Lord Foul's Bane: The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant Book One

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Best Fantasy Books praised Donaldson in their very positive review for being able to explore the nature of being anathema while removing all blame from those who would despise the target. They go on to say that the entire book becomes an exploration of the interpersonal, psychological, and physical effects on a man become pariah. [4] Take a Third Option: How he resolves his dilemma about the Land's reality — he ends up deciding that it doesn't matter if the Land is real or not, because either way it represents something beautiful and worth preserving.

Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Resurrecting Covenant in Fatal Revenant, which seemed like a good idea at the time but also woke up the Worm of World's end. Oops. The Ranyhyn are the great horses of the Land. In the early books these horses live on the Plains of Ra, though in the age of the Sunbane they leave the Land altogether. They are protected by their human servants the Ramen. The Ranyhyn are akin to normal horses, but are larger, always have a star and are in some indefinable sense enhanced by the Earthpower of the Land, so that their speed, endurance and intelligence outstrip those of a standard horse. The Ranyhyn can be ridden by individuals they deem worthy, but a person who seeks such a mount must travel to the Plains of Ra and offer himself to the horses for consideration. If a Ranyhyn accepts a rider, it is loyal to that rider until death. All of the Bloodguard (apparently) are accepted by the Ranyhyn, but not all Lords have been deemed worthy. The Ranyhyn also have a limited ability to perceive the future; these horses can "hear" when their rider will need them, hearing their calling days or weeks before the rider makes the call. Thus, when the rider summons his Ranyhyn, it appears shortly thereafter, regardless of the distance between them.Action Girl: Not unusual for Giants; most Swordmainnir (professional Giant warriors) are women, though the First is the only Swordmain in the Search. The Ageless: While under the effects of the Bloodguard Vow, Bannor is immune to old age, and doesn't need to sleep. Morality Chain: In the first series, he's about the only thing tying Covenant to humanity (and for that matter, sanity) for a while. Weak-Willed: They're explicitly noted to have strong bodies but weak minds, and long ago most of them were corrupted by Foul. Evil Is Deathly Cold: The interior of Foul's Creche is described as frigid both in its temperature and aesthetic; Covenant calls it a "damn icebox".

The Dragon: They are Foul's top lieutenants. Since there are three of them and they act essentially as equals, that makes them Co-Dragons Made of Iron: Fire doesn't harm 'em, cold doesn't harm 'em, acid does but not as much as humans. However, they are as hurt by fire as anyone else, so they sometimes undergo a camora, a literal burning that metaphorically burns their sins away. Was Once a Man: The price that the Forestal Caerroil Wildwood exacts for helping Troy destroy Fleshharrower is that Troy will become a Forestal himself. Linden finds herself once again translated to the Land, where Lord Foul's disembodied voice informs her that he has gained possession of her son. As before, several thousand years have passed in the Land, and everything that Linden knew has changed. The Land has been healed, restored ot its former loveliness and potency. Now, however it is ruled by Masters, Haruchai who have dedicated themselves to the suppression of all magical knowledge and power. Their task is simplified by an eerie smog called Kevin's Dirt, which blinds the people of the Land to the wealth of Earthpower all around them. Morality Chain: It initially looks like she'll be set to play this role for Covenant. To say he screws it up horribly would be an understatement.Psychic Powers: Haruchai can communicate mind-to-mind with each other, and with certain other magical beings like Nom the sandgorgon. Demoted to Dragon: The Ravers actually predate Foul's arrival in the Land; they were its reigning supreme evils for a while, until Foul showed up and the Ravers were drawn to him like moths to a flame. Of course, seeing as personality-wise there's little difference between Lord Foul and a Raver, they still get to do pretty much what they would have done anyway except with a more powerful patron, so they're generally content in their servitude. Two Stonedownors born and raised under the effects of the Sunbane; Sunder is a Graveler (who can manipulate the energies of the Sunbane) and Hollian is an eh-Brand (who can predict its phases in advance). Though both are initially suspicious of Covenant and Linden, they're eventually persuaded that something is terribly wrong with the Land and form a resistance against the Clave. Oh, and they fall in love with each other, too.

It is believed that when the Creator made the earth, he unknowingly released Despite upon it, and did not realize his error until it was too late.Senior, W. A. (1995). Stephen R. Donaldson's Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. Kent, Ohio: Kent State University Press. ISBN 978-1-61277-112-0. All is not well in the land however, the creature he met on arrival (Drool) has found a most powerful magical artifact in the shape of a staff, with the assistance of the dread Lord Foul. Thomas must confront Drool and reclaim the staff before the land is plunged into chaos.

Tor.com's David Moran summarized his review by saying that "even in a work inflated by his worst tendencies, Donaldson builds toward a staggering resolution of love, endurance, and self-sacrifice that only he could have written. Donaldson is unquestionably a master of cinematic action and the steady build to an explosive end. He has a special talent for disastrous climaxes, and this book is no exception. It is a fitting end for a unique, complicated, great fantasy epic." [4] Atiaran, with great chagrin, guides Covenant to the Hills of Andelain, a region of the land where the Earthpower is especially strong. There she entrusts Covenant to the care of Saltheart Foamfollower, one of the Unhomed Giants, who are allies of the people of the Land. The Giants, a seafaring people who live on the eastern coast of the Land, have a strong understanding of the Earthpower, especially as it relates to the Sea and other waters. Foamfollower is able to sail his stone boat up one of the great rivers of the Land to Revelstone, the Lords' mountain fortress. Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds: As Elena Foul-Wife, the undead Elena is driven to fight against everything the living Elena ever loved. Ax-Crazy: They really, really enjoy torture and killing, to put it mildly, not to mention gloating about it. There's a reason they're called "Ravers", after all.

Liand

Psychoactive Powers: Apparently, Covenant's troubles with making his ring work stem from his own self-doubt, self-loathing, and fear of responsibility. Other people can make it work fine, though without the same potential level of power Covenant as the rightful wielder possesses. Yellow Eyes of Sneakiness: No matter what form he takes, he always has his distinctive yellow eyes - and while he doesn't lie directly, he's incredibly cunning and manipulative. Also crosses over with Glowing Eyes of Doom. Celebrity Resemblance: The fact he looks like famed hero Berek Halfhand down to missing fingers doesn't help Thomas' insistence he's not The Chosen One.