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Dragonlance: Kang's Regiment #1
The Doom Brigade
War can get a fellow killed.
The fearless draconians of the War of the Lance have retired from the field of battle to a pleasant valley in the Kharolis Mountains. Well, it would be pleasant, if it weren't for some dwarves, whose irritating feuding prevents the draconians from realizing their greatest hope -- the ability to continue their doomed race. When the dwarves discover a map leading to a fortune buried in the dwarven kingdom of Thorbardin, the draconians are swept up in a feverish race for treasure. Little do both sides realize that they are part of the strange and terrible destiny descending upon Krynn during the Summer of Flame.
A destiny that includes the children of Chaos ... the fire dragons!
The Doom Brigade is the first installment in The Chaos War series, stories set during the war of the Dragons of Summer Flame, the "New York Times" best-selling novel co-authored by Margaret Weis.
The fearless draconians of the War of the Lance have retired from the field of battle to a pleasant valley in the Kharolis Mountains. Well, it would be pleasant, if it weren't for some dwarves, whose irritating feuding prevents the draconians from realizing their greatest hope -- the ability to continue their doomed race. When the dwarves discover a map leading to a fortune buried in the dwarven kingdom of Thorbardin, the draconians are swept up in a feverish race for treasure. Little do both sides realize that they are part of the strange and terrible destiny descending upon Krynn during the Summer of Flame.
A destiny that includes the children of Chaos ... the fire dragons!
The Doom Brigade is the first installment in The Chaos War series, stories set during the war of the Dragons of Summer Flame, the "New York Times" best-selling novel co-authored by Margaret Weis.
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
28 people are currently reading
1551 people want to read
About the author
Margaret Weis
677 books5,833 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 52 reviews
June 14, 2022
Buena y divertida novela autoconclusiva de fantasía del mundo de "Dragonlance" dónde nos cuentan las cosas desde una perspectiva de los villanos. En este caso los draconianos que como método de supervivencia han tenido que aprender a convivir con los enanos empleando medios no letales en contra de ellos con tal de seguir consiguiendo el sustento necesario para subsistir.
La trama trata precisamente de eso, de como los draconianos, tras la guerra de la lanza en la que fueron los villanos, deciden ascentarse en un fuerte cercano a una aldea de enanos con la idea de continuar su existencia hasta que el último peresca... y es que los draconianos al ser creados por magia carecen de sus contrapartes femeninas, por lo que se ven condenados a una Inevitable extinción.
No será hasta que uno de los enanos descubre un mapa que por las cosas de la vida terminará llegando a manos draconianas qué al fin verán una solución. Y es que el mapa esconde un suculento tesoro del que los enanos querrán adueñarse, pero que también, junto con ello, esconde una serie de huevos con hembras draconianas en gestación que podrían salvar definitivamente a la raza guerrera de su hasta ahora inevitable destino.
Es entonces que se arma una carrera contrarreloj entre ambos bandos, enanos y draconianos, por llegar primero al ansiado tesoro. Los enanos por ambición, los draconianos por supervivencia, lo que nos entregará una serie de divertidas situaciones que incluirán rivalidades entre ambos grupos, pero también camaradería. Al final de cuentas son solo dos razas con conflictos de intereses que no se odian ni se aman, solo dan lo mejor de sí con tal de hacer lo que creen que es correcto para su pueblo. Y esto es precisamente lo que hace de esta novela un buen libro, su trama tan alejada de los típicos clichés fantásticos. Entre medio, por supuesto, también suceden otras cuántas cosas acerca de unos dragones del abismo y todo eso, qué sirve como base para relacionar futuras novelas de la saga. Más esto pasa en su mayor parte a segundo plano ante el conflicto y la simbiosis enanos draconianos.
Aventura original y muy entretenida, abordada desde una perspectiva liviana, "family friendly", sin violencia desmedida y sangre innecesaria, con un buen toque de humor y esa vibra inocente tan característica de producciones audiovisuales infanto-juvenil de los 80. Y aunque a ratos se echa de menos un poco más de dureza y desarrollo en algunas secuencias, como cuando el grupo de enanos se infiltra a robar a la ciudad de Thorbardin, creo que es lo de menos para lo divertida que me terminó resultando la novela.
¡Recomendada! Sobre todo si eres amante de la fantasía con toques de humor.
La trama trata precisamente de eso, de como los draconianos, tras la guerra de la lanza en la que fueron los villanos, deciden ascentarse en un fuerte cercano a una aldea de enanos con la idea de continuar su existencia hasta que el último peresca... y es que los draconianos al ser creados por magia carecen de sus contrapartes femeninas, por lo que se ven condenados a una Inevitable extinción.
No será hasta que uno de los enanos descubre un mapa que por las cosas de la vida terminará llegando a manos draconianas qué al fin verán una solución. Y es que el mapa esconde un suculento tesoro del que los enanos querrán adueñarse, pero que también, junto con ello, esconde una serie de huevos con hembras draconianas en gestación que podrían salvar definitivamente a la raza guerrera de su hasta ahora inevitable destino.
Es entonces que se arma una carrera contrarreloj entre ambos bandos, enanos y draconianos, por llegar primero al ansiado tesoro. Los enanos por ambición, los draconianos por supervivencia, lo que nos entregará una serie de divertidas situaciones que incluirán rivalidades entre ambos grupos, pero también camaradería. Al final de cuentas son solo dos razas con conflictos de intereses que no se odian ni se aman, solo dan lo mejor de sí con tal de hacer lo que creen que es correcto para su pueblo. Y esto es precisamente lo que hace de esta novela un buen libro, su trama tan alejada de los típicos clichés fantásticos. Entre medio, por supuesto, también suceden otras cuántas cosas acerca de unos dragones del abismo y todo eso, qué sirve como base para relacionar futuras novelas de la saga. Más esto pasa en su mayor parte a segundo plano ante el conflicto y la simbiosis enanos draconianos.
Aventura original y muy entretenida, abordada desde una perspectiva liviana, "family friendly", sin violencia desmedida y sangre innecesaria, con un buen toque de humor y esa vibra inocente tan característica de producciones audiovisuales infanto-juvenil de los 80. Y aunque a ratos se echa de menos un poco más de dureza y desarrollo en algunas secuencias, como cuando el grupo de enanos se infiltra a robar a la ciudad de Thorbardin, creo que es lo de menos para lo divertida que me terminó resultando la novela.
¡Recomendada! Sobre todo si eres amante de la fantasía con toques de humor.
November 12, 2023
Honestly, it's not the best book. But it is the first book I ever pre-ordered, the first book I knowingly planned for and saved for and biked down to Waldenbooks (egads am I old) for. And admittedly the dialogue is corny and the characters' names are occasionally misspelled and the punctuation isn't all there. And the advertised plot doesn't start til two-thirds through. And the draconian army has buglers but no lips. So yeah, honestly, it's not the best book.
But it's one of my firsts.
2 stars. A guilty pleasure.
But it's one of my firsts.
2 stars. A guilty pleasure.
April 1, 2011
Breaking my stereotypical feeling about the Dragonlance books as largely epic in plot but whimsical, silly, and illogical in the unfolding, The Doom Brigade is a delightfully self-contained story that takes place on the edges of the Dragonlance plots and touches on the results of the epic for two small sub-sets of survivors. By doing so, I didn’t find the silliness offensive or the characters to have the kind of Saturday morning cartoon quality I saw in the main storyline. In short, I was able to care about characters I never thought I would care about and enjoy the rollercoaster design of the plot. I call it a rollercoaster design, but it’s really more like a comedy with multiple “U” forms.
One realizes, of course, that the basic structure of a comedy is a smile. The protagonist starts on top of the world and a series of misadventures send her/him/them plummeting to the bottom before circumstances allow them to recover back to the top (maybe even a top higher than the original start of the smile or “U”). If so, The Doom Brigade is a comedy that reveals the bottom teeth of the smile with “U”-shaped gaps in those teeth. The dominant/submissive (relatively speaking) positions of the rivals change more often in this comedy than it does between the two main characters in Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew.
To summarize without trying to “spoil” anything, imagine a world where the typical assumptions of a fantasy universe are turned upside-down. Instead of needing to kill one’s rivals in order to survive, the normally arch-rival races (in this case, dwarves and draconian) recognize that their survivability and/or general quality of life depends on keeping the rival race alive. Humanoid creatures still have a certain amount of aggression to displace and there is always the temptation of taking advantage of one’s rivals. So, the two races have formed a violent, but not lethal, means of expressing their distaste for each other. When I read this idea on the book cover, I was quite skeptical. But since I didn’t buy the book (it was given to me), I decided to read it anyway and I was pleasantly surprised that the authors (Margaret Weis who defined the Dragonlance universe in those very novels I criticized at the very beginning of this review and Don Perrin who most likely plotted this one and made sure that the military aspects of command, organization, and tactics were plausible) established viable rationales for, at least, the draconian taking this tack. I didn’t think the dwarvish rationale was as strong, but since I was experiencing more empathy for the usually villainous draconians, I didn’t care. I suspended my disbelief quickly and got into the story.
The story is one of cross and double-cross, competition between dwarves and draconians in such a way that one-upmanship, suspicion, misunderstanding, and negotiation of a sort (maybe “glaive diplomacy” instead of “gunboat diplomacy?”). I particularly like when positions between the competing parties change and one or the other says, “Nice doing business with you.”
The Doom Brigade is not your father’s Chronicles of Thomas Covenant or even one of the Davidic tomes (Eddings or Gemmel) with dark overtones. The book is best described as something I’d never say about a fantasy novel, “charming.” I never would have believed that a novel based on a “limited war” premise with so many comedic elements could reel me in like this one did. Unlike most Dragonlance novels, I would actually recommend this one.
One realizes, of course, that the basic structure of a comedy is a smile. The protagonist starts on top of the world and a series of misadventures send her/him/them plummeting to the bottom before circumstances allow them to recover back to the top (maybe even a top higher than the original start of the smile or “U”). If so, The Doom Brigade is a comedy that reveals the bottom teeth of the smile with “U”-shaped gaps in those teeth. The dominant/submissive (relatively speaking) positions of the rivals change more often in this comedy than it does between the two main characters in Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew.
To summarize without trying to “spoil” anything, imagine a world where the typical assumptions of a fantasy universe are turned upside-down. Instead of needing to kill one’s rivals in order to survive, the normally arch-rival races (in this case, dwarves and draconian) recognize that their survivability and/or general quality of life depends on keeping the rival race alive. Humanoid creatures still have a certain amount of aggression to displace and there is always the temptation of taking advantage of one’s rivals. So, the two races have formed a violent, but not lethal, means of expressing their distaste for each other. When I read this idea on the book cover, I was quite skeptical. But since I didn’t buy the book (it was given to me), I decided to read it anyway and I was pleasantly surprised that the authors (Margaret Weis who defined the Dragonlance universe in those very novels I criticized at the very beginning of this review and Don Perrin who most likely plotted this one and made sure that the military aspects of command, organization, and tactics were plausible) established viable rationales for, at least, the draconian taking this tack. I didn’t think the dwarvish rationale was as strong, but since I was experiencing more empathy for the usually villainous draconians, I didn’t care. I suspended my disbelief quickly and got into the story.
The story is one of cross and double-cross, competition between dwarves and draconians in such a way that one-upmanship, suspicion, misunderstanding, and negotiation of a sort (maybe “glaive diplomacy” instead of “gunboat diplomacy?”). I particularly like when positions between the competing parties change and one or the other says, “Nice doing business with you.”
The Doom Brigade is not your father’s Chronicles of Thomas Covenant or even one of the Davidic tomes (Eddings or Gemmel) with dark overtones. The book is best described as something I’d never say about a fantasy novel, “charming.” I never would have believed that a novel based on a “limited war” premise with so many comedic elements could reel me in like this one did. Unlike most Dragonlance novels, I would actually recommend this one.
July 4, 2014
Alcoholic's Anonymous for Draconians
It's been a quarter-century since the War of the Lance. Having seen the product wrought by their incompetent, self-serving human commanders, Kang, Slith, Gloth and the rest of the First Dragonarmy Engineers have settled in Dwarven territory near the massive natural fortress of Thorbardin. Their days consist of repelling invading hill dwarves (apoplectic after having their sheep, bread, tools, weapons and Dwarf Spirits plundered), doing the same to the dwarves a few months later. Wash, rinse, repeat. Having no way to propagate their race, the Draconians exist solely to get sloshed and tell the identical war stories night after night, stroking their collective egos. They aren't really living, but simply waiting to die. The bones of some will detonate, some will turn to acid, and others still will turn to stone and finally dust.
All this changes when Selquist pilfers one of the Dark Queen's amulets that just so happens to belong to Kang, leader of the First Engineers. On one of his own treks to Thorbardin (to surreptitiously steal more loot from his own people, of course), the illiterate but cunning and resourceful half-breed finds a journal. Upon having it read to him on his return home, he learns that it reveals the location of a cache of female Draconian eggs that were preserved but never allowed to hatch.
Meanwhile, Kang's forces learn of the Dark Knights of Takhisis (their new general having learned new disciplinary lessons from the Solamnic Knights during their captivity). Although accepted to serve "as engineers", Kang's forces are mortified when their first task is to dig latrines for the humans to do their business (a task any human older than six could easily accomplish). Considering their contract broken, Kang marches his troops home, although what they see both shocks them and forces them down a path towards their true destiny.
Well-written, fun and action-packed, The Doom Brigade is an excellent novel written from the viewpoint of the so-called forces of evil (although this time, they did not turn in upon themselves).
It's been a quarter-century since the War of the Lance. Having seen the product wrought by their incompetent, self-serving human commanders, Kang, Slith, Gloth and the rest of the First Dragonarmy Engineers have settled in Dwarven territory near the massive natural fortress of Thorbardin. Their days consist of repelling invading hill dwarves (apoplectic after having their sheep, bread, tools, weapons and Dwarf Spirits plundered), doing the same to the dwarves a few months later. Wash, rinse, repeat. Having no way to propagate their race, the Draconians exist solely to get sloshed and tell the identical war stories night after night, stroking their collective egos. They aren't really living, but simply waiting to die. The bones of some will detonate, some will turn to acid, and others still will turn to stone and finally dust.
All this changes when Selquist pilfers one of the Dark Queen's amulets that just so happens to belong to Kang, leader of the First Engineers. On one of his own treks to Thorbardin (to surreptitiously steal more loot from his own people, of course), the illiterate but cunning and resourceful half-breed finds a journal. Upon having it read to him on his return home, he learns that it reveals the location of a cache of female Draconian eggs that were preserved but never allowed to hatch.
Meanwhile, Kang's forces learn of the Dark Knights of Takhisis (their new general having learned new disciplinary lessons from the Solamnic Knights during their captivity). Although accepted to serve "as engineers", Kang's forces are mortified when their first task is to dig latrines for the humans to do their business (a task any human older than six could easily accomplish). Considering their contract broken, Kang marches his troops home, although what they see both shocks them and forces them down a path towards their true destiny.
Well-written, fun and action-packed, The Doom Brigade is an excellent novel written from the viewpoint of the so-called forces of evil (although this time, they did not turn in upon themselves).
September 18, 2013
It's been more than six months since I last read a Dragonlance novel. And I still have several tens of them to read. Anyway, continuing the Summer Flame era (after "Dragons Of Summer Flame"), "The Doom Brigade" is the first installment in the two-volumes series "Kang's Regiment".
Draconians (Kang and his gang) and dwarves live on the same plain, bugging each other a few times a year: dwarves stealing tools and stuff, the draconians stealing dwarf spirits. Since there's no war, the draconians have to do something to keep themselves busy.
And so a story unfolds in which there's rumour of a treasure, even a very old treasure consisting of dragon eggs with female draconians. These never hatched. By sheer luck, Kang and co. find out about it and go out to seek them by shadowing/following the dwarves, who have the same interest (only with regards to return on investment aka selling them for gold and what not).
Meanwhile, there's a war going on in the heavens. And Takhisis' armies occupy a great deal of Ansalon, yet install peace. They aren't on a killing spree at all. Kang didn't want his troops/engineers to be (ab)used in the new army, so he left, and then the treasure hunt fell into their laps. But that hunt didn't go as planned, as several obstacles were not taken into account.
All in all, it was an entertaining story, quick to read, and somehow you would begin to sympathize with Kang and his gang. But they're still draconians, still loyal to the Dark Queen. It will be interesting to read how both draconians and dwarfs get out of the cave/mountain and if they'll continue to live peacefully together.
One negative remark, though: some editing would have been useful, as there are a few typos, some words forgotten in dialogues. But it doesn't disturb the story itself, it's trivial stuff that could have easily been prevented by Don Perrin and Margaret Weis themselves.
Draconians (Kang and his gang) and dwarves live on the same plain, bugging each other a few times a year: dwarves stealing tools and stuff, the draconians stealing dwarf spirits. Since there's no war, the draconians have to do something to keep themselves busy.
And so a story unfolds in which there's rumour of a treasure, even a very old treasure consisting of dragon eggs with female draconians. These never hatched. By sheer luck, Kang and co. find out about it and go out to seek them by shadowing/following the dwarves, who have the same interest (only with regards to return on investment aka selling them for gold and what not).
Meanwhile, there's a war going on in the heavens. And Takhisis' armies occupy a great deal of Ansalon, yet install peace. They aren't on a killing spree at all. Kang didn't want his troops/engineers to be (ab)used in the new army, so he left, and then the treasure hunt fell into their laps. But that hunt didn't go as planned, as several obstacles were not taken into account.
All in all, it was an entertaining story, quick to read, and somehow you would begin to sympathize with Kang and his gang. But they're still draconians, still loyal to the Dark Queen. It will be interesting to read how both draconians and dwarfs get out of the cave/mountain and if they'll continue to live peacefully together.
One negative remark, though: some editing would have been useful, as there are a few typos, some words forgotten in dialogues. But it doesn't disturb the story itself, it's trivial stuff that could have easily been prevented by Don Perrin and Margaret Weis themselves.
February 1, 2011
This was one of the most fun books I have ever read. I didn't know any of the characters (apparently from a previous series) but the authors did a wonderful job of summarizing past events in a very entertaining fashion. I never felt that the summary was meant to be some type of lecture for the purpose of upbraiding me for not reading another series.
I won't be as entertaining here, but let me summarize..
Kang's brigade, following the war of the lance, has found itself building a nice little village. The brigade is made up of Draconians (Dragonmen!).. Across the valley live a village of hill dwarves. The dwarves and the Draconions have an uneasy relationship.. they raid each other frequently. The brigade raids the dwarves for liquor and the dwarves raid the Draconions for sheep. They have reached an unspoken agreement not to use any mortal violence in these raids, making them more like pranks. Kang's brigade will eventually die out because their former masters did not allow females to be bred.
However, a particular dwarf, a bit of a thief and a scoundrel has uncovered a map to Thorbardin and a wonderful treasure. On a Draconians raid, the map is stolen, and the Draconians realize that part of this treasure is female Draconian eggs... Soon, both groups are in a contest to reach the treasure first. The competition is pretty funny and the action is pretty solid. The authors were having a great time writing this story and creating wacky situations and clever dialogue.
This was fun enough I'll be looking for the next book in the series, it was a lot of fun.
I won't be as entertaining here, but let me summarize..
Kang's brigade, following the war of the lance, has found itself building a nice little village. The brigade is made up of Draconians (Dragonmen!).. Across the valley live a village of hill dwarves. The dwarves and the Draconions have an uneasy relationship.. they raid each other frequently. The brigade raids the dwarves for liquor and the dwarves raid the Draconions for sheep. They have reached an unspoken agreement not to use any mortal violence in these raids, making them more like pranks. Kang's brigade will eventually die out because their former masters did not allow females to be bred.
However, a particular dwarf, a bit of a thief and a scoundrel has uncovered a map to Thorbardin and a wonderful treasure. On a Draconians raid, the map is stolen, and the Draconians realize that part of this treasure is female Draconian eggs... Soon, both groups are in a contest to reach the treasure first. The competition is pretty funny and the action is pretty solid. The authors were having a great time writing this story and creating wacky situations and clever dialogue.
This was fun enough I'll be looking for the next book in the series, it was a lot of fun.
September 28, 2014
This takes place in the Dragonlance setting. This book deals with draconians and what becomes of them after the war is over. They settle into a village and are neighbors to dwarves. They are forced into a feud with these dwarves.
I liked the premise of this novel and it is an interesting concept of what happens to sentient beings whose sole purpose is waging war. What happens if there is no war? I thought the authors did a good job with the draconians and I felt empathy for them even though they are villains in this universe. The authors gave draconians qualities and made sure that the reader knew there was more to them than warmongering.
The first half of the story dealt with the feud and for my taste had too much slapstick comedy (the reason for my three star rating). When the actual adventure kicks in is when I really started to enjoy this novel. It was well done and I loved how it tied into current events. I did not see that coming. The ending had a nice touch and fit in perfectly with the overall theme of this book.
This was a pleasant read set in this world and I look forward to reading more about Kang an his regiment.
I liked the premise of this novel and it is an interesting concept of what happens to sentient beings whose sole purpose is waging war. What happens if there is no war? I thought the authors did a good job with the draconians and I felt empathy for them even though they are villains in this universe. The authors gave draconians qualities and made sure that the reader knew there was more to them than warmongering.
The first half of the story dealt with the feud and for my taste had too much slapstick comedy (the reason for my three star rating). When the actual adventure kicks in is when I really started to enjoy this novel. It was well done and I loved how it tied into current events. I did not see that coming. The ending had a nice touch and fit in perfectly with the overall theme of this book.
This was a pleasant read set in this world and I look forward to reading more about Kang an his regiment.
October 10, 2022
Really funny and well paced fantasy adventure. Picked it up due to the cool cover and haven't been disappointed. It takes place in the Dragonlance universe, which I was unfamiliar with, but the author fills in all the important details. Very good banter between the dwarves, cool locations and action, well intertwined story threads. It's simple, lighthearted, and it doesn't need to be anything more than that. Will definitely be reading the sequel.
September 30, 2019
If I were rating purely on dragons and nostalgia, this would be a 4. If I were rating purely on the writing quality itself, it'd be a 2. So here we find ourselves at a compromising 3.
Like all Dragonlance novels, Doom Brigade moves at a fast pace and boasts tons of action and different locations. Its a quick, light read that captures the flavor of D&D in general and Krynn specifically.
Like all Dragonlance novels, there aren't many twists and the foreshadowing is so heavy-handed its made of lead. While the characters are fun, they are largely interchangeable, with really only one draconian and one dwarf having much personality on the page (and that personality is very much standard thief and knight tropes).
Still, its hard not to be happy at the end when everything comes together.
Like all Dragonlance novels, Doom Brigade moves at a fast pace and boasts tons of action and different locations. Its a quick, light read that captures the flavor of D&D in general and Krynn specifically.
Like all Dragonlance novels, there aren't many twists and the foreshadowing is so heavy-handed its made of lead. While the characters are fun, they are largely interchangeable, with really only one draconian and one dwarf having much personality on the page (and that personality is very much standard thief and knight tropes).
Still, its hard not to be happy at the end when everything comes together.
July 9, 2019
Fun book. 25 years of nonlethal raiding between draconians and hill dwarves leads to hope for the continuation of the draconian race and a stop to chaos dragons at the same time. I just have to wonder where the kapak & aurak draconians are.
July 11, 2017
Growing up playing games like Dungeons and Dragons, I knew of the Dragonlance books, but never read them. I picked up a few at a local library book sale, and I was impressed with this one -the first one I read of the books.
The book deals with draconians , who are trying to survive their species, while living near dwarves. Both of the races steal from each other-with the draconians stealing the ale the dwarves make. A group of dwarves discover a map that may lead to treasures, so the race is on between the dwarves and draconians to the riches.
Some of the fantasy books I have read in the past are badly written or sometimes just too comical for me, but this one was filled with everything I like- a gripping story line, good characters, and short chapters. This is a great read for someone that likes The Lord of The Rings books, or D&D. I was pleasantly surprised at the story, and even though at first glace the 344 page book may seem to have slow parts in it, this does not. The page length doesn't deter from the tale, like some books in the genre that just want to extend the book. Also, this is a 1 off book, so you don't need to know much about what happened before the book in the timeline to understand what is going on (although you may have to look up a few of the creatures mentioned in the book to understand what they look like). This was a great introduction to the series for me, and am excited to dive into the other ones I picked up.
The book deals with draconians , who are trying to survive their species, while living near dwarves. Both of the races steal from each other-with the draconians stealing the ale the dwarves make. A group of dwarves discover a map that may lead to treasures, so the race is on between the dwarves and draconians to the riches.
Some of the fantasy books I have read in the past are badly written or sometimes just too comical for me, but this one was filled with everything I like- a gripping story line, good characters, and short chapters. This is a great read for someone that likes The Lord of The Rings books, or D&D. I was pleasantly surprised at the story, and even though at first glace the 344 page book may seem to have slow parts in it, this does not. The page length doesn't deter from the tale, like some books in the genre that just want to extend the book. Also, this is a 1 off book, so you don't need to know much about what happened before the book in the timeline to understand what is going on (although you may have to look up a few of the creatures mentioned in the book to understand what they look like). This was a great introduction to the series for me, and am excited to dive into the other ones I picked up.
May 24, 2016
a great read, as usual weis sense of humour is wonderful and she makes the reader love the characters she is writing about even when these happen to be draconians!! love the great adventure the mischievous dwarves and the kang regiment had in the depths of the mountain and the heroism of the draconians and their excitement at finding the eggs of the female draconians, the first we have ever heard of these!!
October 18, 2025
The Doom Brigade is one of my favorite books. Not just in the Dragonlance series, but one of the best books I've ever read. I think I've read it five or six times at the very least since I first bought it back at its release.
The draconians were always an interesting race to me, because they were created by mortals instead of gods. The book does go into their creation somewhat, but for the uninitiated, draconians were created by a red dragon, a mage, and a cleric from the eggs of metallic (good) dragons. Thus corrupted, they were made to serve the knights of Takhisis as shock troops, spies, and in some cases, engineers. Because draconians were deemed too dangerous to reproduce on their own, the females were supposedly all destroyed while still in the egg.
But just because one was created by the dark magic of an evil god doesn't mean that creature must be evil. This book follows Kang, a brass (Bozak) draconian, and his ever-dwindling regiment. They are retired from the dragonarmies, and spend their days raiding dwarven stock, as well as being raided by the dwarves for supplies and livestock. There is an unspoken agreement between both peoples that no one is to be killed on purpose, and it suits both just fine.
But during the Summer of Chaos, Takhisis--the Queen of Darkness, She of Many Colors and None--calls on Kang and his regiment to perform a special task with a precious reward should they succeed. Despite the fact that they are an endangered species, they embark on this quest, only to find out that they have possibly been led to slaughter, all in the name of serving their dark god. They are not expected to succeed, but they are expected to serve.
The best part of this book is that it strikes a perfect balance between characterization and adventure. None of the characters in this book have been truly featured in the series before, and yet, we learn about them and learn to love or hate them, very quickly. We learn what makes a draconian think, what they want out of life, and what they desperately need. They are loyal and honorable, but never pushovers, and are truly worthy of carrying their dragon legacy within their blood.
Between the lines, it is also a tale of Takhisis, who is often depicted in the books as irreconcilably evil. It is true, she expects mortals to serve her. But it is made quite clear in this book that those who do are not only given her attention when she is at her most vulnerable, but they are also rewarded beyond anything they could imagine.
The draconians are also refreshingly non-violent despite their origins, and while they can easily hold their own in battle, they just want to survive and prosper in a world that really never wanted them.
Even though this book is pretty old, I highly recommend it!
The draconians were always an interesting race to me, because they were created by mortals instead of gods. The book does go into their creation somewhat, but for the uninitiated, draconians were created by a red dragon, a mage, and a cleric from the eggs of metallic (good) dragons. Thus corrupted, they were made to serve the knights of Takhisis as shock troops, spies, and in some cases, engineers. Because draconians were deemed too dangerous to reproduce on their own, the females were supposedly all destroyed while still in the egg.
But just because one was created by the dark magic of an evil god doesn't mean that creature must be evil. This book follows Kang, a brass (Bozak) draconian, and his ever-dwindling regiment. They are retired from the dragonarmies, and spend their days raiding dwarven stock, as well as being raided by the dwarves for supplies and livestock. There is an unspoken agreement between both peoples that no one is to be killed on purpose, and it suits both just fine.
But during the Summer of Chaos, Takhisis--the Queen of Darkness, She of Many Colors and None--calls on Kang and his regiment to perform a special task with a precious reward should they succeed. Despite the fact that they are an endangered species, they embark on this quest, only to find out that they have possibly been led to slaughter, all in the name of serving their dark god. They are not expected to succeed, but they are expected to serve.
The best part of this book is that it strikes a perfect balance between characterization and adventure. None of the characters in this book have been truly featured in the series before, and yet, we learn about them and learn to love or hate them, very quickly. We learn what makes a draconian think, what they want out of life, and what they desperately need. They are loyal and honorable, but never pushovers, and are truly worthy of carrying their dragon legacy within their blood.
Between the lines, it is also a tale of Takhisis, who is often depicted in the books as irreconcilably evil. It is true, she expects mortals to serve her. But it is made quite clear in this book that those who do are not only given her attention when she is at her most vulnerable, but they are also rewarded beyond anything they could imagine.
The draconians are also refreshingly non-violent despite their origins, and while they can easily hold their own in battle, they just want to survive and prosper in a world that really never wanted them.
Even though this book is pretty old, I highly recommend it!
March 1, 2023
It is an epic fantasy novel that reconciles us with life and hope, with a story full of humor and hilarious situations. Kang, the commander of a draconian battalion that decided to leave Takhisis armies, during the Lance War, has managed to survive along with his soldiers in the Kharolis mountains, and they have built a cozy village where they can live in peace. But after 25 years, Kang feels that his life makes no sense. One day, their hopes wake up again, when he discovers that dwarves from the hills have a treasure map that leads to a nest of female draconian eggs. The illusion of being able to perpetuate the existence of the draconian race, leads him to negotiate with the dwarves and undertake a treasure search trip. It is a history of resilience and reinvention, in an epic fantasy context. It makes us laugh and think. I recommend it
May 3, 2021
Another great read from a master writer! I love my fantasy, it allows me to escape from our complicated lives of today. This one is a wonderful read that can be read as a stand-alone but if you’ve read any of Margaret Weis books about Krynn you will most definitely be able to tie this one in. I so love the humor snippets in this book and her others, it why I love to read anything she has written alone or with others. I don’t like to spoil the book for others so I’ll just say it is a fun story to read and you’ll love the main characters, Kang and especially Selquist! You will be left chuckling at the end ready to jump into the next book in this series or any of her others just so you don’t lose that warm fuzzy feeling you get when reading a good book! Loved it!!
December 15, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. I loved the back and forth between the draconians and the dwarves. It was very interesting seeing what became of this corrupted race after the war of the lance.
It's fairly well written, though I did spot some misspellings and a few errors. It didn't take away from my enjoyment one bit though. While silly at times, often I found the humor hitting just the right spot. If you're a fan of dragonlance, I highly recommend this book. And even if you aren't, you still might enjoy it.
It's fairly well written, though I did spot some misspellings and a few errors. It didn't take away from my enjoyment one bit though. While silly at times, often I found the humor hitting just the right spot. If you're a fan of dragonlance, I highly recommend this book. And even if you aren't, you still might enjoy it.
August 9, 2020
Tenía entendido desde hace años que este era uno de los mejores y más entretenidos libros de la Dragonlance pero no me ha parecido nada del otro mundo. Aunque no es nada raro teniendo en cuenta el profundo asco que tengo por la representación de los enanos en este universo y como me bajan puntos a cualquier lectura en la que aparecen.
November 2, 2020
3.5, Rounding up because I love Margret Weis. This side story to Dragons of Summer Flame was enjoyable. Not as good as the main story, but I found myself looking forward to reading it.
July 5, 2023
I remember I was 14 when my brother gave me this book. It was the first book I ever read in the English language. Back then I knew nothing about Dragonlance. It was fun to revisit it now, so many years later, with a much better grasp both on the language and the Dragonlance universe. It was as fun as I remember. Unpretentious, a little bit silly, but very likeable and never dull.
January 9, 2024
Revisiting some Dragonlance novels, I found this one I had not read. It's enjoyable with lots of humor sprinkled throughout. No one doubts a feud between dwarven and draconian settlements. Over time, they form a symbiotic like relationship. Then, when mountain treasure comes known, all bets are off.
June 9, 2025
Didn’t realize I’d never read this series. Kangs regiment takes place after the War of the Lance and follows the last remaining draconians (that I’m aware of) on Krynn. Meet the new knights of the dragon queen and various races of dwarves. The Draconians are sent in quite a journey in this one. Was a fast good read.
April 5, 2022
65% DNF.
Dwarves feel like idiot gnomes, draconians feel like humans with reptilian skin. Everyone is dumb. The title of the book has zero connection with the story, even though it ought to suggest something ominous and destructive.
Infantile, unfunny and depthless.
Dwarves feel like idiot gnomes, draconians feel like humans with reptilian skin. Everyone is dumb. The title of the book has zero connection with the story, even though it ought to suggest something ominous and destructive.
Infantile, unfunny and depthless.
November 10, 2022
I found the characters instantly enjoyable, even if you are rooting for what are technically the bad guys. Since the first short story about the Draconian Bridge building company, I wanted to see more about them. For some reason these draconians just fascinate me.
January 1, 2024
Teksti on välillä kiusallista ja kömpelöä ja välillä teksti taas toimii ihan mukavasti. Eli kirja on ihan tyypillistä DragonLance-fantasiaa ja toimii omalla tasollaan. En voi tätä suositella, mutta en myöskään kiellä lukemasta, jos tällaisen roolipelifantasian meno ja laatu on tuttua.
May 13, 2019
Based on my fractured childhood memory, this was the very first fantasy book I ever read.
Either this or Shannara.
Anyway, it holds up decently even as an adult.
Either this or Shannara.
Anyway, it holds up decently even as an adult.
January 19, 2020
One of the funniest books that I've read in a long time. A caper novel that Elmore Leonard would be proud of even if it is populated by Draconians and Dwarves.
March 15, 2020
Easy fun read.
August 20, 2021
I loved this book!
September 6, 2025
Dragonlance nunca defrauda.
November 23, 2025
Aside from the writer not knowing dwarves very well, this was a pretty good story.. those Draconians deserve to get laid after the rough life they've led!
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