Kevin's Watch

Wow. I really, really enjoyed the First and Second Chronicles. So much in fact that I recently recommended these books to a friend to succor his pain in George R. R. Martin's failure to release his next novel in the Song of Fire and Ice in anything resembling a timely fashion. Thus, I was intrigued to notice his latest works at the bookstore, as well as fearful -- the Second Chronicles had ended so cleanly with such satisfaction that I wasn't sure I wanted to revisit that world.

Now, having read the Last Chronicles through Fatal Revenant, I am astonished at the low quality of story telling.

Several objections:

It seems large fractions of each chapter are almost cut-and-pasted from prior work.

During the 'epic' battle on the journey to Andelain, so many villains and heroes dropped from the sky that I was halfway expecting Jesus of Nazareth to make a guest appearance and turn water into springwine.

Do the Harachai just know _everything_? If I were there, I would _start_ all decisions by first asking Stave what he knew about the matter at hand, rather than asking at the _end_.

And so on.....

Ouch. All I can think is that Donaldson is really hard up for cash. I would have preferred to send him $10 via PayPal rather than see his previously magnificent world so diminished.

I'm not a fan of the Final Chrons, either. I won a Watchy Award a couple years ago for my post about why I don't like it:
kevinswatch.ihugny.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=532159#532159

Well, I've enjoyed them and believe them to be some of the best examples of literature out there...and I know my stuff, I'm not into any dense, estoteric crap. But I must go, can't wait to get back to Ford Maddox Ford's Parade's End

SRD did a lot of writing between White Gold Weilder and Runes. If you didn't follow along with his evolving style, the Final Cs can be somewhat of a shocker. They're not worse, they are just a different style, and if you can get over any hangup about how they aren't supposed to be a different style, you can find plenty to enjoy.

Fist and Faith wrote: I'm not a fan of the Final Chrons, either. I won a Watchy Award a couple years ago for my post about why I don't like it:
kevinswatch.ihugny.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=532159#532159

I'm with you, Fist, and yeah, I liked your post. Said a lot of what was on my mind in reading it.

As to evolution in styles, evolution contains possibilities in degradation and growth in bad directions.

What I have enjoyed in the FC is what was already present before. The Ranyhyn, the Staff, etc. But the story isn't one that I would particularly recommend as a story on its own. I'm ready to give SRD another chance, but I really am sick of this approach where everybody is plotting against each other. If the dynamics change, the story might pick up, but it's got to shift away from that central axis of plotting being the plot.
(Edit) I found the story of the first chronicles to be fantastic - the presentation of a world full of color and teaching us to love it. The second chronicles were painful - the constant racking of the Land, and then not being in it at all - which I found a lot less interesting, Giants notwithstanding, and then being in it again. The ending was SO cool that it made up for all that anguish, but not by much.

One good thing about this third book - however it turns out, I suppose (if we don't swear off further reading about Covenant - or not Covenant) it still won't be the end. Unless something drastic happens to prevent SRD from finishing the series. I'm just no longer willing to shell out $30 and make a production of having the book shipped to Russia. I'll wait until a convenient chance brings it along more cheaply.

Fist and Rus agree?
Surely it's a harbinger
Of the end of days

I wasn't going
To draw attention to it!
Why should we tempt fate?

LongtimeFan, I name you Troll-Friend.

I'm not really aware of Donaldson's writing style change, per say, I've only read the GAP series and TC up through Fatal Revenant, and only had an opportunity to get through the first hundred pages of Mordant's need.

One thing I did notice, that I chalked up to the fact that we are in Linden's head, rather than in TC's, is that the narrative is much less heavy, less self hatred (Though I would imagine by now, TC would also feel like that). I just took it to be growth of the character, becoming more comfortable with themselves.

I have noticed, many said they weren't nearly as satisfied with the Final Chronicles as they were with the first two on their first read, but, many liked Runes and Fatal Revenant much better on their second read.

I really thought the first two Chrons were as complete and perfect a story as you could get.
And while some parts of RE and FR have been less than what we'd had in the previous 6 books I have an overpowerful feeling that the last 2 books are going to bring about an incredibly epic conclusion.
The feeling that something incredible / devastating is going to happen really makes the stylistic changes almost unnoticeable.. But maybe I'm just lucky..