Solar Flare: Science Fiction News

The Runes of the Earth is the first book in The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. Stephen R. Donaldson’s original fantasy trilogy, The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, The Unbeliever, was published back in 1977. That trilogy was a significant step for fantasy fiction. Highly successful at the time, Donaldson, along with Terry Brooks helped to establish that there was an audience for large fantasy.

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However, while most subsequent fantasy trilogies have patterned themselves after Brooks, Donaldson achieved something else. His Thomas Covenant Chronicles are much more adult works than most fantasy books. Donaldson pushed the boundaries of what can be written about in fantasy novels.

Now in 2005, Donaldson has returned to the Land, again using Linden Avery (from The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant) as his main character. She returns to the Land some 3,000 years after her last visit and find things have changed drastically.

This time round the threat to the Land is much less obvious than it was in previous books. It seems as though Lord Foul may live up to some of his names. In the first trilogy Foul’s attacks were direct and physical. In the second trilogy he was more subtle, but the nature of the threat was always clear. This time, however, Foul is simply whispering in people’s ears, manipulating the actions of others.

Donaldson has said in interviews that he held off on writing this story until he had matured as a writer. In all honesty though, it reads like his previous Covenant novels. Which means of course that Donaldson uses 5 syllables where 2 would have done.

There are sophisticated themes at play in this book though, and it’s a refreshing change from the majority of popular fantasy series that are published these days. There are battles and physical encounters to keep things moving along, but at its heart, this is all about a conflict of beliefs as Linden Avery knocks her head against the total certainty that is the Haruchai, now calling themselves Masters of the Land.

Its important I think to note that while the book is the first of the Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, he barely appears in this book. He did after all die at the conclusion of the last trilogy. But despite that absence, his presence is everywhere in the book.

My only big criticism of The Runes of the Earth is that at times it reads like a Thomas Covenant mega-mix. We have the haruchai again, and the Ramen, Lord Foul of course, ur-Viles, Waynhim, elohim, the illearth stone (again). These are all very familiar elements and I’m happy enough to see them again, but where are the new elements?