Hee, I never noticed that gold ring, even though I’d recently gone to look for Runes of the Earth in the bookstore.
Anyway, I’m just glad I’ve still got mine with the Darrell Sweet covers. He did a surprising number of my favorite fantasy novel covers.
(after clicking the links)
W. T. F???
Those are all kinds of wrong.
[nitpick]Atiaran[/nitpick]
I’ve seen the name “Trell” on the side of a van. Something to do with the construction industry, which is quite fitting.
Helpful hint to the people of the Land: Alloy about 10% of palladium with your gold, and you’re good to go.
It’s hard. At this point I’m only continuing because of this thread. Posters whose opinions I respect seem to love it or at least like it. Right now it’s not grabbing me.
But I don’t have much time to dedicate to it, either. And all the history and stuff is boring me.
I can’t believe that this thread has made two pages and no one has mentioned Fantasy Bedtime Hour. The fact that Donaldson is a big fan made me respect him, because not all authors have a sense of humor about their work.
I agree with muzzynyc. I always thought that it would be shown at some later point that Kevin was another person from Covenant’s world who had to save the land. But I’ve finished the first book of the third trilogy, and haven’t seen anything yet to either support or deny my little theory.
Because the marketing department is filled with stupid, stupid people who got the Chronicles & LOTR confused.
Or else the marketing department is filled with people who want to evoke LOTR so that more people will pick up the books.
You missed the aforementioned fact that Kevin was the fourth generation of High Lords born in the Land – attested to by Bloodguard who were actually there to witness that fact?
There is no support for the theory that Kevin is from Covenant’s world. In fact, looking at the three (in the first two trilogies) main characters from Covenant’s world, you can’t really use their names to support that they’re from Covenant’s world:
Thomas
Hile
Linden
“Thomas” is suitably mundane, I suppose. And “Linden” perhaps reads more mundane in the current year than it might have when originally published. But “Hile”?
“Hile” is just as goofy pseud-fantasy as “Trell” or “Sunder”.
I feel compelled to point out that I, and several other posters (I think), read this book in our early teens. I now accept the weaknesses in LFB and enjoy it as groundwork for the later books, and am probably unable to view it with an unbiased eye.
Things pick up a little towards the end, but it reminds me of a D&D game sometimes… It is not widely regarded as his best work, but it managed to grab me and keep my attention back then, perhaps as a antidote to the syrupy sweetness of Anne McCaffrey.
I can only take so many stories where everything turns out super-duper at the end and everyone hugs and adopts a kitten. Oh, ummm link to pics is required, right?OMG! Kitties!
I hope you do stick it out, tho. I personally didn’t like The Illearth War as much (I think I’m in a minority here), but it’s better written I’d say. By The Power That Preserves, Donaldson is almost all grown up in his style.
haha… Thanks The Punkyova I never heard of them before. Good stuff!!
btw… c’ville? centerville?
So, I’m about 2/3 of the way through LBF and loving it. Yeah, it’s clunky, and yeah it’s probably partly because I’m remembering reading them the first time, laying out in the back yard without a care in the world. But there’s something about Covenant that fascinates me. He’s a miserable bastard. Maybe he reminds me of me.
Oh, and as for forgetting the whole lineage of Kevin and that there’s no way he could be a “Real World-er.” Well, it was a long time ago and I forgot most everything about the books. But it’d be cool, right? If he was from the real world? Right?
Dob,
Charlottesville. For another two weeks. Then I’m going home!
Gah. There’s a nasty thought. Covenant’s an annoying prat, but not nearly as bad as someone from any MTV “reality” show.
Ha. There’s a skit idea: a “Real World” house with the likes of Frodo & Samwise, Thomas Covenant, Harry Potter, etc. They’d all hate Covenant (“What a miserable ass. The house is real! Florida is real! Jesus!”) and talk about Sam behind his back (“God, it’s so obvious he’s in love with Frodo. Did you see the way he looked at him when we were in the jacuzzi?”)
That’s beautiful!
I just read the series a few months ago, and it sounded reasonable to me.
I’d like to see Tom at Hogworts - Harry & Co. need a brush with leperosy and the Wild Magic That Destroys Peace; Voldie erased with a negligent thought, those stupid wands exploding on contact… hehehee. A little lomillialor in that place might shake things up, too.
Mhoram, Ingold Inglorion, and Gandalf walk into a bar…
From LFB -
(boldingmine)
Anyone remember any other gold mentioned in the first chronicles? I find it odd that they have a word for a material that’s only been seen once in the past several thousand years. If no gold has been found, why would they need the “white” modifier? Perhaps they trade with Bhrathairain?
There are other things that are gold in color that are not gold themselves – iron pyrite, for example. So the Land could have the concept of color (hue?) of gold, even without having any gold itself.
I always glossed “white gold” as the way that the Land’s legends make the point that the keystone of time is made out of something impossible: gold-that-is-not-gold. Sort of like how Fenrir was fettered by “fish’s breath, bird’s spittle, woman’s beard, bear’s sinews”, etc.
Just got The Atlas of the Land by Karen Wynn Fonstad. Haven’t had a chance to check it out yet, but any questions?
You’re aware that Galadriel more-or-less translates as “Blondie”, don’t you. Very myffic, I don’t think 