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Dragonlance Dragons #1
The Dragons of Krynn
The titular denizens of Krynn, the dragons. Answers the demand for new Dragonlance tales and reunites many of the writers of the first Tales series, including Douglas Niles, Richard A. Knaak, Nancy Varian Berberick, and others.
400 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
15 people are currently reading
1804 people want to read
About the author
Margaret Weis
677 books5,830 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 - 29 of 29 reviews
February 4, 2016
The Dragons of Krynn (Dragonlance: Short Stories) I can't relate to a dragon that goes slumming as a human. It's not Tolkienesque; I know that much. I'm not much on humans riding dragons either because dragons are superior in almost every way. One could easily create lesser reptilians for transport. Up with dragons!
January 24, 2016
The book is a compilation of 16 short stories from various authors taking place in the fictional world of Krynn, the world where the DragonLance RPGs are based:
"Seven Hymns of the Dragon" by Michael Williams.
"The Final Touch" by Michael and Teri Williams.
"Night of Falling Stars" by Nancy Varian Berberick.
"Honor Is All" by Mickey Zucker Reichert.
"Easy Pickings" by Douglas Niles.
"A Dragon to the Core" by Roger E. Moore.
"Dragon Breath" by Nick O'Donohoe.
"Fool's Gold" by Jeff Grubb.
"Scourge of the Wicked Kendragon" by Janet Pack.
"And Baby Makes Three" by Amy Stout.
"The First Dragonarmy Bridging Company" by Don Perrin.
"The Middle of Nowhere" by Dan Harnden.
"Kaz and the Dragon's Children" by Richard A. Knaak.
"Into the Light" by Linda P. Baker.
"The Best" by Margaret Weis.
"The Hunt" by Kevin Stein.
"Seven Hymns of the Dragon" by Michael Williams.
The first entry is a poetry section.
Either I have no poetry in my soul or these poems have no use behind leaving clues in a DragonLance campaign setting. I, sadly, did not enjoy.
"The Final Touch" by Michael and Teri Williams.
This has a strange framing sequence, but without it, this Dragon's Coming of Age story would not work properly. It would certainly lack punch at the end. It got a smile from me.
"Night of Falling Stars" by Nancy Varian Berberick.
The Dragon in this tale, Claw, is rather the villain of the piece.
He's a cruel sort and a few years ago, he had some nasty fun with a party of Dwarven adventurers. He maimed one and left him for bait, killing one after another until the broken drawf crawled away. No spoilers, just back story.
The dwarf returns with a hero who is rumored to be fearless.
The hero is afraid that the rumors may be baseless... the fun of this tail is how the hero explores that as he explores the dragon's cave.
"Honor Is All" by Mickey Zucker Reichert.
I like the complexity of this tale, trying to examine Good and Bad in a world where things are largely black and white, were creatures can really be born GOOD or EVIL or NEUTRAL, but even then the world is big and there are so many exceptions, so many things that aren't what they seem.
The Dragon in the tale is a most unique and interesting creature. While s/he isn't what it appears to be, the Dragon is not the star of the story. The Knight Mercanyin is. And, his so-called honor, may be the villain of the piece.
"Easy Pickings" by Douglas Niles.
Chaltifor is a stupid ogre.
As stupid and as greedy as he is, this story was excellent.
"A Dragon to the Core" by Roger E. Moore.
The one thing about DragonLance the RPG is that I abhor Gnomes, Gully Dwarves and Kender. I never saw the appeal of playing one of them and I was always worried a fellow gamer might decide to play one.
I may have been a wee bit hasty.
This story has a Gnome and Gully Dwarf. In a comedic piece, these two seemed to have found a proper place. And I love the portrayal of the darker elements of the story, I laughed out-loud in several places and felt the richer for it.
Still, I wouldn't want a gnome as a party member.
"Dragon Breath" by Nick O'Donohoe.
I have encountered this group before and loved them from the first.
This is a wilder and sillier adventure that I would not have enjoyed but for the previous tale about a gnome.
And it is about a dragon... more or less. But mostly, it's about the booze.
"Fool's Gold" by Jeff Grubb.
This town/village hates Gnomes as much as I did, and I'm really at the point in the collection that I'm wondering if this anthology was a collection of Gnome stories until marketing got a hold of it, truth be told.
And that's the rub in this story... Jengar MUST tell the truth. He's dragon cursed to do so.
I did not know DragonLance dragons could throw curses.
Jengar is hired by a dishonest man to clear the town of a nuisance in the form of a Gnome trying to create a sail-less sailboat. And while the Gnome is littering the beach with broken steamboats and jet-skis, he is no threat to anyone but his human apprentice.
In the end, Jengar actually gets something of a happy ending because there is a difference between truth and honesty. Plus, he's not the one riding off into the sunset this time.
I like this story. I have theories about the dog. I hope Jengar has more adventures that I might trip across. Still, the story seems weak on dragons.
"Scourge of the Wicked Kendragon" by Janet Pack.
One of the funniest tales in the book, it's a TF (transformation piece) of a Kender into a Dragon. Lots of smiles and head shaking in this story; it almost made me like Kenders. This is the best "light-hearted" story in the collection, I believe.
"And Baby Makes Three" by Amy Stout.
This is one of the few stories where we really get to know a Dragon. The Old Grouch in this story seems just a shade more complex than his rider gives him credit for. Still, he's not the lead, his rider is. Stoic John reminds me of a jock from high school who's been properly tested in battle.
I liked the story and the way dragon and rider try to adjust to a new "member" of the team.
"The First Dragonarmy Bridging Company" by Don Perrin.
The thing that always gets me about EVIL organizations is that, in real life, they would all fail. Certainly, there are surprisingly, and seemingly, successful evil organizations in the world like Isis and Monsanto. But in these cases, there's a support structure with superior people dedicated to what they perceive as the greater good.
In the RPG universes, Good and Evil tend to be very digital, very black and white. To me, Evil is self-serving and destructive (yes, even lawful evil) and the height of fantasy isn't the magical beasts, but these 3,000 member evil armies all very efficiently working together with nary an issue. It would take a very special kind of madman to do so.
Someone like an engineer, perhaps.
Which is were this story comes in.
This is, to me, one of the best conceived and unique stories in the book. It also has the virtue of really exploring what it means to be a draconian on Krynn while working under an evil overlord. Oh, these creatures were evil, of course, but the virture of engineering pride and teamwork helped to balance them out. I cheered for them and I felt a surge of pride in their accomplishments.
It was the strongest anthropomorphic stories in this collection.
"The Middle of Nowhere" by Dan Harnden.
Complex, but I'd almost lost all interest by the time the first dragon showed up and then again by the time the second dragon show up. The pay-off at the end was well worth it, but I might have enjoyed it more if I hadn't been looking for dragons.
Ah, the problem of reading with an agenda.
Still, the ending was very just and satisfying. The village in the middle of nowhere with a deep, dark secret is certainly a beloved story device. It's nice to see the drifter wander in and fix everyone's wagon.
"Kaz and the Dragon's Children" by Richard A. Knaak.
I have a special place in my heart for Minotaurs. Kaz was a quite welcome diversion from my hunt for Dragons. I relaxed my guard and a great silver dragon slipped in with him. The interactions in this story were excellent and the anthropomorphic characters were quite nearly perfect without being too human.
"Into the Light" by Linda P. Baker.
Back into the world where Dragons and Draconians are just villains out to kill you. A strong and serviceable story whose only failing, in respect to the collection, is that we only get to know the monsters as... well, monsters. Threats. Again, I'm reading with an agenda.
As with "The Middle of Nowhere." I could have enjoyed this story more if I had encountered it elsewhere. And of course, as a Furry, I'm looking to get into the head and motivation of the dragon.
"The Best" by Margaret Weis.
This was a wonderful bit of story telling that really let me get into the head of a dragon.
It starts with an Inn and, in typical RPG fashion, people who would normally never travel together, are given a reason to. All turn out to be the best at what they do (and what they do is profitable). They go visit a dragon's lair.
"The Hunt" by Kevin Stein.
I'd read another story with Galen that obviously takes place after this story. I really enjoyed that story. It's hard for me not to compare them, so forgive me. This story is so much more... depressing than the other story, although thematically they are similar. The thirst for vengeance is a terrible master.
The evil dragon he encounters seems much too wise for a creature of darkness; but I suppose if you live long enough, you learn stuff.
"Seven Hymns of the Dragon" by Michael Williams.
"The Final Touch" by Michael and Teri Williams.
"Night of Falling Stars" by Nancy Varian Berberick.
"Honor Is All" by Mickey Zucker Reichert.
"Easy Pickings" by Douglas Niles.
"A Dragon to the Core" by Roger E. Moore.
"Dragon Breath" by Nick O'Donohoe.
"Fool's Gold" by Jeff Grubb.
"Scourge of the Wicked Kendragon" by Janet Pack.
"And Baby Makes Three" by Amy Stout.
"The First Dragonarmy Bridging Company" by Don Perrin.
"The Middle of Nowhere" by Dan Harnden.
"Kaz and the Dragon's Children" by Richard A. Knaak.
"Into the Light" by Linda P. Baker.
"The Best" by Margaret Weis.
"The Hunt" by Kevin Stein.
"Seven Hymns of the Dragon" by Michael Williams.
The first entry is a poetry section.
Either I have no poetry in my soul or these poems have no use behind leaving clues in a DragonLance campaign setting. I, sadly, did not enjoy.
"The Final Touch" by Michael and Teri Williams.
This has a strange framing sequence, but without it, this Dragon's Coming of Age story would not work properly. It would certainly lack punch at the end. It got a smile from me.
"Night of Falling Stars" by Nancy Varian Berberick.
The Dragon in this tale, Claw, is rather the villain of the piece.
He's a cruel sort and a few years ago, he had some nasty fun with a party of Dwarven adventurers. He maimed one and left him for bait, killing one after another until the broken drawf crawled away. No spoilers, just back story.
The dwarf returns with a hero who is rumored to be fearless.
The hero is afraid that the rumors may be baseless... the fun of this tail is how the hero explores that as he explores the dragon's cave.
"Honor Is All" by Mickey Zucker Reichert.
I like the complexity of this tale, trying to examine Good and Bad in a world where things are largely black and white, were creatures can really be born GOOD or EVIL or NEUTRAL, but even then the world is big and there are so many exceptions, so many things that aren't what they seem.
The Dragon in the tale is a most unique and interesting creature. While s/he isn't what it appears to be, the Dragon is not the star of the story. The Knight Mercanyin is. And, his so-called honor, may be the villain of the piece.
"Easy Pickings" by Douglas Niles.
Chaltifor is a stupid ogre.
As stupid and as greedy as he is, this story was excellent.
"A Dragon to the Core" by Roger E. Moore.
The one thing about DragonLance the RPG is that I abhor Gnomes, Gully Dwarves and Kender. I never saw the appeal of playing one of them and I was always worried a fellow gamer might decide to play one.
I may have been a wee bit hasty.
This story has a Gnome and Gully Dwarf. In a comedic piece, these two seemed to have found a proper place. And I love the portrayal of the darker elements of the story, I laughed out-loud in several places and felt the richer for it.
Still, I wouldn't want a gnome as a party member.
"Dragon Breath" by Nick O'Donohoe.
I have encountered this group before and loved them from the first.
This is a wilder and sillier adventure that I would not have enjoyed but for the previous tale about a gnome.
And it is about a dragon... more or less. But mostly, it's about the booze.
"Fool's Gold" by Jeff Grubb.
This town/village hates Gnomes as much as I did, and I'm really at the point in the collection that I'm wondering if this anthology was a collection of Gnome stories until marketing got a hold of it, truth be told.
And that's the rub in this story... Jengar MUST tell the truth. He's dragon cursed to do so.
I did not know DragonLance dragons could throw curses.
Jengar is hired by a dishonest man to clear the town of a nuisance in the form of a Gnome trying to create a sail-less sailboat. And while the Gnome is littering the beach with broken steamboats and jet-skis, he is no threat to anyone but his human apprentice.
In the end, Jengar actually gets something of a happy ending because there is a difference between truth and honesty. Plus, he's not the one riding off into the sunset this time.
I like this story. I have theories about the dog. I hope Jengar has more adventures that I might trip across. Still, the story seems weak on dragons.
"Scourge of the Wicked Kendragon" by Janet Pack.
One of the funniest tales in the book, it's a TF (transformation piece) of a Kender into a Dragon. Lots of smiles and head shaking in this story; it almost made me like Kenders. This is the best "light-hearted" story in the collection, I believe.
"And Baby Makes Three" by Amy Stout.
This is one of the few stories where we really get to know a Dragon. The Old Grouch in this story seems just a shade more complex than his rider gives him credit for. Still, he's not the lead, his rider is. Stoic John reminds me of a jock from high school who's been properly tested in battle.
I liked the story and the way dragon and rider try to adjust to a new "member" of the team.
"The First Dragonarmy Bridging Company" by Don Perrin.
The thing that always gets me about EVIL organizations is that, in real life, they would all fail. Certainly, there are surprisingly, and seemingly, successful evil organizations in the world like Isis and Monsanto. But in these cases, there's a support structure with superior people dedicated to what they perceive as the greater good.
In the RPG universes, Good and Evil tend to be very digital, very black and white. To me, Evil is self-serving and destructive (yes, even lawful evil) and the height of fantasy isn't the magical beasts, but these 3,000 member evil armies all very efficiently working together with nary an issue. It would take a very special kind of madman to do so.
Someone like an engineer, perhaps.
Which is were this story comes in.
This is, to me, one of the best conceived and unique stories in the book. It also has the virtue of really exploring what it means to be a draconian on Krynn while working under an evil overlord. Oh, these creatures were evil, of course, but the virture of engineering pride and teamwork helped to balance them out. I cheered for them and I felt a surge of pride in their accomplishments.
It was the strongest anthropomorphic stories in this collection.
"The Middle of Nowhere" by Dan Harnden.
Complex, but I'd almost lost all interest by the time the first dragon showed up and then again by the time the second dragon show up. The pay-off at the end was well worth it, but I might have enjoyed it more if I hadn't been looking for dragons.
Ah, the problem of reading with an agenda.
Still, the ending was very just and satisfying. The village in the middle of nowhere with a deep, dark secret is certainly a beloved story device. It's nice to see the drifter wander in and fix everyone's wagon.
"Kaz and the Dragon's Children" by Richard A. Knaak.
I have a special place in my heart for Minotaurs. Kaz was a quite welcome diversion from my hunt for Dragons. I relaxed my guard and a great silver dragon slipped in with him. The interactions in this story were excellent and the anthropomorphic characters were quite nearly perfect without being too human.
"Into the Light" by Linda P. Baker.
Back into the world where Dragons and Draconians are just villains out to kill you. A strong and serviceable story whose only failing, in respect to the collection, is that we only get to know the monsters as... well, monsters. Threats. Again, I'm reading with an agenda.
As with "The Middle of Nowhere." I could have enjoyed this story more if I had encountered it elsewhere. And of course, as a Furry, I'm looking to get into the head and motivation of the dragon.
"The Best" by Margaret Weis.
This was a wonderful bit of story telling that really let me get into the head of a dragon.
It starts with an Inn and, in typical RPG fashion, people who would normally never travel together, are given a reason to. All turn out to be the best at what they do (and what they do is profitable). They go visit a dragon's lair.
"The Hunt" by Kevin Stein.
I'd read another story with Galen that obviously takes place after this story. I really enjoyed that story. It's hard for me not to compare them, so forgive me. This story is so much more... depressing than the other story, although thematically they are similar. The thirst for vengeance is a terrible master.
The evil dragon he encounters seems much too wise for a creature of darkness; but I suppose if you live long enough, you learn stuff.
December 17, 2014
THE DRAGONS OF KRYNN is a fantastic collection of short stories that focus on the many hued dragons of the world of Krynn. Most of the stories are entertaining short reads. This review will focus on two of the stories that stand out as the best of the collection.
Night of Falling Stars by Nancy Varian Berberick is an excellent story about a young man, Ryle, that is haunted by the death of his father. He blames himself for being afraid. In this tale, he has sworn an oath to himself to never allow fear to rule his heart again. His true enemy seems to be the fear he has of allowing his terror to cause the death of another. When a burly dwarf, Tarran, shows up to enlist the young swordsman to help him in a quest of vengeance against a dragon, Ryle's resolve is tested.
This story is excellent and full of uncommon character development. Ryle is a complex person that has powerful issues to deal with. Tarran is also a great character with his own past. A reader will gain a sense of these two while they are treated to a rip-roaring, spine-tingling adventure. The end leaves one begging for more of Berberick's work.
Another story deals with Richard A. Knaak's famous Minotaur, Kaz.Kaz and the
Dragon's Children is a tale written in Knaak's normal, excellent style. Kaz is portrayed consistently with his sense of Minotaur honor and bravery intact.
This tale deals with the ancient past and quiet possibly the first attempt by a mage to dabble in draconian making. Kaz must pretend to be a servant of the Dark Queen while he tries to figure out a way to free a large silver dragon and liberate her eggs from a powerful dark mage.
The story reminds one of Robert E. Howard's works and the barbarian exploits of Conan. Kaz is the warrior fearful of magic, to proud to show it, and forced by his own nobility to make an impossible situation right again. The story resolves in a very unique way and is full of great fight scenes. Of course, it is always nice to see Kaz in action again. Knaak does a superb job.
All in all, this collection of short stories makes for many hours of excellent reading. The authors cover many topics from a draconian bridge building team to a Kender that is magically transformed into a dragon. It is a fun book that deals with both lighthearted and serious issues. As editors, Weis and Hickman have assembled delightful collection of short stories that will keep any fan of Dragonlance turning pages until the end.
Night of Falling Stars by Nancy Varian Berberick is an excellent story about a young man, Ryle, that is haunted by the death of his father. He blames himself for being afraid. In this tale, he has sworn an oath to himself to never allow fear to rule his heart again. His true enemy seems to be the fear he has of allowing his terror to cause the death of another. When a burly dwarf, Tarran, shows up to enlist the young swordsman to help him in a quest of vengeance against a dragon, Ryle's resolve is tested.
This story is excellent and full of uncommon character development. Ryle is a complex person that has powerful issues to deal with. Tarran is also a great character with his own past. A reader will gain a sense of these two while they are treated to a rip-roaring, spine-tingling adventure. The end leaves one begging for more of Berberick's work.
Another story deals with Richard A. Knaak's famous Minotaur, Kaz.Kaz and the
Dragon's Children is a tale written in Knaak's normal, excellent style. Kaz is portrayed consistently with his sense of Minotaur honor and bravery intact.
This tale deals with the ancient past and quiet possibly the first attempt by a mage to dabble in draconian making. Kaz must pretend to be a servant of the Dark Queen while he tries to figure out a way to free a large silver dragon and liberate her eggs from a powerful dark mage.
The story reminds one of Robert E. Howard's works and the barbarian exploits of Conan. Kaz is the warrior fearful of magic, to proud to show it, and forced by his own nobility to make an impossible situation right again. The story resolves in a very unique way and is full of great fight scenes. Of course, it is always nice to see Kaz in action again. Knaak does a superb job.
All in all, this collection of short stories makes for many hours of excellent reading. The authors cover many topics from a draconian bridge building team to a Kender that is magically transformed into a dragon. It is a fun book that deals with both lighthearted and serious issues. As editors, Weis and Hickman have assembled delightful collection of short stories that will keep any fan of Dragonlance turning pages until the end.
September 11, 2016
Was disappointed to find that this book was a number of short stories and not a full story but on reading I still enjoyed most of the tales particularly as they were all about dragons. Loved the story of the shapeshifting dragon, wonderful plot but did not enjoy the tale about Galen at all!! Kaz the minotaur as usual is a wonderfully heroic character and the female elf was fascinating!! was very surprised to read about the group of people living in the plains of dust and the desert and their wearing of jabaya's, the man asking the woman to cover her face, the flat bread they ate and so much more as this took me so pleasantly back to my experience of life in the arab countries I so dearly love!!
February 9, 2024
Nice compilation of short stories about dragons. Being a lover of dragons, both the symbols behind them and the idea of the creature, this book was like a warm cup of tea. Comfortable and familiar, fun at different points.
May 29, 2009
Its hard to fairly rate an anthology, this book contains one of my favorite short stories, The Best.
June 17, 2016
The Dragons of Krynn is another collection of short stories from the world of Krynn. I thought that since it involved dragons, I would enjoy it more, but it rated as a "meh" for me.
I have always liked the idea of dragons using their magic to disguise themselves as humans, but to have that idea in a book that also has them used as essentially livestock to carry knights around--it didn't roll well with me.
The writing was bland, at best, and I had a hard time pushing myself through it a second time to write this review. I don't understand how I loved it so much as a teenager because a lot of the writing is simply horrible.
Dragonlancers will love this collection, but otherwise, it's not recommended.
I have always liked the idea of dragons using their magic to disguise themselves as humans, but to have that idea in a book that also has them used as essentially livestock to carry knights around--it didn't roll well with me.
The writing was bland, at best, and I had a hard time pushing myself through it a second time to write this review. I don't understand how I loved it so much as a teenager because a lot of the writing is simply horrible.
Dragonlancers will love this collection, but otherwise, it's not recommended.
December 24, 2010
I read it a long time ago and enjoyed it very much.
January 14, 2025
I will preface this by saying the only DragonLance books (and shorts) I have read are by Weis and Hickman. This book expanded on events between years after the Cataclysm and after the War of the Lance, and introduced me to other authors in the 'verse.
1. Seven Hymns of the Dragon (Michael Williams) - 1/5
I just am not a fan of most poems/songs in fantasy.
2. The Final Touch (Michael and Teri Williams) - 2/5
Oliver is an asinine dragon name. This is a silly story about a human training a dragon that is on par with inanity as Raistlin's daughter. It is cool that we learn where/how Buzak's come about.
3. Night of Falling Stars (Nancy Varian Berberick) - 4/5
Something felt a bit off with the writing, but other than that a human with the nickname Ryle Sworder (by this point I was ready to quit if more ridiculous names came up) teams up with a dwarf named Tarran to go after a dragon.
4. Honor Is All (Mickey Zucker Reichert) - 4.5/5
I really like the idea of an albino dragon and what honor should really mean.
5. Easy Pickings (Douglas Niles) - 3/5
This is from the POV of an ogre and what he does when he finds the corpse of a dead gold dragon...and later its hatchlings. I laughed at the use of the word "humanoid," which always makes me think of Borsk Fey'lya in Star Wars. But this takes a dark turn.
6. A Dragon to the Core (Roger E. Moore) - 4.3/5
This was very long but good. A gnome is down on his luck and has 3 humans hire him to use his Iron Dragon to dig out a collapsed mine. His helper (servant?) is a gully dwarf named Squib, and I love how Gilb is nice to the little guy, despite his errors and mistakes. But then a menacing human bullies Gilb and adds a lot of mystery to the story.
7. Dragon Breath (Nick O'Donohoe) - 3.5/5
A group of friends is sent to kill a dragon that may or may not be real after one of the guys (Jarek who is so dense and frustrating) sets their inn on fire.
8. Fool's Gold (Jeff Grubb) - 4.7/5
An older soldier was cursed by a dragon to only speak the truth. He has a dog as his companion. I suspected something about the dog that proved to be a red herring. I thought that once the gnome issue came up I would no longer like the short, but it only got better!
9. Scourge of the Wicked Kendragon (Janet Pack) - 3.8/5
A kender snags (sorry, "borrows") a dragon statuette that turns him into a dragon. It was better than I expected.
10. And Baby Makes Three (Amy Stout) - 3.75/5
A man and his dragon companion come across a young orphan that neither thinks should be killed.
11. The First Dragonarmy Bridging Company (Don Perrin) - 4.3/5
I didn't like the writing at first and parts of the prose bothered me. But the story really grew on me. A draconian Bridge Master named Kang is *finally* set to task by Ariakas to build the best, most secret bridge. I found myself rooting for the draconians, even at the cost of elven lives. Slith also shows up, which is great. The end made me sad!
12. The Middle of Nowhere (Dan Harnden) - 1.3/5
A town needs to beat a dragon with a conniving wizard. And then the story drags on.
13. Kaz and the Dragon's Children (Richard A. Knaak) - 3.8/5
I liked seeing Kaz again, but something about this fell a bit flat for me. Kaz is captured by a Black Robe who is absolutely evil. Kaz learns a silver dragon is also held captive with her eggs.
14. Into the Light (Linda P. Baker) - 3/5
Kedasa nomads somehow survive a dragon attack. They're desert people who made me think of Aiel from WoT. It's written okay but took me a while to get into.
15. The Best (Margaret Weis) - 3.3/5
A group seeks out a dragon's treasure with an interesting twist at the end.
16. The Hunt (Kevin Stein) - 2.9/5
A Solamnic knight goes after a dragon. Again, it's not written poorly but it didn't hook me even with the twist.
1. Seven Hymns of the Dragon (Michael Williams) - 1/5
I just am not a fan of most poems/songs in fantasy.
2. The Final Touch (Michael and Teri Williams) - 2/5
Oliver is an asinine dragon name. This is a silly story about a human training a dragon that is on par with inanity as Raistlin's daughter. It is cool that we learn where/how Buzak's come about.
3. Night of Falling Stars (Nancy Varian Berberick) - 4/5
Something felt a bit off with the writing, but other than that a human with the nickname Ryle Sworder (by this point I was ready to quit if more ridiculous names came up) teams up with a dwarf named Tarran to go after a dragon.
4. Honor Is All (Mickey Zucker Reichert) - 4.5/5
I really like the idea of an albino dragon and what honor should really mean.
5. Easy Pickings (Douglas Niles) - 3/5
This is from the POV of an ogre and what he does when he finds the corpse of a dead gold dragon...and later its hatchlings. I laughed at the use of the word "humanoid," which always makes me think of Borsk Fey'lya in Star Wars. But this takes a dark turn.
6. A Dragon to the Core (Roger E. Moore) - 4.3/5
This was very long but good. A gnome is down on his luck and has 3 humans hire him to use his Iron Dragon to dig out a collapsed mine. His helper (servant?) is a gully dwarf named Squib, and I love how Gilb is nice to the little guy, despite his errors and mistakes. But then a menacing human bullies Gilb and adds a lot of mystery to the story.
7. Dragon Breath (Nick O'Donohoe) - 3.5/5
A group of friends is sent to kill a dragon that may or may not be real after one of the guys (Jarek who is so dense and frustrating) sets their inn on fire.
8. Fool's Gold (Jeff Grubb) - 4.7/5
An older soldier was cursed by a dragon to only speak the truth. He has a dog as his companion. I suspected something about the dog that proved to be a red herring. I thought that once the gnome issue came up I would no longer like the short, but it only got better!
9. Scourge of the Wicked Kendragon (Janet Pack) - 3.8/5
A kender snags (sorry, "borrows") a dragon statuette that turns him into a dragon. It was better than I expected.
10. And Baby Makes Three (Amy Stout) - 3.75/5
A man and his dragon companion come across a young orphan that neither thinks should be killed.
11. The First Dragonarmy Bridging Company (Don Perrin) - 4.3/5
I didn't like the writing at first and parts of the prose bothered me. But the story really grew on me. A draconian Bridge Master named Kang is *finally* set to task by Ariakas to build the best, most secret bridge. I found myself rooting for the draconians, even at the cost of elven lives. Slith also shows up, which is great. The end made me sad!
12. The Middle of Nowhere (Dan Harnden) - 1.3/5
A town needs to beat a dragon with a conniving wizard. And then the story drags on.
13. Kaz and the Dragon's Children (Richard A. Knaak) - 3.8/5
I liked seeing Kaz again, but something about this fell a bit flat for me. Kaz is captured by a Black Robe who is absolutely evil. Kaz learns a silver dragon is also held captive with her eggs.
14. Into the Light (Linda P. Baker) - 3/5
Kedasa nomads somehow survive a dragon attack. They're desert people who made me think of Aiel from WoT. It's written okay but took me a while to get into.
15. The Best (Margaret Weis) - 3.3/5
A group seeks out a dragon's treasure with an interesting twist at the end.
16. The Hunt (Kevin Stein) - 2.9/5
A Solamnic knight goes after a dragon. Again, it's not written poorly but it didn't hook me even with the twist.
April 1, 2021
Got bored with this fairly quickly, impressed I actually finished it. Since all the short stories take place in the same “world” and every one surrounds dragons, they all kind of took on the same pattern and it was hard to gain any momentum through them. It was really stereotypical old school fantasy- dragons hoarding treasure in caves, evil ones wreaking havoc, good ones protecting their young, always men as the protagonist either being the hero or an idiot, women being sexual or non-existent. The first story has a woman as the main character and then I think a woman is mentioned in maybe 2 or 3 other stories throughout the rest of the entire book. Probably wouldn’t recommend unless that is your style.
January 30, 2019
Ha sido una lectura muy amena.
Creo que a cualquiera que le guste la temática de los dragones le puede ser muy entretenida.
Son varias historias. Algunas me han dejado indiferente, otras los personajes me han encantado (como los gnomos), otros me ha pillado por sorpresa el final etc.
En general creo que está bien pero el punto flojo es que cuando la historia te está gustando, sientes que la historia acaba demasiado pronto y que quieres saber más de esos personajes
Como nota me quedo con lo geniales de los nombres de los Gnomos. Os dejo aquí un ejemplo de uno de ellos:
Siempre-en-las-nubes-piensa-en-las-musarañas-no-te-enteras
Creo que a cualquiera que le guste la temática de los dragones le puede ser muy entretenida.
Son varias historias. Algunas me han dejado indiferente, otras los personajes me han encantado (como los gnomos), otros me ha pillado por sorpresa el final etc.
En general creo que está bien pero el punto flojo es que cuando la historia te está gustando, sientes que la historia acaba demasiado pronto y que quieres saber más de esos personajes
Como nota me quedo con lo geniales de los nombres de los Gnomos. Os dejo aquí un ejemplo de uno de ellos:
Siempre-en-las-nubes-piensa-en-las-musarañas-no-te-enteras
December 8, 2021
Short stories about dragons and those that would hunt them. The stories are pretty hit or miss. A couple stand out above the rest. One tale
In particular about a bunch of drunks who burn their tavern down and blame it on a dragon that doesn’t exist. They then are tasked with slaying the dragon that doesn’t or does exist. Hilarity ensues. Another features the greatest dragon hunters ever and the final story about obsession is also quite good.
In particular about a bunch of drunks who burn their tavern down and blame it on a dragon that doesn’t exist. They then are tasked with slaying the dragon that doesn’t or does exist. Hilarity ensues. Another features the greatest dragon hunters ever and the final story about obsession is also quite good.
December 18, 2017
I knew I had read this book in my teenage years. But few things have affected me as much as re-reading Dalamar the Dark telepath the short version of Gilbenstock's long name, which I remembered precisely because of how nonsensically the letters scroll along the page: Gilbenstockelburlendiosophomistalalinear.
January 27, 2018
Excellent collection of tales set in Krynn, all concerning dragons or their kin. The Best was probably the best of the stories. Best enjoyed by people who are familiar with other DragonLance novels and their characters.
January 8, 2023
The first book in a series often determines if I am hooked thoroughly.
The idea of this book, the characters, and the writing style and pace made this book great, and made me pick up the next in the series with barely a pause.
The idea of this book, the characters, and the writing style and pace made this book great, and made me pick up the next in the series with barely a pause.
April 26, 2023
“The First Dragonarmy Bridging Company” short story shows us Kang’s group in action. A fun tale, action packed with construction, battle, and construction battle.
Rating Based on “The First Dragonarmy Bridging Company” Short Story
Rating Based on “The First Dragonarmy Bridging Company” Short Story
June 21, 2024
A decent enough collection of short stories, some of which with interesting morales
October 29, 2014
It's a book of short stories set in a D&D world (or worlds, it's hard to tell). I borrowed it from a friend who really liked one particular story in it. Can't say I had the same opinion of the book itself. All of the stories involved dragons, so by and large they were all about rescuing dragon eggs or killing mutated dragon-critters. Also, myself not having an expansive D&D background, some parts were rather hard to understand. Overall the writing was bland and insipid, and the only story I liked had some problems with its prose during the first half. I suppose mileage may vary for D&D/Dragonlance fans, but for myself it was a drag to get through the whole thing. Not Recommended.
November 18, 2013
This novel is a collection of short stories set in the Dragonlance realm. I believe a collection of short stories cannot receive a higher rating than three. There will be some stories the reader enjoys and some they don't. That is the case with this book. One story with Kaz, the minotaur who has his own book that I strongly recommend and the story by Margaret Weis are exceptional and make this book worth reading. If you are a fan of Dragonlance, you might enjoy this collection.
September 22, 2020
La verdad es que en las historias de la Dragonlance hay mucha prueba y error, definitivamente hay unas maravillosas y otras que dejan mucho que desear.
En esta ocasión, a pesar de que sinceramente no esperaba mucho, estoy positivamente sorprendida.
Como el título de la trilogía y del libro indican, estas son historias no estrictamente DE dragones como los protagonistas, sino en las que los dragones de una u otra forma figuran, y en general las historias son bastante entretenidas.
En esta ocasión, a pesar de que sinceramente no esperaba mucho, estoy positivamente sorprendida.
Como el título de la trilogía y del libro indican, estas son historias no estrictamente DE dragones como los protagonistas, sino en las que los dragones de una u otra forma figuran, y en general las historias son bastante entretenidas.
March 21, 2016
The dragons of Krynn is a collection of short stories written by many of of the writers of the first Dragonlance Tales book series, including Douglas Niles, Richard A. Knaak, Nancy Varian Berberick, and many others. Particularly remarkable is the short story “Kaz and the dragon”, featuring one of the most beloved characters of Krynn (learn more about him on my blog post: http://goo.gl/jZreZ6).
February 11, 2015
This book was my first introduction to Dragonlance, and without it I might never have discovered a wide swath of exceedingly well written and imaginative Fantasy novels, both in and out of the Dragonlance series.
If the mythical dragon piques your interest, this book is for you above most any other Fantasy novel. (But also check out Naomi Novik!)
If the mythical dragon piques your interest, this book is for you above most any other Fantasy novel. (But also check out Naomi Novik!)
June 10, 2025
Eine bunte Mischung an Geschichten um Drachen in der Welt von Dragonlance. Die Qualität der einzelnen Geschichten schwankt, aber das liegt in der Natur der Sache. Lediglich eine einzige Geschichte fand ich persönlich furchtbar schlecht. Alle anderen waren okay bis sehr gut.
Gut zu lesen. Hat Spaß gemacht. Aber sicher keine Pflichtlektüre im Dragonlance Universum.
Gut zu lesen. Hat Spaß gemacht. Aber sicher keine Pflichtlektüre im Dragonlance Universum.
June 16, 2010
This book has wonderful series, but they always end and leave you falling off a cliff.
October 1, 2012
Boy this was a labor. Almost 400 pages and about 40 of them kept my interest.
December 31, 2012
Nice collection of stories Some with a few twist at the end
May 24, 2013
Some good, some not great. Overall worth the read.
September 2, 2015
Apesar de não ser um iniciado hn Dragonlance, fui cativado por alguns contos dessa coletanêa, como The Hunt, The Best e The Iron Dragon
April 3, 2017
An interesting read if you're a fan of the Dragonlance saga. All of the short stories have some merit. But, out of the fifteen there are really only five pieces that I truly enjoyed:
Seven Hymns of the Dragon, a poem by Michael Williams
The Final Touch by Michael and Teri Williams
The First Dragonarmy Bridging Company by Don Perrin
Kaz and the Dragon's children by Richard A. Knaak
The Best by Margaret Weis
I recommend getting this book just for the above works alone. They are wonderful, especially. Mr. Perrin's The First Dragonarmy Bridging Company, which introduced one of my favorite characters.
Seven Hymns of the Dragon, a poem by Michael Williams
The Final Touch by Michael and Teri Williams
The First Dragonarmy Bridging Company by Don Perrin
Kaz and the Dragon's children by Richard A. Knaak
The Best by Margaret Weis
I recommend getting this book just for the above works alone. They are wonderful, especially. Mr. Perrin's The First Dragonarmy Bridging Company, which introduced one of my favorite characters.
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