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Rating: 
Summary: A fascinating book that is also extremely frustrating.
Review: A leper, shunned by his own world, is transported to another land where his nerves regenerate and the white gold wedding band he wears is a powerful weapon. To the people of the Land, Covenant is Berek Halfhand reborn - a hero whose wild magic is the only possible answer to the evils of Drool Rockworm and Lord Foul the Despiser. But Covenant cannot and will not believe in the Land. He cannot accept the responsibility the Land demands of him. To do so would be to ignore the discipline and vigilance he must maintain as a safeguard against the constant reality of his leprosy. If you are prepared to overlook the many, many points of similarity to "the Lord of the Rings", you will find much that is enjoyable, fascinating and genuinely original in the two trilogies. There is, however, a puzzle at the heart of the novel which is never adequately explained. If the Land is a dream, whatever Covenant does cannot affect him in the real world. So he may as well help the Land and fight its foes taking whatever "risks" to himself are necessary. On the other hand, if the Land is real, Covenant is not a leper there and need not exercise such caution. Whenever he is confronted with this logic, Covenant can only mutter, "It isn't that easy." This leaves the reader screaming,"Why not?" If you choose to read these books you'll have to accept that your question is never answered.
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Summary: Outstanding - Even better now (the second time through)
Review: An epic to rival (but not surpass) The Lord of the Rings. Different in many ways, but fantasy epic nonetheless. Anyone interested in the environment would be amazed at the manner in which the author gives "The Land" a life force of its own. Each entity of life, nature and existence has a palpable, visible vitality, which is one of the reasons that the author has chosen to use a leper (whose degenerating nerves shouldn't allow him to experience it) to give it even more vitality than the people of the land appreciate. And those people appreciate it amazingly. A good, thorough vacation into fantasy.
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Summary: The fantasy story to end all fantasy stories?
Review: Has Mr. Donaldson written the fantasy story to end all fantasy stories? Perhaps. But I'll still read other stories.This series is phenomenal. The depth and scope of the story telling is as good if not better than Tolkien. If you like Tolkien you should love Donaldson's Thomas Covenant series. Some people have trouble reading Donaldson because he uses big words and because of this his book is criticized. Too bad. Grab a dictionary you sloth. Not you of course, I mean the other person behind you who is bad mouthing this story .Each night I read a little more and each night I cared even more about the characters than I did the previous night. To me that is one sign of an excellent story. When it was all over I was saddened that Mr. Donaldson hadn't written a third series. But I hear rumours that he might. One can always dream.
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Summary: The Land
Review: I started reading Fantasy of course with JRR Tolkien's Lord Of the Rings. My second introduction to the world of Fantasy was Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. Thomas Covenant's by some strange stroke of Fate or perhaps calculated strategy, finds himself in The Land - a place of unsurpassed beauty where Earthpower is a source of power/energy that is tapped on by its people. Covenant is given a message of Doom and asked to deliver this message to the Council of Lords. But Covenant vehemently denies the existence of the Land' fashioning himself as 'The Unbeliever' and his continuous battle with himself in this new but very real environment as well as the genuinely miraculous healing of his leprosy inflicted limbs, added to my wholehearted involvement in the novel. It was difficult to bear his continuous reluctance to accept The Land and shoulder the responsibilities handed to him - Thomas Covenant is not an immediately likeable character - in his rejection of The Land, he commits shocking acts and yet the reader is drawn to his vulnerabilities and his fierce struggle to above all, keep himself alive. I found myself urging him on - it was an extraordinary effect. The language of the Land is also intriguing, an 'Old Style' English which I loved and as I got more engrossed in the book, found myself using in my everyday speech.... All in all, a superb book, 14 years later, I am yet to find a Fantasy Book that rivals this. Enjoy!
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Summary: A Classic story, one you have to read!
Review: If you thought Tolkien was youre number 1 author, then you'll love this book, and Tolkien will move to number 2.
Thomas Covenant,a leper, whos wife has divorced him because of that, passes out in the street and wakes up to find himself in a new world.Shocked by this,he thinks that it is all a dream therefore he is called the Unbeliever.
But he still wears his white gold wedding ring in the land and that you cannot get there,everyone in this new world thinks he is their saviour; Berek Half-hand as he has lost half of his hand through his illness.
Now he has to save their world from the despiser as he meets giants, ur viles,lords and other mysterious creatures.But Covenant commits a crime to a stowndowner,(a person from Revelwood)causing heart-breaks.
Now he has to live with his crime as he is sent back and fourth to the world saving it from the despiser.
You have to read this book, its a classic.
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Summary: Outstanding - Even better now (the second time through)
Review: Of my favorite fantasy/science fiction novels, this is by far the best. Donaldson is absolutely amazing in how he describe his characters, such as my favorite, Vain. This gift spreads to an unknown realm, such that we know what it might be like to see the health, and inner beauty of other living things. The Chronicles have helped me to look at life a little differently, to appreciate beauty. Donaldson is an amazing writer. It is a shame that no more books will extend this story, as I believe it can. The only negative being that it is difficult reading. If you don't have a very large vocabulary, then you'll need a very large dictionary!
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Summary: The best epic fantasy I have ever read.
Review: Of my favorite fantasy/science fiction novels, this is by far the best. Donaldson is absolutely amazing in how he describe his characters, such as my favorite, Vain. This gift spreads to an unknown realm, such that we know what it might be like to see the health, and inner beauty of other living things. The Chronicles have helped me to look at life a little differently, to appreciate beauty. Donaldson is an amazing writer. It is a shame that no more books will extend this story, as I believe it can. The only negative being that it is difficult reading. If you don't have a very large vocabulary, then you'll need a very large dictionary!
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