Search
    Cover of Against All Things Ending
    FantasyFiction

    Against All Things Ending

    by R., Donaldson, Stephen
    “Against All Things Ending” by Stephen R. Donaldson is the penultimate novel in the “Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant” series. The story follows Thomas Covenant, a leprosy-stricken man transported to the magical world of the Land, where he grapples with his role as a reluctant savior amid impending doom. Key themes include redemption, sacrifice, and the struggle against despair. As Covenant and his allies confront apocalyptic forces, the narrative explores the weight of responsibility and the fragility of hope. Donaldson’s intricate world-building and moral complexity make this a pivotal installment in the epic fantasy saga.

    Against All Things End­ing is the penul­ti­mate vol­ume in Stephen R. Donaldson’s decades-span­ning Chron­i­cles of Thomas Covenant, where meta­phys­i­cal despair and frag­ile hope col­lide in the Land’s dark­est hour. As the Worm of the World’ End awak­ens to devour all exis­tence, three bro­ken heroes face impos­si­ble choic­es:

    • ​Thomas Covenant, res­ur­rect­ed as pure wild mag­ic but par­a­lyzed by the para­dox of his own exis­tence
    • ​Lin­den Avery, wield­ing both the Staff of Law and White Gold while drown­ing in unin­tend­ed con­se­quences
    • ​Jere­mi­ah, her adopt­ed son whose recov­ered mind hides a ter­ri­fy­ing con­nec­tion to Despite

    Donaldson’s sig­na­ture themes reach their zenith in this 600-page odyssey fea­tur­ing:
    ✓ The col­lapse of Time’s fun­da­men­tal laws
    ✓ The trag­ic cost of ahl (ulti­mate choic­es)
    ✓ The most con­tro­ver­sial rape alle­go­ry in fan­ta­sy his­to­ry

    With prose denser than Vel­lum and philo­soph­i­cal stakes rival­ing Par­adise Lost, this nov­el divides fans but remains unmatched in its ambi­tion to wres­tle with sal­va­tion through suf­fer­ing.

    Down­load PDF Sum­ma­ry

    Author

    • R., Donaldson, Stephen

    Author Introduction

    • Stephen R. Donaldson, acclaimed fantasy author, is best known for his “Chronicles of Thomas Covenant” series. A literary pioneer, his work “Against All Things Ending” showcases his mastery of complex characters and moral depth, earning him multiple awards and a lasting legacy in speculative fiction.

    Description

    • “Against All Things Ending” by Stephen R. Donaldson is the penultimate novel in the “Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant” series. The story follows Thomas Covenant, a leprosy-stricken man transported to the magical world of the Land, where he grapples with his role as a reluctant savior amid impending doom. Key themes include redemption, sacrifice, and the struggle against despair. As Covenant and his allies confront apocalyptic forces, the narrative explores the weight of responsibility and the fragility of hope. Donaldson’s intricate world-building and moral complexity make this a pivotal installment in the epic fantasy saga.

    FAQs

    • What is the main theme of Against All Things Ending?
    • • The book explores themes of mortality, sacrifice, and the burden of immense power and knowledge. It follows Thomas Covenant as he grapples with his return to humanity after eons of cosmic existence, while facing the impending doom of the Worm of the World’s End.
    • Who is the protagonist of the story?
    • • The protagonist is Thomas Covenant, a man who once wielded immense power as a defender of Law and life across the ages. The story focuses on his struggle to reconcile his mortal limitations with the remnants of his vast knowledge and responsibilities.
    • What role does Linden Avery play in the book?
    • • Linden Avery is a central figure who has restored Covenant’s mortality, setting the stage for his internal and external conflicts. Her choices and actions significantly impact the unfolding events, including the summoning of spectral figures like the Dead Lords.
    • What is the significance of the Worm of the World’s End?
    • • The Worm represents an apocalyptic threat, embodying destruction and the end of all things. Its approach heightens the urgency of Covenant’s journey and the stakes for the Land and its inhabitants.
    • How does the book incorporate elements of fantasy and mythology?
    • • The story is rich with fantastical elements, including the presence of spectral High Lords, the Elohim, and the Forestal Caer-Caveral. These beings and their interactions with Covenant add depth to the world-building and mythological undertones of the narrative.
    • Is this book part of a series?
    • • Yes, Against All Things Ending is part of The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the final tetralogy in Stephen R. Donaldson’s larger Chronicles of Thomas Covenant series. It continues the epic saga of Covenant and the Land.
    • What makes this book unique in the fantasy genre?
    • • The book stands out for its introspective exploration of its protagonist’s psyche, its complex moral dilemmas, and its blend of high-stakes fantasy with deeply philosophical themes. Donaldson’s prose is also noted for its lyrical and dense style.

    Quotes

    • “The burden of too much time was as profound as orogeny: it subjected his ordinary mind to pressures akin to those which caused earthquakes; tectonic shifts.” — Stephen R. Donaldson
    • “Each throb of blood in his veins bereft him of himself.” — Stephen R. Donaldson
    • “The Worm of the World’s End was coming. It was holocaust incarnate. He seemed to feel its hot breath on the nape of the Earth’s neck.” — Stephen R. Donaldson
    • “His compelled transubstantiation left him frangible. As the structure of what he had known and understood and thought and desired failed, moment after unaccustomed moment, the sentience that had sustained him across uncounted ages became riddled with fault-lines and potential slippage.” — Stephen R. Donaldson
    • “The losses which Linden had forced him to bear surpassed his strength. They could not be endured. And still they grew, depriving him by increments of everything that death and purified wild magic and the Arch of Time had enabled.” — Stephen R. Donaldson
    1. Chapter 1: Part One — 1. The Burden of Too Much Time
      2,302 Words
    2. Chapter 2: Part One — 2. Unfinished Needs
      2,165 Words
    3. Chapter 3: Part One — 3. Bargaining with Fate
      2,537 Words
    4. Chapter 4: Part One — 4. After Unwisdom
      2,481 Words
    5. Chapter 5: Part One — 5. Preparations
      2,373 Words
    7. Chapter 6: Part One — 6. Seek Deep Stone
      2,496 Words
    8. Chapter 7: Part One — 7. Crossing the Hazard
      2,263 Words
    9. Chapter 8: Part One — 8. Caverns Ornate and Majestic
      2,098 Words
    10. Chapter 9: Part One — 9. Hastening Doom
      2,362 Words
    11. Chapter 10: Part One — 10. By Evil Means
      2,410 Words
    12. Chapter 11: Part One — 11. Private Carrion
      2,499 Words
    13. Chapter 12: Part One — 12. She Who Must Not
      2,311 Words
    14. Chapter 13: Part Two — 1. Those Who Endure—
      2,471 Words
    15. Chapter 14: Part Two — 2. Trying to Start Again
      2,206 Words
    16. Chapter 15: Part Two — 3. —Whatever the Cost
      2,243 Words
    17. Chapter 16: Part Two — 4. Attempts Must Be Made
      2,177 Words
    18. Chapter 17: Part Two — 5. Inheritances
      2,192 Words
    19. Chapter 18: Part Two — 6. Parting Company
      2,090 Words
    20. Chapter 19: Part Two — 7. Implications of Trust
      2,142 Words
    21. Chapter 20: Part Two — 8. The Amends of the Ranyhyn
      2,184 Words
    22. Chapter 21: Part Two — 9. Great Need
      2,290 Words
    23. Chapter 22: Part Two — 10. The Pure One and the High God
      2,133 Words
    24. Chapter 23: Part Two — 11. Kurash Qwellinir
      2,280 Words
    25. Chapter 24: Part Two — 12. Sold Souls
      2,466 Words
    1. Never Let Me Go: In Nev­er Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishig­uro weaves a haunt­ing and intro­spec­tive tale set in an alter­nate-real­i­ty ​1990s Eng­land, where ​Kathy…
    2. The Chrysalids: In The Chrysalids, John Wyn­d­ham crafts a chill­ing post-apoc­a­lyp­tic world where ​genet­ic puri­ty​ is enforced with reli­gious fer­vor.…
    3. The Giver of Stars: Set in the rugged moun­tains of ​1930s Ken­tucky, The Giv­er of Stars fol­lows ​Alice Wright, a spir­it­ed Eng­lish­woman who escapes her…
    4. The Children of Men: In The Chil­dren of Men, P.D. James crafts a haunt­ing dystopi­an vision set in ​2021, where human­i­ty faces extinc­tion after decades of…
    5. The Hunger Games: In The Hunger Games, ​Kat­niss Everdeen, a 16-year-old girl from the impov­er­ished ​Dis­trict 12, vol­un­teers to take her younger sister’s…
    6. The Death Cure: In The Death Cure, the har­row­ing con­clu­sion to the Maze Run­ner tril­o­gy, ​Thomas​ and his friends escape WICKED’s…
    7. Brave New World: In Brave New World, Aldous Hux­ley crafts a chill­ing vision of a ​dystopi­an future​ where soci­ety is engi­neered for sta­bil­i­ty and…
    8. Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods: In Gre­gor and the Curse of the Warm­bloods, Gre­gor returns to the ​Under­land​ on a des­per­ate mis­sion: a dead­ly plague called the…
    9. Gregor and the Marks of Secret: In Gre­gor and the Marks of Secret, Gre­gor returns to the ​Under­land​ for a mis­sion that begins as a rescue—and spi­rals into a chill­ing…
    10. Gregor and the Code of Claw: In the epic con­clu­sion to the Under­land Chron­i­cles, ​Gre­gor​ faces his most har­row­ing chal­lenge yet as the Under­land teeters on…
    Ongoing July 23, 2025Jul 23, '25 56.2 K Everyone

    Quotes

    “The burden of too much time was as profound as orogeny: it subjected his ordinary mind to pressures akin to those which caused earthquakes; tectonic shifts.” — Stephen R. Donaldson

    “Each throb of blood in his veins bereft him of himself.” — Stephen R. Donaldson

    “The Worm of the World’s End was coming. It was holocaust incarnate. He seemed to feel its hot breath on the nape of the Earth’s neck.” — Stephen R. Donaldson

    “His compelled transubstantiation left him frangible. As the structure of what he had known and understood and thought and desired failed, moment after unaccustomed moment, the sentience that had sustained him across uncounted ages became riddled with fault-lines and potential slippage.” — Stephen R. Donaldson

    “The losses which Linden had forced him to bear surpassed his strength. They could not be endured. And still they grew, depriving him by increments of everything that death and purified wild magic and the Arch of Time had enabled.” — Stephen R. Donaldson

    FAQs

    What is the main theme of Against All Things Ending?

    • The book explores themes of mortality, sacrifice, and the burden of immense power and knowledge. It follows Thomas Covenant as he grapples with his return to humanity after eons of cosmic existence, while facing the impending doom of the Worm of the World’s End.

    • The protagonist is Thomas Covenant, a man who once wielded immense power as a defender of Law and life across the ages. The story focuses on his struggle to reconcile his mortal limitations with the remnants of his vast knowledge and responsibilities.

    What role does Linden Avery play in the book?

    What is the significance of the Worm of the World’s End?

    • The Worm represents an apocalyptic threat, embodying destruction and the end of all things. Its approach heightens the urgency of Covenant’s journey and the stakes for the Land and its inhabitants.

    • The story is rich with fantastical elements, including the presence of spectral High Lords, the Elohim, and the Forestal Caer-Caveral. These beings and their interactions with Covenant add depth to the world-building and mythological undertones of the narrative.

    Is this book part of a series?

    What makes this book unique in the fantasy genre?

    • The book stands out for its introspective exploration of its protagonist’s psyche, its complex moral dilemmas, and its blend of high-stakes fantasy with deeply philosophical themes. Donaldson’s prose is also noted for its lyrical and dense style.

    Note