For anyone looking to follow the link (which is broken) to Donaldson's short essay, you can find it here:
https://www.stephenrdonaldson.com/EpicFantasy.pdf

Thank you.

Anyone know where Wayfriend's quote link should point to? It seems to be broken? Hence the inclusion of rape and possession - of taking away choices - in the story, and their association with evil. It even, indirectly, necessitates wild magic. (But I have written about that elsewhere https://kevinsw...

I'm not sure we are going to get a totally coherent answer to that question - other than the fact that it made for good drama. To my surprise, as I had not recalled it until I re-read, answers do emerge in the next chapter. Whether the answer is coherent is another matter. Blimey, that (ie your lac...

But it leaves me WONDERING. Yes, in caps like that. It leaves me WONDERING ... why now ? Why did Anele act now? Why did the shackles come out now? ... And which puts a certain amount of significance on the actions of the Demondim-spawn. Why did they wait until now to use the shackles? What were the...

Many thanks for taking the time to read the review and chiming in, DoctorGamgee. On the wider point, I've always been drawn to anti-heroes (which says a lot about me, I guess) and personally I prefer the relative tightness and sparity of the original Chronciles - I found going back to them after a t...

Whatever else it is, it is certainly the most jarring juxtaposition of conversational styles I've come across in these books.

Great dissection - needless to say! Another explanation for Mahrtiir's "double standards" might simply be natural bias! He is after all dedicated to Linden and a fully paid up member of her fanbase. In contrast, he (like all the Ramen) are very much cautious of TC (inevitably they dislike ...

I did try and sit down at one stage and do that for AATE at least (well, I was on the tube) to try and tell where everyone was at contiguous times ie I was trying to work out how the happenings on the separate travels of TC and Linden related I think that it started on night 1 in Andelain, then nigh...

I don't have the books with me so I may be wrong, but I thought that when Linden gets back from her sojourn with Roger/Croyel that her companions say that she'd been away for about 10 (maybe 14?) days. I did specifically exclude that period in suggesting that in "present time" something li...

What an excellent dissection, Barnetto. Well thought out and well written. Many thanks, Wayfriend. Very much appreciated indeed. Also, I thought it interesting to point out that, when they head off to bed in this chapter, it is the end of a day that began in Andelain, and the company had not slept ...

Personally I don't see TC is some puppeteer here pulling everyone's strings (whilst maintaining a facade of freewill). I just don't think the necessity of freedom principle in these books would stand up to so much manipulation (by someone with foreknowledge of what needs to be done). If he is seekin...

Shaun, that is just what I was alluding to when suggesting that TC should have realised by now that it isn't the best approach - "infantalising" is a strong way of expressing it but not inappropriate - he appears to be denying her a choice.. (IF he is doing what he is doing out of a desire...

But "Don't touch me"? Again? This only breaks my heart. Because I feel like I understand why Covenant is being this way. It's because of the Isle of the One Tree. It's because he knows what will happen to him, and he knows that letting someone love him under these circumstances is tantamo...

To be fair to Peter, I would imagine he was suggesting the point as a very broad generalisation rather than a "bright line". In which case, I would suspect he may be (very broadly and in the heavily caveated manor that one must make these points) along the right lines.

Really fascinating though - I hadn't really thought that it might be regarded as violation - I was stuck, I guess, in Fantasy-think, and just went along with the idea that it was a great honour for young Elena to be taken to the Horserite - this has shifted my perspective for sure.

Against all things ending Part 2 Chapter 3 -Whatever the cost And so we reach a pivotal point in the Last Chronicles. In many ways the whole of the Last Chronicles so far have been building towards this particular point, Linden’s opportunity to fully rescue (and maybe restore) Jeremiah. Having phys...

Great post, Ananda. A couple of thoughts. I don't think Linden's feelings for Covenant and Jerry are mutually incompatible or mutually exclusive. Jeremiah gave her someone to whom she could give her love, but he was never able to respond to it in the way she ultimately needs. Covenant is also someon...

Welcome - and I'm absolutely with you on the covers - those Fontana ones were what probably made me buy the books in the first place (I'm so shallow!)

Wouldn't it be great if the Last Chronicles were released with 1980s style covers - the ones released in the UK are so dull!

Thanks, Wayfriend. I think I must have noted (and forgotten) the specific reference to the elohim appearing. But given their fear of her and her son, it just seemed to me a crazy plan as the most likely thing they would do would be to kill the Croyel - and Jerry with him. I recall the Harrow's claim...