The One Tree: The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant Book Two [Mass Market Paperback]

Stephen R. Donaldson (Author)

Book Description

Series: Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant | Publication Date: March 12, 1983

Volume Two of Stephen Donaldson's acclaimed second trilogy featuing the compelling anti-hero Thomas Covenant.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

These books have never received the recognition they deserve. It's one of the most powerful and complex fantasy trilogies since Lord of the Rings, but Donaldson is not just another Tolkien wanabee. Each character-driven book introduces unexpected plots, sub-plots, and a host of magical beings so believably rendered you'd believe you might bump into them on your way to the bookstore.
                                                --Alex Klapwald, Director of Production --This text refers to an alternate Mass Market Paperback edition.

From the Inside Flap

Thomas Covenant and Linden Avery begin their search for the One Tree that is to be the salvation of the Land. Only he could find the answer and forge a new Staff of Law--but fate decreed that the journey was to be long, the quest arduous, and quite possibly a failure.... --This text refers to an alternate Mass Market Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 475 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey; 1st Ed. edition (March 12, 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345305507
• ISBN-13: 978-0345305503
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,624,310 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ONE OF THE BEST OF THE SERIES, January 18, 2005

By 

RMurray847 "afilmcritic.com" (Albuquerque, NM United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The One Tree (The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

THE ONE TREE is in many ways Donaldson's most richly complex book from a psychological standpoint, up to this point in the series. THE WOUNDED LAND dealt primarily with the visceral shock Covenant experiences upon returning to said land and the physical reactions of Linden Avery. We met some new characters and marveled at the changes in the land. And that was enough.

In THE ONE TREE, the relationship between Covenant & Avery grows ever more complex at every turn. They push & pull at each other, struggling with urgent need and vastly divergent understandings of where their quest should take them. We also get to revisit the wonderful giants, briefly reintroduced at the end of THE WOUNDED LAND. In the previous trilogy, we had come to know and love Saltheart Foamfollower, probably the single greatest character ever created for a "quest" fantasy story. While the giants in THE ONE TREE are wonderfully rich and alive, they don't quite reach Foamfollower's status in our hearts. BUT, we get to understand their race more clearly and experience their unbelievable strength and character.

I don't want to rehash the plot...it's been done well enough previously. Some reviewers have complained that the book is too episodic, or that some of the events that take place are just there to fill out the book to proper length. To my mind, the hardships the characters endure serve to illustrate their strength of character and the parts of their psyches that are conflicted or downright torn. I love that. Also, some mention that Covenant isn't the focus of the book as much as Linden Avery...that's okay with me. Covenant, in many ways, is less interesting than most of the other characters. He has my sympathy and support, but he's not the REASON I love these books.

Donaldson makes some remarkable leaps of imagination, and the Bloodguard are very richly portrayed. As readers of past Covenant books know, Donaldson is often very ambiguous about good vs. evil. Yes, Lord Foul is the bad guy, no question about that. But it's the bad impulses in otherwise "heroic" characters that make the books so complex. If you like that element of these books, then you'll love THE ONE TREE. It's full of conflict within the "good" guys.

Many middle books in trilogies have the problem of dangling a little at both ends. They're picking up from a thread of the first book and leaving one behind for the final book. THE ONE TREE has some of that, but the intensity of the final scenes and the resolution of some of the characters is richly satisfying, so rather than feeling let down at the end, you just want to immediately grab the next book. And thank goodness you can...unlike Donaldson's current Covenant books, which are planned to have three year gaps in between.

So, if you've like the Covenant books up until now, you'll love THE ONE TREE. It's more action-packed than THE WOUNDED LAND and more rewarding. If you haven't enjoyed the books (but for some strange reason have read up to this point), your mind won't be changed. And obviously, if you haven't read them but would like to, you MUST go back to the beginning. Do not hope to start reading at this point and just "pick it up as you go along." You'll completely miss 95% of what's going on.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The story continues, May 23, 2005

By 

Dan "Longsword" (USA, Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The One Tree (The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

In The Wounded Land Covenant confronted the Clave, strange governing body of The Land that has replaced the council of Lords, and learned the truth about Lord Foul's role in the desecration of The Land. Covenant decides the best course of action is to leave The Land to search for the Isle of the One Tree. Centuries before, Berek Halfhand had forged the Staff of Law from a branch of the One Tree. Covenant feels the only hope of redemption for The Land is to forge a new staff and restore the laws of nature that were broken when the original staff was destroyed. Accompanied by Linden Avery and a ship full of giants they depart The Land. Since no one knows where the One Tree is located, the giants suggest that the company seek the help of the Elohim. The Elohim are a fairy people that appear to be earthpower incarnate. But the Elohim have their own plans for Covenant and the white gold.

A great deal of this book explores the character of Linden Avery. She has terrible secrets in her past that she must explore and confront to overcome her feelings of helplessness. Her confrontation with the leader of the Clave in The Wounded Land left her doubting herself and feeling that she is inherently evil. She must work through her feelings and find a way to help Covenant on his quest to redeem The Land. The giants are all terrific characters, which add to the enjoyment of this book. There is a great deal of action in this book, which flows exceptionally well and never drags.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Search for the One Tree, September 10, 2008

By 

Michael Dea (Calgary, Alberta Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The One Tree (The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

'The One Tree' is the second book in 'The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever'. It is a direct continuation of 'The Wounded Land' which should be read first.
When we last left Covenant he had decided that the only way to fight the Lor Foul's Sunbane was to create a new Staff of Law to replace the one Covenant had destroyed in the first trilogy. So he enlisted the help of the giants and their ship to search for the One Tree in oder to create a new Staff.
Like the middle book of the first trilogy which focused on Hile Troy for much of it, 'The One Tree' focuses on Linden Avery's point of view for most of the story. The story drags a little when the quest is on board the ship, but the scenes on land are better. Especially good were the scenes with the wizard Kasreyn and the Sandgorgon. Besides the slow sections this installment definitely has a couple of weak points. First of all the character of Findail is annoying. He keeps warning Covenant not to do something, but won't say why, so naturally Covenant does it anyway and disaster ensues, then Findail complains that no one listens to him. It's pointless. Secondly the whole plight of the Land seems a lot less terrible when it becomes clear that the Land is only one part of a much bigger world. Part of the attraction to 'The One Tree' is the introduction of places outside the Land but at the same time it dilutes the urgency of the fight against Lord Foul. Finally the fact that the whole quest ends in failure, with very little to show for it leaves the reader with kind of a 'what was the point' vibe.
To sum 'The One Tree' is somewhat uneven, and not as good as 'The Wounded Land', but still enjoyable as it introduces new vistas and provides interesting background for the series as a whole.