The Last Dark

The long-awaited 10th and concluding episode in Donaldson’s sprawling epic of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever (after Against All Things Ending) opens with Thomas gravely injured but cured of the malady of mind that had impeded his ability to save the Land. In the meantime, the Worm of the World’s End and She Who Must Not Be Named have both been roused, and “the last crisis of Earth” is at hand. By the novel’s end, Thomas, his wife, and her son will all have made extraordinary sacrifices to rebuild and redeem the Earth, following the collapse of the Arch of Time and the liberation of Lord Foul the Despiser. Although richly allegorical, the novel’s great strength is the warm humanity of its characters, who distinguish themselves by repeatedly confronting and overcoming their personal frailties. Donaldson’s fans will find this a fitting finale 36 years in the making. Agent: Howard Morhaim, Howard Morhaim Literary Agency. (Oct.)