moheinous
4/4/2010
This is a fantastic series with a weight and scope along the lines of The Lord of the Rings.A modern day parable of disease, the environment, and human weakness. Donaldson manages an incredible act of worldbuilding here. Every setting and character feels fresh and dosen't fall into any normal genre conventions, yet it still remains a true fantasy novel. What really makes this series shine is the heavy emotional impact that the story carries. Much has been said aboout the troubles of the anti-hero protagonist, but just wait till you feel the enviromental devastation wrought as the series goes on. Seeing the places and people that you love from the first books turned inside out by the end is absolutely heartbreaking.
Perhaps the only weakness in the stories is the endings. With lots of anticipation, inevitably some books end quickly and the ending conflicts can be unsatisfiing. Usually though the cliffhangers and unique time shift between worlds will have you grabbing the next book as soon as you read the last words of each one.