Land of the Minotaurs

Dragonlance: Lost Histories #4

by Richard A. Knaak

CHILDREN OF DESTINY

Throughout the time of Krynn, one race has remained strong in its pride and beliefs. The minotaurs envision themselves as the children of destiny, the future masters of the world. Despite adversity, defeat, and enslavement, that belief has never wavered.

If there is a foe capable of destroying the minotaurs, it is their own arrogance. Here is told the tale of clan against clan, and of how the exiled champion Kaz must discover the terrible secret of the empire before he and his entire race suffer the disastrous consequences.

LAND OF THE MINOTAURS

The Lost Histories Series probes the historical roots and epic struggles of heretofore little-known peoples of Krynn. Author Richard A. Knaak explores the land and history of the honored race of minotaurs.

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

314 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 1, 1995

About the author

Richard A. Knaak is the bestselling author of Dragonlance novels, the Dragonrealm and Black City Saint series (his own creations), six novels for Blizzard Entertainment's Diablo series, and six works in the Warcraft universe. He has also written several non-series fantasy books.

Reviews

[Jim C · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that is set in the Dragonlance universe. This one tells about an adventure with the character Kaz who has appeared in other novels. In this one, his brother-in-law is missing and Kaz is forced to return to his homeland in hopes of locating him. Kaz is not welcome in his homeland and things do not go well there.

Kaz is easily one of the better characters in this universe and it is a pleasure to share one more adventure with him. The author paints the minotaur society like ancient Rome as this society is based on events that happen in the Great Circus. The beginning is a little slow but when Kaz gets back to his homeland the action picks up. I enjoyed all of the characters as there are opponents to Kaz and faithful companions to assist him on his mission. The twist concerning the villain was terrific and led to a fantastic end battle that all action readers will enjoy.

The author has carved himself a nice little niche with his depiction of minotaurs especially Kaz in this world. He has a nice blend of heroic characters, humor, and villains that fans of fantasy will enjoy. Do yourself a favor and read all the books that contain Kaz because all of them are great reads.

[Rhi Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kaz is such a good reluctant hero. Land of the Minotaurs is the 3rd Kaz the Minotaur book by Richard A. Knaak, and I really enjoyed it.

The book is full of old favourites and colourful new characters. There's surprisingly strong political intrigue. It starts as a little bit of a mystery, with a decent amount of tension. The big battle at the end is so cool, where Kaz gets to use his experience as a dragonrider to teach a dragon how to fight.

As is the purpose of the Lost Histories series, we get a peak into minotaur society, which is super interesting. I love the ancient state structure, with its non-hereditary and weak king, clan council, and religious authority. The superfluous kingdoms that existed only for competition. The medieval thought police felt fresh without being too hammy. We even got to see how farms work, which is SUPER rare in pulp fantasy.

I wish the story spent a bit more time unraveling the mystery behind everything going on and how it related to minotaur society. Would have been nice to get a bit more of a relationship between Kaz and Ty. There were a lot big reveals and deux ex machinas at the end that could have been fun chekovs axes with a bit more forthought. While I liked the characters, we could have probably skipped the stuff with Helati and Ganth to make room for all of that.

Like with a lot of Dragonlance, I wanted more depth from something that is mostly about the action and adventure. But the action and adventure was good, all the characters were fun, the world was great. I wish there were 50 more Kaz books but I'll take what I get.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continuing adventures of Kaz the Minotaur. Dragons slipping through the cracks. Useful kender.

[Filip · Rating 2 out of 5]

All the D&D books are... strange to read. It wasn't a bad book, by any means, but not a great one either. A bit cliche, perhaps, with the characterization not being its strongest suite... but amusing nevertheless. Almost nostalgic. But the biggest problem for me that it had one deus ex machina too many. I know it probably is explained by the rules of the setting but it still wasn't to my liking.

Also fun fact - I've read only two Dragonlance books and both used the similar "twist" regarding the identity of the villain. While not astounding, it did get me eager to read the more classic Dragonlance books.

[Dark-Draco · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably my favourite of the Lost History books - I liked the story and characters, especially the dragons, and read it really quickly in the space of a couple of days. I will definitely be tracking down the other two books in the lost history series, as well as trying to expand my collection of Dragonlance books.

[Marco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Land of the Minotaurs is the third book of the adventure of Kaz (see: http://goo.gl/jZreZ6). In this book follows Kaz is trying to settle down with his family, but he is forced back into action, and back to his homeland, Nethosak, to confront an ancient evil.

[Joel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remembered this as one of my favourite Dragonlance novels and thoroughly enjoyed it fresh on re-reading. All the best parts of Krynn are on display here; heroes, dragons, intrigue, adventures and Kender.

Definitely worth a look if you have the chance.

[Philana Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a personal affinity for Minotaurs. In this book we're travling with Kaz, an old friend, and are by his side as he discovers truths and fights for the freedom of his people.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty solid book and a good send-off for Kaz.
I wasn't really his biggest fan in Legend of Huma, but his character has come far and shown a lot of growth as he tries to live up to Huma's Legacy.
I honestly wish I could give 3.5 stars, regardless this was a very strong 3 for me.
I'd recommend it to anyone that has enjoyed the first 2 books he is featured in, however, you may still enjoy it regardless.

[Jasher Drake · Rating 3 out of 5]

Absolutely love the character of Kaz and this book did such a great job at completing his journey - but I sadly found a lot of the Minotaur stuff a tad tiresome, and a few of the plot beats a little uninspired.

Really gonna miss this series though! Knaak has a truly engaging, unique writing style that pulls you right into the action and doesn’t let go.

[Ross Bishop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Continuing the story of the minotaur champion Kaz as he struggles to find his place in the world. A brilliant tale from the best of authors.

This book has my highest recommendation

[Tom Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great addition to the story of Kaz. Showing the power of neutrality and deep bonds of friendship and honor. This is how “I rush in” should be depicted.

[Mikaël · Rating 4 out of 5]

Take a breath, reader

[Richard Pulfer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read. I especially like that it's a book with primarily Minotaur characters, with very few exception. The Minotaur society was also interesting as were all the characters. Definitely recommended for D&D fans.

[Manuel Baraja · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐

Lo cierto es que me los sigo leyendo seguramente como respuesta a cierta nostalgia por tiempos pasados.

Éste otro volumen más en el que tampoco es que pase demasiado, pero sirve para matar el tiempo. De más a menos, el final no me gustó demasiado, no sé si por prisas del autor o por cumplir con el número de páginas promedio que suelen tener.

[Paula Grover · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much. It seemed a bit slow in the beginning but picked up its pace around the middle of the story and it finally built up to the excitement of a number of battle scenes before a very satisfying end. I felt that the author, Richard A. Knaak, did an excellent job creating well-rounded characters. Kaz is a minotaur from the world of Krynn, but he has evolved from a "bad guy" into a hero by the time he enters into this story (he was also featured in Knaak's "The Legend of Huma" and "Kaz the Minotaur"). Since I began the trilogy by reading this book first, I ended up reading the "Kaz" trilogy backwards; but even so, I was able to follow the action. I found the story stirring and even humorous in many places. The kender, Delbin, brings a lot of humor to the story by repeating certain phrases over and over again and Kaz always telling him to shut up.
The book was memorable because of the characters. I like mythological beings, so the Minotaur culture was interesting to me, even if it was very militaristic. In the end, Kaz goes in a different direction than that of his society and the reader is left with a sense of hope, if not for the Minotaurs in general than at least for Kaz and his family. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the many worlds of fantasy and the creatures that inhabit them.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE LAND OF THE MINOTAURS is a tightly crafted tale that picks up a few years after Kaz the Minotaur. In this book the reader gets to see the history and culture of the Minotaur people. Kaz, of course, is there to lead the way in this adventure. The Minotaur people find themselves in an amazing set of circumstances. The entire nation seems to be arming for war. The arena is as busy as it has ever been deciding matters of honor and justice. It is into this time and land of turmoil that Kaz finds himself pulled. Kaz merely wants to raise his family and live in peace, but circumstances draw him into action. There is something hidden and evil hiding among his people. Kaz makes a discovery that will shake his entire world forever. This is likely the best book of, what is now being called, " The Minotaur Trilogy." The plot twists and turns, and so captures the reader that it is hard to put down. These books are a lot of fun, and this one is a fantastic read. The unexpected ending in worth the entire novel series.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best book in The Lost Histories so far! What made this book so enjoyable was that it made me excited about a class of characters that I really never had any interest in before. Plus, this book was enhanced by nearly everything else that transpired throughout the story--awesome battles, magic, historical lore, deception, family, mystery, dragons and a surprisingly not annoying kender character.
My only criticism of the well written and captivating story is that the main villain's dialogue was hokey and over the top. My other criticism is that this was a "history" that is about one specific event in time rather than the backstory for the minotaurs (there are brief references for a part of their history).
Otherwise, a great story that was a page turner due to all the moving pieces for the plot, characterization and writing.

[Lana · Rating 5 out of 5]

did so enjoy reading about the great minotaur Kaz who we had met in previous books when he had fought with Huma, he was a great and unique minotaur and remained so even in this wondrous book, love the way Knaak writes about the minotaurs, his books are one long thrill full of adventure so fast paced, his books are a real page turner!! could not put this book down and kept on reading well into the night!! The circus in the monotaur land is dreadful but kaz dream of peace in his new settlement is drawing more minotaurs to it!! the kender in this book is as always so brave and so lovable, these little folks find everything exciting and do not know the meaning of fear but only one of awe!!! and stand by their friends through thick and thin, even if their friends like kaz are so much bigger than themselves!!

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Somehow I had never read this one before. That has been rectified! Obviously, Knaak is one of the most beloved authors in the DL series, and for good reason. This look at Kaz and the fate of the minotaur empire following the events of The Legend of Huma and Kaz the Minotaur was great, as expected. I liked the cast of minotaur characters and especially Delbin, Kaz’s kender friend. Kaz is forced to leave his growing community and return to Nethosak, where he finds unexpected trouble in high places within the Empire. Reading this was a little bittersweet for me, though, as it DL novel by Knaak that I had yet to read.

[Kyle K · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of Kaz continues. The Minotaur has left Solamnia and has settled with friends and family, but before long he must return to the lands of his origin and contend against a powerful foe who is manipulating his people.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

fun read.

[Elaine Reinhard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding,holds your attention all the way. Great fantasy story.