Just finished reading the first trilogy of The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever. It's dark I tell you.
Well, it's really adult fantasy. Everything is serious and this isn't something you'd give to that ten-year old of yours. A lot of people die and horrible things happen, and when I say horrible, I really mean it.
Let's start with the biggest aspect of the book: the anti-hero protagonist Thomas Covenant. Raistlin has nothing on this guy in terms of angst. Covenant is a leper in our world who's wife divorced him and the people treating him as an outcast. He's angry at the world and apathetic. And this is the hero supposed to save "The Land". Of course it also happens that he doesn't believe The Land exists. It soon becomes a struggle for sanity since how can save a world he doesn't believe in?
The Land doesn't have elves or dwarves or dragons but it has its own repertoire of fantastic elements. There are the giants who are strong and wise except that they refuse to fight and are great storytellers. They are also seafarers and live very long lives. Then there are the Ramhyn, sentient horses who are being cared for by humans called Ramen. And there's hurtloam, soil that cures most illnesses... including Covenant's leprosy which makes it dangerous for him since in the real world, he's still a leper and must not let his guard down.
Throughout the course of the story, evil wins. There's this villain whose name is Lord Foul and is the embodiment of Despair. Eventually, everyone, including Covenant, ends up doing what he wants. If you're thinking there's a God that will save their world, you're only partly correct. There is a God but he can't interfere as it violates the freedom he gave The Land. Once he intervenes, Lord Foul wins. So it's left to Covenant to save them...
Except Covenant is a double-edged sword. The people know he has the power to either save them or destroy them in his hands, literally. Except he doesn't know how and throughout the story, has given people pain left and right. He does atrocious acts, make no mistake. Covenant is The anti-hero. The people only hope he'll save them but over the course of the book, people start to lose faith. It's not your standard epic fantasy fare.
Well, it's really adult fantasy. Everything is serious and this isn't something you'd give to that ten-year old of yours. A lot of people die and horrible things happen, and when I say horrible, I really mean it.
Let's start with the biggest aspect of the book: the anti-hero protagonist Thomas Covenant. Raistlin has nothing on this guy in terms of angst. Covenant is a leper in our world who's wife divorced him and the people treating him as an outcast. He's angry at the world and apathetic. And this is the hero supposed to save "The Land". Of course it also happens that he doesn't believe The Land exists. It soon becomes a struggle for sanity since how can save a world he doesn't believe in?
The Land doesn't have elves or dwarves or dragons but it has its own repertoire of fantastic elements. There are the giants who are strong and wise except that they refuse to fight and are great storytellers. They are also seafarers and live very long lives. Then there are the Ramhyn, sentient horses who are being cared for by humans called Ramen. And there's hurtloam, soil that cures most illnesses... including Covenant's leprosy which makes it dangerous for him since in the real world, he's still a leper and must not let his guard down.
Throughout the course of the story, evil wins. There's this villain whose name is Lord Foul and is the embodiment of Despair. Eventually, everyone, including Covenant, ends up doing what he wants. If you're thinking there's a God that will save their world, you're only partly correct. There is a God but he can't interfere as it violates the freedom he gave The Land. Once he intervenes, Lord Foul wins. So it's left to Covenant to save them...
Except Covenant is a double-edged sword. The people know he has the power to either save them or destroy them in his hands, literally. Except he doesn't know how and throughout the story, has given people pain left and right. He does atrocious acts, make no mistake. Covenant is The anti-hero. The people only hope he'll save them but over the course of the book, people start to lose faith. It's not your standard epic fantasy fare.
posted by Charles at 5:21 PM
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