Anyone checking my reading list will see that The Runes of the Earth (The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, Book 1) by Stephen Donaldson has been on top of the list for months. I thought I’d better let you know that I finished the book about two months ago, but I haven’t started another novel as yet, so the list remains unchanged.

What did I think of Runes of the Earth, I hear you ask?

It’s been so long since the last set of books that the author had to do a lot of back story to remind the reader “what had gone before”. Whilst he did well with this, it did become tiresome and after reading 200 pages I was well and truly over it. I didn’t want to know what happen back then, I wanted the now to advance.

Maybe my taste has changed because I loved the first six books, but I found this one to be slow and long winded.

Will I read the next two books?

Good question. I think I’ll wait for the library to get copies and borrow them (which is what I did with this book).

This has proven one thing to me, when a story is over…it’s over! Don’t try to breathe life into old characters and settings because it usually doesn’t work. Let your fans remember them with love instead of ruining that imagine with more adventures that don’t quite move the reader in the same way.

Filed under: Books & Movies