Customer Reviews

The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever (Boxed Set of Three) Lord Foul's Bane, The Illearth War, & The Power That Preserves

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I started reading Fantasy of course with JRR Tolkien's Lord Of the Rings. My second introduction to the world of Fantasy was Chronicles of Thomas Covenant.

Thomas Covenant's by some strange stroke of Fate or perhaps calculated strategy, finds himself in The Land - a place of unsurpassed beauty where Earthpower is a source of power/energy that is tapped on by its people. Covenant is given a message of Doom and asked to deliver this message to the Council of Lords. But Covenant vehemently denies the existence of the Land' fashioning himself as `The Unbeliever' and his continuous battle with himself in this new but very real environment as well as the genuinely miraculous healing of his leprosy inflicted limbs, added to my wholehearted involvement in the novel. It was difficult to bear his continuous reluctance to accept The Land and shoulder the responsibilities handed to him - Thomas Covenant is not an immediately likeable character - in his rejection of The Land, he commits shocking acts and yet the reader is drawn to his vulnerabilities and his fierce struggle to above all, keep himself alive. I found myself urging him on - it was an extraordinary effect.

The language of the Land is also intriguing, an `Old Style' English which I loved and as I got more engrossed in the book, found myself using in my everyday speech....

All in all, a superb book, 14 years later, I am yet to find a Fantasy Book that rivals this. Enjoy!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If you want a review of the Chronicles, see any of the other editions of this book, what I want to warn you about is the quality of the materials from which the book is made.

The cover is very thin and flimsy and promises to scuff easily and tear. Given that the book weighs in at 1150 pages, I was expecting a thicker, more durable cover. I normally carry books in a knapsack but, to be honest, I'm not sure I would risk this one in a sack without a lot of care. If I had seen it in the stacks at the local brick and mortar, I would never have bought it for the price.

The other aspect of the size that concerns me is the height and width; this book is a little larger than the average paperback. I was expecting something closer to the size of a hardcover. The binding *appears* good but given the size and construction, I am honestly concerned that this book may not hold up for more than two or three readings.

You are better off buying the books separately or finding a different combined edition.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I have read this series and loaned out the books so often that I am purchasing a replacement copy to have ready the next time I am overwhelmed by the urge to read it. This series is not even close to being one of JRR Tolkein's gems but it is thoroughly engaging.

Some reviewers in these pages complain that "The Land" is not as thoroughly developed as "Middle Earth." Duh! (I use this only to make myself sound somewhat younger). Middle Earth did not have the interference of the protagonist's regular excursions to the "real, modern" world; it was self-contained. The Land, however, was a place quickly-established and based on need due to the sudden onset of a coma.

This book is enjoyable on many levels within itself and I encourage you to read and enjoy it on as many levels as you choose. I would hate to see a fantasy fan miss this one because of the arrogant chirpings of birds learning to fly, such a some of the reviewers at this site. Enjoy!!

A leper, shunned by his own world, is transported to another land where his nerves regenerate and the white gold wedding band he wears is a powerful weapon. To the people of the Land, Covenant is Berek Halfhand reborn - a hero whose wild magic is the only possible answer to the evils of Drool Rockworm and Lord Foul the Despiser. But Covenant cannot and will not believe in the Land. He cannot accept the responsibility the Land demands of him. To do so would be to ignore the discipline and vigilance he must maintain as a safeguard against the constant reality of his leprosy. If you are prepared to overlook the many, many points of similarity to "the Lord of the Rings", you will find much that is enjoyable, fascinating and genuinely original in the two trilogies. There is, however, a puzzle at the heart of the novel which is never adequately explained. If the Land is a dream, whatever Covenant does cannot affect him in the real world. So he may as well help the Land and fight its foes taking whatever "risks" to himself are necessary. On the other hand, if the Land is real, Covenant is not a leper there and need not exercise such caution. Whenever he is confronted with this logic, Covenant can only mutter, "It isn't that easy." This leaves the reader screaming,"Why not?" If you choose to read these books you'll have to accept that your question is never answered.

This is the first 3 books in the series (I believe there were 6 books total??). I haven't read them but my boyfriend absolutely loves these books and has read them many times. I bought them as a birthday present for him. I had kind of a hard time finding them so if you can get your hands on a copy, I think he would recommend you do it :)

This review works better with some context, but the bottom-line up-front is that this book has not help up its value compared to other, comparable works of fantasy.

It is not a bad trilogy. It is just not near the top of the "must read" stack of fantasy trilogies. If you longingly remember the series from the early 80s then my recommendation is to read Donaldson's more recent works and leave the happy memories from the first time you read it.

If if you have not read the series then I would not start.

Thirty years ago, my friends had nothing but praise for several fantasy series: Lord of the Rings, the Iron Tower, the Narnia books, and Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever.

At the time, I enjoyed the Iron Tower series, but did not have time to read the other three.

Life has been a whirlwind since then, and finally I have had a chance to go back and read some of these "classic" fantasy series.

The Iron Tower series holds up The Iron Tower Omnibus (Mithgar). The writing is tight with interesting characters and real growth in the protagonist.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Hobbit also have aged well. (The prose can be a little dense at times; today's writers do not typically spend three to four pages describing the flora in a random meadow en-route to a destination. But, the plot, the development of the characters, and the sweep of the saga make this one of the best fantasy trilogies of all time.

Narnia is a fine series. It is different than Lord of the Rings. Lord of the Rings was really written for the adult community. The Narnia series was written for children. I look forward to reading Narnia to future grandchildren.

On to our White Gold wielding friend ... be warned, spoilers follow ...

The protagonist is a leper by the name of Thomas Covenant. He is a wretched, bitter creature who was deserted by his wife and son, and Covenant returns the scorn of the world wit two heaping scoops of indignation and rage.

There is really nothing ... nothing appealing about him.

Mr. Donaldson clearly did his research on leprosy, but I found it very, very difficult to relate to Thomas Covenant.

In the first book, Thomas takes a stroll into town for no particular reason. His phone bill is being paid for by someone else. It could have been for charitable reasons, but Mr. Covenant assumes in his bitter, paranoid mind that someone has paid for his bill, because society wants to shun him.

As a protest against the world, Mr. Covenant decides to stroll into town to pay his own bill. That will show them!

Er, um, ok, ..., Covenant meets an apparently homeless man who we find out in book three is actually God. God gives Covenant a contrived piece of advice. After a completely abortive attempt to pay the bill, Covenant gets hit by a police car, and, when he passes out, he is magically teleported to "the Land."

This where Donaldson does his best. The Land is a detailed, interesting fantasy world. (While I don't mind a little "purple prose," i.e., superfluous description, Donaldson does manage to pack 53 pages of action into 1100+ pages of description.)

Covenant finds himself as potentially the only hope to defeat the evil force at work in the world.

So, how does Covenant react to this?

He is a total jerk. He ends up raping a woman in the first three days he is there.

Covenant poops on his friends. He acts the coward, and Covenant rejects his fate -- hence the title, Unbeliever.

Through an unlikely series of happenstance and against Covenant's nature and choices, he does end up helping out the natives of the Land, but there is an outstanding prophecy that spells doom for "the Land," but hey, who cares?

There is some sub-plot about Covenant coming to the Land as a leper and being cured while in the Land.

Why would Covenant want to go back to the "real world"? Who knows.

In any event, Covenant returns to the real world.

This brings us to book two.

Covenant is feeling bitter and angry and decides to visit the nearest, large town just to stir things up.

He heads to a cocktail bar where ... dum - dum - dum ... his estranged wife is performing.

After Covenant is run out of town on a rail by the local sheriff, Covenant's wife calls him. While she is talking, Covenant is drawn back to the Land. He falls, hits his head, ... and, he petulantly wants to go back to the real world as soon as he arrives even though his inaction and self-absorbed ways leads to the death of several characters.

This book is more of the same, but it takes more than half of the book before Covenant finally decides to aid the Land.

This book introduces another character from the real world. In this case, he is a blind man.

The blind man does not want to return to blindness in the real world.

Over the course of the book, Covenant, who is deeply, deeply committed to his estranged wife and marriage as shown in the first several chapters, manages to fornicate and spawn a child.

Ummmm ... what?

OK, OK, so, just push the "suspend disbelief" button.

Anyhow, the Staff of Law is broken during the final events of the novel.

Enter book three ... more of the same.

In chapters 20 and 21, Covenant finally channels his rage into defeating the adversary and eventually the Illearth Stone.

In a deus ex machina, Covenant's property is saved, and he is the town hero, because at one point he randomly saves a run away girl.

I'm going to see if the second trilogy is any better than the first.

In service,

Rich