“Covenant is [Stephen R.] Donaldson’s genius!”—The Village VoiceHe called himself Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, because he dared not believe in this strange alternate world on which he suddenly found himself.Yet the Land tempted him. He had been sick; now he seemed better than ever before. Through no fault of his own, he had been outcast, unclean, a pariah. Now he was regarded as a … he was regarded as a reincarnation of the Land’s greatest hero—Berek Halfhand—armed with the mystic power of White Gold. That power alone could protect the Lords of the Land from the ancient evil of the Despiser, Lord Foul. Except that Covenant had no idea how to use that power. . . .
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if you like fantasy, The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen Donaldson would be right for you. Similar to Lord of the Rings. The Chronicles starts with Lord Foul’s Bane.
Donaldson was my first step away from the world of Tolkien. Although Tolkien introduced me to high-fantasy, Donaldson made sure I knew there were other placers to go to escape. He did not copy Tolkien (like so many others have done), he went further and explored the human psyche in a land of magic.
Another all time favourite. I admire this book because it is so rigidly character driven. Donaldson surgically extracts the essence of the leper Thomas Covenant’s character and derives all Covenant’s actions from that essence. As a writer it would have been so easy to have given into the fantasy world Covenant finds himself in and churned out a …
One of my fav fantasy fiction books ever! Have read every book in the series several times!
There are certain books that change the course of fantasy forever. Lord Foul’s Bane is one of them. This is one of the first books that I think really established a foundation for what I call “realistic fantasy.” First, the main character has leprosy. Second, he is taken to a fantasy world and cannot accept that it is anything other than a dream …
Thomas Covenant. The one who started it all.
Stephen Donaldson’s first book that turned into 10 volumes covering 7000 years. Don’t let that daunt you. They are really fantastic. Here in 2019, the “anti-hero” is pretty much a semi-common figure. But back in 1977, that was not the case. At least in fantasy novels.
Thomas Covenant is a leper who …
This novel, (as well as it’s two sequels and the whole second trilogy), is one of my top five favorite books. When I was younger, I read it (all of them) so many times the covers would fall off and I’d have to replace them. Stephen R. Donaldson is who inspired me to write. I could not get enough of “the Land,” and the wonderful characters he …
This is the first book in the Thomas Covenant Series by Stephen R. Donaldson. It’s a fantastic novel with characters that you will fall in love with, and a land that you will cheer, and weep for. I first read this book, and the others in the series over 25 years ago, and I continue to re-read them to this day; they’re that good! i highly …
Amazing start to the most underrated fantasy series of all time. Not for the faint of heart or casual readers, The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant requires and rewards serious investment.
This was the book and series that made me a huge sci fi fan. Nothing more enjoyable to read.
This is an old one, but I still think about it decades later. The main character, Thomas Covenant discovers he has leprosy. After an accident he wakes up in a magical world where his leprosy plays an important role. The earth (the land) has power but the evil Lord Foul swears he will destroy the land. Donaldson’s world and characters suck you …
Among the best books I have read. Possibly the most underrated novel of its genre. The entire 1st trilogy.
This is the story so many others are trying to write – and failing miserably at doing.
I have seen comparisons to Tolkein, in which this trilogy is supposedly similar to LOTR.
As a great Tolkein fan from before the movie, I am unable to spot …
Wow. When I first discovered this book I had no idea the truly intricate, original characters I was about to discover. Make no mistake, this book (series) is for grown-ups. Not because of adult content, although there is a rape scene, but, because of the deep dive into the main characters mind. Perhaps more than any other series I’ve read, this …
First read this book years ago. Reread and still found the story entertaining, albeit dark. The characters show depth and storyline is original.
Possibly my favorite book of all time. Have re-read it multiple times.
I had a hard time with this book. I really wanted to love it, but I just sort of liked it. There were moments that were great. The the main character is pretty unlikable, which made it less enjoyable that it could have been. Maybe he gets better in future books, but I haven’t been interested in giving it another try yet.
Very readable Tolkien like series- book one
If you like fantasy, this is the book to read. Thomas Covenant is a unique and unexpected type of hero.
Not terribly great to begin with. Whiny main character, but when he raped an innocent girl, that was it.
This book is the beginning of one of the the most entertaining and aggravating series every written (2 trilogies and a 4 book set to wrap everything up). Entertaining because the world created is so vivid and magical. Aggravating because the main character never seems to get it right. He does get close eventually, coming through in the pinch with …