In the first Chronicles, Donaldson created Covenant as a character who actually had the capacity to destroy (or damn) the Land rather than save it. Unbelief. Rape. Selfishness. Bargains. We the reader were in real suspense - would he or would he not save the Land? The other characters in the Land had doubts as well, doubts that we the reader could not dispute. Covenant prevails in the end, but there is no "of course" about it. It comes right down to the wire.
The same thing happened in the Second Chronicles, in many ways. Things happened which encouraged us to doubt Thomas. The venom. The blackness. Dead Kevin's warnings. Pitchwife cracked his flute for good reasons. Again, there was real suspense.
And, to a lesser extent, we experienced similar thoughts about Linden. We doubted her strength. We doubted her belief in evil. Lord Foul vowed she would do horrible things. She coveted the ring, and was able to possess Covenant to get it. The Haruchai doubted her for good reason. Again, there was real suspense.
That's what Donaldson does. He doesn't create Dudley Doright heroes who you can trust to be good and pure and save the day if they can.
He creates antagonists that you can doubt. That you must doubt.
King Joyse. Warden Dios. Angus. Mick Axbrewder. All fit this mold.
So are we surprised that in the Final Chronicles Donaldson is writing his story so that we can doubt Linden Avery? So that we must doubt her?
I think he's a genious in the way that he is doing it.
In [u]White Gold Weilder[/u] was wrote:"No!" the First protested. "You must not doubt. It is doubt which weakens - doubt which corrupts. Therefore is this Despiser powerful. He does not doubt While you are certain, there is hope." Her iron voice betrayed a note of fear. "This price will be exacted from him if you do not doubt!"
Covenant looked at her for a moment. "That's wrong." He spoke softly, in threat or appeal. "You need to doubt. Certainty is terrible. Let Foul have it. Doubt makes you human." His gaze shifted toward Linden. It reached out to her like flame or beggary, the culmination and defeat of all his power in the Banefire. "You need every doubt you can find. I want you to doubt. I'm hardly human anymore."
... Sighing, Pitchwife gained his feet. He held his flute in both hands. His gaze was focused on nothing as he snapped the small instrument in half. With all his strength, he hurled the pieces toward the Hills.
Linden winced. An expostulation died on the Firsts lips.
Covenant's shoulders hunched.
As grim as a cripple, Pitchwife raised his eyes to the Un-believer. "Heed me well," he murmured clearly. "I doubt."
"Good!" Covenant rasped intensely.
.
) and we see what she's thinking. She's already thought "the Ranyhyn tried to warn her" -- showing that she's already realizing her mistake.