the library ladder | Are the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant Essential Reads? (Part 1 of 3) @thelibraryladder | Uploaded December 2021 | Updated October 2024, 1 hour ago.
The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, by Stephen R. Donaldson, is one of the foundational epic fantasy series of the genre. It’s also one of the most polarizing.

This is the first of three videos discussing the First, Second and Final Chronicles in the series. In this video I cover the First Chronicles, which were published as a trilogy in 1977 consisting of Lord Foul's Bane, The Illearth War, and The Power That Preserves. Please note that I've tried to keep the review spoiler-free, so there isn't much discussion of plot details.

0:38 My introduction to Thomas Covenant
1:35 What distinguishes the trilogy from earlier fantasy works?
2:56 What makes the trilogy great?
3:44 What's frustrating about it?
4:31 How initial expectations can shape reader enjoyment
5:01 Covenant isn't the protagonist in his own story
5:27 Conclusion

Links to my reviews of the Second and Third Chronicles of Thomas Covenant:

Second Chronicles: youtu.be/IZNgahJniIU
Third (and Last) Chronicles: youtu.be/Dcqs-ceM2fE

Other videos introducing different parts of my book collection are linked below.

Channel Overview: youtube.com/watch?v=KRNfov1qH10
Children’s Books Overview: youtu.be/G2vc15mSpHM
Science Fiction Overview: youtu.be/W2LdYtDl6Ok
Fantasy Overview: youtu.be/qGu7DZNyv1E
Mystery Overview: youtu.be/BoDyF0XF3PE
Adventure Overview: youtu.be/2Qog48AEREs
Horror and Weird Fiction Overview: youtu.be/MrDGibCAYnc
Literature Overview: youtu.be/7T_XlTnGtJE
Antiquarian Nonfiction Overview: youtu.be/MIRje1_14_E
Illustrated Books Overview: youtu.be/oPiZqPVY53c


Artwork credits for this video:
mirk0.deviantart
Allen Morris


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