Power that Preseves

The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant Book 3: The Power That Preserves

Stephen R. Donaldson

DelRey Books

Summary – After the events of The Illearth War, Thomas Covenant returns to our world but is finally summoned a third time to the Land. Seven years have passed since the second book of the trilogy. Lord Foul has managed to obtain a piece of the Illearth Stone as well as the powerful Staff of Law and is using its power to hold the Land in the grip of a preternatural winter. Despite the defeat he suffered in the previous book, he is able to assemble an even more powerful army and has laid siege to Revelstone, the fortress of the Lords. Hope for victory is dim. The free peoples of the Land are wavering in their resistance, Revelstone stands alone without allies, and the only hope for victory lies once again with Thomas Covenant. As the battle rages around the mountain fortress, Covenant must travel with his small (and growing smaller all the time) group of friends to confront Lord Foul with the wild magic of his ring that he still does not know how to control.

Review – A masterful and satisfying end to an amazing trilogy. Stephen Donaldson is not afraid to let loose with emotion in this novel and to subject his characters to terrible suffering before they triumph. Early on in the novel, while still in our world, Covenant attempts to rescue a small child from drowning and gets hurt badly while doing it. The response from the child’s parents when they seen a man in a decomposing body covering in leper spots and blood, is one of horror. There will be no gratitude offered to this man for his kindness and one briefly wonders why he should show any if that is the case.

The adventures in the land themselves are magnificent. Donaldson makes you feel the unnatural cold of the preternatural winter. The battle for Revelstone is possibly more exciting than the siege of Minas Tirith, and the final confrontation between Covenant and the Despiser is breathtaking in its intensity. We finally meet the villain and are not disappointed. Even the ending is true to the story. If you’re expecting a “Well, we won, now let’s all be happy”, you’ll be disappointed.

All in all, a great ending to a terrific ride!