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Johanna bachfrom@netvigator.com
Knight of the Rose
-Est Sularus Oth Mithas-
There are also songs, poems, and recipes. Many of the songs and poems were published in the original Chronicles or Legends. But it is nice to have them in one place in easy reach. The recipes range from Gully Dwarf Stew to Otik's spicy potatoes. This book is definatley an entertaining companion to the Dragonlance world. People looked for it everywhere when it out out-of-print. So what better time to get it than now when they are publishing it again.
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I made the mistake, after seeing the list printed inside the book, of reading Dragons of Summer Flame next (DO NOT do this if you are thinking of taking up the series, it spoils a lot of surprises and is very confusing!), so steered in the right direction by a horrified friend, I proceeded to read the Legends series.
It takes place a few years after the end of the War of the Lance and the most prominent characters are Raistlin, Caramon (the Twins!), Tas the kender, and Lady Crysania, the cleric of Paladine, lost in her own goodness.
The Test of the Twins has some very wonderful scenes, the best in the series, with the possible exceptions of the Raistlin/Fistandantilus flashback, Raistlin and Crysania alone by that stream, and Raistlin and Caramon with the rabbit scenes in the War of the Twins. But the last, say 50-100 pages of The Test of the Twins have me jumping up and down every single time I read them! And I have read them, perhaps four or five times now. I have that habit though, rereading books I really love until I can recite them. In The Test of the Twins, we get the culmination of the trilogy (and no threat of those terrible cliffhanger endings that plagued the other two). We get Raistlin and Crysania in the Abyss. We get a fabulous Raistlin versus the Dark Queen scene. A great Lord Soth monologue. Dalamar and Kitiara get warm and cuddly... Caramon and Tas travelling through time. A wonderful resurgence of Tanis Half-Elven(how happy!!) And, what we've all been waiting for, a final showdown between the Twins! I get chillbumps, it's so good!
Anyone who is fan of fantasy and is interested in Dragonlance should get to reading them. It's really worth it. At the risk of sounding a little annoying, though, I have to say that, as far as my taste for writing style and quality goes, The Test of the Twins, The War of the Twins and The Time of the Twins are, by far, the best of the lot. And wouldn't they make the most incredible movies?(wistful sigh...)
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Soulforge is the story of Raistlin's childhood in Solace and follows him on his adventures with his friends until the test in the Tower of Sorcery at Wayreth. It portrays him as a gifted, yet tortured young man, quick to learn yet hemmed in by his physical frailties. Yet, in spite of his tendency to say and do hurtful things, he still tries to do what he considers right, though things are confounded by his own ambitions, his own jealousies and the cruelty of the world around him. Despite this, his growing magical power does not go unnoticed by those who have an inkling of the war that is to come...
The narrative is great, detailed and often very funny. It goes into a lot of detail and a lot of really great emotional perspectives. After the Chronicles and the Legends, in which Raistlin tends to be slightly horrifying and really mean (though still just so...awesome), it's great to have an account from his pov where you can understand and feel bad for him as a child. It's also great to see what he thinks of certain characters before his, shall we say, cynical and ambitious adulthood, especially Caramon and Kitiara.
In short, this is a must for all Dragonlance fans and hopefully all the rave reviews I've read on this site will provide motivation for those who have not yet experienced the singularly engrossing scope of the Drangonlance series, especially the books by Weis and Hickman. Really, Raistlin is quite a cool character...and so are all the rest. They're all great reads, but the Soulforge stood out as one of the best, in terms of quality of writing, plot, and intricacy of character development. Read it!!!
In this book, you'll be given a chance to view the life of one of the most intriguing characters in fantasy fiction, Raistlin Majere of Dragonlance fame. Often times, when we meet a particularly bitter, angry but likeable character we ask "What makes them like that?" and even if the Legends Trilogy gives you an understanding, Soulforge will pull you deeper into the heart of Raistlin and you'll be able to comprehend why he is who he is.
But I guess we all understand his nature by now. We understand he's envious of his brother. We understand his ambitions. Now what's so special with Soulforge, for me, is the fact that I was able to feel Raistlin's anger. I was able to understand and perhaps, perceive, that if I were in Raistlin's situation, I'd do the exact same thing. Raistlin wasn't just a 'character', he became someone akin to a real human person.
We'll get all the huge doses of Raistlin fame we want from Dragonlance in Soulforge. And if you want more, there's still Brothers in Arms, which is the sequel to this book.
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As an added bonus, this book was hilarious! Very few books actually make me laugh aloud, but I was practically rolling around on the floor. If you are a Dragonlance fan who is used to reading dark, serious, dramatic novels, there is not a lot of that here. But there is enough action and humor to keep you turning the pages. I mean, what other book has the commander of an army telling his men, "As you know, we're on the verge of a crisis situation. Our supply of dwarf spirits is running low." (p. 33, paperback edition) If you want a good laugh, and/or you are interested in the draconians during the Chaos war, read this book!
The authors of this book do an amazing job portraying Draconians as more than just the killers they were portrayed like in the first Dragonlance books. It is nice to read a book from their point of view, seeing exactly what they feel and think about the other races on Krynn.
This books has an amazing storyline, and is full of enuogh action and adventure to keep any fantasy reader hooked. There is tons of humor in this book. All of the characters have their own personality which is nice to see. The main characters in this book, including Kang (the lead Draconian), and his right hand man..err..Draconian, Slith, are all nicely developed and portrayed well.
The story and characters keep this book a fun read all the way though. It is one of the better books in the Dragonlance world. Not only are the characters fun to read about, but it is also fun to read from the other side for once. Seeing the story through the eyes of Draconians and not through the eyes of the "Good Guys".
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Fire Sea, the third book in this seven book series, is fantastic. I literally read it in one 24-hour period because I was so into it. It's been a week since I finished now, but I still remember how fantastic it was.
I won't go into too much plot because other reviewers nicely summarize it. The book reunites Haplo and Alfred, the two main characters in the series. Alfred was not in the second book, and it's good to see him back. They are reluctant companions in a journey to an underground world where everything is dead. The world's source of heat and light is dying, and the once peaceful Sartan have become fragile shells of the once great people they were. Their magic has turned to necromancy, and anybody who dies is brought back to life as a walking zombie.
This book succeeds for three reasons. First are the contrasting relationships in the book. Alfred and Haplo, ancient enemies by birth, need to learn lessons from the other, but don't think they do. Their survival however, depends on it. We see Haplo begin to doubt his Lord's motives, and we see Alfred begin to doubt his people. Jonathan and his wife are the epitome of the young, loving couple. The sheer emotion put into their story is worth your time alone.
Secondly, there's almost no way you can predict what's going to happen. Unlikely characters become major players and do things you'd never expect, and small things mentioned early in the book become extremely important. Lastly, the back-story is finally told! At last, after three books, I was thrilled to be told at last how the Sartan and the Patryns came to be, of their Great War, and what the Chamber of the Damned was used for. Read those chapters carefully: there is stuff in there that I think isn't supposed to make a lot of sense now, but in the final books is absolutely essential.
My only complaint for this book is that some of it, like many of the things in the series, is a little too contrived and is never explained very well. You never really figure our in the beginning how Alfred managed to get onto Haplo's ship. I get the impression the authors just wanted to get to the point and didn't bother explaining that, and a few other things.
The ending to this book is simply amazing. Very few books I've read have the sort of suspense and drama that were in this one. Like The Empire Strikes Back, the good guys don't win and they only manage to escape. The last chapter and the epilogue ends everything perfectly. After reading the last sentence of the book, and finally understanding it's meaning, I was covered in chills.
This could quite possibly end up as the best book in the series. I'll move onto the fourth book, and see if it can compare.
It took about 3 pages of Dragon Wing to convince me that I had made an excellent investment. Reading until I couldn't keep my eyes open and resuming after a few hours of sleep I finished the first book with a hunger for more. And as each was released I found them to each to be wonderful. The characters were so "real" I could empathise with them and in some, small, way live their extraordinary lives - if only briefly.
Having read previous reviews I must say that I did not find the final books to be overly confusing and found Zifnab not only amusing, but an important component in the story - though I agree with him - he is no doubt a god ;)
A wonderful, epic, series and one which will always find a special place on my bookshelves and in my imagination. May Alfred find the peace he has long sought and Haplo the hapiness he deserves. And as for Zifnab, may he never remember that fireball spell.....for all their sakes.
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If you have read all the earlier ones (including the first book of the series), then I highly recommend this book and the final, concluding, work. The story is quite good and the rest of the dragonlance stories (Summer Flame) hinge on what happens in "Legends."
If you have not read the first "Legends" book, but you have read the "Chronicles," then I recommend reading the first book in this series "Time of the Twins" unless you absolutely had no interest in Raistlin (in which case I wonder if you breath oxygen).
If you have not read _any_ dragonlance books, then the question of whether you should start is a bit of a more complex one. The truth is that the writing is not that great (especially those parts dominated by Tracy Hickman). The charactes are simple and do some pretty stupid things. However, the actual story is excellent, and for many people that is enough. I have read the entire saga twice and can appreciate the interesting story while only cringing a bit at the characters.
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You will quickly discover that the characters are highly compelling and well detailed. These two authors have woven a wonderful tapestry in these characters; you will find yourself as elated as they are in their collective victories and as heartbroken in their setbacks.
Contained within these pages are Dragonlances core characters that are quite memorable, well after you've finished this fine trilogy and as history as proven, will inspire several Dragonlance novels to follow.
Tanis Half-Elven - Who is the leader of the companions. He is torn between his love for two women.
Sturm Brightblade - Knight of Solamnia. Squire and Knight whose mission in life is to bring honor back to this stoic group of knights.
Goldmoon - Chieftan's Daughter of the Barbarian Plainsmen. Along with Riverwind, her tribal outcast lover and husband, who are both on a quest for truth.
Riverwind - Lover and later husband of Goldmoon, whose sole mission in life is to guard Goldmoon.
Raistlin - Simply stated, the most alluring character of the whole Dragonlance series. He is a Mage of astounding power and brother of Caramon. The reader will quickly find themselves asking as to which side, good or evil, Raistlin is aspiring to.
Caramon - A rather large fighter and he feels that it is his sole mission in life to protect his seemingly ungrateful brother, Raistlin.
Flint Fireforge - He is a Hill Dwarf who is in his later years. He has been friend to Tanis for quite some time and an adventurer with the other prime characters as well. This character plays quite well at times in the comedic role of stodgy old curmudgeon who is also quite protective over the companions.
Tasslehoff Burfoot - Tas, as he's referred to most of the time, is a Kender. Kender are considered to be a nuisance on Krynn, as they are immune to fear and consequently, trouble seems to follow them everywhere. Simply put, Tas is the most lovable character among the group, as his high spirits and his antics carry the story along quite well.
These characters come back together just as the Queen of Darkness is beginning her play to bring evil and darkness down upon the magical world of Krynn. You will find yourself amiably rambling along with these characters in their adventures to bring an end to this threat.
The cover art for these re-released novels is quite exceptional as well. I highly recommend this trilogy to those who've read it before and to any and all newcomers who are interested in a highly suspenseful tale, inhabited by some of the fantasy genres best characters. {ssintrepid}
This world, these stories, and these characters are by far some of the most detailed, realistic and true to life characters- even if you have never met a dwarf. By reading the first few chapters alone, the descriptive powers of these two amazing authors make you feel like you've known the characters, their entire races' histories, and you can almost FEEL the tension in the air when the characters are in danger. A truly amazing read indeed, second only to Tolkien's works but only because Tolkien was more influential and came first.
Think elves are little midgits who make toys? Don't know your dragons from your wyverns? Well this is a great place to start learning about the wonderful world of fantasy literature. You couldn't pick a better, easier to understand, yet complex story that is ultimately about human nature's frailty and it's wavering between good and evil, yet still holding much sway in the universe. Go buy this. Now.