on the story-line. I heartily recommend the book.

How does one start a review on a book one despised for the first 376 pages, and wavered between love and hate for the last 98? Because that's my general feeling about Lord Foul's Bane. It's a nice long book with a fantasy story, a made up land, a strange language, people with pointy ears, people who live in trees, horses that seem smarter than your average horse, giants, mountains, a ring that glows, old men with long beards and special staffs (staves?), and a creepy underground dwelling "cavewight" who yearns for power. Sound familiar? Yes, it's a lot like The Lord of the Rings. But it's a little different: it's slightly easier to read. But that doesn't make it great. The writing was slow and sluggish at times, far too much expository description for locations which could have been understood better with less detail, "less is more" sometimes rings so, so true.

Thomas Covenant is a leper living in a small town where he's generally shunned and avoided. His wife has left him and taken their son. His utility bills are paid by unknown parties so that he doesn't have to walk to town and expose everyone to his disease. People fear him, and he's become bitter and resentful because of it. He's an extremely unlikeable character; I wanted to like him, I wanted to feel his pain and loneliness, but he pushed me away, made it completely impossible to feel sorry for him. When he walks into town one day to pay his phone bill he meets a strange beggar who gives him a note with a short story about a man who finds himself in an other-world which he believes is a dream and so he refuses to defend himself, and a follow up question on courage and ethics. It appears very random, until we look back (hindsight is twenty-twenty afterall) to figure out that the story in the note is really what happens to Covenant. Covenant speaks with the old beggar (who is blind and walks with a staff - methinks this beggar will turn up again in later books) and gives him his wedding ring. The beggar returns the ring, Covenant walks away, is hit by a police car, and wakes up in The Land. He's greeted by the creepy cavewight, a lot of clouds and smoke, and a disembodied voice known as Lord Foul (the evil guy). Lord Foul gives him a message he must take to the Council of Lords and then the voice and the cavewight disappear, and a girl comes to Covenant's rescue, and the journey begins and doesn't end for a long, long time.

(Sometimes I wonder how people come up with these intensely overflowing ideas. Whole other-worlds, characters, languages, scenery... it's incredible.)

Covenant's journey is both physical, and mental, as well as emotional for him. The entire span of the book he's convinced he's dreaming. You would think he'd catch on that The Land had helped heal his leprosy, but he's in serious denial. It's one long mental crisis that peaks three-quarters of the way through when Covenant realizes he needs to pick a side, make a decision, but he doesn't do it right away. He has kept moving only because moving forward through the "dream" is the only way he can survive... but when he's met over and over again with those defining moments where an action from him will make him a hero, he cowers and shakes, and runs away. Perhaps that makes him the most realistic fantasy character I've ever read. He doesn't become the hero overnight, in fact, he may not be the hero at all. He doesn't make his own choices because he wants to, he's pushed into a corner where the only thing left is to appear as though he's made a decision. I am not sure if he ever really did decide to be the good or bad guy, or if he did the only thing he could do because that's all there was. He's flawed, and that's real.

I found the similarites to The Lord of the Rings to be slightly distracting at times. I am sure Stephen Donaldson knew what he was doing when he wrote Lord Foul's Bane (first published in 1977, 23 years after The Fellowship of the Ring). Perhaps LOTR wasn't as mainstream then as it is now. I am no expert.

I do want to (eventually) read the next two books in the first trilogy of the Chronicles (The Illeath War, The Power That Preserves), and perhaps the many, many books that come after (one more trilogy, followed by a tetrology). If for nothing else than to find out what happens to the characters in the beginning that affect Covenant but never return. And to find out if he ever becomes likeable. And to see if the old beggar is who I think it is.

Overall, I'm going with a neutral 2 1/2 stars out of 5 on this one I really did not like most of the book, but the end (slightly) redeemed itself.

By now, the reader is quite familiar with the deus ex machina conceit of Covenant's entering the Land by losing consciousness in the `real' world. Tired, angry, increasingly physically/psychologically diseased, and ill equipped for the journey, Covenant nevertheless dares to venture into the heart of darkness and destroy Lord Foul in this, the final addition to the First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever series.

A good portion of the book divides itself into two threads: the siege of Revelstone, led by Foul's top minion, Satansfist; and Covenant's progress towards Foul's Creche. The text skilfully skips from one to another, treading the delicate line of taking the sufficient time to develop each plot, but not lingering too long where we lose our interest in/recollection of the other story. I particularly enjoyed the latter thread; Covenant runs into some rather unique situations and characters, foremost amongst these being the dolorous `soft people,' the jheherrin. Again, however, as is wont in much of the Covenant story arc, there are many (unintentional?) references to the Lord of the Rings. Here we have the man with a powerful ring that secretly journeys through the evil part of the land, entering a volcanic mountain with the help of an altruistic friend, resulting in a climactic showdown. Perhaps such references are unavoidable, as Tolkien essentially developed the fantasy template that successive authors drew upon.

The Power that Preserves unfortunately did not maintain the momentum, excitement, and scope of its predecessor, The Illearth War, which was the best book of the three. The pacing is more plodding and deliberate than the chaotic sequence of events that made the Illearth War such a blast to read. At times, it seems as if Donaldson is running out of steam and holding on for dear life to reach the end. And once the conclusion did arrive, I contentedly closed the book, without any further desire to revisit or reconsider what I read. Although enjoyable, and well written, the Power that Preserves ultimately fails to tap into the seemingly inexhaustible supply of verve and creativity that made its predecessors such bright stars in the fantasy constellation.

Part of whether you like this book will depend on what you're looking for in your reading. If you like dark, depressing, realistic fantasies with all of the dark side of human nature exposed, the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever are for you. Mr. Donaldson writes with gripping power, and his world will draw you in irresistably. Unfortunately for some of us this is a problem. I don't read to find out about the dark underbelly of human nature, I generally see enough of that on the evening news. I read to find pattern and meaning in things that may otherwise seem horrible - which never really seems to happen in Donaldson's books - at least not in this series. His writing is undeniably powerful, but very, very dark. By the last book "White Gold Wielder" I couldn't not read the book, but I was depressed for darn near two weeks after reading it.
In short, Donaldson is a good writer, but I really can't recommend this series. Try "Mirror of Her Dreams" instead. The same powerful writing, with a much more optomistic view of human nature.

Its amazing to me why the last print of this series of 6 books was in 1984. The jacket sleeve of my old 1970s edition says it all - "Comparable to Tolkein at his best". To me, there is Tolkein and Stephen Donaldson, and then everyone else. So many people have imitated Tolkein but only Donaldson has created something unique which lives in one's mind years after one has read the story. The hero is one of the most unconventional in fiction (a leper who has lost his family and shunned by his community) and the situation he finds himself in is unique (having been transported to a mysterious land, he does not believe in its existence nor his powers in it as his leprosy has been cured so long as he remains in the land).
Here are some of the memorable characters :
- the Bloodguard : men who swore total allegiance to their high lord, and who gave up sleep, food , drink and love for a thousand years.
- SandGorgons : dragons that travel in the middle of sand storms and destroy cities with their uncontrolled ferocity
- the Rhanyhyn : wondrous horses who can ride hundreds of miles without food or drink
- Forestals : keepers of forests millions of years old
- Lord Foul : infinitely malicious, infinitely patient. A worthy successor to Sauron
- Thomas Covenant the hero : bewildered, consumed by doubt and hatred and despair , unable to believe the wedding ring on his finger holds the secret of defeating Lord Foul, for if this is true than the land is not in his imagination and his leprosy is
cured
There are many many others - wizards, dwarves, giants - not cardboard cutouts from Tolkein, but imbued with their own unique characters.
I fell in love with these books because like most people who read The Lord Of The Rings, one finished the last page with a deep sense of regret that Tolkein had not made the book longer. When I first read Lord Foul's Bane, it was like Tolkein had continued his work. But Donaldson has not blindly imitated. There is a "modern" flavour to the story, and a deeper exploration of the human psyche than what is in Tolkein.
Please go out and buy the books - I guarantee you will end up, like me reading them all in consecutive days over a period of weeks because its impossible to stop turning the pages. The more of you that give this work a chance, the greater the probability some publisher will re-issue this magnificently imaginative work, and make Donaldson what he should be today - the greatest living fantasy writer.

This series is a personal favorite of mine. I read it as a youth, and have continued to enjoy it. As I write this, I am anxiously awaiting the second book in the "final" trilogy.

I am always quick to admit that this is a series that is not for everyone. Right off the bat, we should say that early in the book the main character does some rather horrendous stuff to some very nice people. And, the hero (one Thomas Covenant, of "The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant") can sometimes be a real drag to hang out with.

He's from our world, see, and he's been thrust into a fantasy world called The Land, in order to do battle with one Lord Foul (the most malevolent and believably evil villain ever written into fantasy, IMHO). But he's got a problem, and the flavor of this problem I think may shed some light on the kind of tale we're dealing with here. Let us explore.

Convenant is a leper (of all things). When he gained this affliction, he had to construct some kind of mental coping system to keep from going crazy. I mean, he's a *leper*. The reality of that disease is disturbing and gruesome, and Covenant has to confront that. In so doing, he has become a very unpleasant man.

Once in The Land, however, he is exposed to something called hurtloam, which cures his leprosy. Here is where his problem emerges.

See, Covenant can't afford to believe that this has really happened to him. He's got too much invested in the aformentioned coping system, and it's fragile. He fears (and probably rightly so) that if he actually comes to believe that The Land is real, and that he has been cured of his life-destroying affliction, that when he returns to our world (and is still a leper) he'll go stark raving mad. Or maybe kill himself out of despair. He's not very stable to begin with, after all.

So, instead, he strikes a compromise: he becomes "The Unbeliever". He declares that he believes it's all a dream, and acts accordingly. The difficulty is that The Land doesn't seem much like a dream. It seems like an incredibly vivid, beautiful place, full of amazing characters and creatures, that is threatened by an evil so malevolent that it seeks only the corruption and destruction of all things.

Have I mentioned that I love this series?

Donaldson's writing annoys some people, I think. I had a friend try out the series a while back, and he rejected it almost immediately as unendurable. I hope you can extract some idea of the kind of conversations Donaldson wants to have with his readers; he spends a great deal of time describing his character's emotional turmoil. This can be tedious for some. I freakin' love it.

There are three trilogies in the series: The First Chronicle ("Lord Foul's Bane", "The Illearth War", "The Power That Preserves", the Second Chronicle ("The Wounded Land", "The One Tree", "White Gold Wielder"), and the in-progress Last Chronicle ("The Runes of the Earth", "...?", "...?").

Here's my recommendation: read the first book. Give it a good all-the-way-through read; it's got some of the most fantastic characters ever written in it. An, if by the end you aren't having a good time, stop right there. The series is pretty consistent in tone and quality, so if you don't like it early, you probably won't like it late.

But please, do introduce yourself to Saltheart Foamfollower, giant of Seareach. He's worth your time.

Lord Foul's Bane tells the tale of a shunned leper (Thomas Covenant) that, upon being almost involved in a car accident, `wakes up' in a heavenly Land that he can't quite believe exists. Instructed to deliver a message of doom to the Land's denizens, Covenant soon discovers that the very things that vex him on Earth- his leprosy and marriage, symbolized by his wedding ring- cause him to he be venerated as a second coming of the Land's saviour.

The book's conceit (stranger in a strange land who is not sure what is real) is not terribly original, nor is the obvious Tolkienien motif of the reluctant hero whose magical ring holds the fate of the land in their hands. However, Donaldson's clever allegorical references to Christianity do add a layer of ingenuity to the story.

Unfortunately, Donaldson's stylistics frequently interfere with the lucidity and flow of the text. Covenant is repeatedly described, ad nauseam, as "clenching" himself or "grimacing." It gets irritating quite quickly. Ditto for Donaldson's seemingly insatiable desire for simile and metaphor, often intermingling the two in the same sentence. Many descriptions of the Land are also difficult to follow, frequently due to the needlessly wordy language that is used e.g. "When they reached the bottom of the cut, they continued along it, negotiating its scree-littered floor while the slash of sky overhead narrowed and the sides of the cut leaned together."

Also problematical is the fact that the book is medically dated; leprosy has been curable for quite some time. It's hard to feel others' horror and fear towards Covenant's once prevalent and widely feared disease. Perhaps AIDS would be a more contemporary equivalent?

Despite all of these problems, Lord Foul's Bane is still a landmark achievement. Importing the post-WWII concept of the `anti-hero' into the fantasy setting, we have here the antithesis of the one-dimensional strong, brave, morally upright protagonist that all-too-often (still 30 years later) makes its appearance in fantasy. To the best of my knowledge, Lord Foul's Bane is the first to use a despicable and repugnant protagonist. This clearly makes for some difficult- but thought-provoking- reading, as fantasy tends to plainly deal with the good guy fighting evil. Here, we're not sure where Covenant will end up, and our sympathies are constantly muddled. The book also teaches us some important things about the environment, ignorance towards those different than us, and the power of faith.

Being his first published work, Donaldson could hardly have been expected to render a flawless text. Nevertheless, despite the book's various problems, it is very engrossing and highly original. We come to see how the Land is replete with many of the same sorts of concerns of the `real' world. Typical fantasy merely contents itself with constructing unique worlds. Good fantasy, however, uses the pretext of the imaginary to explore the real. This book certainly belongs in that latter echelon.

Stephen R. Donaldson is craftwork majic. He has extended his prose into the third novel, THe Power that Preserves. It is impossible not to read the final chapter of this epic work known as the 1st Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever. Characters such as Saltheart and Bannor and Mhoram make this tale multi-dimensional. The Land is in trouble and once again Covenent is called upon. How Covenent cannot answer the call breaks my heart. This is only momentary, because he indeed desides to roll up his sleeves and join in the fight against despair. THere is no better chronicles or trilogies on the face of the planet. Kudos Donaldson! Hooray Stephen R! Covenant for President! Excellent read and worth every minute.

Personally, I did not enjoy this book. However, I cannot take away from the fact that Donaldson is a wonderful writer. Unlike many sci fi/fantasy writers he does not assume his audience is stupid. He has beautiful imagery, his usage of the English language is masterful and several steps above most any other writer in this genre, and his characters are well defined without pandering. BUT, despite all of this, I dare to characterize his Thomas Covenant novels in one word--bleak. Unlike many fanstasy novels where despite hardship, sorrow, and adversity the reader is left with at least some small hope that everything will turn out if not well, at least all right, Donaldson leaves no such illusions. The main character, Thomas, is bitter, angry, and is marked by both a world-weariness and a refusal to adapt or even accept the world he has been thrown into. Characters you become invested in are ruthlessly battered, bruised, then killed off. This is not a novel you read, cheer lustily in your head for, then put down with sense of joy or resolution. Instead, this is almost a painful and almost frustrating read as at every turn when you wish for the characters to step up and make things better they simply do not, or cannot. If you're looking for a fun, enlightening, or entertaining book this series is most certainly not it, but if you are looking for a complex anti-hero and a book unlike any other, this is it.

I've been waiting for over 30 years to write this review. I first read this book while I was studying in Israel, back in 1978. I was entranced with the beautiful writing--almost on the level of Tolkien. Donaldson is a master of place and setting--you can see his landscapes and many of his descriptions stick with you forever. However, and this is a big "however" never has their been a more unlovable hero than Thomas Covenant. Whiny, self-pitying, narcissistic, Thomas Covenant made you look forward to his character's growth into a true hero. Never happens, not in any of the books. He is just a disagreeable fellow and one could almost wish he would simply die of his leprosy and put himself and us out of misery. Purists will say TC is more relevant to our day and age, but fantasy is supposed to ennoble.

This book gets three stars and what keeps it from getting zero or just one is the author's ability to write and characterize. Great supporting cast, but not strong enough to lift this book into the classics.

Finally, we have a hero that is anything but.
Pushed and literally pulled from the world he knows into
a world of fantastic health and beauty, Thomas Covenant
suffers a breakdown of monumental proportions. I loved
every minute of his struggle to both accept his returned
physical feelings as well as his attempts to convince those
around him that he is not the reincarnation of Berek Half-
Hand. On the occassions when he does use his power the
results, and his reaction to that destructive force,
changes himself and the other characters around him.
My only wish is for Mr. Donaldson to option the movie
rights and signing up Harrison Ford to play Thomas.

Donaldson's "Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant" is in the works. It's due out later this year or early 2005. Details are on kevinswatch.com but they've not been updated lately.
This is a highly imaginative series and I would not pay much heed to the reviewer who didn't even finish the book. I am in the middle of book four (book one of the second chronicles) for the fourth time and I connect with these books in a strange way. Yes they can be frustrating and/or depressing at times but the hero is human, we must accept shortcomings in him. For one who fears power and also lack of power, his heart is ultimately with The Land. I love these stories and decided to read them every year. (Think what you will) The Land is a wonderful place worth the reverence and devotion the inhabitants show for it. If only we as a race could begin to approximate that level of respect for our own land, we might learn something about ourselves. The Bloodguard, ur-viles, Nom, Vain, Mhoram, Foamfollower, the Ravers: these stories have beautiful and unique characters that I would love to have known, or avoided.
Two more bits of advice: read with a dictionary handy and enjoy!

I am old enough to have been privileged to start this series when only the first four books had been written. So through the years, as the completion of the second chronicles and then the last chronicles came, not only did I find the writing to be equally first rate at the beginning and the end, the story's evolution became an anticipated event with each new book's release. I cannot says this more clearly: buy each book individually, and enjoy the ride!

Whenever I am considering purchasing a Kindle edition, I look for "X-Ray Enabled", "Text-to-Speech" and "Lending Enabled". Of these, the one that matters most to me is "X-Ray Enabled" because this is a feature I often use.

And Lord Foul's Bane has it.

Before you buy, be aware that this feature is not present in the Kindle editions of the remaining books in this trilogy. And it is entirely absent from the three books in the second trilogy.

I suggest passing on the Kindle editions of these books until X-Ray is supported in all of them. Don't be lured in by the presence of X-Ray in just the first book.

Yes, it's become an influential classic. Yes, I have a soft spot for it as one of the first fantasy epics I ever read. Yes, I re-read it when I'm feeling very bored or very brave. Still, the young Donaldson is one of the most irritating writers ever. If you MUST write 100 words where 3 will do, make them Plain English. If you MUST use a Thesaurus to find exotic alternate words, use them correctly, and without jarring the tone of the writing. And what the heck dictionary includes "roynish"? Word- coiners should be wary of being compared to Lewis Carroll At His Worst. Donaldson is (was) guilty of these faults, as well as wooden goody-goody and baddy-baddy characters and unreal dialogue. It's no wonder Covenant never believed in The Land if they all talk like that! Nevertheless, there's some great description, freaky monsters, sinister bits, good plot twists and a certain amount of musing on the nature of reality, art, responsibility, and so on. It's a shame that the discerning reader is regularly floored by the gnarly bits, as well as having to put up with one of literature's least likeable main protagonists. Oh, yes. And the six books together are VERY, VERY long. Comparable to TWO Lords of the Rings. Apparently, one editor did not suffice, since only a small bit was removed from "The Illearth War". It was subsequently published as "Gildenfire". NB - the older Donaldson who wrote "The Gap" is a distinct improvement, although his usage of words can still be a tad bizarre.

A great example of psychological fantasy illustrating the effects of disease, isolation and social ostracism in a marvelously depicted character-focused fantasy novel. The main character, Thomas Covenant, is the pivotal figure of the plot. Initially, he has it all: a happy marriage and a loving family, a successful writing career, and the confidence he had his life in his hands, until he is diagnosed with leprosy. Scared of the disease, his wife takes his son away and divorces him; society shuns him and doctors draw gloomy pictures of his new life. Left alone and forced to live the disillusioned and rigid life of an outcast, he makes it the sole purpose of his life to survive, thus refusing to believe and hope for a better life. Thus, when magically transformed into The Land, a fantasy world where everything is ultimately good and yields immense healing powers, Covenant discards it as a wicked trick of his mind and engages in all sorts of questionable actions that build a character we can understand, even if we don�t like him.
Covenant�s wedding band, a ring of white gold is perceived by the locals to have extraordinary powers, and he himself is believed to be the reincarnation of a mythical hero who came back to save them from the imminent threat of evil devouring the world, embodied by the omnipresent Lord Foul, a wicked but powerful representation of Satan. Covenant thus finds himself caught in a battle he does not understand, but in which he is rendered a reluctant hero. The stubborn perseverance, with which he keeps denying life, his internal struggles, the deep sense of guilt and responsibility coupled with his survival instinct, provide a detailed account of the emotional and psychological state of a social outcast and build a moving story of a man who struggles to preserve what he considers to be his only sound part�his sanity.
Overall, the book is a profoundly engaging reading. The only shortcoming that I see are the long descriptive paragraphs that sometimes tended to get on my nerves, and this is what made me give this book four stars. The author is sometimes straying into unnecessary detail, while in general the setting required to describe Covenant�s emotional struggles is only sketchy. Yet, despite being somewhat overloaded, the setting is of significant importance to the overall effect of the book exactly because it is so absurd. In an ordinary setting the novel would probably fail to support an entirely psychological reading, but in Donaldson�s imaginary world it turns into a great fantasy work that bears enormous significance�educational, moral, and social. I would recommend it to anybody who has interest in the fantasy genre. Give it a try and the time to understand it�it�s well worth it and you certainly won�t be disappointed.

in the illearth war, thomas covenant is summoned once again, to the Land, another world where he wields the item of the most power, yet is powerless to use it; a situation where he has left a world which shuns to one which adores him, yet he prefers the former and reviles the latter, and thus is given the moniker, thomas covenant, ur-lord and unbeliever. the illearth war is the second book in this series; the first being 'lord fouls bane.' and in this book, the climax in the war between good and evil is nearing fruition as both sides are marching to battle. however, the side of the good looks desperately overmatched, and only thomas covenant can save them.... but will he even try to? i have read this series twice; the first time nearly a decade ago when i was in my teens, and the second time more recently. when i read it the first time, i was totally confused as to what in the world was going on; i skimmed huge sections, continually thinking that this was way too complicated being much more use to simpler fantasy series such as the belgariad by david eddings. i finished it, but w/o much of a good opinion of the series. after the second time of reading, however, it has become one of my favorites (close to the dragonlance series by tracy hickman and margaret weiss). and moreover, the illearth war is my favorite book in the series. why the change of heart? i think it is because i grew to understand the protagonist and the reasonings behind his actions. thomas covenant is not as easy fellow to understand, and he is not an easily likable protagonist. at first you wonder why people even put up w/ him, but gradually you begin to see what is going on. i like this book best for the same reason that i enjoyed 'the empire strikes back' the best in that series. here the hero takes a fall and must go through a number of travails before finally understanding what is needed to succeed. and here thomas covenant and the Land drink their bitter cup of tea to the very bottom.

This book is the second stage in the first trilogy of the tales of Thomas Covenant. While the story becomes ever more complicated and the main protagonist is not the most lovable creature in the world (he is indecisive and reluctant - not exactly a dashing hero- although that actually is the crux of the story) I found that Stephen Donaldson has developed a well formed and interesting mythology for his land. Some of the characters such as Mhoram, one of the lords are wonderfully inspiring and the events that transpire around the Giants (not to give anything away) are incredibly moving. The Ravers are also well thought out and suitably unnerving opponants. All in all a very good read.

I read this entire series twice in the first year that I owned it and I have never forgotton them. Donaldson has an exquisite eye for detail in the books and this one lays the foundation for the next five to come. Sometimes the detail bogs the story down a little bit, but can you honestly say that there were no slow parts in 'Lord of the Rings'? Besides, for me the details just helped refine what I was imagining the land to look like at the time. There is a rape scene in this book, so caveat emptor! Otherwise it is as breathtaking a fantasy (and high fantasy, at that) series as was ever written by a mortal hand. In my opinion this is a 'classic' of fantasy literature. To miss it would be doing both the author and yourself a huge disservice. READ IT NOW!!!

"Lord Foul's Bane", the first book in the Thomas Covenant Chronicles brings to life a man seeking a place in this world. Thomas Covenant is a Leper. He is feared by everyone in his town. His wife has left him, taking their one son along with her. Covenant makes himself numb to all emotions, trying desperately to find a place to fit in.
Some events happen, and suddenly Covenant finds himself in a world where his problems make him a legendary hero. He is mistaken as a long dead hero of "The Land". A different world where his leporasy deminishes and his nerves begin to feel again. Covenant cannot believe what is going on in his life.
What would you think if you were suddenly brought from one world to another? Would you believe? Covenant didn't. And this is how he earns the name, Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever.
This book is filled with a lot of emotion. Covenant is a guy that everyone can see what it would be like to be in his shoes. Not only is he in a strange world. But everything that he thought he lost before is suddenly returning to him thanks to the special powers of The Land. Covenant meets many new people on his time in The Land. This book is a definate must for any fantasy reader. It is filled with action, adventure, emotion, excitement. Everything you could want in a book is in this one. At times it is a little slow, but the climax and emotions that run through this book do more than take your mind away from that.
Lord Foul's Bane is a definate must read!

In the realm of science-fiction and fantasy one hopes to be spurred on by feelings of hope and wonder; vast dreamscapes of imaginary worlds and eager suspense as the plot unfolds. At least that is why I usually read such books, for the suspense and the subsequent suprise and joy and fullfilment derived from the outcome revealed. This is not the case with Thomas Covenant. Hope is all but dead throughout the series. Joy is unknown. I did not know that a book of this genre could deal such a crushing blow to the spirit...but it was UNIQUE! DIFFERENT! and ever so INTRIGUING. And I was rewarded for not despairing, for the conclusion of the series is worth the read.
Prepare yourself for a rather arduous journey if you intend to read this trilogy. And, have a dictionary nearby...for Donaldson digs up some unused gems throughout. I don't know how this book made me better, but I'm sure it has, somehow.

I read all three Covenant books together when I checked them out at the Minot Public Library in Minot ND in 1977. These books were not a series till the paperbacks were issued. Check the author's webpage for the Holt editions and see the dates are the same. The most amazing aspect to me at that time was that Donaldson wrote and published an entire trilogy at one time. His entire vision for Thomas was on display. At the time I found the books to be grimly fascinating.

I bought this book when it came out in 1977. The first chapter bored me to death and I threw it in my closet and didn't read it. I had just finished reading the hobbit and couldn't get into this new job fantasy. About 6 months later I picked it up again and gave it a longer read. I was blown away! And from that day I was a Stephen Donaldson fan. I waited for each book to come out with great impatience. It took forever. 35 year's later I still think about and love the Giant's and all of the land absolutely an amazing story. I have often thought Clint Eastwood would have been the perfect Thomas Covenant. This is the best fantasy of all time. Read it!

I started this book/series about 30 years ago - it remains within the top 5 of all fantasy series I've read to date. These are the *only* books I've re-read for the pure entertainment, and to pick up nuances I may have missed on the initial reading. Summaries are numerous, so I won't give you another one. If this sounds like something you may even marginally enjoy, I can assure you that you won't be sorry - "Lord Foul's Bane" will set you on the path to a double trilogy (I haven't read the 3rd series yet, which starts with "Runes of the Earth") that will knock your socks off! Enjoy!

In our world, Thomas Covenant has been away from the Land for a month; in the Land 40 years have passed. In that time, Foul's gained strength, thanks to the Illearth Stone. Using it, he has wrecked destruction on the Land to the extend that the Lords demand Covenant's return. Elena has become High Lord- Elena, the child of his sin, who now loves him with a passion no daughter should feel, a love he can return. Yet, the nature of her birth has flawed her to the point of madness that will defy time and death in despeartion. Covenant does not want to believe in this world, yet he must find the eye of the paradox in which to stand or fall and take it down with him.

Books in this series can be considered shocking or appalling at times, yet they have a truth that is magical. In one's blackest moodes, it is easy to identify with Covenant and reach the eye of your own paradox- the pain you want to escape has value.

I have to admit, that I've read this trilogy several times over the last few decades and would reccomend it to fantasy addicts such as myself. However, the main character is extremely annoying, the author spent too much time on background before Thomas even reched the world, and his woe-is-me attitude really can grind on a person.

The world he enters however, is richly populated and the magic, creatures are all highly interesting. The descriptions flow well, and you feel like you're really there. Saltheart Foamfollower is my favorite character followed closely by Mhorim the priest.

Thomas Covenant goes from one situation to the next, all the while never really believing that what is happenin is real.

Be warned, the author writes above the average reading level.

It's obvious that Donaldson was cutting his teeth, so to speak, while writing Lord Foul's Bane. To be certain, that book had periods of brilliance, such as the occurrences in Andelain, but all in all it was probably the weakest book in the series. (That doesn't mean it isn't good - just that the rest of the books are incredible.)

In The Illearth War Covenant is called back to the Land for a second time, and his image of a reluctant hero is burnished in our mind even more than it was in the previous book, for while he was being summoned he was also on the phone with his ex-wife, Joan. The woman who left him for fear of his leprosy, the woman with whom he was still in love, the woman who was telling him, right then, that she missed and needed him. So he protests his summoning vehemently, but to no avail. As the new High Lord Elena indicates, they have no knowledge of how to send a person back once a summons is complete.

The Council of Lords has some new faces on it. It's been forty years since Covenant has been to the Land, and seven years (seven "Land" years) remain until the fulfillment of Foul's ominous prophecy from Lord Foul's Bane. The Lords are desperate. While they regained the Staff of Law and found High Lord Kevin's Second Ward at the end of Lord Foul's Bane, they have learned very little. The language, they find, is difficult to penetrate, and they find themselves unequal to the task of mastering the lore. Due to their sense of overwhelming failure and inadequacy, and other baleful events, they make the decision to summon Covenant.

There is another addition to Revelstone: Hile Troy. He is a character from the "real world", someone who has read (or had read to him) Covenant's best selling novel. This is, perhaps, Donaldson's way of telling us that Covenant's experiences most definitely is not a dream (which Covenant is still convincing himself of). He's also blind, and unlike Covenant - who maintains fierce unbelief - Troy believes in the Land with a passion that precludes life.

Many readers interpret Troy's character as what Covenant *should* be. If Hile Troy had a white gold ring, his passion, his love for the land (for it allowed him to see again - and besides, everyone, even the readers, fall in love with the Land) would lead him directly to a confrontation to Foul. Unfortunately, not understanding the dilemmas of power, he would likely experience a resounding defeat. What people don't understand about Covenant, and Troy's character is supposed to help them understand this, is that Covenant's stubborn unbelief exists for a reason. In Lord Foul's Bane, Donaldson meticulously discussed the rigors of leprosy, what it meant to be a leper, what it meant to *survive* as a leper. And though bitter and angry at life and everything around him - or perhaps because of his bitterness - Covenant made the decision to live. And living entails never, ever letting your guard drop for one second. Because if you do, you can bump into something, not realize that you're bleeding internally, and die of hemorrhaging; gangrene can set in; and much more. So Covenant's unbelief, while incredibly frustrating, is completely understandable. He needs to believe that the Land isn't real, because if he gives in to it, then when he wakes up from his dream (for it may be a dream), his guard may drop, and he could die.

So it's unfortunate that people don't recognize Troy for what he is, and see him for exactly the opposite of what Donaldson intended.

Other reviewers have said this is the best book in the series. I love this book, as it introduces some extremely intriguing relationships and concepts (Elena and Amok, the latter of which is the key to High Lord Kevin's Seventh Ward - talk about heightened anticipation), and the devastating fear that Foul has mastered the Illearth Stone to such a degree that he can cut chips off of it and give it to his servants (Ravers).

The battle of Garrotting Deep (yes, similar in placement and scope to the epic Battle of Helm's Deep in The Two Towers) shows that Donaldson, like Tolkien before him, can write both of beauty and of beauty's absence in the heart of darkness of war. He is quite adept at handling battle scenes.

Many second books suffer from the so-called sophomore slump. Not this one. I don't think Donaldson is capable of writing such a book, as The One Tree (the second book in The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant) is arguably the most intriguing of the series, and within that book in particular are the seeds for the Last Chronicles, which everyone - and I mean everyone - should read.

I'm not sure what I expected when I started this first of the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever--but I didn't expect what I read. The device of a character crossing from our Earth, our reality into a fantasy world has been done before and since, but this was different. Thomas Covenant didn't merely cross into some magic-ridden world locked into the Middle Ages--he crossed over into a vibrant and living place: The Land.

Those of the Land can see health. Their senses are not as mundane as ours and the land is itself a friend to them. It is almost as the Platonic concept of an ideal form of which everything on Earth is but a pale imitation. The Land could be that ideal form and our Earth the imitation.

Definately don't go into this expecting even a semi-typical fantasy world. Most fantasy books (especially the well written ones) have characters that seem so real because they exhibit very human characteristics and motivations--the authors have created a believable world (with the addition of fantastic magic and a few spectacular creatures). However, here Donaldson has done more--it isn't necessarily extraordinarily better (it might be), but it is definately very different--his characters are larger than life and live in a world removed from our own.

If you're a fantasy addict then definately check out this book--it may take you a bit to get into it, but it will be an interesting time.

My rating of four is mainly due to the fact that I've not yet finished the trilogy and so I'm not sure how well some unresolved issues are worked out later. I think the rest will be good, but if they get better I'll make them fives, ;-).

What if you were whisked away to another world? This is the premise of a thousand fantasy yarns out there, but think about it for a second: Why is it that all those protagonists have little trouble with the transition? Right now you're sitting in front of your computer reading this, what if when you turned around you were temporarily blinded and began to hear voices? You'd think that you were crazy, wouldn't you?
Now, what if you had a terminal disease and when this worldshift happened, you were magically cured? Well then you'd KNOW you were crazy. Right?
What would you do?
This is the crux of Thomas Covenant. Thomas, a leper, is having a very a tough time in the real world. I'm not giving away anything that isn't in the first chapter, but as the book starts his wife has taken their kid and divorced him, nobody wants to have anything to do with him, and he is having to fight with despair at every turn.
When crossing the street he faints--or something--and finds himself in THE LAND. Thomas is quite sure dismay has sent him around the bend, he's gone nuts, and he makes the decision not to believe his own senses. He is, as the title suggests, The Unbeliever.
Our Protagonist is a very dark character indeed. Admit it, you'd have a similar reaction, wouldn't you? Since Covenant doesn't believe in The Land, does his actions there have any consequences? He commits some very dark acts at the beginning of his time in the land, then spends the next thousand or so pages regretting it. Enough said.
What pulls this trilogy off, though, is not Mr. Unbeliever, but The Land and the people in it. SRD does quite an amazing job of creating a beautiful world full of magic and heroism and its own ancient history.
Donaldson is one of the few fantasy writers fit to be mentioned in the same league as J.R.R. Tolkein, someone who he obviously studied and, I suspect, worked hard not to imitate. If that's the case then he succeeded, for The Land and its peoples are as wonderful as Middle-Earth while having almost nothing in common with them. And this is the central conflict of the book, something that is guaranteed to grab you and hold on to you: because pretty soon, YOU are rooting for The Land, you care about it more than Covenant does, and you keep waiting for Thomas to come up with a better answer for his unbelief.
I don't want to go into detail on story, but SRD is quite aware that you've read Lord of the Rings and he works hard to make this interesting and something you won't expect. Again, it is dark. Covenant is at constant war with his unbelief even as those around him fight to protect him and protect The Land.
I guarantee this: If you can get over the darkness of it (Lord Foul is quite aptly named, and there are plenty of foul deeds in the trilogy), you will read and reread these books with fervor. I'll never forget the thrill I had reading The Power That Preserves.
Now that Donaldson has announced that he's writing the final books in this series after some 30-odd years, I'm going to be picking this up again. "The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant" will probably not be out before 2005, but it is currently being written.
____________________
The second trilogy doesn't reach the heights of the first, and downright clunks in the middle, but I still recommend it.

Reviews for each of the books:
Lord Foul's Bane: A
The Illearth War: A+
The Power That Preserves: A+
The Wounded Land: A
The One Tree: C
White Gold Weilder: A
Enjoy!

In this genre, this is a seminal work. Is it derivitive work of Tolkein? Yes. Does it stand on it's own, though? Yes again. I read these books as a teenager, and thought that my continuing fondness for them was a function of that period in my life. That was until Peter Jackson's fantastic Lord of the Rings movie came out last year. I was inspired to re-read Tolkein, and then this series, which I just finished. I found that there were a lot of subtleties to both works which I missed 20 years ago, but now added greatly to my enjoyment of Donaldson's writing.
Thomas Covenant is a great trilogy (I am excluding the far inferior second series from this review).
The work stands as a completely realized vision of a complex reality and the hero's inability to accept it.
I loved this work and would recommend it to anyone who wants a good, and serious read.

When I first began to read this series, I was fascinated by the obnoxiousness and rather unlikeability of the protagonist. I couldn't believe that somebody could actually write about such an anti-hero so I kept reading, and about two-thirds of the way through the first book, I was hooked! I have read the entire series twice, and I think I ready for a third go. It is not often that any media will keep me thinking about it years later, but Thomas Covenant succeeded. As did Donaldson's other books A man rides through, and Mirror of his dreams. I found the Gap series too dark, but years later, Thomas Covenant still disturbs and fascinates - the mark of a great series.

It's been sometime since I read the first chronicles, and I'm in the middle of the second chronicles. The series really went deep, and engrossed me.

I'm not going to go into details on what the book is about. You can read the editorial review, or other people's review. Let's just say that Covenant is back to the land, and he's going to fight the land's archnemesis, Lord Foul the Despiser, face to face.

The biggest reason I liked this series was because it was so original. The unusual hero who doesn't believe the existence of the "Land", and who doesn't know how to use the power that he presumably holds. This unbelief seems to be his strength and weakness; the eye of the paradox.

The only thing I didn't like about this book was that Donaldson kept reminding the reader that Covenant is a leper. Covenant also kept repeating "Leper, outcast, unclean!", and shouted it at just about every character in the book. Even though the repeated phrase made the problem of Covenant more real, it also made the reader frustrated because of his unbelief.

All in all, this is a very good book, never minding the minor flaw that Donaldson made. You should really read this book if you are a fantasy reader, or you are going to regret it.

P.S. by the way, the second chronicles are just as good as the first one, maybe even better that it. Just telling.

Thomas Covenant is a big ole donkey, but not because he wants to be. He's cursed in a very real way with leprosy, and it still hangs over his head even after he enters the fantastical Land. Donadlson makes wonderful use of metaphors and images, but he doesn't write with a great flow, and the battles are mediocre. Though that could be summed up by Covenant rarely being in the middle, let alone fringes of battle; thus none of the strife, fear, blood, is really thrust at us. They are just things happening. I can only think of one battle, really where it was any other way; and thus this book can be a little boring if you can't stand Thomas. I never really understood why he didn't embrace the land more even after accepting it, even after befriending the Giant. But he sticks to his character, and is true to himself. If you don't want a character who keeps telling people to not touch him, keeps being cruel to survive; if you don't want a character who is human just like you but afflicted with one of the world's most horrid dieseases, for its time, anyway, then don't read this book. But if you can stand the slow pace, the loosely strung battles, and the man that is Covenant, you will find a good novel underneath.

The first Thomas Covenant series was an extraordinary find to me while I was in high school. Since then I am reading this series for the 3rd time, which is something that I can say about no other series of books except for Lord Of The Rings. Yes, I say this series is comparable to Lord Of The Rings in its themes, storyline, mythical beings, magic, and underlying worldly history. An unbelievably well thought out story line that you may not fully appreciate until you have finished at least the 2nd chronicles. I highly recommend this book above all other fantasy books and the first novel "Lord Fouls Bane" stands on its own fairly well if you just want to test out the books. You will fall in love with the characters, look past Covenants whiny nature and appreciate his complexity while the characters around him are well developed and entertaining. Love it. A+++. Also, the authors website is 2nd to none... he is a very involved author.

Well, I did. Many years ago, a good friend of mine introduced me to the Sci-fi/Fantasy world of reading with this very series, and boy did it hurt! It started with reading just a few pages here and there, taking in this and that. Before I knew it, I was reading whole books of this series in just a few days, and that's no small feat at about 500 pages per book. If you're looking to completely dive into some serious reading full of expansive self-discovery and painful realities, then you've found your ideal read. I would recommend this series, (or any Donaldson books), to all readers, whether this be your genre or not. ENJOY!!

An excellent, excellent book. Definetly one of my favorites. In fact, the entire first trilogy is stupendous and should be read by any fantasy fan. 2nd trilogy is ok, not nearly as good as the original three, and the recently written Runes of the Earth is completely unnecesary (and terribly written, I might add). But this book is truly a classic. A few things that particularly grabbed me:

1. Covenant (main hero) - A truly engaging character. Quite a break from the perfect chivalry of some fantasy characters, or the standard reluctant hero (e.g. Frodo). Covenant is extremely complex, and as a reader you're never quite sure what to think about him, which I find fascinating. As a hero he's quite unremarkable: no great strength or special powers, only a magic ring which he never really figures out how to control. His defining characteristic is, of course, his leprosy, which generally makes him rather a jerk. His moments of true heroism are few and far between, while his offensive and cowardly actions tend to characterize him far better. Overall quite the interesting anti-hero.

2. The Land - One of the best parts of this series is the interaction between the real world and fantasy world ("The Land"). Unlike a lot of standard fantasy which takes place solely in a made up world, Donaldson takes Covenant from the real world and places him in a fantasy one, but not in a cheesy or childish manner (like walking through a wardrobe or something). In fact, one of the interesting themes throughout the series is whether The Land actually exists, or if its all just a dream Covenant experiences while in his coma-like state. And ultimately, does it even matter whether its real or not?

3. Lord Foul - Despite a somewhat uncreative name, the arch villian in the series is pretty well conceived. He has a much more active role than Sauron in LOTR, but at the same time we don't finally encounter him physically until the end of the third book. His minions (particularly the Ravers) are also intruiging, although they tend to get much better developed in books 2 and 3 than this one.

So overall, a great read. Storyline is great fantasy without being cliche, characters are rich and complex, and the re-read value is off the charts. Highly recommended.

I read the first Thomas Covenant Book at a very dark time in my life. I have just finished the second book some years later.

I felt just like Covenant who returns to The Land some forty years later and has to catch up on what's going on. I was glad to see that he hadn't lost his sense of realism and careful evaluation. I know that many call this pessimism, but I call it keeping it real.

My wife and I are both big fans of The Lord of the Rings and Narnia. This series is neither of those. In those stories the hero or heroes know what they are there for and the task at hand, but not so with Covenant. In fact, there are many points in the book where Covenant doesn't know nor cares about what is expected of him. He only seems to act out of self-preservation and frustration. Many are the times when the reader is yelling at the book so as to make Covenant, at the very least, attempt to help. By the way, my wife cannot stand such dark and brewding novels. The Last Battle (Narnia) is dark enough for her.

The battle scenes are great and you are totally swept along, but it is a long and winding road that takes you there.

In short, Thomas Covenant doesn't know what he's doing, but he is still in there trying. However, the toughest enemy seems to be himself.

"Lord Foul's Bane" is book 1 of the The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, written in 1977. While it is derivative of most epic high fantasy series, such as Lord of the Rings, there is also a liberal dose of Narnia-type spirituality and a fish out of water in the title character.

Thomas Covenant is a novelist in a modern but rural U.S. town who suddenly loses everyting when he mysteriously contracts leprosy and becomes an outcast in his own community. A freak accident thrusts him into an alternate universe. He immediately encounters two evil forces, the title character Lord Foul and a malignant cavewight named Drool Rockworm. What follows is Covenant's quest to aid the inhabitants of the land in reclaiming an artifact from Drool and attempting to stop Lord Foul from destroying their world.

Covenant has an interesting series of adventures on his way to the city of Revelstone. He meets Lena, a young woman who aids him but whose trust he betrays, and her mother Atiaran, who leads him to a mighty river. Once there he mights the excellently named giant, Saltheart Foamfollower. And the adventure continues...

The book is full of vivid description of The Land, where the inhabitants have a spiritual affinity with the earth, kind of granola hippy elves and wizards. Very 1970s, but not dated at all. There is amazing depth and passion in these characters, and this is a character driven fantasy.

Of course, the most important character is Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, so called because he does not accept that The Land is healing his leprosy and that he bears a startling resemblance to a prophetic figure of the land, due to his missing several fingers on his right hand. He also has a ring of white gold, which is magical in the land, but whose power he does not understand nor have any ability to control. Covenant is a character in conflict, an anti-hero surrounded by heroes. This makes the story challenging, because at times I wanted to smack him because he was so testy, whiny, selfish and weak. In the end, these flaws create a well-rounded character, and one can only hope that he develops more heroism and skill in the subsequent volumes.

The quest also has a satisfying conclusion, yet enough of a dangle at the end to lead one to explore the next book, "The Illearth War."

The final book in the Thomas Covenant trilogy does not dissapoint! This book is full of so much action, emotion, and intrigue to keep any reader hooked. The book starts when the Unbeliever is again summoned to the land, this time by a rather unlikely source. Covenant's mission this time in the Land is simple, destroy Lord Foul.
But, how will he accomplish such a thing? Lord Foul has rebuilt his army, and it is even bigger than before. And the army has only one purpose, to destroy everything on the Land. Covenant and some old friends (and enemies) must fight to stop Foul before it is too late. Emotions run high in this final book of The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever.

I never thought that I would ever love to hate someone in any literature ever. Thomas Covenant is that someone because of his inexcusable hatred of himself and his undying motto of "DON'T TOUCH ME!" This is what makes the book captivating.

Antiheroes don't appear too often. The only other one I can think of is Jack Sparrow. Mr. Donaldson starts off with describing Covenant and his condition. Thomas Covenant is a leper whose wife divorced him and took their one year old son with her. After becoming a leper, Covenant destroys his writings, the only thing he lived for. One day, as an act of defiance, he ventures into town to pay his bills. He meets an old man who needs money. Having none, Covenant attempts to give the old man his white gold wedding ring. The old man gives it back to him and says, "Be true, you need not fail." Covenant is so confused that he does not notice the police car until it almost hits him. He faints and wakes up in the presence of Lord Foul, who gives him a message for the Lords of the Land.

Thus begins Covenant's journeys in the Land, a place full of unparalleled beauty and dire dangers. This first book is but a taste of the great saga of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever. Read it and you will enjoy it.

This book is one of the best entries in what must be considered one of the best Fanstasy series of all time. No other world will stick with you like The Land. Donaldson shares with you a world so beautiful you can scarcely imagine it, then proceeds to tear it apart. The characters breathe for themselves, the choices they face are heart-wrenching, and the protagonist is as non-traditional as it gets. It's dark, and made even more so once you've experienced (in the 1st 2 books) how brightly shined the light that is being extinguished. I reread the chapter "Lord Mhoram's Victory" every couple of months. Excellent

Reading "Lord Foul's Bane" is the literary equivalent of ordering a cheeseburger and getting a five-star meal. While having all the appearance of a standard, formulaic entry in the fantasy genre, the book actually is a literary masterpiece. It explores the big questions about the nature of reality, ethics, and the meaning of human life, but at the same time tells a gripping story with one of the most exciting endings I've ever read.
The story, as you probably already know, goes like this: Thomas Covenant lives as a leper in our 'real' world. His community shuns him and his family has abandoned him. After being knocked unconscious in an accident, he awakes to find himself in "The Land", a fantasy universe where he appears to be the reincarnation of an ancient hero and the only person who can save the world from evil. What makes this book so different is that Donaldson dedicated great effort to making Covenant's reaction to the situation intensely believable. In fact, I would feel confident in saying that Thomas Covenant is the most thoroughly developed and convincing character that the fantasy genre has ever produced. Since "Lord Foul's Bane" is told entirely from the perspective of the protagonist, the reader gets to know all of his thought processes and view all of his struggles to reconcile his need for reality with the fantasy world that he sees around him.
The other aspect where Donaldson surpasses almost all fantasy authors is descriptive writing. As part of his story, he makes it clear that "The Land" appears to Covenant as a much more pristine and beautiful environment than the real world. To back up this presentation, he provides some of the most wonderful word pictures of the landscape that I've ever read. Because of this, you can actually picture what the world looks like and comprehend why it has such a profound effect on the main character. Overall, I rank this series as being one of the great achievements in the fantasy genre, and would enthusiastically recommend it to anybody.

I agree with what a lot of the other reviewers say - Thomas Covenant is a great anti-hero. This whole series is filled with fantastic philosophical insight leading one to think about matters of life and death, futility and hopefulness, and whether it is all worth it. In that respect, this series is close to being great, classic literature. It just doesn't make it, though, on two counts. One, the characters aren't quite compelling enough to really get one to react to them intellectually, morally, emotionally, etc., even though it is quite exciting that a writer would make the lead character (Covenant) a leper. Secondly, and this is my biggest problem with the series, is that it is simply very poorly written. I read it in high school, I read it in college, I read it in seminary when I was 30. I really wanted to give the series a chance, since my friends liked it so much, and I felt it deserved an attempt at different growth stages in my life. But I never enjoyed reading it, and I won't try anymore. It's not disappointing in the way of a popular mass-market book, because one doesn't expect anything from one of those except unintelligent and hollow entertainment and escapism. Donaldson created a world of amazing creativity and depth, laden with cool places and people and cultures, all quite well thought out - more so than the vast majority of fantasy-lands. The disappointment comes because a book about a leper facing his life, futility, hopelessness, narcissism, and general lack of compassion or interest in himself or anyone else could have been a deep, meaningful exploration forcing one to pause and take stock of one's own life and society (the goal of all true literature). Covenant the character could have been a brilliant (and not cliché) anti-hero. Donaldson has given us something that could have been that, but he fails to give it to us, and one is left feeling like the sickly parent who has spent the week's food money on snake-oil and finally realized what it really is - a bottle with an empty promise. Unfortunately, the story is simply not written in a compelling way. I didn't care about the characters, the dialogue felt unreal, the prose drones on and on, and I never felt bad setting the book down. In fact I really forced my way to the end of the third book, simply as an act of self-will to see if I could do it. Please note that I am *not* some doofus who thinks a book without constant action is boring - I love Joyce, German writing, Wagner operas and Philip Glass music, so it's not that I can't appreciate long, slow movement. I do like it to be compelling, though.
In terms of importance in the fantasy genre, this is a must-have series because it is a foundational, common-knowledge series that all fantasy buffs should be familiar with. So I give it one star, but I tell you to read it anyway.

I'll give the first trilogy 5 and the second 4 - I haven't finished the last 4. These are very good books taken shallowly or deeply, imo. I understand how some people have a hard time getting through the bad Covenant periods, but it wouldn't be the same story without it. This is about human character in all of it's guises and also about salvation.

Of all the series I've read, this has to be the most annoying. I won't bother to explain how much you hate or love Thomas Covenant, you'll do both at various times throughout the series. He's truly the anti-hero (or Anti-Christ for that matter) but he is human in every sense of the word. He is a bit of you and me at one time or another in our lives and portrays the typical defeatist in the book. It's a leap from the normal typical fantasy about good and evil and that is the draw and appeal of the book. Forget about the undertones and other "deep" convictions that you may hear. Read it because it's pure escapism at it?s best. Donaldson is superb at weaving a tale of woe and worry. Along with being dark and depressing, it?s also uplifting and enjoyable. The characters and places are colorful and stand on their own with rich histories, stories and lives. I?ve read it three times since the early 80?s when I stumbled upon it. I recommend it as a study of human nature and internal struggle

just wanted to make 2 points clear:
1. Covenant rapes Lena in what he believes to be a dream - he doesn't think its real. He ends up being the Unbeliever because to accept the reality of the Land is to accept he is a rapist for real. This act is absolutely never condoned and shapes the rest of the series.
2. Incest - Covenant does later sleep with his daughter, but only when neither of them are aware of their relationship. He is not 'capable of committing incest' - he has no idea he is doing it.
Good people sometimes do bad things, and just because an author writes about something it does not mean he condones it. Ok?

High Lord summons.

Called back to the Land because they are in trouble again, Covenant finds only a few years have passed, not a few decades as per last time.

Things are still bad with Fouly now having control of Elena after her screwup last time.

The Bloodguard have also given the High Lord et al. the arse, and decided to go hang out with the giants and horses and try and hep out there.

Covenant is left with some tough decisions on what to do, including being about to save the life of a little girl in the real world.

3.5 out of 5

When one wants to engulf themselves in a fantasy novel, they want to be taken on a ride that hails major emotions. Love always garners hate, redemption, fear, anticipation, and numerous other emotions. All caused by one premise "love". Love is the precursor, fuel for the flame but only one in a fantasy world the sky is the limit and Steven R. Donaldson delivers with astounding story telling. I have read the first and Second Chronicles three times over. I had just learned recently that a third Chronicle existed. I have completed all except "The Last Dark", which will not be available until sometime in the Fall of 2013.

Please read all of the First, Second and Third Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. You will be extremely pleased, I was and still am when I re-read them.

M.L. Taylor

SOrry Hobbit man, Lord Foul's Bane is the best fantasy series known to man. Never has life been pictured in a more abstract-realism pastiche of trial, error, depspite and purification. TragicHero Thomas Covenent is the best and most philosophizing character of all time. He revels in pain and despair, dealing with the ultimate social paralysis, leprosy. He lives in a land of spite and distrust and is transferred to another place, The Land. What happens next shakes up Urlord's reality. Everything changes and rather than be ignored, he is honored and charged by expectation. This is the perfect story for all infirmnities. The introspection of TC is revolutionary, as it discusses the battle of despair. If you have not read this book, I cannot help you. Feel the Land work, take away, work, take away...ARGH Covenant! If you cannot fall in love with every character for the subimation of their craftedness, there again, i cannot help you.

Thomas will frustrate you no doubt. He's not your typical main character by far and you grit your teeth when he interacts with those around him because he is always abrasive and tactless, but that is just what Donaldson is aiming for. He's a leper and he's holding onto his sanity the only way he knows how (Thomas not Donaldson. I think Donaldson just has a bad rash)

I found the first 1/3 of the book to be slow going. Donaldson spent alot of time describing scenery and pounding into your head Thomas' reluctance to believe anything. I also found the language to be a bit on the heavy side, although it didn't hinder the story. Most of the time you could make out what he was saying even if your vocabulary couldn't. One particular bit of text had me rolling my eyes

"a keening ecstatic lament, a threnody as throbbingly passionate as a dirge and as dispassionate as a sublime, impersonal affirmation"

I plan to work that bit of text into my next conversation about popular music... we'll see how well it goes over.

Once the story gets going, it really gets going. I read the last 2/3 of the book in 2 sittings (well, I laid down for a bit of the first one but that always makes me sleepy, so I sat back up). My opinion of the book changed drastically, but not my opinion of Thomas, he was still annoying and Donaldson apparently still had a problem with that rash.

References to Lord of the Rings is not unfounded. The story has alot of similarities even if Thomas is everything Frodo is not (or the other way around). What it does do is create its own unique world, peopled with unique peoples and charactered with unique characters.

Here are 2 completely independent asides related to the book, but have nothing to do with your decision to purchase it.

1) My book was one of those misprints. The kind that might gather top dollar at an auction, like printing an Elvis stamp backward. When I reached page 170, the next page was 215. Skipping ahead to where I thought 215 really should have been and hoping to find 171, I found 225. Paging frantically to puzzle together my book, I determined 171-190 was forever lost and promptly went back to my bookstore to replace it. This was one time I was glad I didn't get it via the store, or I'd have to wait 3-4 business days to continue the story. Needless to say, the one copy they had left was numbered correctly.

2) I have an office upstairs in my house. We have small children, so we use a baby gate to block access to the stairs. Being well into my thirties, I can no longer leap the 2.5 foot gate in acrobatic fashion, so I usually hoist myself over using the handrail. After 4 years of such hoisting, the railing finally gave up and the little metal bracket broke. Now, when I use the railing, bad things happen to me. To avoid using the railing until I can fix it, I attached a piece of paper to it stating "Don't touch me, I'm a leper!" Yeah, you won't get it until you read the book, so maybe this aside will actually have a bearing on your buying decision, not that I get any royalties if you do.

There ARE some very good characters in this book series. Unfortunately the main character is so annoying and uninteresting that it takes a lot of the enjoyment out of reading it.

There were times when I couldnt put the book down. When the main character was out of the picture somehow the other characters really kept me into it. Mhoram, Troy, Saltheart, etc...all great characters. And the different people of the land and creatures of the land were interesting and captivating.

Unfortunately, the great parts are scattered between long, boring parts where the main character whines and complains and drones on and on saying and/or thinking the same thing over and over.

Thomas Covenant as a character really annoyed me. And I didnt even HATE him. It would have been better if he was like one of those people you love to hate. At least he would have gotten some kind of emotion from me. Instead he was just a boring, whiny annoyance.

Overall I would give it 2.5 stars but since I have to choose 2 or 3 I will go with two. This book had the potential to be great and fun and interesting. I've never read much fantasy and I have never read Donaldson before but you can tell that this author has talent and a unique ability to describe things so you feel like you are right there. Unfortunately the fact that he created such a boring and whiny main character really detracted from my enjoyment of an otherwise fun read.

I could only manage to slog through eight chapters of this awful novel before tossing it away like the garbage it is.

The protagonist, Thomas Covenant, is a petulant, whining man-child who laments his life afflicted by leprosy and the fact that his ex-wife Joan "abandoned him" for so called greener pastures. He finds himself transported to a magical, mystical place the "the Land" when he falls and hits his head on the road in what might've been a potential death by an oncoming car. It really doesn't matter how or why the man is in this amazing place because the 1st person narrative is so poorly done with his endless lamentations and denial about everything (he IS the "Unbeliver" after all, ha ha!) that you find your desire to give a damn about anything Covenant says rapidly fading.

The novel turns sour fast when we, the audience, are forced to read the extremely unnecessary to the narrative and highly inappropriate rape of Lena, the young woman who did everything she could to help Covenant when he first arrived. He also suffers no apparent consequence for his actions either. I understand that this nonsense may have passed for a "decent plot device" back in the 70s, but it certainly hasn't aged well at all. I stopped reading this book after that since any modicum of interest in this book had evaporated.

Spare yourself by not reading this novel that tries too hard to be an epic tale in mediocrity. End of story.

There seems to be no middle ground with this series which, I believe, shows a great talent in Mr. Donaldson that is overlooked. There is such dispair and, at times, such overwhelming helplessness and hopelessness exhibited in these books that readers, emotionally, seem to get so involved they develope a hatered or love for them as the reader can see in the critques.

I bought "Lord Foul's Bane" when in my twenties and was impressed enough to buy the other five books. Over the years, I "lost" a few of the volumes and am now looking forward to replacing them and re-reading the series.

I don't think these books, or any other book for that matter, should be compared to any other book or books but should stand on thier own merit. I cannot recommend these, or any other, to anybody but, if your curious, you should buy the first volume and make your own judgment.

Personally, I enjoyed them and will enjoy them again if only for the uniqueness of the storyline. A lepper as a hero (or anti-hero if you will) is quite unique in my experience in reading and the, overall, "downess" of the books went quite well with the character and story.

Personally, I like the old SiFi books of Saberhagen, E.E Smith, and others the best for entertainment reading but sometimes I need a change of pace and "The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever" is that indeed!

I found one narrative flaw in this book--the revelation thatthe Land is more likely to be real than merely the product ofCovenant's imagination as demonstrated by scenes of the Lords before Covenant's advent into the Land. Aside from this, the book continues faithfully the tale of the Unbeliever in the Land. The ending, despite superficial cliches, was very good. In fact, given the evidence in the rest of the series, there was no other way to end the story. However, I consider the strong qualities of the book to outweigh the narrtive weaknesses to such an extent I will grant it five stars.

I read the first series and was blown away. The story is built on an immense scale. There are so many characters, so much background, so many journeys that you feel like you are there and care for the Land. This series isn't for everyone. If you aren't looking for a book to stimulate you intellectually with big words then go read The Dark Elf Trilogy.
I have to comment on one reviewer who said she didn't like the story because of its simplistic names (i.e. Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, and Lord Fould the Despiser). It is obvious she didn't read the whole story (even beyond her admission of not getting past the first 50 pages). Had she read further she would have realized that those names are integral to the entire series. Those names are symbolic. Unbeliever represents the conflict within Thomas Covenant. Any other name would make his struggles/conflict meaningless.

I read this in the early 80's as a teenager, and absolutely loved it. After the popularity of the Lord of the Rings movies, I bought the trilogy for a nephew who had fallen in love with Tolkein, and he had the same opinion that I did: this was a more enjoyable story than Rings. I didn't say better, especially since so many elements of Covenant are blatantly copied from Rings - the ring as a talisman, a disembodied near all powerful nemesis, Woodwrights=Ents, etc -, but the charecters and the storyline are masterful. When I gave it to my nephew I re-read the copies that I had, and once again came to the same conclusion, that this series was more enjoyable than Rings. I also re-read Rings during the popularity of the movies, and yes they are an example of great storytelling.

I must say though, that the Rings movies far exceeded the books for me. I can't wait to see if someone will ever bring this series to the screen.

Thomas Covenant, the anti-hero of this story is afflicted with leprosy. He finds himself mysteriously transported to another world which he refuses to believe is real. There he must choose to follow his own selfish survivalist instincts or actively help save a land and it's people from ultimate destruction. His decisions are further clouded by the fact that his white gold wedding ring holds a magical power that is key to their survival but does not know how summon or control that power.

Time and again he fails in his choices, even raping a girl after his leprosy-numbed senses return in full strength. Yet sometimes the moral choice is not so clear: at one point he refuses to kill his own enemies instead of helping the people of the Land. There are times when Covenant acts to save the people, but he refuses every ultimatum and only fights after reaching the decision on his own terms.

Covenant disavows responsibility and waives choice whenever he can, trusting that he will eventually emerge from this delusion and continue to survive with his disease in his own world.

Having a dislikable main character is very awkward, and there are very few convincing examples in the story that show any real change. This can make the book very inaccessible for those who have trouble with stories that do not proffer solutions to its arguments. The style is another obstacle: the logic is sometimes disconnected and it is often difficult to separate thought and metaphore from real-time action. Also the selection of metaphore is sometimes awkward (e. g. contrasting an immortal life to salad dressing - no lie, it's in the book!).

Despite these problems, Lord Foul's Bane, and the entire series, is still rewarding and enjoyable. The underlying legend of the Land is rich and interesting. The action carries the plot along at an exciting pace. The device of the anti-hero allows Donaldson to explore more complicated and humanistic themes than you will find in a typical genre novel. There is a reason it's a best-seller after all!

Thomas Covenant is a leper. He sees no one and no one wants to see him. Ever. Covenant has absolutely no hopes for the future whatsoever. When he is transported to "The Land," an other-worldly place where he is viewed as the reincarnation of a legendary hero, Covenant refuses to believe in a land so beautiful or in a people who hail him as a hero. Yet in the Land, Covenant posseses a power he can't control or even understand.
If Tolkien is a little too light, not hard-hitting enough, 'Lord Foul's Bane' may be exactly what you're looking for. Donaldson has written a dark, adult fantasy that is sometimes depressing, but always fascinating. Donaldson's Land is just as believable as Tolkien's Middle Earth, and a lot more satisfying in many ways. Covenant is the perfect anti-hero and one of the great characters in fantasy literature. I can't recommend this book (or the series) too highly. If you enjoy the book, don't stop! Donaldson wrote a total of 6 books and they're all good. Enjoy!

This novel definitely fall into the **love-hate** category -- very few readers will have an indifferent reaction to Donaldson's tale of anti-hero Thomas Covenant. To use one example, how would you react to a hero who commits a rape only a few pages after he's been introduced ... ?

If you typically enjoy heroic sword-wielding, quest-taking fare along the lines of Tolkien, McCaffery, Brooks, etc., the Covenant series might be better left on the shelf. The protagonist is THE anti-hero -- he's a whiner, a coward, and a near-complete pacifist. If Thomas Covenant had led the quest to destroy the One Ring in Mount Doom, then Middle Earth would assuredly be totally under the sway of Sauron ...

However, if you're looking for a novel that will challenge your expectations, throw in some surprises, and provide solid, readable prose, then you'll at least be intrigued by Lord Foul's Bane -- whether or not you actually LIKE it will, again, depend on how you react to Covenant.

Personally, I felt it was a four-star effort. I found it intriguing, if a little bit distressing. It's also over-long in parts and slow in a number of places. Overall, though, a fine read.

The second installment is the best of the three because of the conflict. Gives you something to enjoy other than the bemoaning of Thomas. WEll written but tends to be a bit wordy.

As in the first, it takes some time to actually get to the meat of the novel and as always, the way Thomas Covenant is, is truely annoying.

This series, desptie it's problems with the main character, has many intriguing facets. Not the least is the way white gold is the foundation of the world. I just wish you saw more of him using it. Good Characters and action.

There are without a doubt many things to criticize in this book (and the two trilogies). Stephen Donaldson's writing style is his best friend AND worst enemy. This book is written with urgency, vitality, and obviously with a great deal of imaginative furvor. There are NO small emotions or crises in the Covenant books, and we are gripped by the passion of them. But this does lead to some sloppy writing.
In Stephen King's fun book ON WRITING, he spends a great deal of time criticising the use of adverbs. And he does make a good point about their problematic nature for good, clean writing. If King were to read LORD FOUL'S BANE, he'd probably keel over with apoplexy due to the adverbs. I've never read a book with more words ending in "ly." So, by that token, the writing is a problem.
Yet it is this profusion of adverbage (if I can make up a word) that instills the book with its passion. When Thomas Covenant comes as feelingless leper to The Land, where his senses are reignited, and more alive than ever, the adverbs seem almost to spring right out of the land itself. And he doesn't meet any boring characters. They are all either fanatical (in a good way) servants of the Land, unbelievably horrible creatures or astoundingly good-hearted and understanding.
If Covenant were merely a leper who comes to a new land and is reignited, and he immediately believes in the Land, then the books would be VERY different and not nearly as rich. It is his very unbelief, and the reactions to this unbelief of all the remarkable characters around him that give this book a unique flavor all its own. Covenant is an anti-hero, and we seldom really like him, but we usually feel his pain. But not liking our "hero" doesn't detract from the book, because almost everyone else we meet, from Saltheart Foamfollower the giant, to Lord Mhoram, even to the bloodguard Bannor are all engaging and likeable in the extreme. We grow to care about the land deeply.
Many have said the book steals a lot of ideas from LORD OF THE RINGS. No question, it is influenced by it. But few fantasy series' could avoid such comparisons. Tolkien laid down the road...all the writers who come after must spend some time on that road. Donaldson DOES spend a lot of time on the road, but he takes all the Tolkien influences and molds them to his own needs, and throws in plenty of his own ideas.
These are great books. THEY MUST BE READ IN ORDER. And fair warning: once you read the first, you won't want to stop until you've read the other five. Make sure you're ready for that commmitment. I have now read the series three times over the last 21 years. Each time, I have devoured them whole and burned up a whole lot of hours when I should have been sleeping, studying, etc. I envy anyone who gets to read these for the first time!

This novel definitely fall into the **love-hate** category -- very few readers will have an indifferent reaction to Donaldson's tale of anti-hero Thomas Covenant. To use one example, how would you react to a hero who commits a rape only a few pages after he's been introduced ... ?

If you typically enjoy heroic sword-wielding, quest-taking fare along the lines of Tolkien, McCaffery, Brooks, etc., the Covenant series might be better left on the shelf. The protagonist is THE anti-hero -- he's a whiner, a coward, and a near-complete pacifist. If Thomas Covenant had led the quest to destroy the One Ring in Mount Doom, then Middle Earth would assuredly be totally under the sway of Sauron ...

However, if you're looking for a novel that will challenge your expectations, throw in some surprises, and provide solid, readable prose, then you'll at least be intrigued by Lord Foul's Bane -- whether or not you actually LIKE it will, again, depend on how you react to Covenant.

Personally, I felt it was a four-star effort. I found it intriguing, if a little bit distressing. It's also over-long in parts and slow in a number of places. Overall, though, a fine read.

The second installment is the best of the three because of the conflict. Gives you something to enjoy other than the bemoaning of Thomas. WEll written but tends to be a bit wordy.

As in the first, it takes some time to actually get to the meat of the novel and as always, the way Thomas Covenant is, is truely annoying.

This series, desptie it's problems with the main character, has many intriguing facets. Not the least is the way white gold is the foundation of the world. I just wish you saw more of him using it. Good Characters and action.

There are without a doubt many things to criticize in this book (and the two trilogies). Stephen Donaldson's writing style is his best friend AND worst enemy. This book is written with urgency, vitality, and obviously with a great deal of imaginative furvor. There are NO small emotions or crises in the Covenant books, and we are gripped by the passion of them. But this does lead to some sloppy writing.
In Stephen King's fun book ON WRITING, he spends a great deal of time criticising the use of adverbs. And he does make a good point about their problematic nature for good, clean writing. If King were to read LORD FOUL'S BANE, he'd probably keel over with apoplexy due to the adverbs. I've never read a book with more words ending in "ly." So, by that token, the writing is a problem.
Yet it is this profusion of adverbage (if I can make up a word) that instills the book with its passion. When Thomas Covenant comes as feelingless leper to The Land, where his senses are reignited, and more alive than ever, the adverbs seem almost to spring right out of the land itself. And he doesn't meet any boring characters. They are all either fanatical (in a good way) servants of the Land, unbelievably horrible creatures or astoundingly good-hearted and understanding.
If Covenant were merely a leper who comes to a new land and is reignited, and he immediately believes in the Land, then the books would be VERY different and not nearly as rich. It is his very unbelief, and the reactions to this unbelief of all the remarkable characters around him that give this book a unique flavor all its own. Covenant is an anti-hero, and we seldom really like him, but we usually feel his pain. But not liking our "hero" doesn't detract from the book, because almost everyone else we meet, from Saltheart Foamfollower the giant, to Lord Mhoram, even to the bloodguard Bannor are all engaging and likeable in the extreme. We grow to care about the land deeply.
Many have said the book steals a lot of ideas from LORD OF THE RINGS. No question, it is influenced by it. But few fantasy series' could avoid such comparisons. Tolkien laid down the road...all the writers who come after must spend some time on that road. Donaldson DOES spend a lot of time on the road, but he takes all the Tolkien influences and molds them to his own needs, and throws in plenty of his own ideas.
These are great books. THEY MUST BE READ IN ORDER. And fair warning: once you read the first, you won't want to stop until you've read the other five. Make sure you're ready for that commmitment. I have now read the series three times over the last 21 years. Each time, I have devoured them whole and burned up a whole lot of hours when I should have been sleeping, studying, etc. I envy anyone who gets to read these for the first time!

I've had a few books sitting around my house for a year that I never read because they had mediocre reviews. In the last week I've tried to read 3-4 of them and ended up quitting each one. This book is one of that group. I gave it a good try - 200+ pages but it was just so boring. There's a quest, and a guy with a magic ring, and a very long journey that is filled with overly long descriptions about everything - the scenery, the history of the people, their songs and stories (very Tolkien-esque - except he did it first and better).

Much has been written in the reviews about what a despicable guy Thomas is - that isn't what bothered me about the book. I just can't force myself to read 200 pages of a guy traveling and nothing happening. It's boring. Also, Thomas Covenant says "Hellfire" about 5 times per page and I just can't take it anymore.

PS - the bad guy's names are "Lord Foul" and "Drool RockWorm" - seriously.

The second book in the first series. Continues in the same vein as the first book, achingly heroic characters dealing with situations that squarely mark the bounds of good and evil, so you would think. The highly original and infuriating character of Thomas Covenant will make you re-think you're premises. Heart breaking and triumphant, the paradox continues.

Some people want to believe in a world were good always wins over evil. Heroes that are always brave and ready for the challenges they have to face occupy this world. This is the world where most modern fantasy stories occur.

Too many fantasy fans basically want to read the same story repeatedly. They fell in love with Tolkien's fantastic literary creation composed from his studies and worldview and want nothing else. So an army of uncreated authors robbed the grave of Tolkien's imagination and produced watered down versions of his masterpiece. Fantasy fans ate up this feast of tasteless colorful treats and stuck out their hands for more. The result of this environment created by the popular but unimaginative fantasy authors is that most modern heroic fantasy is not worth the paper it is printed on and will be forgotten after a few generations.

A few authors tried to do something different with the field that Tolkien made popular. These authors took fantasy and made changes that spawn works that were worth reading. These works were mature works that real people could relate to.

One of the authors that takes epic fantasy and twists it to come up with something new is Stephen R. Donaldson. You will find many similarities between Donaldson's "Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever" and Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" but don't be mistaken into believing that Donaldson is one of the hacks making a living picking Tolkien's bones. Donaldson does seem partly inspired by Tolkien. He also seems to be inspired by some of the old tales that Tolkien used for inspiration but Donaldson's main inspiration is humanity. His writing examines the struggle of the human animal to live.

Donaldson's Thomas Covenant is a truly original protagonist in modern fantasy literature. This is a character that readers will not like. He is not made out of the stern stuff that most central characters in heroic fiction are made from. Covenant is a scared and selfish man. He is a man that achieved the dream of happiness and success in our world. Then he had his achievements snatched away from him through no fault of his own. He contracted leprosy. The man that once had it all now only has the will to survive. He has lost his humanity because he has been cut off from his family and community. Can a man like this regain his humanity? That is only one of the many question you will ponder as you read "Lord Foul's Bane".

Covenant is magically transported to a world where the different people share the burden of protecting the land. He no longer knows how to properly respond to kindness and concern directed towards him. He has been so completely cut off from the connection one has to humanity and nature that all he has left is his instinct to survive like a frightened animal. As the story progresses, Covenant observes the people's commitment towards each other and nature but continues to isolate himself. He believes this magical land to be dream and to accept it will lead to madness.

On the surface this book is an epic fantasy but underneath it is a study of the human condition. If you are a person that thinks about the nature of man, then this book is for you.

The only flaw I found in this book is that some of the chapters were a bit slow in advancing the story but overall this is a wonderful novel.

I'm a great fan of Donaldson's. Even today, 23 years after this book's initial release, as I'm being spoiled by George R. R. Martin, I still look back on this book with amazement. There are chapters in this book, notably Lord Mhoram's Victory, that should receive a special place in a "Fantasy Hall of Fame", that should be used as templates in high fantasy writing seminars.

***SPOILER ALERT***
(although the book is 31 years old...)

I'd like to offer one argument to those who brand Donaldson as being too dark. Lord Foul was defeated by what? Laughter. Hardly a dreary weapon.

What a concept! A leper from our world is summoned by a dark
lord in a sword and sorcery world called "The Land." He
bears a powerful weapon he does not know how to use -- to
wit, his white gold wedding band. Whisked from adventure to
adventure, our hero (Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever)
refuses to believe in the reality of this fantasy world. All
the while, the good forces hope and pray that he will save
their world with his white gold. Here is a highly
successful series of novels that does not flag in the later
volumes. A must read.

It's either your type of thing or it's not. The series is gritty, dramatic and deep and I waded through the lot. I won't add to what's already been said but the popularity cannot be denied. This is probably the first fantasy series I ever read and I absolutely couldn't put them down. As soon as one would was read, I wanted to move onto the next one. Some of the content does indeed depict the good versus evil battle that you find in epic tales.

Note: There are a couple Mormons who are angry over my negative reviews of books written in defense of the Book of Mormon, and they have been slamming my reviews. Your "helpful" votes are appreciated. Thanks.

As for this fantasy, I read all three books in this series, and I enjoyed them very much. I would only say in criticism that the hero's pain (angst) was at times overbearing. Too much of it, but the story kept me going. I loved the "cavewrights."

I would criticize Donaldson for mining the dictionary in writing his books. It slowed down the reading--too many words to look up in certain sections, so much so that I circled a bunch on two pages just for the fun of it. I think this detracted from the writing.

In spite of those criticisms, I would highly recommend the "Chronicles." There were a lot of great adventures and characters.

Which did I like the most--"Chronicles" or "Lord of the Rings"? I would say "Lord of the Rings," because I read that trilogy first and because I sympathized with the main character more. "Chronicles" is a more mature book, I would say--deeper and darker, but a great fantasy.

An epic to rival (but not surpass) The Lord of the Rings. Different in many ways, but fantasy epic nonetheless. Anyone interested in the environment would be amazed at the manner in which the author gives "The Land" a life force of its own. Each entity of life, nature and existence has a palpable, visible vitality, which is one of the reasons that the author has chosen to use a leper (whose degenerating nerves shouldn't allow him to experience it) to give it even more vitality than the people of the land appreciate. And those people appreciate it amazingly. A good, thorough vacation into fantasy.

The 'Power That Preserves' was a wonderful book. It creates a relationship between Thomas Convenant 'The Groveler' and Saltheart Foamfollower 'The Kin Abandoner' as they are haunted by the presence of Lord Foul the Despiser. They travel together as the last hope for the Land, and the journey they undertake is everything a fan of this series will enjoy. Donaldson's unique and creative imagination is powerful and his writing style drives this book home. It completely wraps up the first series and does so in a magnificent fashion. You will love it!

This is one of the few fantasy series I come back to over and over again. Of the original 6 books, I will admit, this is the weakest. That is why I give it 4 stars.

Donaldson's portrayal of Covenant was masterful. I find the many negative comments boil down to one thing. People don't like or empathize with him. I feel that this is due to a lack of attention to the details put into the character.

A social outcast, betrayed by the wife he adored. She took his newborn son and left him at the worst time in his life. Divorced and then outcast by the community he was a part of. If this is not a recipe for bitterness and self loathing, I am not sure what is. Betrayal on a scope that is breathtaking if you pay attention to the details.

The overwhelming painful reality of the disease he is forced to cope with. Every day a struggle to avoid a horrible wasting sickness. These are the details so many pass over. I will not excuse the deplorable things the character does, nor does the author expect you to like him, it seems. The nature of his unbelief is the core of his bitterness. To give in to the land is to commit suicide and make all the horrible things done to him justified. His stubborn refusal to give in is all that keeps him going.

Covenant is surrounded by a rich land of truly likable and heroic people. Atrian, the mother of the 16 year old girl he rapes, forgoes vengeance in order to warn the land of it's terrible doom. She does not blindly turn an eye to what was done. She simply believes that there are more horrible things to come if she gives in to her anger. A central tenant of all the lands people is an "oath of peace". It more then explains her reactions to me.

I don't want to go into all the details, as so many other reviews already have. I simply needed to state that there are so many layers of details that people are willing to gloss over. And in the end, the greatest strength that these books have is that the characters are far from perfect. I'd even go so far as to say the hero is human, with all the darkness and hope for possible redemption that it might imply.

In the end, the (anti)hero holds up a mirror to our darkest self loathing side. It is an uncomfortable looking glass. It seems to me, that this is the reason for such differing reviews.

This trilogy had such potential, but, Donaldson's writing style actually made reading a chore. I found Thomas to be needy and wanting for a slap to get over himself. I found the series moved at a snails pace. I couldn't bear to read the third book in the first series, I gave the 6 books away, they were THAT bad. There's stuff out a lot more entertaining to read. Don't waste your time.

While I believe that the characters could be real in the work, such as having flaws and such, the plot line is sorely in need of originality. I'm sick of fantasy novels in which the main hero is suddenly whisked away from his normal life in to some imaginary dreamworld. If the book started there it would be fine, but too many fantasy novels try to cause plotlines by impossible events like just moving around characters through time and space unknowingly. The reason for the second star is because at the end Covenant questions whether or not the dream was real or fake...

Or rather diminishes in disbelief. From start to finish, his disbelief has been a sore point with me. I've read the series four times so it couldn't have been too much. But thinking about it, I think I read it more for the other characters you get the chance to meet. Mhorim and his fellow priests. Saltheart Foamfollower who sadly must find his people have been exterminated. I could go on and on. Even the bad guys are very well executed.

All in all, this series is worth the time to read, but I just can't give it a five star.

The Power That Preserves is an excellent book, with some of the most complex characters I've read. Donaldson was able to craft, over the course of 3 books, a systematic theology within which good and evil battle each other in a manner reminiscent of Lewis' Martian trilogy and Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. It's a series I've read every 5 or so years since it came out, and have passed it on to many others.

Before this review begins I would like to warn readers that something very strange happens in the beginning.Keep on reading ,eventually you figure that he wasn't in his right mind when he did that.
Donaldson is extremely detailed,he adds legengs,languages(I love it when authors make a language),he has great character detail,and includes a vast profusion of new creatures.Thomas Covenant is such a good character.I wanted to yell at him when he made mistakes.The Land is an unforgetable place,particularly the Plains of Ra.
Thomas Covenant has a very unhappy life in the beginning.He has just gotten leprosy,and his wife has divorced with him due to that fact.But as soon as he is hit by a police car he is transported to a completely different world.The inhabitants of the Land believe him to be their long lost hero Berek Halfhand,wielder of the White Gold.Covenant,a Giant named Saltheart Foamfollower,and a good deal of others embark on a quest to retrieve the Staff of Law from the Cavewight ,Drool,servant of Lord Foul.

this plot can be divided into two: 1) the general war between the "nice" and the "bad" (where D. shows that he can also describe tactics and war) 2) Covenant's travel (it's written more or less from his point of view. there is a quest for a solution to defeat the enemy). sound unoriginal, doesn't it? well, it's not. D has a way of writing, a way of developing a plot, a psychological angle, and particulaly a way of describing and building up the event, that makes his books refreshing and very original.

Like many others, I picked this book up because it was touted as a worthwhile example of both fiction and high fantasy. Now I must say it has all the elements and it has some high points, But I was bored out of my mind reading this book.

This story revolves around Thomas Covenant, a lonely leper in our world who is transported to another and finds himself set against the evil Lord foul. There are some neat characters and, for its time, races and animal types. However, the archtypes are old and worn out, even at that point. And a story based on a ring of power??? Come on. Characters overall were kind of flat and I can always feel the difference between being "in" the story and just reading the story.

The part of the book I liked the most was Covenant's slow descent into the foreign world. It takes him a long time to come to terms with it all, as for more than half the book he truly believes it's a dream. Therefore he does some unsavory things early in the book and realizes he's been really horrible to everyone from the beginning. I enjoyed that Covenant seemed confused and out of place, especially dealing with his disease and new surroundings. Isn't that how it would really be?

However, often times the text seemed disorganized and dialogue forced. Covenant has so much internal monologue going on that it takes a while to realize that someone doesn't emote than much in their head. i.e. Donaldson makes him shout/gasp/hiss/faint/everyting under the sun; and all with internal thought.

Also, even though I can see why the rape scene could be necessary to the emotional development of the character later in the book, I hadn't even read to the end and there were accounts of women falling all over him in a very stomach-turning way. I didn't find that enjoyable at all.

All in all, tolerable.

one summer i read a lot of fantasy. this not being my genre, it was getting pretty dull. can i really read another fantasy book, i asked myself, picking up D. i could. D's fantasy books were very refreshing. at last i was spared of these stereotypical fantasy characters, and plots. covenant is an anti-hero in the true sense of the word (an anti-hero is someone who possesses the OPPOSITE qualities of a hero, e.g., cowardice instead of courage, not simply someone just lacking the quality). for once psychology gets important. the descriptions of the land and creatures are good, but the best part is the descriptions of events. D. got a different way of building a plot, i never know where he's heading, and his endings are always original in a way. tired of the grumpy dwarf, the evil dragon, the stupid troll, and all the stereotypes but still have a liking to fantasy? D's the man.

I have no idea of the ages of the people who have reviewed these marvellous books before me, but I just finished the entire First Chronicles for the third time since originally reading them (and to a degree that many readers can relate to, *lived* them) in 1979, two years after their creation. What no one seems to realise is that the first 15 or so publishings had severely different (and far superior) artwork on the covers. Lord Foul's Bane bore an illustration of High Lord Prothall working a spell to diminish the Word of Warning that blocked the party searching for Drool and the Staff of Law, with Mhoram, Covenant, Quaan, and two archers at the ready. The Illearth War's cover portrayed Lord Mhoram beseeching Forestal Caerroil Wildwood for passage through Garroting Deep, while The Power That Preserves had the best artwork yet: Covenant on his knees struggling with the emerald specter of Elena for the Staff of Law, with impaled and screaming Foamfollower and Bannor held in stasis by the ill might Elena possessed. I was very fortunate to have recovered publishings of these books in their original artwork that more aptly portray the scenes and characters in the books. Not the boring, same-ish "Covenant-as-mighty-hero" lame covers available now...

I was a 20something in the late 70's when these came out. I loved the books but didn't understand the main character. Couldn't see why he wouldn't just let it go and get into the Land. Even then I loved the books because of the other characters and the pure fantasy. I was challenged by the intricate language but it made it more worthwile.

Later in my 40's I came across my old books in a box and read the series again. Wow what a difference, I now really understood Thomas and why he couldn't just let go. I understood much more of the flavor of the other characters and the ire of Thomas. He isn't some heroic character with noble motives and a brave rugged face spewing power everywhere, he's a guy who is trying to cope and not go insane.

Now that there are new books, I'm going to go back and read the whole thing over again. I fully expect to see it in a different way yet again.

So if you are considering this series, get a good copy, you may need it again in a few years!

P.s. Yes, it's not the easiest to read nor is it the happy easy romance. This is a truly epic tale, not of easy victories but of hard choices, hard to understand people and complicated motives. Give it a chance to grow on you. Now when is someone going to make it into a movie!!

things take a turn to the worse. and don't misinterpret this. i know that many fantasy writers write books where things "get worse", meaning some mumbo-jumbo about a party having to find a weapon evend deeper in the troll forest, or whatever. D. NEVER tricks you when it somes to thing like these. if things seem to be worse, they really are. somehow, covenant HAS to master the ring, although he is not ready. he has to develop a plan, nor knowing much about the inner secrets of the land (D. is great at giving a lot of details, not revealing how things are to be dealt with, in his books the tasks needed to be performed are never obvious). he has to move fast. "new" enemies appear.

I read this series for the first time 20 years ago and have re-read it several times since. Each time I have "seen" something new. I had some trouble understanding the characters and actions until I finally understood that everyone, every character is a paradox. Thomas Covenant a man who is impotent, diseased in his world is a potent hero in The Land, the Giants who are so strong are the first to fold to despair, the Bloodguard whose demeanor is so passionless yet whose passion for the Land evoked the earthpower that was their vow. I found paradoxes for every character. Donaldson speaks of balancing on the point of the paradox. This is the balance that Covenant desperately seeks through the first three books, believing and not believing. He eventually sees that it is not important whether the Land is real or not, what is important is that he make decisions based on truth and honesty and compassion for himself and his fellow men, to be true. Granted, Covenant is a monumental pain in the first three books but he is a man fighting for his sanity and his very life. The Land and it's plight makes your heart ache, it's defenders make you weep with their grace and beauty. I came away from these books like a person waking from a dream.

There seems to be an increasing tendency on here to bash these fine fantasy books-hmmm...
All I can say is that this is a brilliant, complex, wonderfully realized fantasy saga for ADULTS- no Tolkien rip-offs here- even the use of a magic gold ring is completely different to LOTR. Yes, the main character is horrible at first, but you have to remember he is a leper who has been outcast, has lost everything and thinks this fantasy world is all a dream anyway- plus he gets better as the series continues..
These books contain some profoundly deep and skillful prose, far more sophisticated than the usual cookie cutter, generic sword and sorcery garbage that clogs the bookshops these days. There is an epic sweep and majesty to this series which is unforgettable, plus a fantasy concept which is startlingly original. Here you will find beautiful settings, fantastical creatures, high adventure and deep emotional engagement- true, they can be a challenge, which is why some kiddies can't get into them, but for those who want to get their teeth into some meaty, weighty, profound fantasy literature, Covenant is the stuff. Five stars.

I am re-reading the two series after reading them 20 years ago. I have read some of the negative reviews and was kind of amazed. I am willing to accept people have differnt views, but I figured that anyone reading these books would like rich fanatsy { Tolkien, Feist, etc}. Yes, they are not Tolkien, they are something else entirely. Many previous reviewers give you the story so I will just address the main things of the nay sayers.{ Not in any particular order } The first is the vocabulary is too hard to understand...PLEASE! I do not have a masters in English , but I can grasp the { Yes obtuse at times} words the author uses 90% of the time from the sentence/paragraph. If I really want to know the word, yes, shockingly, I look it up! In the age of graphic novels and MTV I guess that is odd?

Next, people have a problem with the main character not being a superhero or dashing hero. That is what makes these books unique!!!! His name the Unbeliver says it all...he thinks he is dreaming and his life has been a living hell. How many people would be truthfully courageous with his life? Also he is a leper...are the critics out there lepers? Do they have the authors growing up experience in a foreighn country seeing this diesease and how people are treated with it by society? In addition mnay of the other characters in the novels are nobel.

I guess the big one is the rape I hear mentioned. Tying in he is a leper and believes he is dreaming and how he feels horrible throughout the series you either get over this or not. This is a fiction novel people. Also does every critic act like an angel during their dreams?

I belive the bottom line is try the books for yourself. If you only like manga, graphic novels, or new simple type fantasy authors { often based on video games} that are all action then these probably won't be for you. If you like what has been called the "War and Peace " of fanatsy and praised by every big time fantasy author then give these a try. They are not depressing they are uplifting if read all together!
A last tip if you see someone gives a horrible of review of something at the store ...check their other reviews to see what they like...you might not take their reveiws with a grain of salt!!!

Imagine being seperated from someone you love. Out of the blue, they call you, desperate for your help. As you respond, you are snatched away to a land where magic is alive in everything around you - and you don't believe it exists. The Land needs you, they are at war - in desperate need themselves and you're supoosed to be their savior. What do you do?
Find out as the epic battle within continues.

This book started out a very, very slow read..."ennui" as my high school English teacher would say. I often found myself reading the same passages twice to understand the plot. I almost gave up to reread a David Gemmell novel. I stuck with Donaldson; and the book does gather steam about half way through. Donaldson's writing kept improving with each turned page. Whether or not this was intentional, I do not know. Plus, after reading and seeing the Lord Of The Rings, you can't help but see how many ideas from Tolkien's work are lifted for this story. The main problem with this book is there is really no character to "root" & "cheer" for. The "anti-hero", Thomas Covenant is portrayed as a whiney, uncompassionate @ss who actually rapes a girl in the first 100 pages...some "hero". There were times during this book I wished Covenant would just jump off the cliff or just get blown away. Anyway, I just finished the second book of the chronicle and it is much better than this one. I am starting the third and so far it is even better! Unfortunately you need to plow through this one to appreciate the follow-up book, "The Illearth War". Haven't reviewed it yet, but it's worthy of at least four stars.

Too bad there's no "Cliff Notes" for this one.

Has Mr. Donaldson written the fantasy story to end all fantasy stories? Perhaps. But I'll still read other stories.
This series is phenomenal. The depth and scope of the story telling is as good if not better than Tolkien. If you like Tolkien you should love Donaldson's Thomas Covenant series.
Some people have trouble reading Donaldson because he uses big words and because of this his book is criticized. Too bad. Grab a dictionary you sloth. Not you of course, I mean the other person behind you who is bad mouthing this story <grins>.
Each night I read a little more and each night I cared even more about the characters than I did the previous night. To me that is one sign of an excellent story. When it was all over I was saddened that Mr. Donaldson hadn't written a third series. But I hear rumours that he might. One can always dream.

Of the three books in this series, this was the most difficult for me to force my way through.
I agree with what a lot of the other reviewers say - Thomas Covenant is a great anti-hero. This whole series is filled with fantastic philosophical insight leading one to think about matters of life and death, futility and hopefulness, and whether it is all worth it. In that respect, this series is close to being great, classic literature. It just doesn't make it, though, on two counts. One, the characters aren't quite compelling enough to really get one to react to them intellectually, morally, emotionally, etc., even though it is quite exciting that a writer would make the lead character (Covenant) a leper. Secondly, and this is my biggest problem with the series, is that it is simply very poorly written. I read it in high school, I read it in college, I read it in seminary when I was 30. I really wanted to give the series a chance, since my friends liked it so much, and I felt it deserved an attempt at different growth stages in my life. But I never enjoyed reading it, and I won't try anymore. It's not disappointing in the way of a popular mass-market book, because one doesn't expect anything from one of those except unintelligent and hollow entertainment and escapism. Donaldson created a world of amazing creativity and depth, laden with cool places and people and cultures, all quite well thought out - more so than the vast majority of fantasy-lands. The disappointment comes because a book about a leper facing his life, futility, hopelessness, narcissism, and general lack of compassion or interest in himself or anyone else could have been a deep, meaningful exploration forcing one to pause and take stock of one's own life and society (the goal of all true literature). Covenant the character could have been a brilliant (and not cliché) anti-hero. Donaldson has given us something that could have been that, but he fails to give it to us, and one is left feeling like the sickly parent who has spent the week's food money on snake-oil and finally realized what it really is - a bottle with an empty promise. Unfortunately, the story is simply not written in a compelling way. I didn't care about the characters, the dialogue felt unreal, the prose drones on and on, and I never felt bad setting the book down. In fact I really forced my way to the end of the third book, simply as an act of self-will to see if I could do it. Please note that I am *not* some doofus who thinks a book without constant action is boring - I love Joyce, German writing, Wagner operas and Philip Glass music, so it's not that I can't appreciate long, slow movement. I do like it to be compelling, though. In terms of importance in the fantasy genre, this is a must-have series because it is a foundational, common-knowledge series that all fantasy buffs should be familiar with. So I give it one star, but I tell you to read it anyway.

Thomas Covenant. A leper that saw his successful life as an author torn from him under the condemnation of being a leper. Forced to live his life as an outcast, Thomas is determined not to let the people of his town force him into retreat. Yet, when he goes to pay a utility bill in town one day, a strange accident pulls him from this world and into a world where he is hailed as a savior. The magic of his white gold that he doesn't understand and the same amputated fingers that Berek Halfhand had marks him as the one to safe the Land from Lord Foul.
Covenant is a bitter man that refuses any special treatment. He is reluctant in accepting the role of savior and demonstrates his own faults when he rapes the very lady that believes in him. Even when he is cured in the Land of his leprosy, he refuses to give anything in return.
The book is about good versus evil in the basic storyline. Yet, Donaldson has gone beyond that and surrounded a unwilling hero with unforgettable characters as he first exposes us to what is a very enjoyable two trilogy series. This book is unlike any other type of fantasy and you have to understand the style to enjoy it.

Nutted back to The Land.

A whack on the head has Covenant back in the fantasy realm, and discovering that several decades have passed since he was there last.

He is in now in the middle of a war buildup, with new politicians, magic wielders and others to deal with, although the Bloodguard still stand.

So, your good old nasty quest to find a magic item of power you may or may not know what to do with.

Plus a couple of large battles.

I'm a suckered for world-building, but there are a lot of hours in the lot and in the characters. I don't think the supposition that leprosy caused the protagonist to be such a jerk really holds water.

In truth, I waded my way through the entire Thomas Covenant series (all six books!) before I finished Tolkien's Ring trilogy. Not the typical routine, perhaps, but when I first tried to get through The Two Towers some years ago, I found it just too damn slow-going, and gave it up for several years. So we come to Stephen Donaldson's Thomas Covenant series. In retrospect (having now read both series), there are many uncanny similarities between Donaldson's "Land" and Tolkien's Middle Earth. The dimly-seen dark overlord (Lord Foul=Sauron) in his impregnable fortress (Foul's Creche=Barad-Dur), with several disembodied henchmen (Ravers=Ringwraiths), seeking the overwhelming power of a unique ring (white gold=One Ring) in the hands of an unlikely wielder (Thomas Covenant the leper=Frodo Baggins the hobbit). The parallels are so pervasive as to seem almost like plagiarism at times, though it seems to me more in the spirit of an homage to Tolkien's epic.
While taking nothing away from the Lord of the Rings series, Donaldson's world not only pays tribute to its predecessor, but surpasses it in many ways. Without resorting to the seemingly bottomless well of supplemental volumes about Middle Earth that have surfaced in the years since the original trilogy's publication, Donaldson manages to flesh out his world to an amazing degree, such that the reader cannot help but become personally invested in The Land's fate.
And in Thomas Covenant, Ringbearer and Unbeliever, we have a truly remarkable protagonist, alternately raging and helpless, loathsome and pitiful, and at all times a uniquely "objective" viewpoint on the oftentimes fantastic occurrences of that world. "Reluctant hero" doesn't even begin to describe Thomas Covenant's role in these cataclysmic events (a sobriquet much more suited to his Tolkien counterpart, Frodo Baggins); rather a true "anti-hero," not only in his actions (the brutal rape of a woman in the Land) but in his firm beliefs that everything he is experiencing is likely nothing more than an elaborate delusion, a hallucination. And as such, there is no point in becoming personally involved, or even interested, in the fates of the people and places over which he wields such absolute power, merely by the accident of his white gold ring. The process by which he slowly, painfully, begins to change these beliefs, is what ultimately makes this, and the other volumes of the series, so remarkable.

This book is a great start to a great series. Donaldson creates a fascinating alternative world, where his main character, Thomas Covenant is summoned. Covenant suffers from leprosy, which turns him into a reluctant hero. He's hard to like, but easy to understand. By the end of the book, you'll be right with him.
Thge plot centers around Covenant's white gold wedding band. White gold holds some key to power in Donaldson's world, only no one seems to know how to use it, except maybe Lord Foul, the incarnation of evil and the main antagonist throughout the series.
The story take s a bit of time to develop, but stick with it. It's the first of a trilogy so give Donaldson the time he needs to set up his world. It's well worth it.

NOTE: this review encompasses all three books in the series.

Back in the 1970's it was Donaldson and Terry Brooks who proved that an audience for the genre of fantasy existed. It was Donaldson who proved that an author could publish, sell well, and still write something of definitive literary merit. While it is indisputable that Tolkien brought the genre of fantasy into existence it was still widely regarded as something for children (something fantasy fiction still struggles with today) and it is Donaldson who first wrote something that can only be aimed at adults. The Chronicles' influence over the last three decades has been and can be traced to Eddings' Belgariad, Feist's Riftwar Saga, and any of a host of crossover fantasy novels published in the genre. It's only defect and what prevents it from receiving our highest recommendations is the patina of ugliness that Covenant inevitably breeds. It's an irony about the word because it is the ugliness of Covenant that elevates the rather routine plot into something of literary merit but at the same time it will prevent The Chronicles from being the most cherished in people's minds.

WHO SHOULD READ:

For anyone who has complained that fantasy novels are too lighthearted or too childlike, Donaldson has answered your complaint with a staunch challenge. His Chronicles are a gladiatorial arena where in the pit metaphysics slugs it out not in the pristine abstractions of philosophers but in the blood, sweat, and madness of the arena. It is a terrific blend of pulse-quickening action immersed in carefully constructed philosophy. Any reader versed in philosophical discourse in either free will or ethics will be profoundly moved by Covenant's struggles. At the same time, readers with no taste in philosophy whatsoever who are firmly grounded in a sense of black/white and right/wrong will be equally moved by these books because the battles and action will mean something to them rather than events occurring like so many special effects in some rotten film starring Sylvester Stallone or Jean Claude Van Damme.

WHO SHOULD PASS:

The reader should beware of the content. It's very popular to accuse George RR Martin of having some kind of monopoly on books where bad things happen to really good (and popular) characters. That's not the case at all: next to Donaldson he is a child. Real crimes are committed and terrible sacrifices are made and it is something that the delicate should avoid. Additionally, many readers have been upset with the dense prose and idealized setting of The Chronicles. This is something that's rather important to what the book is about but that doesn't lessen the irritation that some people feel. If you have knee-jerk (and perhaps unwarranted) reactions to overt echoes of Tolkien or have a severe allergic reactions to similes (Donaldson cannot seem to write without liberal use of simile) then you might seek elsewhere. But really, these books were a groundbreaking event in fantasy publishing and shouldn't be missed.

READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW AT INCHOATUS.COM

The Matrix. It seems like in this review saying "The Matrix" does not seem to have anything to do with the first book in this remarkable series, but bare with me a few for a few. I say the Matrix because the movie became an instant classic and we all know the reason why. However it also created a new special effect called bullet time. Because of this every single movie that used this effect was unfairly compared to The Matrix not because they retold the story, not because they used similar names, but because they used the new special effect. This is not sound nor intelligent criticism, because a "special effect" is nothing more then a special effect. The movie is either good or bad, entertaining or boring. Using a new special effect is not "ripping off" or "imitating" another movie.

Before Tolkien, fantasy was all Grimm Fairy tales or sweeping lessons on morality. Then Tolkien wrote Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit and created a new technique for telling fantasy stories. Tolkien did not create fairies, trolls, elves, old age of human and certainly not dragons. (Okay, he created Hobbits, but not the point.) He created a new way of putting them into stories, he created the "epic fantasy tale." This is why LOTR has lasted and will always last. So Stephan Donaldson is not 'ripping off" Tolkien, he only used the technique, as many authors have. Calling The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant "derivative" of Tolkien is unfair as you can say that about pretty much every fantasy author since Tolkien. Such criticism has nothing to do with if The Chronicles of Thomas Convenant is either good or bad.

This book series is nothing short of epic, nothing short of awesome. The main character is not the best human being ever invented, in fact there's a lot not to like about the guy - and I mean a LOT. He's not a Knight in shining armor nor perfect by any standard. In fact every other character around him are far better examples of heroes, and that's what makes this book - and the rest - stand out. If you like sweeping epics, fantasy with actual magic and not the weird stuff put out these days where people think magic doesn't belong in fantasy, then give this book a try - and stop listening to reviewers who think everything can be compare to LOTR because they use the technique invented by the true master JRR. Donaldson stands on his own, just as Terry Brooks and George RR Martin and others.

Read and enjoy and remember just because the movie or TV show uses bullet time doesn't mean it's the Matrix.

Folks, the very fact that Donaldson's Tomas Covenant series is still being read enthusiastically decades after it was written and so many people actually spend their time writing reviews of it here on the store surely speaks for itself. But, since facts don't always speak loudly enough, I thought I'd put in my own two cents' worth to help get the message out...

I read all six books in the series when I was in my early twenties (20 years ago). It was a bit of a fluke that I even stumbled upon them in the first place, as outwardly they had all the trappings of the fantasy genre, which I had always found boring and inferior. Aside from the classics, I was at that time quite heavily into *GOOD* science fiction: Bradbury, Asimov, Niven, Zelazny, Heinlein, Herbert.

As a full-time bookworm throughout my childhood, teenage years and early adulthood, I had prided myself on being able to fish out good writing from the sea of commercial muck. I had this funny way of picking my titles: I'd walk into a bookstore (second-hand, of course), grab a book at random, usually from the sci-fi shelf, and start reading it at some random page. If I didn't catch a drift of sweet poetic nostalgia from the first few paragraphs, I'd just return it to the shelf and get on with the next book. I figured that if the writing itself wasn't sublime, the rest would be a waste anyway.

So, guess what happened when I scanned Donaldson's work in this way... I went home that day with the whole first trilogy in the bag. Weeks of blissful escape from reality followed. I was impressed! Here was a true literary and poetic gem in the guise of a plain old FaNtAsY novel. No, "guise" is not quite right: this work is to fantasy novels what a Rembrandt nude is to a Penthouse centerfold. Get the picture?

I noticed some comparisons with Tolkien in previous reviews on this site, and I'd say the sheer scope of Donaldson's storytelling at least rivals that of his more famous counterpart, but compared to Donaldson, Tolkien is such a prosaic bore! (And that's saying a lot, considering that I have nothing but the greatest respect for Tolkien.)

Now, talking about the anti-hero aspect of the main character, I didn't find it as troubling as, apparently, many readers have. Mostly, his "badness" isn't any worse than the average Joe's. Even the rape incident had more to do with the self-castrating quality of the man's inner struggle, than a callous desire to have a "good time" at the other's expense. The author's handling of this inner conflict had a weak spot for me, though: Thomas Covenant's stubbornness in rejecting the good things life was sending his way just went too far to be believable. I remember feeling annoyed--not with the character, but with Donaldson--in a similar way as I would later feel about Carlos Castaneda's supposedly autobiographical tales of his sojourns with Don Juan, where he just wouldn't acknowledge his mystical experiences even when they hit him squarely between the eyes. (The big difference, of course, is that Donaldson has never tried to pass his work as anything more than fiction.)

Now, twenty years later, I don't read much literature anymore. Lately, I've been tripping on life--fishing out my own dreams and making them come true in the "real" world (along with all its parallel universes... he he). But in nostalgic flashbacks to the literary escapism of my youth, Donalson's images still come up for me as a fond memory of one of the sweetest flings I've ever had with any book.

Donaldson's trilogy is a uniquely adult fantasy. Like The Lord of the Rings, many of the characters are flat avatars that combine for rapid successions of epic scenes that can be terrifying, uplifting or both. Unlike The Lord of the Rings, however, the characters whom the narration follows are morally complicated, fascinating and, in the case of Thomas Covenant, often descpicable people. It is Donaldson's attention to the moral shadings of his characters that makes his trilogy so worthwhile. The character of Thomas Covenant, horribly unlikeable as he is, has the most complicated and yet consistent moral dynamic of any character portrayed in fantastic fiction. His painstaking evolution, which should often seem cliche, is made fresh by novelty of his situations -- they can be horrific or magical and yet always exist in contrast to his self-proclaimed role of "Unbeliever". This perfect control of the characters moral identities leads step-by-step to the trilogy's conclusion, making at the same time reasonable and exciting. Many of the elements of Donaldson's trilogy are very traditional, drawing from The Lord of the Rings, Dante and The Bible to name a few, but as with Tolkien's use of myth and tradition, it is the challenging prose that not only brings things to life, but does so in new ways. Donaldson's writing is not for a passive reader -- his usage is both technical and fanciful at the same time. It is the perfect tone for a work of fantasy that I consider to be the best I have ever read.

Like other reviewers, I had tried to read this book many years ago, but could just never get through it. This time I finally finished it, but it was not easy. The book is hard to read for 2 primary reasons: First is that Donaldson is just not that great of a story teller. In parts of the book he does a good job of describing characters and their surroundings. In other parts he completely leaves out key details, leaving you in the dark as to what a particular being, place, or object is like. In other parts of the story he tries to engage the main character, Thomas Covenant, in philosophical debates with other characters, but either he doesn't really know what he is trying to say, or can't find the words to express it. The end result is just useless gibberish. Even the characters seem confused by what they have said to each other. The second reason that this book is easy to put down and very hard to pick back up again is the tedious main character, Thomas Covenant.

Donaldson seems to have done everything possible to make the reader hate Covenant. Covenant comes across as the most arrogant, self-centered, whining, coward that has ever existed. The Covenant character is just not believable. The guy has absolutely no personality. No human could be this disgusting. If this isn't enough to make you hate Covenant, Donaldson has him rape a helpless girl in the beginning of the story. This girl has done nothing but show kindness to Covenant from the start. After the rape, Covenant shows no remorse, but only wants to make an escape before the locals can form a lynch mob. How can you relate to a character like that unless you are criminally insane? Does the Covenant character learn from his mistakes? NO! Does the character evolve and grow through his experiences? NO! Covenant is the same despicable creep at the end of the story that he was at the beginning. It is very difficult to put up with Covenant's whining, moaning, selfishness and hateful banter chapter after chapter.

The only thing that keeps the story going is that there are some pretty neat characters besides Covenant that you can concentrate on. The really good books of fiction create characters that the reader can relate to. Then you can begin to see the story from the characters perspective, and actually put yourself into the story. The Covenant character is impossible to relate to and that alone makes the book a very hard read.

As a kid we took my Aunt Hazel with us on vacation one year. My Aunt Hazel (God rest her soul), never had one happy moment her entire life. Nothing was ever good enough to please her and she didn't mind letting you know about what she didn't like. She had 99 different ailments and loved to tell you every gory detail of each one of them. I remember the agony riding in the back seat of our car on that trip with Aunt Hazel talking non-stop. Lord Foul's Bane is very much like a ride with Aunt Hazel. You will be asking every chapter "Are we there yet?"

That`s possible, I guess. It just seemed to me that this trilogy could have been reduced to one volume without detracting from either plot or character development. The scenes with Lord Mhoram and Co. were much too long and drawn out (unless you REALLY love battle descriptions), mainly because the people around him were two-dimensional and boring. Covenant was interesting, as were all the ideas playing around him and his connection to the Land and Despite, but unfortunately the writing distanced the reader too much to make Donaldson`s core intentions clear (anyone know what a 'chiaroscuro' is?--without looking in the dictionary!). The only characters I felt anything for were Covenant and Foamfollower, and at the end of the trilogy I just didn`t understand what had taken Donaldson so long to say, why the journey had had to be dragged out to such a seemingly lame conclusion. I am allowing for the fact that I might not have understood the whole deep meaning of the trilog! y, and so on and so forth. If this is the case, I wouldn`t mind someone intelligent explaining their views to me, so be my guest. (Intelligent means that they won`t jump down my throat for daring to criticize their favorite author--THANK YOU)

Newer fantasies all seem to want to be "gritty." I understand the desire, since there are plenty of fantasies that don't seem to have any sense of realism. But in the slew of books that fight for this moniker, this book precedes and in many ways surpasses them.

There's obviously Thomas, who is a complex character. We're given a picture of why he is the way he is, and does the things he does. But when it gets down to it, he's a very polarizing figure. I know some readers who put the book down and never went back to it. So, there's the grit.

The world is fascinating, to be sure. And there's a true sense of epicness, mostly because of what's on the line. I won't spoil that for you. But it all comes back around to Thomas, and he is one of the best written anti-heroes I've ever read.

This is a very good fantasy series. Well worth going back and reading if you haven't read it before; and if you have, it's worth returning to.

I agree with others. This is the best book in the series. The other books are good and kept me reading, but the way Donaldson wraps-up the series in this book is very well-done. The reluctant hero managed to drag me through the entire book trying to figure out what was going to happen next. Very satisfying conclusion.

I can't help but see Tolkien characters in some of the books out there - it's just far too obvious. The character in this book has a ring of power, he doesn't know what it does, he doesn't know anything about the world he's in and there are creatures out to get him. He meets people who work with rock and then he visits people who live in a tree. He goes to meet with a council to decide what they should do and the council decides to set out on a quest to a mountain. Sound familiar? For the most part it's pretty predictable.

The redeeming quality of the book is that the main character, Thomas Covenant, is somewhat interesting. Unfortunately I felt like the author tried too hard to make him REALLY interesting. He's a leper in his own world but when he comes to this new world he's cured. It had some interesting implications because he still thinks of himself as a leper but I just didn't quite get it - the feelings he had and his line of thought may be just what a leper would feel but it was overdone and didn't make sense all the time. Each time Covenant spoke or acted in this book the author MADE him do it with some sort of feeling involved. He was afraid, unsure, tired, his stomach ached, he was dizzy, he was in horrible pain, he was crying, he felt guilty etc. and he did it all in three pages! I just wanted Thomas Covenant to be himself and I saw the author's hand constantly pushing the character to take a lot of the space on a page even though he doesn't really do much but follow everyone else. Such a sensory overload of emotions just made me numb to his emotions and since he didn't do much the story moved slowly. I don't mind a fun little fantasy plot but it needs to move along quicker!

The part of this story that interests me is the collection of lore and how they're learning the magic of the world again. They find a key piece of lore that promises to help them and it's for that reason that I'll probably read the next book.

The storyline of this book is great. The characters are interesting, the plot good, the descriptions and feeling you get when reading the book is great, and so on. I never stopped reading the this (I'm reading Book 3 now).
Thomas is not this typical good guy. He's mean and selfish, but still you like him. That's well done.
This book is not for children, though. I was quite suprised by the rape scene, but Donaldson doesn't make it too important (describing, etc..)
Now, the problems with this book.
First of all, have you read (or seen) Lord Of The Rings, you will almost at once notice the similarities. Thomas' ring (Sauron's Ring), Prothall with his shining staff (Gandalv), Gravin Threndor (Mount Doom), Lord Foul's "friend/servant" (since I read the book in Norwegian, I don't know his english name) reminds me very much of Gollum. There are many other examples too.
The other problem is that Thomas never accepts this new world. It's ok in the beginning, but halfway out in the book he still tries to torture him self to try to get back to the real world, instead of enjoying this new world.

I read the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant over twenty years ago and just started re-reading them a few weeks ago. I remembered that they were good but had forgotten how great they are. Yes, they are a little derivative of Tolkien, but they are also fresh in totally unexpected ways. Covenant is the most infuriating, frustrating, yet compelling hero ever. He makes Frodo seem like Conan the Barbarian.

On the other hand, my 13-year-old son read the first 200 pages of vol. 1 and gave up, said it was boring. I was surprised by this because he loves LOTR and the fantasy/science fiction genre generally. But I think he found Covenant too complex a character to warm up to.

Bottom line: If you like LOTR, you have to try this. You might not like it, or you may love it as much as I do, but you have to give it a try.

I read these and wished I had not. I kept hoping that if I kept going it would work out but finally got rid of the books. The view point character was a bitter, selfish, small minded man and a rapist. Not something I want to support.

Having read many recommendations and glowing reviews for "Lord Foul's Bane", I had nothing but good will toward the book as I began reading it. The first several chapters grabbed my attention, and Donaldson (even early in his career) clearly has a gift for the language. However, after "The Incident" with Lena, my sympathies instantly turned against the petulant, whiney title character, whose alienating and toxic behavior only grew worse as the story plodded onward. Although the story wore the outward trappings of epic high fantasy, with all of its prerequisite elements for world-building, I felt no connection to it and found most of it cold and uncompelling. In fact, throughout this seemingly endless quest story, I found myself utterly disengaged from the protagonists. Worse yet, the final few chapters were some of the hardest I've ever had to force myself through. The listless narrative and constant descriptions of Covenant's every mood, conflicting emotion and action were almost more than I could bear. Needless to say, I will NOT be continuing on with the rest of the Covenant series or, for that matter, any of Donaldson's other books. Like I said, the man is definitely a writer of some talent, but his viewpoint and storytelling sensibility are almost diametrically opposed to my tastes and interests. Give me the heroic fantasy of David Gemmell any day of the week and save this wretched endurance test of a book for readers who (and I know they're out there) relish repellant, chronically-flawed main characters.

its amazing. Just when all faith and hope had ran out, and he had finally gotten used to being an outcast, hated by every living being he knew (even his ex wife), and doomed to a terrible fate (after all, he developed leprosy), it happened. He got summoned away to a magical land of gargantual and uncomparable beauty, his leprosy healed, and every one loved and adored him because he resembled their favorite some what of an idol hero, berek halfhand (half of his hand fell off due to his leprosy, leaving three fingers). And even with all this he still refused to believe!

this is the main reason why i have to love Stephen R. Donaldson's creation, he added into his story that most fantasy fiction writers, whether they are sword & sorcery or just imagionary altogether, forget to incorportate, he added reality!

No human being (unless they had extraordinary magical powers) could easily transition from living in a world where they are victim to a disease that is slowly decaying and shredding apart their body, outcast from all society to the point that they are desperate for any kind of human contact (like paying a phone bill in person), and living in eternal pessimism because even the doctors say that any ideas of false hope, even of a cure, could kill you. Then being summoned to a magical world where for once everything is perfect and goes according to plan? Why should he easily adapt to this knew world, it is the exact opposite of the one he had lived in all his life!

"Something there is in Beauty". This beautiful statement is taken from a poem exert that is found in the book, i am not sure as to whether Donaldson wrote it or if some other poet did, but i have to give them major congratulations on it, because it in itself is beautiful. The statement (and the poem) basically sum up the whole book. Because even with a main character who refuses to accept his destined role as a hero, even to the point of severly offending the people of the land, the job gets done and the world gets saved for a time... Also you find that true beauty does not come from the outer shell of your body (duh, he's a leper), but it comes from inside your heart, and the hearts of your friends and people who try to help you.

Other interesting aspects about this story involve the imporance of the actual world itself. Just its soil alone can heal the most serious abrasions and cuts, its rocks are used as lights in pots like fire would be on torches, and its health and prosperity hence forth a sight of such wonderful awe that it is unlike anything that Thomas Covenant could imagine. The detail to the land throughout the book makes it more of a reality because the reader can almost see what Covenant is seeing just by reading the page.

Finally, the best part about Lord Foul's Bane is the cast and variety of characters you get to meet as Covenant is led (not leading!) on his quest to take back the staff of law to Revelstone. Many different types of characters, from Giants (like Saltheart Foamfollower, who is a very funny and heart warming character, he always manages to let out a laugh, even in the direst of situations) to the Blood Guard come into play in order to help Covenant. But he just treats them all with the same amount of disdain, unbelief, and sarcastic a**holic personality that he would give anyone. The most tragic of these though would have to involve a certain incident that occurs between him and one of the first people he meets, being Lena. Even though what happens really shocks and surprises the reader (and makes you think about Covenant's character altogether) you find out as the series goes on that it was necassary. Trust me! I'm not saying that just to be a sicko!

What must be hard for a good number of readers to understand is why Covenant is such a jerk, and frankly, a 'unbeliever'. He has all the answers to his unasked prayers right under his feet, yet he shuns it all away as if it were some horrible tempting dream that could never become a reality for him. But you have to ask yourself, what would you do? How could you go from having nothing to everything and accept it just as if everything was always perfect? Covenant is not the greatest hero ever made, but thats why he is perfect in my opinion. Thomas Covenant is reality crossing over into fantasy and trying to adapt to its standards. This book, along with The Illearth War, and The Power That Preserves are amazing yet sadly underated books. I came across these just by chance and didnt even know they existed until i got them. I am so happy i did find them though, because by experiancing this epic tale of fantasy ive increased my love for imagination more, and treasure it more too. A must read for any one who likes science fiction of any sort!

These books could have been great. Donaldson starts with an extremely compelling idea and a land which is acceptably deviant from Tolkien's map, but some of the story gets lost in the main character. Covenant is such a complete, pathetic wreck that the complex (and often hopelessly dull) descriptions of his manic psyche frequently turn a good story into a confusing psychological study of a basketcase. That the books succeed at all, despite your personal desire to throttle the central protagonist and the often turgid prose (particularly in the first book) is a true testament to Donaldson's overmastering idea, if not his execution. Ironically, the most pleasant reading in the first three books of Thomas Covanent's trilogy is in the second book when the narrative follows another inflicted, but altogether less neurotic character. Donaldson's books are worth the read (just barely), but seem to fall clearly short of both his intention and his potential.

The author has just started his 3rd chronicles of Thomas Covenant, and like many others, I decided to re-read the first two series and put a review on here to prove to myself and others that I actually do still consider reading a viable form of entertainment. In this book, Thomas Covenant finds himself in a land he does not believe and presents himself as the uber-anti-hero. He is a leper, an outcast, and within the first 50 pages of entering the land, rapes the first hero he finds. So it is to the considerable effort of the author that we give two winks about this guy and his struggles to come to terms with the land and his alleged power. (His power emanates from a white gold wedding band, and many others believe that this makes it some sort of imitation of JRR, but I do not agree. The stories are different, the tone, and I believe the goals of the authors are different, but this is a debate for another medium)

So the story focuses on Lord Fouls desire to take over and destroy the world and Covenant is ultimately Fouls pawn in the plan (or is he??). This book develops as a classic good versus back story based upon the classic archetype story of the quest. Light, good story, but ultimately predictable. However, the readers patience with the story is rewarded in further books, and chronicles.

Having read this book as my first step into the escapist world of fantasy reading, it probably created an unconscious bias against all other books, fantasy or otherwise. The series stands by itself as the most thought provoking fantasy series ever written. Unlike Tolkiens series, which I read subsequent to TCOLTC and quite enjoyed, this series deals with truly disturbing subjects, eg. rape and incest, yet it does so in such a way as to make these appalling subjects paramount to the struggle and ultimately the development of the character in question, Thomas Covenant. Donaldson has the wherewithall to write an epic that captivates and involves the reader to such extents that I, like others, found myself dreaming the Land in my sleep, consciously thinking about it while away from the story. It invades your life. The mark of a truly GOOD writer. If you have not read this book and the subseqent books, then you have succeeded in depriving your self, consciously or unconsciously, of excellent escapism. If you have read LFB and didn't like it, give a second read. Disappointment, of course, is ,in the end, your own interpretive result.

I recently re-read this for the first time in 20 years. My reaction was the same: Holy crap! Could things get any worse?!

While I do see the similarities between the battle at Garrotting Deep and the battle at Helm's Deep in Tolkien's "The Two Towers" the power of this book cannot be denied.

It also introduced one of my favorite characters in literature: Hile Troy. I found the descriptions of how he viewed the world and how he was able to think through battle situations fascinating and his distaste for Covenant's lack of belief for The Land not unjustified.

these chronicles are bleak, there's no two ways about that. but then the main character's situation is bleak and to represent it in another way would be dishonest. some people will be repelled by thomas covenant but then he is a repellent character. i think of this book as similar to a beautiful piece of art which has as it's subject an underground sewer. something which in itself would be foul to visit but which could make an interesting subject with implications. what i'm getting at is if you can put some distance between yourself and the main character in a book there is a lot of exploring to be done here.

Lord Foul's Bane is talked about by many as a classic. I'm not so sure that it is. I had this book reccomended to me many years ago when I was still in high school. If I had read it then I think I would have liked it better. However, it took 12 or so years to finally pick it up... and I have matured well beyond any of the lessons that it is trying to teach. The main theme is expressed by setting the main character's (Thomas Convanent) "grey" morality, because he comes from the real world, filled with hate, disease and lies, against the backdrop of a rather clear-cut balck and white fantasy world. Hmmm, not that original but not bad, for high school. Anyway, if this book no longer had the power to teach me, did it entertain? Yes, but not greatly in comparison to many many other books that I have read. The world is good, but not outstanding. The characters are decent, but not amazing. The storytelling works, but it certainly didn't blow me away. And you know, while I understand that self-pity/selfishness were part of the theme of the book, it really made me dislike Thomas Covanent. All in all, a very underwhelming book. It's an easy read, and maybe I wouldn't judge it so harshly if it weren't called a classic. But a book should deserve the label, and I don't think this one does.

I first read this book 20 years ago, right after my high school graduation. I could not put the book down. The Land seemed so real and in the characters were people you know in your own life. I was so immersed in the book that I couldn't put it down until I finished it and then was sad because I wasn't ready to leave the Land that Stephen Donaldson had drawn me into. It was an agonizing wait until the next book in the series was released in paperback form. Each book left me craving the next book in the series. The series revolves around Thomas Covenant a pariah in his own world. He is mysteriously pulled into another world where his ailing body is healed. It is too much for him to grasp. This can't be happening, it must be a dream and all I have to do is ride it out and I'll wake up. Of course, it's not that easy. The people in this new world think he is the reincarnation of an historic hero and expect him to save them. The book is so wonderfully drawn and the characters so alive you'll hate to finish the sixth book in the series. The good news is that the series is just as good the second time around. You'll be surprised at what you missed the first time. My 14 year old son has just read Lord Foul's Bane and loved it! It's pretty exciting to find a set of books that a mother and teenage son can read together and discuss without embarassment. If you are willing to believe you will be richly rewarded with a story that will follow you for a long time. Nancy

I am amazed at how many people hate this series! Thomas Covenant is a physically and emotionally flawed hero. (Anti-hero for all you dim wits out there) The absolute greatest characters of all time are flawed, and have human weaknesses. Despite their shortcomings, we find them fascinating, and timeless. The "Unbeliever" is such a character in the realm of fantasy. Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Oedipus, Ulysses, Samson, I could go on and on. If you need a warm and fuzzy, formulaic good guy, do not read this series! But also do not read Shakespeare, Joyce, T.S. Eliot, or just about any other timeless author who created timeless characters of depth and tragic flaws. Also don't watch any spaghetti westerns, Quentin Tarantino, the Godfather series, Blade Runner, or any other of the really memorable characters of film. Stick to moronic sitcoms, and formula movies with the flavor of the month hero.
And by the way, I am not drawing a parrallel between Donaldson and truly classic literature. I will say that Donaldson is to fantasy literature. as Shakespeare is to classic literature. They are in my opinion, the standard by which all others are to be judged. For those out there who point out the grammatical flaws in the stories. English is a constantly evolving entity of communication. Try reading Chaucer or Milton, or way out there stuff like "Alice in Wonderland" or "Jabberwocky." Donaldson is not redefining the parameters of language, he does however, weave a great epic tale though. The only problem with the series to me is that none have come close to the depth and complexity of the Covenant series. I have started at least five other fantasy series I couldn't finish because it was too squeeky clean and formulaic. I hope there is another series of some other author out there that is this good. I haven't found any. Ann Rice is great. Frank Herbert is Fantastic! Tolkien was a messiah. Any other suggestions from any of you out there would be greatly appreciated.
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I've read a lot of Stephen Donaldson; all of his Thomas Covenant books, his excellent Gap series, the Mirror of Her Dreams and a couple of his short story collections - generally speaking, I'd consider myself somewhat of a fan.

His 2013 release, the Last Dark, concluded the 3rd and final Thomas Covenant series.
Sadly it was pretty much a mess - I've rarely been as disappointed by a book, if ever.

But that disappointment only cut so deep because at its best, the Thomas Covenant series is absolutely amazing - and at it's peak a true work of art in a sometimes whimsical genre.

I'm not a super-huge fan of the fantasy genre; I've dabbled here and there, certainly I've read Tolkien, and a handful of others ..

But while there are many reasons which make this series difficult to recommend, there is a certain verisimilitude that Donaldson evokes, particularly in the first series, that would resonate with many a non-fantasy fan, imo - but those people will probably never know what they're missing out on!
(although it must be said that HBO's success with GRR Martin's Game of Thrones/Song of Ice and Fire series has probably opened a few eyes in that regard ..this fantasy stuff doesn't necessarily have to be frivolous or escapist)

Thomas Covenant grounds the first trilogy with his scepticism, refusing to participate in his assigned role as Hero-in-A-Strange-Land.
His very-human scheming and his tenacious application of logic to an illogical situation, along with the sharp tongue of a bitter smart-ass, combine to make him an all-too plausible protagonist, in many ways (maybe not the leprosy part, that's pretty specific and exotic!).

Donaldson utilizes Covenant so effectively that even the most cynical among us starts to actually appreciate the people of the Land; unpretentious; humble, polite folk, who indulge Covenant's anti-social behaviours endlessly.
The author doesn't push the 'magic' angle too hard, or any of the fantasy-tropes at all, at first - the Land seems merely a place inhabited by people with good, simple values and an inherent relationship with the natural world.
As is the author's intent, Covenant seemingly has the potential to be either a friend or an enemy to these gentle people of the Land.

Donaldson evokes the Land's geography wonderfully in the first series - the guy must have been on a lot of hikes around the period he was writing these books!
His description of landscapes and the various terrain is at its magical best in those first three books, too.
This, combined with the humble nobility of the Land's inhabitants, tugs at the readers sympathies just as it threatens Covenant's resolve to resist being seduced.

Within this scenario - the cynical, caustic, protagonist (recognisably `one-of-us') miscast as a hero in a beautiful World-in-peril - Donaldson adds many, many layers.

The first series explores the kind of fascinatingly existential terrain which forms the basis of Donaldson's philosophy of fantasy writing - Thomas Covenant's life in the 'real' world is both threatened and redeemed by his experiences in the fantasy-world of the Land.
The nature and plight of this fantasy-world both shadow and mirror his life in the `real' world - it's these types of paradoxes that Donaldson effortlessly weaves throughout many of his Covenant books (sadly he became heavy-handed in this regard by the final chronicles).

It's the resolution of these paradoxes that lead to many of Covenant's finest moments, hard-won though they may be.
The people of the Land make similar strides throughout the series, exceeding their own (often self-imposed) limitations.

I could pre-amble on and on - and I already have (!) but as I rarely turn my hand to reviews I really wanted to focus on the Illearth War in particular, because it's a book that I keep coming back to again and again; I can literally open the book to any page and quite easily become immersed once again in it's magic - that may seem a hyperbolic claim but it is absolutely true; I have a deep love and admiration for this book, and to me it stands out as the pinnacle (as Amok might jest) of Donaldson's work.

Unfortunately it's not a stand-alone affair, a reader really ought to have read series opener Lord Foul's Bane before tackling the Illearth War - and Lord Foul's Bane can be hard going for the average reader, I know of many, many people who have put that book down in dismay or simple bafflement - I myself found Lord Foul's Bane to be a challenging read at first, but I have grown to become extremely fond of its odd charms and elegance.
But the Illearth War easily surpasses it in any way you choose to measure a book.

**Spoilers**

When the ailing, resentful Thomas Covenant is summoned to the Land for a 2nd time, he discovers that open warfare threatens the people of the Land as Lord Foul's vast army assembles - with the odds woefully against them, the noble-yet-ineffectual Lords of the Land have justified to themselves the need for spiriting Covenant and his powerful white gold wedding ring from his reality in hope of enlisting him to their cause.

Covenant's `unbelief' - which he expands upon with typically acidic eloquence in both chapters `Seer and Oracle' and `Dukkha', is significantly challenged and undermined by the presence two characters new to the series.

Hile Troy, a man - wearing sunglasses no less - who seems to have similarly been summoned from Covenant's `real world'.

And High Lord Elena, who, despite being older than Covenant due to the time-discrepancy between his `real world' and the Land, is revealed to be Covenant's daughter-of-rape.

If none of Covenant's experiences are real, as he reserves the right to believe, then Troy's appearance in the Land is a curve-ball; a blind man in the `real world', Troy's sight is miraculously restored - in most circumstances - in the Land.
Hile Troy claims to have even been read one of Covenant's best-selling books in the `real world' and gives a plausible account of his life, which involves employment as a `war games' theory expert for the military.

But as much as Hile Troy challenges and undermines Covenant's stance of Unbelief, the reverse is also true : believing too much - jumping in without asking questions, assuming responsibility without examining the consequences - leads to disastrous results every bit as defeating as Covenant's inaction and passivity.

Hile Troy is a very clever creation by Donaldson, and the chapter `Dukkha', in which Troy and Covenant square off over Covenant's refusal to aid the people of the Land is brilliant in examining their respective situations from opposing perspectives.

High Lord Elena is equally, if not more persuasive in her efforts to rally Covenant to the Land's defence.
A beautiful and compelling woman, she soon outs herself as being his daughter to Lena, whom he had violated upon his first visit to the Land.
Elena is, as Covenant later admits to himself `hard to refuse'.
She is charming and passionate.
She also shows an odd and unhealthy fixation on Covenant which at times borders on the incestuous.
Covenant is bewildered and bewitched by this character; and she is one of Donaldson's most complex.
Elena is the living consequence of Covenant's vilest transgression against the Land - a transgression which weighs heavily against any claims of his of being a mere conscientious objector in the Land.
He owes her, and she uses all of her charm and persuasiveness in an effort to make him drop the bulls*** and join forces with the Lords and the Lands defenders.

Compassionate Lord Mhoram later holds an insightful dialogue with Covenant, this time from a different angle, in the chapter `Seer and Oracle'.
Mhoram's attempts to understand the Unbeliever epitomise the Land's appeal - this guy, Mhoram, is persuasive just by his very nature, a noble, wise, strong man desperate to save the Land from Lord Foul.
Yet he concedes Covenant his right to withhold, despite the cost to the Land he loves - he respects Covenant's rights as an individual in an impossible situation.

While Covenant's plight is forefront as it ever was, the Land and it's inhabitants were never again delved as deeply as they were in the Illearth War; this book is crowded with characters and events, teeming with desperate life.
For large sections of this book, Covenant takes a backseat at times to the extremely perilous circumstances which the Land endures.

These various subplots are again expertly crafted by Donaldson.

Foremost in my mind are the wonderfully grim chapters `Runnik's Tale' and `Tull's Tale'.

These two incident-packed chapters take Covenant out of the picture altogether, as two of the Land's Lords, accompanied by a small deployment of the ever-stoic Bloodguard, attempt to contact and rally the Land's great allies, the Giants of Seareach, who have been eerily unheard-from for over a year.

These chapters are masterful and visceral - Donaldson gradually drags the reader into a virtual horror story, such is the bleak and graphic nature of the protagonists' fate.

The two chapters largely take place in two separate locations : a vast and treacherous swamp-land, which is exquisitely rendered by Donaldson, and a ghoulishly abandoned Giant-city by the sea, which is equally wonderfully realised.
The company endures nightmarish encounters and the eventual revelation of the Giant's fate is ghastly and gut-wrenching, as Donaldson shows evil in all it's ugliness.

The book eventually branches into two plots.

Hile Troy's endeavours to outwit Lord Foul's vast army are increasingly desperate and costly.
His arrogance in assuming so much responsibility for the people of the Land, and his ignorance as to the scale of evil he truly faces, conspire to render Troy effectless and he is indeed eventually returned to literal blindness.

Troy's dwindling hope and growing culpability for the fate of the Land's people is only redeemed at a huge personal cost and with significant aid from Lord Mhoram.

Ultimately all paths lead back to Covenant, it's his series after all, and the final part of the Illearth War focuses on his quest to find the 7th Ward of Kevin's Lore, a mysterious and unknown power which the Lords are sure will assist them in their war against Lord Foul.

These last six chapters are wonderful.

Covenant accompanies his daughter/potential love interest Elena, along with two Bloodguard, Bannor and Morin, as they are guided by the mysterious but affable Amok into craggy mountainous regions.

The pacing for this section of the book is different to the Mission to Seareach or Hile Troy's army sections, but no less devastating for it's more measured approach.

Covenant, long bereft of human contact much less love in the `real world', forms a deep bond with Elena as they journey to their unknown destination.

But just as he loves her, he also seeks to exploit her.

He, if no-one else, recognises a certain madness in Elena - and he secretly plots to install her in his place as the Land's ultimate Hero, despite his recent passive support to the Land's defenders.

From these positions of duplicity, Covenant's scheming and Elena's hidden madness, Donaldson conjures a bittersweet mood of inevitable failure.

Covenant is also able to induce the reticent Bloodguard into complicity, forcing them to aid he and Elena in their efforts to break the riddle of their strange guide, Amok.

Once the riddle is solved, Amok leads the small company into the heart of the highest mountain of the Land, Melenkurion Skyweir.

Here once again Donaldson truly evokes a mysterious, fraught environment; the caverns hold wonders which he renders viscerally vivid, silent waterfalls, overpowering smells, ripple-less lakes.

The sense of dread builds as they reach their final destination and Elena plays her part in Covenant's machinations by partaking in forces both powerful and terrible.

The resulting cataclysm brings about the downfall of High Lord Elena, and Covenant barely escapes with his miserable life as Bannor the Bloodguard contrives to save his leprous hide.

The Illearth War finds Stephen Donaldson examining every angle of his philosophies, pitting ideologies against each other - the main thrust of the novel is undoubtedly the contrast between Hile Troy and Thomas Covenant's very different views on their respective translations to the Land.

Just as Hile Troy thinks Covenant is too `cheap' and cynical to allow the Land's beauty and plight to affect him, Covenant is incredulous at Troy's blind acceptance of their bizarre circumstances (at one point Covenant labels the miracle of his Land-cured leprosy as a `lie').

In the end, there is no clear `winner' in this clash of ethics; Hile Troy is only able to save the Land's army from slaughter by sacrificing his own life, even then it is largely Lord Mhoram's bravery and lore which enables this slight victory.

And while it appears for a while that Covenant's brilliantly argued stance of Unbelief might prove to be a canny response to an impossible situation, his own self-hate brings about the worst possible outcome.

The middle book of a trilogy is by necessity neither a beginning nor and end, and the Illearth War is unable to provide many neat resolutions in it's 400 pages.
That hardly matters though, as Donaldson manages to pull together a multi-layered story so fascinating and affecting that it burns itself into the minds and hearts of the reader.

I've read a number of newer reviews and noticed a surprising trend of negativity and bashing. I've seen a few good points in some and but think some others are reaching, i.e letting a few character names ruin the whole series for them. Maybe my review itself will be looked down upon, but although there are similarities between Stephen R. Donaldson's tales and Tolkein's I actually prefer the differences in the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. Maybe I just relate with some aspects of it better.

I could put out a very long postive review of the book but think some previous reviewers had done a great job of it already. I just want to add that out of the many popular sword & sorcery and fantasy works I read growing up in the '80s this series is the only one I have found myself repeatedly coming back to over the years and gets an easy five from me.

If The Sword of Shannara is Coke, this is Pepsi. I definitely enjoyed it. I think this series is less well known as the writing, particularly dialogue (internal and external), could be clearer. Though a bit less accessable than other fantasy series, the concepts and world building are very interesting.

I found the writing to be overstated. There was not much flow. I had to reread several passages over again in order to understand what the author was trying to say. The main character is deplorable. I hate him. The rape scene in the beginning definitely threw me for a loop. What threw me for a bigger loop was the fact that he did not seem remorseful about it. And yet, he is the hero? All these people in this strange world worship him simply for what they think he represents--a hero reserected from their past. He moves through their world wallowing in self pity, believing he is dreaming, and trying to find a way back home. Why? Beats me. Why would one want to go home to be an outcast?

The reason I gave this story three stars instead of one is the fact that the author has a unique story line. I plan to read the second in the series for the sole purpose of seeing if he has somewhere he can take it. And to see if Covenant (the main character) redeems himself for his horrible actions in some way--or at least pays for them. One can only hope.

While the climax to Covenant's quest to stop Lord Foul is fine reading, the chapter entitled "Lord Mhoram's Victory", a huge statement of victory over crushing despair, is one of the most moving and emotional moments I've ever read in a fantasy novel, and merits the book a five star review even in isolation.

I've read all of the reviews here and have something to say to those with negative opinions of this series: for those of you who have relayed your reviews succinctly, I respect your collective opinions. This series is not for everyone. But to those who's reviews seemed to reflect confusion, please give this series another try. You obviously did not 'get it.'

This series is not about a fantasy land within which Covenant travels, such as other fantasy books dictate - yes, it is a story of a man who travels through the Land, however it is mostly about what happens to a person (physically, emotionally, mentally) who contracts and suffers with leprosy. The Land was Covenant, literally. When you look back at the characters, at the nuances of the Land, at the abilities of the Lords and such, and then put these details to the variety of physical aspects of the body, you can see a whole other series and story taking place.

Covenant was the Land. Though it is dreary and somewhat tiresome to read, the first book - Lord Foul's Bane - is the most important. It is where you, the reader, learn all you need to know about leprosy. Apply all that you learn there to the rest of this series, and the next three books, and you have a deeper understanding of Donaldson's genius.

BTW: on a side note, Donaldson - a master of language - spent some time in India with his father, who worked very closely with lepers. His experiences there shine through in this series.

The follow-up series' first book - The Runes of the Earth - follows the same pattern as this sets of series, except instead of leprosy the story follows a more psychological approach, mainly psychosis. I am anxious to read the next three books in the final series of this epic.

When I read this series and the series that followed, I was so stunned by everything - the story, the characters, the method of Donaldson's writing - I could read nothing else for a year. It was roughly 12 months later that I finally broke down and bought the Myth series by Robert Aspirin to 'clean my pallet' so that I could once again read a serious fantasy series.

And know that this series was written well before most of the fantasy series you have probably read.

I am not a great reader of the fantasy genre, becuase I find most of it to be poorly written, and/or juvenile in its content and execution. I read both of the Thomas Covenant trilogies 15 years ago - they still haunt me, even though I have not re-read either series since (though I probably will, now). Reading these books provided some of the most intense emotional responses I have ever had from any book, regardless of genre; when compared to other fantasy, they are is head and shoulders above the rest.
If you are one of the (seemingly) many people who believe all books (and plays and movies) should be "upbeat" and not "depressing", skip these books - stick to Piers Anthony. If you like your reading to be an emotional experience, I highly recommend all six books in both trilogies.

This series will suck you right in, but make no mistake, you will find yourself aggrevated with The Hero, Thomas Covenant. I found myself practically yelling at him at times! I do not recommend these books to anyone who cannot bare to have a hero that is not perfect, or even likable! Great reading, great story, great character development. Perhaps this book is too complicated for some, but anyone who truly enjoys and understands good fantasy will recognize it for the gem that it is.

People who try to compare Donaldson's work with Tolkien are making a very invalid comparison. Tolkien was a master of mythology and told narrative tales in the style of Homer. There is essentially no character development in Tolkien, the power is in the tale and the world in which it develops. Donaldson builds a rich world, less complicated than Tolkien's, yet he focuses on character development and psychological tension. This is a series for those who understand truly that the greatest freedom comes from total lack of power - this is the point Thomas Covenant makes.
By far the best character development of any sci-fi/fantasy series I have ever seen. Tolkien, certainly Zelazney, Goodkind, Asimov, and the rest seem trivially flat by comparison.
Unlike other books in the genre, The Chronicles do not entertain with plot devices and sudden revelations, they entertain in the storytelling and the interactions of characters which makes all 6 books worth reading again and again. Those capable of understanding the power of the principles of the characters of the series will find a truly classic work. Comparitively, work such as the Foundation Series by Asimov seem uninspired.
Excerpt -
'Foamfollower's question caught him wandering. "Are you a storyteller, Thomas Covenant?"
Absently, he replied, "I was, once."
"And you gave it up? Ah, that is as sad a tale in three words as any you might have told me. But a life without a tale is like a sea without salt. How do you live?"
Covenant folded his arms across the gunwales and rested his chin on them. As the boat moved, Andelain opened constantly in front of him like a bud; but he ignored it, concentrated instead on the plaint of water past the prow. Unconsciously, he clenched his fist over his ring. "I live."
"Another?" Foamfollower returned. "In two words, a story sadder than the first. Say no more - with one word you will make me weep." '

The Thomas covenant series - at least the first one - is a classic of fantasy literature. There are few anti-heroes that are so intense and believable, imbided with emotion and intensity.

Donaldson is a master at dark fiction. Be prepared for a rather unhappy novel, but one that grips you with its haunting beauty and crisp character development.

This is a rare book that left me emotionally exhausted at the end, but satisfied with the amazing scope and breadth.

Read and enjoy!

i read the 'covenant' chronicles many years ago and am surprised that no audiobook has materialized. I was hooked 20 years ago and am still savoring the saga of the leper Thomas Covenant and his reluctantly accepted new mission in a land that does not condemn and isolate him for his condition, but embraces and celebrates him. Be prepared to deal with many insights, questions and complexities. A wonderful fantasy read with a hook in the reality we experience,

It would seem a monumental task for any writer to match andeven surpass the earlier two volumes in the "Chronicles of ThomasCovenant" trilogy, but this Donaldson has done with his typical flair and touch. This is, quite simply, one of the finest culminating chapters in any fantasy trilogy, with sufficient action to attract even the most hard-headed sword and sorcery buff, enough character development and plot intricacies to entrance the most demanding reader, and enough tragedy, drama, and yes...even hope, to live on in the minds and hearts of those who enter Donaldson's "Land" for years to come. Focusing on the final battle between Lord Foul and Ur-Lord Thomas Covenant, "The Power That Preserves", like it's preceding volumes, is often stylistically and thematically dark and brooding, yet with a subtle beauty and love of craft unseen in many fantasy authors today. Donaldson is, quite simply, the Heir Apparent to the Fantasy/Science Fiction throne. END

I came to the Thomas Covenant books in a round-about manner... probably wouldn't have picked them on first sight but only because there are always so many to consider. I found a paperback in a store in Guam to read on the flight back to the States but it turned out to be #4 (the first of the Second Chronicles), so I dutifully waited until I got home and picked up the first 3. As I see from the reviews, many folks like them a lot, and many don't seem to. As I read them, I was entranced from the start, and frustrated that I had to wait for the 5th and 6th, a couple of long, long waits.

Many of the less than positive reviews have good points, technically and literally, and they'll probably steer some people away. I read and reread all 6 probably 3 times total, then moved too many times and passed my copies to another deserving reader. [As a point of note: I have read Lord of the Rings 7 times front to back, the Hobbit 3 times, but only read the Silmarillion once.]

Now, two days ago, I found that there is another effort from Donaldson to "Finalize" all and such (yippee!!?). Local library being what it is, I may have to re-invest in the first 6 again, which I'll do gladly, the "used" feature on many book sites is a GREAT way to reduce costs. I thought I had put Mr. Covenant to rest, but he raises his head once more, I guess.

By the way, I have liked every one of Stephen R. Donaldson's stories I've read. But, that may just be me...

To their fans, works of such perrennial popularity become impervious to critism, but if you're a careful reader and demand (as do fans of Hard SF, for example) a fairly high standard of verisimilitude and common-sense in a character's behavior, you may find The Chronicles too vulnerable to logic to be entirely successful. On a lesser note, I was continually reminded that Donaldson's indebtedness to Tolkien is too significant to go unacknowledged by the author. Those who seek the dark, introspective Fantasy departure that this book strives to be would be more challenged by Mervyn Peake's brilliant, underappreciated (in the U.S.) Gormenghast novels.

Read it and dream about it. Tolkien created a wonderful world , Donaldson described a world which still seems fantastically real to me. Covenant , a leper , is the unwilling hero.If the author intended the book to create sympathy for lepers , he failed .Covenant seems almost disgusting to me(He's loathe to help "the Land" I love so much !). If you didn't find enough action in "Lord Foul's bane" , you'll be satiated with "The Illearth war". The action is fast , the plot tight and gripping."the Land" is at war with Lord Foul's armies led by moksha raver. The chiefs of Lord Foul's forces , the ravers, have Indian names.You know what those names imply , a saint ! .Those who desire nirvana , breaking free of the eternal cycle of life and Death.Such people have little love for the good earth , that much is certain ! If you love beauty , you'll be fascinated by Donaldson.

The fact that so many previous reviews evoke such hate for this series of books is the one of the finest testaments to their value. Donaldson is doing more than entertaining the reader. He is providing insight into human nature through fabulous symbolisms. Those who hate TC are likely people who read books searching for an escape from real life . They want to associate with characters who are delightful and who can provide the reader with a sense of self-transcendence into what they want to be. TC offends these people because he is real. His actions and thoughts are real. His internal struggles are real. He is, in some way, all of us, and the reader who takes the time to ponder the web of complex symbolisms spun in these books will gain a sense of frightful fulfillment not found in any other series. Donaldson will expose your soul in his story. If you are not timid, you won't close the door on it.

The main character is a self-loathing sort, and he is tasked with saving a wonderful fantasy land called "The Land."
The book and the trilogy are excellent. Donaldson pulls it off despite his decision to put such an anti-hero in the hero slot. The plot, other characters, and rich history of The Land make this trilogy a staple of fantasy literature. The story continues with THE ILLEARTH STONE and THE POWER THAT PRESERVES.

Well again, and things are strange and disturbing.

Thomas Convenant is afflicted with leprosy and not enjoying things overly much as a result of this restricted existence.

Thanks to a white gold wedding ring he ends up in a secondary world, whereupon startled on being fully whole and healthy again he attacks a woman.

Things get even weirder as he discovers that because of his wedding ring he is a wild card in a struggle between a dark lord and evil magic and the lords who are trying to keep things whole for everyone.

Pretty good as far as this sort of fantasy series goes.

4 out of 5

Ah, what to say about "Lord Foul's Bane", a book I always wanted to experience and finally did? Well, the opening chapters set on Earth were pretty interesting (how many modern-day lepers does one run into, after all?), but then, alas, things went downhill for me. For me, you see, the worst crime a piece of art/entertainment can commit is to be dull. And, too much of this long, meandering book was just that. And the hero's rape of the young teenager shortly after transporting into the fantasy world known as "The Land" really bothered me, too. Not so much because it occurred (I'm all for edgy, unexpected content), but because Thomas Covenant was never forced to deal with it. No paying for his crime. No real, lasting guilt. Heck, even the raped girl's mother didn't seem all that upset. The whole thing made me scratch my head in wonder.

But it was those dull stretches that really got me. There were many, many instances of the author taking five pages to cover something that could have been covered in one page, and sometimes even one paragraph. Full disclosure here: I'm one of those people who loved the "Lord of the Rings" films but found the books a little slow. So maybe I'm simply one of those readers not predisposed to this sort of storytelling. But it sounds like many fans of the LOTR books had trouble with "Lord Foul's Bane", too, as well as the other Thomas Covenant books. For what it's worth, I enjoy both the "Wheel of Time" and the "Song of Ice and Fire" fantasy series (though I'm not blind to their increasing longwindedness, either).

By the way, I listened to "Lord Foul's Bane" via a newly-produced unabridged audiobook production, read by the excellent Scott Brick. It was Mr. Brick's polished narration that was principally responsible for me making it through this title in a fairly timely matter. If I was reading the book in paperback form or on my Kindle, I'd definitely still be slogging through the middle chapters somewhere, forcing myself forward like a guy fighting wind gusts in a blizzard. Hence the extra star to what would have been a two-star rating for the book itself. Thanks for the lifeline, Scott!

I saw Stephen R. Donaldson's name on one of these web pages, and had a Thomas Covenant flashback. I read them almost twenty years ago. I also have met others and in talking about books mentioned reading about ol' Tommy. The consensus has always been- loved the stories, HATED Covenant. He is the single most whiny, woe is me, everyone is picking on me man in literary history. I often found myself hoping something would eat him, or his fingers would grow back, and his tongue would fall out. Oh, my god,this review thing is better than a shrink! All this pent up anger towards that guy who would see someone get cut in half,or argue with some giant ogre, then say "Nope, I don't believe it." I feel wonderful. Thank you, ..., I might even try reading another of Robert Jordan's five-pounders. Well, maybe not.

Bought this book (and the other two books of this trilogy) back in the early 80's. Started to read it back then, but never got into it. Well, I finally finished this book and I have to say, I won't be reading the other two. Donaldson tries too hard to give the reader that Tolkeinesque feeling and ends up using the phrase "as if" so many countless times that it becomes irritating and laughable at the same time. With any good novel, you become emotionally invested, and it didn't happen for me in this case. 2011

I cant describe what thous Chronicles meant to me. It is an ungrateful job to be critic or the judge... anyway First and the Second Cronichles of Thomas Covenant are full of knowledge about anything that has the roots in divine pure. Stephen R. Donaldson in the man with without a match. J R Tolkin is good but it cant be even close to Mr. Donaldson. His even stronger than Dostojevski (in serbian writtings).

This book is a marvel of ingenuity and is probably the best anti-hero story of all. Jordan? Where do you think the Aiels come from (Bloodguards?)? I compare this work with Elric and company...Very entertaining and will impact on the writing in the future (as is evident in Goodkind's harsh but charismatic story). And there is talk of a third and final series: The final chronicle of Thomas Convenant. I can't wai

I had a hard time reading this series. I found them incredibly wordy, metaphorical, and descriptive. The characters were well rounded. You really got to know them and the Land. Although I did get tired of the main character whining. These books are very moody and meloncholy and there was not and ounce of humor in these books. It was a series that I had a love/hate relationship with, one minute I loved the book and the next minute i just wanted to throw the book in a corner and never pick it up again. The author has a unique and intelligent writing style. But I couldn't help but wonder if the author has a problem with women? I wouldn't recommend this series to anyone who is looking for some light reading. But They are page turners none the less, and they did get better later on in the series. Definitly like the last one the best.

Now this is how a trilogy should end.
Refusing to believe until the end - Covenant lives up to an ancient prophecy...Save and destroy.
With everything hanging in the balance, will our reluctant hero find it within himself to do what he should have done all along?
Best book of the series.
A fitting end...

If you've been longing for a mature, adult fantasy series, Donaldson delivers. Lord Foul's Bane is the first of two (and going on three?) triologies which breaks the mold which contiues to plague fantasy today--they all seem to be written for 15 year old boys.
if you can get past Donaldfson's irritatingly complex style (and a boring first 40 pages), you are in for a treat. More than any other modern fantasy, Donaldson challenges his readers, brings them into a vivid world which pointedly asks some very tough questions. And all the while with adventures, battles, and magic.
Each book of the series gets better. The story starts slow, but the suspense and action build whith each book. By the end, I was devouring dozens of pages at a time.

I find the various criticisms of the TC series somewhat baffling, though some have their merits.
1. It's obvious that LFB was Donaldson's first book, and I think some latitude should be given here. I along with most others found the series to be a process of accelleration, devouring the final books after a gradual increase in drama and emotion (and writing skill!). As for people's problems with Donalson's prose, grammar, etc. - give me a break. YOU go write an original trilogy on par with Tolkien, make it an international bestseller and winner of hundreds of awards, THEN criticize the man's writing. Don't be an armchair critic unless you have credentials... I wish that more people would forgive the book it's rough edges and reward it for it's stunning concept and emotional depth - qualities sorely lacking in most fantasy these days.
2. If you have to LOVE the main character to enjoy a book, then you're missing the whole point. Refund you books and move on to something else. Make a note to someday learn to love IDEAS too. Covenant's flaws and morality are what power the story. I can't believe people don't get this...
As for the entire series, I agree that the original trilogy is better than the Second Chronicles, although White Gold Wielder more than makes up for Wounded Land and One Tree, both great books. In my opinion they rate right alongside LOTR but are difficult to compare - LOTR is CULTURE driven, while the COvenant chronicles are CHARACTER driven. They are both masterful achievements. I prefer the Covenant books because of the sheer awe they inspired in me, and the long days and nights the story remained in my thoughts after I had completed each book...

Where oh where to start?
These works touched me in such a way that I revisit them time and again. To the critics of these works (and there are a fair number of you) I can only shake my head in wonder as to how you do not get it.
To those of you trying to decide if these are works worthy of your attention, take the time to read through these reviews. Read them all. You will read that Covenant is vile and contemptible, that the characters are flat and underdeveloped, that Donaldson's prose is too demanding, and that Donaldson is a Tolkien "wannabe".
For every unkind word about these books, you will also find many, many more words of praise from readers who (like myself) read these books years ago and for no other reason than passion, feel compelled to defend them in the face of harshness hoping that you too will feel what we felt, agonize with us, cry with us, and when it's over, sit bolt upright and say, "I get it". Then it will be your turn to enter here five, maybe ten years from now and want so badly to have the communication skills that will enable you to tell the world how wrong the critics are, only to realize the passion you feel for these works is beyond anything you would ever be able to compose.

On a positive note, I found the prose and story structure to flow much more smoothly. Which was an improvement on the first story. The discriptions were much more vivid, and of course Donaldson's dream world concept is fasinating. It would be obvious to a babe that one could dig deeper and find profound meaning in his writing. Yet, all I want to do is scream because I hate Covenant soooo much. I just can't get past this man and his self consuming pity. In the first book the reader has to put up with his rape of an innocent and sweet young girl. Now we have to deal with him getting jiggy with his OWN DAUGHTER?! Don't be fooled reader--he knows it's his daughter, as well as she knows he's her father. Another note of distaste is the length of pages it takes just to march to the war. The scene with the giants was extremely depressing--especially when the child killed his father. Apparently, Donaldson was doing some parent-hating when he wrote this book.

Oh well, I'm sure many will be discouraged or angry about my review. I'm sure many will assume that I'm "just not getting it." So be it. We all deserve to voice our opinions.

First let me say that I loved all 6 books and read them back to back. I was never bored and whished for more after they ended.
They are my favorite fantasy series.
Comparing to:
- Rift War Saga ( Fiest ) - Liked it
- LOTR & Hobbit ( Tolkein)- Liked it
- Eye of The World ( Jordan ) - Liked it but series is still
going therefore I stopped reading.
Most likly will pick up if when
the series ends.
- Wizard's First Rule ( Goodkind ) - Me no likey. Too much
torture and pain.
- Sword of Shanara ( Brooks ) - No go. Maybe others are good
but I thought the story was a
little weak. [....]

Better than Tolkien. Better than Jordan. Kicks Martin's mediocre melodramatic sensationalistic *** up and down stairs. It's a sin to mention Goodkind in the same *breath* as this. I have NEVER come across a book series better than this and the second trilogy at exploring fundamental truths about the human condition, which is the mission of great literature.
Extremely allegorical and symbolic. Donaldson deals with profound philosophical questions about the nature of guilt and innocence, sinfulness and redemption, hope and despair, as well as the very meaning of life itself (the entire first trilogy can be seen as an exploration of the question, "What is the answer to death?") This is the fantasy genre at its best, drawing on the ability of fantasy to create fundamentally new worlds and characters to express things more clearly than could be done in a "realistic" genre. Just about every person and thing that Covenant meets in this and the second trilogy has symbolic meaning, to such an extent that sometimes the symbolic content drives the action.
Okay, it's not for everyone. It's not for people looking for a straight-ahead sword-and-sorcery hack'n'slash series. If you only read on one level, you will not appreciate this series. If you are prepared to deal with symbolic, allegorical, and philosophical content, pick it up.
I can truly say I have never picked up a book series that has touched me this deeply or had this profound an effect on me. Read it, with patience, strength, and contemplation. You won't be disappointed.

I have just completed this book for the first time, and was drawn in initially by the sad angry Tom Covenant and his Leprosy (I went straight to wiki to find out more about Leprosy and Lepers). But once the switch was made to 'the Land' though making for interesting psychological conundrums (is it really a dream? is it real?) the main character annoyed me and the other characters seemed a bit empty, that said the potential is there with some beautiful writing and world development. I have the next two books in this trilogy and having read a few other reviews saying that things improve i'm hoping for better things. At the moment it's not standing up to the praise I have read about this series but as I said I've only just started on my journey with Tom.

I read both the first and second series when I was a teenager. I enjoyed all six books very much. I loved the fantasy creatures, especially the Giants. I have just decided to re-read the entire series, now that the last set of books is complete.

I found the story gripping and entertaining. I particularly like the symbolic way that Thomas and The Land are actually the same thing. As leprosy weakens Thomas's body, and insanity creeps into his mind, so goes the fate of The Land. Good series, worth reading if you like fantasy.

One of the worst books I've ever tried to read. Halfway through I was done. I'm astounded that people think this is a great fantasy. It's poorly written, slow, highly derivative, unimaginative: BORING. Yeah, the unlikable character and all that, but that didn't affect me at all. There are plenty of likable bad characters to be had. Joe Abercrombie comes to mind, whose books are great. Do yourself a favor and read Abercrombie. Donaldson is a bore.

The Anti-Hero and Donaldson's Story "Lord Foul's Bane"
Stephen R. Donaldson's publishing debut was with "Lord Foul's Bane" (1977), and it is the first book in the fantasy trilogy entitled The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever. The protagonist and anti-hero in the story is Thomas Covenant. What is an anti-hero? An anti-hero is someone who lacks the attributes that make a heroic figure, as nobility of mind and spirit, a life or attitude marked by action or purpose. An anti-hero does not demonstrate the desired values or norms of society and yet still possess loyal followers and friends despite their selfish nature. In Donaldson's character Thomas Covenant we find a rather reprehensible, pathetic, and weak man with little if any endearing qualities. Yet through this anti-hero philosophy we see Donaldson's attempt to show how a bitter, lonely and feeble man can perhaps learn to accept what life has dealt him.
SPOILER ALERT, key story details in review, jump to final three paragraphs for concluding comments.
In our world Thomas Covenant lives a traditional middle class life as an author with a wife and young son. One day Thomas discovers strange spots on his hand and in turn looses two fingers and is diagnosed with leprosy. After months of treatment Thomas returns home to find his wife has filed for divorce and she and his son are both gone. Thomas further discovers the town has ostracized him and in rebellion against this he makes a trip to town and encounters a strange enigmatic beggar. This encounter distracts Covenant who in turn stumbles into traffic and is stuck by a car. Thus begins the call to adventure and road of trials for the anti-hero Thomas Covenant.
Upon regaining consciousness Thomas finds himself having been transported to a fantasy world know as The Land. With the realization he was apparently summoned to this fantasy realm Thomas is immediately set upon by a minion of the chief malevolent force in The Land known as Lord Foul. Lord Foul imparts upon Covenant a quest to warn the forces of good of their impending doom.
During his first encounter with people in The Land Thomas is greeted and believed to be the reincarnation of a previous and ancient hero. In addition Thomas is now exposed to indigenous earth elements within The Land that have healing properties. These elements have apparently healed his leprosy and his impotence. Despite this Thomas is still fed and plagued by his leprosy spawned bitterness and negativity. Thomas fails to accept the reality of The Land, unbelief, and is overcome. This unbelief is a refusal of the call of The Land. A further parallel faced and completed in hero's journey in other stories. However in pursing the most anti-hero of ideas Donaldson's character Thomas Covenant then rapes a young girl named Lena who has befriended him. The people refuse to judge Covenant and in turn help him reach and warn the Lords of Revelstone of Lord Fouls evil intent.
Covenant delivers his message to the Lords of Revelstone who in turn invite him into their council. They see within Covenant the ability to unleash the "wild magic" through his white gold wedding ring and deem that through this Lord Foul may be defeated.
Thomas Covenant now sets out on another quest with a small band of warriors and friends from Revelstone on a new quest to find and reclaim the Staff of Law from Lord Foul's minions. Covenant's motivation is not however in keeping with those of his party. He believes that with the Staff of Law somehow he can be sent back to his own world. Thus our hero's journey as the anti-hero continues with the introduction of weapons of magical properties and Covenant's own selfish personal motivation in seeking them. It is along the way however that we see Thomas Covenant attempt to come to terms with the reality of The Land. Additionally he tries to redeem himself and atone for his rape of Lena.
With the quest drawing to a close Covenant and his surviving friends are able to regain control of the Staff of Law. The creature who at Lord Foul's bidding first summoned Thomas to The Land is destroyed. Peace has been secured for The Land and Covenant feels he is fading away and awakes in his own land a leper once more.
In the end the character of Thomas Covenant and Lord Foul's Bane will not be for all readers, or even all fantasy genre readers. Although the journey through adventure, trials, quest and use of magic is shared by other heroes in literature, Covenant is no hero. Covenant is the anti-hero and expresses that fact throughout the book. Donaldson does such a good job with this that most readers will find Thomas far too reprehensible and as a result repulsed by his actions.
If the thought of an anti-hero intrigues you then this is the book for you. It is however a complex story not meant for a casual read and it will demand your attention. There are better fantasy novels out there with certainly more interesting characters, richer worlds, more magic and with genuine depth, rather than the wretched melodrama and overblown despair of an anti-hero.
To be fair Lord Foul's Bane is the first of ten books, with the tenth book forthcoming. If you can accept the abrasive nature of the early Covenant you will experience his transformation from a pitiful self-loathing unbeliever to a wise and noble savior. Over the course of the entire series, Covenant deepens and grows, learning that love, belief and sacrifice are far stronger powers than hate, rejection and selfishness.

This is the second book of the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant series by mind-over-matter author Stephen R. Donaldson. This book is wonderous. The synergy between characters and the sometimes animosity makes a for a great read. The descriptive nature, the verdurous veritas of setting makes this book a playground of the imagination. If you've read Lord Foul's Bane, you are bound to read this one. First-rate piece.

Nothing redeeming about Thomas covenant. An anti-hero should have at least some skill or trait that awakens some sort of admiration, or at least be a character we love to hate (joffery from ice and fire comes to mind). Covenant rapes, whines, and hisses " I'm a leper, don't touch me! " all over the Land ( original name there eh?). I trudged through the book hoping Thomas would be killed off by the giant or the ur things. Also lord foul? Dhrool? Ur "vile"? Mount dhoom? Some original names would have been nice. The last few pages I was skimming entire paragraphs, hoping The Doctor or Ghandalf or someone would show up to save the ending. At least I can understood why TC's wife left so quickly, seeing what an ur-vile he became. The title of the book is pretty lame too. The book uses English, has somewhat understandable phrasing, and has a plot.. That's about all the pros.. Don't waste your time is my verdict, life is too short