AATE First Impressions

[variol son]

So I started my re-read last night (one chapter at a time this time), and I must say, chapter 1 is amazing! It's everything I ever loved about the first six Covenant books.

Hopefully things get better for the rest of the book second time around.

[Aleksandr]

OK, they could have called her simply The Bane (as the book does in places) or maybe, to emphasize her loss of name, the Unnamed.

[hue of fuzzpaws]

Well, it is a long time since I have read a book from cover to cover (even though it is an ebook). Once again Mr Donaldson has wrung out tears from me (caused by a certain chapter in Part Two)

[native]

Yeah - someone pointed out in another post. HP Lovecraft

That was 'She who must be obeyed' but near enough

[Vraith]

OK, they could have called her simply The Bane (as the book does in places) or maybe, to emphasize her loss of name, the Unnamed.

The thing is...though her whole title is a little awkward...the title is a warning. The "Must Not" is important.
The power of names [and not naming], both for good and evil is pretty much as old as writing itself...and very very commonly the invocation of names is:
1) An act of Evil [in itself, or for evil purposes...even naming something Good in the wrong circumstances is Evil]
2) An act of summoning or freeing that brings the thing to you, or turns it loose, or awakens it...but it only calls the thing, doesn't necessarily control it.

[Orlion]

OK, they could have called her simply The Bane (as the book does in places) or maybe, to emphasize her loss of name, the Unnamed.

The thing is...though her whole title is a little awkward...the title is a warning. The "Must Not" is important.
The power of names [and not naming], both for good and evil is pretty much as old as writing itself...and very very commonly the invocation of names is:
1) An act of Evil [in itself, or for evil purposes...even naming something Good in the wrong circumstances is Evil]
2) An act of summoning or freeing that brings the thing to you, or turns it loose, or awakens it...but it only calls the thing, doesn't necessarily control it.

I agree... Names and the knowledge and use there of are very important in this series (keep in mind the Insequent). It's a matter of identity, and whatever the Bane is now, what she would be with her proper identification is something the Elohim really don't want.

[blingdomepiece]

Yeah - someone pointed out in another post. HP Lovecraft

That was 'She who must be obeyed' but near enough

I'll post this again:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hastur

[amanibhavam]

OK, they could have called her simply The Bane (as the book does in places) or maybe, to emphasize her loss of name, the Unnamed.

that would give a whole new meaning to the title Lord Foul's Bane...


Who knows, SWMNBN might even be the means of LF's undoing in the end.

[The Somberlain]

I didn't like her name either, really. I mean, the whole "you can't know her true name" thing works, and maybe some people could have referred to it occasionally, but there could have surely been another euphemistic name for her that SRD could have used in the narrative.

But I do like the idea of her as a bane, and Elena being sacrificed just to keep them alive a little longer was just really depressing to me (in a good way).

[Rigel]

While Donaldson has a tendency to focus on classical references rather than pop (see his many explanations of how the use of a Ring predates Tolkien; yet every time you mention a magic ring, people think of LotR), his choice of name for Her was rather unfortunate. Maybe in a few years it won't be as bad, but right now every time I read that phrase I had flashes of HP

[alanm]

I'm only 2/3 through the book, and I'm already stunned at the lack of imagination on the part of SRD. "She Who Must Not Be Named?" Why does SRD need MORE villains? He's had Lord Foul, a GOD who has been an awesome antagonist through 2 Chronicles. He's had 3 Ravers, who were responsible for the murder of trees and genocide of the Unhomed. He had ur-viles and Cavewights. He had the Illearth Stone and that great creation of fantasy literature known as the Sunbane. Now we get Mrs. Voldemort? Are you kidding me?

More to come. Disappointed so far.

totally agree. This book is in a sorry state. It is awful to read but I will plough through it just so that I can say it has been read.

What was SRD thinking when he wrote it?