The Power That Preserves: The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant Book Three

The blurb informs us that someone at Washinton Post has considered Donaldson's (first) Covenant trilogy as "comparable to Tolkien at his best". This is untrue, but I might allow "at his best comparable to Tolkien", because when he is in the zone he is full of ideas and provides a really good read. This is particularly true for the third and final installment, here under review. Revelstone, led by resourceful High Lord Mhoram, under siege; Covenant squaring up against both Ravers and Lord Foul the Despiser (one now and then wonders about Mr. and Mrs. Despiser's thinking when naming their little one: "OK. We're down to three names now: Jimmy, Ben or Foul. What do you think darling?")Long odds against always energises the reader - we certainly know who to root for. Also, and in stark contrast to later books, this is no episodal roadmovie where individual scenes barely fit together. Donaldson has an uncluttered idea where it is going, and we can tell. In the Lord of the Rings, we never see Sauron being defeated. Sure, his Tower tumbles, and a great wind disperses that final cloud-hand of his. But wouldn't it be more satisfying to see a pumped-up, ring-toting Gandalf duking it out with Sauron in a K1 rumble? Well, here you get the works. Lord Foul (and what Lord is that? A Duke? A Viscount? A shoddy life-peerage Baron?) faces Covenant in a final battle.I for one, also enjoy the subsidiary battles (Donaldson is good at this). Green laser-beams shooting out of a fist-shaped rock to fell the big bad Ravers? What's not to like there? Mhoram super-charged with old-lord power - so much more effective than the weakling oath-of-peace stuff the sissy new lords have gone for up to that point. Of course there ARE outstanding questions. The uselessness of the "Warward" (the army) is striking for instance. How can a professional army be so terminally tired, and lacking in ability? And the consistently boring drifters and derelicts called "The Unfettered Ones"? What good are they? I get to think of mighty superheroes like Bouncing Boy or Matter-eating Lad, when I read about them. "Reading in Stone"? Come on! And the Giants! The potentially most able strikeforce in the Land allow themselves to get mass-slaughtered by a single bad egg and brawler. Finally the hitherto so solid Bloodguard. "We was fooled, so we is going home." Thanks a bundle for that Bloodguard-scum. You wouldn't consider staying on for just another ten years to help us out of this spot we're in? You DO know that Foul said he was coming soon? "No. We was fooled, so we is going home."This book is hugely buyable, and enjoyable. One word of warning though. After you have completed this trilogy: do NOT proceed to buy anything else by Donaldson. It is all downhill from this point - and I don't mean downhill in the sense of a pleasant slope, but a precipitous fall from a ledge.

The final confrontation between the anti-hero Thomas Covenant and Lord Foul was satisfying and well done. The downside is that to get there the reader has to persevere through an unremittingly grim earlier half of the book.

Loved this trilogy, love the story, the chats and the language- my kind of books :-). Can’t understand why I never finished book1 back in the ‘70’s - to give me a lot of pleasure now maybe .....

Read this in the 80s. The three. Lord fouls bane the ileath war. And power that preserves . Tried to get hold of the 3 books. In 2000 started reading. Again in. June 2018, first opurtunitiy. To purchase since 90s. glad i did i remember first time around. The first book. Took a little while. to get going . But. Well worth the. MoneyLot detail captervating. Story.

The final part of the first trilogy sees Thomas Covenant take the battle to Lord Foul Covenant is no traditional fantasy hero instead we have a deeply flawed man, bitter at his life moving inexorably towards his fate in savings world he does not believe in

What can I say a very strong compelling trilogy. I love fantasy and I got to admit the first book was a struggle at first (no spoilers) but something happened in the first that u really couldn't take too. The story of how the main character comes to terms with being a lepar is brilliant! Highly recommend the series of books which are 4 years older than I am !

Great read from great author

The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant trilogy is an amazing read that can be read on many levels. A straightforward fantasy. A psychological novel with The Land as an allegory of Covenants mental state and his search for resolution. An examination of prejudice, rejection and fear of the different. It raises the question of what is truth and reallity?