The original series introduced an unforgettable main character, a man who has fallen ill and in quick succession lost his family, his work, and everything else that made his life worth living. Abandoned by his wife and child, he lives alone, trying to maintain his fragile equilibrium. As he begins to experience spells of unconsciousness, however, he finds himself transported to the Land, a magical, dream-like world. Convinced that the Land is a figment of his own imagination, Covenant is christened The Unbeliever by its inhabitants. But after a long and dire struggle, Covenant sacrifices his own life to save a world he now regards as precious.

The Runes of the Earth opens ten years after Covenant's companion, Linden Avery, witnessed his death. When she returns home from work one evening to find her adopted son constructing images of the Land with his toys, she realizes that the Land, and her beloved Thomas Covenant, are more than just a memory. Soon she will come to understand that evil is unmaking the very laws of nature-as well as the laws of life and death. The Runes of the Earth marks the thrilling return of a magnificent storyteller at the height of his craft.