Fatal Revenant: The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, Book 2

The first 3 chapters of Lord Foul's Bane took me months to finally push through. And then I rushed to the bookstore and bought the rest of what was out at the time. That included The Wounded Land, at the time. I missed 2 days of work because I was, quite literally, not able to stop reading. I've read Tolkien countless times...and The First Chronicles, plus The Wounded Land, twice as much. I've never gotten so completely engrossed in a series of books in my entire life. I was held hostage by the slowness of the release dates of the remainder of the second series. The guy at the local bookstore probably got real tired of seeing me. And I was really ticked off by the Trek-worthy 10 minute wrap up and the implied incompleteness.Then the first book of the last series came out and I let it sit and gather dust. Then the second book came out and I resisted buying it until the 3rd book was nearing the release date. I intended to let that one gather dust also. I promised myself that I wouldn't put myself through the torture of waiting again. And the temptation of having 2 unread books got to be too great. I told myself "1 chapter per day". Yeah...right. Now I'm stuck waiting...again. And at Mr. Donaldson's mercy...again.I wasn't bothered by the time travel. Things always turn out the way they're supposed to...even if its not obvious at the time. I can see a few possible outcomes.... I, by design, see at least 2 desirable "hook ups". Only one that is remotely possible...and the other that will, quite predictably, not happen due to the almost certain death of my favorite character in this particular series, although I hope to be proven wrong.Actually, I feel sorry for Mr. Donaldson. It isn't possible for him to write anything better than the Thomas Covenant series. It isn't possible for *anybody* to write anything better. The only possible equal is the Lord of the Rings trilogy (not to be confused with the Lord of the Dance, which is surpassed by almost everything). It must be terrible for your masterwork to be the first thing that gets published.But I'm glad to have had the great fortune to have read it...I hope. I've suffered through the ridicule of a few good friends who took exception at the "misuse of the English language". "Sarcasm doesn't drip!" they say, but I thought that the "misuse" was utter genius. I've never had a fictional universe seem so alive. I could probably find my way around the Land (in its first trilogy form) easier than my home state. But depending on how it ends, I may wish that I stopped at the first trilogy. Not that it was ever an option....Lordy, I hope it doesn't take too long for the 4th book to come out. It's going to be hard enough to wait the 2+ months for the 3rd one....

Okay, you can read my review which was written by the time I had reached page 179 or so - which is fairly accurate - or just read this paragraph: this book is worth the effort to reach for the dictionary every five minutes, loathsome though that effort may be; reading the first part of the book twice might help make things make more sense. However, by the time you reach Part Two, you'll be hooked and realize all the confusion of the first 250+ pages had purpose and your confusion will begin to subside. As always, an excellent book written by a linguistic master...--------------------------------------------------------------------Please understand that I am a huge fan of Donaldson's work, and consider the original (6) books in the first two parts of this epic to be, without hesitation, some of the best writing ever created by a human being.The book which opens this part of the epic, The Runes of the Earth, was fantastic and I have reviewed that as well -That being said....I am not ignorant to 'big' or "$10" words, so to speak, and being a fan of Donaldson's, you'd think I'd be use to them by now, but quite frankly I'm a third of the way through this book and I feel totally confused, as if I am not reading the same book that Donaldson wrote; nothing makes much sense, and because I have to look up words written on nearly EVERY SINGLE PAGE of this book, it's getting really frustrating to read. Much like the lead character Linden Avery, I just want to know what the hell is going on!I am disoriented, unable to grasp any of the action or to get emotional for any of the characters, because it is by far the most pompous and arrogant hunk of unreadable and uninteresting wordpile I have ever encountered. Believe me, that hurts to say - I want so badly to love this book, and instead I am left empty and confused and I am only one third of the way through it all. Is there hope for the rest of it, or am I just wasting my time and hurting my brain?People, places and things with obscure histories; confusing narratives about people and places which make no sense and are too difficult to grasp; bit parts from other books in the series rearing their collective heads; things like this: *"...the viscaral effervescence of a sundry loam...." What the?! Just say sea spray, okay?! SEA SPRAY !!!!! YOU LIKE FREAKIN' SEA SPRAY! I realize the other way is more poetic and therefore a richer reading experience, but please... P L E A S E just get on with the story and quit throwing in confusing and unnecessary prose.When I have to continually look up words to attempt to decipher what the author is talking about, I lose interest way too quickly.I love his writing, it is intelligent and the reader is truly rewarded with more than just an interesting story; you will walk away from Donaldson's works with a healthier vocabulary. But I am finding it extremely difficult to even CARE about what is taking place in this book, because I have no idea what's taking place. I can't concentrate on the action or emotions, because I'm too damn busy looking up words or re-reading sentences trying to decipher the cryptic language only scholars and linguiphiles would appreciate.I am struggling to read this thing and holding out hope that it actually gets interesting enough to want to continue. I'm getting really tired of having to stop what I'm reading, grab my dictionary and thumb through to reference a word or two (or ten) that make no sense, then sit back and try to contemplate what Donaldson is saying, then get back to where I left off.. by the time I get back to where I left off, I'm so far down another road of thought I find I have no idea what just happened in the book and I have to read the page all over again.This seems more like homework from a crazed college professor hell-bent on torturing his students rather than an interesting piece of literature. I didn't even understand the title and had to look that up....!I am holding out hope for this book, but thus far, I could smash it into the wall and gain more satisfaction. I am now dreading the next two books.

Ich gehe davon aus, dass die meisten Leser von "Fatal Revenant" sowohl die jeweils dreibändigen Chronicles and 2nd Chronicles (of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever) gelesen haben als auch das erste Buch der letzten Trilogie "The Runes of the Earth" (also insgesamt 7 Bände). Denjenigen, die das nicht getan haben, rate ich dringend, das nachzuholen. Nicht nur, weil ihnen sonst ein gewichtiger Fantasyklassiker entgeht, sondern auch, weil die mehr als komplexe Story sich aus der kurzen Rückblende zu Beginn des hier besprochenen Buchs nicht wirklich verstehen und nachvollziehen lässt. Ich würde die Vielzahl der Handlungsstränge, Personen und Schauplätze zwar nicht ganz auf eine Stufe mit dem oft zum Vergleich bemühten Tolkien stellen, man sollte es jedoch auch nicht unterschätzen. Wer den Herrn der Ringe gelesen hat, wird mir beipflichten, dass ein Einstieg ab Band 3 relativ wenig Sinn ergibt.Leider liegt meine Lektüre der beiden Trilogien sicherlich 15 Jahre und die von Runes of the Earth circa 4 Jahre zurück, ich hatte trotz meiner prinzipiellen Kenntnis der Akteure und Handlungsstränge einigermaßen Schwierig-keiten, wieder in die Handlung hineinzufinden. Das liegt sicher auch daran, dass das von Donaldson verwendete Englisch im Vergleich zur sonstigen zeitgenössischen Fantasy- und Science-Fiction-Literatur auf einem so hohen Niveau angesiedelt ist, dass es wiederum stark an Tolkiens Sprachkunstwerke erinnert und zumindest bei mir einiges Nachblättern in Wörterbüchern nötig machte (was sonst nicht nötig ist).Für die Kenner der Vorgängerbücher (ohne spoilern zu wollen): Wie eh und je zieht ein Protagonist mit einer Reihe von Gefährten aus, das "Land" vor dem Bösen, also den Machenschaften Lord Fouls und seiner Verbündeten, zu retten. Die Rolle des "Unbelievers" fällt jedoch seit dem Tod Thomas Covenants Linden Avery zu, einer Ärztin aus der realen Welt, die bereits in den 2nd Chronicles gemeinsam mit Covenant kämpfte und seit Runes of the Earth die Hauptrolle übernommen hat. Das wahre Ziel der "Chosen", die den Weißgoldring Thomas Covenants an einer Kette um den Hals trägt und in deren Hand fast unablässig der erdmagische "Staff of Law" zu finden ist, liegt jedoch in der Rettung ihres autistischen Adoptivsohnes Jeremiah. Der ist - genau wie Linden Avery selbst - in der realen Welt getötet worden und wird nun an einem unbekannten Ort festgehalten, wo er - hier erfährt man im Buch noch nicht viel - für die Zwecke Lord Fouls eingesetzt werden soll. An den Fähigkeiten des Jungen sind allerdings auch andere Gruppierungen interessiert, besonders die "Insequent", eine Gruppe uralter Magier, würden ihn gerne in ihre Gewalt bringen, um damit ihre Erzfeinde, die "Elohim" zu besiegen.Linden Avery ist ahnungslos, wie sie ihren Sohn befreien soll, ihr Konflikt zwischen der Opferung ihrer Prinzipien, Freundschaften und Loyalitäten zugunsten der Rettung ihres Sohnes und der Liebe und Wertschätzung gegenüber ihren Gefährten sowie der Verbundenheit gegenüber dem "Land" ist zentrales Thema dieses Romans. Dazu kommt die Diskrepanz zwischen dem Empfinden von Unzulänglichkeit/Machtlosigkeit und der Verantwortung/Erwartungshaltung, die sie selbst an sich und die von außen an sie herangetragen wird. Diese Konflikte werden im gesamten Buch ausführlich darge-stellt und - meiner Meinung nach - endlos überdehnt.Das Buch beginnt übrigens mit einem Paukenschlag: Der - wie oben erwähnte - totgeglaubte Thomas Covenant reitet gemeinsam mit ihrem Sohn Jeremiah auf die Burg Revelstone zu. Hinter ihnen: Eine gewaltige Armee böser Kreaturen, die zusätzlich mit einem magischen Artefakt - dem "Illearth Stone" - bewaffnet sind. Linden und ihre Gefährten befinden sich - nicht ganz freiwillig - in der Burg, da sie von den Lords des Landes dort festgehalten werden. Diese trauen Linden Avery nicht und halten sie für fähig, das Land in den Untergang zu führen.Ohne die eigentliche Handlung verraten zu wollen: Drohender Untergang (sowohl intrapsychisch als auch external) sind die dominierenden Themen auch dieses Donaldson-Buchs.Die Werke von Donaldson sind heute natürlich nicht mehr so ein Aufreger wie bei ihrem Erscheinen in den späten 70ern. Damals war der lepröse Antiheld, der nicht an die wunderschöne Welt, in die er versetzt wird, glauben will und um ihre Unwirklichkeit zu beweisen, gleich einmal ein Mädchen vergewaltigt, ein absoluter Tabubrecher. Für viele machte es die Geschichten um Thomas Covenant aber auch zu etwas viel Glaubwürdigerem als Fantasy vorher gewesen war ("Wie verhält sich ein durch und durch rationaler Mensch, der plötzlich in einem Wunderland erwacht?"). Die sich entwickelnde Geschichte selbst nimmt einen ähnlich komplexen Verlauf wie Tolkiens Werke, die sich während der Quests zusammenfindenden Gestalten erzeugen emotionale Bindungen wie an die Gefährten, wobei sie durch die verstärkt dargestellten inneren Konflikte vielschichtiger und weniger "leicht liebzuhaben" sind als ihre Pendants aus Mittelerde.Die letzten "Chronicles" haben diesselben Tugenden wie ihre Vorgänger, stechen aber nicht mehr durch ihre Besonderheit hervor, da im Grunde die gleichen Zutaten erneut verwendet werden. Zwar mit anderen Darstellern und mit überraschenden Wendungen, im Grunde aber ähnlich. Die hochkomplexe Sprache mag für manche ein Genuss, für andere eher abschreckend sein, für wieder andere (wie mich) braucht es etwa 100 Seiten, bis man wieder im Flow ist.Insgesamt für Fans der Vorgängerbücher empfehlenswert. Diejenigen, welche die alten Bände nicht kennen, sollten lieber zunächst diese lesen.

After having been enthralled for the majority of my teens by the first six of Stephens books I completed the series with the new and additional protagonist, Linden Avery. There were times, I have to admit, when I would have given a lung to have been able to step in and slap some sense into her. That said, the books were written in the same vein as the original set of six and on recollection the same feelings, as I recall, were present in the first set and I'd have given a lot to have been able to do that to Thomas himself. He has written this series in the same vein. The giants still take my breath away and made me wish we could see their like here on earth and I was astounded at the changes in the Haruchai from the first series. The Elohim were still self indulgent fools and the people of the land are still steeped in honour. I'd give a lot to see some of that translated into real life but I digress. Stephen's writing is still eloquent and his use of rare words from the dictionary kept me as enthralled now as the first books did 30 years ago. I wished repeatedly that Linden hadn't been such a wet hen whilst reading, much as I had when Covenant was behaving abominably all those years ago. So I kept on hoping the angst thing would peter out, it didn't. Which was a shame.I read the whole set in a week, finishing one and buying the next. I advise anyone who loved the first set to complete the adventure. There are some holes in the plot but I loved the books 'despite' them. Did you see what I did there? 😀

"The Runes of the Earth" was a welcome and unexpected return to the Land, but did not entirely satisfy: Linden Avery wandered around rather than through the Land, accumulating friends and foes but lacking purpose. It was a groundwork novel; and that groundwork pays off handsomely in this second volume.After a hundred pages of talking and worrying, Linden sets off on her travels once more, accompanied now by Thomas Covenant and her adopted son Jeremiah - both of them strangely transformed and unable to win her trust. She finds herself in the age of heroes, in the Land's distant past, bound now to purposes not her own. To say much more on the plot would spoil surprises, but major tourist destinations of the Land are prominent...The action thereafter is all but non-stop, infused with hallmark Donaldson drama and tension, building to a gob-smacking climax. Great interest is added by a new race of powerful solitaries, the Insequent, whilst a surprising number of old faces put in cameo appearances.Minor niggles: lesser characters like Bhana and Pahni are under-developed, and this greyness applies even more strongly to the ordinary inhabitants of the Land. The texture of life in Mithil Stonedown was barely discernible in the first book, and whilst this volume includes an extended encounter with a Woodhelvenn settlement, not one villager is honoured with direct speech in the text. Donaldson could usefully expend a little effort in reminding us in more concrete terms of the people Linden is fighting to save.Also, just as Linden seeks to save the Land by visiting every obscure corner, so Donaldson continues his one-man crusade to save the English language by dredging up dusty old words that convey little to the general reader. If you're like me, the gist will suffice: well and good; but if you prefer to grasp every nuance of his prose, you may want to reach for a BIG dictionary and extend your vocabulary in advance. Here's what you need: acidulous, allemande, anademed, argute, asseveration, barranca, bayamo, bayard, bedizened, brume, caducity, caitiff, caliginous, carious, cataphract, catenulated, cateran, chaconne, chancrous, charlock, chlamys, chrism, chrysoprase, clinquant, condign, crepitation, cymar, delinition, delirancy, delitescent, demnify, devoir, eidolons, epitonic, fane, foetor, fuligin, fulvous, gravid, grue, guerdon, hebetude, immedicably, inchoate, incused, inexculpate, innominate, involuted, irrefragable, jacinth, lacustrine, leal, lenitive, louring, mansuetude, mephitic, nacre, objugations, oneiric, oriflamme, orogenic, paraesthesia, periapts, quirt, rerebraces, roborant, sacral, saft, salvific, sapid, sastrugi, scend, scoria, sendaline, sequacious, stillatory, stridulation, surquedry, telic, theriac, thetic, travertine, unassoiled, vambrace, vleis.Nonetheless, this is a stunning return to form, amply fulfilling the promise of the first book and the fantastically high benchmark of the Gap series.

After all the trilogies, adventures doubts fears and soul searching Thomas keeps going! As it gets darker and slower and even more confusing we hold on for grim death cos of all we've been thro together! It's becoming more of a struggle to read, but struggle I do. I can't wait for the Last Dark! (But why is the wait so long?! ) i will read it very carefully and hope, at the end of it all, I can feel the conclusion is fitting and makes sense of all that went before.If not, thanks for those great adventures anyway, I've been well entertained over the many years. Just get it over with,

A great follow up to 'The Runes of the Earth' (first book in the "The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant" trilogy); in fact, I liked it much better that the first.This book confirms Donaldson's place among the great fantasy writers of this era; his skill with maintaining and building upon a story line is exemplified in this novel. And although I felt that first quarter of the book was a little slow to get going (my only minor complaint), it then picked up pace and held my interest right to the very end. There were some great battles, epic journeys and a smattering of the unexpected that gave a wonderful pace and variety to this tale.Fatal Revenant is brilliant in its depth, character development and story line. There are a host of interesting protagonists and enemies in this latest installment that are either new, or old acquaintances from previous stories. Linden Avery is once again the main character in this second novel and she presents as a rather insecure heroine that continually has concerns about the legitimacy of her 'position' and her abilities to carry through with her plans; however, her frailties only add to her human qualities.Conclusion:A book I couldn't wait to get back to; a great addition to this, the final Thomas Covenant series. A novel which invites you to find some undisturbed time, a comfortable chair and a cozy fireplace; but, bring your Thesaurus. You'll find a plethora of words here that most of us will not recognize and even a few that are unknown by the Google/dictionary search engine. Overall a worthy 5 Stars!P.S.Anyone who has not read the previous books would be absolutely lost in this novel. Its been a long while since I read the original 6 books in this series and I had difficultly remembering and keeping older events, that were continually referred to, in perspective to this present book's storyline.