First published 1993
Thomas Covenant, a bitter novelist afflicted with leprosy, finds himself transported from his isolated existence to the Land, a magical realm where white gold possesses immense power. The inhabitants hail him as their prophesied redeemer, destined to defeat the ancient evil Lord Foul the Despiser. Covenant refuses to believe in this world's reality, viewing it as a delusion brought on by his condition. His cynicism clashes with the Land's beauty and the faith of its people, who desperately need his help against gathering darkness. The white gold ring he wears grants him abilities he fears to use, knowing that power corrupts and destroys. As threats mount and allies fall, Covenant must choose between protecting his sanity by denying the Land's existence or embracing a role that could save or damn everything he has come to care about.
Genres: literary-fiction, adventure, fantasy, epic-fantasy
Vibes: dark, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: chosen-one, fish-out-of-water, unreliable-narrator
Setting: The Land
1160 pages · Paperback · Fontana
Content warnings: mental-illness