Customer Reviews

The Runes of the Earth (The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, Book 1)

5 star:		(73)
4 star:		(32)
3 star:		(30)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(20)

 

 

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.

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.

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 just finished The Runes of the Earth after "prepping" by rereading the first two Chronicles (read them as a teenager, reread once since then).

I have to say that I enjoyed it; all the good and the bad of Donaldson is still here; the wonderful creations that still surprise us (e.g. the Ranyhyn) and the repetitive use of arcane words (now instead of "roynish" ur-viles every 10 pages we have "percipience" every 2 pages ... happy to say that everything in the Land is still like "cerements" in some way or other).

What is missing is a compelling protagonist. I was one of the camp who, when reading the Second Chronicles, always wanted to get back to the Covenant-centric chapters when reading the Linden-centric chapters. This is not to say that a rotating 3rd person limited style is bad; in fact SRD pulled it off masterfully in the Illearth War and The Power That Preserves; even if you wanted to get back to Covenant, it didn't matter since you were enjoying the book so much. Anyway, Linden just doesn't do it for me over the course of an entire novel, which is why I am looking forward to Book Two (hint hint). I will say that the Prologue is really exciting, and really made me identify with Linden in a way I never did in the Second Chronicles.

I agree with some negative comments of other reviewers:

- It is too convenient to have Sunder and Hollian's son, Linden's son, Covenant's son, Cail's son. We need *new* characters to breath life into the new story. Let's hope a yet-unseen character will emerge as the Mhoram, Troy, Elena, or even Sunder or Pitchwife for this go around.

- As Detective John Kimble would say, Linden needs to "stop whining". Even Covenant at his most annoying (think Plains of Ra section of Lord Foul's Bane) was better than this constant, overt despair/hopelessness/fatigue/confusion.

- I can sympathize with new readers: Runes of the Earth must seem too much like an introduction or setup for the Last Chronicles, and not a full story in it's own right. I didn't feel this way since I read 1-6 consecutively right into RotE. It really did flow well in that way; I agree with other viewers who can't believe that 20 years have passed for SRD. This really shows how much the Land is a direct reflection of him.

But I have good things to say too:

- Creativity still abounds as far as the Land is concerned. I am not worried at all that the places visited and people encountered in the next 3 books will make for an interesting story.

- This is still Donaldson, a true master, and I liked RotE a lot, will be sure to read the next 3 as they come out. Old fans like me can always point at this or that when comparing to classics like The Illearth War (his best IMO) and The Power That Preserves (with some of the best chapters in the series, particularly Lord Mhoram's Victory and those building up to the Colossus). But we should be happy with this effort; it is promising in many ways, and in a world filled with terrible, derivative sequels, this is a fresh look at the Land and the story we love.

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.

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.

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.

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

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?

The Thomas Covenant series is by far my favorite fantasy series, having read it completely three times. In this first book of the concluding chronicles, Donaldson takes some time to wrap up some questions that were left hanging from the 2nd chronicles. With the new influx of 'evils' that have entered the land since last we checked in, there are many new questions to answer and mysteries to solve. I was concerned that another set of books would merely rehash some of the same plots with new names and slight changes, but Donaldson has managed to give new birth to familiar faces while adding interest with unexpected new plots and characters.

For Donaldson fans this is a must read, and for those of you considering starting this series, while Donaldson does do a good job explaining details and not assuming you remember much from past reads. I would recommend starting from the beginning if only to have the complete experience.