Weis, Margaret

Dragonlance Chronicles Special Edition (Dragonlance Chronicles)

Average customer rating:

Great Book
Tracy R. Hickman ruins this one...
A Great Choice!
Great book - poor construction
Lame

Dragonlance Chronicles Special Edition (Dragonlance Chronicles)
Margaret Weis , and Tracy Hickman
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Dragons of the Dwarven Depths (Dragonlance: The Lost Chronicles, Vol. 1)
Dragons Of The Highlord Skies: The Lost Chronicles Volume Two (Dragonlance Novel: The Lost Chronicles)
The Annotated Legends (Dragonlance: Dragonlance Chronicles)
Amber and Iron (Dragonlance: The Dark Disciple, Vol. 2)
Alliances (Dragonlance: Elven Exiles, Vol. 2)

ASIN: 0786942983
Release Date: 2006-10-31

Book Description

This beautiful new leatherbound edition of the Dragonlance Chronicles saga marks the first time this story has ever been available for purchase in a premium format. A leather, embossed cover and gilt-edged pages bring a new level of sophistication to the three titles collected inside: Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Dragons of Winter Night, and Dragons of Spring Dawning. This annotated edition will display beautifully on any shelf and marks the Chronicles trilogy as one of the true classics in fantasy literature.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book.......2007-05-19

This book was in awsome condition. IT was better than most book's i have bought in mint condition. This gets an A++++++

Tracy R. Hickman ruins this one..........2007-03-23

I cannot tell you enough *not* to purchase this book for the annotations that should add to its value. By the time you finish Dragons of Autumn Twilight, you'll be sick to death of the initials TRH next to comments in the margins. Margaret Weis is a fantastic author, and it is nice that she lets Hickman ride along on her coattails for the Dragonlance novels. Unfortunately, his huge (undeserved) ego gets in the way and overshadows what she has to say. Check out her latest trilogy here instead: Amber and Ashes (Dragonlance: The Dark Disciple, Vol. 1), or, if you're brand new to Dragonlance, go ahead and get the Dragonlance Chronicles Trilogy Gift Set, which includes Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Winter Night, and Spring Dawning. You'll be glad you saved yourself the nausea-inducing blather of TRH's comments (and some $$$) by getting the paperbacks.

A Great Choice!.......2007-03-19

Well, I didn't read the whole thing yet, so I can only talk about my impressions and about the quality of the book.
The Hard Cover and the art are really well made, and the unique style of writing of the authors make this book a must have.
Almost every page they have comments about what the characters and the author were thinking when writing the book.
The only drawback I noticed so far is that the book is a bit hard to read... But it's probably because it's not in my mother language.

Great book - poor construction.......2007-03-16

Totally agree with the other review posted regarding this book. I love the story and own the paperbacks and hardcover with annotations. This edition looks good on the outside but is lacking on the inside. Buy the hardcover annotated instead.

Lame.......2007-02-13

This book is lame. Written for young children and dumbed down even then. It will insult your intellect. I couldn't make it passed the 3ed chapter and when I put it down I felt the need to bathe, answer trivia, and pound my love doll.

Average customer rating:

Great license, mediocre game
I am not disapointed.
A good read and a good game
A great new system
Cool RPG

Serenity Role Playing Game (Serenity)
Jamie Chambers , and Margaret Weis
Manufacturer: Margaret Weis Productions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Entertainment Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Serenity Official Visual Companion
Those Left Behind (Serenity)
Finding Serenity: Anti-Heroes, Lost Shepherds and Space Hookers in Joss Whedon's Firefly (Smart Pop series)
Firefly (Original Television Soundtrack)
Out in the Black (Serenity Role Playing Game)

ASIN: 1931567506

Book Description

Here's How It Is…

The Earth got used up, and we found a new solar system and used terraforming technology to create hundreds of new Earths. The central planets formed the Alliance and decided that all worlds should unite under their rule. There was some disagreement on that point. After the Unification War, many of the Independents who had fought and lost drifted to the edges of the system, far from Alliance control. Out here, people struggled to get by with the most basic technologies. A ship would bring you work, a gun would help you keep it. A captain's goal was simple: find a crew, find a job, keep flying.

The Serenity Role Playing Game lets you re-create the action of the `Verse, the science-fiction setting created by writer/director Joss Whedon. Fly a ship out in the black, take jobs as they come, and always make sure you get paid. Everything you need to get started is right here! All you need is dice, friends, and your imagination.

• A self-contained role playing game. All the rules are provided for both players and Game Masters!<BR> • Full character creation rules, plus fifteen sample characters—including the crew of Serenity.<BR> • Complete details on spaceships, guns, and technology.<BR> • Emphasis on story, action, and character development with easy-to-learn rules.<BR> • Game details and descriptions of the characters and settings of the film!

Customer Reviews:

Great license, mediocre game.......2007-04-03

This is a gorgeous book with lavish, full-color art, maps and stills from the "Serenity" film. In this regard, it's a fine product.

However, as a playable RPG, this product is quite lacking.

The writing adopts a 'Verse-esque tone in both the rule content and the opening chapter vignettes that is often cringe-worthy. The book is also fairly disorganized and rules often confusingly presented; expect a lot of page-flipping during initial play. On top of this, the game engine at its core is fairly pedestrian and uninspired, and the GM and player advice is about ten years out of date and actively antithetical to fun gaming. If it were 1997, this might be a passable effort. As it is, what you have is really a half-finished house engine tied to a lucrative license that it does a poor job of representing. That there's a big disclaimer on the writeup for River that states (paraphrased) "These stats do not represent River's ability as presented in the film; she has been modified to better balance with the rest of the crew" should be a red flag to anyone looking to capture the Firefly/Serenity experience with this system. (Why she's even presented as a PC, I have no idea.) I honestly find it somewhat sad that this game is selling in droves to many Browncoats whom I imagine are new to roleplaying. The hobby has progressed so far beyond what's in this game.

There's nothing that this system does that existing systems can't do as well or better. I'd suggest simply pairing your DVDs with an engine that suits your sensibilities (d20, GURPS, FATE*, Primetime Adventures, etc) rather than investing money in this product.

If you do decide to buy this, make sure to get the most current printing (4th, as of this writing), as there have been many significant corrections and rule changes incorporated, as well as an index being added. FYI, the Serenity GM's screen does not include these changes (a source of some confusion for our group).

[...]

I am not disapointed........2007-03-25

As a long-time roleplayer, I enjoy when something fresh and new comes into the industry. As a Sereny/Firefly fan, I always wanted a RPG adaptation of the 'verse, but feared it could be done in a wrong way, with a rules system inadequate to convey all the nuances of action and character development saw in the show, for example. Fortunately, "Serenity" both delivers something new and provides rules framework and gaming advice in a way that matches the spirit of both the series and the movie.

The most interesting thing in the rules is task resolution. Attributes are represented as a type of die - the more sides the better. They range from d4 (weakling) to d12+d4 (the too pf the top). By the same token, skills are also rated by a type of die, using the same range of Attributes. To perform an action that requires a roll, players roll the die listed for the relevant Attribute and skill, then add the results together, and see wheter they reached the set difficulty number (ranging from 3 to 31). If you beat the difficulty number by a margin of 7 or more points, you get an extraordinary success, which grants you additional benefits or an extra level of result coolness. The absence of a d20 is intentional, I think - and it is really not missed in this system. I do feel, however, that average success probability curves in this system are probably very weird, something that may be troublesome in a long campaign.

Artwork is good, mostly made of screenshots from the movie. There is some additional, original art, which ranges from acceptable to very good. Layout is clean and easy to read, and the presence of both a table of contents and a detailed index help a lot. Writting style is good, very informal and spiced with slang and chinese words now and then for flavor, but very objective and direct. Information about the 'verse is good but superficial, but generally enough for someone that saw the series or just the movie to get a feel of it and use it properly in a game. One of the book's best parts is its guide of Serenity Chinese. Very fun to read, and useful to help bringing the 'verse tone and feel into the game. How Shi Sung Chung, he?

Overall, I think the book is well worth what it costs and is a fine addition to any serious roleplayer's collection. My main complains are about the 'verse description, which is too sketchy for my tastes, some of the original artwork, which is good but somehow does not match the rest of the book's style. But even so, I liked it a lot.

A good read and a good game.......2007-03-10

A good read, regardless of if you play these sort of games or not. The prose was engaging, the system itself was refreshing and mostly intuitive. It isn't a perfect product, of course. While there are a good number of examples, a few more would have been useful (as an example, an example of what the gameplay difference is between Basic and Wound damage and how weapons effect that would have been nice). More background information would have been nice, but I can hardly fault the game for that; no, the limited amount of background information on planets, the alliance, Blue Sun, and so forth comes more from the limitations of Firefly the series and its very short (but very good) run.

Especially when combined with the fan-made material that has been put on the web, this is definitely a good game to pick up for those who like roleplaying, story telling, or narratives.

A great new system.......2007-01-16

I bought the Serenity Roleplaying Game because I love both the Firefly series and Serenity the movie, and I love tabletop role playing games. I really liked the system this game uses - it's straightforward, easy to understand, and you are left with many options as far as characters, ships, etc.

The book breaks it down for you piece by piece, everything from how to set the level of the game (from Greenhorn to "Big Damn Heroes"), to building your own character, to the layout of all the different classes of ships. Heck, they even have a section on the basics of Mandarin used in the movies and series.

The system was simple enough to be easily graspable, but complex enough to keep even the more experienced gamers busy with customizing a character and ship. Their section on running a game was good, too, although I would love to see more dedicated to that particular section. I'm always a big fan of having lots of details when it comes to specific places, etc. and while this gave a great overview of running and the basics on the planets and colonies, I'd love to see even more.

So overall, this book was excellent. Being able to experience the Firefly/Serenity world on this level was excellent, and the system was both easy to learn and offered lots of customization.

Cool RPG.......2006-12-26

Serenity RPG is a great game based off of the Firefly series. The book is beautifully put together, and the rules system seems set up so that it should move pretty fast and fluidly. I haven't had a chance to actually play the game yet, but I was impressed with the book.

Dragons Of The Highlord Skies: The Lost Chronicles Volume Two (Dragonlance Novel: The Lost Chronicles)

Average customer rating:

Dragons Of The Highlord Skies: The Lost Chronicles Volume Two (Dragonlance Novel: The Lost Chronicles)
Margaret Weis , and Tracy Hickman
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Epic | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Dragons of the Dwarven Depths (Dragonlance: The Lost Chronicles, Vol. 1)
Amber and Iron (Dragonlance: The Dark Disciple, Vol. 2)
Dragons of Time (Dragonlance Anthology)
Shadow of the Flame: The Taladas Chronicles, Volume Three (Taladas Trilogy)
Dragonlance Chronicles Special Edition (Dragonlance Chronicles)

ASIN: 0786943335
Release Date: 2007-07-10

Book Description

The story starts in the Tower of High Sorcery in Palanthus, which is under assault by the forces of the Kingpriest. The wizards, knowing they must surrender, remove as many valuable artifacts as they can. An elven wizard named Feal-Thas takes a dragon orb to the distant land of Ice Wall. That orb is sought by the Dragon Highlord Ariakas, who assigns the task of its recovery to Kitiara Uth-Matar, half-sister of the sickly mage Raistin and his good-natured twin Caramon. Kitiara, who is rising up the ranks of the dark forces, must undertake the journey to the Ice Castle of Feal-Thas, where she will have a dramatic confrontation with Laurana, a leader of the forces of good.

Dragonlance Campaign Setting (Dungeon & Dragons Roleplaying Game: Campaigns)

Average customer rating:

Great for content
At Last
amazing...
Dragonlance
Mainly for campaigns set during and after the War of Souls.

Dragonlance Campaign Setting (Dungeon & Dragons Roleplaying Game: Campaigns)
Margaret Weis , Don Perrin , Christopher Coyle , and Jamie Chambers
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Entertainment Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Dragonlance War Of The Lance (Dragonlance)
Age of Mortals (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.? Fantasy Roleplaying, Dragonlance Setting)
Holy Orders Of The Stars (Dragonlance)
Tasslehoff's Map Pouch: The War of the Lance (Dragonlance)
Dragons Of Autumn (Dragonlance)

ASIN: 0786930861
Release Date: 2003-08-01

Book Description

Sagas from the lands of Krynn are filled with valiant heroes destined to discover ancient secrets and vanquish terrible evils. Like those great champions, you will band together with brave companions to set forth on daring adventures. The tales of those bold deeds will become the newest legends in the world of Dragonlance.

From Solamnic Knights and Dragon Riders to kender, tinker gnomes, and draconians, the rich tapestry of the Dragonlance world comes alive in this campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. With historical content covering eras from the War of the Lance to the War of Souls, along with expanded rules for aerial combat, the Dragonlance Campaign Setting provides the charcter races, prestige classes, feats, spells, monsters, and maps you need to fully explore the world of Dragonlance.

Customer Reviews:

Great for content.......2007-05-14

Pros: Great for content and getting players excited about the setting, Made for 3.5e

Cons: Lots of spoilers for the novels (They don't ruin the story but lessen some of the drama if you haven't read them since you know how they are going to end.), poorly organized (in contrast to the FRCS), and no full-size world map (unlike the FRCS, but a full size map can be downloaded from the publisher's website)

Overall, I really think it could have been a lot better if it was done by game designers and not the author of the novels.

At Last.......2007-05-10

I still remember the day I first saw the ad for Dragons of Despair in Dragon Magazine. I still remember playing that adventure for the first time. I still remember when Dragons of Autumn twilight became the first fantasy novel to hit the New York Times best seller list. These are some of the defining moments in my gaming career.

So it only stands to reason that I'd be excited to see this revisiting of one of my favorite settings. There was a certain feeling of trepidation as well. I thought that Dragonlance Adventures had lots of problems. I never cared for the Saga System at all. Still, I sucked it up, forced my expectations low and opened the book.

I have to admit, I liked it. It brings the Dragonlance rules nicely into the 3.5 game system. Prestige classes alone were something that the Dragonlance setting desperately needed. This book is a must-have for anyone who loves Dragonlance.

The book starts with the obligatory race chapter. There are some surprises, though. Fatherless dwarves (dwarves without a home), thinker gnomes (the "insane" opposite of tinker gnomes) and afflicted kender (kender who have had the spunk scared out of them) leap out immediately. Then there are the draconians. (When I was a kid we didn't have player character draconians. Draconians were the enemy and we liked it that way!) The irda have entered the player character arena, crushing the hopes of all the munchkins out there by presenting an official (and balanced) treatment of the race. On the strength of this chapter alone, I decided the book was worth it.

Then we enter class-land. The mystic (a divine version of the sorcerer) and the noble base class are two pleasant surprises. There's a nice little boxed text explaining why certain classes (like the paladin) aren't appropriate in Krynn. Then we move onto prestige classes, with a more reasonable treatment of the Knight of Solamnia than in Dragonlance Adventures (no week long spell prep times, for instance). Then we move onto the evil knights and the Wizards of High Sorcery (which are one class with plug and play powers). There are several other classes, the most notable being the dragon rider. The chapter rounds out with a nice selection of world-specific feats.

From there we move on to the chapter on magic. If you've seen the former Dragonlance treatments and know 3.0 or 3.5, there aren't really any surprises here. This section even has its own domains, ala Forgotten Realms. While it might not be anything too surprising, it's well done. After that is the deity chapter, which is more of the same.

The book then moves onto Geography and then Creatures. There isn't much to say about these, except that they bring some of out favorite old creatures into 3.5 (spectral minions, anyone?). Then we have a chapter on Dragons and ariel combat (very important), and a final chapter on Eras of Play.

This book is very satisfying and I look forward to future supplements (which I hear are being done by Sovereign Stone). It is on sale this year at GenCon, but goes onto the market en masse on August 22. Look for this book and enjoy.

P.S. Yes, they did reduce the power of the Dragonlance to the level of an item you can actually give your players. Now the dragons are waiting in the sidelines, itching for a rematch with your players.

amazing..........2006-09-22

this book is awe-inspiring!! Ive never been happier with my purchase before!!! If you play DnD, Buy this(while its still 9 bucks used!!!)

Dragonlance.......2004-08-25

First off, yes, I'm a little bit biased. I've loved Dragon lance for a long time, but this book seems to be getting a lot of bad reviews that aren't all that justified.
Yes, there is an inch and a half margin which really shouldn't be that large. They should have at least added the chapter titles into the margin if they were going to make it that big.
The art isn't all that great. In fact there isn't a lot of art at all. Which means that the inch and a half margins don't sacrifice text, but rather pictures.
The other peeve I have about this book is that there is a lot of repeated information. The whole Chapter on other eras of play really isn't necessary, and everything that is in that chapter should have appeared somewhere else in the book.
The good thing is there are two new character classes, several prestige classes, and a lot of history for those people who don't feel like reading ALL of the Dragon lance books. But once again there is a lot of repetition of the history. There are also stats for some of the magic items used by the characters in the novels, and 2 mini adventures.
I want to comment on one prestige class. The dragon rider. Even if the dragon rider isn't used in your dragon lance campaign it can be easily changed to a different animal. I think I'm going to convert it to Star Wars and use it for the Rancor Riders.

Mainly for campaigns set during and after the War of Souls........2004-08-03

This is a pretty good campaign setting.

Though not without a few errors here and there, it is better produced and edited than the "World Book of Ansalon" that came with the AD&D 2nd ed. "Tales of the Lance" set. The main things it seems to be missing are details of non-standard weapons and equipment (kender in particular), information on famous heroes and NPCs from before the Age of Mortals (no Heroes of the Lance or Dragon Highlords), details of many famous locations (Foghaven Vale, High Clerists Tower, Istar) and almost anything regarding the Dragon Orbs, the Device of Time Travelling, the Portals to the Abyss and several other key artifacts from the Age of Despair.

What it does have is enough to run fairly detailed adventures in the post War of Souls period and somewhat generalized campaigns in all the major time periods since the Cataclysm (or First Cataclysm for Age of Mortals folks). It is effective for updating older Dragonlance settings, modules and characters to 3rd edition or 3.5. What it lacks in detail of maps and NPCs it makes up for with sections allowing for PC Draconians and Knights of Neraka (or Takhisis) among others, as well as very detailed chronologies and geographical information.

I am running a game using both the old, out of print Dragonlance Classics reprints of the original DL module series AND this new campaign setting. I am finding this combination very effective for running the original campaign using v.3.5 rules. The Classics series and the original DL modules are all available from retailers such as NobleKnight.com and TitanGames.com. If you like modules the old ones definitely still stand up, but 3rd ed. has many significant changes. If you want to make your own campaign in the old period I recommend the Sovereign Press book coming out later this year (see next paragraph).

So once again I emphasize that this product is designed mainly for playing in or after the War of Souls period. It is also (currently; see below) the only good way to play in the Dragonlance setting using D&D 3 or 3.5. Hopefully the "War of the Lance" expansion (published by Sovereign Press, due out later this year) will solve many of the problems I have mentioned here. Ideally, it will give enough information to allow play in that period without purchasing this WotC Dragonlance campaign setting, but I wouldn't bet on it.

Dragons of the Dwarven Depths (Dragonlance: The Lost Chronicles, Vol. 1)

Average customer rating:

Good read, but definitely a little off
You can never go Home again...
Welcome Back!
A Great Story....with Terrible Editing
Unfortunate let down by favorite authors

Dragons of the Dwarven Depths (Dragonlance: The Lost Chronicles, Vol. 1)
Margaret Weis , and Tracy Hickman
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Epic | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Action & Adventure | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Amber and Iron (Dragonlance: The Dark Disciple, Vol. 2)
Dragons Of The Highlord Skies: The Lost Chronicles Volume Two (Dragonlance Novel: The Lost Chronicles)
Amber and Ashes (Dragonlance: The Dark Disciple, Vol. 1)
Road of the Patriarch (Forgotten Realms: The Sellswords, Book 3)
Master of Dragons (Dragonvarld Trilogy, Book 3)

ASIN: 0786940999
Release Date: 2006-07-11

Book Description

The Companions are back!
In an untold story from the War of the Lance, the companions have saved the refugees of Pax Tharkas and led them to a hidden valley. For a time, they are safe, but the forces of the Dragon Army are in pursuit.
As Tanis and Flint seek out a haven in the dwarven kingdom of Thorbardin, the rest of the companions face their own challenges. Raistlin is strangely drawn to the haunted fortress known as Skullcap. Sturm seeks the legendary Hammer of Kharas, the forging tool of the fabled dragonlances, while Tika Waylan must make a perilous journey to rescue those she loves from certain death.

Customer Reviews:

Good read, but definitely a little off.......2007-06-07

Dragons of Dwarven Depths takes place in the period between Dragons of Autumn Twilight and Dragons of Winter Night.

Pros:
Like many have said, it's visiting with old friends
It is a well written book, as you would expect of Weis and Hickman
It's almost 600 pages, so you get your moneys worth!
Fills in some gaps in the original Chronicles trilogy

Cons:
For the first half of the book, the characters are written nearly exactly the same as they were in the original trilogy, however, in the second half, some, particularly Sturm and Caramon, seem different than the characters we know and love. While the characters do grow and change through the original trilogy in a fairly smooth manner, if you add this novel in, it would seem that they jump all over the place.

The story follows a similar path. While the first half seamlessly picks up right where it left off in Autumn Twilight, in the second half I found myself saying "That doesn't make sense" when I thought about the beginning of Winter Night. Without giving anything away (if you have read the original trilogy), the second half of the story deals with the companions acquiring the legendary Hammer of Kharas. In Winter Night, Sturm points out that they had recovered it, and the Dwarven essentially wouldn't agree to house the refugees without the companions turning it over. He's ticked, and Tanis isn't much happier about it. While that storyline is somewhat followed, the way it is written, it doesn't seem like any of the companions should be that upset that the Dwarves ended up with it. Also, it doesn't make sense why Elistan is then presenting it in the beginning of Winter Night.

By the end, I really felt like I was reading a novel written by one of the countless authors that have contributed to the series. Those authors tend to go off on their own tangents, or ignore various statements/facts presented in the original trilogies to make their stories work, which I find highly annoying.

That being said, it was still an enjoyable read, and far better than most of the non-Weis/Hickman novels in the series. I look forward to the second installment.

You can never go Home again..........2007-05-06

Or so the old saying goes...The dynamic writing duo of Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, proclaim otherwise, however, in their 'new' trilogy chronicling the 'lost'adventures of the Heroes of the Lance. Dragons of the Dwarven Depths is a great corollary off the original Chronicles storyline. The plot revolves around Flint's recovery of the Hammer of Kharas and Riverwind's evacuation of the Pax Tharkas slaves. Despite including the beloved Heroes, this book is really carried by the villians. The brilliant Draconian mage is exceptional in his role as primary villian in the story and I found myself reading on to see his reaction to certain situations despite the fact that I knew what the overall outcome was of the tale.
Weis and Hickman have done it again, they have created a great story populated with memorable characters!

Welcome Back!.......2007-04-27

Another great story in the world of Dragonlance!

I was so sad at the end of the War of Souls trilogy, as I thought it meant the end of the world of Krynn for me... I was wrong, and I celebrated the day I found out that Margaret and Tracy were writing prequels. However, after the Star Wars debacle, I was slightly concerned that this was going to be a "Phantom Menace". I am glad to say it is not.

This book takes place between Autumn Twilight and Winters Night, and revolves around Riverwind's evacuation of the Slave of Pax Tharkas after the rebellion, and Tanis, Raistlin, Sturm Caramon, Flint, and Tas's search for the Hammer of Kharas - used to make the Dragonlances. This book focuses largely on Flint, which awesome considering that he played a much diminished role for the majority of the series. Flint leads the companions in the search and has to deal with the dwarven bureaucracy and xenophobia in Thorbardin. Compounding the difficulty is an especially clever and ambitious draconian who has fooled the world into thinking Lord Verminard still lives. I swear, fans of Tas will love this book - as always he has some of the best lines and gets himself into the strangest situations.

My only criticism, [which is not aimed at the authors] and one shared by many reviewers, is the abysmal editing. There were missing words, spelling errors, type-o's and so forth. While this does not detract from the well-conceived plot, it does slow the natural flow of the read. Hopefully the publishers will take an extra week for editing on the next instalment.

Anyhow, this was a great read for fans of the series!

Relic113

A Great Story....with Terrible Editing.......2007-01-20

After such a long time our favorite Dragonlance characters, Tanis, Flint, Caramon, Raistlin and Tas have returned in a new tale explaining how the Hammer of Kharas was found. I have always enjoyed the Dragonlance books that dealt more closely with Flint and the dwarves and their mountain home, and Dragons of the Dwarven Depths definitely delivers in that area. I thought the book was great and very much enjoyed reading it, although the editing was absolutely horrible. Like a few others have already mentioned there are quite a few misplaced words and others are just simply left out all together. I was very disappointed in this as it was not what I expected or remembered from previous Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman books. Regardless, if you can get past the editorial shortcomings, Dragons of the Dwarven Depths is a very entertaining book and the first volume in The Lost Chronicles trilogy. I am looking forward to reading the next two books (although having to wait a full year for the next book to come out is a real bummer) and I'm really hoping the editing is much better on the two following releases.

Unfortunate let down by favorite authors.......2007-01-05

I have been a fan of Dragonlance books for years now. From Dragons of Autumn twilight to Soulforgem, I've loved every minute of the series. Until now. Dragons of the Dwarven Depths has the feel of a book put out just in order to revisit old characters. The characters lacked any dept due to the fact that the authors wanted to stay as "true" to the characters as possible. The problem remains that if a character is denied the ability to grow then they become immediately stale. The story takes alot of energy to get into, and the middle is border-line impossible to read. While the characters lacked any progression the storyline was considerably worse. It was nice to see some old characters again but as Kevin Smith said, he would rather have his characters die out than to overstay his welcome. This book is worth reading as a gift or from a library. I definetley wouldnt recommend buying it though.

Amber and Iron (Dragonlance: The Dark Disciple, Vol. 2)

Average customer rating:

Great read, but a few problems..
Confused...
overall a good read....some nits
a little confused, but hey so are the gods!!!!
Mediocre

Amber and Iron (Dragonlance: The Dark Disciple, Vol. 2)
Margaret Weis
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Epic | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Action & Adventure | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Amber and Ashes (Dragonlance: The Dark Disciple, Vol. 1)
Dragons of the Dwarven Depths (Dragonlance: The Lost Chronicles, Vol. 1)
Empire of Blood (Dragonlance: The Minotaur Wars, Book 3)
Alliances (Dragonlance: Elven Exiles, Vol. 2)
The Crown and the Sword (Dragonlance: Rise of Solamnia, Vol. 2)

ASIN: 0786940867
Release Date: 2006-11-07

Customer Reviews:

Great read, but a few problems.........2007-06-21

I would recomend reading this book. It's written well, and the story is very interesting and highly captivating.

I just don't really like how the gods are portrayed. I don't agree with the gods being so impulsive, and quick to emotion. It really doesn't make much sense....

Confused..........2007-06-18

I thought both of the books were great and full of surprises. The only thing I'm confused about is the god Majere really Raistlin? If anyknows, please send an email at ihatebrandon_2@hotmail.com. Thank you.

overall a good read....some nits.......2007-05-29

I enjoyed the last 2 books overall, however i felt as if for an age of mortals that there was almost to much involvment by the gods. The books definatley humanizes them and takes away alot of the mystique that I enjoyed in other dragon lance novels. The protaginist monks backstory needs a little more development but I suspect more of that will be revealed in the third book. By the way when can we expect the third book?

a little confused, but hey so are the gods!!!!.......2007-04-28

I didn't like Mina in the War of the Souls Trilogy and was reluctant to read the Dark Disciple Trilogy. Now I can't wait for Amber and Blood!!! I am a little confused as to how the other gods didn't know what Majere knew. Maybe that will be explained in the last book. Where DID Mina come from? Who are her parents? It was great to see Nightshade find his picklock skill with a "gift" from a god! He's no Tas, but he's almost as much fun!

Mediocre.......2007-02-21

The best triology is still the Chronicles. The Twins was excellent too. One can notice the absence of Tracy Hickman from the later trilogies and it's an aspect that I miss. The characters, with the exception of Mina, are underdeveloped. I did see guess the end by the middle of the book too. However, I love these books and will continue to read them. I'd like to see what happens in the third, Amber and Blood.

The Hand of Chaos: A Death Gate Novel, Volume 5 (Death Gate Cycle (Paperback))

Average customer rating:

The Hand of Chaos - clever title now that I think about it....
Totally not necessary
SO REAL! (Is it prophecy?Historical fiction?)
5th Book in a Very Good Series
Chelestra, the Water World

The Hand of Chaos: A Death Gate Novel, Volume 5 (Death Gate Cycle (Paperback))
Margaret Weis , and Tracy Hickman
Manufacturer: Spectra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Epic | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Into the Labyrinth (Death Gate Cycle)
The Seventh Gate: A Death Gate Novel, Volume 7 (Death Gate Cycle)
Serpent Mage (The Death Gate Cycle, Vol 4)
Fire Sea: The Death Gate Cycle, Volume 3 (Death Gate Cycle)
Elven Star: The Death Gate Cycle, Volume 2 (Death Gate Cycle)

ASIN: 0553563696
Release Date: 1993-11-01

Book Description

Chaos is everywhere as the Lord of the Nexus orders his servant Haplo and the human child known as Bane to further their master's work on Arianus, the realm of air. But their one time companion Alfred has been cast into the deadly Labyrinth. And somehow the assassin Hugh the Hand has been resurrected to complete his dark mission. More important, the evil force that Haplo and Alfred discovered on Arianus has escaped. As Haplo's doubts about his master grow deeper, he must decide whether to obey the Lord of the Nexus or betray the powerful Patryn...and endeavor to bring peace to the universe.

Customer Reviews:

The Hand of Chaos - clever title now that I think about it...........2006-03-19

The Hand of Chaos - Book Five of Seven in the Death Gate Cycle series. This book is another excellent addition to the series, and also necessary to read, no matter what other people say. It is very action packed, and brings back some of my favorite characters (Ex: Bane, Hugh the Hand (shocker...I know!)and Iridal). The book does have its shortcomings, but otherwise it is very good.

This installment starts off right where Serpent Mage ended, with Haplo trapped in the room and the water starting to flood the Sartan City. Haplo escapes (without magic) and heads through Death's Gate, but not before finding out that the evil dragon-snakes have also headed through. He heads to the Nexus, but is beaten there by the Dragon-Snakes, who have already found Xar and pledged their allegience to him. Xar says he is happy to have them on his side. Haplo comes and tries to convince Xar that they are evil, but Xar doesn't believe him. Haplo leaves for a walk as Bane (remember him from Dragon Wing?) walks in and begins chatting to his adopted "grandfather". Meanwhile, as Haplo accidentally meanders infront of the Final Gate, Zifnab comes. Zifnab, while rambling, tells Haplo that he is Sartan, and that his "wife" never died and is still in the Labyrinth, with his child. Haplo is startled by this news, but what is even more startling is that Bane overheard this all.He reports back to Xar, who tells Bane that he is sending him to Arianus with Haplo to continue stirring up unrest and to activate the Kicksey-Winsey. As soon as this task is accomplished, he is to kill Haplo. Bane agrees, and the both of them leave.

Thus the plot is set for The Hand of Chaos, along the way, Hugh the Hand comes back from the dead, We learn a LOT more about the Brotherhood of the Hand, and more about King Stephan's empire. This is a very good book, with only one major shortcoming, Alfred's disappearance. At the end of Serpent Mage, Alfred was being cast into the Labyrinth, yet in "Chaos", we have no news of what is going on with him. This is the only real shortcoming of the book, and it is an excellent, fast paced read. Pick up and read it now!

Totally not necessary.......2005-07-30

First, I will tell you how to get the most enjoyment out of this series. Start with going to the library and renting all of these books. Do not buy them as they are not worth it. Then read books 1, 3, 4, 6 and 7 without reading the footnotes or the appendixes. You have the option of reading books 2 and 5 if you are really enjoying the series, but they are only filler and do not even need to be skimmed. Finally, accept the fact that Weis and Hickman may only be one hit wonders and move on.

Second, I write reviews for those who seek good fantasy and not for the zealots who hang on every Weis and Hickman word. You would think from some of the reviews of this series that these books were greater than War and Peace and written by Bronte and Conrad. In reality, this series is not very good. I am not trying to trash Weis and Hickman, I found the Dragon Lance series to be extremely enjoyable and would give at least the first two series of that line four stars. This series deserves no more than 2 stars. The books are incomplete thoughts that may have been much better had the authors taken more time to flesh out the story. Beware of fantasy books that contain footnotes and appendixes. Usually, these are the telltale signs of poor writing. Having said that, I did manage to read most of these seven books and here are some thoughts.

Many reviewers have made a lot of the fact that Xar is actually tsar or czar. I fail to see the significance here. Xar is a ruler and a tsar is a ruler. So what? What I found to be much more interesting and ultimately distracting was the use, by the authors, of the word mensch. Mensch is a Hebrew word. It is not close to a Hebrew word, it is a Hebrew word. If you look it up, mensch means a person of integrity and honor. What are the authors trying to say here? That all people without ambition or power are full of integrity and honor. I read all seven books trying to understand the use of this word to no avail.

Not surprising considering the books are filled with errors and inconsistencies. Some of these errors and inconsistencies are no doubt addressed in the footnotes and appendixes, but it would take an additional seven books to address all the problems. I believe that most of these problems occurred because the authors did not take the time to complete their work. Perhaps they were pressured by their publisher.

Most of the characters are thinly veiled shadows of those characters from the Dragon Lance series. Only, these characters are not as interesting or as engaging. Part of the problem is that Weis and Hickman never determine where they want the story to go. They blur the line between good and evil, then they erase the line, then they re-draw the line in bold. In Dragon Lance, it was intriguing to see how the characters dealt with the discovery of the duality of their own nature. In this book it is just confusing.

SO REAL! (Is it prophecy?Historical fiction?).......2004-06-23

This is probably the best series of books I have ever read (I haven't read Tolkien yet. I KNOW, I'm sorry!). I just cannot say enough good things about this book series. I literally read it 3 times through, and each time I can relate to a different character and come to see it from their perspective.

The way that Tracy and Margaret bring the characters to life significantly contributes to the reason this series of books is so great. By the end of the 1st book, Hugh the Hand (Best Assassin in the world), Alfred(Sartan Mage), Haplo(Patryn Mage), Bane(son of most powerful human mage alive), and the rest of the characters have almost come to life in your mind.

If you're going to read Fantasy(Or SciFi) start with this! The sense of depth these books have to them makes you wonder if it's actually historical fiction that Margaret and Tracy are writing about and the index each book has is absolutely amazing. Whenever you're confused about something the characters are making reference to (or if you 'missed' [skipped, lol] the part when the character's were discussing it) you can simply look it up in the back index and you'll understand it better than you would have just reading straight through. (THEY EVEN HAVE DIAGRAMS OF EVERYTHING!)

Margaret and Tracy together are unparalleled writers equal to only a few such as Tolkien, Piers Anthony, Knaak, Louis Lamour(SP?) and the like.

I won't be suprised when this series becomes the next movie series. Except for the fact that since the book's environs are so diverse (they 'literally' create whole worlds with flora and fauna and a whole system of language [actually I think it might be latin]) the movie industry right now might not be up to it.

Finally, if you're worried about it being too advanced or too intellectual, don't. The characters are incredably deep, but like real people, are revealed to you slowly through the actions they take and throughout the series, so you're not overwhelmed all at once.

All the books are great, and I will read the series a 4th, 5th, and maybe a 6th time. Although one of the middle books does drag a little because it's mostly about the humans, dwarves, and elves (Mensch: Patryn/Sartan(Magus) word for humans, dwarves, and elves or anyone else who doesn't live thousands of years).

5th Book in a Very Good Series.......2004-05-24

In all probability, people who read the first of the Death Gate Cycle books and like it, are going to want to read all of the books in the series (regardless of any flucutation in the individual books' ratings). Ditto for the reverse: if people don't like the first book, then they're probably not going to want to read any of the other books in the series. Thus, instead of individual book ratings, I've rated the whole series and given a short blurb on any specifics for each book.

Overall, this is a very good series. The authors were amazingly creative in coming up with this concept and the books are well-written, extremely interesting, and internally consistent (mostly -- see below for some exceptions). I highly recommend this series of books for everyone. My comments for the indidual books follow:

Vol. 1 -- Dragon Wing: This book covers the exploration of Arianus: the realm of Air. It introduces us to the two main characters (Haplo and Alfred) and many of the recurring characters throughout the series. It's a well-paced, well-written book that's an excellent reresentation of what to expect in most of the rest of the series. Essentially, if you like this book, you'll like the other six books. If you don't like this book, then there's no sense in reading any of the others.

Vol. 2 -- Elven Star: This book covers the exploration of Pryan: the realm of Fire. Alfred is entirely missing from this book, and Haplo isn't really the centerpiece. Instead, the book is mostly written from the perspective of the mensch and of the newly introduced (and recurring) Zifnab. The one possible weakness in the book is that Weis/Hickman wrote it such that the structure of Pryan itself is more of a mystery than Arianus was in the first book.

Vol. 3 -- Fire Sea: This book covers the exploration of Abarrach: the realm of Stone. Once again, both Haplo and Alfred are present. The characters and areas presented in this book are key elements for the entire series. An interesting book, but not a very happy one at all.

Vol. 4 -- Serpent Mage: This book covers the exploration of Chelestra: the realm of Water. Both Alfred and Haplo are on this world. But, for the most part, they follow separate plot lines. There's a lot of action taking place throughout the book and Weis/Hickman introduce some actual Sartan (besides Alfred). They also bring in an ancient evil to balance the ancient good introduced in the previous book. The most irritating thing about this book is that it ends in a cliff-hanger. The previous books tied up their worlds' activities fairly nicely. Not so in this book. It ends at a very inconvenient spot.

Vol. 5 -- Hand of Chaos: This book returns Haplo to Arianus and the people he met there earlier. Whereas the first four books of the series cover the exploration of the four realms, this book starts the synthesis of the various threads from those books into a movement towards closure. It's a good book, but, unfortunately, it doesn't do anything with Alfred. The previous book left Alfred heading towards a bad end. This book doesn't do anything with that. So, while reading the book, you constantly have this little voice in the back of your mind going "what's happening with Alfred?" Irritating.

Vol. 6 -- Into the Labyrinth: This book ranges across just about all of the worlds of the Death Gate. It brings all of the various threads from the other books to a head. Most importantly, it finally does something with Alfred. The unfortunate thing about this book is that it contains a lot of technical errors (or, more specifically, contradictions). For instance, in Dragon Wing, we're told that a person needs to be familiar with an area to use a transportation spell to get to that area. Yet, very close to the beginning of the book, one of the characters uses such a spell without ever having been to her target location. There are also several instances where the characters COULD have used such a spell, but don't. Likewise, there are problems with replication spells. In Fire Sea, Haplo and Alfred use such a spell to replicate enough food for a large group of people. Yet, in this book, no one seems to consider using a replication spell to produce more of some food. But, later on, those same people are using that same spell to replicate weapons. Plus, at one point, Xar uses a spell to just materialize both food and drink for a party. But, if such a thing is possible, why do the Patryns hunt and, apparently, farm in the Labyrinth? Also, the size of the Labyrinth seems wrong. From the previous books, it's taken hundreds (if not thousands) of years for various Patryns to traverse the hundreds of Gates in the Labryrinth. Yet, in this book, from the very beginning of the Labyrinth they can see the results of things happening at the Final Gate. There's also the problem of how people at the center of the Labyrinth would know anything about the Final Gate.

Vol. 7 -- Seventh Gate: This is the conclusion of the Death Gate series. Unforunately, I didn't much care for it. Basically, it comes across as being pretty sappy. All of a sudden, Haplo and Alfred are best buds and want to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony. Most of the various threads are tied up adequately (if not very satifyingly). But, the sudden push towards liberal "peace, love, and harmony" is trite. Of the seven books in this series, this one is the least good. Once again, I didn't much care for the tone of this book. But, since it adequatly ties up most everything that needed tying up, I'm not going to downgrade the whole series because of that.

Chelestra, the Water World.......2003-11-08

I liked this book because I got a close up look at the Sartans who had sundered the world and enjoyed the character development of the dwarven main characters, Grundle the tough female dwarf being my favorite.

The giant dragon-snakes were introduced here and it was in this world that Alfred showed some potential as the Serpent Mage.

Chelestra's realms are now being flooded by the dragon-snakes who wish to escape Chelestra through the Death Gate to reek havoc in the other realms as they have done in Chelestra. Haplo has been imprisoned by the Sartans but because of the flood can now escape and travel back through the Death Gate, hopefully to convince Xar that he is not a trader and to warn him about the dragon-snakes. He also has a desire to find and help Alfred some how.

Alfred and his lover had been at first imprisoned by Samah in Chelestra because Alfred had found out Samah had lied about being aware of the higher power that could have prevented the sundering of their world, and feeling threatened that Alfred had this knowledge, had thrown Alfred and Orla into the Labyrinth.

The strange properties of the water in Chelestra canceled out Patryn rune magic and Sartan mind magic which I found an interesting development.

We also look in on Bane, the nasty widdle kid Xar found potential in and who now calls Xar Grandfather and Hugh the Hand, an assisin hired to kill Bane. Hugh now only wants his own true death and is looking for the only one who can give it to him, Alfred, an exceptional necromancer who had raised him from the dead giving him a strange and intolerable kind of immortality; he could die in a sense, feeling all the pain and suffering of his death only to be ressurected and with an added, sneaky twist...he can no longer kill. "A hell of a note for an assisin" he said. Things get complicated when Bane's mother, Iridal, and the woman Hugh loves, shows up wanting to hire him to find Bane who is being held by the elves.

Book Description

The Innocence of Youth Lost in War

In the fiery siege of the ciy of Hope's End the young mage Raistlin must leave behind his ideals to save himself and his brother. Yet as Raistlin and Caramon train as mercenaries, far away another soul is forged in the heat of battle. Another path is chosen, and a future dragon highlord begins her rise to power.

She is Kitiara Uth Matar, the twins' half sister.

Brothers in Arms is the much-anticipated squel to The Soulforge, the 1998 best-selling Dragonlance novel.

Customer Reviews:

Raistlin Chronicles.......2006-08-29

If you are intrigued by Raistlin and want to know his detailed story, starting at age 6, this book, along with Book 1, are the books to get. All of the questions I had about him, and even some I didn't know I had, were explained.

The Brothers march on.......2006-07-27

This is the one series of books, that I never tire of. If a book has to do with Raistlin, the mage, or anyone related, I have read or ordered that book and I have never been dissapinted. The story tells well through all the continuing sagas. Thank you Margaret Weis and thank you Tracy Hickman. You are the epitamy of style, magic and entertainment.
Toni from Petaluma, Ca

Enigmatic.......2005-11-27

Continuing on the Enigmatic character Raistlin, this book goes into how Raistlin and Cameron learn how to fight together, and their beginings as adventuers. If you enjoy D&D, Wizards, and campaigning, you'll enjoy this quick read!

Great book, soulforge was much better.......2005-01-27

I'm a huge raistlin fan, which is why I think this isn't as good as the soulforge book. I didn't like as much how it focused too much on Kitiara, I mostly wanted to hear about the twins, but I guess that's what the legends are there for, right? Anyways, I loved the book still, but only about half of it, I happen to despise kitiara. I prefer Hickman and Weis a lot more, because Hickman depends on less sex and violence to sell his books. He's a plot kinda guy, and Perrin seemed to have one too many "the look of the twilight on her full breasts" scenes. For the fact that it leads more into the twin's lives makes it a must-have for all dragonlance fans, and even dabblers. Peace out.

Learn how they became the heros of the War of the Lance........2004-09-08

I didn't think all that highly of the first Soulforge book but this one was great. The Katira sections were just excellent, amazing. This book exemplifies the Rastlin and Caramon we all know from the future. I would still suggest people start with the original trilogy and then the test of the twins after before starting this series... The greatest of the D&D based books. This volume is a great depiction of the mid years of the twins and their sister before the war of the lance. It explains well how Katira began her rise to power, where Caramon learned his leadership ways and the beginning of Raistlin's urge for knowledge.

Dragon Wing (The Death Gate Cycle, Book 1)

Average customer rating:

The epitome of fantasy ilk
Part of one of the greatest series of fantasy books every written
Brilliant book, series
Solid work from fantasy pioneers
Without a Doubt, My Favorite Fantasy Series of All Time.

Dragon Wing (The Death Gate Cycle, Book 1)
Margaret Weis
Manufacturer: Spectra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Epic | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Elven Star: The Death Gate Cycle, Volume 2 (Death Gate Cycle)
Fire Sea: The Death Gate Cycle, Volume 3 (Death Gate Cycle)
Serpent Mage (The Death Gate Cycle, Vol 4)
The Hand of Chaos: A Death Gate Novel, Volume 5 (Death Gate Cycle (Paperback))
Into the Labyrinth (Death Gate Cycle)

ASIN: 0553286390
Release Date: 1990-10-01

Book Description

Preeminent storytellers Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman have redefined epic fantasy. Since the publication of their Dragonlance series, millions of readers have enjoyed their imaginative world-building, rich characterization, and intricate storylines. Now these bestsellingauthors bring their talents to one of the most innovative fantasy creations ever in Dragon Wing, the first volume in The Death Gate Cycle.

Customer Reviews:

The epitome of fantasy ilk.......2007-06-23

I told myself I wouldn't go back and read this kind of ilk after reading other much better books, but I couldn't help myself since I've pretty much exhausted the fantasy genre. Anyway, it was a mistake. The genre isn't even completely fantasy - it's some kind of weird mixture of science fiction, fantasy and psuedo - philosophy/parody.

The premise is that the world is divided into realms one on top of one another. All ready a tad eye rolling. Not a good setting to say the least. The authors had to invent some new floating rock called coralite. Anyway, this book is basically two viewpoints: Hugh the Hand and Limbeck Bolttightner (stupid name). The first fifty pages weren't bad. Not great, but highly readable.

Then everything goes to hell when the view shifts over to the dwarf. First of all, what's the point of calling dwarves gegs? The author even refers to them as dwarves first. Maybe to make them seem more juvenile then they all ready are. But, anyway, Limbeck's story is basically some kind of weird dwarven version of 1984. Basically, he's an enlightened dwarf among a race of childlike dwarves and he's determined to make remove their ignorance. Basically, all the dwarves worship the elves or the people who live on top them. Meanwhile, they all do work for this like super machine called "the kicksey winsey" How suitable is that? Kicksey winsey. All the dwarves have their roles and do their work unquestioningly. Then quite suitably, you have this revolutionary organization called WUPP (shudder) who is going about writing pamphlets and making speeches run by Limbeck's bossy wife named Jarre.

Hugh the Hand's story arc is a tad better with him escorting some simple boy prince who isn't really so simple. Unfortunately, he had to be named "Bane." Prince Bane!

Then there's the Sartan missionary named Haplo who is supposed to be sent back for vengeance for being shunned. But then he's accompanied by a loyal dog who licks his face and barks at strangers. Am I the only one sensing some kind of contradiction in tones here?

I'm not looking for any great masterpiece here but all the characters are cardboard cutouts and two dimensional at best. You got the mercenary Hugh who'll do anything for money. The clumsy chamberlain named Alfred who falls down every other page.

Essentially, the names are bordering on ridiculous: Hugh the Hand, Boltightner, Magicka, Sinistrad, and Prince Bane. All ready not good signs. Seriously, if you 've read better books, please skip this ilk. If you're determined to read Hickman and Weiss, read Chronicles which is a tad better.

Seriously, if you think this is the 'best fantasy' you've ever read, you really need to be trying OTHER books by OTHER authors. This book is fluff at best. The tones are so mixed up sometimes you're not sure if it's a comedy or what not. I'm not sure if the dwarven part is supposed to be comedy relief or if it's a serious rendition of 1984. But the tone is so silly you can hardly take it seriously at all. Kicksey winsey!

Part of one of the greatest series of fantasy books every written.......2007-04-12

Long ago, the all-powerful Sartan broke the earth into five worlds - Air, Fire, Earth and Water, and the Labyrinth (a temporary prison for their equally-powerful enemy, the Patryns). But, something, somewhere went wrong. The Labyrinth turned into a murderous, self-aware, killer. And now, the first of the Patryns have escaped the Labyrinth, and they are looking for revenge.

Haplo, one of the escaped Patryns is sent through the Death Gate (which connects the five worlds) to Arianus, the World of Air, to foment chaos and prepare the world for conquest by the Patryns. Arianus is a world of islands floating in the sky, of dragons and elven airships, of empires and wizards, and of a marvelous machine that seems to accomplish...nothing. And where are the Sartan? Something has gone terribly wrong.

This is an excellent book, part of one of the greatest series of fantasy books every written. I first read this book when it came out in 1990, and every few years I read it again - it's that good! I love books that include elves, dwarves and wizards, but this series takes that genre and moves it in a direction you might have never expected. I love the fascinating worlds that the authors created, and also the interesting characters and institutions that fill them.

Overall, I think that this is one of the greatest series of fantasy books, if not the greatest. I highly recommend this book, and the other six that make up the series. Believe me, they are well worth your time!

Brilliant book, series.......2007-03-17

For a fan of high-fantasy, the Death Gate cycle is a must read. Dragon Wing, the first book of seven, is probably the best written in the series; the prose is tighter and plot twists are set up more cleverly than in later books in the series. However, each book in the series is imaginative and a delight to read. The premise is that a war between two races of warring gods, the wise Sartan and the brutal Patryns, ended in a Sartan victory and the sundering of the world into its four elemental parts. The Patryns, who have long been trapped in a separate prison world called the Labyrinth, have just begun to break free. You follow their first scout, Haplo, as he explores the four worlds in preparation for a new Patryn offensive to conquer the lesser races and the Sartan.

While not especially literary, the character development, political intrigue, and imaginativeness of the four worlds is gripping. The cheesy "4 elements" theme is completely revived by Weiss and Hickman's clever implementation. For instance, the World of Air in Dragon Wing is made up of floating islands of lighter-than-air coral. Dwarves enslaved by Elven masters operate a gigantic machine in a perpetual storm that provides the only water source, reducing humans to raiders only recently united under a strong monarchy. However, the elves have their own problem in the form of a strange rebellion that threatens to undermine their empire if a truce can be reached with the humans.

My main criticism with Dragon Wing in particular is that two of the central characters, Haplo and Hugh, have personalities that are almost indistinguishable in the beginning, which can make things a bit repetitive. But if you enjoy creative, well-written fantasy, it would be hard to do better than this one-time best-selling (but now obscure) fantasy series.

Solid work from fantasy pioneers.......2007-02-16

I will say that when I started reading this series, I was hoping for something much like Weis & Hickman's previous series: Dragonlance. What I found out was that I didn't know what I wanted to begin with. This book was very much different from that great old saga, but every bit as good. I thought the authors did a great job of transitioning the character of Haplo. Nothing was sudden, it was a gradual change of attitude and ideology over the course of the entire series from hate and vengance, to understanding and compassion (even though the hard determined edge never left). The other characters were fairly good, even though Bane was incredibly annoying, and Zinfab was a deliberate play on Fizban, who was the god Paladin in disguise during the Dragonlance series. I never really understood, and don't think that it was explained in any way, why Zinfab always made references to pop culture from the late 1900s, but that is only a minor gripe. The story was really good, and extemely intricate. Wies and Hickman obviously put a lot of work into creating the settings, and explaining why they were the way that they were with stunning originality. This book was pretty good, but the series as a whole was great. I consider myself somewhere between a casual fantasy reader, and a hardcore fantasy reader, and I thought these books were worth every penny, and every minute spent reading.

Without a Doubt, My Favorite Fantasy Series of All Time........2007-01-16

There is not much I can say that has not already been said in previous reviews, but I'll try anyway. This series (The Death Gate Cycle) has cemented Weis and Hickman's places into fantasy fiction legend. This is an incredible story on a grand scale. Weis and Hickman's world building has always been top notch, but here, in these 4 separate worlds, they truly outdid themselves.

This is a complex, intricate plot sprinkled with unforgettable characters throughout. Even my wife, a person normally averse to the fantasy genre, loved the series. And it all starts with this book. If you like epic fantasy, do yourself a favor and pick this up. You'll be glad you did.

The Soulforge (Dragonlance: The Raistlin Chronicles, Book 1)

Average customer rating:

The Test is in this one! Have a seat.
A resounding eh
Excellent
A GREAT ADDITION TO THE DRAGONLANCE SERIES
Excellent Back Story

The Soulforge (Dragonlance: The Raistlin Chronicles, Book 1)
Margaret Weis
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Epic | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Entertainment Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Gaming | Science Fiction & Fantasy | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Brothers in Arms (Dragonlance: Raistlin Chronicles, Book 2)
Dragons of Summer Flame
The Second Generation
The War of Souls Trilogy Gift Set: Dragons of a Fallen Sun, Dragons of a Lost Star, Dragons of a Vanished Moon (Dragonlance Series)
Legends Gift Set: Time of the Twins, War of the Twins, and Test of the Twins (Dragonlance: Legends Trilogy)

ASIN: 0786913142
Release Date: 1999-01-01

Book Description

A mage's soul is forged in the crucible of magic. Raistlin Majere is six years old when he is introduced to the archmage who enrolls him in a school for the study of magic. There the gifted and talented but tormented boy comes to see magic as his salvation. Mages in the magical Tower of High Sorcery watch him in secret, for they see shadows darkening over Raistlin even as the same shadows lengthen over all Ansalon.

Finally, Raistlin draws near his goal of becoming a wizard. But first he must take the drea Test in the Tower of High Sorcery. It will change his life forever -- if he survives.

Customer Reviews:

The Test is in this one! Have a seat........2007-01-10

Wow! Raistlin fan or not this is a great book. I, of course like most of the people who read Dragonlance, like Raistlin but I am not a huge fan per say but I do find him interesting to read. A lot of my question were resolved here not all but many.
Perhaps the best part about this book is that you get to witness the Test that Raistlin endured! You've heard about out it for a long time now and finally your in the midst of it all! WOOT!
Three highlights ** Slight Spoilers ** (but not really) :)
1) Meeting all the old friends Cameron, Raistlin, Tanis, Tas, Tika, Otik, Flint, Sturm, etc. and learning about them as they met. Watching them make a covenant to return to Solace to meet again...which, if I remember, brings you to the first book you read...the Dragons of Autumn Twilight. (I liked that part)
2) Raistlin's Test
3) Raistlin's Letter at the end which gives you the reason for the book you just finished,

The Soulforge, was well written and thrill. I think this book, of all the Dragonlance books I've read to date, has answered more questions than any other novel yet.

*This review is being updated and brough over from an older account.

A resounding eh.......2006-07-17

I am not quite sure why people are giving this 5 stars and a perfect rating. This is nowhere near classic literature, nor is is a wonderous example of english prose.

All that aside, I simply found this book slow. If you are a huge Raistlin fan, then this might have something for you. Really all you do is follow his life day by day from childhood to adulthood. Really boring and drab with about 3 pages total of action.

The second book in this set was much better, and I would pick up a third if it gets written. By itself, this book doesn't really stand for itself at all. I have liked many of Weis' books, but this one is down there at the bottom of the stack.

Excellent.......2006-01-02

Really good to read after you've read Chronicles because you just HAVE to know more about Raistlin!

A GREAT ADDITION TO THE DRAGONLANCE SERIES.......2005-12-05

Soulforge is an extremely exciting book that takes you across a wide range of characters and adventures. The book takes you through the life of young Raistlin Majere who becomes the greatest and most powerful mage that has ever lived. As a child, Raistlin grew up in the shadow of his twin brother Caramon Majere, who was strong and good-looking. But Raistlin had something his brother could never have, a smart, quick mind. With that intelligent mind, Raistlin Majere guides himself through the hardships of his childhood and for later on in his life. This book sets up the stage for the later chapters of Raistlin's life, in which Raistlin faces the dark goddess Talkhis in his quest to become a god. In Soulforge, Raistlin meets his friends who soon all become Heroes of the Lance. There is Tanis, the Half-Elven, Flint, the stubborn dwarf, Caramon, his brother, Sturm, the stouthearted knight, and Tasslehoff, the mischievous kender. With his friends, Raistlin fights against a false religious group, saves a town, and soon all learn to share a bond that is something far more than normal friendship. But through it all, while being taught magic at the local magic school, Raistlin has a yearning for something greater. Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman do a fantastic job in helping us see how Raistlin turned out to become the person he later becomes. Through the tragedies that Rastlin faces, he uses them to strengthen his resolve for something greater. I would recommend this book for all fantasy lovers and people who love Raistlin's character. I had trouble going to sleep because reading this book kept me so awake. All fantasy lovers MUST read this book.

Excellent Back Story.......2005-11-27

Raistlin is one of my favorite literary characters ever, and this is a good prequel into his young life.

I suggest reading this after you have read the Chronicles, as not to spoil some character development, but before the Legends series. If you enjoy learning about Wizards and thier trials, you will definately enjoy this book!

Authors:

Authors

Authors