The Runes of the Earth

Stephen R.Donaldson is an outstanding author, who has created such a vivid, tangible world, you will be transported to the land, as you were to middle earth. He can stand side by side with Tolkien on his works. Well done, well done!

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

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.

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 se

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.

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..."