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War Wizard #1
Dragonlance: War Wizard
The first volume of a new epic trilogy set in the world of Krynn, written by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, the creators of Dragonlance.
340 pages, Hardcover
First published August 4, 2026
About the author
Margaret Weis
685 books5,989 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 - 19 of 19 reviews
August 14, 2026
I have a complicated relationship with Dragonlance. I loved these books at a formative point in my life, and the stories and characters of Krynn have stayed with me ever since. Revisiting some of the original novels as an adult, however, revealed how pedestrian the writing often was. War Wizard, unfortunately, suggests not much has changed. The story takes us back more than a thousand years before the War of the Lance to the youth of Huma and Magius, legendary figures whose friendship helped shape the history of Krynn. There ought to be something exciting about finally seeing that legend from the inside, but too much of the novel is concerned with explaining the world and retelling lore rather than allowing us to discover it through the characters.
The greater problem is that those characters rarely feel like people capable of surprising us. Huma is the honourable would-be knight, Magius the persecuted young wizard, and the conflict between Solamnic suspicion of magic and their unlikely friendship is laid out very plainly. They are archetypes with too little contradiction or nuance to make a story whose broad direction we already know feel newly alive. Perhaps I should be more forgiving. Dragonlance was always built from fantasy archetypes, and nostalgia inevitably remembers the stories that captured us more generously than the prose that told them. But after forty years I had hoped Weis and Hickman might bring greater depth to those old forms.
There are pleasures here simply in being back in Krynn, recognising the names, places and pieces of history that once meant so much to me. That was enough to carry me to the end, but never with much enthusiasm. War Wizard gave me another visit to a world I still love without giving me much reason to care about this particular journey through it.
The greater problem is that those characters rarely feel like people capable of surprising us. Huma is the honourable would-be knight, Magius the persecuted young wizard, and the conflict between Solamnic suspicion of magic and their unlikely friendship is laid out very plainly. They are archetypes with too little contradiction or nuance to make a story whose broad direction we already know feel newly alive. Perhaps I should be more forgiving. Dragonlance was always built from fantasy archetypes, and nostalgia inevitably remembers the stories that captured us more generously than the prose that told them. But after forty years I had hoped Weis and Hickman might bring greater depth to those old forms.
There are pleasures here simply in being back in Krynn, recognising the names, places and pieces of history that once meant so much to me. That was enough to carry me to the end, but never with much enthusiasm. War Wizard gave me another visit to a world I still love without giving me much reason to care about this particular journey through it.
August 4, 2026
Despite having a stomach bug that could fell Chemosh I got the book done in one night and 1st review. I understand Richard A Knaaks Huma exists and is first. It is still an awesome story and is allowed to exist and should be read. It's Weiss snd Hickmans world so let them do what they want. Also it's like a great folklore hero they are so much larger than life they have numerous origin stories. It may not be " old Dragonlance "but it's still Dragonlance and I had a blast. I look forward to the next one eagerly and would recommend. Thank you Margaret and Tracey . P.s please more Huma. Goes without saying but Rest in Peace Dibs. You got me my start in table top and cool nerd stuff. Dragonlance was our series bro. Gaming isn't the same without you. Miss you bro.
Did Not Finish
August 9, 2026I just couldn't care enough to finish this book, it reads more like a history textbook than a lived in story. Anything that happens is just related by the characters rather than shown.
August 15, 2026
War Wizard is trip into the past of the most early days of two of its most legendary heroes.
Back in the 80’s when the Dragonlance Chronicles and Legends were all the craze….one extra book was required reading.
It was the Legend of Huma by Richard A. Knaak. This was mainly due to those two trilogies referencing Huma throughout. The Knight who last defeated the God Takhisis.
But he didn’t do it alone. He had a wizard companion. This is their story.
This starts off fairly mild with scorn on magic and one who wishes to learn it. It soon ramps up though with trials to be tackled, plots underfoot and friendships being fostered. By books end things are escalating with a Great War looming ahead.
As always, it’s fun light hearted entry level fantasy. Dragonlance holds a very nostalgic place in my heart and this new series gives me another opportunity to rekindle those feelings of yesteryear.
Back in the 80’s when the Dragonlance Chronicles and Legends were all the craze….one extra book was required reading.
It was the Legend of Huma by Richard A. Knaak. This was mainly due to those two trilogies referencing Huma throughout. The Knight who last defeated the God Takhisis.
But he didn’t do it alone. He had a wizard companion. This is their story.
This starts off fairly mild with scorn on magic and one who wishes to learn it. It soon ramps up though with trials to be tackled, plots underfoot and friendships being fostered. By books end things are escalating with a Great War looming ahead.
As always, it’s fun light hearted entry level fantasy. Dragonlance holds a very nostalgic place in my heart and this new series gives me another opportunity to rekindle those feelings of yesteryear.
August 4, 2026
Many years ago, a trilogy was published, about the most unlikely of heroes. Heroes who messed up, argued, experienced sometimes crippling self-doubt, and who didn’t necessarily even like each other. This trilogy was the Dragonlance Chronicles, and it introduced a world replete with its own lore and history. Part of that history was the tale of the famous knight Huma, and the equally famed wizard, Magius. The pair rode straight from reality into lore, on the wings of dragons. But, before they became venerated icons, they were two young men trying to find their way in the world.
This is that story.
Dragonlance is known for many things: the epic size of its world, the Dungeons and Dragons connection, the staggering number of novels in the series, and its action. What I think people sometimes miss, because it’s so inherent in Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman’s writing, is the attention paid to crafting nuanced characters. It’s never just “the magic user” or “the knight”: job descriptions come much farther down the list, below motivations, fears, flaws; all the things that make us human. In fact, take out the knight aspect, and the ability to cast spells, and you have two believable characters that could exist in any book genre, without fantastical additions. The strength of this book is in the way it grabs you and makes you immediately invested in Magius, not just his role in the history of Dragonlance, but how he becomes that larger-than-life figure.
This is one of the best books I’ve read in quite a while, a perfect reminder of why I love fantasy in the first place. I appreciate an epic battle as much as the next person, and I love dragons, but fantasy is more than that. It’s a safe stage from which to explore themes such as self-discovery, sacrifice, love, and loss. Add in a monster or two, and I’m sold! I expected War Wizard to be amazing, and my expectations were met and then exceeded.
This isn’t a novel with nonstop action. It takes its time, letting the reader peel back the layers of Magius and Huma’s relationship. How it sprang from Magius’ truly horrific young life (there are two scenes toward the beginning that were difficult for me to read, in all honesty, although they are essential to the plot and not there for shock value); how Huma accepted every aspect of Magius, including his magic, without question. And how this friendship will be tested as events unfold and war becomes inevitable.
The smaller cast of characters were all extremely well developed, and their relationships helped mold Magius. No one was superfluous and each scene mattered. I loved Louise, Huma’s mom. It’s not often that a mother character gets more than a line or two in a fantasy book, so seeing her as a larger part of the narrative was fantastic. She wasn’t just a vaguely supportive background figure either, which is something that irritates me in fantasy books. She played a huge role in both the strength of character, and the morals of her kids. She also spoke her mind, whether people wanted her to or not.
War Wizard walks that fine line between going straight into the story and setting things up for future novels in the trilogy. Fans of Dragonlance will recognize some things, such as a certain staff, while newcomers will also be able to follow along and become invested in Dragonlance. This means that new readers can technically use this as an entry point, although I still strongly recommend reading the Chronicles and Legends trilogies first (incidentally, they’re both currently available in gorgeous omnibus form). This is a novel set long before the events in the original two trilogies, so how you view the series and world itself will vary based on if you start at the beginning or if you jump in here.
The stakes get higher as the novel continues, with the last third of the book putting things in motion that will echo throughout the many ages of Dragonlance. Every story has a “once upon a time” and every hero has a starting point. The origins of Magius and Huma are brilliantly written and I was hooked immediately. I’m desperate to see what happens next and how the story will grow. I know I’ve set my own traveling pack around here somewhere; I can’t wait to take up my hoopak and continue the adventure started in War Wizard.
Thank you to Margaret Weis for providing me with a copy of this book. My review is voluntary and my opinions are completely my own.
Review originally appeared on my blog: https://wittyandsarcasticbookclub.hom...
This is that story.
Dragonlance is known for many things: the epic size of its world, the Dungeons and Dragons connection, the staggering number of novels in the series, and its action. What I think people sometimes miss, because it’s so inherent in Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman’s writing, is the attention paid to crafting nuanced characters. It’s never just “the magic user” or “the knight”: job descriptions come much farther down the list, below motivations, fears, flaws; all the things that make us human. In fact, take out the knight aspect, and the ability to cast spells, and you have two believable characters that could exist in any book genre, without fantastical additions. The strength of this book is in the way it grabs you and makes you immediately invested in Magius, not just his role in the history of Dragonlance, but how he becomes that larger-than-life figure.
This is one of the best books I’ve read in quite a while, a perfect reminder of why I love fantasy in the first place. I appreciate an epic battle as much as the next person, and I love dragons, but fantasy is more than that. It’s a safe stage from which to explore themes such as self-discovery, sacrifice, love, and loss. Add in a monster or two, and I’m sold! I expected War Wizard to be amazing, and my expectations were met and then exceeded.
This isn’t a novel with nonstop action. It takes its time, letting the reader peel back the layers of Magius and Huma’s relationship. How it sprang from Magius’ truly horrific young life (there are two scenes toward the beginning that were difficult for me to read, in all honesty, although they are essential to the plot and not there for shock value); how Huma accepted every aspect of Magius, including his magic, without question. And how this friendship will be tested as events unfold and war becomes inevitable.
The smaller cast of characters were all extremely well developed, and their relationships helped mold Magius. No one was superfluous and each scene mattered. I loved Louise, Huma’s mom. It’s not often that a mother character gets more than a line or two in a fantasy book, so seeing her as a larger part of the narrative was fantastic. She wasn’t just a vaguely supportive background figure either, which is something that irritates me in fantasy books. She played a huge role in both the strength of character, and the morals of her kids. She also spoke her mind, whether people wanted her to or not.
War Wizard walks that fine line between going straight into the story and setting things up for future novels in the trilogy. Fans of Dragonlance will recognize some things, such as a certain staff, while newcomers will also be able to follow along and become invested in Dragonlance. This means that new readers can technically use this as an entry point, although I still strongly recommend reading the Chronicles and Legends trilogies first (incidentally, they’re both currently available in gorgeous omnibus form). This is a novel set long before the events in the original two trilogies, so how you view the series and world itself will vary based on if you start at the beginning or if you jump in here.
The stakes get higher as the novel continues, with the last third of the book putting things in motion that will echo throughout the many ages of Dragonlance. Every story has a “once upon a time” and every hero has a starting point. The origins of Magius and Huma are brilliantly written and I was hooked immediately. I’m desperate to see what happens next and how the story will grow. I know I’ve set my own traveling pack around here somewhere; I can’t wait to take up my hoopak and continue the adventure started in War Wizard.
Thank you to Margaret Weis for providing me with a copy of this book. My review is voluntary and my opinions are completely my own.
Review originally appeared on my blog: https://wittyandsarcasticbookclub.hom...
August 11, 2026
As a long time Dragonlance Fan, I looked forward to reading this book. It was an easy and enjoyable experience. For those who've read the older novels, some elements regarding knighthood, magic, and the moons' influences are a reminder. I didn't mind that. it gave insight into the characters and their actions. Because of that, this would be a good book to introduce someone to the world of Krynn.
Huma and Magius are a young aspiring knight and fledgling wizard. They are joined with Huma's sister, Greta who longs to become a knight herself and determined to prove herself. This book is the telling of their coming of age and preparation for the next two novels in the series. Even so, the battles were absorbing. They battle a childhood enemy and ogres. They watch as a dragon soars overhead, knowing it is a portent of upcoming war. Not everyone survives but I will be marching into battle with those who remain.
Huma and Magius are a young aspiring knight and fledgling wizard. They are joined with Huma's sister, Greta who longs to become a knight herself and determined to prove herself. This book is the telling of their coming of age and preparation for the next two novels in the series. Even so, the battles were absorbing. They battle a childhood enemy and ogres. They watch as a dragon soars overhead, knowing it is a portent of upcoming war. Not everyone survives but I will be marching into battle with those who remain.
August 21, 2026
I read the hell out of the Dragonlance books as a kid, and a huge part of the appeal was getting to disappear into Krynn for a while instead of dealing with normal life. So I was genuinely excited to pick up War Wizard and see if that old magic was still there.
Not so much.
I did enjoy getting more backstory on the knights, and there were flashes of the world I remembered loving. The problem was I just could not make myself care about the characters in this one. At all. Which is a fairly serious problem when they insist on being in most of the book.
Maybe nostalgia set the bar too high, but this felt less like returning to an old favorite world and more like revisiting your childhood bedroom and realizing everything is much smaller than you remembered.
Not terrible. Just disappointingly flat.
Not so much.
I did enjoy getting more backstory on the knights, and there were flashes of the world I remembered loving. The problem was I just could not make myself care about the characters in this one. At all. Which is a fairly serious problem when they insist on being in most of the book.
Maybe nostalgia set the bar too high, but this felt less like returning to an old favorite world and more like revisiting your childhood bedroom and realizing everything is much smaller than you remembered.
Not terrible. Just disappointingly flat.
August 13, 2026
There was a point in the story that I thought this was going to be yet another time travel series but thankfully it was a misdirection.
Really easy read. I'll be interested to see how this trilogy bumps against The Legend of Huma as it progresses. Obviously different authors but The Legend of Huma is one of the few Actually Good non-Weis/Hickman Dragonlance stories and is actually the book that got me into the series years and years ago.
I'm looking forward to seeing one of the more notable characters in the lore get fleshed out over the course of the trilogy. Maybe we'll finally learn what other spells the Staff of Magius is imbued with other than the classic Shirak.
Really easy read. I'll be interested to see how this trilogy bumps against The Legend of Huma as it progresses. Obviously different authors but The Legend of Huma is one of the few Actually Good non-Weis/Hickman Dragonlance stories and is actually the book that got me into the series years and years ago.
I'm looking forward to seeing one of the more notable characters in the lore get fleshed out over the course of the trilogy. Maybe we'll finally learn what other spells the Staff of Magius is imbued with other than the classic Shirak.
August 14, 2026
oh my gosh i love this world and these characters so muuuuuch. dragonlance is just pure nostalgic comfort reading for me and i still can’t get over the fact that the authors of my favourite books from the 80s are back adding to that same series in 2026!!
loved learning more about magius and huma and this cleverly taps into the magic of the old stories while also subverting some of the classic plot tropes, with some very very surprising fun turns of events near the end.
big fan and i can’t wait for the next one.
loved learning more about magius and huma and this cleverly taps into the magic of the old stories while also subverting some of the classic plot tropes, with some very very surprising fun turns of events near the end.
big fan and i can’t wait for the next one.
August 17, 2026
I am a sucker for Dragonlance books. I have fond memories of reading the first book in the series when it came out in the mid 1980s. Since that first book, there have been countless Dragonlance books written; some were good, but others were awful. I rate this book as an above-average Dragonlance book. I fully admit nostalgia played a large part in that rating.
It was a fairly quick and easy read, and I think that if you are a fan of Dragonlance novels, you will like this one.
It was a fairly quick and easy read, and I think that if you are a fan of Dragonlance novels, you will like this one.
August 17, 2026
A bit tricky perhaps, considering The Legend of Huma by Richard A. Knaak and it's sequel were
already established, and generally beloved by fans. Weis and Hickman are the originators of Dragonlance. Theirs really are the only stories worth reading, with few exceptions. What makes this hard is that Knaak's book is one of those exceptions, probably the best example. This book holds up. I actually can't wait to read the next one. I'm excited for the first time since War of Souls.
already established, and generally beloved by fans. Weis and Hickman are the originators of Dragonlance. Theirs really are the only stories worth reading, with few exceptions. What makes this hard is that Knaak's book is one of those exceptions, probably the best example. This book holds up. I actually can't wait to read the next one. I'm excited for the first time since War of Souls.
August 28, 2026
I have been reading Dragonlance stories for over 35 years and they have had their highs and lows over the decades. War Wizard falls right into the middle of the peaks and valleys as a story I could have skipped and not missed much but was written well enough to finish.
I think the challenges with these types of stories is we know the characters already, their story arcs, and revisiting the characters didn’t shine enough new material about their history to wow me.
I think the challenges with these types of stories is we know the characters already, their story arcs, and revisiting the characters didn’t shine enough new material about their history to wow me.
August 31, 2026
I have enjoyed Weis-Hickman books in the past and was excited to start this one. Unfortunately, this book didn't work for me. An child abused for having magic, kills his father, is adopted and promises to stop working magic but doesn't and on top of that changes his name to Magius. Felt like at a young age, he was already an arrogant wizard. I finished the book, but didn't care enough about the characters to look for a sequel.
August 22, 2026
A warm, character-driven Dragonlance origin story built around friendship, magic, honor and the choices that turn ordinary young people into legendary figures. Patient in its setup but increasingly rewarding as it progresses, with a particularly strong final act that leaves the pieces beautifully positioned for the rest of the trilogy. Now comes the worst part: waiting for Book Two.
August 25, 2026
It's good for what it is.
The heroes are good, the villains are bad, and the spells are out of the player's handbook. It's a simple and straight-forward narrative. Tells the history of ancient heroes (relative to the main dragonlance stories), without going too much into personality.
Read if you're interested in dragonalnce history and world.
The heroes are good, the villains are bad, and the spells are out of the player's handbook. It's a simple and straight-forward narrative. Tells the history of ancient heroes (relative to the main dragonlance stories), without going too much into personality.
Read if you're interested in dragonalnce history and world.
August 8, 2026
What can I say? These authors grabbed me and have me reading ever since. Characters are amazing and the story was as good as I remember them to be. Characters stories I have wondered about since I started reading are being explained and i can’t wait to read more.
August 14, 2026
A great start to a new trilogy. Can’t wait for the next one.
August 30, 2026
Happy to read Weiss and Hickman! However, knights aren't my thing, there were a few errors and plots points i didnt like. Still, i will read this series :)
September 4, 2026
Love a great Dragonlance novel! This a great start to a new trilogy by the dynamic duo Weis and Hickman. Thank you for allowing me to enjoy your novels for many years and hopefully many more.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews