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Dragonlance: Chaos War #5
Reavers of the Blood Sea
Chaos's evil shadow sweeps over Krynn
During the hottest summer in memory, minotaurs fight against the Knights of Takhisis, into whose hands their god Sargonnas has delivered them. In the midst of the conflict, the armies of Chaos plunge into the heart of Ansalon.
Now the minotaur warrior Aryx must unite his people and their enemy, the knights, against the monstrous servants of Chaos. If he succeeds, the two sides may forge a bond that will change Krynn for all time.
If he fails, then they will all perish.
During the hottest summer in memory, minotaurs fight against the Knights of Takhisis, into whose hands their god Sargonnas has delivered them. In the midst of the conflict, the armies of Chaos plunge into the heart of Ansalon.
Now the minotaur warrior Aryx must unite his people and their enemy, the knights, against the monstrous servants of Chaos. If he succeeds, the two sides may forge a bond that will change Krynn for all time.
If he fails, then they will all perish.
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
8 people are currently reading
797 people want to read
About the author
Richard A. Knaak
284 books1,485 followersRichard A. Knaak is the bestselling author of Dragonlance novels, the Dragonrealm and Black City Saint series (his own creations), six novels for Blizzard Entertainment's Diablo series, and six works in the Warcraft universe. He has also written several non-series fantasy books.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 24, 2016
It's been two and a half years since I last read a Dragonlance novel: The Puppet King by Douglas Niles. See my review here. Having read several other books since then, it took me some time to readjust to the world and the writing style.
The war of the gods, which also greatly affects the different races on Krynn, is still going on. In this part of the sub-series, the focus lies on the minotaurs. One name then pops up: Richard A. Knaak. He's the minotaur specialist in the world of Dragonlance.
The lands of the minotaurs are placed around the Blood Sea, where a maelstrom threatens the life of every seafarer who has to use these waters. But as the Father of All and of Nothing (i.e. Chaos) has put minions all over the place, the maelstrom hides what you could call 'the evil of the abyss'. These creatures are commanded by a large coil, a large kind of worm (or wyrm?), loyal servant of Chaos and hard to destroy.
Aryx, of noble origin, is the minotaur who has to lead his people to victory. But he's not your typical Hercules or Rambo. In fact, he comes across as a coward in the beginning. It's only much later that he gains more sympathy and realizes that he has to fight, has to show his worth. But all this happens under the command of a rare and actually impossible alliance: humans and minotaurs. The knights of Takhisis are on a conquest, to become all powerful on all of Krynn. Obviously, the minotaurs don't like that, to say the least. But as commander Lord Broedius explains: Let's join forces - but we call the shots, as our queen has presented us with a Vision, in which is shown that we should rule everywhere - or else, none of us will survive the war.
It's a nice, but sometimes dragging, story involving politics, religion/faith (and self-confidence), love, trust, ... The gods fight their own battle against Chaos, as mentioned above, and can't be everywhere at the same time. Sargonnas, for example, chose Aryx to lead the minotaurs to safety, which means the latter became the puppet of the god(s).
There's enough action, although not everything makes sense. Then again, it's Fantasy, it's Dragonlance. It's part of the series' charm.
Long story short: Not strong all the way, sometimes dragging, but definitely entertaining. The score is actually between 3 and 4 stars. Two points of critique: 1) Calling each other, at random, by the name, by the species, by whatever else... Several times, it just doesn't make sense to change the addressing. 2) Aryx needed a scabbard for the Sword of Tears (gift from Sargonnas) and all of a sudden, a little later, the sword is in a scabbard. Where did it come from? Have I overlooked something?
The war of the gods, which also greatly affects the different races on Krynn, is still going on. In this part of the sub-series, the focus lies on the minotaurs. One name then pops up: Richard A. Knaak. He's the minotaur specialist in the world of Dragonlance.
The lands of the minotaurs are placed around the Blood Sea, where a maelstrom threatens the life of every seafarer who has to use these waters. But as the Father of All and of Nothing (i.e. Chaos) has put minions all over the place, the maelstrom hides what you could call 'the evil of the abyss'. These creatures are commanded by a large coil, a large kind of worm (or wyrm?), loyal servant of Chaos and hard to destroy.
Aryx, of noble origin, is the minotaur who has to lead his people to victory. But he's not your typical Hercules or Rambo. In fact, he comes across as a coward in the beginning. It's only much later that he gains more sympathy and realizes that he has to fight, has to show his worth. But all this happens under the command of a rare and actually impossible alliance: humans and minotaurs. The knights of Takhisis are on a conquest, to become all powerful on all of Krynn. Obviously, the minotaurs don't like that, to say the least. But as commander Lord Broedius explains: Let's join forces - but we call the shots, as our queen has presented us with a Vision, in which is shown that we should rule everywhere - or else, none of us will survive the war.
It's a nice, but sometimes dragging, story involving politics, religion/faith (and self-confidence), love, trust, ... The gods fight their own battle against Chaos, as mentioned above, and can't be everywhere at the same time. Sargonnas, for example, chose Aryx to lead the minotaurs to safety, which means the latter became the puppet of the god(s).
There's enough action, although not everything makes sense. Then again, it's Fantasy, it's Dragonlance. It's part of the series' charm.
Long story short: Not strong all the way, sometimes dragging, but definitely entertaining. The score is actually between 3 and 4 stars. Two points of critique: 1) Calling each other, at random, by the name, by the species, by whatever else... Several times, it just doesn't make sense to change the addressing. 2) Aryx needed a scabbard for the Sword of Tears (gift from Sargonnas) and all of a sudden, a little later, the sword is in a scabbard. Where did it come from? Have I overlooked something?
March 27, 2015
My actual rating is 3.5 stars.
This is set in the Dragonlance universe and takes place during the Chaos War. This novel tells how the war affects the minotaurs . Aryx is on a shipping vessel when it is attacked by fabulous creatures and he is the lone survivor. He is saved by a squadron of knights and they head towards his homeland.
Aryx is a great character as he is the reluctant hero. He acts admirably as he is thrust into each situation. I enjoyed the supporting characters as well as they portray the differences between humans and minotaurs. This book has everything in it. It has different races of sentient beings, gods, and amazing creatures. The action is intense. It seems like there is one battle after another as no one gets a rest in this conflict. The only drawback to this book is that this is a side companion to the novel Dragons of Summer Flame so this book does not interfere with what happens in that book and also leaves things up in the air. This did affect my rating.
If you are looking for a fantasy book that has tons of action this novel is for you. It does help if you have an some knowledge of this universe.
This is set in the Dragonlance universe and takes place during the Chaos War. This novel tells how the war affects the minotaurs . Aryx is on a shipping vessel when it is attacked by fabulous creatures and he is the lone survivor. He is saved by a squadron of knights and they head towards his homeland.
Aryx is a great character as he is the reluctant hero. He acts admirably as he is thrust into each situation. I enjoyed the supporting characters as well as they portray the differences between humans and minotaurs. This book has everything in it. It has different races of sentient beings, gods, and amazing creatures. The action is intense. It seems like there is one battle after another as no one gets a rest in this conflict. The only drawback to this book is that this is a side companion to the novel Dragons of Summer Flame so this book does not interfere with what happens in that book and also leaves things up in the air. This did affect my rating.
If you are looking for a fantasy book that has tons of action this novel is for you. It does help if you have an some knowledge of this universe.
February 22, 2024
It lags in too many places. I enjoyed the characters but not the way they were resolved. None of these characters tied into the larger story. For example, in Tears of the Night Sky, Lady Crysania ties into the larger Dragonlance story. In this book, none of them are ever heard from again. I would have enjoyed it more had there been a better tie in.
December 18, 2024
This took me forever to get through because I have it on audiobook, and I don't really have a lot of places to read audiobooks anymore. So it feels like it took forever, but really, I think it was pretty much just right.
A lot of fun imagery, the characters are interesting enough, and it actually ties very directly into the Chaos War.
Nothing that really spoke to me, but I enjoyed it.
A lot of fun imagery, the characters are interesting enough, and it actually ties very directly into the Chaos War.
Nothing that really spoke to me, but I enjoyed it.
January 26, 2020
Yet another good read from the Chaos War series. It's a good tale told well, and I believe any Dragonlance fan, and especially Minotaur fans, will greatly enjoy their time spent with Aryx and his companions.
December 4, 2025
It's nice to finally see what happened to Kaz's people, even if their obscurity makes no sense
May 5, 2011
Reavers of the Blood Sea is part of the Dragonlance novels and deals primarily with the events of the Chaos War, but through the eyes of the minotaur race, a type of creature Knaak continues to return to again and again. The story follows a minotaur named Aryx, a decedent of the famous Kaz (you'll recognize him if you've read Huma or either Land of the Minotaurs or Kaz the Mintoaur), who is thrust with the task by Sargonnas himself to unite his people and the Knights of Takhisis to face the creatures of Chaos in spite of their differences.
Aryx is a very interesting character in that he is a very reluctant hero. He isn't the self-sacrificing hero that Huma was, nor is he the honorable Kaz we love, but is the underdog who doesn't like the responsibilities he's faced with, and is just simply an average guy. His obvious dislike towards the role he's expected to perform, however, makes him very likable and very real. You can't help but feel for the guy in spite of his whining sometimes, and all and all he's a very well developed protagonist. The other characters are equally fleshed out, and I enjoyed the lot of them wholeheartedly. The relationship between Aryx and his brother was especially heartwarming, and surprisingly for Knaax the romance in this novel actually felt real for the most part in contrast to previous underdeveloped ones in other books.
The plot is well constructed and there's plenty of action to keep you interested and guessing what's going to happen next. I don't know how well the story fits in with the rest of the Chaos War stuff, (as I haven't read them), but from my own opinion and guesswork I don't imagine it gives too much away or muddles the original storyline. The ending was probably the most negative aspect of the entire novel as it leaves on a sort of cliffhanger in the middle of war, and thus persuading you to read the next books set during the war.
All in all, this was a very well done novel for both Dragonlance and Knaax. It brought a little more attention to the minotaur race, an aspect we rarely see in the original Dragonlance stuff, as well as renewed my faith in Knaax's work (I was severely disappointed with his Night of Blood trilogy) or at least his older stuff anyway. 4/5
Aryx is a very interesting character in that he is a very reluctant hero. He isn't the self-sacrificing hero that Huma was, nor is he the honorable Kaz we love, but is the underdog who doesn't like the responsibilities he's faced with, and is just simply an average guy. His obvious dislike towards the role he's expected to perform, however, makes him very likable and very real. You can't help but feel for the guy in spite of his whining sometimes, and all and all he's a very well developed protagonist. The other characters are equally fleshed out, and I enjoyed the lot of them wholeheartedly. The relationship between Aryx and his brother was especially heartwarming, and surprisingly for Knaax the romance in this novel actually felt real for the most part in contrast to previous underdeveloped ones in other books.
The plot is well constructed and there's plenty of action to keep you interested and guessing what's going to happen next. I don't know how well the story fits in with the rest of the Chaos War stuff, (as I haven't read them), but from my own opinion and guesswork I don't imagine it gives too much away or muddles the original storyline. The ending was probably the most negative aspect of the entire novel as it leaves on a sort of cliffhanger in the middle of war, and thus persuading you to read the next books set during the war.
All in all, this was a very well done novel for both Dragonlance and Knaax. It brought a little more attention to the minotaur race, an aspect we rarely see in the original Dragonlance stuff, as well as renewed my faith in Knaax's work (I was severely disappointed with his Night of Blood trilogy) or at least his older stuff anyway. 4/5
October 22, 2021
Another great entry into the Chaos War Series, Reavers of the Blood Sea! This was so engrossing that I switched up my planned reading order and now will move onto the Minotaur Wars series also by Knaak. I really liked Reavers. It fleshed out minotaur society, which reminds me of ancient Rome. The level of gods’ interactions on the mortal plane really felt like Greek mythology, which I’m absolutely in love with. I also liked that this showed us what the minotaurs were doing leading up to the war with Chaos and the threads that brought them to the the mainland. The story felt just as important and epic as Dragons of Summer Flame to me, and even though it was significantly shorter than that book, never felt rushed or compressed. Aryx was a great main character, reluctant to be the hero everyone expects him to be. This feels like necessary reading in Knaak’s minotaur saga, one that starts with Huma and Kaz, continues in Land of the Minotaurs, and resumes with The Minotaur Wars (which I haven’t read yet) and the Ogre Titans. Probably the most striking thing to me about this book was its feel; it felt real, like Nethosak was a real city and the islands real places. I think that’s because Knaak writes not like he’s describing a fantasy land but like a city where he lives. A must-read for fans of Dragonlance.
September 2, 2013
I originally bought this from a charity shop, as I love the whole Dragonlance world and novels. Although I was reading this slightly out of context, I found it really enjoyable. It's the story of one young minotaur, whose ship is attacked by viscious marine creatures. The only survivor, he is rescued by a ship of humans. Once returned to his homeland, he finds that the humans have ulterior motives in coming to the land of the monotaurs and he is soon drawn into a bloody war, with the reavers, the humans and the minotaurs all on different sides. Very fast-paced, a great story - I will have to track down the other books in the short series to see what happens.
March 21, 2016
In this fifth instalment of Knaak's minotaurs saga (see http://goo.gl/jZreZ6 for more info on it) we follow the adventures of Aryx, a descendent of the famous Kaz (that was the main character of the previous books). Aryx and the whole minotaur nation find themselves playing a major role in the war against Chaos, fighting alongside Gods for the future of Krynn.
March 17, 2017
I read this book years ago, so my memory is fuzzy on the details, but I really enjoyed the story of Aryx. I had not read the other books in the Chaos War series, and was able to jump in and read this one without any major issues. It was just cool to read a story with a minotaur protagonist.
July 19, 2018
This is my first time reading this title since I read it when it first came out.
All in all, my original opinion still stands. Wow!
I've said it before and in sure I will do so again, Richard Knaak is easily the most creative and most skilled of the "Expanded Universe" Dragonlance novels.
As always, there are some minor inconsistencies with the core novels, but all in all Knaak's are more in keeping with the existing lore than most others.
Story wise, I love what Knaak has done with the interactions between the Minotaurs and Knights of Takhisis here, and I really love that unlike the rest of the Chaos War series, this book utilizes creatures and conflicts that are entirely new.
Between all that and the wonderfully developed characters and their relationships (as well as a few awesome Easter eggs!), this is a wonderful book that any fan of Richard Knaak, Dragonlance, or Minotaurs should love.
All in all, my original opinion still stands. Wow!
I've said it before and in sure I will do so again, Richard Knaak is easily the most creative and most skilled of the "Expanded Universe" Dragonlance novels.
As always, there are some minor inconsistencies with the core novels, but all in all Knaak's are more in keeping with the existing lore than most others.
Story wise, I love what Knaak has done with the interactions between the Minotaurs and Knights of Takhisis here, and I really love that unlike the rest of the Chaos War series, this book utilizes creatures and conflicts that are entirely new.
Between all that and the wonderfully developed characters and their relationships (as well as a few awesome Easter eggs!), this is a wonderful book that any fan of Richard Knaak, Dragonlance, or Minotaurs should love.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews