This is the review I've been dreading and anticipating, all at the same time.

If a book could be scored in the negatives, this would be that book. It's a horrible, fetid thing that just sits there.

For the first quarter of the book, the characters simply talk. Yes. Just. Bloody. Talk. They've reached Andelain. And now they must move on. But first, Donaldson must run every single character through his or her dialogue paces. Everyone must be heard. Everyone must blather, whine, complain, bitch and generally restate everything that's already been stated.

I mentioned that the first book in this (thankfully) final series should be subtitled Arrogance. The second book would be Apprehension. But this, the penultimate volume in this series, easily earns the subtitle Agony, some for the agonizing slowness of the book's pace. Some for the way each characters agonize over every simple decision. Some for the way each character has a question in their mind, a deep and abiding question that desperately needs an answer, but not one of them ever asks it directly, choosing instead to ask some oblique, barely connected question instead, then agonize over the fact that they didn't get the answer they wanted.

I swear Stephen Donaldson's Giant name must be something like Heavingwords Steamingpile or Shoveling Obscurewords or something like that.

Seriously. Imagine this.

Linden looked down at her boot. From the look on Covenant's mein, and with her healthsense, she saw he was aware. "Hell and Blood, Linden! Your boot! It's become...unfettered." Stave was at her side in a moment.

"Linden Avery," he said, his mein a rock. "You are the chosen. You must use the Staff of Law to correct this undoing. We cannot condone this abeyance."

Liand, the one and only Stonedowner, said, "Stave, you are Haruchai. YOu know this would be foolhardy. It must be corrected with the Wild Magic of the ring. She is the Ringthane."

Mahrtiir stumbled to the ever-swelling group. "I am Mahrtiir, Manethrall of the Ramen. We must call the Ranyhyn. It is only through their guidance that we shall overcome this most diabolical of hurdles."

Clyme said, "Mahrtiir, you are Ramen. All your solutions cater to the horses from the Plains of Ra. This surely is a trick by the Despiser. Using the Staff will awaken She Who Must Not Be Named."

"That's Voldemort's sister," Galt added helpfully.

"I thank you all," Linden started, "but..."

Rime Coldspray interjected. "Galt and Clyme, you are the Humbled. I believe we have many giantish tales we can tell. Surely sometime in the next few months of the listening, we shall have an answer."

"Guys," Linden said. "Really, I..."

"Rime Coldspray, Ironfist and Swordmainnir, your words are anodyne to this conundrum, still, I don't believe..."

Linden stood up."It's okay."

Stave said, "Linden? What dark sorcery is this?"

Linden ate some aliantha berries, their vivacious boon soothing her soul. "It was easy. I retied my laces."

"Surely not!" Covenant said. "Hellfire and damnation, Linden! You tied your own shoelace? DON'T TOUCH ME!"

And so on...

Yes, that's a joke, but seriously, it seems to get down to that level at times in this book.

In fact, there was a point about halfway through or so where I actually laughed out loud at the line that went something like, "These were people of action, unused to standing in one place for long." Seriously, almost snorted my coffee. The first half of the book is in two locations and they really don't move.

Seriously, Shoveling Obscurewords could have packed this story nicely into about 200 pages and spread it between the second and last books and not forced this torturous piece of crap on us.

I'd fully intended to read the four books back to back, but this one killed me. I'm reading a couple of other books before I dive back in one last time to the world of Thomas Covenant.

What a monstrous pile of shit. ( )

Tempted by finding the last book in the last trilogy in the Oxfam shop I decided to skip to the end of the series. Years ago I got left behind when it all got too big for me rising to a trilogy of trilogies. Usefully this starts with a synopsis of everything so far. I realise I read the first 6 books and it astonishes me how vividly I remember a lot of it from 30 years ago. The names ring like old friends - giant Saltheart Foamfollower and all the rest.

The plot moves pretty slowly - after 100 pages one person has picked up 2 items and given them to a second person. A third person has picked up a third item. However the internal passions and communications are dense and exciting as ever.

The big blow is that the book finishes with the message "The story concludes in book 4 The Last Dark' which is not even published yet..... maybe next decade..... ( )

Excellent book. One more to go and then Thomas Covenant is done. I can say with 100% honesty that Stephen R. Donaldson is the greatest writer on Earth. Disagree with me at your own peril. ( )

Tempted by finding the last book in the last trilogy in the Oxfam shop I decided to skip to the end of the series. Years ago I got left behind when it all got too big for me rising to a trilogy of trilogies. Usefully this starts with a synopsis of everything so far. I realise I read the first 6 books and it astonishes me how vividly I remember a lot of it from 30 years ago. The names ring like old friends - giant Saltheart Foamfollower and all the rest.

The plot moves pretty slowly - after 100 pages one person has picked up 2 items and given them to a second person. A third person has picked up a third item. However the internal passions and communications are dense and exciting as ever.

The big blow is that the book finishes with the message "The story concludes in book 4 The Last Dark' which is not even published yet..... maybe next decade..... ( )

A gloomy masterpiece, though it took me a few pages to come to that conclusion.

I have always been impressed by Donaldson's craft. Few bring to life such vivid protagonists as Donaldson. Few invoke such a sense of reality. This book didn't disappoint.

Near the beginning I was slightly put off by what I perceived as a staggering display of writerly self-indulgence -- a minute-by-minute play-by-play of characters thoughts and emotions.

But once I figured out what this book was actually about -- for me, at least -- an intense, unflinching look at despair (which shouldn't have come as a surprise, considering it's been a running theme throughout the entire series) I was hooked.

As others have said, not for everyone. But definitely for me. ( )