This book starts the series featuring Thomas Covenant and the story of the Land.

It opens by introducing Thomas Covenant, a man who has leprosy.  His wife left him after he found this out and took their son with her.  He had to have two finger amputated due to the leprosy and spent a while in a leprosarium.  Once he returned home, the people in the small town where he lived shunned him.  All of this made of him a very bitter man.  After walking in to town to pay his phone bill he was crossing the street when a police car appeared out of no where barreling straight for him. 

He fell and found himself in a strange place being confronted by Lord Foul.  He discovers that a cavewight called Drool Rockworm has summoned him to the Land to get his White Gold ring.  The cavewight has found the Staff of Law and Covenant is given a message to give to the Lords of the Land by Lord Foul the Despiser.  Lord Foul spirits him away from Drool Rockworm when Covenant finds himself on top of a mountain.  He is rescued from the heights of what he  later comes to know as "Kevin's Watch" by a young girl named Lena.  She discovers that he is injured and gives him hurtloam to help him.  This appears to cure his leprosy which he knows is impossible.  In order to continue living he must not give into the apparent dream of this Land and could not accept that nerves can heal.  He decides to not believe in this Land and calls himself "Thomas Covenant The Unbeliever." 

Even though he does not believe in the Land he decides he must ride out the dream in order to escape from it.  He goes the Revelstone and Lord Keep to deliver his message.  He is first guided by Lena's mother and then by a giant named Saltheart Foamfollower.  Once there he tells the warning given by Lord Foul.  The Lords then discover that he has e white gold ring which is a talisman of great power in the Land.  They make him an ur-Lord because of this.  The Lords decide to go to Drool Rockworm and retrieve the Staff of Law and Thomas Covenant goes with the Quest.

During the journey they stop by the Plains of Ra where the Ramen, tenders of the great horses called the Ranyhyn, call for the horses at Covenants request.  These horses choose riders and not the other way around.  It is not common for a Ranyhyn to respond to a call from a human.  Covenant receives 100 horses but refuses them.  He makes a bargain instead that he will do what he can for the Land if they will not expect too much from him.  They must also come when he calls and send on Ranyhyn once a year to see Lena in Mithil Stonedown, her home.

The Quest eventually gets to Mount Thunder to confront Drool Rockworm.  On the way the discover the Second Ward of Kevin's Seven Wards of Knowledge.  The confrontation with Drool Rockworm ends with the High Lord Prothal wresting the Staff of Law from him and the company making their escape.  Once outside of the caves, they are attacked by ur-viles and cavewights and things look hopeless.  Droll Rockworm shows up also with the Illearth Stone, another bane of great power but of warping power.  Before all is lost Covenant uses his ring to help High Lord Prothal use the Staff of Law to call forth the Fire Lions from Mount Thunder.  Just before certain doom, Covenant remembers the bargain with the Ranyhyn and calls for them.  They arrive to carry away the Lords and warriors just as Drool Rockworm dies and the call that kept Covenant in the Land fades as well. 

Covenant wakes up in a hospital room to learn that the police car had never hit him and that he only had minor injuries that could be treated.

He gripped Pietten again.  The child's struggles were weaker now, as if Covenant's hug slowly smothered him.  But the Unbeliever clung.  He stared wildly at the Ranyhyn, and wavered as if he could not regain his balance.

But he had already made his decision.  He had seen the Ranyhyn recognize his ring.  Clenching Pietten to his heart like a helm, he cried, "Listen!" in a voice as hoarse as a sob.  "Listen.  I'll make a bargain with you.  Get it right.  Hellfire!  Get it right.  A bargain.  Listen.  I can't stand - I'm falling apart.  Apart."  He clenched Pietten.  "I see - I see what's happening to you.  You're afraid.  You're afraid of me.  You think I'm some kind of - All right.  You're free.  I don't choose any of you."

The Ranyhyn watched him fearfully.

"But you've got to do things for me.  You've got to back off!"  That wail almost took the last of his strength.  "You - the Land -" he panted, pleaded, Let me be!  "Don't ask so much."  But he knew that he needed something more from them in return for his forbearance, something more than their willingness to suffer his Unbelief.

"Listen - listen.  If I need you, you had better come.  So that I don't have to be a hero.  Get it right."  His eyes bled tears, but he was not weeping.

"And - and there's one more thing.  One more.  Lena -"  Lena!  "A girl.  She lives in Mithil Stonedown.  Daughter of Trell and Atiaran.  I want - I want one of you to go to her.  Tonight. And every year.  At the last full moon before the middle of spring.  Ranyhyn are - are what she dreams about."

He shook the tears out of his eyes, and saw the Ranyhyn regarding him as if they understood everything he had tried to say.

"Now go," he gasped.  "Have mercy on me."