Fatal Revenant
by Stephen R. Donaldson
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 212)
Read in November, 2007
This is the twenty-ninth book I read on my commute, and after a nice break of four or five other books, a return to the fantasy genre.
As I alluded to in a previous review, Fatal Revenant is the second book in a tetralogy (one of several series that I am currently in the middle of, which is what happens when you read a lot of sci-fi and fantasy as it's being published) called the Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. The original Chronicles of Thomas Covenant was a trilogy published in the lat...more
As I alluded to in a previous review, Fatal Revenant is the second book in a tetralogy (one of several series that I am currently in the middle of, which is what happens when you read a lot of sci-fi and fantasy as it's being published) called the Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. The original Chronicles of Thomas Covenant was a trilogy published in the lat...more
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Read in May, 2008
Stephen R. Donaldson is beginning to remind me of George Lucas. In this, the second installment of the third trilogy set in the Land by Donaldson, I wonder if he has not overstayed his welcome. The Runes of the Earth represented a slow, slow descent back into the Land, and while Revenant represents a bit of an uptick, I cannot help but feel that I am in for a &q...more
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Read in January, 2008
*wants to give it a 4 1/2 but can't*
Wow, once again I was blown away by Donaldson's incredible ability to tell a story, the depth of the character's he's created along with the Land's past is so detailed that it honeslty reminds me of Tolkien's Middle-Earth. The whole thing is just so developed and intensely intelligent that all of his books are addicting and extremely enjoyable.
My only problem with this book was that it's nearly 600 pages long and after all that, the main characters see...more
Wow, once again I was blown away by Donaldson's incredible ability to tell a story, the depth of the character's he's created along with the Land's past is so detailed that it honeslty reminds me of Tolkien's Middle-Earth. The whole thing is just so developed and intensely intelligent that all of his books are addicting and extremely enjoyable.
My only problem with this book was that it's nearly 600 pages long and after all that, the main characters see...more
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The Covenant series has always been my favorite epic fantasy series. Donaldson rewards the patient reader, and this volume is no exception to that. I had the opportunity to hear Donaldson discuss the series in person, and he noted that he'd envisioned the end of the final book - _The Last Dark_ - when he began to outline _The Wounded Land_, over 25 years ago. You have to admire that kind of foresight, if only because such foresight seems to be lacking in other series fiction.
Donaldson brings...more
Donaldson brings...more
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Once you've invested the time and mindshare to read the first seven books of a series, you're obligated to read the eight, right? I probably should have given up after the first or second trilogy. This book (the eighth in the Thomas Covenant series, with a 20-plus-year gap between the second and third trilogies) was dark, dense, and difficult. The mood was a consistent downer - probably what Stephen Donaldson was trying for, but in an epic of this scope, you've gotta have some variety.
The...more
The...more
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Read in December, 2007
I absolutely loved this book. Stephen R. Donaldson is back, better than ever. As usual, I keep a dictionary handy as he is a great word smith and uses words that are rarely used in the English language. But that's part of the fun of it for me. I have been waiting for this book since I read it's predecessor, "The Runes of the Earth" about Linden Avery's trip back to The Land to save her adopted son. Now I'll be waiting axiously for the next book in the series, of which I understand th...more
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Read in December, 2007
This book feels like a hybrid of sorts, as if Donaldson took the grandiose scale and multiple, fast-moving elements of his Gap series and translated them into his Thomas Covenant universe. The last two trilogies focused mostly on the ultimate struggle between Lord Foul and the champions of the Land, of whom Covenant was a reluctant member (this is more true of the first trilogy than the second, but still applies). Now there is so much stuff going on, one wonders how he can effectively tie it all...more
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Read in December, 2007
Donaldson is back with more twists, turns and more history than I could have hoped for. While "Runes" was solid, it basically set up the events in the volume. When "Runes" ended, it appeared that all the players were in position to move forward. The only problem? They need to move backwards. WAY backwards. While journeying towards the end of the story, we get to see more of the beginning.
"Revenant" is Donaldson in his wheelhouse. The characters deepen, the plot...more
"Revenant" is Donaldson in his wheelhouse. The characters deepen, the plot...more
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Read in January, 2008
The only reason that I finished this book is that I have read the whole series of these many, many books, and they were very good. There is one more in the series left I think and I will probably read it to for the same reason. This book really sucked though as it was just very, very hard to even get through until the last third of the book. Just too much description of emotions and internal struggles of the characters. I don't know how he always seems to have two to three words in each two or t...more
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Read in December, 2007
This series is a good example of me reading books just because I hate not finishing or I hate not knowing the ending of a series. The only problem with these is that he keeps writing them. The main reason that I do not like this series is that I do not like the main, main character Thomas Covenant. I think not liking the main character is a little bit of a problem. Don't you think?
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Read in April, 2008
I really wanted to finish out the Thomas Covenant series, but as I began to read this book, I just couldn't get past all of the swearing. It was way too much and basically just became offensive. It's rare that I don't finish a book that I start, which says a lot about the quality of this book.
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This novel is basically about redemption - what mistakes people make when looking for redemption, and the flaws which we all have that make it difficult to accept redemption even when it was offered. I feel like this book actually made me wiser, which is impressive.
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Read in December, 2007
recommends it for:
Fantasy fans
Richly textured, intricately detailed, and suspenseful. I didn't know how Donaldson could continue wringing such great stories out of a premise he started exploring back in the 1970's, but I'm thrilled that he decided to revisit the Land for a third trilogy.
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bookshelves:
sf-fantasy
Read in June, 2008
I've been pleasantly surprised by this third chronicle of the Land. It doesn't have the same impact at the original story about Covenant but Donaldson's a master story teller.
He also has a solid ear for names; rarely do they sound "off."
He also has a solid ear for names; rarely do they sound "off."
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Read in December, 2007
Yes, I'm a geek. Shut up.
The lates trilogy has been less engaging than the previous two, with flatter characters and strained plot. I will certainly read the next (last?) one, though, to find out what happens.
The lates trilogy has been less engaging than the previous two, with flatter characters and strained plot. I will certainly read the next (last?) one, though, to find out what happens.
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Read in April, 2008
I have been reading this series since high school, the only thing that I hate about series. Now, I find out this is not the last book, yet again. Have to remember to get the next one whenever it comes out.
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bookshelves:
fantasy
Read in December, 2007
This book is much better than the last one. We have here time travel, epic battles, fierce giant warriors, new major players, and all the melodrama one could ask for. Not to be read out of sequence.
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scififantasy
Read in December, 2007
i am in love with f+%$&d up fantasy stories about broken people doing broken things in alternative universes. i am also in love with women protagonists that kick ass.
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sci-fi-fantasy
Read in April, 2008
Very slow going, Donaldson is a thought writer, covers much in the way of the characters thought process and moral choices.
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not enjoying the 3rd trilogy as much as the earlier two. wish the books stood alone better, as the first six did.
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