A warm welcome to the return of Thomas Covenant and Linden Avery

[Edena_of_Neith]

The Third (Final) Chronicles of Thomas Covenant have begun with the release of Runes of the Earth, a 500 + page book (with it's small font, really well over 700 pages) reintroducing to the Land.

I'm half way through this book. Based on what I've read so far, I recommend it to any and all fans of Thomas Covenant and Linden Avery out there.
To everyone else, I say: it's worth the money, if you are willing to give it a try. And you do not need to read the First and Second Chronicles, to enjoy this book.

 

[Asmo]

I´m really looking forward to this book.

Asmo

 

[Krieg]

What about those of us who were never overly fond of Linda Avery (although she certainly did grow as a character in the second chronicles)?

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

Well, you do have to consider that Linden Avery was psychologically ill at the start of the Second Chronicles, and her illness was the reason Lord Foul chose her.
Linden Avery proved Lord Fouls' choice a poor one. She recovered her psychological health, and confounded Lord Foul. (Or, as Pitchwife put it, she was Well Chosen.)

Now Linden Avery is back, but this is the healthy, strong Linden Avery who confounding Lord Foul at the end of the Second Chronicles. It is not the ill Linden Avery who lived with the legacy of her parents, and who became paralyzed by confrontations with evil.

You might like the new Linden Avery.

Of course, the Land is back, and many of the other concepts of the author are back. More than you might think.

Where the Last Chronicles are going, I don't know. But it's an interesting journey.

Edena_of_Neith

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

I wish a Covenant/Linden message board existed.
It would be nice to sit and discuss the Chronicles with others who enjoyed them.

But I have yet to find a specific Chronicles message board.

Does anyone know the URL for one?

 

[Krieg]

Thanks Edena!

 

[Andre]

Now Linden Avery is back, but this is the healthy, strong Linden Avery who confounding Lord Foul at the end of the Second Chronicles. It is not the ill Linden Avery who lived with the legacy of her parents, and who became paralyzed by confrontations with evil.

You might like the new Linden Avery.

Agreed - this Linden is a bit like Covenant, but with some actual empathy for others. Much better than the previous version of her character. That said, I finished the book last week feeling vaguely dissatisfied.

I think what bothers me is that in too many instances it felt like a deux ex machina. It felt as if the author was driving Linden from point to point, with her in-story choices having little real effect. Certain events were just too darn convenient, IMO. Maybe the next three books will show that this is exactly what is happening - that Foul (or someone) has been manipulating events. Or maybe it will end up that Donaldson wanted certain things to happen and forced them, rather than letting them flow from the story. Given how much I enjoyed the first two series, I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt for now.

 

[MonsterMash]

What is it 20 years since the last trilogy? I might try rereading them sometime.

I'd be surprised if there weren't several fan sites with message boards or yahoo groups.

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

I haven't found any Covenant/Linden message boards. (sighs)

 

[Andre]

I haven't found any Covenant/Linden message boards. (sighs)

Not sure if this is what you want, but here are several that are just beginning to discuss the new series:

http://com1.runboard.com/bthescribesmessageboard.freaderscorner.t162

http://messageboard.cinescape.com/c...p?Cat=&Board=UBB118&Number=187708&Main=170894

http://forums.livingwithstyle.com/archive/index.php/t-103687.html

http://www.sffworld.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-2191.html

Here's the most interesting comment I've seen so far:

The fact that Donaldson has selected ths final 4 books to be "Foul's Story" is great. He says he will answer the questions about why Foul became the lord of despair. He made a great comment that Foul is, himself, despairing and in pain, and in order to know why he does what he does we need to learn how he became who he is.

Now, that sounds interesting...