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todenmann's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
narzack's review against another edition
3.25
Still chock full of the most frustratingly self-centered people ever. Like, just talk to each other, dang! Use your words!
angemelb's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
scheu's review against another edition
4.0
First, I will say that I will never forgive Donaldson for naming a character 'ak-Haru Kenaustin Ardenol'; no matter how sincerely you came up with such a name, everyone will see "KEN AUSTIN".
Second, I like this volume more now than I used to. Taking everyone out of the Land is risky. Focusing much of the time on Linden Avery is risky too - but as we found later, Linden is the protagonist of the books going forward. Better get on board.
Second, I like this volume more now than I used to. Taking everyone out of the Land is risky. Focusing much of the time on Linden Avery is risky too - but as we found later, Linden is the protagonist of the books going forward. Better get on board.
steven_v's review against another edition
5.0
The One Tree is the second book in the second Covenant series, and is thus the 5th novel in the sequence. It is also perhaps my favorite in the entire first two series (I have not read the third series yet -- this re-read of the originals is my preparation for doing that). Unlike the other 5 books in the first two series, rather than a journey through the Land, this novel is about a sea voyage.
In the previous novel, Covenant decided that he wanted to carve a new Staff of Law from The One Tree, like Berek Halfhand had done thousands of years before. The One Tree, however, is far away from the Land. Covenant convinces the First of the Search to use her giantship, Starfare's Gem, to take him to the One Tree. Not knowing where the Tree may be, the company chooses first to voyage to the land of the Elohim, a mystical people who have great knowledge and may be able to help them.
The journey in this story takes the characters far beyond the familiar borders of the Land and away from the perils of the Sunbane, into places we have never before seen in a Covenant story. They encounter strange lands and even more unusual beings. They contend with magic born of sources other than Earthpower, such as gold-wrought Thaumaturgy. They meet new races of people, such as the Bhrathair. And along the way Linen and Covenant, the two people from our world, learn more about what is behind the Sunbane and what can, and cannot, be done to stop it.
As with the other novels, I can't be too specific without giving away too many details, but I will provide three reasons why this novel stands out as one of my favorites in the entire series.
First, for reasons I can't go into here, the point-of-view character in this story is Linden Avery, rather than Covenant, for all but a handful of chapters. It was this novel which, as I mentioned in my review of book 4, caused me to irately claim that this series should be called "The Chronicles of Linden Avery the Chosen." I was unhappy about it then; I could not be more thrilled now. Because over the years, Linden has become one of my all-time favorite characters in fiction, along with being my favorite character in the Covenant series. There is a tremendous amount of character development for her here, and I enjoy all of it. She learns a great deal about how her special Health powers work, and uses them in interesting ways. And yet she remains flawed, human, and sympathetic (far more so than Covenant was in the first series).
Second, I love the supporting cast of this novel because many of them are Giants. And, like Thomas Covenant, I adore Giants. In this novel are Giants to rival Saltheart Foamfollower in my heart, including Pitchwife (who I like to imagine would have been best friends with Foamfollower had the two ever met), the First, Grimmand Honninscrave, Cable Seadreamer, Heft Galewrath, Sevinhand Anchormaster, and Mistweave. I'm particularly fond of Pitchwife and the First, and they are major players throughout the novel. And so one of my reasons for adoring this novel is the Giants and the giantship.
Finally, there is a very great amount of world-building and explanation of how the world of Covenant works -- its origins, its functions, where Earthpower comes from, and the like. Not all is explained here, of course -- there is still another novel to go before the original series ends, and Donaldson wisely holds things back to surprise the reader later. But enough is revealed here that you get a good picture of how this world came to be, and how it could possibly end if Covenant and his friends are not careful.
I will say no more about the story, since I don't want to give anything else away. What I have written here should not spoil things for anyone. If you've made it this far into the Covenant series, then all I can say is keep going with this novel -- you may, like me, find it to be your favorite.
In the previous novel, Covenant decided that he wanted to carve a new Staff of Law from The One Tree, like Berek Halfhand had done thousands of years before. The One Tree, however, is far away from the Land. Covenant convinces the First of the Search to use her giantship, Starfare's Gem, to take him to the One Tree. Not knowing where the Tree may be, the company chooses first to voyage to the land of the Elohim, a mystical people who have great knowledge and may be able to help them.
The journey in this story takes the characters far beyond the familiar borders of the Land and away from the perils of the Sunbane, into places we have never before seen in a Covenant story. They encounter strange lands and even more unusual beings. They contend with magic born of sources other than Earthpower, such as gold-wrought Thaumaturgy. They meet new races of people, such as the Bhrathair. And along the way Linen and Covenant, the two people from our world, learn more about what is behind the Sunbane and what can, and cannot, be done to stop it.
As with the other novels, I can't be too specific without giving away too many details, but I will provide three reasons why this novel stands out as one of my favorites in the entire series.
First, for reasons I can't go into here, the point-of-view character in this story is Linden Avery, rather than Covenant, for all but a handful of chapters. It was this novel which, as I mentioned in my review of book 4, caused me to irately claim that this series should be called "The Chronicles of Linden Avery the Chosen." I was unhappy about it then; I could not be more thrilled now. Because over the years, Linden has become one of my all-time favorite characters in fiction, along with being my favorite character in the Covenant series. There is a tremendous amount of character development for her here, and I enjoy all of it. She learns a great deal about how her special Health powers work, and uses them in interesting ways. And yet she remains flawed, human, and sympathetic (far more so than Covenant was in the first series).
Second, I love the supporting cast of this novel because many of them are Giants. And, like Thomas Covenant, I adore Giants. In this novel are Giants to rival Saltheart Foamfollower in my heart, including Pitchwife (who I like to imagine would have been best friends with Foamfollower had the two ever met), the First, Grimmand Honninscrave, Cable Seadreamer, Heft Galewrath, Sevinhand Anchormaster, and Mistweave. I'm particularly fond of Pitchwife and the First, and they are major players throughout the novel. And so one of my reasons for adoring this novel is the Giants and the giantship.
Finally, there is a very great amount of world-building and explanation of how the world of Covenant works -- its origins, its functions, where Earthpower comes from, and the like. Not all is explained here, of course -- there is still another novel to go before the original series ends, and Donaldson wisely holds things back to surprise the reader later. But enough is revealed here that you get a good picture of how this world came to be, and how it could possibly end if Covenant and his friends are not careful.
I will say no more about the story, since I don't want to give anything else away. What I have written here should not spoil things for anyone. If you've made it this far into the Covenant series, then all I can say is keep going with this novel -- you may, like me, find it to be your favorite.
mikehex's review
4.0
Re-read.
This feels more like an incomplete, because it's less of an ending than the previous 4 books. I'm ready to jump right to White Gold Wielder.
So many great scenes that I remember vividly from the last time I read it years and years ago. (A few scenes I thought were here but must be in the next one). This is Donaldson letting his imagination go with some great world-building. There's still all his typical stuff (interesting word choice, pages of just internal conversations with TC and LA, Covenant being annoying) but I feel it's the most approachable because of the cool happening around/to the characters.
I remember not being as big a fan of the WGW. Hopefully, that won't be true this time.
This feels more like an incomplete, because it's less of an ending than the previous 4 books. I'm ready to jump right to White Gold Wielder.
So many great scenes that I remember vividly from the last time I read it years and years ago. (A few scenes I thought were here but must be in the next one). This is Donaldson letting his imagination go with some great world-building. There's still all his typical stuff (interesting word choice, pages of just internal conversations with TC and LA, Covenant being annoying) but I feel it's the most approachable because of the cool happening around/to the characters.
I remember not being as big a fan of the WGW. Hopefully, that won't be true this time.
mbs1236's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
jim_collingsworth's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
elkneedshelp's review
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
hotsake's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was remarkably written and there are some amazing passages throughout the book but unfortunately, the boo and story seem to suffer horribly from middle-book syndrome.