A fantasy classic, and just as good as the first two books. See the review of the paperback edition for a full review. ( )

An interesting premise, but Donaldson's word-craft, though improved drastically from the initial Lord Foul's Bane, still remains not quite up to the task of giving the story its proper treatment. The notable overuse of certain favourite words is particularly irritating; if I never encounter "inchoate" and "preternatural" again, I will die a happy man. ( )

Spurred on by having the first two books of his Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant on my shelf and knowing that the third and final should be out soon, I embarked on re-reading the first two trilogies, or Chronicles. Rather than review them separately, I thought I would treat each Chronicle as a whole, as I cannot concieve of not finishing any of the Chronicles once they grab hold of you. Although many disparage Stephen Donaldson’s writing, I don’t have any problem with it and like that I sometimes have to grab the dictionary to understand a work he has used. In fact, that is one of the joys of reading him as I like to be challenged with vocabulary while I read.

The Land itself is an incredible creation that for me is one of the greatest joys of reading his Chronicles and an incredible achievement for Donaldson, on par with the creation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth. The land and its inhabitants are alive with health and sentience; manifested in EarthPower. The people of the land can sense the right and wrong in rock, tree, water, and fire, as well as in themselves. When their earth-sense lets them down or where despite and evil creep into the land, it has some defenses of its own. This earth-sense is something that resonates deep in my soul and in that part of me that treasures our earth. I wish I had a little more EarthSense. He has also peopled The Land with many strange and interesting inhabitants, good and bad: the giants, the Ranyhyn, Forestals, the Bloodguard, Elohim, Sand Gorgons, Merewives, Ravers, Ur-Viles and the like.

Were the books as good as I remember from reading them in my college days 20+ years ago? Suprisingly, yes. Although I still like the genre and read it occasionally, I have moved on from those times when this was my primary source of literary escape. But I found that the books have held up very well in the time since my last read. I would highly recommend them to readers interested in one of the early masters of the genre.

In The Power That Preserves, the first Chronicles come to an amazing climax. Another seven years have passed in the land when Covenant is summoned in their need. Again there is war in The Land and the Lord’s are hard-pressed by Lord Foul’s armies while Covenant tries to go it alone against the Despiser. This is a fitting and well-written end to the trilogy that ties together many of the loose ends from the first two books. In my opinion, it can stand alone. I’m not sure if Donaldson already had plans for the Second Chronicles at the time of this writing or not. ( )

Covenant returns to The Land one more time in this last book of the first trilogy. This time, the tolkienoid element is partially diluted with a lewisian (C. S., that is) element: Lord Foul has the Staff of Law and has imprisoned the ghost of Covenant's daughter, Elena. Foul's dominion causes the land to face a perpetual winter.

Oh, if only Aslan would come... I mean, Thomas Covenant. Entering the land after witnessing a girl getting bitten by a rattlesnake, he tries to detach himself from the Land, which he's still not fully convinced is not a dream, and returns to the real world to save the girl. However, he soon is poisoned after sucking out the venom, and back to the Land he goes.

Here, he teams up with the last uncorrupted Giant, Saltheart Foamfollower, and the two must save the Land, Elena's ghost, and relieve Foul of the Staff of Law.

Donaldson, by far, is the best of the tolkienoid authors. His works lovingly borrow from the fantasy tomes that came before his. Although the major artifact of his fantasy world is a white gold ring, this right of wild magic, is less like the One Ring than other authors' artifacts of power (say, a sword, or a stone that eventually becomes a pommel). If you're anything like me, you'll find his fantasy world to be much less annoying than Brooks' and Eddings'.

I recommend this series to all of you who like epic fantasy, and want something better than McDonalds, but not quite Smith & Wollensky. ( )

The end of the first trilogy.

Thomas can't come to terms with the death of his daughter who never existed. Ignoring the peril of his leprosy his physical condition deteriorates until he can barely keep himself upright. When he stumbles across a girl bitten by a rattlesnake it is all he can do to try and save her. Unfortunetly the Land calls for him but he his able to reject all their increased suffering in order to save her. When he finally succombs to the Land's call he is not in Revelstone where he expected to be, but back at Mithal Stonedown in the depths of Lord Foul's extended winter. His dying state and the breaking of the natural Law in the last book have enabled him to be summoned by lesser powers, Triock and the Giant Saltheart Foamfollower. Covenant quickly learns that the end is nigh for the Land, Winter has extended deep into spring and he cannot regain his previous health. With anger at Elena's and the Land's troubles still frothing in his breast he treks across the Land once more to bring Foul's Creche down around his ears. As if Anger was ever an answer for Despite. But Covenant learns this.

Meanwhile we watch the remaining army batter at Revelstone's gates, and the increasingly dire straights the desperate defenders of the land are put to, whilst staving of the despair that is so dangerous to them. As with the previous books these episodes in some way spoil the essential dilemma - is Thomas brave or a coward, does the land exist or not? When the narrative focuses on Lord Mhoram's despair then it is all too easy to believe the Land is real, something that Covenant never admits.

Much much darker than the previous two books, although less violence without the Land's healing abilities Covenant's leprosy intrudes more, as does his feelings about it, the penetrating cold also leaches from the pages. In general it is Covenant's weakness and dependance that is the overriding darkness to the book, especially the many pages he spends getting no further than Roamsedge. His companions are of no greater cheer either, and Ravers are especially depressing.

However it is a worthy ending to the trilogy, loose ends are firmly tied off, there are satisfyingly calmactic final battles, and while Thomas is never going to get a "happy ending" he does manage to come to terms with some issues.

If you've even vaguely enjoyed the first two books, read it! ( )