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Dragonlance: Chronicles #Book 1, Part 1
A Rumor of Dragons
The reunion of old friends--an outcast in love with a princess, a would-be warrior, a wizard in training, a knight, an elderly dwarf, and a childlike kender--becomes a final struggle to save their homeland from the Dark Queen's wrath.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1984
20 people are currently reading
1111 people want to read
About the author
Margaret Weis
677 books5,860 followersMargaret Edith Weis is an American fantasy and science fiction author of dozens of novels and short stories. At TSR, Inc., she teamed with Tracy Hickman to create the Dragonlance role-playing game (RPG) world. She is founding CEO and owner of Sovereign Press, Inc and Margaret Weis Productions, licensing several popular television and movie franchises to make RPG series in addition to their own.
In 1999, Pyramid magazine named Weis one of The Millennium's Most Influential Persons, saying she and Hickman are "basically responsible for the entire gaming fiction genre". In 2002, she was inducted into the Origins Hall of Fame in part for Dragonlance.
In 1999, Pyramid magazine named Weis one of The Millennium's Most Influential Persons, saying she and Hickman are "basically responsible for the entire gaming fiction genre". In 2002, she was inducted into the Origins Hall of Fame in part for Dragonlance.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
March 16, 2021
The fact that this version exists is fascinating. The original trilogy sliced into six books, targeted at readers 8-12. I had hoped I could get my son into the series, to pull him away from or leverage his interest in the long-running "Unofficial Minecraft" novels, but apparently not a thing to be.
Other than subdividing the brick of pages, I'm not certain of the difference. Though, looking again, no difference was really advertised.
I had read the Dragonlance Chronicles in high school, and at the time found them perfectly serviceable tales of die-rolling adventure in a recognizable setting with odd differences. At this starting point, the world is obviously on the brink of something, and is just the place where a Group of Unlikely Adventurers would become involved.
Said Group is, of course, a motley collection whose backstories have to be hammered to fit, and each one has an entire backstory and plot arc that jostles for time and attention with the rest. Some, like Raistlin, have aged...poorly. A cool and edgy character encountered as a teenager becomes someone extremely punchable many decades later.
In all, I _could_ finish this, but don't want to. Still serviceable, still an interesting world, but I don't like the telling.
Other than subdividing the brick of pages, I'm not certain of the difference. Though, looking again, no difference was really advertised.
I had read the Dragonlance Chronicles in high school, and at the time found them perfectly serviceable tales of die-rolling adventure in a recognizable setting with odd differences. At this starting point, the world is obviously on the brink of something, and is just the place where a Group of Unlikely Adventurers would become involved.
Said Group is, of course, a motley collection whose backstories have to be hammered to fit, and each one has an entire backstory and plot arc that jostles for time and attention with the rest. Some, like Raistlin, have aged...poorly. A cool and edgy character encountered as a teenager becomes someone extremely punchable many decades later.
In all, I _could_ finish this, but don't want to. Still serviceable, still an interesting world, but I don't like the telling.
October 18, 2016
An enjoyable fantasy read.
October 24, 2010
Loved it! It's like Lord of the Rings. I've been looking for a sci-fi fantasy series that I could get into, and this was perfect. It's actually children's fiction for ages 8-13 which is some of the best fiction I've ever read because there's not alot of symbolism or romance in it, simply action and relationships between characters.
My favorite genre by far is poetry & classic literature, but sometimes it get so complicated. Last week I was at a bookstore in Erie called Books Galore. It is a wonderful place that sells new and used books, comics, games. What I would call a "geek store". I saw this series and I wanted to do some light reading, so I picked it up. I bought the next five in the series today.
It's about a group of companions on a journey in this medieval world of some other dimension. They have to fight off an evil force and they have their own rulers and creatures and what not. Not unique, not original, but I was really into it. The way the authors write the story just flows and you don't want to put it down. It's not boring at all.
My favorite genre by far is poetry & classic literature, but sometimes it get so complicated. Last week I was at a bookstore in Erie called Books Galore. It is a wonderful place that sells new and used books, comics, games. What I would call a "geek store". I saw this series and I wanted to do some light reading, so I picked it up. I bought the next five in the series today.
It's about a group of companions on a journey in this medieval world of some other dimension. They have to fight off an evil force and they have their own rulers and creatures and what not. Not unique, not original, but I was really into it. The way the authors write the story just flows and you don't want to put it down. It's not boring at all.
May 15, 2021
Oje. Ojeojeoje. Die Eröffnungsszene hatte mir richtig gut gefallen (ein Pub, eine Schlägerei, vermummte Typen, Magie). Doch von da an ging es so steil bergab, dass ich mich schon arg gequält habe. Diese Serie sollte das Pen and Paper Spiel Dragonlance bewerben und das spürt man. Sehr oberflächliche Charaktere irren hier episodenhaft durch eine sehr einfach gehaltene Fantasywelt.
August 24, 2017
.
This is definitely a worthwhile, fantasy, adventure that I enjoyed very much.
Would recommend!
This is definitely a worthwhile, fantasy, adventure that I enjoyed very much.
Would recommend!
May 21, 2017
Wish I could have read it while still a child.
February 6, 2016
WOW! Just what I had been looking for in a fantasy!
January 24, 2021
I wanted to like this book.
I remember liking Weis and Hickman when they first started churning out the Dragon Lance Chronicles. But...
I can almost see the Dragon Master rolling the dice and someone transcribing the dialogue, which became this book. And, like most DnD episodes, where the DM doesn't want the participants to die off to early in the game, coincidental rescues or mysterious luck plays a large role. Fighting off a large army of draconians and then escaping by going into the woods, no chase. Even Flint asks directly "Why aren't they following us?" The characters are shallow, extremely so, and you can tell someone mentioned this to the writers so they tried to tack on a backstory as they moved along.
A children's story.
I could not find my copy of Dragons of Autumn Twilight, so I borrowed my daughter's A Rumor of Dragons, the kid's version. From what I can tell, they took out the swear words. I was hoping that reading Autumn Twilight I would find it better, but when I did get a copy, I find it just as poorly done as the kid's version. Didn't read Autumn, or do a deep compare, just scanned to see if there was a fuller realization of a story there.
Very disappointed. Given my memories of reading a good tale, and the strong following for these authors, I was expecting better. I would hope that the writing, and the series, gets better as the authors become more experienced, but I don't think I'll invest the time to find out.
A Rumor is only the first third of Autumn's Twilight. It just stops, hacked off at the one-third mark.
No teaser, no presentment, to entice you to read the next episode. Just the knowledge that there is another book out there. I have them all, but will return them back to my daughter, unread. I'll try hold on to my memories of a good tale told.
Interestingly, I am concurrently reading Stephen Baxter's Manifold Space. Here is an author who cannot leave a single idea that he has run across out of his narrative! Victor Hugo approach to a space yarn - a space epic. Opposite completely from the approach of A Rumor. From having no detail, no depth, to only having detail and depth; a story must be hidden somewhere in all Stephen's depth. Just. Got. To. Find. It.
I remember liking Weis and Hickman when they first started churning out the Dragon Lance Chronicles. But...
I can almost see the Dragon Master rolling the dice and someone transcribing the dialogue, which became this book. And, like most DnD episodes, where the DM doesn't want the participants to die off to early in the game, coincidental rescues or mysterious luck plays a large role. Fighting off a large army of draconians and then escaping by going into the woods, no chase. Even Flint asks directly "Why aren't they following us?" The characters are shallow, extremely so, and you can tell someone mentioned this to the writers so they tried to tack on a backstory as they moved along.
A children's story.
I could not find my copy of Dragons of Autumn Twilight, so I borrowed my daughter's A Rumor of Dragons, the kid's version. From what I can tell, they took out the swear words. I was hoping that reading Autumn Twilight I would find it better, but when I did get a copy, I find it just as poorly done as the kid's version. Didn't read Autumn, or do a deep compare, just scanned to see if there was a fuller realization of a story there.
Very disappointed. Given my memories of reading a good tale, and the strong following for these authors, I was expecting better. I would hope that the writing, and the series, gets better as the authors become more experienced, but I don't think I'll invest the time to find out.
A Rumor is only the first third of Autumn's Twilight. It just stops, hacked off at the one-third mark.
No teaser, no presentment, to entice you to read the next episode. Just the knowledge that there is another book out there. I have them all, but will return them back to my daughter, unread. I'll try hold on to my memories of a good tale told.
Interestingly, I am concurrently reading Stephen Baxter's Manifold Space. Here is an author who cannot leave a single idea that he has run across out of his narrative! Victor Hugo approach to a space yarn - a space epic. Opposite completely from the approach of A Rumor. From having no detail, no depth, to only having detail and depth; a story must be hidden somewhere in all Stephen's depth. Just. Got. To. Find. It.
January 23, 2022
So this book has your classic fantasy adventure, with a band of adventurers who have excellent banter together and a penchant for slapstick humor to break up the periods of angst and action. As someone who is rereading this after having read whole collections of Dragonlance books years ago, this does a great job of introducing these characters who have spin-off adventures, prequels, sequels, and mentions in other books belonging to the Dragonlance series.
Some other reviewers have mentioned this is definitely not good writing, but I would argue that the writing is okay, and places around an older kid to teenage reading level. Most adults aren't going to enjoy this much unless you're just reading it to get some context on the characters. Many of their successive novels are better for older teens and adults.
However, some aspects of this book have aged poorly.
It's the Plainsmen, who are obviously based on Native Americans, that has really aged the worst. Riverwind and Goldmoon; the names themselves, the references to what types of clothes they wear, tribes and calling the leader chieftain, a cultural isolation that makes them appear uneducated about the rest of the world, and very frequent use of the words "barbaric" and "barbarian." The writers might have been well-intentioned and weren't blatantly racist against these Plainsmen characters, but the worldbuilding in respect to this fantasy community was woefully lacking and reads as painfully outdated (my edition says it was published in 2003). Caramon also makes a comment about the group of adventurers "sticking out like a gem in a g*psy's navel" that had me doing a double take. I'm not even sure that makes sense in-world unless Romani exist in Krynn. So that's a line that has also aged poorly.
The slapstick comedy, with characters hitting each other to get them to be quiet or in an argument, and stepping on the shorter characters in the rush of action, is funny at times, although I would say it's better for a younger audience. Flint and Tas make for a classic comedy duo, in this respect. Rereading this as an adult, I found it a bit sad. I wanted these characters to be friends and enjoy each other's company, yet here they were, knocking each other down and telling each other to shut up.
Another thing that made me uncomfortable was the trope of beauty equals goodness. I might typically ignore this trope, but the authors seemed to consistently reduce everything down to "ugly" and "beautiful" in scenes where they had the opportunity to give description or expand on how something was good or bad, or what a character's first impression of something/someone was. They seemed to just keep repeating the word "beautiful" when it came to Goldmoon's interactions with a goddess. Nowadays, this is a tired trope.
All in all, I was glad I reread this book from my childhood, uncovering some nostalgia and joining some beloved characters on this hectic adventure, but as you can probably tell from this review, the book in general just troubles me and didn't live up to my memories.
Some other reviewers have mentioned this is definitely not good writing, but I would argue that the writing is okay, and places around an older kid to teenage reading level. Most adults aren't going to enjoy this much unless you're just reading it to get some context on the characters. Many of their successive novels are better for older teens and adults.
However, some aspects of this book have aged poorly.
It's the Plainsmen, who are obviously based on Native Americans, that has really aged the worst. Riverwind and Goldmoon; the names themselves, the references to what types of clothes they wear, tribes and calling the leader chieftain, a cultural isolation that makes them appear uneducated about the rest of the world, and very frequent use of the words "barbaric" and "barbarian." The writers might have been well-intentioned and weren't blatantly racist against these Plainsmen characters, but the worldbuilding in respect to this fantasy community was woefully lacking and reads as painfully outdated (my edition says it was published in 2003). Caramon also makes a comment about the group of adventurers "sticking out like a gem in a g*psy's navel" that had me doing a double take. I'm not even sure that makes sense in-world unless Romani exist in Krynn. So that's a line that has also aged poorly.
The slapstick comedy, with characters hitting each other to get them to be quiet or in an argument, and stepping on the shorter characters in the rush of action, is funny at times, although I would say it's better for a younger audience. Flint and Tas make for a classic comedy duo, in this respect. Rereading this as an adult, I found it a bit sad. I wanted these characters to be friends and enjoy each other's company, yet here they were, knocking each other down and telling each other to shut up.
Another thing that made me uncomfortable was the trope of beauty equals goodness. I might typically ignore this trope, but the authors seemed to consistently reduce everything down to "ugly" and "beautiful" in scenes where they had the opportunity to give description or expand on how something was good or bad, or what a character's first impression of something/someone was. They seemed to just keep repeating the word "beautiful" when it came to Goldmoon's interactions with a goddess. Nowadays, this is a tired trope.
All in all, I was glad I reread this book from my childhood, uncovering some nostalgia and joining some beloved characters on this hectic adventure, but as you can probably tell from this review, the book in general just troubles me and didn't live up to my memories.
January 6, 2024
I found the entire 6-book set at a used book sale and was thinking about it for my 10-year old, since he’s played D&D and is starting to get into novel-length books. We’ve gotten through this one and are into the second book, and he seems to be enjoying it. A caveat about the 8-13 age range - the book directly mentions rape, albeit in the characters’ past. Also, if you’re of the school of thought that is concerned about the implications of real-world race and/or colonialism and D&D “races”, you will not enjoy the Gully Dwarves.
It definitely leans hard on the D&D rules and tropes - the characters (other than one of them, for spoilery reasons) are clearly pigeonholed into a D&D class, and the supposedly-very-powerfully Raistlin spends a lot of time flinging spell components and putting monsters to sleep. Having read the Hobbit and LotR with him already recently, where there’s more depth and complexity to the protagonists and their abilities, it seems a little jarring, but I don’t know that it would for a new reader.
I feel like the book ends in an extremely weird place due to either an effort to split the original novel equally or to create a cliffhanger, but if you’re interested in continuing the series that’s not a huge deal. Overall it was enjoyable and we’re continuing on with the series.
It definitely leans hard on the D&D rules and tropes - the characters (other than one of them, for spoilery reasons) are clearly pigeonholed into a D&D class, and the supposedly-very-powerfully Raistlin spends a lot of time flinging spell components and putting monsters to sleep. Having read the Hobbit and LotR with him already recently, where there’s more depth and complexity to the protagonists and their abilities, it seems a little jarring, but I don’t know that it would for a new reader.
I feel like the book ends in an extremely weird place due to either an effort to split the original novel equally or to create a cliffhanger, but if you’re interested in continuing the series that’s not a huge deal. Overall it was enjoyable and we’re continuing on with the series.
May 18, 2024
Wer hier ein literarisches Meisterwerk erwartet wird hier sicherlich enttäuscht werden. Wer allerdings eine spannende Fantasy Geschichte im klassischen Gewand mit Elfen, Zwergen, Drachen, etc. erwartet wird hier auf seine Kosten kommen. Die Charaktere sind toll und sympathisch geschrieben. Die Story ist interessant und hält die ein oder andere Überraschung parat. Auch gibt es die ein oder andere witzige Stelle im Buch.
Das Buch liest sich angenehm flüssig und recht zügig. In der Mitte gab es zumindest für mich einen kleinen Hänger. Aber als sich dann die Ereignisse überschlugen, nahm die Geschichte wieder deutlich an Fahrt auf.
In der ein oder anderen Rezension habe ich gelesen, dass manche das Buch bzw die Geschichte wie ein typisches D&D Abenteuer empfinden. Nun ja, die Vorlage ist halt Dungeons and Dragons. Doch nichtsdestotrotz ist die Geschichte sehr lesenswert dank der Charaktere und des Worldbuildings. Wer einen guten klassischen Fantasyroman erwartet kann hier bedenkenlos zugreifen, auch ohne Dungeons and Dragons Kenntnissen.
Das Buch liest sich angenehm flüssig und recht zügig. In der Mitte gab es zumindest für mich einen kleinen Hänger. Aber als sich dann die Ereignisse überschlugen, nahm die Geschichte wieder deutlich an Fahrt auf.
In der ein oder anderen Rezension habe ich gelesen, dass manche das Buch bzw die Geschichte wie ein typisches D&D Abenteuer empfinden. Nun ja, die Vorlage ist halt Dungeons and Dragons. Doch nichtsdestotrotz ist die Geschichte sehr lesenswert dank der Charaktere und des Worldbuildings. Wer einen guten klassischen Fantasyroman erwartet kann hier bedenkenlos zugreifen, auch ohne Dungeons and Dragons Kenntnissen.
December 29, 2025
I really wanted to like this book. The assembling of character characters in Solace was very reminiscent of the hobbit. I really like the characters of Tasselhof and Raistlin, but the others are simple tropes of the genre.
I found myself not caring at all about Riverwind and Goldmoon.
The writing is overly simplistic, and the authors give little detail to how the world works. Magic is as easy as snapping your fingers and there is no mysticism to it. The only redeeming and interesting concept to magic in this book is that clerics are a thing of the past.
I get that this book was written to sell modules, but I did not care for it at all.
I found myself not caring at all about Riverwind and Goldmoon.
The writing is overly simplistic, and the authors give little detail to how the world works. Magic is as easy as snapping your fingers and there is no mysticism to it. The only redeeming and interesting concept to magic in this book is that clerics are a thing of the past.
I get that this book was written to sell modules, but I did not care for it at all.
April 14, 2021
I guess my basic problem with this book is this: It just didn't feel real. It felt like a book.
You know what I mean? Those books that somehow grab your attention in a way that you forget which life you're really living? It's not one of those. It basically felt like a series of events, one after another, ad nauseam. I did not get emotionally involved in the story.
It does have some positive points. The characters are mature (it's not young adult), and there is some fun banter to be had. Some of the events were neat in their execution and fairly creative.
You know what I mean? Those books that somehow grab your attention in a way that you forget which life you're really living? It's not one of those. It basically felt like a series of events, one after another, ad nauseam. I did not get emotionally involved in the story.
It does have some positive points. The characters are mature (it's not young adult), and there is some fun banter to be had. Some of the events were neat in their execution and fairly creative.
March 17, 2020
Bogen skal læses med aldersgruppen 8-14 for øjet, men når man gør det, så er det en spændende og meget velskrevet historie.
Personerne er interessante på hver deres måde - kun Sturm irriterede mig max, men har enhver venneflok ikke sådan en....
Jeg bliver nød til at læse nogle flere og se hvordan historien udvikler sig. Jeg synes sagtens at voksne kan få noget ud af den trods dens status som bog for unge.
Personerne er interessante på hver deres måde - kun Sturm irriterede mig max, men har enhver venneflok ikke sådan en....
Jeg bliver nød til at læse nogle flere og se hvordan historien udvikler sig. Jeg synes sagtens at voksne kan få noget ud af den trods dens status som bog for unge.
July 13, 2020
An interesting start to what should be a very enjoyable series. Different, interesting, characters, a story that moves well. Some of the perspective changes feel a bit awkward when reading, and at least once or twice they were bad enough to knock me out of the story, and try to figure out what the heck was going on, but overall, I think it's a good read.
January 9, 2018
This was a really nice easy read. I thoroughly enjoy how the leader portrays leadership and how a team needs to function. I also thought that the characters have just the right amount of power as well as the enemies. This novel really sets up the rest of the series nicely.
July 16, 2018
Ganske fin fantasy roman. Ser frem til forsættelsen. Man kan tydelig læse at det er baseret på D&D (Dungeons and Dragons) spilkampagne, hvilket gøre nogle passager i historien lidt langtrukne. Kan varmt anbefales for fans af D&D og High Fantasy genren.
November 5, 2020
To be honest this was more about reading Danish and that worked unexpectedly well. I couldn‘t claim I understood every word but I certainly got most of what goes on and that is quite entertaining. I really love the Bulpers, whatever they are. And with such a cliffhanger I have to go on.
June 22, 2018
Review by C.W. : "D&D fantasy novel; first in the Dragonlance Chronicles series. Excellent."
September 21, 2021
Classic Dragonlance, much love.
January 19, 2026
Wow what a wonderful start to the Chronicles, just love it.
December 30, 2020
God nostalgi og flot oplæsning.
Ikke den mest nervepirrende læsning, men et spændende persongalleri og god handling.
Ikke den mest nervepirrende læsning, men et spændende persongalleri og god handling.
January 14, 2025
I bought this for my daughter as an entry point into Dungeons & Dragons. When we played our first D&D game together (PC: Archery), I borrowed situations from Dragons of Autumn Twilight. So, when it came time for her to read a D&D novel herself, I chose this kid-friendly version of Hickman & Weis’ famous novel. I’m not sure she ever read it, but it was a nice shared experience for me reading through it and remembering that first D&D game with her. Very nostalgic.
Objectively, it’s not as well-written as the original novels themselves; however, it is perfect for what it is.
Objectively, it’s not as well-written as the original novels themselves; however, it is perfect for what it is.
March 30, 2012
It wasn't bad, it just wasn't MY type of fantasy novel. I prefer princesses and the like in comparison to a mainly guy team with a female that I actually question sanity about--honestly, at one point, when she jumps up to heal the "injured Draconian", obviously a trap--later, when everyone says "it was no one's fault" I was like: No, no, it was DEFINITELY her fault. But yeah, that cliffhanger is the only thing keeping me reading this series.
It was a reccomendation, so I tried to read it with love and care, but eh. Tas was adorable-sounding, Flint was a bit too stubborn, Tanis was "omg-what should I do now" too often, Riverwind and Goldmoon were a cute couple, and the brothers...so mysterious o.O I felt like I missed a novel before this...
It was a reccomendation, so I tried to read it with love and care, but eh. Tas was adorable-sounding, Flint was a bit too stubborn, Tanis was "omg-what should I do now" too often, Riverwind and Goldmoon were a cute couple, and the brothers...so mysterious o.O I felt like I missed a novel before this...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 5, 2017
Really about a three and a half, but I liked it enough by the end to round up.
This book took several chapters to really get going, and it felt like a bit of a slog at the start. But the last few chapters were much better and I was greatly enjoying myself...until the very end. I subscribe to the theory that a book in a series must both stand on its own and fit into the series as a whole. Apparently A Rumor of Dragons disagrees, stopping quite literally in the middle of a scene. Honestly I was irritated enough I'd probably leave the entire series there except for the fact this was a gift from my nephew and he was smart enough to include the second book as well. Hopefully it will complete the story?
This book took several chapters to really get going, and it felt like a bit of a slog at the start. But the last few chapters were much better and I was greatly enjoying myself...until the very end. I subscribe to the theory that a book in a series must both stand on its own and fit into the series as a whole. Apparently A Rumor of Dragons disagrees, stopping quite literally in the middle of a scene. Honestly I was irritated enough I'd probably leave the entire series there except for the fact this was a gift from my nephew and he was smart enough to include the second book as well. Hopefully it will complete the story?
January 28, 2010
I'm reading this to Joe as a bedtime story. I have had to skip bit of gore that he wouldn't appreciate. This is for 8-13 year olds? It's the Lord of the Rings sort of story with a mismatch of companions on an adventure. The story is good and it is well written.
Language warning: I've had to skip a couple curses, and just a bit of kissing (Mom, mom, skip the yucky stuff!)
We liked it, it kept our interest and we will be looking for the next in the series.
Language warning: I've had to skip a couple curses, and just a bit of kissing (Mom, mom, skip the yucky stuff!)
We liked it, it kept our interest and we will be looking for the next in the series.
July 9, 2018
I enjoyed the book although at the time I felt is left something to be desired. I realize that is because it was age appropriate and not what I had grown accustomed to reading but I still find the plot line hard to recall and unappealing for a re-read.
Tarot Card: Art Of Life - Seven of Pentacles-This card warns a reader not to make hasty decisions and perhaps pick up the next in the series.
Tarot Card: Art Of Life - Seven of Pentacles-This card warns a reader not to make hasty decisions and perhaps pick up the next in the series.
March 18, 2009
Its way good, my dad's actually read all of these books (about three dozen books in the series) and so that got me into them, but the only problem is their is at the very least 500 pages. We have a whole book case dedicated to the Dragon Lance books! Its pretty cool!
October 25, 2010
A truly splendid tale. A reprint of the first half of Dragons of Autumn Twilight. This series started me into a deep love for fantasy along with the Hobbit. Rereading this book even spurred me to work on some of my own writing. This is grade A fantasy at its best. =)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews