 "Last of the first chronicles" | 2008-07-23 |
| - Reviewed By noxush |
'The Power That Preserves' is the last book in the first 'Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever'. Covenant returns to the land after a few days in the real world where is health and state of mind have deteriorated considerably. When he returns to the Land he finds that seven years have passed and the Land is in dire straits as Lord Foul has besieged the Lords at Revelstone and the Land is permanently in winter.
This is the best of the first trilogy as the various threads are brought together and concluded. As well Covenant has lost almost all his bitterness and has come to terms with the land even if he still does not believe its reality. The parallels between Covenant's health and the well being of the land is most explicit in this book- Lord Foul is the leprosy of the Land and if Covenant can 'cure' the land then Covenant can if not cure his own leprosy at least come to terms with it. A good conclusion to an excellent series, but it would get even better with the second chronicles. |
| |
| "Not Free SF Reader" | 2008-04-21 |
| - Reviewed By bluetyson |
High Lord summons.
Called back to the Land because they are in trouble again, Covenant finds only a few years have passed, not a few decades as per last time.
Things are still bad with Fouly now having control of Elena after her screwup last time.
The Bloodguard have also given the High Lord et al. the arse, and decided to go hang out with the giants and horses and try and hep out there.
Covenant is left with some tough decisions on what to do, including being about to save the life of a little girl in the real world.
3.5 out of 5 |
| |
 "At Last Wild Magic Erupts!" | 2007-11-07 |
| - Reviewed By max_aka_iron_s_flint |
The first trilogy of "Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever" was Donaldson's initial opus and launched him to immediate consideration of public & critics.
One great thing about this trilogy is that it was conceived as a whole and complete work. The other Covenant's trilogies were product of editors, market and public pressure exerted on Donaldson to continue writing adventure using this great scenery.
What do I mean with this comment? Well...that reader won't be disappointed with an open end as some time occurs with sagas &series.
Donaldson's proposal is quite risky.
The main character is a sick man unable to compromise with the fantastic universe that deploys before him. The reader will certainly not identify with Covenant's sour & bitter personality.
Nevertheless a powerful story is constructed over this implausible pillar!
"The Power That Preserves" is the third and closing volume of the trilogy and I strongly recommend reading the first two volumes before start reading this one. It is true that the author provides a two page summary of what happened before, nevertheless The Land scenery & characters is too complex to be understood with that intro only, and the reader risk to get confused and even bored.
The tale is as follows: after a second return to our own world, Thomas is recalled to the Land. Yet this time he is able to refuse returning and when he effectively and almost voluntarily returns there is a subtle difference: Covenant is in his own skewed way compromises with the Land.
This time a malignant unnatural Winter froze the Land and the soul of its inhabitants. Lord's Keep is under siege. The Giants are annihilated. The Rhiannon are decimated and the Ramen are frenzied. Stonedownors are dispersed and thrown into wilderness. Bloodguard disbanded. Ur-viles, ghouls and wicked Foul's armies are free and destroying everything.
From this starting point two main & parallel stories evolve.
One line follows the defense of Lord's Keep.
The other line follows Covenant and his small band attempting the impossible: reaching Foul's Crèche and confronting the Evil one in person.
In this third volume of the saga each character will be confronted with its own past acts and their consequences. Each of them should pay the highest price and will reach a point of supreme decision.
IMHO this volume is the best in the trilogy. There are not only adventures tales in this book, there are ethical & philosophical issues to be solved by characters and readers!
It is great book that may be enjoyed by fantasy fans and general public as well! But remember read Book One and Two first!
Reviewed by Max Yofre.
|
| |
 "Not for the Clinically Depressed" | 2007-06-29 |
| - Reviewed By martinja |
This book should come with a warning on the cover "Do Not Read if You Are Suffering From Depression". The first 2/3rds of this book is just so bleak and dreary that depressed people may commit suicide just from reading it. The only good thing I can say about the first 2/3rs of the book is that at least Thomas Covenant is not his usually whining self. His attitude has at least improved in this book and he becomes a man of action........problem is that he can't decide what action to take. Although there is plenty of death and small victories for the evil followers of Lord Foul, not much really happens in this book. Revelstone is under siege (boring until the last battle), and the rest of the characters wander around aimlessly getting slaughtered by the evil ones. Thomas Covenant first decides to do battle with Foul, then he decides that is the stupidest thing he could do, then in the end he battles Foul anyhow? The logic of his decisions is never really explained in the book. It almost seemed that the author was trying to decide whether to end the series with 3 books or go for a 4th, and then finally decides to end it quickly.
I didn't like the ending. All the death and sacrifice of all the other characters in all the other battles in this book and the other books seemed like a total waste. All that was really needed all along was to put Covenant and Foul together in the same room. Covenant still didn't understand his power, only how to trigger it. All the other death and sacrifice didn't really make sense. Covenant and the Giant basically saved the world by themselves. It seemed that all the other events in this and previous books did nothing to contribute to Covenant's success. The ending was just too easy and too quick.
|
| |
| "Thomas grows in belief." | 2006-10-30 |
| - Reviewed By b244 |
Or rather diminishes in disbelief. From start to finish, his disbelief has been a sore point with me. I've read the series four times so it couldn't have been too much. But thinking about it, I think I read it more for the other characters you get the chance to meet. Mhorim and his fellow priests. Saltheart Foamfollower who sadly must find his people have been exterminated. I could go on and on. Even the bad guys are very well executed.
All in all, this series is worth the time to read, but I just can't give it a five star. |
| |
| "Satisfying ending for the first trilogy" | 2006-07-28 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3P2GFOUA4Q4G8 |
Donaldson keeps on getting better and better. The Power That Preserves is powerfully made with such a fantastic scope of character depth and the Land's diminishing beauty.
Thomas Covenant is once again summoned to the Land, still struggling with his hatred, love, and Unbelief. Covenant thinks the Land is but a dream, yet after so much pain and destruction made to the Land, he resolves to journey Lord Foul's Creche and put him down. Meanwhile, Lord Mhoram and his fellow Lords are being sieged by a horrendously larger and much more terrifying host of Lord Foul's creatures, including possibly the most powerful of the Ravers. After Troy's sacrifice, the Warwards's power has been tanked, and the Lords's lore is considerably low in strength. Their only hope is the white gold power of Covenant's paradoxical ring, the power that he STILL does not know how to control.
From start to finish, Donaldson engages us in tenser battle sequences, gradual character developments, and the smallest hopes for the Land's survival. The final battle was especially satisfying, leaving me with a hunger for more of Thomas Covenant and his seemingly hopeless adventures. |
| |
International Available
