It took a while to get into this book, but it was worth it. I had trouble dealing with Linden's single-minded introspection at first, but as the story unfolded, it fit. This is similar to how I felt about the beginning of the series. I am enjoying how Donaldson is weaving past, present and future stories together. It forces me to think so I can follow all of the threads of the story. He's also filling in some of the history of the Land. ( )

This one should be subtitled Arrogance because almost every major character shows it at some point.

As a starting point for the four-book Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, it does its job adequately. We're shown the main characters and taken back to the Land. However, once there, very little happens, and Linden Avery, on at least two or three occasions, reminds us that this big, sprawling book takes place over a few days. Now that most of the characters are met (though I suspect we still need to get a giant or two into the mix), the story will actually pick up pace, because most of what happens in this one is hand-wringing and waiting.

Having said all this, I do remind myself that I have to give Donaldson time. When I first picked up the paperback of Lord Foul's Bane way back in 1978, it took me three tries to get past page 70. Once I did, I fell in love with this series.

I expect to do so again. ( )

I really enjoyed this book - so much revelation of details that were in the previous books (so it was a nostalgic trip for me, as I enjoyed the previous six books). Linden becomes more fleshed out as a character. New characters that are discovered I find interesting and complex. New trials to overcome and layers of meaning are described throughout the chapters that bring a similar but new flavor from the previous series.

This paragraph from the book expresses much of what I enjoy about this book and the series as a whole:

"There is no dishonor in service. The Mahdoubt labors here, assuredly, and her tasks are weary. Yet by her efforts she is fed and clad and warmed. At night she sleeps beyond harm in a kindly bed, with no rough words"

One theme that is discussed in this book is the sacrifice of the many versus the needs of the one, or vice versa. Another theme is good cannot be done by evil means. Both of these themes are complex and varied throughout the story and drive the motivations of many of the characters.

Understanding that the humans are fragile and have inherent weakness is another theme that over arches the book and series.

With all of this said, I can understand many of the arguments that the characters are difficult to identify with or care about, that the language of the book is high and thick, and that the plot can seem plodding. In my estimation, these things are actually strengths of the book, but clearly no book is for everyone, and it is a rare book that is broad enough to satisfy many. ( )

Despite all the painfully overwrought language and endless internal dialogue, the Land still deserves a solid three stars. ( )

If you've read the previous 6 books, you don't need to be told anything. If you haven't, don't even consider reading this one - they all form part of one continuous narrative and really need to be read in order.

If, like me, it's been a very long time since you read the last book, you might be wondering if you need to re-read the previous one (or previous 6) before starting The Last Chronicles. Fear not however, Donaldson does a good job of bringing you up to speed. There is some space at the beginning given over to summarising the previous books, and there are reminders weaved into the story in the form of stories recounted by the characters.

It's been decades since I read the previous books, and I had forgotten how much of a chore reading Donaldson can be. As rich and complete as the narrative is, the prose is flowery and can be a real effort at times. The narrative is somewhat inconsistently paced, seeming to move along well at times, and bog down at others, with dozens of pages given over to introspection and conversation and nothing else happening. This leads me to my other main criticism - aside from his love of verbosity and synonyms nobody else has heard of, Donaldson seems to fall back on the same phrases with annoying regularity. In the first 6 books, it was the Haruchai "poised on the balls of their feet"; this time around it seems to be Linden constantly saying that she "needs time to think." Covenant's constant denials and self-loathing became rather tiresome in the first six books; this time around it's Linden's constant whining that she doesn't know what's going on, that she needs time to think, asking questions that nobody wants to give her straight answers to and then asking annoying non-sequitur questions. ( )