The Clandestine Circle

Dragonlance: Crossroads #1

by Mary H. Herbert

Rose Knight Linsha Majere, working undercover for the Solamnic's Clandestine Circle, earns a place on the elite bodyguard of Hogan Bight, the mysterious lord governor of Sanction. She quickly learns the governor is not the only one who needs protection in a city threatened by an active volcano about to erupt, a death ship filled with an unknown plague, the ever-watchful Legion of Steel, and the subversive Knights of Neraka. But who will protect Linsha from her own heart?

Genres: Dragonlance, Fantasy, Fiction, Dungeons and Dragons, High Fantasy

312 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Jenifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always loved the Majere family, starting with Caramon and Raistlin on down to the latest generation, but I think Linsha is one of my most favorite characters. I got introduced to here in City of the Lost and fell so much in love with her that I wanted to know more. I'm very happy that I read this and got to know more of her and her past exploits. I highly recommend this to fans of DragonLance, particularly the Majere family.

[E J · Rating 2 out of 5]

The romance was ridiculous, like something out of Mills & Boon. Not that I've read anything M&B, I'm just assuming. The book was mostly a tourist's wander throughout the city of Sanction, except the descriptions were pretty arms-length and removed from character and bon vivance. The plot didn't get going until 2/3 of the way through, and still it was straightforward and predictable. There should've been a perspective from the pirates or Knights of Takhisis. Lord Bight's shapeshifting into an orange cat was pretty much pointless. Varia is a weird name for an owl. Linsha kept going on about her honor to family and the Clandestine Circle, but I didn't 'feel' anything about it, i.e. a case of telling rather than showing.

I was keen on the Linsha trilogy having read good things about it, but after this I'm not sure about picking those books up.

2 stars. Nothing special.

[Rajit · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story starts out slow as Sanction is hit by a mystery plague, but a few interesting plots develop as we find out that our main character is secretly a Solamnic Knight (and also the granddaughter of Caramon Majere). A few questions remain unanswered, but these seem to mostly be continued in Herbert's other books. I would probably recommend this to anyone who's read the Chaos War series. If you're new to Dragonlance, I would instead recommend the Chronicles trilogy first followed by the Legends trilogy

[Oscar · Rating 3 out of 5]

El libro está bien, aunque me sobra el ñoñerismo (aunque a otros les pueda gustar, para gustos colores).

Pero cuando ya lo has leído... lo único que te deja es con la pregunta... ¿Y ahora qué?

Quizás es que hay que leer la trilogía dedicada a Linsha Majere... os lo diré cuando la haya leído :P

[Mikaël · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know this is DnD, but why's Lynn gotta be so horny over everyone? The story is great and the book could have been excellent, if it wasn't for her nonstop drooling and fantasizing every time she meets someone

[Tom Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started off slow and I thought it was going to be a chore. It picked up and was quite enjoyable. Another Mary Sue but what can you do?

[Jim C · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a novel set in the Dragonlance realm. Linsha Majere is a Knight of the Rose who is working undercover to retrieve information about Lord Bight of Sanction. While on this assignment, a mysterious plague hits the city.

I enjoyed this whole story. I liked the main character as she grapples with her assignment and what she believes is right. The book had a nice pace and never had a lull in the storyline. The mystery of Lord Bight adds to the storyline even though the author drops hints during the story of his true nature. This book had a little of everything. It had action, mythical creatures, romance, and intrigue.

The reader doesn't have to have prior knowledge in Dragonlance to enjoy this story. If one likes fantasy with a good story, this book is a book I strongly recommend.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this book pretty entertaining to read, and enjoyed the process. Think I might check out the other books in this series too (looks like the series might be written by lots of different authors?). I absolutely loved the characters in this book, and the story was pretty great too, but the main character loses points for missing something so obvious that I figured it out halfway through the book, and she still had not figured it out by the end of the book (although it was painfully obvious at that point). Otherwise a great book.