OK, I rarely do this…but I’m going to get all D&D fan-like about a series of books that I have enjoyed (so to speak) since…I think 1979 or 1980. I’ve plowed through the first two trilogies a few times since then, and just began reading the first book of the NEW trilogy (quad?)…what follows is a brief peek inside my brain as I ponder the entire series…

So I’m nearing the end of the first book of the last series of the Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant, and, as noted earlier, it is a bit long on the details. But it’s still cool to get reacquainted with some familiar names, locations, and species. For instance, it’s good to read about a “new” generation of Haruchai; the primary one in this book is called Stave. The Haruchai serve a different purpose in this iteration of The Land; they are still protectors, but of a different nature. And seeing the Ramen and Ranyhyn again is great. Talk of Berek and Kevin and aliantha and Mithil Stonedown and vitrim and treasure-berries - it’s like slipping on the proverbial old pair of shoes that fit so comfortably.

But cripes almighty, what is up with Donaldson and DESPAIR? Does he have some sort of unique publishing deal where he gets paid based on the number of times he uses the word DESPAIR? We get it, already. Hellfire, we got it after the first few hundred pages in the *first* book of the *first* trilogy. VSE. Visual Self-Examination. Critical to Covenant’s leperous survival…we know, we know. Despair. Corruption. WE GET IT. Leper outcast unclean! I said, WE GET IT. Come on, Donaldson, why do you have to be so glum and down on your protagonist? Give him SOMETHING to smile about, fercryinoutloud. I mean, the overall series is cool — how can you not love Saltheart Foamfollower, and Bannor, and Mhoram, and even Nom? Grimmand Honninscrave and Cable Seadreamer - what great names! Ur-viles and Stonedownors, Trell, Elena, and other interesting people and creatures. This is good stuff, so why couldn’t Covenant have been, you know…just a little bit more upbeat about the whole damn adventure?

You know, the series might have been better if Covenant had never set foot in The Land. Just tell us some nice stories about things going on in The Land, and send a few locals on quests, and just add a little Xanth-like whimsicality to the whole series. And I am so, so, so very tired of a White Gold Wielder NOT BEING ABLE TO WIELD THE POWER. Come on, man…after so many trips to The Land, and so many encounters with Demondim-spawn and Ravers and Lord Foul and other beasties, shouldn’t Covenant - or Linden, or SOMEBODY - have figured out how to flip the “Wild Magic” switch to the ON position?

Sigh. OK, I’m better now. It’s so easy to criticize, of course, but obviously the series is worthwhile for some reason, given that I’ve devoted so many hours to it over the years. The series is good - but often despite Covenant and his never-ending well of Despair.