In The Chronicles of Covenant the Unbeliever Donaldson wove a compelling tale of a fantasy world threatened by a malevolent being known as Lord Foul, and capable of defending itself ultimately through the intervention of one man – a man outcast from human society, a man whose survival demands that he abandon hope and forsake love, a man who does not even believe that the Land is real. In The Second Chronicles of Covenant the Unbeliever, he returned to the Land when it is threatened once more. In this, the first volume of The Last Chronicles of Covenant the Unbeliever, Donaldson once more transports us into a realm of supernatural vitality.
Readers who have not read the preceding pair of trilogies should do so. Although there is an excellent forward to the book explaining the events that have come before, much of the value in the first book is present by reference to the earlier books. Without the emotional investment of the prior novels much impact will be lost.
Even with the benefit of prior reading, however, the emotional impact of this book is muted. The Land’s impressive vitality is concealed and the protagonist, Linden Avery, seems somehow emotionally disconnected from events. She speaks the dialog of passion but lacks the accompanying force. Overall, the experience has the feel of an author returning to a beloved setting out of duty rather than desire.
That said, like any first book, most of the plot is composed of setup. The reader is presented with a number of mysteries and an entirely new Land to puzzle out. Those seeds should bear fruit in future books, and until we are presented with the resolution it is difficult to judge their true worth.
Readers who enjoyed the First Chronicles but never read or never liked the Second should avoid this book and its sequels. Readers who liked the Second Chronicles should not be disappointed.
