Kevin's Watch

Fist and Faith wrote:Lyr, you don't particularly remember if you had previously read the moment when the Haruchai took the Vow? I'd think such a thing would stand out in a person's memory.

Though I am ashamed to say so, I have read so many things over the years for pleasure and studying English literature and then doing 2/3 of a graduate degree. . . then work. . . so some things can blur together for me. That's one of the reasons I came here. I remember the general outlines of the story, but I wanted to go through them with an eye to detail. You have to remember that I first read these books starting at age 12. . . that was 21 years ago now.

~Lyr

GF is a great piece of 'mind candy' as previously stated.
It absolutely is one of the best parts of the whole chrons IMO
I'm with Fist - the info learned about the Haruchia is unforgettable!!
My copy was graciously autographed by SRD himself at the first Elohim-fest in NM (thanks to Danlo for the mailing address!)
This is one of 2 prized books in my collection (the other is the slipcase edition of LOTR)
Earthy

Found it (paperback) at a second hand book store and read it in about 30mins. Quite good, but not up to the very lofty standard of the 'canon' material that made it into the Chronicles.

SPOILER (kinda, you know the broadstrokes if you've read the Chronicles):

Spoiler

I really liked the bit about Kevin declining to fight them and giving them hospitality and them swearing the vow. The mind-speech didn't surprise me as I'd already read the 2nd Chronicles, and the fight and chase through the forest was ok. Hyrim was funny, and touching, but honestly, its interesting backstory, but not at all necessary for the Chronicles. I think his editor did him a favour, and honestly, that kind of effort could have been used in Runes...

Gilden fire was a great "add on" but it wasnt necessary for the book to be great. I am partial to SRD's works so I AM biased....LOL

Mhorram's Revenge wrote:Found it (paperback) at a second hand book store and read it in about 30mins. Quite good, but not up to the very lofty standard of the 'canon' material that made it into the Chronicles.

SPOILER (kinda, you know the broadstrokes if you've read the Chronicles):

Spoiler

I really liked the bit about Kevin declining to fight them and giving them hospitality and them swearing the vow. The mind-speech didn't surprise me as I'd already read the 2nd Chronicles, and the fight and chase through the forest was ok. Hyrim was funny, and touching, but honestly, its interesting backstory, but not at all necessary for the Chronicles. I think his editor did him a favour, and honestly, that kind of effort could have been used in Runes...

Totally agree. It's a good read, and I love that it's available separately, but I prefer what's included in the novels and the POV aspect keeps you wondering about the Land's "reality".

What is the correct sequence to read GF?

It fits into the IllEarth War, after the Haruchai leave on their mission to the Giants.

--A

I have recently read Gilden Fire (having only in the past few days accomplished re-reading the entire current Chronicles of Thomas Covenant for the second time. Gilden Fire once) I am also a published author, with a University Degree (B.A. [Eng. Lit., Ec.]). I thought it was very stylistically poor. Boring, to be honest. I can easily see why he cut it, and in my view it was because of the p.o.v. After all, the books are about the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, not the Land.

Just a thought.

I like the point of view in it, but I agree with your assessment of the style of it...maybe it lacked the polish of the rewrites (if it was cut early), but it does seem a little flat.

--A

I went to around 30 odd second-hand bookshops the other day, looking for a copy of The Wounded Land, and I saw every other book in the series - even hardcover editions of White Gold Weilder and some others, but I gound a hardback edition of GildenFire, which I'd never seen before.. I bought it and was well pleased.

It ws so beneficial to understand and learn more about the Haruchai, about the personal cost of the Vow, how they interact with each other..
However I was dissappointed by the illustrations.. If it were up to me I'd have left them out.. But i suppose they did need something to fill the pages a bit more..

Does anyone think there's any discrepancy between the history of the Haruchai in this book and that in Fatal Revenant??

Also, does anyone know if other tales from the series are available? I'm not expeting there to be any, but it would be awesome!

One final question - if a film were to be made from the Illearth war, does this story deserve to be included?

Does anyone think there's any discrepancy between the history of the Haruchai in this book and that in Fatal Revenant??

Gilden-fire is non-canonical so there is no true discrepancy. Personally, I prefer the history of the Haruchai as told in Gilden-fire than the history we are told in ROTE and FR.

I suppose you are right - The amazing thing about the Bloodguard was how their Vow preserved them - prevented them from ageing, etc..

That's why Gilden-Fire is such a good book to hove - because weithout it we'd never learn so much about the Haruchai people, who have been central in all the books.. We know what they're about, but they are just too impenetrable..

It seems that now the question of the Lands existence has been answered (A reason why GF was omitted), surely it would be possible to have stories told in a similar way through the chapters of the next couple of books, or is it too late for that? Surely it doesn't HAVE to be all centred on Linden and Covenant...

I'm lucky enough to have an SRD signed hardback version, published in 1983 by Collins that I picked up in the UK many years ago. I'm not so keen on the illustrations though! I have always felt it an important part of The Chronicles, a bit like Tolkein used to do with his expanded stories. I believed SRD is reluctant to expand on the history of the Land.

Penfolds

Fist and Faith wrote:If I didn't already have a hardback copy, I'd pay $100 without batting an eyelash. It's one of my most treasured possessions. And the cover is my av.

spacemonkey, Daughter of Regals was re-released in paperback when RotE came out. It shouldn't be hard to find.

I was at our little local Library a few months ago - they were having a book sale - you know the kind - where they dump all the books no one has read in a while - I bought the first 2 Chronicles for $1.50 in hardback no less - the bad thing is, I saw a little thin book called Gilden-Fire - It had the pic of your avator - Since I had it already in Daughter of Regals, I passed. I don't know what I was thinking!

Not enough room at the house, too many books of my kids cluttering up everything I suppose.

I first read GF a couple years after finishing WGW. I got it thru the Science Fiction Book club as a hard cover. Love the cover art. Love the story. Now whenever I reread the series I read it after finishing Illearth War. Could never remember exactly what chapter to stop at and insert it, but I see here it is between 8 and 9. On my next reread I'll try to remember that.

I probably would not have caught the change in POV at the time if SRD hadn't pointed it out in the author's intro. Since I've seen so many tv shows since where a portion of the show turns out to be a dream sequence and they don't always stick to 1st person POV, I'm now used to 3rd person POV being included in dream sequences.

I read GF a few years back too, and thought it was a great addition to what we know of the struggles that take place during the time of the Illearth War. I love these little scraps and tidbits of information which provide me with new perspectives on a story which I already know and love so well.

I'd love to see any other chapters which may have been removed separately published too.

The GF story definately enhances the overall Chronichles - there are prescious insights there that are unavailable anywhere else... But the black and white illustrations seem to let it down somewhat.. I actually try to block them out because they don't really look (to me) like haruchai, Lords, or Ur-Viles. I think some copies don't have the illustrations tho...

I tried to fit it in as part 2 of the Illearth war..it says it originally was part 2 but inserted as is during part 2 Koriks mission leaves revelstone 2x not a big deal if you omit the part where they havent left revelstone. other wise its a slight duality or repetition but before they leave revelstone is where you get alot of the background of the Haruchai. with the two clans of the haruchai, the Ho-aru and the Nimishi... and how they came together as one clan.

I got my copy off ebay in the book Daughter of Regals..i already own it packed in a box somewhere but it was easier paying the 6.50 than trying to dig it out of storage. i think i might even have the atlas of the land in some buried ward of my storage.

I dont see how anyone could not like gildenfire if they are a TCTC fan, personally when i heard he had to cut 150+ pages that was part II, i was thinking.. where is the other 65 pages..gilden fire is about 95 or so pages long, What i would really love is to see what the books would have been like if LDR hadnt said he needed to cut about 400 pages out of IEW..more or less in the others.

Out of curiosity I just looked up Gilden Fire on ebay (uk). Was quite pleased to see 1st ed HB going for £20 (same as mine, though mines not in best condition).

Further down, however, I found this gem of a description.....

Having found the Illearth Stone, Lord Foul intends to wield its evil power over the Giants of Seareach. But a force, led by Korik Bloodguard together with the Lords Shetra and Hyrim, undertake a perilous mission - to try and warn the Giants of their horrible fate.. But they must travel across hostile land and through the menacing Grimmerdhore Forest. They must save themselves from the evil flames of the Gilden-Fire which threaten to engulf them. And Bloodguard must escape the hungry wolves and ur-viles so that he can complete his mission and remain loyal to his vow.

Interesting. Wrong, but interesting.