Kevin's Watch

My favourite sequences are all from the original chronicles: the tales of Runnik and Tull in The Illearth War; and Mhoram's victory from TPTP. These and the originality of the setting bring me back to the First Chronicles year after year.

Btw ever listed "oh s**t" moments for the bad guys:

-Satanfist seeing Mhoram's gleaming Krill
-"Nom"
-"Quern Estrel"

Bumpin' this'un wayyy up.

Easily the 1st Chrons. I think it's a step ahead of the 2nd Chrons, probably due to having the Quest structure and no Linden . I read the first book of the Final Chrons and honestly have nearly no desire to read the last three.

Jacob (if I may invoke your former name), please do not dismiss the Last Chrons based on ROTE. Having read the following two volumes and now being immersed in an ARC of TLD (about which I do not speak), I can only say trust SRD and ride the rollercoaster to where it is going.

I won't vote (if I vote at all) until after I've read and re-read The Last Dark and can form an opinion on The Last Chronicles.

The other thing to bear in mind is the time that's passed between the first publication of The First Chronicles, and the publication of The Last Chronicles. If we encountered the former in the late 1970s or early 1980s (as I did), it means we've lived and aged some 30 years between then and when we've encountered the latter. People can change a lot in that time, and respond in different ways as a result. Speaking purely for myself, I'm now much more sympathetic to Covenant's predicament in The First Chronicles (summed up in his statement to Elena: "I'm a coward! Lepers have to be!") than I was when I first read the books in 1981-82.

Since the issue has come up, I too regard Mhoram as my favourite character from The First Chronicles.

Tough pick for me between Mhoram and Saltheart Foamfollower. I would probably pick the giant by a hair.

Personally I like the first chronicles the best. I think the characters were better and after reading the first chronicles I found it hard to connect to the new characters in the second chronicles. I fund myself missing bannor, mhoram, and saltheart too much... but I guess in a way that added to the feel of the second chronicles.

and if I was going to order them I would have to say First chronicles, Last chronicles, and then Second Chronicles.

Although I don't remember much of the last chronicles.. the ending of against all things ending stuck with me deep.. I just loved to picture it in my mind.

First Chronicles. Loved nearly all the characters especially Mhoram, Bannor, and Foamfollower, but I do like Linden, and have enjoyed the 2nd and 3rd Chronicles. Perhaps, like Poliwrath, I would place them 1st, 3rd then 2nd.

I voted for the Second Chrons. I felt some reservation voting before having read The Last Dark, but honestly I don't see the ending of the Last Chrons being so damn good it elevates the series up two levels all on its own.

That's not to say I dislike the Last Chrons, as some do. Far from it. There have been some mind blowing moments and I'm very, very excited for the conclusion to the series. But for me they just don't have the profound emotional and intellectual impact the first trilogies had. And of those two, the Second was the best for me. The pacing was tighter, the stakes seemed higher and more tangible, and the emotional impact was broader and deeper.

First Chronicles...it's like reminiscing about your youth, when all the world's problems seemed to have easy solutions. Then you get older and realize it's all so much more complicated (Second and Last Chronicles).

"Hey! Remember back when beating the evil guy just meant raising a bigger army than his?! And, when you come face to face with ultimate evil, you just slam your weapon against his and your magics duel it out!"

"Yeah...those were the days."

The Second Chronicles.

The First Chronicles had already been published when I first came across them (bought the set whilst staying in the Bath area and then had a second set given to me for my 18th birthday)

However, I got the SC as they were published and can still remember the thrill I had when I came across a hardback copy of WGW in Menzies and had a quick look to see how it ended.

I've now read all 10 Covenant books, and I've got to say: The First Chronicles. The two strongest reasons for me are TPTP chapters ""Lord Mhoram's Victory'" and "Leper's End". Lord Amatin's being shaken emotionally with near-despair as she realized her own capacity for Desecration and the other Lords soothing her in the mind meld until she regains control, and Covenant's overhead vison of the dedication in his honor at Glimmermere are two of the moments that can put me close to tears, like no other moments in the entire TC series. Both chapters in general move me like no others in the series.

As far as 2nd Chronicles vs. 3rd Chronicles goes, I like the 3rd Chronicles better. The return of the Ramen & Ranyhyn was gratifying to me (naturally), I liked meeting Berek Halfhand at last, the more complicated plot of 3rd Chron. fascinated me more, I love the time traveling, Esmer, the Mahdoubt, and Stave are great characters, I found the 3rd Chron. epilogue more satisfying than the 2nd Chron. epilogue (w/o giving any of it away, here) and I'm happy to see the Land regained its natural health by the beginning of ROTE.