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261 of 286 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Can lightning strike a third time? Yes! Donaldson is charmed., October 15, 2004
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.
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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Donaldson goes three for three., October 19, 2004
I got this book Sunday, at six in the evening, and stayed up till two finishing it. Couldn't put it down, and yet at the same time I have only scratched the surface. I'll need to reread it at least a couple more times before I feel like I start to have a handle on it.
Okay, to guys complaining that this isn't as complex as the previous series--guys, this is only book 1 of a projected *quartet.* Give the man some time till you see what he's up to.
Much less grinding and depressing than THE WOUNDED LAND, in that the Land isn't all destroyed when Linden gets there, and still contains people of worth, who haven't been so beaten down by their self-loathing that they can't function anymore. Also, from a purely "plot" point of view, I'm going to say that I saw the thing with the Haruchai coming a mile away--all the way at the end of the last series--and yet at the same time it wasn't a let-down at all to see what Donaldson did with it. From a symbolic point of view, however, I'm a little confused--the Haruchai don't seem to be playing the allegorical role of "the conscience" as they did in previous books, and I haven't pegged what the Ramen represent yet. Oh well. These things might become clear in time.
For those complaining that Donaldson is simply rehashing the themes he has already explored, I'd like to point out: 1.) How long has it been since you've seen a fantasy series with *any* themes in it at *all?* (Martin sure isn't trying to explore any profound themes in ASOIAF. Jordan was at least *attempting* to explore gender differences, albeit in an annoying way, but then he collapsed into self-parody.) 2.) This is the first book of a quartet. Wait a bit, until you see how it all ends. If I remember correctly, Donaldson has said (and I don't consider this a spoiler, since he's been saying it for twenty years) that in this series, Thomas Covenant will become the Despiser and end up destroying the Land. That alone suggests that he's heading in a profoundly different direction than he's done before.
Already in this book, Donaldson lays a couple of hints for what might become important later on: the emphasis he is placing on being willing to listen (note that everywhere Linden goes, people are relating her stories, often at odd and inappropriate times--suggesting that this tendency *in and of itself* is something Donaldson wants us to pay attention to; also that Covenant himself tells her that she needs to "listen" in a dream), the idea of gratitude motivating community contribution (note that Linden and her hospital in the real world are financed in large part by a patchwork of volunteer services provided by a grateful community, and compare this to the dress of the Mahdoubt, composed of patches of fabric given her by grateful members of Revelstone--which may serve to set up a symbolic equivalency between Linden and the Mahdoubt); the emphasis on partial blindness or sight (Kevin's Dirt robbing the Land members of their health sense; the Mahdoubt having one normal eye and one orange eye; Stave losing an eye, Bhapa and his cataract in one eye which Linden is able to heal). When Donaldson hammers on points like this it's usually because they're going to be significant down the line--note the prevalence of crucifixion imagery in THE SECOND CHRONICLES, for example, which served to foreshadow and underscore Covenant's final act of sacrifice.
Oh, and for the record, I don't see Stave as a Cail clone. This is the first book of the series. Stave may appear to be in a similar place as Cail right now, but he has three more books to go before we see his final fate. That's a *lot* of time! Also, I have a suspicion that there's something about Stave that Donaldson hasn't told us yet--Linden thinks a couple times that Stave is much more flexible in his thinking than the Haruchai she knew (okay, I know, but we're dealing with the Haruchai here--it's a relative thing). For example, she is surprised that Stave is willing to grant her and Anele two days with the Ramen while "in her experience, his people neither compromised nor negotiated." Again, usually when Donaldson points something like this up, it's significant for some reason. This may suggest that there's something in Stave's history that Donaldson is going to bring up later. Give the man some time. This is only the opening book of the series, but even so, in my opinion, the indications are that it's going to be just as significant as the first and second series. (Actually in my opinion the second series was a little weaker than the first; this series may turn out to be just as good as the first again.)
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18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Full of the wonders that made the first 2 chronicles great , October 22, 2004
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
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by Stephen R. Donaldson
More than two decades after he completed the Second Chronicles, Stephen R. Donaldson has begun a third series about the leprous Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever. In this Amazon.com exclusive essay, Donaldson explains why The Runes of the Earth has been so long in the making.
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