Patricia A. McKillip and Stephen R. Donaldson

The Riddle-Master of Hed, Heir of Sea and Fire, Harpist in the Wind, by Patricia A. McKillip.

Started reading these books in the high school library, then got my own copies in paperback. Covers by Darrell K. Sweet with one line drawing opposite the title page. A Del Rey fantasy, with a map! This was the best trilogy I’d read since “Earthsea”. I like the riddle stricture of their lore, the lost wizards, the land law, the shape changers, even McKillip’s nomenclature (her naming is always great). The story, the characters, the magic system … all so great, and pinned to common but resonant things like pigs, harps, oaks, wolves, ravens, riddles, and relationships.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Fantasy. Novels. Paperbacks.

The Throme of the Erril of Sherill and The Forgotten Beasts of Eld, by Patricia A. McKillip.

McKillip wrote these books before the Riddlemaster Trilogy, and they already show her story-telling chops and poetic approach to magic and the importance she placed when writing about fantasy people that they have real emotions.

Ranking: Keepers.

File Code: Fantasy. Novels. Paperbacks.

The Changeling Sea, by Patricia McKillip.

A Del Rey fantasy. Came after the Riddlemaster Trilogy. A sea dragon chained by an enchantment. A king’s secret. A curious wizard. And a young girl trying to unravel a mystery by using her own mischancy powers and following her heart. “A haunting and beautiful tale, told with simplicity and intensity – one that only Patricia McKillip could write!” – cover blurb.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Fantasy. Novel. Paperback.

Lord Foul’s Bane, The Illearth War, and The Power that Preserves, by Stephen R. Donaldson.

Del Rey fantasies, with a map, and covers by Darrell K. Sweet. Read them in high school. Still pretty close to LOTR, but with more inventiveness and integrity than Terry Brooks, and a better writer. “The Illearth War was one of the first three paperbacks I ever bought for myself (the other two were The Face in the Frost by John Bellairs and The Source of Magic by Piers Anthony).” So I read the second book first, then the third when it came out, and finally found the first on a rack in Pic-n-Pac in McQueeney, of all places. Who knows how long it had been there? By far the best of the Thomas Covenant books.

Ranking: Keepers.

File Code: Fantasy. Novels. Paperbacks.

The Wounded Land, The One Tree, and White Gold Wielder, by Stephen R. Donaldson.

“The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant”. Again, Del Rey, map, Darrell K. Sweet covers. Once upon a time I had the hardbacks bought as they came out, but when I grew tired of Donaldson and the four books of the last ‘trilogy’, I sold them and kept the paperbacks because they conform with the First Chronicles.  These three are still good tales but they kind of wiped out the triumphs of the first three. I got the feeling that the Worm of the World’s ending was influenced by Wyrm in “The Book of the Dun Cow”. I remember these books were vying with new “Dune” volumes for my attention at the same time; a big boom in speculative fiction was on and people were cranking up their franchises. Good entertainments, but he was putting his established lore through the mill and starting to grind it into the hamburger that would be the Third Chronicles. Came in time for the term ‘krill’ to enter our action figure playings as a fancy knife.

Ranking: Keepers.

File Code: Fantasy. Novels. Paperbacks.