Conference noted::sf

	I agree strongly with this review. I loved the first book, liked
	the second, and was able to plow my way through the third. I learned
	a lot about Hansen's Disease (which is what they're calling leprosy
	in polite circles these days), and I thought the Giant (name escapes
	me) was an excellent character [Kinslayer - nee Featherfoam, or
	GOT it: Stoutheart Foamfollower] - but with all this initial success
	you have to be really great to bring it to a six-book climax.

	I'd say, read the first three - they make a fairly complete story,
	and work pretty well. I just couldn't get excited about three more
	of them.

     I made it through the first one and liked it even.  Now I'm in the second 
or is it the third one?  My bookmark hasn't moved in months.  I read at least a
couple dozen books since the last time my bookmark moved.  You get the picture.

tlh

I thought it was a great trilogy; cou;dn't be beat; better than Heinlein at
his Best; suits all tastes.

Now, as a offer to my friends, if anybody wants to buy these three books
from me (practically unused) ....












get it ???
Niggle

    You're lucky I finished reading that Nigel.  After that crack about Heinlei
I was about to beat you about the head and shoulders with a heavy object.

tlh

Well, I think we've reached a consensus here.  The Chronicles are terrific, 
the Second Chronicles are barely readable.  I only got through WHITE GOLD 
WIELDER because I wanted to see how Donaldson resolved it.  Shouldn't 
have bothered.

Donaldson is one of the few authors who forces me to read him with a 
dictionary close at hand.  He's educational, I'll say that much for him.

					-- Roger

re .1
	The giant's name was Saltheart Foamfollower.

	I too enjoyed the first set of books, and while the second set
	was tough to wade through, I liked the contrast to the first
	set ( In the first set, Covenent refuses to believe in the land,
	feeling that it his sub-concious way of commiting suicide. He
	refuses to believe, yet is the only one who can save "The Land".
	In the second set, he firmly believes in "The Land", and wants
	to do anything he can to save, yet this time is powerless to
	help.)

	I agree with a previous reply that the books could have been
	trimmed down to probably 4 books.

					/ed/

re: .5
Why the dictionary? :-)

And granted, the second set got alittle wordy, but I still found it 
enjoyable.  But then, maybe it was easy for me to identify with the
heroine. (hm, what am I saying about myself)

I guess I agree with ``started fine but went downhill''.  However, so
as to avoid having a Note with all the responses in agreement, I have to
say, re .3 or .4 (I forget) that I stopped reading Heinlein after I 
realized how chauvanistic he is.

Jim S.

I'm female and I can't quite see how Heinlein is chauvinistic.

	Consider Jubal Harshaw in "Stranger in a Strange Land" - he has three
	secretaries, all beautiful, who run to his side whenever he yells
	"Front!". Does that seem like a Male Chauvanist's paradise to you?

Several things say he wasn't. For one, not all three answered at once, only
one.  Each had instant memory, one was a Witness( which was her other function
on his staff), and each was well fed, had plenty of liesure, and a secure place f
(scuse me) place from violence.  They manipulated him not like 'silly females'
but like intelligent people- finding his weaknesses and using them.  Non had
to stay, they were free to leave and I'm sure any enterprise they wished
to start was looked forward to.  Jubal utilized their brains, not their bodies,
if you recall.  Jubal had relations with noone till the end of the book.
And the nurse,(the reporter's friend) went from a silly female to a formidable
businessman.  Even as a silly female she was intelligent, adaptible, quick,
courageous enough, and resourceful.  Would a chauvinist give women such
attributes?

There is nothing wrong with a man treating a women as physically unequal,
because they are not.  Women have more endurance and pain tolerance, men
are stronger.  Heinlein uses this in his stories.  And in 'Friday', throws
several of these concepts out with genetic engineering.

The women in his stories are anything but suservient.  They are stubborn,
aggressive, independent and sometimes in charge (see 'Rolling Stones').

	Hoo - there's a debate brewing here! Let's do it in a separate note,
	because "Thomas Covenant" owns this one...

(I have to say it...) re .12 - are you saying that the purpose of this
note is falling apart?

John

Ooooooohh. Yrrch, that hurt... What do you call three Thomas Covenant's in
a hot tub?









A: stew

If you want chauvinism try reading some of the "Gor" books.

I thought the first 4 books were pretty good.  When I read the WOUNDED LAND I
had already read the first trilogy twice and could empathize with Covenant's
horror of what had been done to the land.

However, it looked like Donaldson had worked out the ending but had no middle.
I waited for over a year for the ONE TREE to come out. What a waste! The
entire book was a bore. WHITE GOLD WIELDER was boring for the first half. The
ending for good, more on the style of the first trilogy.

One annoying habit Donaldson has, which is more evident in the second trilogy,
is that, although he uses a large vocabulary, he has the tendency to use the
same adjectives over and over again.

	Can't understand what all you people missed reading Covenant
	I've read the whole series 3 times, and still thinking about
	the forth. I can understand how the mind tends to wander as
	you get older, but really folks you could have saved it for
	a more deserving author.



	See you on Kevins watch!

					Lord SQuid

		I agree with 16..

		For all you folk who didn't get around to the

		second set just do me a favor

			say "NOM"...


			May the bones of Drool Rockworm
		
			infest your eye lids!!!

					Mr. Zap

	For those of you who may (or may not) want to read more Donaldson.
	There is a new book in the works for an anticipated release in late
	spring of '85'.  The book (title unknown) will return to The Land
	and 'STAR' Linden Avery - the good doctor from the second trilogy.
	She is presently in possesion of Covenant's white gold ring and
	fancies herself as 'married' (can't think of a better term) to
	the late (and occasionally great) Thomas Covenant.  If I run across
	any other news on the book (possibly the start of another trilogy)
	I'll let you know.  Apparently Donaldson is going to try to make a
	living from the same old situations and characters one more time!

						-Lee Wolfe-

I liked both of the Trilogies, for different reasons.  The first trilogy
was a good build up to a climax.  The SECOND trilogy was going downhill from
the climax.  Given that, a very hard book to write, but Donaldson did a good
job within the constraints.  Even Tolkien did not try to write what ever
would happen after LORD OF THE RINGS, nope, he chickened out, and started
a fad for prequels.

I do wonder how much Donaldson identifies with Covenant, Covenant being a
great has been writer....

I do think that the books could have been edited down a bit, but then again,
I feel that the edited_out_bits could have made good, but seperate stories,
just like the other odd book that the editors DID slice out and sell.

I believe the latest issues of SF magazines are carrying the ads for the Linden
Avery book. And yes, it is first in a series.  Oh, well.  As Lord Foul put it
so well: 

	"Despair!"

Dave Wall

    	Well, it's been awhile since 'White_Gold_Weilder'.  Has anyone
    seen or heard of Donaldson doing anything new since the Covenant
    trilogies.  I liked some of the trilogies, (and some i didn't),
    but I'm not ready to give up on Donaldson yet.
    
    				Thanks in advance
    						Lee
   

    I heard of something by him that is out in Hardback.  It was not
    a new Covenant book though.  I usually wait for the paperback release.
    
    Larry

    I've seen one around. 
    
    "The mirror of her Dreams" maybe?
    
    tlh
    

    There's a collection of short stories I've seen around, something
    like "The Daughter of Regals" but I don't know when that came out.

    _Daughter_of_Regals_ has been out for quite some time now. 
    Donaldson DOES have a new novel out in harcover the size of an
    unabridged dictionary (well close, it is HUGE).
    I think _Mirror_of_Her_Dreams_ is correct. It is NOT of "The Land".
    
    As an aside, NOVA did an episode about leprosy (Hansen's Disease)
    last week. They were talking of the psychological effects the victims
    experiance by being cut off from touch sensation. Donaldson described
    the disease and its effects on character very accurately.
                                                   
                  /
                 (  ___
                  ) ///
                 /
    

Seems to me somebody on one of those USEnet letters was
already ranking out "Mirror of Her Dreams", but he didn't
sound like a fan of Covenant either.

I loved both trilogies, but the writing is very strange.
If I just open one of the books to a random page, the
writing seems like over-heated purple prose that couldn't
possibly be believable.  When I follow the story from
beginning to end, though, I'm totally immersed and that
world seems just as real as this one.

That's very different from somebody like Ursula LeGuin,
who reads just as well in small doses as in a continuous
sitting.  Wish I knew more about writing so I could figure
out why (I just found out Hemingway uses short sentences
last week:-)).

    By the way, the new book is the first of a new trilogy/series,
    though as previous notes have pointed out, it has no connection
    with Covenant.
    
    --- jerry

    re .27:
    
    I looked at the book in a bookstore the other day, and the last
    page said that the story would be concluded in <title of next book>.
    
    But I suppose if the story is popular, he could figure out a way
    to continue it.
                                                   
                  /
                 (  ___
                  ) ///
                 /
    

    	Does anyone know if "A_Man_Rides_Through", the sequel to
    "The_Mirror_of_Her_Dreams" has been released yet??
    
    						Lee W.

    re .29:
    
    "Mirror" is out in paperback and _A_Man_Rides_Through_ is out in 
    hardcover.
                  
                                                   
                  /
                 (  ___
                  ) ///
                 /
    

    
    	I've read the first 2 in the 1st trilogy, and liked them.
    My only criticisms are that in the first book Donaldson uses the
    "fear beating its wings around my head" phrase much much too
    often (read GAG!), and doesn't develop any characters very well
    with the exception of Saltheart and, maybe, Atrian.  The second
    book had much better characters, but I still couldn't be sympathetic
    with Thomas because he's not a very likable character.  He's a
    wimp.  All he does is shamble around whining about everything. 
    Hile Troy was a much more sympathetic character and I'm glad he
    was the main character through much of the book.  The second book
    grabbed me about half way through with start of the war, and I
    couldn't put it down.  Great.  But it left me at the end feeling
    down.  I just bought the 3rd book and can't wait to see what
    happens next.
    
    				Spunk
     

    I've just finished Donaldson's latest set. ref (29 & 31).  Much
    better than his second chronicles of Thomas Covenant- probalby 
    because  he finished it in 2 books instead of 6!
    	

    
         I don't know.  I've never been one to wish good books were
    shorter.(Except perhaps in English classes)  Without all of Covenant's
    doubts, thoughts, and interactions with people of the Land, could
    we get to know those people as well?  Donaldson manages to evoke
    a large amount of sympathy even for the fate of the Haruchai, a
    race whose casual brutality puts them beyond emotion.  But who doesn't
    emphasize with covenant and Bannor when they meet in Andelain?
    I loved both trilogies, and would read more if it became available,
    because I'm confident it wouldn't be written by Donaldson if it
    weren't worth writing.
        
    Brian
    

    	Interesting to see that someone just updated the list of replies
    today.  I am glad that it is still read.  In my opinion, The Chronicles
    and Second Chronicles are by far the best books I have ever read.
    If anyone has trouble and keeps a dictionary on hand, that's their
    own problem.  The Covenant books stretched so far beyond any other
    SF book in the psychology department, it kept me hooked throughout
    the whole series.  When I first picked up Lord Foul's Bane I almost
    put it down because of the REALITY in a fantasy book.  Each character
    was played truly and not brushed over, no matter what importance
    he/she conveyed.  Thomas made incredible accomplishments and change
    after contracting leprosy, and can in no way be considered a `wimp.'
    If any of you could imagine his position in The Land, or how YOU 
    would handle fantasy turned real, then you write a book.  Donaldson's
    conclusion was the best possible outcome of the series.  It was
    not some `and everyone lived happily ever after' solution like in
    so many other books (and series), but a tough, ripping end with
    a fate for Covenant that connot be imagined.  The three book relation-
    ship (for those of you who thought it was too lengthy) was dissolved
    into an involuntary parting of ways, where Donaldson described her
    looking down at her `wedding ring.'  That is not to be taken lightly.
    There are many other topics I could ramble on and on about that
    would not be appreciated in this audience; however, I feel that
    as an AVID Covenant fan it was my duty to put in a good word right
    HERE.  And to all those who agree, Something there IS in beauty.
    
    				Mike Bell

    Yah, I have to agree with recent comments.  I liked this series
    (both of them). I read all six books three times over the past few
    years.  Of COURSE Covenant was not a sympathetic character.  He
    is what is known sometimes as an anti-hero.  One is supposed to
    feel ambivalent about him.
    As for his being a wimp, it's like someone said a few back, he CANNOT
    afford to believe in the Land, bacause, as you may recall, he gets
    feeling back in his extremities.  He's been told, over and over,
    that he CANNOT hope for his nerves to regenerate, because they won't,
    and he'll become suicidally depressed.  This is the case, in fact
    with Hansen's disease, which is one of the forms of leprosy.  Now
    here he is with fully regenerated nerves......  
    As for the difference between the two trilogies, I found the first
    to be much more simplistic, whereas the second had more depth, and
    was more intricate.  But both were eminently enjoyable, if somewhat
    depressing, and well...  emotionally exhausting.
    
                                                           -John.

    Are we going to get more books about the land and Mr Covenant.
    What realy happend to him?
    
    

    RE -1 (any more books about the Land/Covenant)
    
    I don't know. In one of the earlier notes someone mentioned a new
    book starring the woman in the Land (Covenant died at the end of
    book 6). I have never seen it, though.
    Interesting thing was that, when I finished reading the first trilogy,
    I never expected a sequel - and there it was! The second trilogy
    ended as if a third trilogy may follow - so I guess it won't come.;-)
    
    I can recommend the books he wrote later. Not about the Land. They
    are called (as is mentioned somewhere else in this notesfile also)
    "The mirror of her dreams" and "A man rides through". Less "emotionally
    exhaustive" (as someone called the "Chronicles"), but more
    thought-provoking! 
    
    Happy reading!
    Arie

    I also enjoyed the two trilogies, even though I thought Donaldson
    should have left it alone after the first. I agree with
    an earlier writer that we are in an age in which many writers and
    filmmakers ARE trying to get blood from a stone. (I was also unhappy
    with Piers Anthony when he started his second ADEPT trilogy).
    Donaldson's major strength is his creativity; in a field were fantasy
    and imagery is the common base, I was continually amazed by his
    imagination.
    
        As enthusiastic as I was about Thomas Covenant, I really never
    got into the "Looking Glass" book(s) and read about 1/2 of the first
    massive volume after several disappointing attempts.
    
    

    Having just finished the first chronicles, my verdict:
    
    	Books One and Two are *very* slow, *very* overwritten, and *very*
    	frustrating.  They should have been compressed into one.  In
    	contrast, the third book is almost a breath of fresh air.  I found
    	it very readable, and finished it in a few days rather than the
    	weeks that the other two took!  (I found that I was forcing myself
    	to sit down and read another chapter - if it weren't for the fact
    	that I have never `given' up on a book half way through, then the
    	first books would remain unread.)
    
    Donaldson must be improving (in my opinion!), as I found Mordant's
    Need to be fairly enjoyable.  I have yet to read the 2nd Chronicles of
    Thomas Covenant - the question is, will I ever attempt them?
    
    Mat.
    *:o)
     

    
    
    
    	I had to force myself to stop reading...take a break, go to
        sleep. Donaldson himself admitts that he over writes but
    	I couldn't tell. 
    
    	The second chronicles is a shadow of the first work and book
    	two could have been left out in that series (in my opinion.)
    
    	(But I'd never skip it.)
                  

    I bought Mordants over a year ago and have still to get past the
    first 3 chapters.
    
    Guess I'm not the Donaldson fan I thought I was.....
    
    Bob I
    

    Well, I'm a devoted fan of Mr. Donaldson. Like .42, I read the 1st and
    2nd Chronicles of TC about 5 years ago. The book I found hardest to
    get through was the first! After that, I devoured the others with 
    relish.
    
      My favourite book of the first series would have to be the 2nd. It's
    a crucial book in more ways than one. Firstly, the presence of Hile
    Troy forces Covenant (and us) to face the question of the Land's
    reality. This is accentuated for us when the second part of the
    book is written from Troy's point of view!
    
      Secondly, the balance of power is about even. In _Lord Foul's Bane_,
    Foul has only just come to full power. He is uncertain of the Lord's
    power, and is testing them as well as toying with them. In the third
    book, the Power that Preserves, Foul is definitely the more powerful;
    the Staff of Law has been destroyed, the Law of Death has been broken,
    and Foul's armies are huge. It is in the second book, then, that the
    most evenly matched (and therefore more exciting) conflicts arise.
    
      Thirdly, it is the book in which Covenant, more than in any other of
    that series, has to face the consequences of his actions of the past.
    He starts to realise that he has an impact on the Land and its people,
    whether he likes it or not, and therefore does have some responsibility
    for it and them, even if no more than anyone else.
    
      The second series was not quite as good as the first in some ways,
    but was better in others. I think the Second was more well written;
    Donaldson had settled into his distinctive style, and was more
    comfortable with Covenant and Foul. His characterisation and
    description skills had improved markedly. His ability to create a mood
    has also improved.
    
      The plot was not as good, but then I'm a fan of the Land. The Land
    itself was a major factor of the first trilogy, and I appreciated that,
    I think. Certainly I loved every page of The Wounded Land; I cried out
    in anguish when I read of the state of the Land on Covenant's return.
    And Covenant remained true to his character. The second book was not
    as good as the others. It is probably the one I enjoyed least of the 
    second three. I've never really been interested in sea epics, and so a
    voyage away from the Land did not appeal.
    
      The third in the second series was slow to start, but improved as it
    progressed to its great climax. I'll never forget the suspense, as
    Covenant and Linden were approaching Mount Thunder to face Foul in
    Graven Threndor. Although Covenant admitted he was going to give Foul
    the ring, I trusted him still. I was not disappointed with the ending
    at all.
    
      _Mordant's Need_ was, I feel, not quite as good; it did not have the
    epic feel or the depth of character, or the mysterious history that the
    Chronicles have. But from the first chapter of _The Mirror of her
    Dreams_, I recognised Donaldson's style immediately. And certainly the
    Mirror books are very well written.
    
      The first is better than the second. Mirror has a very complex plot;
    more complex, perhaps than any book I have read. The number of
    characters, their relationships with each other and their many
    different motivations led to each chapter raising two puzzles for each
    it solved. The final scene was the pinnacle of this technique. I found
    it hard to sleep after finishing that book. (and had to wait 18 months
    for the next, something I was fortunate enough to avoid with the
    covenant books).
    
      The second was good, but not great. From the subtle characters and
    hidden purposes, the mystery and unreached potential of the first book,
    the story degenerated into a simple story in the second. The motives of
    most characters were revealed within the first few chapters; the truth
    was almost too simple, too easily deduced. The remainder of the book
    was excellent; don't get me wrong. The plot was still there, and the
    characters were still three dimensional. Donaldson even lightened up a
    bit, which I greatly appreciated after the powerful but dark moods of
    Covenant. But the shift from a complex world of shifting shades of grey
    to a simple one of black and white was too quick for my liking.
    
      Just as an aside, I don't think the critics gave Mordant's need a
    very good time. I saw hardback editions of Mirror going for five
    dollars a while back - and that was before the paperback of it had come
    out! (It must have been more than a while back, oh well). Certainly you
    don't see the kinds of quotes about MN that you do about TC.
    Interesting.
    
      Having stood on my soapbox for long enough, I'll just say that I've
    read The Covenant book three times (and contemplating a fourth), and
    Mordant's Need twice. Donaldson is not the be-all and end all of
    fantasy fiction. He will not be immortalised. But the guy can WRITE.
    Often when I'm reading quite a good book, I think that I'd rather read
    Covenant for a fourth time than finish the book I'm reading for the
    first. That to me seems a good indication of how good an author is.
    
      Does anybody know ANYTHING about whether he is writing something new?
    If something new is out, I may not know about it (we get books years
    late in Australia). It's about time he brought out something new.
    
    						Peter,
    						who'll talk about Donaldson
    						'till he's blue in the
    						mouth, given a chance.
    
    
     
    

    I first read the trilogy in 1979.  I was so gripped by the story that I
    read the entire trilogy in one day!  I must agree with .33(?) about the
    psychology of the story, it was SO REAL; the characters were "there", I
    knew them.  I can't say that I was as pickled (sic) as .43 was,
    however.
    
    I have read this trilogy once a year since then.  I do regard them as
    "classic" in the fact that Mr. D has an incredible imagination and an
    adept ability to emotionally involve the reader.  There were times that
    I caught a tear and times I was steaming mad.  From me, that is quite a
    phete.
    
    I must also agree with other Noters who commented of the difficulty to
    read TCseries.  For me, in the first series, getting past the first two
    chapters of each book was difficult, yet rewarded greatly after that. 
    The second series is always hard for me to read.  Because the style
    changed measureably, I found it out of concert with the first thus
    loosing some continuity.  Still, once a year I faithfully read all six
    books.  Steve lives around here (Albuquerque) and if I ever get a
    chance to meet up with him I will definitely pass on rhyme and/or
    reason to y'all.  I do have muy questiones for him (mine and yor'n).
    
    Regarding the "Dilogy" Mirror of Her Dreams, I found TCovenant in drag. 
    Yes, I waded through it because it is well written and full of colorful
    people and situations.  However, throughout the books my mind kept
    thinking of Thomas.
    
    Overall, SDonaldson is a master storyteller.  He will promise to raid
    your heart and torture it with every emotion, from hatred and apathy to
    love and triumph.  His vocabulary doesn't slow me down at all.  He has
    finesse and skill that does make him one of the best fantasy writers of
    our time.
    
    Oh yes, before I forget, I believe that it was note .25 that mentions
    the knowledge that SDonaldson has of Hansen's Disease.  The reason for
    this is he grew up in a leper colony.  His father was a missionary to
    such a colony.  The one thing that bothered me was that with his
    upbringing in such a hopeful and joyuous religion as Christianity, why
    is he so morbid and depressing in these eight books?  Has caused me to
    wonder if he has lost all hope for his soul.
    
    David Larson
    

    I think my summer holiday is going to involve a lot of SD reading....
    
    I was just reading back through some of the notes and no-one seems
    to have given hints to their favourite scenes and worst moments
    other than stating that they went form rage to joy to gloom....
    
    I still remember the anger I felt when TC refused in his unbelief
    to help the Land and even rage when he watched the Land almost die
    before he was moved to doing something about it... But then in a
    complete about face I nearly cried at the beginning of the second
    chronicles when TC was mortally wounded - it didn't matter what
    he had done before or what he could do to save the Land I just knew
    he was going to ...
    
    SPOILER
    
    die and I thought PLEASE make him whole again but that would have
    not made the story as powerful I guess...                  
    
    My most powerful scenes include the death of Foamfollower and the
    attack on the ship/boat in the second chronicles

    A slight aside...
    
    Has anyone heard about anything new by Donaldson?  Since finishing
    AMRT, I've been waiting semi-patiently for something new by him.  I
    guess I should be glad that he's putting time and effort into his
    books, but I still want something new soon.  Any information out there?
    Books in progress?  Contracts with publishers?  Anything?

re .44:  All of the Thomas Covenant trilogy in one day?  Wow!

I'm not a fast reader; I couldn't even finish one book in one day.  But I did
finally finish reading the first Thomas Covenant chronicles, having started the
trilogy back in March.  (I did read other works in between, and also work gets
in the way...)

Funny thing was I never did think about the significance of the name Thomas
Covenant until I was somewhere in the second book.

Overall, I think I did get to like Donaldson's story-telling, and there were
stretches where I had to make an effort to put the book down at the end of a
chapter because it was after all time to go to bed.

Given the mixed reviews about the second chronicles, I'm not sure that I'm ready
to tackle that right away.  I am in fact going for a change of pace and read
some Katherine Kurtz for awhile.

--Simon

    RE. The question,"is the covenant series worth getting into"
    
    
    
    Answer..."Only if you enjoy reading!"
    
    
    I'm new to the SF notes but I've loved a good story since I was
    old enough to read . 
          I read the Covenant series several years ago for the first
    time, and if I find myself today looking for something to read but I
    can't make up my mind I know that I can pick up any one of the Covenant
    series and I will still find it very enjoyable.
    
            
         From someone who would love to have the talent to write,
         and enjoys reading as much as breathing.
    
                           MDG

        I read both of the trilogies.  I did so only for one reason:
    I wanted to see TC get his in the end. Talk about your anti-heros!
    I hated this guy through all the books.
        It wouldn't have been so bad if I could have like some of the
    others, but I just couldn't acquire a feel for them.  They all 
    seemed so sappy and forgiving!
    
         I haven't read his other books.  I have tons of stuff of my
    "to read" shelf.  I just can't make time for a story that I will
    probaly come away from with a bad taste in my mouth.
    
    
                                              L.J.

    I thought the TC chronicles were one of the best I've ever read.
    I found the 5th book rather slow myself, but nobody's perfect. All
    in all, it provides a different kind of reading. Maybe you liked
    Covenant, maybe you didn't. That's what makes it so good. Most stories
    have that protagonist who is lovable, i.e. Bilbo Baggins. But in
    this series, Donaldson gives us the unexpected. An anti-hero,
    characters you like dying, and characters you like not doing what
    you think they should. I liked Bannor, and wished he would stay
    to help fight, but the Bloodguard moved on. That is what makes this
    whole trilogy enjoyable. Donaldson keeps throwing you curves, and
    playing with your emotions.
    
             Tom

    I have read and re-read all six books many, many times and passed it on
    to friends whenever they might be interested.  I really think this is
    one of the most enjoyable, entertaining, well-written, and involving
    series ever written. (how's that for "faint praise"? :-)
    
    Though it's true that Covenant is not your classic charming, righter-of
    -wrongs type hero his very special dilemna of reality v. fantasy is
    heart-breaking.  I enjoy the most those books which make me feel right
    along with the characters.  I was constantly rooting for Covenant,
    wanting desperately for him to find some "real" sign of the Land's
    existence. Mhoram's gentleness, Foamfollower's joy, Elena's ferocity,
    etc. all caught me up so I was there with them in all but fact.  (I
    think the most moving scene in the second trilogy was Covenant's
    meeting up with the new Giants.  I too really cried!)
    
    This is one series you don't want to miss!!!!!
    
    Tricia