Kevin's Watch

of the seven that have been released so far :


1) The power that preserves
2) White gold weilder
3) The Wounded Land
4) The One Tree
5) The Ill-Earth War
6) the runes of the earth
7) Lord Foul's Bane

Welcome, Jeroth!

I'd find it difficult, if not impossible, to list them in order of preference - I love them for different reasons. I can understand why you'd list TPTP as your favourite, though.

Welcome to the Watch.

Illearth War is definitely my fave .. I find it difficult to split the rest, maybe it'd go a lil' like this

Illearth War
the Power that Preserves
Lord Foul's Bane
the One Tree
White Gold Weilder
Runes of the Earth
the Wounded Land

1) The Power That Preserves
2) The Wounded Land
3) The Illearth War
4) White Gold Wielder
5) Lord Foul's Bane
6) The One Tree
7) The Runes of the Earth

1. Illearth War
2. The Power That Preserves
3. Lord Fouls Bane
4. The Wounded Land
5. White Gold Weilder
6. The One Tree
7. The Runes of The Earth

1) Illearth War
2) Lord Foul's Bane
3) The Power That Preserves
4) The Wounded Land
5) White Gold Wielder
6) The Runes of The Earth
7) The One Tree

The only reason I have put TOT last is cos it is the book in which Linden is most annoying and pathetic!

1. Illearth War
2. The One Tree
3. Power that Preserves
4. White Gold Wielder
5. The Wounded Land
6. The Runes of the Earth
7. Lord Foul's Bane

Usually my favorite is whichever one I happen to have read most recently, but with some distance, I would have to pick Wounded Land as my favorite. I just find the way SRD altered Foul's assualt of the Land to be brilliant. But to give them an order:

1- Wounded Land
2- Illearth War
3- The Power That Preserves
4- White Gold Wielder
5- The One Tree
6- Lord Foul's Bane
7- Runes of The Earth

Not that I didn't like Runes, but it's more difficult to judge, IMO, without the whole picture.

1-The One Tree
2-The Wounded Land
3-The Illearth War
4-The Power That Preserves
5-White Gold Wiener
6-Lord Foul's Bane

1. The One Tree
2. The Illearth War
3. The Wounded Land
4. White Gold Wielder
5. Lord Foul's Bane
6. The Runes of the Earth
7. The Power That Preserves

I don't favor one book hugely over another. It's more that TOT is the one I find "easiest" to read, until we get to TPTP, which I've always said was the most difficult Covenant book for me to get through - not because it's bad, but because it's so brutal in what happens to everyone.

1) Lord Foul's Bane********Two Way
1) Runes of the Earth*******Tie

2) Wounded Land*********Three
2) White Gold Wielder******Way
2) Power that Preserves****Tie

3) Illearth War**********Two way
3) The One tree*********Tie

My top 3 are

The Illearth War
The Power that preserves
The Wounded Land

The Illearth War
The Power That Preserves
The One Tree
The Wounded Land
Lord Foul's Bane
White Gold Wielder
Runes of the Earth (this one is way, way farther down from WGW)

1. The Wounded Land
2. The Illearth War
3. White Gold Wielder
4. The Power That Preserves
5. The One Tree
6. The Runes of the Earth
7. Lord Foul's Bane

Wow...so many people had LFB near the bottom of their lists (i won't get started on the Runes thing here)...

So did you continue to read the series hoping that it would get better...or did you Like LFB...and were just blown away by the rest of the books.

Like Edge, it's impossible for me to rank these. I just know that TWL is my favorite.

I can't rate the books either, but The One Tree is my favorite...

In response to drew's question....

For me, the first time through LFB was a difficult read. SRD's vocabulary and diction were more complicated than what I was used to. I could tell it was a "good" book, but I wasn't entirely sure I liked it (if that makes any sense). I kept reading because I liked it enough to be interested in the resolution. Things got easier with the later books, probably becuase I had gotten used to SRD's style.

But I don't think that's all of it. Even on subsequent re-readings, now that I know what to expect from the writing style (and am even looking forward to said style) I don't think it flows as well as the others. The best that I can describe is that it seems rougher, sort of like what I'd expect from the first book by a very talented author who was not above challening himself. TIW and TPTP seem more refined to me. And I do think LFB is great, I just think the others are better.

From what I understand SRD essentially wrote the first three books at once, so my interpretation has no factual support, but that's just how it feels, subjectively.

I love LFB.
The post-apocalyptic loneliness and doubt of the Land's people is somewhat haunting. Most of the characters feel in some way inadequate to the glorious past, despite their noblest intents and actions. Atiaran, Prothall, Variol and Tamarantha have a certain dignity that breaks my heart at times.
Plus of course TC's introduction; the leprosarium passages are classic.

But the Illearth War is #1 for me; that's where my love for the chronicles really took off.

the three intertwining storylines are expertly woven, each complimenting the other as TC's stance of Unbelief is tested.
Elena's effect on TC is profound, for the first time he starts to feels truly responsible for his actions within his 'dream'.
And yet he continues to look for loopholes, growing his beard, making his bargains; the guy is still genuinely conflicted.
Meanwhile, an abrupt pov change (Seer and Oracle) and the mission to Seareach (covered in three stunning chapters) shows the reader for the first time that the Land could quite possibly be a world independent of TC, and that the position he is choosing to take might well be selfish and costly.
On the other hand, Hile Troy's unquestioning love of the Land and his eagerness to take on responsibility in the name of that love plays out to a bittersweet end. His fate and inability to resist despair serve to justify TC's decision to 'withold' to some degree ...
Finally, the fate of his Land-born daughter all but seals TC's bond with the Land, his inaction leads to the same sense of guilt and vulnerability that he had feared from a show of power. Damned if he does, damned if he doesnt. And so there's no easy answers in the Illearth War.

Oh, and I almost forgot, Amok is great, one of the most likeable characters in the chronicles imo ..