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Dragonlance: Destinies #2
Dragons of Fate: A Dungeons & Dragons Novel
A courageous heroine trapped in the distant past is determined to return to her own time—without changing the shape of the world forever—as the New York Times bestselling Dragonlance series continues in this thrilling sequel to Dragons of Deceit.
A clash of powerful magical forces sets off the Graygem of Gargath, sending Destina Rosethorn and her companions deeper into the past than she intended—to the age of Huma Dragonsbane and the Third Dragon War. Now, with the Device of Time Journeying shattered, they must find another way back to their own era before the Graygem irrevocably alters history and the Third Dragon War ends in defeat for the forces of good.
While the battle rages on, Destina tries desperately to make amends and prevent disaster. Raistlin and Sturm encounter their heroes Huma and Magius, and must reconcile the myths with the men. And Tasslehoff, shocked that the Knights of Solamnia have never heard of dragonlances, sets out to find the famed weapons.
But as the forces of the Dark Queen close in on the High Clerist’s Tower, Destina’s party must return to their own timeline together—or not at all.
A clash of powerful magical forces sets off the Graygem of Gargath, sending Destina Rosethorn and her companions deeper into the past than she intended—to the age of Huma Dragonsbane and the Third Dragon War. Now, with the Device of Time Journeying shattered, they must find another way back to their own era before the Graygem irrevocably alters history and the Third Dragon War ends in defeat for the forces of good.
While the battle rages on, Destina tries desperately to make amends and prevent disaster. Raistlin and Sturm encounter their heroes Huma and Magius, and must reconcile the myths with the men. And Tasslehoff, shocked that the Knights of Solamnia have never heard of dragonlances, sets out to find the famed weapons.
But as the forces of the Dark Queen close in on the High Clerist’s Tower, Destina’s party must return to their own timeline together—or not at all.
373 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2023
144 people are currently reading
3259 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 - 30 of 163 reviews
September 1, 2023
This is the second book of a trilogy and the first one must be read before this one. This picks up from the cliffhanger in the first book. Our group of heroes have been transported back to The Third Dragon War. How do they get back home and how do they achieve this without changing history?
This is definitely a step up from the previous novel. I believe the first novel suffered from too much set up as these authors were establishing their world for potential new readers. With that done we can get into it. I have always said that Dragonlance has some wonderful characters. This book continues with that trait as this book does some amazing character exploration. We see this on so many fronts and I loved all of them. Our protagonist realizes she screwed up and has evolved into taking responsibility. We also get examples of a bromance between a wizard and a knight and how this contrasts between Raistlin and Sturm. Speaking of Raistlin this book is a great book for his character. We get to wonder "what if" things were a little different for him when we first met him many, many years ago. The action did take a back seat in this book because of all the character exploration. It didn't matter. There are a couple of action scenes that where I could not read fast enough. Then we get to the finale. I believe my jaw dropped. I did not expect that and all I can say is "holy s**t".
I really considered giving this book a five star rating. I might be a little bias and I could not give it the five stars like I have given to other books from this universe. It is not quite there. It is definitely a water cooler book as the events that happened demand to be talked about. These authors know how to write characters and they continue that tradition in this book. This book truly embodies why I fell in love with this universe and I cannot believe I have to wait a whole year to find out what happens.
This is definitely a step up from the previous novel. I believe the first novel suffered from too much set up as these authors were establishing their world for potential new readers. With that done we can get into it. I have always said that Dragonlance has some wonderful characters. This book continues with that trait as this book does some amazing character exploration. We see this on so many fronts and I loved all of them. Our protagonist realizes she screwed up and has evolved into taking responsibility. We also get examples of a bromance between a wizard and a knight and how this contrasts between Raistlin and Sturm. Speaking of Raistlin this book is a great book for his character. We get to wonder "what if" things were a little different for him when we first met him many, many years ago. The action did take a back seat in this book because of all the character exploration. It didn't matter. There are a couple of action scenes that where I could not read fast enough. Then we get to the finale. I believe my jaw dropped. I did not expect that and all I can say is "holy s**t".
I really considered giving this book a five star rating. I might be a little bias and I could not give it the five stars like I have given to other books from this universe. It is not quite there. It is definitely a water cooler book as the events that happened demand to be talked about. These authors know how to write characters and they continue that tradition in this book. This book truly embodies why I fell in love with this universe and I cannot believe I have to wait a whole year to find out what happens.
August 7, 2024
After reading Dragons of Deceit, I was initially discouraged. Dragons of Deceit was a good read, but nowhere as good as the Dragonlance novels of old. (Chronicles, Legends, Tales, etc.) Suffice to say, I had lowered my expectations for Dragons of Fate and for Dragonlance Destinies series as a whole.
With that said, Dragons of Fate was a wonderful surprise. The pacing was much improved over Dragons of Deceit. There are a lot less flashbacks with the constantly explaining of the Dragonlance universe, and the focus was shifted from a single flawed protagonist (Destina), to several of the original Dragonlance characters introduced in the Chronicles trilogy. (Raistlin, Tas, Strum). These characters are then placed in a journey where they meet their own respective heroes from the Third Dragon War. The story arc was great and made for quite the page turner. Overall this novel is vastly improved from Dragons of Deceit. The cliffhanger ending was fantastic and introduces even more characters from the original Chronicles trilogy! I'm very excited to continue the story and eagerly await the release of the third book in the series.
If you are looking to relive the nostalgia from the original Dragonlance novels, Dragons of Fate will not disappoint!
With that said, Dragons of Fate was a wonderful surprise. The pacing was much improved over Dragons of Deceit. There are a lot less flashbacks with the constantly explaining of the Dragonlance universe, and the focus was shifted from a single flawed protagonist (Destina), to several of the original Dragonlance characters introduced in the Chronicles trilogy. (Raistlin, Tas, Strum). These characters are then placed in a journey where they meet their own respective heroes from the Third Dragon War. The story arc was great and made for quite the page turner. Overall this novel is vastly improved from Dragons of Deceit. The cliffhanger ending was fantastic and introduces even more characters from the original Chronicles trilogy! I'm very excited to continue the story and eagerly await the release of the third book in the series.
If you are looking to relive the nostalgia from the original Dragonlance novels, Dragons of Fate will not disappoint!
May 2, 2024
Dear dogs, this was AWFUL. Worse than the last one, and I didn’t think that was even possible. I’m not even sure where to start.
Okay.
So, first up: time travel to meet previous Heroes of Legend is a horrible, horrible trope, and the previous book was already a badly contrived and clumsy piece of shoe-horning, with leaking plot holes in every direction. And this one was worse, a directionless jumble of characterless waffle, poorly plotted, poorly written, and messy as all hell.
Second: it took a long standing, beloved and quintessential mythology and just pissed ALL over it. Some stuff was little and cosmetic - like, since when did Masters of the Towers have silver books? But some stuff was just unforgivable. Since when did Findandantilus target every mage? Talk about undermining Raistlin’s entire character and backstory. And then to claim that Raistlin had worn Red Robes since the Test! Had the Graygem gone back into the previous books and somehow rewritten his whole narrative arc? Since when was Mishakal Paladine’s consort (with the slightly inappropriate and uncomfortable image that creates)? Since when were there evil dragons in dragon orbs? That’s in direct contradiction to what was in the original stories (and why didn’t one escape when Tas did the smashing thing?)
Raistlin and Sturm were both blandly empty shadows of their former selves, and they got along almost without a hiccup, not falling out or conflicting fully at any point. The Shoikan Grove was SO SCARY that it bumped a minotaur on the head and covered him in leaves. And when a dragon attacks your Tower, you don’t think. ‘Oh look. it’s thirty feet long, with a forty-five foot wingspan’, you think, ‘FUUUUUUUUUUU...’ or the suitable Krynn equivalent.
And not only all that. The text was flat and clunky, tediously explaining absolutely everything, including the background twice in the first two chapters, and all the fucking sentences had exactly the same cadence, which drove me up the wall. There were no contractions, not even in speech, and people don’t talk like that. Fucksake, was this edited by AI? From an author's perspective, this is kindergarten stuff.
A plus point for Huma and Magius and their humour and slight unorthodoxy, very well done, but otherwise this was so bad it took me all my years of prior love to even finish it.
Did W&H actually write this? Or were they really, heavily constrained by umpteen levels of licensing bullshit. (Oooh no, we can't have an evil character! Oooh no, we can't have characters not getting along! Oooh no, the Shoikan Grove can't be really nasty, that's bad for our Brand!)
The whole thing just felt watered down, like the personalities and interactions and dialogue and relationships that made the first books so utterly magical had been thinned, or binned, and instead replaced with multiple levels of corporate sign off, sucking every ounce of life and light and energy and spontaneity clean from the text, and an unnecessarily complicated, ludicrously stupid plot that was clumsy at best, and a ruinous mess at worst.
I really, really hope the last book saves the day.
Okay.
So, first up: time travel to meet previous Heroes of Legend is a horrible, horrible trope, and the previous book was already a badly contrived and clumsy piece of shoe-horning, with leaking plot holes in every direction. And this one was worse, a directionless jumble of characterless waffle, poorly plotted, poorly written, and messy as all hell.
Second: it took a long standing, beloved and quintessential mythology and just pissed ALL over it. Some stuff was little and cosmetic - like, since when did Masters of the Towers have silver books? But some stuff was just unforgivable. Since when did Findandantilus target every mage? Talk about undermining Raistlin’s entire character and backstory. And then to claim that Raistlin had worn Red Robes since the Test! Had the Graygem gone back into the previous books and somehow rewritten his whole narrative arc? Since when was Mishakal Paladine’s consort (with the slightly inappropriate and uncomfortable image that creates)? Since when were there evil dragons in dragon orbs? That’s in direct contradiction to what was in the original stories (and why didn’t one escape when Tas did the smashing thing?)
Raistlin and Sturm were both blandly empty shadows of their former selves, and they got along almost without a hiccup, not falling out or conflicting fully at any point. The Shoikan Grove was SO SCARY that it bumped a minotaur on the head and covered him in leaves. And when a dragon attacks your Tower, you don’t think. ‘Oh look. it’s thirty feet long, with a forty-five foot wingspan’, you think, ‘FUUUUUUUUUUU...’ or the suitable Krynn equivalent.
And not only all that. The text was flat and clunky, tediously explaining absolutely everything, including the background twice in the first two chapters, and all the fucking sentences had exactly the same cadence, which drove me up the wall. There were no contractions, not even in speech, and people don’t talk like that. Fucksake, was this edited by AI? From an author's perspective, this is kindergarten stuff.
A plus point for Huma and Magius and their humour and slight unorthodoxy, very well done, but otherwise this was so bad it took me all my years of prior love to even finish it.
Did W&H actually write this? Or were they really, heavily constrained by umpteen levels of licensing bullshit. (Oooh no, we can't have an evil character! Oooh no, we can't have characters not getting along! Oooh no, the Shoikan Grove can't be really nasty, that's bad for our Brand!)
The whole thing just felt watered down, like the personalities and interactions and dialogue and relationships that made the first books so utterly magical had been thinned, or binned, and instead replaced with multiple levels of corporate sign off, sucking every ounce of life and light and energy and spontaneity clean from the text, and an unnecessarily complicated, ludicrously stupid plot that was clumsy at best, and a ruinous mess at worst.
I really, really hope the last book saves the day.
August 28, 2023
The authors clearly weren't all that interested in their own Canon.
February 27, 2024
(2.5 stars rounded up)
Dragons of Fate, like the first book in this trilogy, suffers from an inexcusable number of typos. For a major publisher it just blows my mind. The lack of care put into this book, after the obvious issues with the first, is depressing. General quality issues aside, there are other problems as well. Like I stated in my review of Dragons of Destiny, as a life long Dragonlance fan, it is hard to review a book like this with any objectivity. Just simply being in this world and spending time with these characters again is exciting. That being said, the excitement of returning to Krynn can only take things so far.
The major issue with this book is the fact that nearly all of the major plot points are choreographed in advance. When dealing with a time travel story, that can come with the territory. However, it can also stifle the pace and energy of the story. For 75% of the book, things feel slow. The minor events crawl along and hold little weight for the major events that readers know are coming. It feels like the authors are simply filling space. And though some of that space contains good character moments, it is not enough to carry the rest. The final 25% of the book delivers some interesting action and twists on what readers already know. There is excitement and surprise. There is a good sense of tension. It would have been great to have this throughout the whole book.
The other issue with Dragons of Fate is that it suffers from middle child syndrome. It mostly feels like a vessel to get the trilogy to where it needs to be for the final book. There is certainly a standalone story arc present, but it feels so minimal compared to where things are left. We also see how a world so richly mined and written about can make a new story shrink under the weight of its own shadow. We see events we are familiar with. We see characters that have been used countless times before. We see the use of time travel as a gimmick in order to shake up a world that does not have much new to say. And in order to further the story, we see characters making stupid choices or being indecisive at points that just do not make sense.
I know this review comes off as harsh, but I expect a lot from these authors. And that is not to say there weren't elements worth praising. The end of this book leaves things in such an interesting place. I am very excited to see how things shake out in the third book. Weis and Hickman are also excellent at writing these characters. The authors know them inside and out and it shows. It allows for changes in characters like Raistlin to feel organic and believable. It allows for them to mess with the existing canon because they understand it. There are cool fights here. There are neat character moments. There is potential for a great third book. But that does not excuse the sins committed along the way. After all this time, I just expect more.
Dragons of Fate, like the first book in this trilogy, suffers from an inexcusable number of typos. For a major publisher it just blows my mind. The lack of care put into this book, after the obvious issues with the first, is depressing. General quality issues aside, there are other problems as well. Like I stated in my review of Dragons of Destiny, as a life long Dragonlance fan, it is hard to review a book like this with any objectivity. Just simply being in this world and spending time with these characters again is exciting. That being said, the excitement of returning to Krynn can only take things so far.
The major issue with this book is the fact that nearly all of the major plot points are choreographed in advance. When dealing with a time travel story, that can come with the territory. However, it can also stifle the pace and energy of the story. For 75% of the book, things feel slow. The minor events crawl along and hold little weight for the major events that readers know are coming. It feels like the authors are simply filling space. And though some of that space contains good character moments, it is not enough to carry the rest. The final 25% of the book delivers some interesting action and twists on what readers already know. There is excitement and surprise. There is a good sense of tension. It would have been great to have this throughout the whole book.
The other issue with Dragons of Fate is that it suffers from middle child syndrome. It mostly feels like a vessel to get the trilogy to where it needs to be for the final book. There is certainly a standalone story arc present, but it feels so minimal compared to where things are left. We also see how a world so richly mined and written about can make a new story shrink under the weight of its own shadow. We see events we are familiar with. We see characters that have been used countless times before. We see the use of time travel as a gimmick in order to shake up a world that does not have much new to say. And in order to further the story, we see characters making stupid choices or being indecisive at points that just do not make sense.
I know this review comes off as harsh, but I expect a lot from these authors. And that is not to say there weren't elements worth praising. The end of this book leaves things in such an interesting place. I am very excited to see how things shake out in the third book. Weis and Hickman are also excellent at writing these characters. The authors know them inside and out and it shows. It allows for changes in characters like Raistlin to feel organic and believable. It allows for them to mess with the existing canon because they understand it. There are cool fights here. There are neat character moments. There is potential for a great third book. But that does not excuse the sins committed along the way. After all this time, I just expect more.
August 27, 2023
Some scattered thoughts from a shameless Age of Mortals enjoyer:
W&H in Dragons of a Vanished Moon:
W&H in Dragons of Fate: Kaz who?
I wonder what Richard Knaak thinks about this book, lol
Weis & Hickman are rather infamously poor team players, and since this book basically disregards every trace of Dragonlance history which wasn't written by one or both of them (of all the books, it's the most closely tied to Brothers In Arms), and the "References" bibliography at the end is significantly reduced from that included in the previous book, and lists exclusively novels and sourcebooks written by Weis and/or Hickman (with the sole exception of Karen Wynn Fonstad's superb Atlas, which only covers Chronicles and Legends), I assume this is an attempt to establish "Classic Dragonlance" as a new canon timeline that "Holy Six" purists can accept without needing to be constantly vigilant against the possibility that someone might introduce an actually interesting idea to the setting.
In essence, this book is to The Legend of Huma what The Soulforge was to Preludes and Meetings, with the difference being that The Soulforge remains within, say, the top 10 of all Dragonlance novels in terms of prose, narrative voice and literary technique (regardless of whatever one's feelings about its treatment of the previous shared-world canon may be), whereas Dragons of Fate is...very far below that top 10 threshold.
Strangely enough, the 1st edition hardback Dragonlance Adventures is listed here, but not the 3rd edition Sovereign Press/Margaret Weis Productions sourcebooks, which this book occasionally nods towards.
The idea of an AU with Raistlin in White Robes has been kicked around since Legends of the Twins (2005). C'mon Margaret, give the people what they want.
___
The new characters from Dragons of Deceit are barely in this book. Despite being front and centre on the (hideous) cover art, Destina's sole purpose is to be a vehicle to move around the Graygem, and Kairn is even less than that. This is not necessarily a bad thing, since Destina was...not well received as the new protagonist, however it does make the first book seem largely pointless in retrospect.
Sturm is also not much of a presence, which feels like a missed opportunity since (for obvious reasons) he has had far less page time than Raistlin and Tas over the previous run of the series. Rotating POV chapters between the three of them would have been appreciated. The main theme is a subversion of the adage "never meet your heroes", where Raistlin and Sturm's personal heroes/historical foils do in fact live up to and surpass their expectations, which suits the intended "traditional" romantic high fantasy tone of Dragonlance very well. With that being the case, it would have been more effective to hear Sturm reflect on Huma from in his own POV throughout the book, rather than mostly sidelining Sturm and Huma in favour of Raistlin and Magius, and then having Raistlin put the question to Sturm at the end, and having Sturm agree based on only a couple of interactions.
Speaking of which, Raistlin is so soft in this book, lmao. I'm not complaining, exactly, since this is the far better alternative than for him to be completely villainised and written as the "sociopath" that Hickman has always asserted he is (even Weis isn't particularly sympathetic towards him most of the time, despite what the fans like to delude themselves into believing), but since this book is (in terms of the psychological state of the characters) taking place after Legends but long before Tales I/Dragons of Summer Flame, it is somewhat jarring to have Raistlin give his heartfelt confessions/almost-apologies in this book, long before his return in the Chaos War (at which time he knows in his heart of hearts that he regrets everything, but isn't ready to admit it out loud yet - that's what the end of Dragons of a Vanished Moon is for).
The only reason this convoluted character development/regression is slightly excusable is because of the time-travel shenanigans ensuring that he won't remember this in the future (except, the book suggests that the characters will, in fact, subconsciously remember these events and emotions in the future).
Despite the fact that a big chunk of the plot is based on Brothers in Arms, the book is strangely reticent about referring to other, more recent novels, particularly Dragons of the Hourglass Mage.
Those with better memories than Weis & Hickman will recall that Raistlin already had this in DotHM, but in the end he lets old man Fisto possess him again anyway.
Basically, the character development in this book would have been a lot more impactful if Raistlin had been allowed to do some real on-page reflection about this, but it’s never mentioned.
This fucking fool wizard, love of my life
___
At this point, I have as much (possibly more) emotional investment in the constant slapfighting between Dragonlance authors, editors, game designers and WotC executives as I do in the actual narrative.
Thanks to the lawsuit, we know the broad strokes of the editorial drama over the first book (the love potion plot, etc), and it’s too bad that we’ll probably never know what kind of radical revisions this one went through, but I have a few guesses.
The end of Dragons of Deceit introduced a new entity called the “Keeper of Souls”, who is responsible for keeping track of all the souls that depart to the afterlife.
After the kerfuffle with the DoaVM appendix (and the long-running feuds over whether the Dragonlance cosmology is part of the standard DnD Great Wheel, and whether Paladine and Takhisis are/are not Bahamut and Tiamat), I was disappointed but not surprised when Hickman decided to change the workings of the afterlife again. Conversely, I was surprised but not disappointed when the Keeper of Souls is not mentioned at all in this book, and hopefully we’ll never have to hear about it again.
If I could erase only one line from Dragons of Deceit, it would be that mention of the Hand of Vecna. Thankfully, 5E Multiverse Bullshit is non-existent in this book, although the number of inconsequential mentions of named artifacts still feels intrusive. Maybe there’s a “minimum number of game-able items/locations/NPCs” clause in the license. In particular, Dalamar and Justarius’ little sidequest to find the one NPC who can rebuild the Device of Time Journeying (which is accomplished with ridiculous ease) feels like it could have been salvaged from a discarded draft adventure module.
___
Predictions for Book 3:
- We get a brief tour of Ansalon under the rule of Takhisis, and meet AU versions of all the characters, but in the end the One True Timeline must be restored
- Kang's Regiment will make an appearance
- Something about Soth, because this decades-long pissing contest over the least interesting character in the main storyline will never end
- Crysania will continue to be never mentioned again, except in the most oblique ways (a mixed blessing, honestly)
W&H in Dragons of a Vanished Moon:
"All his life, Galdar had heard legends of a famous minotaur hero known as Kaz, who had been a friend of the famous Solamnic hero, Huma. Kaz had ridden with Huma in his battle against Queen Takhisis. The minotaur had risked his life for Huma many times, and Kaz's grief at Huma's death had been lifelong."
W&H in Dragons of Fate: Kaz who?
I wonder what Richard Knaak thinks about this book, lol
Weis & Hickman are rather infamously poor team players, and since this book basically disregards every trace of Dragonlance history which wasn't written by one or both of them (of all the books, it's the most closely tied to Brothers In Arms), and the "References" bibliography at the end is significantly reduced from that included in the previous book, and lists exclusively novels and sourcebooks written by Weis and/or Hickman (with the sole exception of Karen Wynn Fonstad's superb Atlas, which only covers Chronicles and Legends), I assume this is an attempt to establish "Classic Dragonlance" as a new canon timeline that "Holy Six" purists can accept without needing to be constantly vigilant against the possibility that someone might introduce an actually interesting idea to the setting.
In essence, this book is to The Legend of Huma what The Soulforge was to Preludes and Meetings, with the difference being that The Soulforge remains within, say, the top 10 of all Dragonlance novels in terms of prose, narrative voice and literary technique (regardless of whatever one's feelings about its treatment of the previous shared-world canon may be), whereas Dragons of Fate is...very far below that top 10 threshold.
Strangely enough, the 1st edition hardback Dragonlance Adventures is listed here, but not the 3rd edition Sovereign Press/Margaret Weis Productions sourcebooks, which this book occasionally nods towards.
"Who knows? With Sturm Brightblade here to influence me for good, I might even take the White Robes."
The idea of an AU with Raistlin in White Robes has been kicked around since Legends of the Twins (2005). C'mon Margaret, give the people what they want.
___
The new characters from Dragons of Deceit are barely in this book. Despite being front and centre on the (hideous) cover art, Destina's sole purpose is to be a vehicle to move around the Graygem, and Kairn is even less than that. This is not necessarily a bad thing, since Destina was...not well received as the new protagonist, however it does make the first book seem largely pointless in retrospect.
Sturm is also not much of a presence, which feels like a missed opportunity since (for obvious reasons) he has had far less page time than Raistlin and Tas over the previous run of the series. Rotating POV chapters between the three of them would have been appreciated. The main theme is a subversion of the adage "never meet your heroes", where Raistlin and Sturm's personal heroes/historical foils do in fact live up to and surpass their expectations, which suits the intended "traditional" romantic high fantasy tone of Dragonlance very well. With that being the case, it would have been more effective to hear Sturm reflect on Huma from in his own POV throughout the book, rather than mostly sidelining Sturm and Huma in favour of Raistlin and Magius, and then having Raistlin put the question to Sturm at the end, and having Sturm agree based on only a couple of interactions.
"By the way, I have been meaning to ask you. They say we should never meet our heroes, for they will be sure to disappoint us. You have met and fought alongside Huma, a man you long revered. What has that been like? Are you disappointed?"
...
"Huma makes light of honor and appears to regard the Measure more as guidelines than as laws by which one must live. But he does believe in the oath. 'My honor is my life.' In fact, I would say that one sentence defines him."
"So are you disappointed?" Raistlin asked.
"No," Sturm replied. "I may have lost a hero, but I have found a friend."
Speaking of which, Raistlin is so soft in this book, lmao. I'm not complaining, exactly, since this is the far better alternative than for him to be completely villainised and written as the "sociopath" that Hickman has always asserted he is (even Weis isn't particularly sympathetic towards him most of the time, despite what the fans like to delude themselves into believing), but since this book is (in terms of the psychological state of the characters) taking place after Legends but long before Tales I/Dragons of Summer Flame, it is somewhat jarring to have Raistlin give his heartfelt confessions/almost-apologies in this book, long before his return in the Chaos War (at which time he knows in his heart of hearts that he regrets everything, but isn't ready to admit it out loud yet - that's what the end of Dragons of a Vanished Moon is for).
The only reason this convoluted character development/regression is slightly excusable is because of the time-travel shenanigans ensuring that he won't remember this in the future (except, the book suggests that the characters will, in fact, subconsciously remember these events and emotions in the future).
Despite the fact that a big chunk of the plot is based on Brothers in Arms, the book is strangely reticent about referring to other, more recent novels, particularly Dragons of the Hourglass Mage.
“Raistlin looked at the road stretching on before him. He walked alone. He could no longer hear the voice of Fistandantilus.
“I have a chance to live life without him,” Raistlin reflected. “At least for a short time.
Those with better memories than Weis & Hickman will recall that Raistlin already had this in DotHM, but in the end he lets old man Fisto possess him again anyway.
Basically, the character development in this book would have been a lot more impactful if Raistlin had been allowed to do some real on-page reflection about this, but it’s never mentioned.
This fucking fool wizard, love of my life
___
At this point, I have as much (possibly more) emotional investment in the constant slapfighting between Dragonlance authors, editors, game designers and WotC executives as I do in the actual narrative.
Thanks to the lawsuit, we know the broad strokes of the editorial drama over the first book (the love potion plot, etc), and it’s too bad that we’ll probably never know what kind of radical revisions this one went through, but I have a few guesses.
The end of Dragons of Deceit introduced a new entity called the “Keeper of Souls”, who is responsible for keeping track of all the souls that depart to the afterlife.
After the kerfuffle with the DoaVM appendix (and the long-running feuds over whether the Dragonlance cosmology is part of the standard DnD Great Wheel, and whether Paladine and Takhisis are/are not Bahamut and Tiamat), I was disappointed but not surprised when Hickman decided to change the workings of the afterlife again. Conversely, I was surprised but not disappointed when the Keeper of Souls is not mentioned at all in this book, and hopefully we’ll never have to hear about it again.
If I could erase only one line from Dragons of Deceit, it would be that mention of the Hand of Vecna. Thankfully, 5E Multiverse Bullshit is non-existent in this book, although the number of inconsequential mentions of named artifacts still feels intrusive. Maybe there’s a “minimum number of game-able items/locations/NPCs” clause in the license. In particular, Dalamar and Justarius’ little sidequest to find the one NPC who can rebuild the Device of Time Journeying (which is accomplished with ridiculous ease) feels like it could have been salvaged from a discarded draft adventure module.
___
Predictions for Book 3:
- We get a brief tour of Ansalon under the rule of Takhisis, and meet AU versions of all the characters, but in the end the One True Timeline must be restored
- Kang's Regiment will make an appearance
- Something about Soth, because this decades-long pissing contest over the least interesting character in the main storyline will never end
- Crysania will continue to be never mentioned again, except in the most oblique ways (a mixed blessing, honestly)
August 5, 2023
4.5/5. This book is a massive step up from Dragons of Deceit. I think that the authors have realised their mistake in having Destina as the main character. She remains a poorly contrived, dislikeable, and unneccesary character, but she has effectively been confined to being a side character in this book. Her basic job is to exist and occasionally make the situation worse, which is exactly what she does. The main focus of this book is on Raistlin and Magius, with Magius in particular being an excellent addition. I also thoroughly enjoyed the references to Brothers in Arms and Brothers Majere, as they displayed an excellent awareness of the in-world timeline and logic. My main criticism is that there are times when certain characters act redundently. Specifically Tas. This is a story that could have benefitted from a bit more Sturm and a bit less Tas, but nevertheless, it is a marked improvement in this trilogy and I look forward to reading the conclusion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 30, 2023
this is a great book for both new readers and returning book alike to the world of dragonlance. there is enough here for new readers doesn't feel like there is need to read other series in the world in order to understand everything, while for the returning fans there of everything they love about the world and characters in order to keep them happy.
February 18, 2024
Oh this was good. Coherent review (hopefully) to follow when I can think straight again. Saving some vacation days for when the next book in the series comes out.
Edited to add some (more or less) coherent thoughts:
2 things need to be said to understand my fondness for this novel:
1. I don't care for the wider canon of Dragonlance novels beyond Weis & Hickman's novels. There are a few books that I've enjoyed in the wider canon such as the highly praised Kingpriest Trilogy, but when I say I love this series I mean the Weis & Hickman canon.
2. I was monumentally disappointed by The Legend of Huma by Knaak and I do not care about Kaz at all.
If you deeply care about either of these you are probably not going to enjoy this novel, because Dragons of Fate ignores all of that. This book is 100 % free of Kaz and White Robe Magius and all that jazz and I personally am very happy for it.
Now for my thoughts on the actual novel:
This book takes its absurd premise (Sturm, Raistlin and Tas time travelling back in time to the time of Huma) and runs with it. It's the same shameless, earnest type of fun that the orginal novels were. Never does this book take itself to seriously. It's never above making fun of its characters (gently, fondly, lovingly). But that is not to say the book doesn't have it's moments of serious drama. This book made me laugh, but it also made me cry a bit and the sad bits are just as earnest and heartfelt as the humorous bits.
In general, really enjoyed the character moments in this novel, and, just, everybody's characterisation. Magius in particular is so damn charismatic, I too would have sworn to do anything for him within moments of meeting him, including risk altering the timeline (who needs a future when they can hang out with Magius and do magic all day?).
I've said this before about Destina in the previous book: Messing with the flow of time is, of course, a stupid thing to do when you think about it objectively, and, rationally, time travel shouldn't be anybody's solution to anything, even in a high fantasy setting. But it's so easy to understand why these characters still get tempted by creating a happier, kinder timeline, even a supposedly shrewd man like Raistlin. It's what made Destina so likeable in the first novel despite her naivité and it got to me again in this novel with Raistlin. This is a perfectly good consequence of having this story happen to a Raistlin who already had his little moment of epiphany at the end of Test of the Twins – a Raistlin who knows he has a heart (and of course this is particular fun, since Raistlin initially insisted that they should under no circumstances change the timeline).
Speaking of Raistlin: Weis and Hickman always deliver when it comes to Raistlin. This book is no exception. The first book featuring him was released in 1984, years before I was born. Yet they keep finding new stories and themes to explore with this character and I could not be happier for it. It was a joy to read the character development he underwent in this novel (especially since, again, this is a version of Raistlin taken from post Test of the Twins, so he did have his little moment of epiphany already and it's a joy that the book can freely build on that). I truly hope the next book gives me some more of that.
I also enjoyed Tasslehoff a lot in this novel. He is not one of my favourite characters from the original books, but he works so well in this new series. His antics are hilarious and actually help move the plot along (minor spoiler: ), but I did enjoy that we do get to see a bit more depth from him as well. I don't want to diagnose a fictional character with PTSD, but he suffers no little anxiety from returning to the place where Sturm died in the orginal timeline and it's heartbreaking to read.
Sturm is in this book way less than I expected, but I enjoyed him regardless. Sturm's awe for Huma quickly fading because Huma made a joke about their Knightly Code of Conduct and learning that Huma considers them more like guidelines is peak Sturm. I guess if he were to ever loosen up there'd have to be an entire book about just that.
In summary: Great book. I had a blast reading this. The character development for Raistlin messed me up in the best way. Magius is brilliant. The dragon going "oh shit" moments before getting run over by a primitive car had me in stitches. Fantastic. Can't wait for the next one.
Edited to add some (more or less) coherent thoughts:
2 things need to be said to understand my fondness for this novel:
1. I don't care for the wider canon of Dragonlance novels beyond Weis & Hickman's novels. There are a few books that I've enjoyed in the wider canon such as the highly praised Kingpriest Trilogy, but when I say I love this series I mean the Weis & Hickman canon.
2. I was monumentally disappointed by The Legend of Huma by Knaak and I do not care about Kaz at all.
If you deeply care about either of these you are probably not going to enjoy this novel, because Dragons of Fate ignores all of that. This book is 100 % free of Kaz and White Robe Magius and all that jazz and I personally am very happy for it.
Now for my thoughts on the actual novel:
This book takes its absurd premise (Sturm, Raistlin and Tas time travelling back in time to the time of Huma) and runs with it. It's the same shameless, earnest type of fun that the orginal novels were. Never does this book take itself to seriously. It's never above making fun of its characters (gently, fondly, lovingly). But that is not to say the book doesn't have it's moments of serious drama. This book made me laugh, but it also made me cry a bit and the sad bits are just as earnest and heartfelt as the humorous bits.
In general, really enjoyed the character moments in this novel, and, just, everybody's characterisation. Magius in particular is so damn charismatic, I too would have sworn to do anything for him within moments of meeting him, including risk altering the timeline (who needs a future when they can hang out with Magius and do magic all day?).
I've said this before about Destina in the previous book: Messing with the flow of time is, of course, a stupid thing to do when you think about it objectively, and, rationally, time travel shouldn't be anybody's solution to anything, even in a high fantasy setting. But it's so easy to understand why these characters still get tempted by creating a happier, kinder timeline, even a supposedly shrewd man like Raistlin. It's what made Destina so likeable in the first novel despite her naivité and it got to me again in this novel with Raistlin. This is a perfectly good consequence of having this story happen to a Raistlin who already had his little moment of epiphany at the end of Test of the Twins – a Raistlin who knows he has a heart (and of course this is particular fun, since Raistlin initially insisted that they should under no circumstances change the timeline).
Speaking of Raistlin: Weis and Hickman always deliver when it comes to Raistlin. This book is no exception. The first book featuring him was released in 1984, years before I was born. Yet they keep finding new stories and themes to explore with this character and I could not be happier for it. It was a joy to read the character development he underwent in this novel (especially since, again, this is a version of Raistlin taken from post Test of the Twins, so he did have his little moment of epiphany already and it's a joy that the book can freely build on that). I truly hope the next book gives me some more of that.
I also enjoyed Tasslehoff a lot in this novel. He is not one of my favourite characters from the original books, but he works so well in this new series. His antics are hilarious and actually help move the plot along (minor spoiler: ), but I did enjoy that we do get to see a bit more depth from him as well. I don't want to diagnose a fictional character with PTSD, but he suffers no little anxiety from returning to the place where Sturm died in the orginal timeline and it's heartbreaking to read.
Sturm is in this book way less than I expected, but I enjoyed him regardless. Sturm's awe for Huma quickly fading because Huma made a joke about their Knightly Code of Conduct and learning that Huma considers them more like guidelines is peak Sturm. I guess if he were to ever loosen up there'd have to be an entire book about just that.
In summary: Great book. I had a blast reading this. The character development for Raistlin messed me up in the best way. Magius is brilliant. The dragon going "oh shit" moments before getting run over by a primitive car had me in stitches. Fantastic. Can't wait for the next one.
August 14, 2023
The second of the new Dragonlance trilogy improves greatly on the first. I was also greatly surprised to find that I didn't loathe Raistlin anymore. In past works, I always felt like he was so abrasive and arrogant that no one would put up with him for long, no matter his qualifications. Here, his caustic tongue is softened, whether through time or improved dialogue.
September 4, 2023
What I really loved about this story is seeing from pov from rastalin since he is my favorite character. We see an arc from beginning to end. Destina's role is somewhat reduced, but I like she sees consequences of her actions. I also like that weis acknowledged stories not written by her as Canon. Overall I'm satisfied and await the conclusion.
September 3, 2024
Like old times
MAYBE its not as good as the originals, but it still takes me back to reading those first books. A really enjoyable read.
MAYBE its not as good as the originals, but it still takes me back to reading those first books. A really enjoyable read.
April 19, 2025
This volume was just as bad as the first.
How do you make such cool concepts as dragons and time travel so boring?
The writing remained just as flat and primitive as in the first book which is a real shame.
How do you make such cool concepts as dragons and time travel so boring?
The writing remained just as flat and primitive as in the first book which is a real shame.
September 17, 2023
You know that moment when you think you know how a book will end...and then you realize you've been wrong the whole time and it's the coolest thing ever? Yeah...this is what this amazing book did to me!
Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman have done it again! This new adventure into Krynn was fantastic at every page turn, and I didn't want it to end. Going to keep this review very vague (even though I want to scream about it in detail from the highest rooftops), but I'll say that it was everything I wanted and more from cover to cover. Next year's volume can't come fast enough, and it makes my heart so happy to be back with my favorite characters--and some new ones--once again. Feels like home for sure.
Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman have done it again! This new adventure into Krynn was fantastic at every page turn, and I didn't want it to end. Going to keep this review very vague (even though I want to scream about it in detail from the highest rooftops), but I'll say that it was everything I wanted and more from cover to cover. Next year's volume can't come fast enough, and it makes my heart so happy to be back with my favorite characters--and some new ones--once again. Feels like home for sure.
November 9, 2025
It occurred to me recently, when looking for an ebook to have on hand for downtime reading, to see if my library had the second of these nostalgia-driven novels from the original “Dragonlance” authors, and it did, so I have now downloaded it about three times and managed to finish it, which is actually quite fast for me and ebooks. I’d read the first one, and while it pushed some of the right buttons, it mostly seemed like an extreme effort at fan service and rather predictable YA pandering. This book, however, which we might call the “Empire Strikes Back” of the new trilogy, is far more interesting. The stakes are raised, more characterization is allowed, and tension is effectively maintained, even as we get to “see” various historical events that had previously only been represented in song and poetry.
S far as the “fan service” side goes – and I am the target audience, here – I enjoyed the fact that two characters whose deaths were less-than-satisfying in the originals were able to come back and try again. Raislin, in particular, seems to have learned from his own past failure, while still maintaining that edge of moral ambiguity that makes him an interesting character in the first place. Getting to know Huma and Magius as people rather than legends was also satisfying.
In short, far from great literature, but enjoyable fantasy of the old school. Eventually, I’ll finish off the trilogy and see if they bring in the “Ewoks” to spoil everything.
S far as the “fan service” side goes – and I am the target audience, here – I enjoyed the fact that two characters whose deaths were less-than-satisfying in the originals were able to come back and try again. Raislin, in particular, seems to have learned from his own past failure, while still maintaining that edge of moral ambiguity that makes him an interesting character in the first place. Getting to know Huma and Magius as people rather than legends was also satisfying.
In short, far from great literature, but enjoyable fantasy of the old school. Eventually, I’ll finish off the trilogy and see if they bring in the “Ewoks” to spoil everything.
August 18, 2023
All the fun, craziness, humour and high jinks you’ve come to expect in Krynn.
I’ve had a love affair with these two authors collaborations since 1984. It is with them I began my love of fantasy in earnest.
One, if not the best, light popcorn fantasy series out there.
Weis and Hickman are true fantasy legends.
I’ve had a love affair with these two authors collaborations since 1984. It is with them I began my love of fantasy in earnest.
One, if not the best, light popcorn fantasy series out there.
Weis and Hickman are true fantasy legends.
February 2, 2024
this was really fun! all the raistlin and magius stuff ruled and i enjoyed seeing more of sturm, even if he was pretty underused.
my biggest issue is that this completely retcons the legend of huma books, and even totally erases kaz from existence. sad to see such well-established lore, and some of my favourite stories, completely written off like this.
great finale though, and weis and hickman’s writing style really does it for me.
my biggest issue is that this completely retcons the legend of huma books, and even totally erases kaz from existence. sad to see such well-established lore, and some of my favourite stories, completely written off like this.
great finale though, and weis and hickman’s writing style really does it for me.
August 20, 2024
Mejora ligera respecto al primer libro, la trama se vuelve bastante más interesante, pero en general sigue siendo demasiado simple para mi gusto comparado con otras novelas de fantasía. Personajes bastante planos, sin motivaciones entendibles, todo muy cliché. Como background fantástico para campañas de D&D lo encuentro magnífico, pero como novela es mejorable.
December 26, 2023
Better than part 1 of this trilogy. Such fun to read how the companions try to keep history as it is. And ofcourse Tasselhoff is the icing of the story. 😊
October 21, 2024
4.25 stars
I had a lot of fun with this one! I connected with it much more than booked one of the series.
I had a lot of fun with this one! I connected with it much more than booked one of the series.
August 31, 2025
you know what I'm not even going to pretend I loved this it felt like dragonlance unlike so many of the other sequels and trilogies that just felt like money grabs. This had heart and humor.
March 2, 2024
The book took characters that you sorta care about and really make you give an absolute damn about them. Several chapters wrecked me.
June 15, 2024
Another good foray into the world of Dragonlance by the original authors.
What effect does the Graygem have once it brings our heroes back in time? What might change?
A good read for sure.
What effect does the Graygem have once it brings our heroes back in time? What might change?
A good read for sure.
September 21, 2023
A much stronger outing. Destina is sensibly related to a minor character and Raistlin takes the stage. Looking forward to book three.
September 17, 2023
Wow!! Another great book from Weis and Hickman. I love Dragonlance novels. I have read every one of them since I was a kid. Can't wait till the next one.
November 17, 2023
The second in the ongoing Dragonlance novel trilogy, this has a lot for long time fans of the universe to enjoy... in fact maybe a bit too much for old fans rather than new ones. One of the things I enjoyed about the previous volume (Dragons of Deceit) was the introduction of new characters and new places. The ending of the last volume had our heroine Destina, meeting and transporting herself to the past with Tasslehoff, Raistlin and Strum... so we are back to the classic characters.
In the past they meet Magius and Huma, who are the idols of both Raistlin and Strum, a legendary magician and a legendary Knight respectively. So, the novel loses the focus on Destina's quest to revive her father and becomes a lot about Magius/Raistlin and Huma/Strum developing personal relationships. This is a lot of fun for old fans, but it kind of ties the novel too much into the past of the series instead of looking forward as the first volume did.
By the end of this volume timey-wimey nonsense has everything on the brink of disaster and the tavern scene that sets the stage for the first Dragonlance novel, Dragons of Autumn Twilight from 1984, happening in very different and tragic ways. So, can Destina and friends fix it all in the third volume? I hope so!
August 14, 2023
I listened to this on audible, and so I will review both the story itself and the audio.
First, the audio: I was really disappointed with the narrator's pronunciations. Normally I would just assume that I was the one that was wrong; however, I had recently listened to the entire Chronicles trilogy so I knew it wasn't me. I also, listened to The Legend of Huma after finishing this, and it also reaffirmed my issue with this narrator. First was the pronunciation of Huma's name. The narrator said that whoo-ma, instead of hue-ma. Next was the pronunciation of Raistlin's last name. Majere was said ma-jay-ray, instead of ma-jeer. Given that Huma was a large part of the story, it was very jarring, and really decreased my ability to disappear into the novel and enjoy it.
Now for the actual story: This basically took the story that we know from The Legend of Huma and turned it on its head. The renegade mage on the run, now a red robed "war wizard" that has clearly been teamed up with Huma for quite a while. Huma himself, a jovial jokester. I will say that the one thing I was really hoping to see, Kaz the Minotaur, was missing, and that really disappointed me, but only because Kaz was such a great character, that I was hoping to see him again. The story was interesting, the interactions are engaging, the happen stance connections amongst characters is amusing, and of course, Tas is a riot. The constant desire to "fix the song" leads to all manner of shenanigans.
The ending of the story is very interesting, and sets up the next book in the trilogy well. I'm interested to see what happens next, where are dear friend Tas has gotten himself off to now, and how things are going to turn out, and what they do to fix history (or at least, we hope they fix history).
All told, the story was good, and I can't wait for the next book, though I'm sure I'll be waiting a while, since I had no patience and bought this book right after it was released.
First, the audio: I was really disappointed with the narrator's pronunciations. Normally I would just assume that I was the one that was wrong; however, I had recently listened to the entire Chronicles trilogy so I knew it wasn't me. I also, listened to The Legend of Huma after finishing this, and it also reaffirmed my issue with this narrator. First was the pronunciation of Huma's name. The narrator said that whoo-ma, instead of hue-ma. Next was the pronunciation of Raistlin's last name. Majere was said ma-jay-ray, instead of ma-jeer. Given that Huma was a large part of the story, it was very jarring, and really decreased my ability to disappear into the novel and enjoy it.
Now for the actual story: This basically took the story that we know from The Legend of Huma and turned it on its head. The renegade mage on the run, now a red robed "war wizard" that has clearly been teamed up with Huma for quite a while. Huma himself, a jovial jokester. I will say that the one thing I was really hoping to see, Kaz the Minotaur, was missing, and that really disappointed me, but only because Kaz was such a great character, that I was hoping to see him again. The story was interesting, the interactions are engaging, the happen stance connections amongst characters is amusing, and of course, Tas is a riot. The constant desire to "fix the song" leads to all manner of shenanigans.
The ending of the story is very interesting, and sets up the next book in the trilogy well. I'm interested to see what happens next, where are dear friend Tas has gotten himself off to now, and how things are going to turn out, and what they do to fix history (or at least, we hope they fix history).
All told, the story was good, and I can't wait for the next book, though I'm sure I'll be waiting a while, since I had no patience and bought this book right after it was released.
September 12, 2023
I initially gave this book 3 stars after finishing. But I since decided to drop it lower after thinking about it for a while. Honestly, this trilogy has been a disappointment thus far. Not for the story, the premise itself is solid. I’m a lifelong fan of Dragonlance and returning to the setting and revisiting old friends has been fun. I’m excited to go on new adventures with them.
However, I just can’t get past the writing in these books. Frankly, it feels phoned in. The repetition, the mind numbingly simple prose… it feels like I’m reading something meant for 6th graders. I reread Dragons of Autumn Twilight before this book came out and it’s shocking how their first novel is written better than their most recent.
I think most give this book higher ratings for the nostalgia rush. And for its ending, which is a huge twist. But I just can’t, and part of me feels bad for feeling this way about authors I adore. The story was fun, but it’s delivery was atrocious. Not only that, the utter lack of the authors own respect for canon infuriates me. I’ll stick to reading fanfics. At least most of the creators there care about the foundations this world has been built on.
However, I just can’t get past the writing in these books. Frankly, it feels phoned in. The repetition, the mind numbingly simple prose… it feels like I’m reading something meant for 6th graders. I reread Dragons of Autumn Twilight before this book came out and it’s shocking how their first novel is written better than their most recent.
I think most give this book higher ratings for the nostalgia rush. And for its ending, which is a huge twist. But I just can’t, and part of me feels bad for feeling this way about authors I adore. The story was fun, but it’s delivery was atrocious. Not only that, the utter lack of the authors own respect for canon infuriates me. I’ll stick to reading fanfics. At least most of the creators there care about the foundations this world has been built on.
November 13, 2023
Now that's how you write a Dragonlance book! Dragons of Fate is the second in the new trilogy by the writers of the original Dungeons and Dragons spin-off, Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman. It picks up with the character Destina on a mission to undo the death of her father using time travel, but she's not when she expected to be, has a gem full of massive chaos everyone wants, and a whole cast of old favourite characters from across time along for the ride.
Compared to the first book in the trilogy, this was a breath of fresh air. While the first book felt rushed and awkward, this one had much more natural dialogue and careful pacing. The action was really strong, especially at the end (the climax was a real ride). Usually I don't love time shennangians but you know what, they played it fast and loose and made it work. Also whenever they write Gnomes they can't help but go full Pratchett.
Destina was in it less but her character felt a lot more consistent. Usually Raistlin is a real shallow prick but in this one he was a lot more introspective and interesting, actually grappling with his legacy as a villain. Alice was a really fun new character and I want more of her. Magius was my favourite, and his whole "my parents tried to pray my magic away so i ran away and chose my own name also me and I have a crush on my best friend" felt a little Representation™.
There was some glaring continuity errors but it was still tighter than the last book. I'm back on board with the new Dragonlance, let's goooooo.
Compared to the first book in the trilogy, this was a breath of fresh air. While the first book felt rushed and awkward, this one had much more natural dialogue and careful pacing. The action was really strong, especially at the end (the climax was a real ride). Usually I don't love time shennangians but you know what, they played it fast and loose and made it work. Also whenever they write Gnomes they can't help but go full Pratchett.
Destina was in it less but her character felt a lot more consistent. Usually Raistlin is a real shallow prick but in this one he was a lot more introspective and interesting, actually grappling with his legacy as a villain. Alice was a really fun new character and I want more of her. Magius was my favourite, and his whole "my parents tried to pray my magic away so i ran away and chose my own name also me and I have a crush on my best friend" felt a little Representation™.
There was some glaring continuity errors but it was still tighter than the last book. I'm back on board with the new Dragonlance, let's goooooo.
December 7, 2023
Destina has made the worst mistake of her life, and it may cause the whole of Krynn to suffer. Her grief and desperation at the loss of her father sent her on a quest for time travel, and sent her, the kender Tasselhoff, and the (formerly) dead heroes of the Lance, Raistlin and Sturm, back to the third dragon war. Now, she must hide the Greygem from Takhises, while not altering events and changing the history of the world. Meanwhile, Sturm and Raistlin are trapped in their War of the Lance bodies with memories of how they died, facing life once again with new choices and possibly a new life ahead.
Destina was fairly useless in this book, but I really didn't care because RAISTLIN. Being dead has separated the liche, Fistandatilus, from him, freeing him from the evil wizard's influence, and I love seeing how the knowledge of his possession and the path his previous life took affects his choices in this book. I love seeing him entertaining the idea of dying a hero, wondering if it's possible to gain redemption, or if he must resign himself to his cursed path to godhood. Him and Magius teaming up was my absolute favorite. They were so SASSY together! And Raistlin was SO happy having a wizard friend who understood him. I was so worried that Sturm would be a walking invitation to punch him in the face, but he wasn't as pigheaded or as present as I worried. Gwyneth and Huma were ADORABLE, as were Kairn and Destina, and Tasselhoff was an utter delight. But as always, RAISTLIN STOLE THE SHOW!
I really hope he gets his redemption arc in book 3. HE DESERVES REDEMPTION!!!!
Destina was fairly useless in this book, but I really didn't care because RAISTLIN. Being dead has separated the liche, Fistandatilus, from him, freeing him from the evil wizard's influence, and I love seeing how the knowledge of his possession and the path his previous life took affects his choices in this book. I love seeing him entertaining the idea of dying a hero, wondering if it's possible to gain redemption, or if he must resign himself to his cursed path to godhood. Him and Magius teaming up was my absolute favorite. They were so SASSY together! And Raistlin was SO happy having a wizard friend who understood him. I was so worried that Sturm would be a walking invitation to punch him in the face, but he wasn't as pigheaded or as present as I worried. Gwyneth and Huma were ADORABLE, as were Kairn and Destina, and Tasselhoff was an utter delight. But as always, RAISTLIN STOLE THE SHOW!
I really hope he gets his redemption arc in book 3. HE DESERVES REDEMPTION!!!!
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