I wouldn't say that about the whole series, ita. But it depends on what you mean by "rape-oriented." A rape (with the anti-hero Covenant as rapist) occurs early in the first book of the first series, and there are significant consequences (you could even say its shadow hangs over the series). But that's the only one I recall.

So if "rape-oriented" means that a rape is a key event, yes. But if "rape-oriented" means that there's one rape after another, no.

I used oriented to try and back off themed. Not sure what the right word really is. Inspired? Tainted? Coloured?

I thought about that also, but decided that since, in the Covenant books, the rape was a Bad Thing, and only happened the once, I file it in a different category than the space series, where the chick gets raped and raped and raped, and starts to really dig on it, and we're supposed to align with the rapists POV.

There's anti-heroes, and then there are assholes.

I *think* this Covenant book is a, um, pre-quel. A la Star Wars.

I *think* this Covenant book is a, um, pre-quel.

It would kind of have to be, no?

I still resent the fact that despite completely hating Covenant, and completely hating the story Donaldson was telling, I still couldn't put the books down until I finally flung White Gold Wielder across the room.

Huh. I flung Lord Foul's Bane across the room. Literally. First book I've ever done that with (but not the last). Right about the time the rape scene happened, in fact.

Then I went back and read all 6, a few years later, as two of my best friends LURVED them. They're okay. His description of the physical link with the Land felt right; I felt that way about New Mexico, and I know he lives in NM. Otherwise, eh.

I read his other stuff too, up until the space ones, when the first one in the series became a wall-banger and I stopped.

Is "This Corrosion" by Sisters of Mercy based on Lord Foul's Bane?

Huh. I flung Lord Foul's Bane across the room. Literally. First book I've ever done that with (but not the last).

I waited until the end of the last book, but my flinging was also literal. I felt pretty bad afterwards, not for hating it so much, but because I'd borrowed it from a friend.

I hated the first Covenant book and never bothered with the rest. But I liked the two Mirror books. Less whining, I guess.

Ironically, just the other day I was pronouncing John McPhee's two-part essay on coal trains in the New Yorker kinda boring, because, I just don't care about coal trains. But the topic was boring, and, considering I was reading about coal trains, the writing was pretty good.

Oh, is that only a two-part? Thank goodness. I actually read all of the first part without really meaning to, because it kept me just interested enough to keep reading. But I sort of resented it, because I don't give that much of a rat's ass (1/16 of an ass, if you're wondering) and I didn't even gain interesting factoids.

Also, really couldn't get into the Covenant books. The rape didn't help, but I also think it takes a lighter hand to do an anti-hero effectively. Actually, I don't know what it takes, but something other than what he had. If I remember correctly, I found the main character alternately whiny and, er... dissociated? Disaffected? Distanced?

Calli, thank you, I thought I remembered reading something else by him but couldn't remember what. I'm not sure I liked the Mirror Books, but I was at least able to read them. I still felt like something was missing, but it may just be that I'm too attached to liking main characters and wanting at least some good things to happen to them.

I was depressed yet fascinated by the Covenant books when I read them 12 years ago because they were so unlike anything I'd read before. I'm not sure how they'd hold up now with practically my entire adult reading experience behind me (including much, much more fantasy--at the time I'd only ever read Narnia and the Belgariad).