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

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

Read the first set of books in high school. Came across the first trilogy again this year. Very excited to find 2nd chronicles & last third chronicals. So exited to see were this store goes. Book came in great condition and arrived quickly.

I only recommend this book if you want a follow-up to the first two trilogies other wise it takes forever to get up to speed with all of the important caricatures in the story.

I waited until this set of books was complete before purchasing this book, cause the author takes forever to finish his books. Last time I picked up one of his books (10+ years ago) I do not remember him using so many unusual words (read the kendal version it has a built in Thesaurus) that part seemed silly. In my opinion the author spends to much time with descriptions of what is going on in his caricatures heads.

My mistake he has not finished the last book of this set. be out sometime this year 2013.

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

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

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

This story is SOOO negative that I just want to kill myself after reading it. It is also so long since the last Covenant Chronicles that it is not possible to recall all of the ins and outs of the various characters and stories. Do not recommend this a a book to purchase.

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

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

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

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

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

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

I'm getting up in years, so I am careful with my time, but one thing I want to accomplish before I leave this earth scene is to again read Donaldson's first two Thomas trilogies, and probably now also his 3rd set of chronicles if he gets them written in time! (I have, for the record, read LOTR several times, the Hobbit, the Silmarillion twice, Narnia more than once, and C. S. Lewis's space trilogy several times, along with Madeleine L'Engle's Wrinkle in Time trilogy also several times. Love them all.)

This is a bit of a violation of the review rules (I repent and ask for pardon!), since this is not, strictly speaking, a review of this specific book per se, except in anticipation. I have not read it, but I know Donaldson's work and hence I know it will be good. IN FACT I JUST PURCHASED IT via the Amacon Marketplace and am eagerly awaiting its arrival. What then am I reviewing? Stephen R. Donaldson's writings.

I read his first 2 Thomas trilogies years ago. They were surprisingly engaging and deep. Donaldson is a gifted story-teller. His characters, especially Thomas, have the psychological depth of Shakespeare's. His stories are powerful and keep you spellbound. Sure Thomas is an antihero, more "anti-" than most. But that and other aspects make for gut-wrenching suspense.

If you like stories, particularly fantasy, that put you through an emotional "ringer," Give this book and his others a try.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

After a very long hiatus, I finally came back to read the Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. I can't believe how long this series has stretched, I read Lord Foul's Bane as a teenager in high school and now I've got teenagers of my own in high school. Crazy. Anyway, I'll be very unlike Mr. Donaldson and keep this brief.

I found all 4 books of this series tedious at best. I just want to slap Linden and tell her to man-up. Wah wah wah. She is seriously the biggest drama queen to ever walk the planet, why can't she just suck it up and move on? It wouldn't be so bad but the story just draaaaags on and on and on. At the beginning of book 3 following a major event, the book spends well over 100 pages going over and over and over how bad Linden feels about herself and her self-recrimination. Enough, please.

I know my next comment will likely draw ire from the intellectual elite, but could Donaldson dumb down the vocabulary just a little bit? My e-reader makes it easy for me to look up words I don't know and I kid you not, at least half the words I've looked up don't even exist on the built-in dictionary. Sure, I get the basic meaning but I find it pretentious of the author to use words that a significant portion of his audience won't know.

Of course I'll slog through all 4 books because I simply can't help myself. That said, I've found that the only time I actually read this series is when I'm stuck on a plane or on the throne -- basically a captive audience. I never find myself voluntarily picking up the e-reader to see what happens next, because frankly I already know. More Linden on the rag and her deep emotional pain. No thanks.

EDIT 11/7/15 -- upgraded to 3 stars
I finally finished book 4. Considering how long it took me to finish you can see my interest level didn't go up a whole bunch, but book 4 was something of an improvement. Fewer big words, a little less of everybody accomplishing Herculean feats while damning themselves for the smallest of wrongs. Nice conclusion, now please let it rest so I don't have to read another of these series. :)

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

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

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

Here is hoping the next one improves.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Ruinous Spoilers Right Below*

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MY FEEDBACK:

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

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

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

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

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

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

I'm sure glad I have an e-reader with a built-in dictionary. Mr. Donaldson, what are you doing to us? The choice of words in this novel makes it an extreme slog for someone who isn't a English major, or simply enjoys word play. If I see the word "percipience" one more time I'm going to scream! Not to mention "Lambent" and what the heck is "Formication"? How it is used in the novel doesn't seem (to me) to correspond to its usage here. But maybe I'm just being obtuse.

Now I'm going to have to rummage around in my closet for the first two Thomas Covenant series to see if they were equally aggravating, my memory says no, but it's been decades since I last read SRD. I don't remember his Gap series being so hard to comprehend; I rather enjoyed those actually, they were great books!

I enjoyed the book, but I kept wanting it to end so the struggle of reading it could end. That is never a good sign.

Linden Avery - not a very interesting character. I hope she becomes more so in the successive novels.

I probably will continue reading the series, but only because I am a fan of SRD and Thomas Covenant.

I am a big fan of ALL of the THomas Covenant books. It was a roller-coaster of a series and I was truly depressed when it ended with his death. But lo and behold . . . The Runes of the Earth showed up under my Christmas tree.

Linden Avery is a physician (who wears Covenant's white gold wedding ring in remembrance) and she looks after 2 important character. Covenant's mad ex-wife, Joan, and Jeremiah, a traumatized boy who is also a halfhand (like Covenant--it will probably mean something in his upcoming books). Joan & Jeremiah are kidnapped by Covenant's son and the confrontation between Linden and COvenant's son catapults Linden back into the LAND which once again, is in crisis.

Evil is afoot. Literally underfoot. The Land's rocks & stones speak to certain characters about their well-being and the good old days. About evil. And there's Smog! But not just any Smog! Its called Kevin's Dirt! And there's caesures! Which are expanding and threaten the Arch of Time. And the Staff of Law is lost. The mythology of the Land is all complicated but at the same time, most enjoyable to me because I have read all the other books and reading this book is like having an old friend for dinner.

I think a reader misses a lot if THE RUNES is read without reading the other 6 books. You miss the Giants, the Bloodguard before they made themselves Masters, Lord Foul himself, the Sunbane and the Illearth Stone,the ur-viles and the Waynhim as they were before this book takes place. It gives the reader a stake in the Land . . . to be aware of characters and events which happened millenia ago. (I know that I gained an appreciation of Donaldson's skill as a writer when he uses the device of time-travel when characters leap from the Land into the Real World and back again.) A day in the Real World could be a Century in the Land. And events in the Read World (especially where White Gold is concerned) has deadly consequences in the Land.

Now the annoying part is Linden herself. She just got on my nerves. I know that heroes in books (the interesting ones anyway) seldom know what they're doing. But Linden just agonized so much over everything, I wanted the ur-viles to drown her in vitrim . . . just to shut her up. Perhaps Donaldson was just tryimg to show the contrast between her and Stave, a Bloodguard, but a little goes a long way, dude. Or maybe I've changed. (I read the other books when I was in high school. And I think Thomas Covenant as the Unbeliever was the same way when he first arrived in the Land. But I liked him better because he was a Leper and so his UnBelief made more sense. Linden Avery (in some parts of the book) just struck me as a bit of a "mental" diva. Something like that. But other than a few moments, this book is a MUST! IF YOU read the other THomas Covenant books first!

Trust me. It will make a difference! 3.5 Stars.

4.25 Stars if you're not a demanding Hag like me!

First, let me say that Donaldson is one of my three favorite SF authors for use of the English language. Along with Lovecraft and Gene Wolfe, they form a triad against which I gauge almost everything else I read. This book continues Donaldson's masterful manipulation of English.

The story rather parallels the beginning of the Second Chronicles. It's been ten years since Linden Avery redeemed The Land from the Sunbane, some 3500 years in The Land. Her life has drastically improved since she returned to Earth. She has a good job which she enjoys and has adopted one of the children who maimed their hands in Foul's fire in The Land. The story opens with the appearance of Roger Covenant, who wishes to redeem his mad mother from the mental hospital Linden runs. For some reason, Avery balks, so he kidnaps his mother, killing some of the hospital staff, and kidnaps Avery's son as well. Linden Avery is summoned back to The Land, but is joined by her son and Roger Covenant, as well as the mad Joan, who is actually inhabited by Turya Raver. Avery is shot through the heart as she is summoned. She heals herself using Thomas Covenant's ring, which she wears around her neck, returning White Gold to The Land, but she is not unique in this: Joan carries the twin to Covenant's ring. Much has changed in The Land. Linden first encounters an inately Earth powerful mad man named Aneal. She looks down on The Land and sees a yellow cloud of smog covering it as far as she can see. She and Aneal are captured by two Haruchai and taken to Mithil Stonedown, and when she awakes, her health sense is dead. She learns that the smog is called Kevin's Dirt, as the Haruchai fear this is the first step in another act of Desecration. Linden and Aneal are held prisoner by the Haruchai who now call themselves the Masters of The Land, until Linden proves she is the Chosen returned to The Land. Aneal, however, remains a prisoner and begs Linden to protect and free Aneal. Aneal refers to himself in the third person as part of his madness. The Haruchai's Mastery is based on the belief that all use of Earth power ultimately serves Corruption, hence, Linden finds the stonedownors ignorant of their history as well as their traditional abilities. She escapes with Aneal during a violent storm and flees to the Southron Range accompanied by a stonedownor and pursued by one of the Masters.

The remainder of the book, Linden finds allies as well as learning that many, many new threats face The Land. Several beings seem to possess Aneal, providing interesting insights into these threats. With two main exceptions, the entire book is set up. It is unfortunate that this vast story does not move the story forward in any truly significant manner. Additionally, Thomas Covenant shows up in less than fifteen sentences in the book. This is the reason I gave the book four stars instead of five.

20 years after the 'conclusion' of the original series this book is published. Having no idea a sequel was on the way I almost had a heart attack upon seeing this book in the store. This series ranks up there with Dune and Lord of the Rings. If you haven't read the first 6, do yourself a favor and check them out--don't be put off by some of clunky naming (Lord Foul the Despiser etc)and don't be too quick to condemn the lead character before he comes into his own (he'll suffer for his mistakes and then some). This is an intelligent, searingly intense series, vastly superior to much of the popular cr*p of today (ie wheel of time). The character and world development is intricate, superb and always logically consistent. The series is a rare mix (particularly for this genre) of thoughtfulness/intelligence/moral complexities and intense action/supsense. It has "sense of wonder" world development. You'll come to love some characters,hate others and also come to care deeply about "The Land" itself. How many books can do that? As for the new book, without given anything away, it is seamless in its consistency with what has gone before and picks up a few years later with Linden Avery. You'll spend much of the book, like Linden, trying to figure out what is going on, who the players are and what the hell is Foul really up to. I read it in two sittings and can now look forward to years of agony waiting for the sequels. Yes this is a big epic series, but unlike many of the current multibook series, I never had the sense the author is just putting out filler, milking the cash cow etc. Tastes differ of course, but IMHO in the last 30 years of fantasy literature there are at most a handful of books that deserve to be mentioned alongside this series. If you are just starting to read this series, I envy you.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What a struggle this book has been. I think 100 pages would have been enough space to fully develop the plot line here, as not a whole lot has happened through the first 400 pages. I thought we would never get out of the Verge of Wandering, and when we finally did, it took way too many pages to do so. In anticipation of reading "Runes" I recently re-read all of the first six books. I also purchased the next volume, "Fatal Revenant," anticipating the Final Chronicles to be at least as good a read as Chronicles 1 and 2. Sorry, it isn't. As other readers have commented, the need for a dictionary while reading this book and the pages upon pages of excessive prose killed it for me. The word I hate the most, extremely overused in Chronicles 2, is "percipience." But SRD managed to find some new ones to overuse in "Runes." I'll struggle though to the finish, but seriously doubt if I'll read "Revenant." FYI - according to Wiktionary, a revenant is a supernatural being that returns from the dead. Another extremely obscure word embedded in the title of the next huge, wordy installment of TC.

'The Runes of the Earth' is the first book in the 'The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant', this coming some 20 years after the publication of 'The Second Chronicles'. It's good to be back in the Land but 'Runes of the Earth' is definitely a weak link in the series. Donaldson is even more verbose than in prior books and the plot moves forward very slowly as the events of the prior books rehashed over and over. The result is that not much new seems to happen in this one. Also not much seems to have changed in the Land in the many centuries since Linden was last there, the same peoples, cultures even the same villages. It might as well have been five years since Linden was last in the Land, for all the difference it makes.
It all seems very stale, hopefully the next book in the series will add something new.

The first Thomas Covenant triology was a breath of fresh air: gone were the superheroes, gone were the rip-offs of Tolkien. This was something completely new.

Mr Donaldson, being the son of doctor, understood profoundly well the mental agony of leprosy victims. Covenant's disease has taken over his life so totally that everything has to circle around it. What happens then when suddenly he is cured? Is he happy? No, it is a psychological disaster for him. Covenant's struggle to come to terms with his newfound health, which he knows is only fleeting, is superbly dealt with in the first triology.

Then, I fear, it has gone downhill. There is too much 'woe betides me' and mental anguish.

There are some very good ideas here: The return of Covenant's son and the stubborn idiocy of the Haruchai for instance. On the other hand, I wish Linden Avery could get her act together: there is to much 'woe, woe is me' instead of action from her side, and to many times when her indecision has led her companions close too disaster a miracle 'unexpectedly' turns up and they are saved.

Mr Donaldson sure does not lack great ideas, and this story shows great promise, but I think he could cut down a bit on Linden Avery's feeling of inadequacy. She could, for instance, learn to ask her companions for advice; they are capable enough to give her intelligent answers.

If you love Donaldson, for all that you care about the first six Covenant novels, read these poor reviews before diving into this series.

Warning: There are FOUR books in this series, not three as in the others. Donaldson has yet to write the fourth, six years after coming out with this one. I can only blame either laziness or lack of inspiration, since to write the first three all he had to do was sit down and type stream-of-consciousness, then cut-and-paste previous sections into later sections and update the character names. Really, 75% of the books is incessant whining and pointless detailed descriptions of travel. Not to mention the introduction of not just one or two but an entire menagerie of all-mighty yet mysteriously impotent beings. God (pun intended) how Donaldson loves the cryptic deus-ex-machina.

Oh, and toss in the occasional obscure and archaic term for no other reason than why the heck not.

Stephen: you love your postgraduate lexicon, full of things like "cerements" and "cynosure" and "orogeny". I have a somewhat simpler term that you should heed: "PROLIX: Using or containing too many words; tediously lengthy."

If the definition of this word is still unclear, read these books and it will rapidly "reify".

This series is tedious. The third book was a torture. I read to the end so I can't in good conscience give it one star, but save yourself the suffering. Re-read either of the other series instead, written before Donaldson turned into a snobbish bore.

Fans of Donaldson's earlier work in the Land will find much to like here. Much of what was so good in the first two trilogies is here: conflicted characters; examinations of power and guilt, sense of loss, familiar etc. That's both a positive and a negative, however, as there is a distinct sense of been there done that. Not overpowering, as the story does expand, deepen, and in general differ in slight, subtle ways from its predecessors. But the sense remains through much of the book, as once again the Land is under assault, once again characters are ignorant or unwilling, once again a character wrestles with use/control of power, once again a character is taken hostage, once again we deal with Stonedowners and Ranhyn and Bloodguard, once again Kevin Landwaster has lessons to tell us. Again, the book manages, I think, to evade this as a major pitfall, but one is willing to give a bit more slack to the first book in a projected trilogy/tetralogy; one hopes the rest of the books move down more original paths.

The opening is a bit slow, as Linden Avery's life since the last book is summarized and she is set down the path toward reentry into the Land. Part of the slowness comes from too much unnecessary introspection on her part, unnecessary because it's redundant (we've heard it already), repetitive (goes on too long in the same vein), or because it is telling us something we should probably be shown. A bit of it also seems somewhat contrived, but as its main purpose is to get her to the Land we can accept its arbitrariness.

Once in the Land the story picks up and becomes much more compelling as Avery learns of the Land's new ills (loss of the Staff of Law, time storms, a ban on earthpower, and more) and picks up some allies and of course some enemies in her attempts to save the Land and her hostage son. As usual with Donaldson, half the fun is the shiftiness of what it means to be ally and/or enemy.

For longtime readers of Donaldson, there will be some moments of annoyance as he goes over past Land history that we've all read about or even better seen occur. Most times he goes a step further, filling in some backstory or forward-story, adding a few details, but it seems much of it could have been streamlined. I suppose that was for the benefit of those who haven't read the previous books (a quite detailed prologue is available for them) but I'm not sure I understand why anyone would pick this book up not having read those others. Not only do characters, themes, and plots repeat or expand upon those from earlier, but the whole thrust of the series revolves around the love of the Land and unfortunately, in this book, the Land is pretty pallid. One just can't understand why it's so important that Avery save it unless one has seen it in all its first trilogy glory. Sure, Avery keeps telling the reader why it's important and tries to recall the past glory (though she never really saw it fully herself), but that's a very poor substitute. For that reason alone I'd never recommend this book as a starter (plus, reading the first six cuts down on the wait time for the sequel to Runes).

Flaws in the book are relatively minor. Sometimes it's a bit contrived, sometimes a bit rushed, sometimes too familiarly predictable. As mentioned the Land itself no longer glows, and "Kevin's Dirt" is just an awful letdown in terms of sheer language; I mean, this is the same guy who gave us the Ill Earth War, The Ritual of Desecration, the Unfettered, the Unhomed, and Lord Mhoram's Victory. Is "Kevin's Dirt" really the best he could do? But this, like the other flaws, are insignificant in the book's hold on the reader and if one hopes to see some more expansive character and thematic lines, the first two trilogies bode well for such expansion, making Runes both a welcome return and a hopeful beginning.

'The Runes of the Earth' is the first book in the 'The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant', this coming some 20 years after the publication of 'The Second Chronicles'. It's good to be back in the Land but 'Runes of the Earth' is definitely a weak link in the series. Donaldson is even more verbose than in prior books and the plot moves forward very slowly as the events of the prior books rehashed over and over. The result is that not much new seems to happen in this one. Also not much seems to have changed in the Land in the many centuries since Linden was last there, the same peoples, cultures even the same villages. It might as well have been five years since Linden was last in the Land, for all the difference it makes.
It all seems very stale, hopefully the next book in the series will add something new.

The first Thomas Covenant triology was a breath of fresh air: gone were the superheroes, gone were the rip-offs of Tolkien. This was something completely new.

Mr Donaldson, being the son of doctor, understood profoundly well the mental agony of leprosy victims. Covenant's disease has taken over his life so totally that everything has to circle around it. What happens then when suddenly he is cured? Is he happy? No, it is a psychological disaster for him. Covenant's struggle to come to terms with his newfound health, which he knows is only fleeting, is superbly dealt with in the first triology.

Then, I fear, it has gone downhill. There is too much 'woe betides me' and mental anguish.

There are some very good ideas here: The return of Covenant's son and the stubborn idiocy of the Haruchai for instance. On the other hand, I wish Linden Avery could get her act together: there is to much 'woe, woe is me' instead of action from her side, and to many times when her indecision has led her companions close too disaster a miracle 'unexpectedly' turns up and they are saved.

Mr Donaldson sure does not lack great ideas, and this story shows great promise, but I think he could cut down a bit on Linden Avery's feeling of inadequacy. She could, for instance, learn to ask her companions for advice; they are capable enough to give her intelligent answers.

If you love Donaldson, for all that you care about the first six Covenant novels, read these poor reviews before diving into this series.

Warning: There are FOUR books in this series, not three as in the others. Donaldson has yet to write the fourth, six years after coming out with this one. I can only blame either laziness or lack of inspiration, since to write the first three all he had to do was sit down and type stream-of-consciousness, then cut-and-paste previous sections into later sections and update the character names. Really, 75% of the books is incessant whining and pointless detailed descriptions of travel. Not to mention the introduction of not just one or two but an entire menagerie of all-mighty yet mysteriously impotent beings. God (pun intended) how Donaldson loves the cryptic deus-ex-machina.

Oh, and toss in the occasional obscure and archaic term for no other reason than why the heck not.

Stephen: you love your postgraduate lexicon, full of things like "cerements" and "cynosure" and "orogeny". I have a somewhat simpler term that you should heed: "PROLIX: Using or containing too many words; tediously lengthy."

If the definition of this word is still unclear, read these books and it will rapidly "reify".

This series is tedious. The third book was a torture. I read to the end so I can't in good conscience give it one star, but save yourself the suffering. Re-read either of the other series instead, written before Donaldson turned into a snobbish bore.

Fans of Donaldson's earlier work in the Land will find much to like here. Much of what was so good in the first two trilogies is here: conflicted characters; examinations of power and guilt, sense of loss, familiar etc. That's both a positive and a negative, however, as there is a distinct sense of been there done that. Not overpowering, as the story does expand, deepen, and in general differ in slight, subtle ways from its predecessors. But the sense remains through much of the book, as once again the Land is under assault, once again characters are ignorant or unwilling, once again a character wrestles with use/control of power, once again a character is taken hostage, once again we deal with Stonedowners and Ranhyn and Bloodguard, once again Kevin Landwaster has lessons to tell us. Again, the book manages, I think, to evade this as a major pitfall, but one is willing to give a bit more slack to the first book in a projected trilogy/tetralogy; one hopes the rest of the books move down more original paths.

The opening is a bit slow, as Linden Avery's life since the last book is summarized and she is set down the path toward reentry into the Land. Part of the slowness comes from too much unnecessary introspection on her part, unnecessary because it's redundant (we've heard it already), repetitive (goes on too long in the same vein), or because it is telling us something we should probably be shown. A bit of it also seems somewhat contrived, but as its main purpose is to get her to the Land we can accept its arbitrariness.

Once in the Land the story picks up and becomes much more compelling as Avery learns of the Land's new ills (loss of the Staff of Law, time storms, a ban on earthpower, and more) and picks up some allies and of course some enemies in her attempts to save the Land and her hostage son. As usual with Donaldson, half the fun is the shiftiness of what it means to be ally and/or enemy.

For longtime readers of Donaldson, there will be some moments of annoyance as he goes over past Land history that we've all read about or even better seen occur. Most times he goes a step further, filling in some backstory or forward-story, adding a few details, but it seems much of it could have been streamlined. I suppose that was for the benefit of those who haven't read the previous books (a quite detailed prologue is available for them) but I'm not sure I understand why anyone would pick this book up not having read those others. Not only do characters, themes, and plots repeat or expand upon those from earlier, but the whole thrust of the series revolves around the love of the Land and unfortunately, in this book, the Land is pretty pallid. One just can't understand why it's so important that Avery save it unless one has seen it in all its first trilogy glory. Sure, Avery keeps telling the reader why it's important and tries to recall the past glory (though she never really saw it fully herself), but that's a very poor substitute. For that reason alone I'd never recommend this book as a starter (plus, reading the first six cuts down on the wait time for the sequel to Runes).

Flaws in the book are relatively minor. Sometimes it's a bit contrived, sometimes a bit rushed, sometimes too familiarly predictable. As mentioned the Land itself no longer glows, and "Kevin's Dirt" is just an awful letdown in terms of sheer language; I mean, this is the same guy who gave us the Ill Earth War, The Ritual of Desecration, the Unfettered, the Unhomed, and Lord Mhoram's Victory. Is "Kevin's Dirt" really the best he could do? But this, like the other flaws, are insignificant in the book's hold on the reader and if one hopes to see some more expansive character and thematic lines, the first two trilogies bode well for such expansion, making Runes both a welcome return and a hopeful beginning.

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

Wow. Was I happily wrong!

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

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

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

Read and Enjoy!

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

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

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

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

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

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

I've long been a fan of the other Covenant books and of Donaldson's other series. (though Gap into Darkness was odd) After the prior series, I never expected Donaldson to write more in the Covenant universe, but I'm certainly glad he did.

This book did seem to ramp up slowly/gradually in sense of action and in the feeling that you (and the characters) are gaining understanding of what is going on. That is obviously frustrating to other reviewers, but IMO it's part of the natural build-up in a complex and worthy multi-book series. It's a book with multiple protagonists and multiple antagonists, some unknown so far, as are their effects, powers and motivations. That takes more time to build than a simple good-guys-here, bad-guys-there book.

So, without going into all the over-analysis of some of the the other reviewers, I'll just say this: read the other Covenant books first, then get this one. It'll take a little patience, but it'll be worth it. ... and I really hope the next part of the series comes soon...

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

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

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

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

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

I was a big fan of the first two trilogies, when I was young, as I have written about before. So, it was with some anticipation that I picked up this book, the last time I was in Hong Kong. I read it over the course of a few evenings...it was eagerly devoured, one might say.

Despite the "Thomas Covenant" name attached to the series here, I have to say that the novel is clearly centered on Linden Avery as the protagonist. Now a mother, she brings an intensity to the unfolding events that Covenant could not. Another ten years have passed in the "real world", when Covenant's son re-enters the picture, and kidnaps Covenant's ex-wife and Avery's son...causing all to be transported to the Land, where Lord Foul awaits once again. This time, the dangers to the Land are distinctly different from before...and accidentally Linden Avery herself had a hand in creating some of these dangers. Avery herself is in "protective mother" mode, desperate to find her son, but lacking the power at first to act, not having the Staff of Law in her possession nor a good connection to the power of white gold...Covenant's ring still being in her hands. Thus, Avery sets about finding allies, and a powers to help her cause, and this is the meat of the story here.

The story was well-paced, and the dangers and story elements all felt like logical consequences of the previous novels' storylines. We got to learn a little more about the Land's ancient past as well, in an unexpected way. Avery's ongoing love of the man she'd lost 10 years previously, and of her son, feel quite palpable.

So, for a fan of those previous novels, like myself, this was a welcome return to the Land, and I'm looking forward to reading more.

I know many people will be reading this, since this book is causing quite a stir right now among fantasy lovers. A lot of you are young and have never read a Donaldson book, and are probably just setting down your Robert Jordan and George R. R. Martin, wondering what all the fuss is about.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And yet...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I'm not sure i can add much to what has already been written about this fantastic book. For a longtime fan of the series, it was truly wonderful to be able to return to the Land. The aura is the same as it ever was. If you have read the previous books and are debating wether to jump in again, i would heartily recommend it. If you are new to the Covenant series, i would suggest starting with the first two series...i just think you'd be lost without the neccessary background.

For those who complain about the slow start to the book...what did you expect? All his series start this way. It is neccessary for him to set the story up. The background to his stories is essential for the motivation of his characters. Besides, i wouldnt say the story started slow, it just didnt jump to the Land quickly...i found the beginning of the story to be quite interesting in its own right.

For those who complain about the recapping of his previous stories..well, i enjoyed that. Not everyone has read the previous series in the past few months. It had been years since i had read the previous Covenant books, and the recapping is neccessary for those brave first time readers, as well as those of us for whom it has been a long while since we have read the books. I also find it intriguing in seeing what an author finds important for his readers to keep in mind from previous stories...perhaps we should keep these things in mind as useful in foreshadowing what may occur this time around..

It is great to get back to the Land. But Time has passed, for the readers, the writer and people of the Land, and that may be a filter to the wonders of the Land.

Getting into the story can be a little slow, but once you reach the triple-digit-numbered pages, you can't put down this book until you finish it. The story is building up in this book, and in a sense it looks like an extended prologue for the upcoming books in the series.

For new readers, it will be more rewarding and exciting to start from the First Chronicles books. Jumping to the Runes (book #7 in the Covenant chronicles series) without reading any of the previous books may work as a stand-alone story, but you will be missing the depth and texture of the Land that was built up in the last six books.

It will be many months in between books, so patience is a virtue :) But the author's website is frequently updated with Q&A on the book, so you may be able to pick up some new tidbits and background information, while waiting for the next book.

so disappointed to write this review, as i was a rabid fan of the first two trilogies.

makes me wonder if they were any good after all, or if i just had simple tastes back in middle and high school.

first of all, enough with the pretend vocabulary. i always felt as though mr donaldson wrote with a thesaurus handy.
there's something wrong when the same few odd words keep showing up. like "eldritch." how can eldritch need to be
used more than once, let alone like five times. an "eldritch tarn." really? really? yikes, i used to write like that in 7th
grade when i thought that would impress people. then i grew up.

and the story. whatever there is of it. lame.

characters: flat and lame. Anele just an anagram of Elena. Really? That's not cheesy to you- that seemed clever?

Oh, boy, it's hard to see a writer lose his talent and press on anyway. I give this two stars, and one of them is for
nostalgia.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The first book in the third and final series of Thomas Covenant. Introduces a lot of new characters and new beings somehow missing from the first six books of the series. It sometimes gets a little confusing but stick with it, it's worth the read. The series only gets better and worth a re-read, something I rarely do. You really need to start with the first series even though there's plenty of page filling explanations that sometimes get a little old and seem a little out of place. I was certainly excited when this book came out and I realized there was three more new books to come. On the surface it might seem a little overblown but once you start reading you realize it's more justified. Read this book, all the Covenant books, then re-read them if desired, you won't be sorry you did.

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

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

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

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

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

Many years ago, when I read the last book in the Thomas Covenant series, THE WHITE-GOLD WIELDER, my scream of distress over its ending could probably be heard in Russia. In fact, I never re-read the series, despite its potent magic, because as long as I never read that book, then Thomas would still be "alive." Silly logic over a character, I know, but that shows how well this series is written. Imagine my surprise --- and delight --- when I saw that the series was to be continued.

Thomas Covenant was brought to the Land from our own world in order to save it --- and save it he did, sacrificing his own life in the process. Lord Foul wanted --- and still wants --- to destroy the Time Arch and free himself from his prison. But this freedom comes with a heavy price, as Earth and the Land would both be destroyed. Doctor Linden Avery also helped to save the Land, and back on Earth she lives the best life she can. She cares for those who were once used by Lord Foul in an asylum, including Thomas's ex-wife Joan. She goes home to her beloved adopted son, a closed and damaged child who also lost something in the battle with Foul. She lives with her memories of the Land and of her love for Thomas.

Roger, Thomas's son, has come to visit Avery, demanding she release his mother into his custody now that he has turned 21 and can claim his inheritance. She refuses, seeing that there is definite evil in his plans. Little does she realize the extent of his evil, until he kidnaps his mother and takes Jeremy from Avery's home. She chases after them and is shot in the fight. When she wakes up, she is back in the Land and knows that she has an important mission: to find her son.

The Land has changed greatly. Once a place of incredible beauty, it is now becoming barren. The Haruchai, who Avery once counted as friends and allies against Lord Foul, now consider themselves masters of the Land and are dedicated to destroying all those who have Earth Power, for they blame all the ills in the Land on that magic, while Avery knows that this is what is needed to preserve it. Her only guardian is an old madman, Anele, who often speaks with Lord Foul's voice, and very occasionally Thomas Covenant will speak to her mind. He tells her that she needs the staff of law and must trust herself.

Even in its damaged state, the Land still is a truly beautiful place to be; beauty is both inherent and tangible. There are a number of fabulous creatures and cultures to sink into, and traveling through the Land with Avery is both a fantastic adventure as well as a tour through a place of great wonder. There is also a mythic quality to it, a real feeling that what one does affects everyone. Avery's decisions, just as Thomas's earlier ones, affect the Land because she is connected to it, the Chosen protector to Lord Foul's Despiser.

Avery is a character to whom you can also connect. Her wistful memories of the Land touch us, her determination to find her son and the man she loves --- who we hope might be alive somehow --- are so palatable that we, too, feel the drive to see that she fulfills her goals.

THE RUNES OF THE EARTH has all the wonders that made the previous two chronicles so readable, with plenty of surprises that will please old readers. The novel itself is prefaced with a wonderfully written summary of the previous books, and the context of the actual tale does a fantastic job of explaining everything. Therefore, you don't need to have read the previous books to enjoy this, though it might add to your pleasure.

The flyleaf has promised us four books altogether, and I look forward to seeing how Stephen R. Donaldson further develops these adventures.

--- Reviewed by Cindy Lynn Speer

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

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

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

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

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

I approach this book a lot like Lucas's "The Phantom Menace." First, like the film, Donaldson is going back to a universe which has received no new material in decades -- in fact, Lord Foul's Bane was published within months of Star Wars. One might imagine SRD and Lucas set out with many of the same goals: remind old fans of basic fundamentals, win new fans too young for the originals, and attempt the skillful augmentation of a classic without destroying its original raw brilliance.

Secondly, TPM was an open exercise in misdirection; even the title was an obvious dig. Every fan knew from the start that "The Trade Federation" was not the real "Menace"; the whole Naboo affair was simply a lighthearted romp, a 1-off adventure to get things rolling again, establish characters, and prep the audience for surprises to come. Methinks Donaldson is playing a similar game with this initial foray. He covers a lot of ground, in both space and time, while arranging his pieces on an elaborate multi-dimensional chessboard. Obligingly we watch the thrilling escapades of his returning White Queen, setting ourselves up for the eventual unmasking of the artfully-cued Black King.

Too, like that flashy first flick, Runes has more action than the typical Covenant episode, with less anguish and fury than we have come to expect. (Don't worry, the darkness will come -- there is a whole trilogy of pain no doubt waiting in the wings!) On the other hand, the onslaught of powerful players, whose unscoped abilities are matched only by the riddles of their allegiance, reminded me pleasantly of Zelazny's second Amber series; Esmer is a potent echo of the Chaos Lord Luke.

Indeed, my only real complaint is with the language, which if anything comes across as a bit too polished. Some of SRD's old power and poignance seems to have diffused with age. Part of the problem, as another reviewer mentioned, is quite simply that Linden is no Covenant. She is too precise, two professional, too rational to match the wild fervor of Covenant's abrupt passions. Clean thinking makes for clean prose, and I mourn the education of Donaldson's wonderfuly over-the-top eruptions of tormented apoplexy.

One note, worth stating in an increasing world of e-texts and Acrobats: the book is beautifully presented. The type, iconography, and format cues are unusually apropos. If Donaldson is to be credited for the power of his vision and boldness of his pen, the folks at Putnam have shown him due honor in their presentation. Joy is in the eyes that see :-)

All said, I was thrilled to return to the Land, astonished by Donaldson's daring, and could not be more excited by the trilogy that awaits. "I am content..."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What can you say? :)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sincerely,
Daniel L Carter
Author of The Unwanted Trilogy

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

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

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

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

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

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

It pains me to say this, but this book just doesn't measure up to the earlier two series (which, except for the very inferior THE ONE TREE, are among my favorite books of all time). It might be that Mr. Stephenson has gone to the well once too often. So much of the first books seemed to wonderfully daring and inventive. But everything clever in this latest book is something taken from an earlier book. Yes, it's great to see these characters again, like visiting with old friends. But without the power of the earlier novels, this latest one would be almost a complete bust. (Mr. Donaldson, if you're reading this, I'm sorry! For the record, you changed my life before.)

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

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 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. Also, 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. 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 the heroes way too formulaic. I'd rather get my teeth drilled than be forced to read Jordan or Brooks again. 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. George R.R. Martin is great so far.

Any other suggestions from any of you fantasy or Sci Fi nuts out there, would be greatly appreciated.

flgately@yahoo,com

I can't express how happy I was to hear about this return to The Land, and the rebirth/reincarnation/return of Thomas Covenant. It's one of my favorite series of all time -- I have pointed dozens of people to these books.

I won't rehash everything that all of the other reviewers have already shared, but I just thought I'd leave a simple review.

While not as action-packed as previous books in the series, the book stages the scene fairly well. Fans will not be disappointed, as everything builds up to the climax at the end. And I have to tell you -- the end of the book left me excited for the next book. I have no idea when Donaldson plans to release the next volume, but it can't be soon enough.

A solid read, a bit wordy at times, but I'm definitely a fan.

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

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

Yep, that is what he did. Bah.

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

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

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

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

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

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

This book is great. I didn't expect a sequel so many years coming would be as good (it didn't hurt that I reread the First and Second Chronicles). My only complaint is the same as another reviewer: not only does Mr. Donaldson seem to like to use the most complex word possible- he uses it too much (I have read/heard the work "puissant" more times in this book then I ever have or ever will again). Plus, while I know writers are supposed to be descriptive, I think ALL the chronicles are TOO descriptive. I have to fight myself to not skip ahead just to see the story move along. Those complaints are minor, though, and I look forward to the next installment. Hopefully this isn't "Robert Jordan style" making us wait years in between books.

The Runes of the Earth sets the mind on a thrilling adventure to the Land, a magical realm where certain individuals can enter and explore. Linden Avery, a middle aged woman, is able to go to the land where her true love, Thomas Covenant, dies fighting against Lord Foul, the evil of the Land. His death engulfs her in years to come. But a decade after her last visit to the land. Thomas's son, Roger, visits Linden during her work hours in a psychiatric hospital. He seems to disturb her, and her predictions came true as later than night he kidnaps her adopted son, Jeremiah, and his mother, Joan, who was a patient in the hospital. He kills two people along the way, leaving Linden with a bloody trail to follow. Linden is then whisked to the Land, finding out that Foul possessed Roger in order to kidnap her son. She now must search the Land for her son, she will meet old friends, make enemies, as new threats consume the Land of its beauty, all the while as Lord Foul gets stronger. It is a race against time, where life in the Land and the Earth is at stake.

As a huge fan of the series, I was thrilled when I stumbled across this latest addition to the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. I've read the first two trilogies three or four times over the years, and I'm not normally given to going back and re-reading books. Having said all that, I was a bit disappointed with this latest work. Maybe it's just that I've gotten older and lost some of my sense of wonder. Maybe it's because Covenant isn't really present in the story, and so we don't have an interesting antiheroic central figure. Or maybe it's the author's annoying and inexplicable over-usage of the word "percipience." I'm not sure. Don't get me wrong; it certainly wasn't a bad book. In fact, there was enough going for it that I'll rush and get the next one when it comes out, especially [SPOILER ALERT] given Covenant's apparent return to the Land at the end the this book.[/SPOILER ALERT] Now, if Donaldson could just find a few more synonyms for percipience, maybe this will start getting really good.

There are a couple disparaging reviews that Idon't understand. I first read the 1st chronicles while in elementary school and as an adult 2 decades later it still stands the test of time. That being said this book is a worthy entry into the Thomas Covenant pantheon. It moves briskly, introduces us to characters both similar and different from earlier ones that we've seen and it has a quest all it's own. A lot of 1st novels in a series just set the stage without any real action or questing taking place, since most readers will already be indoctrinated he was able to go a little further.. I must say I didn't know that this series was in the offing and happened across it in the library but now I can't wait for novel 2. I was upset when Covenant died in the second series but the prospect of getting to read more of him is awesome. Good work and hurry up with the next one!!

I've been a HUGE fan of Donaldson for years and love the original Covenant series, but I have to say I'm not feeling the love for the new books. Contrived, forced, and formulaic Donaldson in the extreme. Way too many characters and side dramas and no cohesive story. He can't even explain his own plot in the forwards BTW.

"Runes of the Earth" is the best of the three new books, but when you get to books 2 and 3... the story descends into an annoying drawn out mess of side plots on over dramatization (even for Donaldson). Not happy I'm going to have to suffer through a 4th one just to find out what happens. As soon as I'm done these books are getting donated and I'm never reading them again. If you love the originals.. you might want to avoid reading these.

Donaldson needs treatment ASAP to cure his George Lucas syndrome.

First, my three star rating is not in relation to fantasy works in general, but in relation to what I've seen Donaldson capable of in past Covenant books. I'm a big fan of his two prior series, especially the second which had a moral depth and grittiness I've not found elsewhere. In both of those series, I found the first book absolutely enthralling. But my enthusiasm waned somewhat for the 2nd and 3rd. I can only hope Donaldson is working in reverse with this series and saving the best for last.

In Runes, Donaldson has set some severe limitations for himself including: a single storyline thread, a single point of view, a short time period that transpires, a largely absent Covenant, and the need to reintroduce readers to prior themes and events through Linden whose aptness for this role seems a little dubious. But within those strictures, Dondalson does tell a well-written, engaging, and sometimes poignant story. But his style will take some getting used to - for example, all his characters in the Land, regardless of background, repeatedly drop words like "puissance" without a thought. They may be ignorant of Kevin's Dirt, but nothing has hampered their verbal prowess after 7000 years.

If this book had been released 10 years ago, it would have been a video game designer's dream: a top-down view of the Land with Caesures and Kevin's Dirt moving around groups of Ur-viles and Demondim. Teleportation to different times and places, and different clues being revealed depending on the type of stone you traversed is great for that medium. It just left something to be desired for my taste in fantasy. But of course, it is a must-read as an introduction to the subsequent volumes. The characters are both familiar and full of astonishment. What's lacking? Leprosy and Giants. So, I will patiently wait for the next "chapter".

I'm almost at a loss at where to begin with this review... it's been over a month since I've finished 'Runes', and the more time that passes the more I can't wait for the second installment of the Final Chronicles of Thomas Covenant.

There is not a single fantasy epic out there that can touch the First and Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. Needless to say, I had very, very high expectations for the first book of the final chronicles. These expectations were not unreasonable. Fans have waited 20 years since the end of White Gold Wielder. Donaldson is a genius. You expect the best from the best.

The majority of 'Runes of the Earth' had me a bit worried. Yes, I was finally back in The Land, but things weren't quite the same. For starters, Donaldson's verve for prose seemed a little blunted; the youthful exhuberance bursting from the first chronicles had definitely been tamed during our 20 year wait. And the usual blistering pace of the first and second chronicles slowed considerably in 'Runes'. Not glacial like Robert Jordan, mind you, but lethargic compared to Donaldson's previous work. Overall, it almost felt like Donaldson the author was a bit unsure, tentative approaching the final chronicles and that subconciously translated over into the story itself.

Then, out of the blue -- that old Donaldson magic comes roarin' back in the final third of 'Runes of the Earth.' The ending positively knocks you on your rear, and the next thing you know, you're cursing Donaldson for taking another 2 years to write the second book.

The final chronicles are a quadrology, but at this point I'm considering it a trilogy with 'Runes' being a novel-long prologue. 'Runes' first two-thirds were a slow buildup, but the end was a knockout punch.

Please write faster, Mr. Donaldson.

I like Donaldson's writing as much as ever, but I am very disappointed by his attempt at a time travel story. [spoiler warning] From reading other time travel stories which contain the same causality logic flaw, I saw what was coming: a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy "the staff disappeared, it could have gone into the future, I should bring it into the future". I cringed and hoped it wasn't so. In vain. If the Staff of Law had been left in the past, many bad things would have been avoided. The only reasonable action related to time travel would be to return Anele to his original time. He would find the staff where he left it and there would be no Kevin's dirt. He would be absolved. Moving both Anele and staff back to the future is the worst possible action Linden could have taken, and it just isn't believable that she would have done it. I can only hope Donaldson has the characters realize their errors, or finds a new perspective on time travel. Otherwise the second and third books of this series will get 2 and 1 stars. These sorts of circular causality time travel plots are overused in fiction and lame to begin with.

Stephen R. Donaldson first captivated me years ago with "Lord Fouls Bane" and I have loved reading all of the installments of the Thomas Covenant series in the years since. This book is a wonderfully welcome installment in that incredible story!

As good as I had hoped for (with one small caveat, mentioned below)

Anyone who enjoyed the previous books in the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant should relish the opportunity to refresh old memories with this latest Donaldson work. The book begins with a short synopsis of what has taken place previously. This story line and structure remain much the same as the preceding series; with the slow build up, constant self-doubts and self-incriminations by (in this case) the heroine of the novel, and finally resolve and determination directed towards the conflict at hand.

In short, I loved the novel; it got better and better as it went along and it came to the point where I found it hard to put down.

And yet, (and I just have to mention this) the work has, what I feel to be a flaw: an error of grammatical license if you would... let me explain.

My concern or "flaw" in this case is the word "percipience"; I noticed it many times in the first half of the book and then I started to count the number of times it appeared from page 250 until the end. A total of 23 times. Roget's thesaurus list 36 different alternatives for the word "percipience". I just find it hard to believe the author, proof readers or editors didn't pick up on this rather amateurish mistake. But then maybe it was deliberate. Who knows! In any event, it became hard not to cringe when I came upon one of the repetitious uses of this word. (Sorry, I just had to get that off my mind.)

Notwithstanding, and aside from my little "rant" above, it was a great read; a fine continuation of the Thomas Covenant Chronicles and I can hardly wait for the next installment. Highly recommended for Covenant fans. 4 and 1/2 stars

When I began reading the Thomas Covenant series, the first trilogy was published along with book one of the second set. I immediately was engrossed. As "The One Tree" and then "The White Gold Wielder" arrived, I would reread the series from the beginning to the end. When Covenant died in "WGW", I believed to my dismay that the series had ended and even though, I wished for more, I was content. Faithfully, I have reread the first two sets at least once a year since the completion of "WGW" and it has never grown old. The series in a strange way speaks to a need I feel in life for balance between good and evil, strength and weakness, victory and defeat. The passion of the author and his characters almost physically emanates from the pages. And that was when I thought the story was over.

I was thrilled to find a return to this epic series was in the works and like and have practically devoured the Runes of the Earth. With Linden's return to the land and the absolutely marvelous twists and turns the new plot is taking, (I am so happy to see the Ranyhyn again)and the contrary natures of both Stave and Esmer have me just starving for more. (I came on here to try to preorder the "Fatal Revenant"). I know already that The Last Chronicles will be added to my yearly reading list along with the tattered copies of the First and Second Chronicles that have survived (albeit with a bit of tape)over the last 20 years.

Absolutely phenomenal! Donaldson makes a triumphant return to the Land in the first of the final four books of Thomas Covenant! May even be as great as the sixth installment, which is the best so far.

Ten years after the death of Thomas Covenant, Linden Avery cares for his ex-wife, Joan, who was made insane by Lord Foul's possession. Joan's son Roger wants to take her from Linden's care. When Roger briefly and inexplicably takes his mother from her mental state, Linden immediately becomes suspicious of him and paranoid for her own son Jeremiah. This eventually boils down into a violent confrontation with Roger who is found out to be working for Lord Foul. Following the intense battle, Linden is resummoned to the Land and finds out Lord Foul has Jeremiah. She appears on Kevin's Watch with a madman named Anele who claims to be the keeper of the Staff of Law and the son of Sunder and Hollian who have been dead for three and a half thousand years. Eventually, she learns of Kevin's Dirt, an invisible smog which blocks out Earthpower, and she learns of a new and subtler dictorship commenced from the Haruchai. This really makes Linden furious, and she plans to use a caesure (a rift in Time) to recover the long lost Staff of Law and restore peace to the Land. However, she cannot help but feel this is an orchestration of Foul himself.

Totally satisfying! Linden is now a favorite character of mine (I didn't like her too much in the Second Chronicles). And the ending! What a CLIFFHANGER! I am a patient person, but I can't wait for Fatal Revenant!

Yeah, I'm biased. I think Thomas Covenant is the best fantasy series ever, bar none. Book one of the Last Chronicles upholds the "tradition" that SRD created with Chronicles 1 and 2. His characters remain complex and well-developed, growing as the story develops. No Deus ex Machina for this author - his characters do what they HAVE to do, what they are compelled to do by who and what they are.

If you haven't read Stephen Donaldson before, you are in for a rare treat. Go buy (or borrow from a friend with good taste :) and read The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever. Then do the same for The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. When you've finished that, read all five books in the Gap Series.

And then start on The Last Chronicles.

You will agree with me that Donaldson is a genius and pray for a long, productive life for him.

This book continues the great story of The Land and Thomas Covenant. As usual, I find thought out plots and good character development. You get to know the characters and races of beings in the book. Donaldson does tend to have a preference for long drawn out scenes at times. Fortunately, he does a good job of tying things back together even if it takes an extra long while to get there. I'd recommend this book and the series.

Linden was discombobulated. All her exigencies had led her to this cynosure. Her percipience failed her. No unguent could ameliorate her palpitating corpus collosum. She tried thinking with a simpler vocabulary.
How many stars should I give this book, she thought to herself.
(10 pages later)
"I must not ask for advice. Advice is the mind-killer. Advice is the little death that brings about total annhiliation. Any advice I hear, I will allow to pass over me and through me. When it has gone, I will turn the inward eye to follow its path. Only I will remain."
(10 pages later)
"I must save my son!" She thought to herself. "I give the book...um...three stars! But I'm not going to tell anyone else I've done so, because trying to explain why will be a royal pain!"
(50 pages later)
A Haruchai (I don't know who, pick one): So. Linden Avery the Chooser. You have given the book three stars. Do you not realize what you have done? Is it not obvious? Any rating below 5 stars and the Wordweilder will be discouraged and cease to write. You have doomed us all!
(At least, it sounded like "Wordweilder." It might have been Wurdweilder or Wyrdweilder or Weirdweilder or Wurdweilder with an oomlaut on the u.)
Linden: I did it it to save my son! No choice made with good intentions can lead to a bad result!
A Haruchai (the same one, a different one, it doesn't matter): Your words do not suffice. You do not suffice. Basically, you sucxzors.
Liand: No! (Insert inspiring speech here.) Therefore, I trust Linden Avery no matter what she does, even though I never understand any of her choices!
Anele: Anele must have stone. Blood and stone for my lord Anele. Anele warn but, tsk tsk tsk, no one ever listen to poor Anele. Poor Anele's a'cold! (Then his voice changes.)
Foul (through Anele): It boots nothing to avoid my snares. It doesn't matter how many stars you give the book. The world will be destroyed and I'll finally escape! Exactly where I'll go, I'm not sure. I here Florida's nice this time of year... (Anele's voice changes again.)
Thomas Covenant (through Anele): Hello, you have reached the voicemail of Thomas Covenant. Sorry, I can't come to the Anele right now, but if you'll leave your name, number, and a message, I'll get back to you as soon as possible. Beep.
Oh, Covenant! I love you! Why couldn't you have contributed to the plot! - Linden cried in her mind.
(500 pages later)
Covenant and Jeremiah ride towards Revelstone.
(10 pages later)
Covenant: So, Linden. Why did you give the book only 3 stars?
The end. To be continued in the next book.
(Actually, I won't do that because it would be, you know, repetitive.)

First, let me say I am delighted to be journeying back to The Land. I am 33 and I fell in live with the first two series when I was a teenager. They are dark, well written, compelling and filled with love and passion.

Runes does a great job of setting the stage for the next three books in the Last Chronicles series of books. Linden I find to be a compelling and likable charachter.

I rank the books in the series as follows:

1.) The One Tree (sandgorgons, sunbane - good stuff!)

2.) The Illearth War (massive armies, Elana, Power of Command!)

3.) The Wounded Land (The Land is in deep trouble! Wow!)

4.) White Gold Wielder (Victory and healing)

5.) The Power That Preserves (Lord Mhoram's Victory! Wow!)

6.) Lord Foul's Bane

As you can see I rank Lord Foul's Bane at the Bottom and I am sure over time that Runes will take a similar place int he overall rankings. Not that it is not awesome, just that other books were totally awesome! I expect that the nexy three books will place high in the rankings when everything is said and done.

Rune sets the stage and is well written, but more on par with Lord Foul's Bane than the One Tree.

This is a must read and I eagerly await the next three books :-)

Good reading!

I am impressed beyond words. It has been almost 15 years since I read the last of the Covenant Series and this book brings back all the glory of the first books. Donaldson has recreated the Land again and this time it is in it's greatest peril. The characters are true Donaldson characters, they are alive in the book and they are part of you when you read it. I have not been able to put this book down, I stayed up late at night so I could finish one part and then start another so that I would have to finish it. I took this book with me wherever I went, and read it every change that I got. If you have not read the first two choronicles you should be okay to start this one, it would help if you read them, but enough information about the previous books is in this book to help you through it. I rarely do reviews and I don't give 5 stars out to many titles, but this one gets 5 stars and more. If you want a good book to read, this is the one. I cannot wait for the next one to come out.

Plainly put, this is a proper return to the Land.

After a concise and moving prologue in which we are reintroduced to Linden Avery, the "Chosen" and discover that she has dedicated her life to reclaiming the souls of those damaged by Lord Foul's minions and that she has given her heart to Jeremiah, a child whose right hand was nearly destroyed by the sacrificial fire which drew Covenant to his last battle with Lord Foul in the Second Chronicles. Linden's love of Covenant and her victory over Foul and the Sunbane have transformed her into a formidable woman capable of giving and receiving love.

But Covenant's son Roger kidnaps his mother from Linden's care and very soon, Linden is transported back to the Land to face Lord Foul again.

If you are a fan of the Covenant books, you will know you are in good hands the moment Linden arrives upon Kevin's Watch and from there to Mithil Stonedown. Donaldson has lost none of his gift for moral urgency and narrative grandeur.

If you are new to the Covenant books, don't be daunted. Donaldson does an excellent job of recapitulating the previous books, especially the core moral dilemmas that Covenant faced and surpassed. He has cleverly made ignorance of the Land's legendary history a key plot point so that learning the lore of the Land becomes naturally a part of the story. By the end of the first few chapters, you will understand all the important points and most of the key players.

This first book focuses on Linden's efforts to overcome obstacles set in her path by the Haruchai, self-styled "Masters of the Land" who seem, at first, to be antagonists to Linden Avery. But as the story progresses we come to understand, as Linden does, that the Masters are, at worst, misguided. The Land has several enemies, and Lord Foul seems to be the least of them!

Donaldson has two great gifts as a storyteller. He sets up seemingly insoluble moral quandaries that stymie even those whose intentions are obviously good. And, he creates archetypal characters whose motivations are all too human: Anele, who was broken by awe for his own parents. Esmer, a being in endless deadly conflict with himself. Stave, a Haruchai who must choose ambiguity though it costs him all that he holds dear. The ur-viles, creatures of incalculable self-hatred who yearn for purity of form and purpose. And, always, Linden Avery, Chosen, Wildwielder, confronted with impossible choices and the deep strategems of Lord Foul, who is not simply an unadulterated force of Evil, but a necessary consequence of Creation itself.

I can't wait for the next book. Can there be any doubt that Giants will return to the Land?

I just finished listening to Runes of Earth on audio CDs, more than 20 of the little suckers. The huge advantage of listening rather than reading is that you don't skim but you get the full SRD treatment.

Runes of Earth reminds me a little of 19 century Russian literature. There is a level of detail that most books lack and this detail is comprehensive. SRD is the only fantasy author who keeps me in suspense for the entire story, right up to the last 2 words of the book! Could there be a better way to finish? I doubt it!!!

This book is so far in front of other fantasy novels, that I pity the other authors in the genre, at least Jordan will have some more ideas to plagiarize. SRD has moved the entire genre into the new century. There is a grity realism that is totally lacking in the feudal elfen dross that so many authors churn out.

I must admit that I'm disappointed by some of the reactions of some readers, I feel as though I read a different book. People complaining about swear words reminds me of when Dylan went electric. Fantasy books have been in a hopeless rut and SRD is forcing his readers out of their comfort zone - way to go SRD.

Another gripe I have is that some believe this book to be boring. I found the action unrelenting and unpredictable. I really enjoyed the way SRD builds up to a climax, while maintaining the tension with issues such as the lack of sleep always niggling away in the background.

For the record I found this book exciting, gripping, complex and rate it as one of the best if not the best, fantasy novel ever written. My only regret is having to wait for the next installment.

On some levels I sympathize with the poor reviews of this book -- Donaldson uses some adjectives so repetatively in this work that they can start getting in the way. I do not relish the prospect of seeing the word "percipience" another million times in the following 3 volumes. And his penchant for using unusual and archaic words can be maddening if you don't have a dictionary handy. As well, his character's dialog is often interrupted with long winded internal introspections that can make what should be a 30 second conversation take up five pages of text.

BUT, these books have always captured me BECAUSE of the detailed character development done to help the reader grasp highly complex emotions and motivations derrived from the entire life experiences of the characters, not just out of the blue. Then, as a long time lover of crossword puzzles, I do enjoy the discovery of vocabulary that comes from reading these books. And no one should expect to be able to pick up Runes Of The Earth and enjoy reading it as a stand alone volume -- I had to go back and read the first 6 volumes again before several of the scenes in Runes became cohesive. The development of this story is highly dependant on many of the little details you probably forgot since reading the original publications in the 1980's.

This Volume 7 in the Chronicles of Thomas Covanent is a good start to the Third Act of this incredibly complex story, and I look forward to discovering how Donaldson will extend the concept of accepting paradox as a natural mode of being into the final resolution of the struggle between Corruption and Creator.

I have read most of the reviews regarding this book and I think the biggest problem with some readers is they've just grown-up too much. Not that it is a bad thing, it's just that twenty-some-odd years have passed since they first read the first books, and they have probably evolved in their taste in regards to reading material. Because it had been such a long time I decided that before reading this book I would read all of the previous 7 (yes 7, don't forget Gilden-fire).

I was glad I did, it helped keep this one in perspective in regards to my expectations. I first read these books back in High School when they first came out, I actually read them dozens of times back then, but with getting on with life and all it had been a good many years since my last read. So I dug them out of storage and settled in for a good long month or so of reading. However I ripped through the first 7 in about 10 or 12 days, much quicker than expected. I also noticed that they weren't quite as "difficult" or "wordy" as I remembered. I can only assume I have changed over the years since the books hadn't. In any case they were still the best Fantasy books I've ever read, including this last one.

So yes, I loved it as much as the first 7, and yes the characters are still very similar, that is why I liked it, and that is why others like it. It is sort of the whole point isn't it? If I want different characters or a different plot line I can read the autor's Gap series, or Mordant's need books. You all complain the characters and/or the plot is the same, well that's why I like it so much, I miss those characters and situations. If you want different characters and situations read some of his other books. It's sort of like watching an episode of "Hogan's Heroes" and saying well this episode is just like all of the others, same characters, same plot. No kidding? There's a shocker! That's why we watch the same TV shows each week, even though the plots are all just different spins on the same 3 or 4 situations, and we know the main character will always escape their dire predicament, and yes, the bad guy never really dies as we are lead to believe over and over. That's why the series continues, and we like it for those same reasons. We find comfort with those characters and situations and come back for more every week. This book is like seeing an old episode of Lucile Ball or the Andy Griffith show 30 years later that for some reason you had never seen before, like one of those "lost episodes" someone found in their grandfather's attic where it had been for 30 years since it first aired.

I don't know about you but I never expected to read about these characters or these places again, and I actually found quite pleasing to read about the familiar people and places of The Land once again. Yes Lord Foul is a rather stereo-typical villain, and at times Lindon can be annoying, but I know I thought of Covenant was annoying when I first started reading Lord Foul's Bane as well.

All in all I was excited to read another story about the wonderful people of The Land and their valiant, if not futile, battle against the evil Lord Foul, and that is just what I got.

I just finished listening to Runes of Earth on audio CDs, more than 20 of the little suckers. The huge advantage of listening rather than reading is that you don't skim but you get the full SRD treatment.

Runes of Earth reminds me a little of 19 century Russian literature. There is a level of detail that most books lack and this detail is comprehensive. SRD is the only fantasy author who keeps me in suspense for the entire story, right up to the last 2 words of the book! Could there be a better way to finish? I doubt it!!!

This book is so far in front of other fantasy novels, that I pity the other authors in the genre, at least Jordan will have some more ideas to plagiarize. SRD has moved the entire genre into the new century. There is a grity realism that is totally lacking in the feudal elfen dross that so many authors churn out.

I must admit that I'm disappointed by some of the reactions of some readers, I feel as though I read a different book. People complaining about swear words reminds me of when Dylan went electric. Fantasy books have been in a hopeless rut and SRD is forcing his readers out of their comfort zone - way to go SRD.

Another gripe I have is that some believe this book to be boring. I found the action unrelenting and unpredictable. I really enjoyed the way SRD builds up to a climax, while maintaining the tension with issues such as the lack of sleep always niggling away in the background.

For the record I found this book exciting, gripping, complex and rate it as one of the best if not the best, fantasy novel ever written. My only regret is having to wait for the next installment.

On some levels I sympathize with the poor reviews of this book -- Donaldson uses some adjectives so repetatively in this work that they can start getting in the way. I do not relish the prospect of seeing the word "percipience" another million times in the following 3 volumes. And his penchant for using unusual and archaic words can be maddening if you don't have a dictionary handy. As well, his character's dialog is often interrupted with long winded internal introspections that can make what should be a 30 second conversation take up five pages of text.

BUT, these books have always captured me BECAUSE of the detailed character development done to help the reader grasp highly complex emotions and motivations derrived from the entire life experiences of the characters, not just out of the blue. Then, as a long time lover of crossword puzzles, I do enjoy the discovery of vocabulary that comes from reading these books. And no one should expect to be able to pick up Runes Of The Earth and enjoy reading it as a stand alone volume -- I had to go back and read the first 6 volumes again before several of the scenes in Runes became cohesive. The development of this story is highly dependant on many of the little details you probably forgot since reading the original publications in the 1980's.

This Volume 7 in the Chronicles of Thomas Covanent is a good start to the Third Act of this incredibly complex story, and I look forward to discovering how Donaldson will extend the concept of accepting paradox as a natural mode of being into the final resolution of the struggle between Corruption and Creator.

I have read most of the reviews regarding this book and I think the biggest problem with some readers is they've just grown-up too much. Not that it is a bad thing, it's just that twenty-some-odd years have passed since they first read the first books, and they have probably evolved in their taste in regards to reading material. Because it had been such a long time I decided that before reading this book I would read all of the previous 7 (yes 7, don't forget Gilden-fire).

I was glad I did, it helped keep this one in perspective in regards to my expectations. I first read these books back in High School when they first came out, I actually read them dozens of times back then, but with getting on with life and all it had been a good many years since my last read. So I dug them out of storage and settled in for a good long month or so of reading. However I ripped through the first 7 in about 10 or 12 days, much quicker than expected. I also noticed that they weren't quite as "difficult" or "wordy" as I remembered. I can only assume I have changed over the years since the books hadn't. In any case they were still the best Fantasy books I've ever read, including this last one.

So yes, I loved it as much as the first 7, and yes the characters are still very similar, that is why I liked it, and that is why others like it. It is sort of the whole point isn't it? If I want different characters or a different plot line I can read the autor's Gap series, or Mordant's need books. You all complain the characters and/or the plot is the same, well that's why I like it so much, I miss those characters and situations. If you want different characters and situations read some of his other books. It's sort of like watching an episode of "Hogan's Heroes" and saying well this episode is just like all of the others, same characters, same plot. No kidding? There's a shocker! That's why we watch the same TV shows each week, even though the plots are all just different spins on the same 3 or 4 situations, and we know the main character will always escape their dire predicament, and yes, the bad guy never really dies as we are lead to believe over and over. That's why the series continues, and we like it for those same reasons. We find comfort with those characters and situations and come back for more every week. This book is like seeing an old episode of Lucile Ball or the Andy Griffith show 30 years later that for some reason you had never seen before, like one of those "lost episodes" someone found in their grandfather's attic where it had been for 30 years since it first aired.

I don't know about you but I never expected to read about these characters or these places again, and I actually found quite pleasing to read about the familiar people and places of The Land once again. Yes Lord Foul is a rather stereo-typical villain, and at times Lindon can be annoying, but I know I thought of Covenant was annoying when I first started reading Lord Foul's Bane as well.

All in all I was excited to read another story about the wonderful people of The Land and their valiant, if not futile, battle against the evil Lord Foul, and that is just what I got.

Growing up, his first two chronicles was read through many a time. In fact, his was the impetus which brought me to fantasy. Here in his latest work, I have to admit, I wasn't as excited about it as I had anticipated. Maybe I've just matured, or my tastes have changed, or he has I don't know. Now, prior to this I had taken a chance on new author Brian S Pratt's debut into the genre, The Unsuspecting Mage. And though it had a few rough edges, which is to be expected I suppose from a new author, the story was compelling and hard to put down.

It just seems many of the veterans are forgetting what it's like to be on the other side of the page. I personally read a book, not to improve my word capacity, but escapism fun. To just have a 'vacation' if you will from the mortal coils which bind us all.

Overal I'd say this work is 'okay' If you like his works, you'll like this one, but unless you're a die-hard fan, another may be better for you

An enjoyable read and a fitting continuation to the series.

Unfortunately, Mr. Donaldson has picked up an annoying habit of starting a new paragraph while a character is still speaking. While this can be an effective device for denoting emphasis or a change of topic, overuse can be a bit distracting to the reader...YMMV of course. Happily, this doesn't apply to the second half of the book nearly as much as the first. There are also some problems with pacing.

Minor quibbles aside, this book well matches the tone and quality of the previous books and I very much look forward to reading the next three installments.

Sometimes, one has to laugh. When I read how a book lacks action or has "Hamlet-style" indecision, I just wonder at how our patience as a reading public has gone by the wayside. We want all action all the time with heroes that lack introspection and leap into the next fray with nary a consideration for the possible problems with such actions. We are suffering from such lack of thoughful consideration here in America, as we find ourselves mired in a long and bloody struggle in the Mid-East, despite having a "Mission Accomplished." I am indeed saddened by such lack of intelligence and forebearance. Well enough of the sad retroflection, and onto the task at hand, a review of the novel in question.

One of the major draws to this series when I was just starting out in college was the deep and thoughful characterization Donaldson employs. Growth and change occur throughout the series, both in the main characters and in the minor characters. Donaldson continues to grow his characters in the latest installment: "Runes of the Earth." Even the Sheriff shows some change over the intervening years. Likewise, the land changes over the millenia, going through phases that almost reflect the changes here in America. If you don't see parallels between the Haruchai's "Mastery" of the Land and the Patriot Act, you need to read the book again. Trying to save the Land by taking away the rights of its citizens not only reflects modern day America, but also has created an environment of danger in the novel which now requires an outside voice of reason.

The reprecussions of all of our decisions and actions, good and bad, has long been a theme in Donaldson's work. I feel that he has been a light in the darkness of otherwise abyssmal fantasy works, trying to accomplish a little of mythology's main purpose in ancient times: to teach the listener how to live a good and ethical life in the face of all the adversity life throws at us. Am I overstating things? Maybe, a bit. But we need writers like Donaldson. Writers who force us to think. To pick up a Donaldson book expecting escapist fiction is akin to picking up a cookbook expecting to learn how to fix a stove.

To sum up, this novel is exciting in it's own respect, with enough action to satisfy most of us, but with a real serious message about decisions and actions, and their concurrent consequences, to make this a serious piece of fiction writing. I hope, and expect, that the excellence continues throughout the remaining three novels. Thank you, Mr. Donaldson.

I liked the original Thomas Covenant series and read them 20 years ago. Mr. Donaldson has a horrible habit, however, that I had hoped by now he would overcome. In order to fill three or 4 books in a series he likes to repeat things over and over and over again as if you just didn't read them a few pages ago. He does this with all of his books, not just these series, and it is very agrivating. This style does not change regardless of the series, the character he is speaking through, how many stories he writes, or the story. Its as if he is a hack that gets paid by the page instead of for writing a tight well written story. I am so disgusted by this I don't know if I want to go through 3 more books like this. However there is more money in a series so I can see how money would play a more important part than art.

Also the author likes to use guilt with a heavy hand. Also his characters in all his books, not just this series, are heavy into being martyrs, full of self pity for not being perfect, and very absorbed in punishing themselves for thier imperfections as his repitition will remind you over and over and over again. Does this pattern sound familiar?

I got the book to relive old times from when I last read this series 20 years ago but would not have picked it up otherwise nor would I recommend it. When it first came out he was very original for this genre even if his repitition, does he think we are all idiots, could drive you crazy. He story can still be fun but his bad writing habits often make it seem more like work than entertainment.

Finally it is easy to see that he has not grown much as an artist. For example he is still battling Lord Foul. Why not just kill this guy once an for all. Don't the idiots of the fantasy world see if they don't he will just keep coming back to screw The Land again? Obviously an idiot can see this but a author with only one good story in his head just likes to rehash the same formula over and over again so that he won't have to work to hard.

This profound book does have as one of its functions the reminder of elements from the earlier series - but no more than one would expect considering the passage of time since those series.

At first I was at times feeling less involved in the story - focused on what I think several reviewers were feeling - the old writing rule of show, don't tell. Then I realised that this sophisticated book is about the telling of multiple stories to keep our lives meaningful, without which our reality splits and falls apart (the 'arch of time'). There is even the great development of multiple sources of threat to the land - a true change from the Lord of the Rings' style one big bad wolf. I think this book looks at how our cultural lore or stories are created and how neglect has them coming apart at the seams - all of this seemingly connected to what happens when we forget our core stories and live in fear. Wonderful adult stuff.

The only other distancing element was the focus on Linden as main character. I only realised as I was reading how incredible for the fantasy genre this is - focusing on a middle aged woman on a maternal quest after her son and departed lover. Her unsteady attempts to make the land and herself vibrant again was inspiring beyond measure. Even though I missed the wild moods and passions and tortuous adventures of Mr Covenant, in the end I realised I had been deeply touched by the courageous search for/building of meaning by a woman who was overshadowed by Covenant in the last series and mostly lost in paralysis.

Once again Donaldson has courageously not given us an easy ride, though in a less obvious, more sophisticated way - all i know is that while I had my distance from the story along the lines of many reviewer criticisms - since I have finished the book I have realised how much it has moved and affected me - and at least for me, realised the limitations were in fact my own!

No doubt covenant would approve?

I was excited to see this available and raced through it, having read the previous six Covenant books more than just a few times.

I was intrigued to learn what happened in the Land after Covenant's death, and how it was handled in his real world.

Linden's return to the Land seemed plausible, but as has been mentioned in other reader reviews, the "epic quest" formula begins to wear thin, and many of the new characters resembled too closely their 1st and 2nd Chronicles predecessors.

I was very disappointed with the whole time travel gimmick. It seems like a cheap device when an author runs out of ideas. The Star Trek movies and television series repeatedly beat this plot development to death; I think Donaldson could have come up with something more compelling.

So, inexplicably, I am eager to see the final outcome. I suppose like so many others I found the first series so compelling (and I really do enjoy Donaldson's writing) that I want to stay with the story until it plays itself out. I look forward to the next installment.

Like many other reviewers here, I've read Donaldson's first two series a couple of times and they remain invaluable gems in my adventures in the world of fantasy and science fiction. And, like at least one other reviewer, I was pleasantly surprised to find this book on the shelf of my public library....surprised and a little wary, I must confess.

I even did a little research on Donaldson's web site, curious about what brought him back to the Land after 20 years or so. The publication of his explanation, for some reason, felt worrisome to me. The way he addressed the question from his fans seemed to smack of a lack of clarity about this new endeavor...motive seemed a little murky.

Regardless, I had checked the book out and fluffed my pillow and settled in...looking for the "proof in the pudding." And, again, like a fellow reader/reviewer, I cannot finish the book. Each page has me wincing at the bloated prose....the over-indulgence in words like "percipience" and "rue" and "apotheosis" and "illimitable" (in one painful segment, the narrative insists on stringing three "myriad"s together trying to imply a near infinite number) all are hallmark symptoms of some fundamental problem with the book and, perhaps, with the whole project. On one page, the word "puissance" actually occurred within two paragraphs of each other. I began to wonder, where in the world is Donaldson's editor??!! It is his/her responsibility to clean up this kind of mess and give a piece some fluidity.

At this point, I'm at a very difficult cross-road. Do I wade through the rest of this narrative quagmire in hopes that the characters will "break free" in the remaining books. Or, do I simply abort...life is short and I am becoming less and less tolerant of uninspired liturature. I will say this...as I flirt with the prospect of re-opening "Runes"...each time I stub my toe on the word "percipience" it has a suspicious ring to it....that of a coffin nail being driven home.

The Runes of the Earth by Stephen Donaldson is an exhilarating adventure that stretches farther than anyplace the world has ever known. Donaldson uses words that stay at the mouth, that need not only a dictionary, but in-depth thinking to understand. Sometimes the plot is dragged on, but it is always interesting to read. Like an ocean, the story comes in waves, big at first, then small and consecutive later on. It is truly a very enjoyable story and will leave readers thirsting for the next installment. Fantasy, humor, drama, and a little romance, it contains the main parts a story needs to bring the reader into a whole new world.

The first Chronicles of Thomas Covenant were unique and breathtaking. The second Chronicles were not nearly as satisfying but at least Donaldson's ability to create fantasical creatures and situations made the books worth reading. Unfortunately, this seventh novel appears to simply recycle old ideas and characters that have been fully explored -- often using plot devices that defy even an indulgent reader from suspending disbelief. Indeed, with the exception of Donaldson's unusual style of writing prose, this novel seems to be what an avid fan of limited imagination would write if allowed to author a book in Donaldon's place. In short, Donaldson has returned to the land one time too many times given his ability to realize new characters and plot devices.

If you haven't read the final paragraph in "The Runes of the Earth" yet, you won't grasp that this book is, for the most part, a "prologue" of sorts to the next three books. It establishes the new context in the Land and details Linden Avery's arrival, but it's really nothing more than the positioning of set pieces in anticipation of the primary actors.

That said, it's still a great and hugely entertaining piece of movement, leaps and bounds over the screed of comparable fantasy authors. Donald's writing is quite a bit tighter in his later years, although his quirky favortism for the word "preterite" has been replaced with an overuse of "cerements". In fact, at times, the very precise nature of his somewhat redundant prolixity seems to be a trenchant satire of his previous works, but it also lacks a little of their earnestness. Donaldson's a more controlled writer, but he's also less passionate: he's less inclined to outbursts of simile or verbosity simply for the love of his imagined Land and its characters. That works for the world of Linden Avery, self-marshalled as she is, but let's hope that future installments bring back a bit of the intensity as well.

It's a great read and highly recommended for fans of the Land.

Unusual for long series in this genre, Donaldson manages to be creative and bring something new to the story. Effectively encapsulating the events of the two prior series, Donaldson takes the story in a new, more complex direction, remaining loyal to and consistent with the spirit of its predecessors. It is a tribute to Donaldson and reflective of his growth as a writer that this book is more subtle while equally engrossing. He creates great expectations for the remainder of the series, which, based upon this book, promises not to disappoint.

I just finished The Runes of the Earth and was overall very pleased with it. The Haruchai's unbending "I'm right and you're wrong" attitude has gotten a little annoying, but a great big thumb's up for Stave! It is a nice change to have the wielder of power (in this case, Linden Avery) actually USE the power and not feel as much angst about it. Anele is an interesting new character who is refreshingly different than any seen before. This was an interesting start to the final chronicles, and I am eagerly awaiting the next installment. The only problem I have with the series is waiting until 2013 to find out how it ends. Waaaah!!! Write faster, SRD!

Well I must say that I am only a recent venturer into the Covenant novels (seeing as I was born following his sixth book 'White Gold Wielder'!). The adult phsycological theme that made up most of the first chronicles (well 'adult' in the way that children and probably young adults wouldn't be able to understand) meant that I read the first three a couple of years back, and only got round to the second chronicles and the most recent in the past few months! Have absolutely fallen in love with them indefinitely now though! The point I suppose I am making is that although it is not particularily necessary to read the first and second chronicles before reading The Runes of the Earth, I think that the full conflict of all the emotions Linden Avery and Thomas Covenant are going through can only truly be understood by actually reading the original six, despite Donaldson's wonderful 'What has gone Before' section.

Anyway, on to my review of The Runes of the Earth itself. As some of the other reviewers here noted, I was concerned for what storyline could actually be created in a third set of books, not realising that it was always Donaldson's intent until now! But the way this story has unfolded, and how it will further unfold, has dispelled any such concerns! The way Lord Foul's influences have changed in the crisis of the land are consistent with the humbling he has twice now received from Thomas Covenant. His approach to evil-doing has altered greatly in the same way it did with the Sunbane in the second Chronicles. This book is tantalisingly frustrating in the way that it reveals much which has happened in Linden's absence from The Land, but still leaves so much unexplained of the motives of Foul, and of many other new fascinating characters.

In Donaldson's essay on the new book, he explains the long gap between the second and last Chronicles, and I agree with his plan to become a better writer, as some of the story (especially in book 5- The One Tree) seemed tedious and repetitive -in terms of the way a crisis unfolded- even though it was vitally important to tell that part of the story. The Runes of the Earth has new concepts and ideas to storytell, as well as bringing back old places and peoples (such as the Ranhyn and Ramen) to bring different angles to the tale. It also has a new feature at the end of the book: not so much a twist, but as a revelation -something I do not recall in any of his previous books. This has left me reeling and desperate for his next book- Fatal Revenant

Donaldson has kept the magic of the adventures in the land alive, linking the story to that of the original three and to the second Chronicles in a way that seems logical, though not forseen. I loved it! Keep up the good work Stephen!

20 years after the 'conclusion' of the original series this book is published. Having no idea a sequel was on the way I almost had a heart attack upon seeing this book in the store. This series ranks up there with Dune and Lord of the Rings. If you haven't read the first 6, do yourself a favor and check them out--don't be put off by some of clunky naming (Lord Foul the Despiser etc)and don't be too quick to condemn the lead character before he comes into his own (he'll suffer for his mistakes and then some). This is an intelligent, searingly intense series, vastly superior to much of the popular cr*p of today (ie wheel of time). The character and world development is intricate, superb and always logically consistent. The series is a rare mix (particularly for this genre) of thoughtfulness/intelligence/moral complexities and intense action/supsense. It has "sense of wonder" world development. You'll come to love some characters,hate others and also come to care deeply about "The Land" itself. How many books can do that? As for the new book, without given anything away, it is seamless in its consistency with what has gone before and picks up a few years later with Linden Avery. You'll spend much of the book, like Linden, trying to figure out what is going on, who the players are and what the hell is Foul really up to. I read it in two sittings and can now look forward to years of agony waiting for the sequels. Yes this is a big epic series, but unlike many of the current multibook series, I never had the sense the author is just putting out filler, milking the cash cow etc. Tastes differ of course, but IMHO in the last 30 years of fantasy literature there are at most a handful of books that deserve to be mentioned alongside this series. If you are just starting to read this series, I envy you.

I really enjoyed the books of the original series, so many years ago, and was surprised to see this book on the bargain table, having given up on a follow-up decades ago.

I excitedly purchased the book and read through it in a few days. For some reason, this book just did not pull me into the story. As others have stated, nothing has really changed in the Land for thousands of years, which seemed odd. Then, Linden's inability to really use the Staff of Law so confused me, it totally knocked me out of the "suspension of belief" mode that (for me) defines a good book or movie. Previously, at the end of an epic quest, Thomas dead on her lap, she molded the Staff of Law and, by using White Gold as a power-up, rid the entire Land of the Sun Bane. Now, because she is "tired", "worried", etc., she can hardly boil water with it and the Ring. It just makes no sense.

Finally, the book does seem to be a tired "formulaic" continuation of the earlier works. State the problem to be solved, harsh travel to reach some goal (with much angst along the way), achieve the goal, success! However, compared to the earlier books, the travel doesn't seem that harsh for the generated angst and perceived hardships, and once the goal is achieved, well, the "hmm, I travel 1000 miles to open this door and darn it, I forgot the key!" type ending is a terrible disappointment.

Due to the excellence of the original works, I will buy the second book of the new series. However, if it is comparable to Runes, I won't bother to finish it or buy any others.

The many problems with this book have been described by other reviewers so I won't repeat the details here.

This book is ponderous and slow. I'm only halfway done with the book, it's my second attempt to read it, and I'm about to give up again. Nothing happens in this book. It's mostly one character telling another character about things that happened centuries and millenia ago. This is more like a reference book masking itself as a story. The events of the story account for maybe 5% of the total content, the rest is all backstory.

I'll admit the book started well, but once Linden arrived in the Land, it ground to a halt. It took the author over a hundred pages to cover the time span of a day and a half. Reading this is work, it's not fun. Having just learned that there are 4 books to this series, think I'm going to bail out. It's just not worth the effort.

As a huge fan of both previous Covenant trilogies, I have to say that this didn't meet the standard set with those six books. I really wanted it to be great and expected it to be great, but I was disappointed with the rehashing of everything that had gone on before. If I wanted that, I'd read Terry Goodkind. It does seem to set up an intriguing story to come, but it took too much time to develop. Maybe I'm being overly critical, but the first series is what turned me on to fantasy, and I still enjoy reading it and being transported to The Land. Of course I'll read the rest of the books when they are released, but if this was the first book I'd read from Donaldson, it would have been the last.

I disagree with the earlier reviewers that think Donaldson has regressed as a writer, I think this book is a worthy sequel, certainly better than almost any sequel I have read by other authors. It is ofcourse an issue that while I read the first books at thirteen I am now 28. At thirteen the issues seemed difficult and people's actions surprised me, between then and now I have grown up, and this affects my entire perception of the series.

If you read this book you should definitely read the first chronicles first. It's just the way it is. You can read this book independently, but without the history you will miss a lot - it would be like seeing LOTR (the movie) without having read the books.

In general, I think this series is perfect when you are in your teens, if you want something more grown up, read the Gap series instead.

Ok start for the final chronicles of Thomas Covenant. I think if you are not familiar with the original Thomas Covenant stories you might be a little bit confused by some of the references. Like the other stories in the chronicles it doesn't stand alone well, you need to go on to future volumes to get some answers. If you are not willing to actually pay attention to the details as the story progresses, this is not the book for you.

This book is a terrible disappointment. I could hardly get through it.

The main problem is one of characterization. Linden Avery is simply not interesting enough to carry a novel on her own, and the supporting characters who pop up here and there are mostly retreads from the first two Covenant trilogies. With Covenant, Donaldson made you care. The author has failed to do that here. I found myself indifferent to the fate of everyone involved in this story, a fact which would have sunk a book with a much stronger plot than this one possesses. The first part of the book, which takes place in this world, is the best segment of the novel; once we get to the Land, it becomes a confusion of ur-viles, Ramen, and a ridiculous character whose actions are completely determined by his heredity: i.e., if his mother really hated a particular race, he's obliged to beat up anyone of that race if he's around them for more than about five minutes. Silly.

Donaldson could, and should, have done better by his fans and by Covenant.

I just finished the story this morning. I wish I had the luxury to read this one straight throug. I had just re-read the 1st book of the series and was about half way through the second when I saw "Runes" come out. This story is very well thought out with characters both unfamiliar and, yet, embodying the archetypes from the previous novels - Harauchi, Ramen, and StoneDowners make appearences as do creatures you may not expect to have seen again.

Mr. Donaldson has always amazed me with his mastery of the English language and his use of unusual (perhaps archaic in some cases) but always appropriate word choices throughout his story. There's no shortage of rare words used to describe people, creatures, scenes and emotions so have a dictionary handy if your vocabulary is not as robust as SRD's.

Excellent book - glad I bought it in hardcover because it will be a keeper and I look forward to reading it again to pick up on all those little details that seem to escape the first read.

This is danlo from Kevin's Watch. I am a MAJOR Donaldson freak and this is a mind blowing book! Aside from one or two slow, kinda, glitchy parts in the beginning and a certian word being used too much Runes gathers speed and finally takes off like a rocket! The final two chapters have to be THE most beautifully written ones I've ever encoutered in any form literature. After 20 some years it's amazing that SRD can recapture his "Chronicles" bearings so quickly. It's so wonderful to be back in the Land and Donaldson's right: he's got his work cut out for him in the next three books! Wow! I can't wait! (Michael Whelan's cover is absolutely gorgeous, btw...)

Since the first time I read the first series when I was 12, I read the series three more times. And, while I felt the second series started out well with the wounded land, overall the series was not as strong as the first. This new book brings everything back to the Land and back to some of the fundamental issues laid out in the first book. I am looking forward to the next book, to say the least.

Donaldson is my favorite writer and has been for many years. I've read everything he has ever written, which is not to say that I have liked everything he has ever written.

As a fan of the Covenant series, book seven was a welcome surprise and surpassed my expectations. It was far better than books five and six which I thought were long on words and short on plot.

This book reminds me of the original trilogy in style and substance and is highly recommended. Yes, he sometimes overuses words, sometimes uses obscure words, and sometimes makes up words. But the offenses are easily overlooked because his writing is engaging and evokes strong emotions.

Stephen R Donaldson has gone back to world of Thomas Covenant and he has dones so with the same passion of his previous work and a tighter and more refined writing style. In interviews he has stated the idea for the "Last Chronicles" came to him at the same time he was writing the "2nd Chronicles", however he felt he did not have the mastery of storytelling needed to finish the complete story.

Without giving away spoilers, I can say the only flaw in this first book occurs on the last page...It ends. And I'm not talking about one of those "hmmm, that's interesting, well the next book should be a jolly good read" I mean it ends with a "What the !@#%","Where is Donaldson? Give me the next pages right now!"

Quick Summary: Stop reading this review. Buy the book. Now, What are you still doing here?

For fans of Donaldson, the writing in this book should hold no surprises. The main character is full of turmoil, her power doesn't come without great risks, the world is at stake, and the chances are slim. Fans of Donaldson wouldn't have it any other way.

One complaint is that the book starts off quite slowly. I assume that most of the fans who say this do so because they're used to reading Donaldson's books one after another without long waits in between, and so the books don't really have to stand alone (after all, the last time anyone had to wait for a Covenant book was more than 20 years ago). Donaldson writes huge epics; that's his stated goal, and so the books aren't really MEANT to stand alone. People who have read the Chronicles, the Gap Cycle, the Man Who Mysteries, and Mordant's Need should not be surprised when Donaldson takes his time in the first book setting everything up for the events in the rest of the series. As it is, I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and I can see that everything he has set up is certainly going to have exciting results during the rest of the series!

The books will only get better from here on out, so be patient and I can guarantee the Last Chronicles will be a worthy finale for the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant.

This story represents a serious falling away from the standard of the previous series. Believe me, nobody loves the first and second chronicles more than I do. I really was thrilled to see the new book come out, after so many years. But it just doesn't grab me.

Essentially "Runes" has very little of the flow and seeming inevitability of the past stories.

I did enjoy the description of Linden's new life, and I was very happy for her adoption of a son.

However, as another reviewer here pointed out, there was essentially nothing original in terms of the characters and even the overall situation. We have previously seen threats to the arch of time, and terrible palls cast over the entire Land.

The new "ills" are discussed in various places, without much consistency. And they are also unsatisfying - "Kevin's Dirt" ??? How long has it been around? What's the history of the Land's people's reactions to it?

The falls and the whole theme of time travel is much more completely discussed, without much reason given. Why isn't the problem of defeating "Kevin's Dirt" given as much attention (save very briefly at the end)?

In general the whole notion of time travel seems too science fictionish a theme to appear in Covenant.

Donaldson is one of my favorite writers. Eventhough this is his 7th book in the Covenant Chronicles, it is excellent, fresh and doesn't leave you wondering what happened previously. He has such a different writing style from everyone else, so refreshing. If you liked the previous Chronicles, you'll like this one too!

This story is even more plodding and repetitious than the previous Donaldson books. However with this story there is no compelling reason to overlook Donaldson's need to increase word counts. A story is lacking, the characters are dull reincarnations of other characters. The only real interest in this book is the character Anele.

The story and the journey twist in meaningless tangles. Occasionally there is a glimpse of the work of a master story teller, but those glimpses are too few.

The book feels very much like it was propelled by accountants checking off pages, events and features, rather than an artist striving to create.

For engaging entertainment it would be far better to re-read the original Chronicles and leave this sad work alone.

I read the first two trilogies a few years ago, and I thought I remembered liking them pretty well, so I picked this book up. BIG mistake. The moral quandry that Linden finds herself in feels so forced and manufactured. I could get behind her if she could just make up her mind, for good or ill, but the flip flopping is distracting and exhausting to read. The charaacters are shallow and undeveloped. I never really feel anything about any of them. Generally, people who read scifi and fantasy novels aren't (in my experience) really big fans of moral relativism and this book is full of it. Go for it if you like that sort of thing!

I called this review, "Money Book", because the sole purpose of the novel is evidently to make money. I read the "interview" with Donaldson posted here on the store in which he uncovincingly states that the reason he waited so long to write a "Final" Covenant series was due to his need to grow as a writer. Now, I first read "Lord Foul's Bane" in 1978 and I still have my battered paperback copy. I firmly believe that this epic is one of the finest fantasy series ever written. However, I doubt anyone who has read "Lord Foul's Bane" could compare it with "Runes of the Earth" and tell me that Donaldson has improved as a writer. It's obvious he has not.

First of all, the same tired themes permeate this novel, hardly adding anything new or exciting. The supporting characters are flat, dull and either retreads of previous characters or have no life of their own. The character of Liand, for instance, plays practically no role whatsoever and he is in almost the entire novel. He mostly just stands around and gazes at Linden. As for the heroine, she alternates her personality to suit the needs of the author. She was a much more interesting character 20 years ago when Donaldson finished writing "White Gold Wielder". There is very little of that Linden Avery left on the pages of Runes of the Earth.

There are many tell-tale signs that this once fine author has lost touch with his muse and has written this book for the sake of profit alone. He drags the story along with ridiculous plot contrivances (there's actually a completely meaningless time travel segment in this book, which made no sense); the characters have no personalities and most of all, the book "ends" with a silly "cliffhanger", designed solely to get you to buy the next book. That was never necessary in the previous novels and I find it very unbecoming and beneath the talents of one of my favorite authors. I almost wished the book stayed in the "real" world, where all of these books start out. That part was actually more interesting than the transition to the Land and I was hoping that the characters of Roger Covenant and Linden Avery would transition between the two worlds where they would battle over Thomas Covenent's ring through a legal battle in our world and in a more magical struggle in the Land. Of course, that would have required an improved writer to make that work.

It is said that the new series will cover four books, and if that isn't another money grab, I don't what is. Donaldson may have to change his name to "Jordan" before he finishes. I have read the first series at least ten times over the years and the second series more then a couple. I loved these books as much as I've loved any fantasy series outside of Lord of the Rings. To see Donaldson stoop to this pathetic effort makes me feel sick and I certainly hope he can recover his brillance for the future works. However, I sadly doubt it.

One of the beauties of the first trilogy was the fact that the reader nor Covenant himself knew if the Land was a real place, or an internalization of the conflicts of his real life. He was a leper, and he had killed his imagination in order to survive. The Land was a way for him to cope...maybe. And that was the whole point of the first trilogy. Covenant refused to accept the Land as real in order to protect his sanity! And that is where it should have stayed. Even though Troy was introduced in the Illearth War, his existence in the real world was never established. Then along came trilogy #2. Linden was real,but somehow she could "share" his dream? The idea that the Land was a part of Covenant went out the window. Donaldson even killed the Unbeliever! Sure it was a good series, and I enjoyed it, but the psychological "mystery" of it was gone. It was just another fantasy story. Now 10 years later, Linden is transported back into Covenant's world? Come on, it's done...you killed the hero. Find another way to make a dime!

Mr. Donaldson is an awesome talent. So far, this new and final Chronical is far less dark then the original 2 series. The underlying history is the driving force but in this round Linden Avery is much stronger.

There is a fair amount of history you have to re-read through the story, things those of us who have read the books many times already know and in that sense, there was some drag to the plot. Otherwise, it's typically brilliant and has an incredible cliff hanger ending that's left me panting for the next book to hit the shelves.

Didja notice that everyone in this book speaks like a college professor? I liked the story (it is just a story folks...) but reaching for the dictionary in every chapter is a bit tiring. I'd have to say that this is the biggest part that I had to overcome to achieve any semblance of "suspension of belief". Everyone besides Linden and, possibly, the Masters should speak a bit more plainly.

Apprehensively purchased a used copy. First time via the store. The audio disc set was described as 'just like new', a perfect harbinger of doom. To my great surprise, the discs not only were as billed, but the story provided a great deal of entertainment while stuck in traffic to and from work. The spoken work added much more texture to the story than I originally absorbed from the text many moons ago.

The second chronicles of Thomas Covenant left several unanswered questions. This seventh book begins to answer more of them. It's clear throughout the novel that Stephen Donaldson hasn't lost his touch after twenty years. From early in the novel it gripped me and I read it voraciously.

I have previously read all of the CTC and enjoyed them. So I bought this book thinking they would be as good. Sadly this one isn't. It's way too long and complicated. Too slow a read to be engaging.

Although I'm an avid fan of the earlier novels, I can't recommend this book. I felt like I was reading a synopsis rather than a story. Sadly, there are no new characters (with the exception of a blind madman who quickly becomes as annoying as Donaldson's use of the word 'apotheosis'), and the Land and its populace haven't changed even after thousands of years. (I know this is a fantasy book, but come on. You would think they would have at least invented gunpowder by now. No wonder Foul is always laughing) Not me - I'm crying, & praying the next book lives up to the hype - as well as expectations.

My review short but sweet---Stephen R Donaldson STILL writes like a guy who got a thesaurus for Christmas, but I don't care-I'm glad he's back! It starts a bit slow, builds nicely, and the last sentence alone makes it worth the slow beginning. Can't wait for the next one!

For those of you who enjoyed the first two chronicles, you won't be disappointed with the new book in the slightest. The first book of the new series is new in many ways yet retains many of the things we all grew to enjoy in the first books.

I cannot wait for the 2nd book.

I have been trying to read this book for 8 months now. I finally finished it and I can say it is pretty awful. I have always enjoyed reading Donaldson's books before even if they were flawed but this was totally boring and really strange. Believe me, I tried, I can't figure out what the raves are all about. Linden is one of the few characters with personality and she is really irritating. I was beginning to think all the characters were really people in a mental institution who thought they were in a fantasy. On second thought that's probably true!

I am an avid reader of Stephen Donaldson's books. The past two trilogies of Thomas Covenant were brilliant, as were some of his other series like "Mordant's Need" and the SF "Gap" series.

This third attempt at a last trilogy about the world of Thomas Covenant is so bad that I can hardly believe it was written by Donaldson. The writing is hammy, repetitive and nothing happens except endless, meandering internal dialogue of the main character (Linden Avery).

I struggled through the first couple of chapters, expecting the pace to pick up once we are taken back to the Land. Arriving there eventually, we are under-whelmed by the plot dilemma that so much time has passed since the previous "visit", that everything has to be retold. Unfortunately the retelling of what was before takes up more text than the development of a new free-standing plot.

The main character Linden Avery flip-flops between a hysterical mother and a Nancy Drew-like "let's do something they don't expect" naivety. Where previously Covenant was supported by a great cast of independently strong (albeit burdened) characters, Avery is surrounded by shallow and ultimately unengaging caricatures.

I actually could not finish the book, it was so annoying. I am bitterly disappointed with the change of Donaldson's style of writing: it seems so amateurish and shallow. His main characters always carry the emotional drama of his stories, yet here Linden Avery is an annoying soap opera tragedy queen.

The best part of the book is the Introduction of "What Has Gone Before": revisiting the grandeur of the first two trilogies, it creates a sense of expectation about what could be an even better follow-on from there (a difficult challenge). Sadly this third attempt at an engaging story fails miserably. If you enjoyed the first two trilogies, let this one pass by.

After two decades, it was a delicious treat to have a new Thomas Covenant book in my hands. But after reading this volume, I felt as if the book desperately needed an editor. It is very, very long and could have used some pruning. Mr. Donaldson's writing is wonderful, but it felt like there was no editor with an arched eyebrow and a colored pencil to rein in the excess.

Just when you thought Steven Donaldson was finished giving twists to the fate of the Land...BAM! Once again he surprises us and catches us in the tide of his spectacular narrating, with the complexity of his characters, evolution of Fouls diverse forms of corruption and his profound belief in humanity and values . I Loved it... again!!!

Like many others read the previous chronicles years earlier several times and enjoyed them.

Why I hate Runes of the Earth:

Linden Avery: Thomas Convenant was a fasinating character, in the 2nd chronicles Linden was made bearable by the fact that Thomas Convenant was around, without him and the one fasinating part of her character (the deaths of her parents and how she came to terms with it) all that remains is, whinging ALL the time, she thinks everything revolves around her, ( A few times where she told all the other characters to be quiet because she needed "to think" why oh why didnt they just hit her over the head and tell her to shut the hell up)

She is the most irritating and nauseous main character I can ever remember reading about. One of those people that in real life if I had to deal with her ..I wouldn't, I just couldn't be bothered listening to her so why would I read a whole book about her.

The rest of the characters:

Just copies of the previous books, as other people of mentioned, the son of Cail, the son of Sunder, the ramen, (don't these people change, why does the land change but the characters remain exactly the same?) blah blah ..nothing new here, if he wanted the characters to remain the same why did he bother ?

But this time they have no personalities, so I have had to resort to the previous books for my imagery of these "new" characters. I can feel no sympathy for them because they are so poorly constructed.

Lord Foul:

Why him again? He was great but you got rid of him at least a couple of times, he was destroyed wasn't he ? now he just seems a joke.

Lack of anything happening:

yes walking up that hill is hard, but walking down again, well thats fun, then do it again ...and again. Then think about oh woe is me.

I'm up to page 500 or so now, and I can't think of anything actually happening, oh they went back in time but that seemed like a anticlimax too.

Plodding:

The whole story, the writing

Rehashing the good stuff to make another buck;

Thats all it seems to be to me.

Why bother:

If you can't think of something new, why bother ..oh yeah see above to make a dollar.

Hurting the legacy:

It just makes me think, hmmm maybe the other books weren't as good as I remembered, have certainly been put off re-reading them in the forseeable future - espcially any with Linden Avery in it.

People giving it 5 stars:

Okay I'm stupid I just dont understand this. But it irritates me, how is this logically possible, well its opinion so there is no logic. But these people have read and loved the previous books, how can they not think this is a huge step backwards? Maybe it is just me

Another fantasy series:

If the story had loose ends to finish up as the author suggests why not just one book? Thats all that was required, in this book the whole story could have been cut down to 100 pages or so, so a whole series seems too much of a punishment to any loyal reader

I'm a big fan of Donaldson's generally but I was a bit disappointed by this book. I concur with prior reviews that he was likely trying to educate newer readers, but the result was a retread of the previous books, thematically and otherwise. For instance, Linden's struggles trying to access her power was (likely on purpose) identical to Covenant's in the first series. Did anyone else feel her recovery of the staff of law came too easily? I recommend the book, but am hopeful that the next few books display more originality.

I read the first 6 "Thomas Covenant" books when they first came out - that was 20 years ago, when I was in high school. I remember finding the books somewhat frustrating and annoying, but I finished all six of them.

We all grow older, and hopefully wiser. When "Runes" was published, I thought long and hard before I picked up the book, finially deciding to take a chance. After all, I have matured considerably in the last 20 years, and movies and books I didn't understand as a teenager now make sense to me in adulthood.

Well, I should have trusted my teen-aged judgement. "Runes" is a walk down memory lane for me - but it is a lane filled with angsty characters, predictable plot, overly-descriptive prose that approaches bad poetry, and left me crying "Why don't they just get one with it!!!" after less than an hour's read.

"Runes" confirmed my original opinion of the characters in this series - there is little, if any, character growth until it is absolutely needed, then we see the smallest amount possible to advance the plot. Huge life events sweep over the people who populate "Runes", yet they bob along like helpless bits of cork in the water - and are equally interesting. At least, in the original CTC series, there was some rationale for this - Thomas was the perpetual 'doubter' because belief posed a very real threat to his survival in the 'real world'. This situation tied him up as a character, and explained many actions that a normal person would consider blatantly stupid or short-sighted. The crew in "Runes" ... all traumatized in some way, of course ... still does not have this as an excuse for their clueless behavior. As a result, I as a reader didn't care at all about any of these characters.

Given my experience with the first 6 books - long ago as it was - I'm obviously not the average reviewer. IF you are someone who loved the CTC the first and second time around, then perhaps you would like this book. Look to the other reviewers before making your choice. But if you found the first 6 books to be frustrating exercises in futility and 'despair' ... don't expect "Runes" to be any better. It's worse.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A stirring and poignant return to a much-changed land, one that hints of journeys through the vast panorama of its past and return visits from old beloved characters. Linden Avery rises in stature to meet a conflict that escalates beyond the scope of the earlier volumes.

Unlike many readers (as gauged by the reviews posted here on the store), I have not read the prior Thomas Covenant series of books . Instead, as I had done with Robin Hobb's excellent "Fool's Errand", I had hoped to read the first book from the new series and then, while awaiting book 2, read the first (2) series.

Unfortunately, for me, that will not occur. Nor will a sojourn into book two (through a purported four) of this series.

I found the primary protagonist (Lianden) unempathetic (perhaps even pathetic) and, worse, the author's general writing ponderous and... lacking.

I, admittedly, can't attest to how this book stacks up to its predecessors. I can only state that compared to its contemporaries that I have read (Steven Erikson, Robin Hobb, George RR Martin, Robert Jordan, to name a few), I found that it didn't stack up well at all.

I got up to page 201 and finally had to give it up. The first two Chronicles were thought provoking and a scholarly departure from the main-stream fantasy genre. However, in starting a third Thomas Covenant Chronicle (which I was hoping to be a welcomed and long awaited addition to the saga), Donaldson crashed and burned. He did a great job in recapping the whole storyline of the previous Chronicles and in setting up the scenario for Linden being transported back to the Land (which took up about the first 100+ pages or so). But once she's there, its fingernail pulling time.

Her son, finding her son, her son, her love for Thomas Covenant, her son, the Despiser's motives, finding her son, using wild magic, love for Thomas Covenant, can't use wild magic, use wild magic, can't use wild magic, despair, more despair, hope...no wait, more despair, oh yeah...my son, got to find my son...AD NAUSIUM, AD NAUSIUM, AD NAUSIUM, AD NAUSIUM, AD NAUSIUM.

And the words!!!!!! I can't believe in this day and age that either he or his editors or publishers didn't use a computerized word check program to count the number of times "not common" words were used. I reckon that "puissant" was used at least 15-20 times in the first 200 pages. I looked it up in the Miriam-Walker dictionary and its one word definition is "powerful". So why not just say that? And that is just one of many examples.

All-in-all, a journey back to the Land is a puissant waste of time.

After finishing the Second Chronicles (many years ago), strange dreams continued in my head about this series. Much of this book is very like those dreams. Freaky, but true. Another adventure into the Land, long awaited, is welcome. Fantastic read.

I liked the first 2 trilogies very much. Sure, the whining of TC got irritating at times, but the story was great, and the land was wonderful.

Well, the whining is back, but the story is missing. Very little happens until the very last quarter of the book, and the cliff-hanger at the end feels like nothing more than a sales gimmick for the next volume.

Especially irksome to me was the completely illogical and pointless time-travel thing.

I will not give up on the series yet, but it seems to be heading the same direction as Jordan's series, and that is sad.

Lets be blunt about this, I am without doubt the biggest fan of SRD going and have been from the beginning but as my old dad used to say if it walks,and sounds like a duck it probably is and what this novel isn't is a Chronicle of Thomas Covenant!

This may be a socially correct extension of a previously sucessful storyline but it is not part of the greatest fantasy series ever written. The reason the Land exists is Thomas Covenant,not supporting characters. The reason the fans have elevated this series above all others is the love and respect of its main character, to attempt to extend the story without ite heart rings hollow indeed. Congratulations on a wonderful story that would have been more honestly titled Further Adventures in The Land it may have made less money but it would have offended less fans.

I grew up reading both Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, and was an immediate fan to Donaldson's rather intrigueing and depressing anti-hero. But there was something about Thomas Covenant and the Land that just wouldn't let go, and I found myself having many parallels with Donaldson's two trilogies.

Then I read this book, and all possible love left me.

First, I will say the story has merit - the merit of a four book series. The first book is a good start to that story, but it is still one quarter of a story. Runes doesn't stand well on its own as a story, but knowing there is more promises that a good story may come out of it.

The largest pain I had with this story - and it was almost a physical pain on the eyes - was the way the story was told. Donaldson has spent the last several books writing in the first person. That first person narrative came over into the third person narrative and really wrecked this story. As a reader, I was being told what was going on rather than being shown what was going on. All adjective use ended, particularly where the beauty of the Land was concerned. The Land, a character in the other novels, was not present in this book.

If you want a book that tells you what is going on, this is your book. But if you enjoyed the other Chronicles because you got enveloped in the Land and the story, then realize when you read this it isn't going to be up to snuff. Merely read the first chapter from White Gold Wielder, then pick up Runes and read the first chapter of the Land, and you will see what I mean easily.

Donaldson, in his Locus Interview, admits to not being the type of fantasy author he was when he wrote the first two Chronicles. He ADMITS it. So there really isn't any arguing on the issue of how this new book is written. My expectations were not met.

Good story, poorly executed in my opinion. It should have been the fantasy book of the year, and fell short by about 30 published books in my opinion.

I've been a fan of Donaldson and I enjoyed the previous Thomas Covenant books. But this book struck me as very dumb. I kept reading for 200 pages, and all the while I thought, "This book is so dumb."

Finally, I just gave up. Lord Foul the Despiser worked for me when I was a young teenager, but now.... he's a ridiculous character. The Land is lame. "He has my son." Who cares? Not me, although I tried. Reading this book was very unsatisfying.

Let me start by saying that I disagree that this would be a good book for readers new to the Covenant series to start with. It's true that Donaldson does a good job of explaining events from the prior books as he goes along, for the benefit of readers who may have forgotten various details over the years, but these explanations would act as spoilers of the six prior books for new readers. It would be much better for new readers to start with Lord Foul's Bane and read the first two series through first, rather than to start with this book and find that the first two trilogies have been ruined for them.

The Runes of the Earth lacks both the scope and the imaginative detail that Donaldson's writing displayed, in particular, in the second Covenant trilogy. The action is confined to a relatively small part of The Land (and to one small area of the "real" world), and takes place over a very brief timespan from the point of view of Linden Avery, the main character.

There are of course some new concepts introduced, and a new threat from Lord Foul. But too much of Runes merely recycles old themes and characters and peoples from the first two series. In the second Chronicles, Donaldson was not merely content to rehash the first trilogy. Instead, he brought us Elohim and Sandgorgons, venom and Sunbane, Bhrathrair and the Clave - and Linden herself. Runes offers nothing comparable to the shock which The Wounded Land presented to readers familiar with The Land.

Even the new characters are too dependent on the prior series. Linden's son, Covenant's son, even Cail's son and Sunder's and Hollian's son. Why not somebody brand new? 7,000 years after the first trilogy, we are still seeing Stonedowners, Haruchai, and Ramen. Do no new peoples ever arise from or migrate into The Land?

Before the publication of JRR Tolkien's Silmarillion, many readers of the Lord of the Rings trilogy feared that exploring Middle Earth's past too thoroughly would destroy the "impression of depth" that was such a compelling facet of that series. A similar effect may be at work here. By tearing away the scenery and showing what really happened with Cail, the merwives, Kastenessen, the ur-viles, the Ranyhyn, etc., Donaldson may be answering 20 years worth of accumulated fan questions, but what is he leaving for the reader to wonder about?

Runes is too dependent upon Linden, the only significant point of view character. The second trilogy gave us Linden as a counter to Covenant, as the first had given us Troy and Mhoram, but in Runes Linden must stand alone. This is problematic in several other ways besides imbalance. First of all, Linden is not nearly as compelling a character as Covenant. She is not a leper, she is not responsible for Elena's misdeeds, etc. Also, there is no longer any real reason that Linden cannot use a combination of Wild Magic and the Law to achieve basically anything. Unlike Covenant, she is unhampered by leprosy, lack of health sense, etc. And her character had already been thoroughly explored in the second trilogy, and her paralyzing refusal to act no longer applies.

So Donaldson has to contrive reasons to keep Linden from simply winning the day with White Gold or Law, and those reasons seem just that, contrived.

So does the conflict between Linden and the Haruchai as represented by Stave, a carbon copy of Cail. The Haruchai are committing their usual fatal mistake, oversimplistic certainty. As usual, they recognize that they have erred in the past, but they are unable to see that how they always err is to be too certain that they will not err again. This offers nothing new to readers of the first two series. Linden futilely attempts to argue Stave and the Haruchai out of one specific stance without addressing their meta-flaw, that they just can't admit they might be wrong.

Certain plot elements seem half-baked. A supposed added motivation for Linden to oppose Foul is that he has kidnapped her son. But surely, if the fate of the world rests in your hands, saying that the fates of the world plus that of your son rest in your hands doesn't really ratchet up the stakes any. The my-child is-in-danger device seems melodramatic as well, as if this series should be subtitled, "This time, it's personal." Is Linden Dirty Harry or Charles Bronson? Of course not. So why go down this road?

Another annoying and unconvincing device is that of madness on the part of a key character. His madness causes this knowledgeable but unreliable character to drop cryptic hints for Linden and the others to try to puzzle out rather than to just say what's on his mind. This is of course highly convenient for an author who wants to carefully ration out information to his readers, but for just that reason it is obvious that it is authorial cheating. Donaldson readers have already been through this with Adept Havelock - they deserve better than this redux.

Donaldson may simply have run out of things to say. The fact that he continues to repeat himself with his anti-absolutist stance regarding the Haruchai tends to suggest as much. He has already explored the ideas of power equaling guilt, its absence equaling freedom, and the danger of certainty. If this third trilogy is going to have a new theme, its first entry does nothing to suggest what that theme might be.

Runes is very much a 2004 book, in that it follows the current epic fantasy trend of merely being one chapter in a longer work with a single ending. In this respect is suffers by comparison to its predecessors such as The Illearth War and The One Tree, which were complete novels in and of themselves as well as being parts of larger works.

The bottom line for die-hard Donaldson readers is that of course Runes is a must-read. Though it is a somewhat unworthy follower to the two previous series, it is certainly not an irrelevant abomination such as the later Ringworld books of Niven. But it will be bound to disappoint many who go in with high expectations, hence the two stars. Let us hope that its successor books contain less setup, and that some of the new characters are allowed to develop. The new series badly needs, if not its version of Foamfollower or Pitchwife or Mhoram or Elena, at least a Sunder.

I have been a reader of fantasy for a very long time. I was reading Tolkien before most of you people knew what the J.R.R stood for. I have tried to read this guy many times since he came on the scene and, quite frankly, he stinks. His books are by turns depressing, poorly written, and not very well thought out. I fail to see what all the fuss is about. If I want to read poorly written, drawn-out fantasy, I'll read Robert Jordan. At least with Jordan, you know that he will never end his series because then there goes the cash cow.