: Both Covenant and Linden seek to atone for past failures. The ending is often cited as a "changing of the guard," as Linden takes the white gold ring and remains to heal the Land.

: The Sunbane represents nature itself turned into a source of horror. The restoration of the Staff of Law—created by merging the characters Vain and Findail—restores the balance of natural law. Critical Analysis Book Review: White Gold Wielder by Stephen R. Donaldson

Picking up after the failure on the Isle of the One Tree , the story follows Thomas Covenant, Linden Avery, and the Giants as they return to a Land ravaged by the Sunbane—a corruption of natural law.

: After their ship becomes ice-bound in the north, the party travels overland, reaching Revelstone for a pivotal showdown with a Raver and the Clave.

: At Revelstone, Covenant uses the Sunbane's fire in a ritual similar to a Giantish caamora (purification by fire) to burn away the venom poisoning his magic.