Rating: 
Summary: Preserving Integrity
Review: Stephen R. Donaldson is craftwork majic. He has extended his prose into the third novel, THe Power that Preserves. It is impossible not to read the final chapter of this epic work known as the 1st Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever. Characters such as Saltheart and Bannor and Mhoram make this tale multi-dimensional. The Land is in trouble and once again Covenent is called upon. How Covenent cannot answer the call breaks my heart. This is only momentary, because he indeed desides to roll up his sleeves and join in the fight against despair. THere is no better chronicles or trilogies on the face of the planet. Kudos Donaldson! Hooray Stephen R! Covenant for President! Excellent read and worth every minute.
Rating: 
Summary: Maybe I just didn`t get it.....
Review: That`s possible, I guess. It just seemed to me that this trilogy could have been reduced to one volume without detracting from either plot or character development. The scenes with Lord Mhoram and Co. were much too long and drawn out (unless you REALLY love battle descriptions), mainly because the people around him were two-dimensional and boring. Covenant was interesting, as were all the ideas playing around him and his connection to the Land and Despite, but unfortunately the writing distanced the reader too much to make Donaldson`s core intentions clear (anyone know what a 'chiaroscuro' is?--without looking in the dictionary!). The only characters I felt anything for were Covenant and Foamfollower, and at the end of the trilogy I just didn`t understand what had taken Donaldson so long to say, why the journey had had to be dragged out to such a seemingly lame conclusion. I am allowing for the fact that I might not have understood the whole deep meaning of the trilog! y, and so on and so forth. If this is the case, I wouldn`t mind someone intelligent explaining their views to me, so be my guest. (Intelligent means that they won`t jump down my throat for daring to criticize their favorite author--THANK YOU)
Rating:
Summary: A Great End to the First Series
Review: The 'Power That Preserves' was a wonderful book. It creates a relationship between Thomas Convenant 'The Groveler' and Saltheart Foamfollower 'The Kin Abandoner' as they are haunted by the presence of Lord Foul the Despiser. They travel together as the last hope for the Land, and the journey they undertake is everything a fan of this series will enjoy. Donaldson's unique and creative imagination is powerful and his writing style drives this book home. It completely wraps up the first series and does so in a magnificent fashion. You will love it!
Rating:
Summary: Third trip to the Land
Review: The continuation of Ur-Lord Thomas Covenant's destiny with the Land. Twice before he has been summoned to join with the Lords of Revelstone in their war against Lord Foul. Covenant is a leper on Earth, outcast, unclean. Yet the Land allows his nerves to regenerate and for feeling to return to his limbs. Stephen R. Donaldson takes us to the Land where we almost find ourselves living. His descriptions are detailed and yet fast moving. We remain enthralled with the adventure and long for the journey to continue.
Rating:
Summary: A great addition to Fantasy
Review: The final book in the Thomas Covenant trilogy does not dissapoint! This book is full of so much action, emotion, and intrigue to keep any reader hooked. The book starts when the Unbeliever is again summoned to the land, this time by a rather unlikely source. Covenant's mission this time in the Land is simple, destroy Lord Foul.But, how will he accomplish such a thing? Lord Foul has rebuilt his army, and it is even bigger than before. And the army has only one purpose, to destroy everything on the Land. Covenant and some old friends (and enemies) must fight to stop Foul before it is too late. Emotions run high in this final book of The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever.
Rating:
Summary: Better and better
Review: The last in a three part series, "The Power that Preserves" serves as a fine testament to Donaldson's consistent improvement as a writer. I must admit, the first book, "Lord Foul's Bane", was a tough book to endure and nearly extinguished my interest in the series. However, with each book, the pace becomes more lively and the characters become highly layered. This is truly an ending worth reading over and over again.
Rating:
Summary: Don't sit on the beach and read this
Review: The most agonizing book you'll ever read...but don't throw it away. Only Thomas Covenant with all his mental troubles could tap-dance through the minefield and be alive and half-sane at the end. Incredible beauty smeared with incredible horror, and you won't be able to wipe any of it off.
Rating:
Summary: The Power Within!
Review: The Power That Preserves by SRD is the third and final entry in the amazing saga of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever. A superlative work that goes beyond poetic! Thomas is once again called to the Land to fight the minions of Lord Foul. In this outing, the Land is blighted by a perpetual winter (greenhouse effect?). Lord Foul aka the Despiser controls the dreaded Illearth Stone and and his evil creatures have sworn to the destruction of Revelstone and all that lives upon the Land. Thomas, the ultimate anti hero must destroy Foul and his evil "despite." A must must purchase. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: The Power Within!
Review: The Power That Preserves by SRD is the third and final entry in the amazing saga of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever. A superlative work that goes beyond poetic! Thomas is once again called to the Land to fight the minions of Lord Foul. In this outing, the Land is blighted by a perpetual winter (greenhouse effect?). Lord Foul aka the Despiser controls the dreaded Illearth Stone and and his evil creatures have sworn to the destruction of Revelstone and all that lives upon the Land. Thomas, the ultimate anti hero must destroy Foul and his evil "despite." A must must purchase. Enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: A satisfying close to the trilogy
Review: The Power That Preserves is the sequel to The Illearth War and the final novel in the first trilogy about Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever. Just as in the previous two books, Covenant returns to the Land after blacking out in the real world from an injury. Seven years have passed in the Land while only a couple days have transpired for Covenant. He finds the Land in the grip of an unnatural winter brought on by Lord Foul, whose forces have overrun most of the Land and nearly defeated all resistance. The Lords at Revelstone are the only major obstacle left for Foul to defeat, and Foul with his Illearth Stone is much more powerful than they are. Covenant's wild magic is the only hope to turn things around, but he doesn't even know how to unleash it! I gave the previous novel, The Illearth War, a five-star rating. It was excellent fantasy from beginning to end. The sequel is just as good until the ending, which is a tad weaker in comparison. Don't get me wrong, it's still a great ending: explosive, climactic, and quite satisfying. But it doesn't quite "jive" with how Covenant and Lord Foul have been portrayed throughout the series. So it seems a bit contrived or artificial. You'll probably know what I mean when you get there. On the other hand, you may love the ending just as much as most of the other reviewers did. Anyway, though I think the ending is the weakest part of the novel, it's still a fine close to the series and you'll enjoy it. Solid four-star material, which ain't shabby at all! I'd rate it four and a half if that rating were available. The siege against Revelstone by Lord Foul's minions is perhaps the best part of the book. High Lord Mhoram is awesome! The enemy general and his forces truly inspire dread. Covenant's long quest in the south is full of adventure too. You'll finally get to see what's become of Lena, the girl Covenant wronged in the first book. Triock plays a major role, becoming a tragic hero in one of the finest action scenes of the novel. Dead Elena (the High Lord killed in the last book) makes an appearance, though not in the guise you may expect. A couple welcome old friends from past books accompany Covenant on his quest. Characters show more variation in personality than in the previous books, in which most of them seemed like they were cast from the same mold. There are a few quite gory moments in the battles, like one memorable scene where blood is pumping around a knife stuck in somebody's chest (sorry!). Overall, this series consists of the some of the best fantasy I've ever read. It doesn't quite rank up there with the Wheel of Time series (at least the first six books of it), but it succeeds admirably for its relatively short length. Jordan could learn a few pointers from this series, as in how to tie things up neatly. Highly recommended and a must read to wrap up the first trilogy!
|
