The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever

The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant is a six-book fantasy epic by Stephen R. Donaldson, one of the first works of Tolkien-inspired fantasy.

The work is centered around the bearer of a white gold ring that possesses at least regal qualities, if not magical. Thomas Covenant experiences life in two worlds, a modern American one and another that he wakes up to after suffering an impact from an automobile in the street. What makes this story compelling and appropriate for readers 12 years and older, is how Covenant deals with an affliction that is most recognized from stories in the Bible known as Leprosy. This semi-contagious disease attacks and erodes skin, muscle tissue and bone and can lead to gangrene. He is shunned by his community as unclean and is an outcast. A major side affect leprosy brings to Covenant is impotency. This fact becomes greatly important as Donaldson's story develops and Covenant, after the traumatic incident with the car that struck him while crossing the street, wakes to find himself in another realm of existence where he does not have leprosy and is regarded as a figure out of legend to the new world's inhabitance. He possesses a wedding band from his failed marriage that is made of white gold, which in this new realm is regarded as magical. Eventually he discovers that without leprosy he has use of his reproductive organ once again. This newfound vigor causes many interesting twists in the saga.

Through subsequent traumatic occurrences Covenant finds himself instantly back-and-forth between the reality of modern America and his magical realm. The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant are followed by the Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant.