Product Description

Second in line for succession to the throne, Prince Dagnarus will have his crown...and his queen -- though his heart's prize is a married elfin beauty. Let his hated half-brother Prince Helmos and the Dominion Lords dare to oppose him. For Dagnarus's most loyal servant has ventured into the terrible darkness, where lies the most potent talisman in the realm. And once it is in the dark prince's hand, no power will deter his Destiny.

Customer Reviews (66)

It's...fine.
Nothing jaw-dropping, no brilliant characters or plots here, but okay structure, an interesting magic system, and cool world-building.Cool world-building is really what I expect from these guys.

Here we've got your standard fantasy world with a nice subtle twist.They've kept something core about each race, and just given a perspective shift on the rest.For example, the elves, as expected, love nature, live mostly in fancy gardens, and are contemplative.They are also inspired by aspects of various Asian cultures and history.Their society is very complex, they are very concerned with saving face and honor and their family position, they seek wisdom from their deceased ancestors, and they are highly warlike, just subtle about it.It stays true enough to a classic elf to be instantly recognizable, but is still a really interesting take.

The plot is okay, though fairly obvious from the start.

Very weak first book, Decent Trilogy
This general critiques of this book negative are pretty accurate.This book is the first of a trilogy, and it is by far one of the weakest offerings in Weis and Hickman's collaborations.

The world that they create is interesting and of course this book must dedicate a lot more time to that world since it is all new and must be described, but that's not what really harms this book.

What harms this book is indeed the complete denial and enabling that surrounds the main villian in this book.Everyone around him is completely inept, or completely enabling, no one, not one person in the sphere of influence really dares to stand up or put up a real effort to stop this person in any meaningful way, even those who see the danger he poses.Its almost as though, the authors decided we'll create a few characters that are 3 dimentional and then surround them with 2 dimentional drawings.In fact the King, and his Eldest son, are probably the hardest characters to swallow that these authors have put down together since the leader of the Sartan in "The Death Gate Cycle" series. Like that character they are just very hard to believe.These supposedly great ruler and King who unified Lorem and worked to build peace throughout the continent and races, astute in politics and battle is unable to handle a brat of a second child?Or even recognize the threat he poses? (Again much like buying the most politically astute and powerful Sartan was so blind and shallow???)

Now, with that said, fortunately for the Trilogy, this book is almost completely set up.The real adventure is in books 2 and 3, and they are far better.I wonder what sales of books 2 and 3 were compared to book 1. I know I very nearly did not continue reading this trilogy myself at the conclusion of book 1, and I'm sure I wasn't the only one, and I'm sure unlike myself who did give book 2 a try, some of those just never picked up book 2.

As a complete work, this trilogy is decent, not the best work of this pair, but not among the dreggs of this genre either.Sadly their ability doesn't shine through so much in this book.I would recommend this trilogy to folks who enjoy the fantasy fiction genre, but I would caveat it by saying, you may have to force your way through the first book, but if you do, you'll enjoy the rest of the story.

Pros and Cons
For a book that was focused mostly on character and world creation, I'm a bit disappointed.However, the book was a fast read and enjoyable to a degree.

As people have already mentioned, character development was pretty horrible.The book began in the childhood of Gareth and Dagnarus, and the rest of the 2/3 was about his goal to become a Dominion Lord, and what happened after.There was little action, mostly focusing on the characters and politics between the 4 races.I felt little connection at all to the characters.Dagnarus was the most developed character in the book, and at the same time is very hard to relate to because of his dark ambition and abuse of people.Silwyth seemed like a rock, only serving to tell Dagnarus about politics.I would have liked to learn more about him, especially since his introduction in the 2nd chapter of the book.After that, he's pretty much boring.I couldn't understand why Gareth was so loyal to Dagnarus.We never really learned why he took up void magic since his training as a magus was skipped over when the book jumped to 10 years later.I felt like this needed more explanation.Dagnarus too had become an accomplished soldier, but we never learned anything about how he got this reputation.A whole 10 years were ignored.Furthermore, the "good" characters, King Tamaros and Prince Helmos were presented without any feeling or depth whatsoever.I was constantly frustrated with them.Captain Argot had potential, but the authors didn't choose to develop his character.Finally, the relationship between Valura and Dagnarus: Again it was mostly Dagnarus' feelings and emotions that were paid attention to.The characters were all presented well the first time they were introduced, but afterwards, the authors left them as blank shells throughout the rest of the book.For a mostly character and world driven book, this is very disappointing.I have read books twice this length with 10x more action that had much more memorable characters.

The book was mostly TELLING instead of SHOWING.I would have liked to experience as a reader the lifestyles of the other 3 races instead of reading an explanation about them.For example, I would have liked to read a description of a walk through the City of the Unhorsed and see the sorts of people who lived there, or read about Dunner having a discussion with his leaders causing him to realize how he lost a part of his culture by being crippled.This was not shown to us, instead, the authors would just spit out some memory or better yet, just write it out and TELL us."These are the kinds of people in the City and this is what they do" and "Dunner didn't live like other dwarves, this is how he's different and why he became that way". Boring! The world was not presented in an interesting and vividly memorable way.As a reader I didn't get to experience ANYTHING.While the writing was very clear, it was not prose and was not magical.

There were other things that were never shown to us.I really wanted to know about magic and magi, and how Gareth's training went.This was never paid any attention to, and the Temple and Magi were a very important part of the book.How can we appreciate void magic when we don't know anything about regular magic?Could the authors have turned the focus away from Dagnarus for a chapter?

It feels like the authors hearts were not in this book.They left too many parts undeveloped, and took the easy way out by focusing on just one character and his quest for power, and his lover.It's like Dagnarus' ignorance of the world and anti-intellectualism were excuses to not SHOW us these parts.

If you like dark or evil characters, and evil's triumph over good, then you should definitely give this book a read.

Amazing series, one of the greatest high-fantasy stories...
While the trilogy ends poorly this in no way reflects the quality and creativity which went into it. Sovereign Stone by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman is one of the best high-fantasy series ever made! Along with Dragonlance, Sovereign Stone stands apart from titles such as Lord of the Rings and loudly proclaims that there can be good fantasy novels long after the giants have departed.

This book is the first of the Sovereign Stone trilogy and features the best imagery and greatest character development (or at least sets us up for it) to be placed in the series (while later books are good, they simply aren't as good). This book describes in lush details the Sovereign Stone campaign material for Dungeons and Dragons in such a light that it no longer becomes property of Larry Elmore or D&D and becomes its own living and breathing entity.

While I have all the respect in the world for Larry Elmore, Hickman and Weis, in this trilogy (especially in this beautifully sad novel) become "Sovereign Stone." I'm deeply disappointed in the lack of fan support with Sovereign Stone and figure in light of recent high-fantasy book releases many fantasy fans have turned elsewhere for entertainment.

Turn to Sovereign Stone and let this first book enchant you - truly a masterpiece while the other two books in the trilogy or merely great or good at times, I guarantee you'll enjoy the ride!

Another Winner
I haven't always liked everything Weis and Hickman have done outside of Dragonlance, but the Sovereign Stone stories are winners.While still a roleplaying world, it is a bit darker than the Dragonlance stuff.The familar races are present, but with a slant.Elves are modeled after ancient Japanese culture, Dwarves are nomadic horse riders similar to the Mongols, Orc/Orks are a seafaring races with many superstitions, and humans cover the gambit of cultures.There are also a few new races to spice things up.Overall it is a good story with a few minor flaws.This tale continues on in the final two books. ... Read more

Product Description
New York Times bestselling master of fantasy TracyHickman and his wife, author Laura Hickman, offer the first book in amajor, new, dragon-laden epic fantasy.

The Bronze Canticles is an expansive new saga chronicling theworld-altering changes that take place as three connecteduniverses--the Human world, the Goblin world, and the Faery world--areslowly drawn together. In Book One, young Galen Arvad, a human withmagical powers, must avoid the ritual that puts those with suchtalents to death. It seems that in the eyes of the community magic isa sign of lunacy, and in a yearly ritual the local "crazies" areoffered up to the Dragon Priests. Having successfully dodged the"elections" for many years, Galen is suddenly captured and hauled awaywith others that are deemed "insane." Now, as Galen's wife, Berkita,and his friend, Cephas the dwarf, set off to rescue him, Galen learnsof the fate that awaits him...a fate far worse than even his owndeath. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

Mystic Warrior? Ha, more like Mystic Whiner.
3 worlds. One of men, dragons and dwarves. One of goblins and mechanical titans. One of elves, dryads, nyads, etc. One man, Galen, is taken as an "Elect", or madman under the laws of the dragonkings. He dreams of another world. The fae world. His dreams and communications within them become real. Begins the start of humanity throwing off the chains of the dragonkings. It seems that all 3 worlds are somehow going to become one and the dreams are precursor to it. It seems that communication between worlds opens up the user to a well of "deep magic".

Good in some parts, draggy in others. Will reserve judgement until I've read the rest of the trilogy, but I am planning on finishing it. Galen annoyed me though. Whine, whine, whine.

a mess
I started out enjoying aspects of this book. Hickman weaves together several story lines and it just falls apart. The authors throw every magical creature you've ever read about into a stew and creates a tale that you just want to get done with.

I think that the concept here was that three worlds which occupy the same space are coming together for certain people. Sadly, most of the story lines here could have been hacked out and the book would have been stronger. I just didn't care for any of them at all except for the primary protagonist Galen.

The part that I enjoyed, the first dealing with Galen, was good to start with. Hickman gave this person a sort of magic that made him seem mad to everyone else. The entire unfolding of this was worth reading. However, from the moment he is found out to the end of the story... well, I would expect better from a highschool creative writing class. Its hard to say just exactly what occurred due to the fact that I was smashing my pained head against the wall over and over again.

Skip this book. Just terrible.

Ambitious, but falls short
The parallel worlds concept has potential, but it's unrealized in this work.The authors bog down in their efforts to weave their three "parallel" worlds and introduce their three sets of inhabitants, with distinct protagonists and antagonists in each world, then develop the "mystical" interactions among them all.

Readers must slog through ponderous and vague introductions of the worlds, the two dimensional characters and the vague, but portentous, dreamworld interactions.When the occasional crisis develops, it's resolved through another vague, but portentous, dreamworld interaction.The plot develops so slowly and vaguely, and the deux ex machina resolutions are so mystical that, by the time there's a crisis, it's hard to care.

The authors seem so determined to be mystical that they avoid providing meaningful cues to their worlds and their internal (or external) rules.At the end of book one, they resort to multiple appendices that refer to concepts like "balance among the worlds" in explaining how the "magic" has its effects.IMO, if you need appendices to explain your premises, your main text has failed.

It's all too vague, too mystical, too ponderous and too portentous to justify the effort of sorting it out.

Perhaps the later volumes improve but, after reading this one, I'm not inclined to try the next.

Dissapointing

Having read several of the series Tracy Hickman co-created with Margaret Weiss, I expected much of this new series.

My expectations were not met. The writing style is bland and forced. The world is interesting enough, but the concept of several worlds linked together has already been done in a previous series of Weis and Hickman (the deathgate novels). A series that was way better and more entertaining.

I disliked all the characters and was bored by the dream sequences. For some reason it was quite annoying that Galen spoke in first person.

The ending was predictable yet slightly better than the rest of the book.

I would expect this work from a fumbling beginning author not a great like Tracy Hickman. He should simply stick to working with Weis, cause their co-authored books rock.

$5.98 book at Barnes and Noble
I stopped at BN to get some books for a trip to China the next day. I was specifically looking for books 11 and 12 of the Left Behind series.This book was sitting on a table for $5.98 and I thought, what the heck.When I initially got on the plane for the 14 hour flight I started reading a Reader's Digest.I picked this one and and in the beginning it started very slow.With nothing else to do on the plane I stuck with it.While in China we had a 1.5 hour commute each way to work and I brought the book to read in the minivan every day.
The authors weave together 3 different worlds.It is a challenge with any book keeping characters straight, let alone with 3 different worlds.I found the world of humans and fairies very well described, plausible and consistantly.The world of gnomes is a little bit out there but this is a creation of the authors and hey, if you do not like it, do not keep reading.
Anyways, I have added the next 2 books in the series to my Christmas list for this year and look forward to getting them.
... Read more

Product Description
From the New York Times Best-Selling Author
The future story of United States Internment Camps ... of the dreams of the pre-deceased ... and of triumph beyond oblivion. It's 2020, and an attempted cure for AIDS has mutated into a deadlier disease, V-CIDS. The U.S., under martial law, has set up "quarantine centers" in the Southwest. Searching for his gay son, Jon, media mogul Michael Barris smuggles himself into one of centers only to discover that it and the other centers are actually extermination camps. With a strange assortment of allies, including the leader of the camp's gay barracks, an army officer and a local cowboy, Barris precipitates an inmates' rebellion that promises the unraveling of the death-camp system and the overthrow of the government that established it.
This new edition of The Immortals brings this important work back into print.
"Powerful... disturbing... A vision of the future that is all too possible..." - Margaret Weis
"Masterful ... sensitive ... controversial ... Hickman holds up a mirror to our society." - R. A. Salvatore
"Excellent and exciting ... An important book..." - Robin Wayne Bailey. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

tearful
I bought the book fo my wife and i couldnt put the book don when we got it.

Beautiful
This book is one of the best I have ever read in my life. Tracy Hickman's masterpiece paints as Margaret Weis says, "a future that is all too possible." The book is very deep, has compelling characters, and is so good it should be required reading for highschool students.

Agenda Driven
For me this book was too slow, ponderous, and dark.There is some kind of agenda issue here of trying to portray gays as being discriminated against in this dark world.I think it was overdrawn and overblown, and not a reflection of the world as it really is.

Hear the PodioBook, too...
The reissue of this work on [...] is astounding. Tracy's natural ability of storytelling shows through in the audio production of this work. He and his wife do a great job voicing the differenct characters, and the production quality of the work is a-ma-zing...

Great Stuff.

light shining through the darkness of an ugly future
The Immortals is a masterful balancing act between the ugly and the sublime.It shows a variety of ways that we can react when put in the worst of situations.Typical of Hickman's writing there is conflict between good and evil on an epic scale as well as internal as the characters struggle against tyranny and against their own predjudices and fears.

One reviewer said that the book had "painful character cliches (wise father/prodigal son . . ."I felt just the opposite.I felt like Hickman took cliche's and turned them around.The "wise father/prodigal son" turned into the prodigal father seeking redemption and the forgiveness of his son.

Even though the title, The Immortals, refers to the idea that "we live because we are remembered" what really appealed to me was the main character showing that we live because we choose to live.Even if we are treated like animals we don't have to become animals.We determine who we are.And we live best when we live bravely, with compassion for others, and with enthusiasm for the beauty that can be found even in the most ugly of situations.Anyone who lives that way is definitely worth remembering and emulating, even if it is just one of Hickman's fictional characters. ... Read more

Product Description
This three-book set is perfect for collectors and an ideal gift for readers unfamiliar with the Dragonlance setting. The Chronicles Trilogy-Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Dragons of Winter Night, and Dragons of Spring Dawning-are enclosed in a hard-sided slipcover case featuring the stunning cover art from the series. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (275)

Magnificent
I received the product far earlier than it was supposed, in perfect condition a with a little handwritten note that made it feel like these seller really appreciates my business... In regards to the book it is the best edition I have come across, brilliant illustrations and all three books in a single presentation, perfect.

War of Souls Trilogy
Books only fair condition.Story you'll enjoy it if you read the other Dragon Lance series.....

Awesome story
these are great books i really loved the story
it captivates you and so you don't wanna stop reading

Satisfied Customer.
This was just what she wanted and it came right on time for the holidays.

Thank you
I am an avid reader. Who got started on this trilogy....I have read hundreds of books since and have Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman to thank.I havent read the trilogy in about 12 years but the characters are still as memorable today as they were then. These books are for all ages and should be highly recommended for new readers as well as old. Probably the most unforgettable characters of any book i have read to date. ... Read more

Product Description
/Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman Joram and his wife, Gwendolyn, return from beyond the Border to reclaim their rightful place in Merilon. Rejoined by Saryon, Mosiah and Simkin, Joram must confront the evil sorcerer, Menju, and his army of Technologists in a final apocalyptic battle to fulfill the ancient prophecy of the Darksword--to either save the world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (33)

Paperback Book
Not all that great and clearly not up to a lot of the DragonLance books but if you don't have anything else pressing to read and enjoy this type of book its worth a read.Not good but not quite lame either.

good times
as expected of a company this product came on time and in great condition. thanks much for the business and i'll be ordering again soon!

Sorcery & Magic - Tanks & Planes, Oh My!
The Prophecy is fulfilled, the prophecy is modified, evil battles good and the sides become blurred, emperors fall and old ones come back, but what no one expected - or very likely wanted - is the resolution of a mystery of the beyond through the introduction of modern technology. Why do the authors attempt such a story line? Likely as a forced means of originality. Either way, the resulting twist is full of potholes, is uncomfortable and a letdown not only in the Darksword series, but also in the body of work of these two leading authors.

Of course, by now, most know Thimhallan is earth. If the introduction of a modern weaponry did not suffice references to Waterloo, Napoleon or Robin Hood would. Yet, did we need this genre purpose-defying surprise? Did we need these forces to arrive coincidentally at the exact same time as the board war? Did we really need the other world to have a sorcerer who cannot recall the Bishop, while the Bishop remembers the minor magician? Simkin will have one of his fainting spells.

Other fantasy books have attempted opening conduits to modern times The Summer Tree (The Fionavar Tapestry, Book 1), but never so awkwardly and never as disappointingly as Triumph Of The Darksword. Fans should keep reading, of course, to reach the conclusion and find out all about the surprises, but the authors have and will do much better writing and telling than this.

Excellent Trilogy!!!
I had read Weis and Hickman's Dragonlance Chronicles and Legends and loved them both and that's why when I saw this trilogy, I decided to buy it. And I liked it as much as the Dragonlance series. The story was excellent and I really liked Joram and Saryon. Definitely worth buying.

Happy with purchase, small hicup, conditions were all listed though, fast delivery.
The hicup: I tried to purchase all three books of the trilogy from the same company, they said they had all three, I paid for all three, a few days later I got an e-mail that said they didn't have the third one, recieved full refund but was annoyed. ... Read more

Product Description
The first volume in the Sovereign Stone trilogy, a gripping fantasy series filled with unique characters, from the authors of the bestselling DRAGONLANCE books.Gareth is just a frightened young lad when he is drafted in to be the whipping-boy for the unruly Prince Dagnarus. Yet as they grow to be men, an unshakable bond is formed. And it is their destiny for them to become the two most powerful -- and feared -- men in the kingdom.But when Dagnarus decides to become a knight himself, he begins a chain of evil events that threaten to destroy the entire kingdom. Only by uniting the Sovereign Stone can peace be restored, and it is up to Dagnarus' brother Helmos to try to achieve this impossible task, using his father's soldiers against his brother's army. All the while, Gareth is gaining mastery over the sinister Void magic, and he is devoted to helping his childhood companion.This gripping story of magical power and corruption takes the unique viewpoint of focusing on the evil characters, as we follow them from boys to men.Filled with action, suspense and wonderfully imaginative characters, The Well of Darkness is set to elevate the careers of bestselling authors Weis & Hickman to spectacular new heights. ... Read more

Product Description
A mysterious force holds Krynn in thrall. A young woman, protected by her regiment of dark-armored knights, calls upon the might of an unknown god to bring victory to her army as it sweeps across the land. The souls of the dead rob the living of their magic. A dragon overlord threatens the very land the elves hold most dear.

Amidst the chaos, a band of brave and selfless heroes struggles against an immortal power that appears to thwart them at every turn. The encroaching darkness threatens to engulf all hope, all faith, all light.

The War of Souls rages on.

The New York Times bestselling hardcover now in paperback.

This latest title from Dragonlance cocreators Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman is the sequel to the New York Times bestselling Dragons of a Fallen Sun. This paperback version contains a preview chapter from the upcoming conclusion to the trilogy, Dragons of a Vanished Moon.
Amazon.com Review
Dragonlance's dynamic duo--the inimitable Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman--continues to do no wrong, reviving the once-ailing world ofKrynn with yet another solid book, the second in their War of Souls series. Which is not to say, of course, that Krynn itself is doing well. Far from it: as you might remember from the trilogy's debut, Dragons of a Fallen Sun,creepy Joan-of-Arc-type Mina is spreading the influence of her One God evenfurther over the previously godless land. To top that off, the cursed magical shield protecting the Silvanesti crumbled with the death of thegreat green Cyan Bloodbane (who had been masquerading as an elf), and thehated Beryl has made a move on the Citadel of Light and the lands of theQualinesti. And just in case you didn't read Fallen Sun, Weis andHickman take great pains to bring you up to speed in the first chapter.

What follows in Dragons of a Lost Star is the satisfying resolutionto most of these threads, although--like it or not--that means a lotof interplay among the elves. But a literally earth-shattering finale withBeryl in Qualinost amply makes up for it, and that's just the appetizer forthe main dish: the true identity of Mina's mysterious One God is revealed at last. Throw in some typical Tas antics for good measure (you've got to love that Device of Time Journeying), and you can count on being left antsy for this trilogy's concluding installment. --Paul Hughes ... Read more

Customer Reviews (123)

Amazing
This is the kind of boot hat peels itself open layer by layer. Characters you will care about and a hilarious kender traipsing around. It is the kind of book that makes anyone proud to be a Dragonlance fan.

5 stars!

Believe In The Power of The One God
I picked up the first book of The War of Souls trilogy five years ago; it was my first Dragonlance trilogy. Five years later I've come full circle, reading the War of Souls again, aware of its full history. I speak of The War of Souls trilogy from the aspects of a new reader and seasoned historian of the world of Ansalon, the world of Dragonlance.

If you are like me this book will make as good of a first trilogy as it will a last of Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's. The book continues an excellent second book The War of Souls.Its writing and development is as compelling as any other trilogy; Weis and Hickman worked just as hard drawing unique and interesting characters and storylines. I stand amazed at the quality of their writing, hoping that they will continue telling these tales for years to come.

Read Dragons of a Lost Star and sit with me at the Inn of the Last Home, basking in the world of fantasy that will become a home for your imagination.

This is no Chronicles...
I hate to post anything critical here on the Weis & Hickman team, as the duo has created some of my favorite all time books. To give some background, I've read a ton of Dragonlance - Chronicle, Legends, Preludes, Meetings Sextent, and on and on. After getting away from Dragonlance for a number of years, I revisited the series recently, working my way through Dragons of the Summer Flame and Second Generation (both were solid), and then the Fifth Age books (Dhamon Saga... not so good). I was determined to get to War of Souls chronologically, as no author has matched what Weis/Hickman did with Chronicles/Legends, in my opinion.

And now that I'm here, while I'd admittedly built up some high expectations, I'm a bit disappointed. I'm nearly done with book 2 and there are so many unanswered questions, but not in the good way that is making me turn pages, but in an irritating way making me wonder how I'm almost 2/3 through the series with this little understanding.

On a side note, I can appreciate the return of Tas, but honestly, it feels so forced... like an attempt to relive the good old days of the companions that I'm finally ready to move away from. I adjusted to Steel and Palin in recent series, and a variety of other new characters, and that was tough for a true fan of the core companions. So why pull up a historical character (one of my favorites might I add) and throw him in making the same old style jokes? I wanted to like it, but it cheapened it for me.

I sound overly critical here, and at the end of the day, I am enjoying the story. The sub-plots with the elves are enjoyable. Character development of some of the newer players from the first book in the series is also solid. I do find myself turning pages to get some closure on the situation with the elves, and some of the battles surrounding Mina, but this deep in the series, I'm close to not caring what is happening with the "One God" and Goldmoon... I don't know, maybe I'm being impatient, but I'd have appreciated a bit more insight to where we're heading rather than miracle after cliffhanger after miracle after cliffhanger as I wait for some clarity. Don't give us all the answers, but give us something to keep our attention rather than repeating the same basic idea over and over.

At the end of the day - good book relative to the Dragonlance series. Disappointing relative to what I expected from Weis/Hickman.

Mina's triumphs continue
The DragonLance world began back in 1984 when Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman wrote Dragons of Autumn Twilight, the first volume of the Chronicles trilogy. The book was an immediate hit with me and with millions of other readers. It has been followed by numerous other books with most of them being great fun to read and a few being somewhat hit or miss. We were introduced then to Tanis, Sturm, Raistlin, Caramon, Flint, Tas, Riverwind, Goldmoon, and numerous other memorable characters.

I just recently obtained the books from Margaret Weis' latest trilogy, The Dark Disciples. These three books are a continuation of the story of the mysterious Mina that was first told in The War of Souls trilogy by Weis and Hickman. It had been a few years since I read The War of Souls books so I decided to go back through them again.

Dragons of a Lost Star is the second volume in The War of Souls trilogy. In this tale we continue with the mystical Mina as she leads her army of knights to take over the land while constantly singing the praises of the One God. The Citadel of Light is attacked by the dragonarmy and the feared dragon overlord Beryl. Palin and Tasslehoff are rescued by a mysterious entity as they desperately try to escape. At the same time, Goldmoon leaves her people at the Citadel to follow a river of souls northward. Qualinesti is threatened by a dragon, and the elves may have to choose between exile and death. The action continues throughout, and you will want to see what happens next.

On now to Dragons of a Vanished Moon.

...HE will return...



...HE will return..., May 10, 2001
OH MY RAISTLIN!!!... I mean, OH MY GOD!!! (...sorry, I get those two confused sometimes...) I just came back from Borders and I am in shock! Why Laurana? Why have practically all of the original companions had to meet such tragic demises? Oh, and I don't want to get off on a rant here but now that "The One God" has been revealed, Raistlin will HAVE to come back and destroy this pathetic immortal; and NOT to "save the world" (I say that dripping with sarcasm) but to show that HE should be the one to rule Krynn. Keep those pompous dragons in line and show Mr. Dark Elf (Dalamar)how to REALLY bring magic back to Krynn. Well, I'm done ranting; I guess that I now have to wait A WHOLE YEAR to find out when the best character in all of Dragonlance's history will return in all his glory!!!... thank you.
... Read more

Product Description
The flames of war devour Ansalon. The army of dead souls marches toward conquest, led by the mystical warrior Mina, who serves the powerful One God.

A small band of heroes, driven to desperate measures, leads the fight against overwhelming odds.

Two unlikely protagonists emerge. One is a dragon overlord who will not easily relinquish her rule. The other is an irrepressible kender who has been on a strange and remarkable journey that will end in startling and unforeseen fashion.

The stirring climax of the War of Souls.
Amazon.com Review
The legendary team of Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman take to the sky on dragonback again with the final dispatch from their latest voyage to the land of Krynn in the War of Souls trilogy. In volume two, Dragons of a Lost Star, the mysterious "One God" behind the irrepressible Mina's miraculous rise to power is revealed. Yes, Dark Queen Takhisis is up to her old tricks. This time, however, she has stolen the entire planet of Krynn and hidden it away from her fellow deities. Now, she is seeking to bring the entire populace (both the living and the dead) under her fickle sway through Mina's zealous proselytizing. Who will stop her dark quest? Who else? The troublemaking and time-traveling kender--Tasslehoff Burrfoot.

Unfortunately, with the mystery of the "One God" revealed, much of the narrative impetus that made the first two books page-turners is lost. However, while there isn't much left to write about in Dragons of a Vanished Moon, the scenery is beautiful. There is an Elven exodus across the "plains of dust," stubborn Solamnic knights, cunning dragons, plotting wizards, and a full helping of Kender antics as Tasselhoff assumes the role of fly in the dark queen's ointment. The conclusion is a textbook deus ex machina but fans should enjoy this book for what it is--another chance to return to the wonderful world of Krynn with its two most competent guides at the helm. --Jeremy Pugh ... Read more

Customer Reviews (111)

a perfect conclusion to a great trilogy
Phenomenal reworkings of archtypal and mythic concepts. The plight of the wnadering elves in particular through the desert will rouse empathy in many a reader. And the One god's actions get... more erratic and Mina becomes a more complex character. This is the creme de la crem of Dragonlance.

A Great Clearing of the Board, So To Speak
i read the dragonlance chronicles and legends series back in elementary school and junior high, and now at the ripe old age of 30 i fell back into the world of krynn. i had a certain amount of hope for the series' continuation in the war of the souls trilogy after i read "dragons of summer flame," which i found interesting, at least. but the war of souls trilogy could have been named the "tasslehoff must die" series and been more accurately named. the miserably few sequences involving tasslehoff were the only bright, interesting splotches breaking up the bleak tramp of ever-marching darkness in the rest of the storyline. the authors (don't get me wrong, they're beautiful people) seem tired of all the old hallowed heroes and have made a grand sweep of the gameboard, replacing all the complex, flawed, or unpredictable characters of various races with boring, Regular Dude Humans like Sir Gerard, the unlikeable jock knight that stars in the series. in addition, most of the few remaining old heroes are killed off rather unceremoniously, continuing the process started in "dragons of summer flame." there's no profound sadness and grand, echoing meaning to their deaths, like with the deaths of sturm, flint, or even raistlin. most of them don't even get funerals.

the reason for tasslehoff constantly being told he needs to "go back and die" doesn't hold up if you think about it too long. why would it matter whether or not his actual body was under the foot of Chaos when it smashes down? won't the blood splatter splash out with the impact anyway? bah. i'm just peeved because it's not a very cool way for my favorite character to die, even though it was supposed to have happened way back in "dragons of summer flame." and now with the conclusion of the war of souls trilogy, does that mean the scenario presented to us at the end of "dragons of summer flame," when tas meets back up with flint in the afterlife, never happened? once again, bah.

it manages to be an entertaining read for the most part, however, even though it does seem to trip along towards the end as a sort of downhill shamble. i won't pretend that i'm not already trying to get ahold of the dark disciple trilogy. maybe we'll finally get to hear more about the 'afflicted' kender thatwas brought up and then never elaborated on so many times in the war of souls trilogy.

Stirring Conclusions and Epic Endings In Ansalon
I picked up the first book of The War of Souls trilogy five years ago; it was my first Dragonlance trilogy.Five years later I've come full circle, reading the War of Souls again, aware of its full history.I speak of The War of Souls trilogy from the aspects of a new reader and seasoned historian of the world of Ansalon, the world of Dragonlance.

At the close of this book I felt the pain one often feels when parting with old friends.This emotion shows the quality of Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's writing.Great trilogies leave readers with a longing for more memories, more adventures, and more tales of the characters they love.

The paths of Mina, Gerard, Palin, Dalamar, Tasselhoff, and many others will keep you on the edge of your seats in Dragons of a Vanished Moon.The writing will describe events that will appear vividly and describe the raging emotions and thoughts of the characters beautifully.The epic conclusion of The War of Souls will keep you at the edge of your seats and will not leave you disappointed.The story builds-up and winds down with the best of their novels.The characters of The Fifth Age are as compelling and moving as the heroes of the Fourth Age.

If you are like me this book will make as good of a first trilogy as it will a last of Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's.The book not only makes an excellent conclusion to The War of Souls, but a conclusion to the core books of Dragonlance.Its writing and development is as compelling as any other trilogy; Weis and Hickman worked just as hard drawing unique and interesting characters and storylines.I stand amazed at the quality of their writing, hoping that they will continue telling these tales for years to come.

Read Dragons of a Vanished Moon and sit with me at the Inn of the Last Home, basking in the world of fantasy that will become a home for your imagination.

War of Souls conclusion
The DragonLance world began back in 1984 when Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman wrote Dragons of Autumn Twilight, the first volume of the Chronicles trilogy. The book was an immediate hit with me and with millions of other readers. It has been followed by numerous other books with most of them being great fun to read and a few being somewhat hit or miss. We were introduced then to Tanis, Sturm, Raistlin, Caramon, Flint, Tas, Riverwind, Goldmoon, and numerous other memorable characters.

I just recently obtained the books from Margaret Weis' latest trilogy, The Dark Disciples. These three books are a continuation of the story of the mysterious Mina that was first told in The War of Souls trilogy by Weis and Hickman. It had been a few years since I read The War of Souls books so I decided to go back through them again.

Dragons of a Vanished Moon is the third volume in The War of Souls trilogy. In this tale Mina, not satisfied with conquering Silvanost, moves on to capture Sanction. Meanwhile the Qualinesti elves kill a dragon but lose their homeland and head towards what they hope will be a warm reception from their cousins in Silvanesti. Gerard spends much of his time as a spy in the army of the Dark Knights, and Mina and Galdar fight a memorable battle against the huge Dragon Overlord Malys. In the end, the key to the entire adventure may turn out to be our kender friend Tasslehoff. The book also contains an excellent appendix - Progression of Souls.

Well worth reading.

Funny ending
I think this is a quality series in the Dragonlance canon, but not matching chronocles, legends, or The Soulforge. I found the ending to resolve a lot of issues, but quite "jarring" in its sudden presentation and use, once again of magical "deux au machina" to resolve all the plot strands. Would have rated it 4 star if not for the jarring ending, but probably you had better read this if you have already got this far. ... Read more

Product Description
The New York Times best-selling battle for the world of Dragonlance®.

Since the Chaos War shook the world of Krynn to its foundations, faith in the old gods has become a relic of the past. But as the Dragon Overlords threaten to overwhelm Ansalon, a new age is dawning.  The people look to a young girl with a mysterious past who promises to unite the world behind one nameless, miracle-performing god. But will her promise free the people of Krynn or enslave them to a new, terrible master?

This Dragonlance omnibus contains the complete text for Dragons of a Fallen Sun, Dragons of a Lost Star, and Dragons of a Vanished Moon. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
Created by the bestselling team of Weis & Hickman, Starshield introduces their newest fantastic universe with an unforgettable, magical, grand adventure!

Rebellion threatens to rock the very foundation of civilization.If the wrong side wins, the people will be at the mercy of minds with no conscience or humanity.The only hope for freedom lies with the Mantle of Kendis-dai, a relic reputed to hold the power of absolute Truth.But the Mantle of Kendis-dai is long lost in the mists of myth and time...if it ever really existed at all.

Merinda Neskat, dedicated to the pursuit of Truth above all, is determined to find the legendary Mantle.The key to her quest is a group of lost Earthpeople, led by the feckless Jeremy Griffiths, who holds knowledge he shouldn't have--and doesn't understand.Together, Merinda, Jeremy, and his companions set off on a dangerous race against time and deadly enemy forces, seeking a mysterious world that holds the secret that can save them--or destroy the path of civilization forever. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

A Breath of Fresh Air!
Maybe most people wouldn't exactly call this book a classic: it takes pride in being frivolous and fun and steering clear of too many deep messages with its tongue-in-cheek action.Nor can it seriously be called a science fiction book - this is straight fantasy, but at its absolute pinnacle.When people read this they don't seem to notice all the good things it's doing, not only is it the most enjoyable adult fantasy book I have ever read, but it presents a fantastic female character in Merinda Neskat, which should be particularly appreciated in this genre when we run the risk of being swamped by females like Eddings' Ce'Nedra, Feist's Carline, or any of Gemmel's gorgeous young heriones inexplicably attracted by the 40+ year-old hardened hero.
Starshield is a breath of fresh air in the fantasy genre!For once it's trying something new and, even more amazing - it succeeds completely!I have become so sick of the fantasy genre where everything is so formulaic: medieval setting with magic; a huge war between good and evil involving at least one royal person... etc, etc.Starshield is wonderfully different.The science fiction/fantasy blend is superb.Weis and Hickman's universe creation is entertainingly ridiculous, yet not so much as to be entirely unbelieveable so the reader doesn't feel alienated.Jeremy Griffiths is the quintessential anti-hero, while Merinda is perfect as the tough herione.Sure, the TFP processors are a ridiculous idea, but you can forgive anything in this book.Nightsword is a great follow-up to it.
The only thing I can say against Starshield is that, because of its lack of popularity, it seems that the final book of the trilogy will never be published.This is a real tragedy, particularly considering the popularity of Weis and Hickman's other, far more mediocre books.However, Starshield and Nightsword also work as stand-alone books, so this doesn't damage a reading of them.
This book fully deserves a rating of 5/5: it's a near-perfect book and a true masterpiece of modern fantasy.

Starshield Novel
This was an excelent book, Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman lived up to their reputation.It starts off a little slow, like many new series but quickly picks up and is a page turner.

Excellent plot/characters etc. But unrealistic basis
I have read many sci fi books in my time but few were as beutifully orchestrated and fully satisfying. Though I enjoyed the book(s) the whole thing rests on the basis of two different and totally unreasonable factsthat being the synths and the fact that physics is different all over. Thephysics thing I'm willing to swallow but a synth works by going backwardsto the beginning of its life in order to process a question? WHAT!!

Ack!
I adore and venerate the Dragonlance Chronicles and Legends.I think the Rose of the Prophet and Deathgate Cycle are incredible.SO WHAT WENT WRONG HERE?!?For whatever reason, with this book Weis & Hickman seem tohave lost pretty much everything that made them great.The characters arebland, the story is non-compelling, and I can't say I found this particularuniverse to be particularly intriguing.It really seems like they'reflailing around trying to regain their former splendor here; we haveanother Fizban character; that was cool in the Deathgate Cycle, but it justseems like a desperate attempt to breathe life into a fairly useless bookto me.How this happened, I cannot imagine.Let's hope that futureprojects redeem these talented authors.

One heck of a good book.
I'm 14 years old, but still I loved this book.The characters were exceptionally and wonderfully crafted.Weis and Hickman sure know how to write a good sci-fi novel.I can't wait till their next Starshied novel(Starsheild-Buccanears) comes out at the beginning of '98.I'm an author myself, and currently working on a book I hope to publish soon.Back to Starshield though-- the plot was great, and the futuristic devices the 2 authors crafted-- brilliant.From the ship defense systems to the transparent fly dragons.Anyway, I recommend this book to any science fiction fan.I certainly had lots of fun reading it ... Read more

Product Description
Thousands of years ago, the mad emperor Lokan controlled the Nightsword--and imposed his twisted desires on all that lived. Then Lokan mysteriously vanished behind the Maelstrom Wall, into the quantum chaos of the galactic core. But legend says that somewhere behind the Wall, the Nightsword is hidden, its awesome energies waiting to be used again . . . for good or evil.

When Earther astronaut Jeremy Griffiths donned the Mantle of Kendis-Dai and became blessed--and perhaps cursed--with infinite knowledge, he learned the exact direction of Lokan's ill-fated route. And now the secrets stored in his head have made him the target of everyone who has ever coveted the Nightsword for their own ends. Griffiths wants only to get his crew safely home to Earth--and to impress the bewitching, bewildering Merinda Neskat. Yet he is caught firmly in the middle of galactic agendas beyond his control, and this new quest will prove to be the challenge of a lifetime . . .


From the Paperback edition. ... Read more

Product Description
Heroes and Fools

A submarine trip to an island of ghosts. A band of fugitive actors. A deadly draconian who has had too much holiday punch. And veritable onslaught of dryads, shadow wights, and that rarest of all monsters, the dread forest boojum.

Also, from the team of Margaret Weis and Don Perrin, the latest adventure of Kang and his wayward troop of draconians.

In the proud tradition of the best-selling Dragonlance anthologies, Heroes and Fools promises a sometimes heroic -- sometimes foolish -- visit to the world of Krynn.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Most of the Stories are Excellent.
If you pick this up, do not just judge the breadth of the novel by the first story or two. "Boojum, Boojum," the first short story, is pretty horribly written. But most of the rest of the stories are excellent, especially "Much Ado About Magic" and "To Convince the Righteous of the Right." If you are interested in the wheelings and dealings of the DragonLance fifth age, without becoming too bogged down by the main storylines, than this would be a perfect book for you.

Nicely Varied
This book unlike some other of the books of tales varies widely in it's selections.Some stories (Gone) are written differently and also don't have the basic ending.Others (To convince the righteous of the right) have a classic appeal to them.A third aspect of the dragonlance series that is in this book, humor, abounds and the gnomes and other races in Heroes and fools make themselves known.I believe this book to be one of the best tales books and I highly recommend it

Not bad at all
I really enjoyed this book.Most of the stories were good, but some werehorribly average.My favorite was "Gone".The suspence wasterrific and I loved every moment exept for the sudden end.Overall it wasa very good book envolving mainly kender and knights.It was well worththe price.

good stories
I thought Heroes and Fools was a good collection of stories about theFifth Age, I enjoyed Boojum,Boojum,Tree ofLife,Songsayer,Nobless,Oblige,The Thief in the Mirror and since I have onestory left I'm looking forwared to reading To Convince the Righteous of theRight the story of Kang and his band of Draconians. I've allways enjoyedthe short stories about Kang. The only story I have not enjoyed is Gone byRoger E. Moore, Manly because the story is witten in Diary form and I hatethat. If you enjoy reading the Dragonlance books and like short storiesthan this book is for you.

"Much ado about magic" is pointless...but funny!
So far (i've only read a few stories) "To convince the righteous of the right" and "much ado about magic" were the best. I have yet to finish it...but it's nott as good as war of the lance was so far orany of the other anthologies ive read. ... Read more

Product Description
Before the War of the Lance, magic faced and fought its own demise.

The Journeymanis charged to use the ancient Anvil of Time to travel back along the river of timeand find the lost stories that fell between the pages of the history books.

Hefinds Tythonnia, a young red robe learning magic in company with Ladonna of the blackrobes and Par-Salian of the white. The three are sent on an easy quest to find theleader of the renegade wizards, a man named Berthal, but if it was that simple, theywouldn't need mages. Instead, what started out easy turns into betrayal - magic againstsorcery, the wizards against each other, and Tythonnia against herself. When Berthalfinally unleashes his final attack, everyone knows that it won't end that simply. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Nice revisiting old friends
I liked this. I have always loved stories about the conclave of wizards. The addition of a new character was nice while still visiting with old friends and getting to know more about Ladonna and Par Salien's origins. Definitely recommend!

Good concept
This being the three of four volumes was interesting but once again had some very try spells. The writing was very good however.

Good Author Not So Good Book
First I must say that although I didn't particularly like this book I still think the author's storytelling is above the average for sci-fi writers. The problem is that the author seemed to lose his train of thought in this story and as a consequence the story seem to drift around. The ideal of a conflicted member of the wizards being part of the group chasing the renegades was interesting and should have been more of the heart of the story than the renegade hunters or the rise to power of a minor character that had no impact in the grand scheme of the novel. I agree with another reviewer that the "mysterious" journeyman was in my opinion brilliantly portrayed not only by this author but all so far. I really hope that one of these novels deals in detail with this character.But back to this story I feel that this story could have been expanded with the present level of characters and maybe fill a three book arc with ease. As such I feel that the author had a tough time including all these characters and giving them due representation in this story.

Finally I hope dragonlance gives Mr. Soulban the opportunity to delve into a true story arc in this genre. But for the dedicated readers of Dragonlance I would skip this book since it doesn't really blend in with the entire series and instead of adding to the series it unfortunately detracts from it.

Books
This is a great book. I recieved it quickly and it was in excellent shape.

Lucien Soulban - a breath of fresh air in Krynn
I thoroughly enjoyed Lucien's previous entry into the Dragonlance mythos: The Alien Sea (Dragonlance: Champions, Vol. 2). As such, I was pleasantly surprised when it was announced that Renegade Wizards would be another Lucien book. The plot involves, of course, renegade wizards attempting to break away from the highly structured and rigid ways of the Orders of High Sorcery. The writing and prose were fluid and scenes flowed neatly from one to another. I enjoyed the opportunity to expand upon Par-Salian and Ladonna's background as well as the interwoven segue about Belize's rise to power (connected directly to the Defenders of Magic trilogy). I have noticed that Dragonlance authors have begun to exercise some discipline about telling stories within a framework that recognizes, acknowledges and respects events that occurred in other works. There has been times when I would question the veracity of certain events (in other Dragonlance books) because of the lack of precedence. Lucien has succeeded in neatly tying the various plots of this book to other books in the larger Dragonlance mythos. My only complaint about the book was that it was way too short; the ending seem rushed. Some authors like to unnecessarily pad their stories but Lucien's exposition and plot often left me hungering for more details. I am no writer but I am confident that the author will do well in his first trilogy.

The use of wild sorcery (or Wylding magic as it is called in this book) as the driving force behind the main plot dovetails nicely into the "current" world of Dragonlance. I had to smile a few times at the arguments presented by the various characters about the pros and cons for both wild and High sorcery. This is a most fascinating subject that hasn't been fully explored yet. A few books and authors have touched upon it (Wizards' Conclave (Dragonlance: Age of Mortals) springs to mind) but none so far have really come up with a story or trilogy worthy of the philosophical and metaphysical differences of the two branches of sorcery or the reconciliation and/or battles among sorcerers and wizards/mages. Someone needs to redefine the magic the way Niles redefined the Knighthood in the Rise of Solamnia trilogy.

Finally, it is about high time readers are treated to a main character who happens to be LGBT. Yes, I know I might spoil it for some folks but I just want to heap some worthy praise upon the author for this. Being a gay man, I have seen how marginalized LGBT characters are in the Dragonlance world. "Marginalized"? More like none that I know of or care to remember. I was doubly happy as the author used the concept of sexuality as a trying aspect of the dreaded Test. I don't need knights in rainbow armor or a flaming jester but it was sure nice to know that yes, there are finally some characters (strong ones too I might add) that some LGBT readers might identify with.

PS-This Journeyman character is extremely fascinating. Each author in the Anvil of Time series has written him uniquely and added a LOT of mystique to him. Before this series of book was launched I believe that there was a book written or commissioned expressly to explain the role of the Journeyman. Maybe it's time for THAT story to see the light of day? ... Read more

Product Description
Summer has come to Krynn, a summer unlike any before. The sun bears down on land and sea, searing the world with relentless light and heat. Clouds and rain are nowhere to be found, and even the darkness of night brings little relief from the strange and oppressive day.

Meanwhile, those who commune regularly with their gods are uneasy. Every day, their deities become more distant, more difficult to reach. Clerics' prayers go unanswered, and magic goes awry. As the tension on Ansalon builds, estranged cousins Palin Majere and Steel Brightblade search for an explanation. It soon becomes evident that more than just magic is at stake.

The fate of all Krynn hangs in the balance.

This is a new paperback edition of Dragonlance cocreators Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's first hardcover New York Times bestseller. It is the direct prequel to the current War of Souls trilogy. This edition features a new cover design that ties into the recent rereleases
... Read more

Customer Reviews (249)

Quit While You're Ahead
Ever hear the phrase quit while you're ahead?

Hickman and Weis were well ahead. They should have quit.

Leaving the Companions to wander off into the sunset was the ending those characters deserved.

Finishing up with the whole 'The Gods didn't leave us, we left them,' idea was just fine.

They had written six really well done, beautifully characterized, interestingly plotted books, which dealt with religious and moral issues in a manner more subtle than most books aimed at younger adults tend to.

And then they wrote Dragons of Summer Flame. I saw another reviewer suggest that this book was written "to nuke" the world they had created. If that's true, they succeeded beyond what could have been their wildest hopes and dreams. They spent 300+ pages abusing their characters, even ones who really should have been well past abuse, and ripping what made their world unique to pieces.

If you loved the Chronicles or Legends, just don't read this. If your favorite character was a certain hour glassed eyed mage, then please, by the love of all that is good and holy, put the book back on the shelf and pick up your old copy of Time of the Twins and re-read that. You'll be much, much happier.

Dragonlance Review
The book is awsome, however it is not what I was looking for. I was looking for the graphic novel that looks like a comic book.

The End of the Best set of Fantasy Heros Every Created
I could get into character, writing issues, why things may have been done, etc. But many others have already done that, I was extremely unhappy with this book. It was actually written OK, but I cannot for the life of me figure out why ALL the heros of the lance were killed in this. It just does not make sense to me, then I kind got into some of the Lance heros children. Like Palin, Tanin, Gilthanis, they all get killed off too between the "Second Generation and Dragons of Summer Flame" It seemed that for whatever reason, the whole entire bloodline of the heros of the lance were set out to be destroyed. I have read books in Ebberron, Grey Hawk, Etc. The Chronicles and Legends are still the best series of books I have ever read, I have not found any others that are in the same realm as these. I just think there could have been many other ways to have done the continuing story line different and better, there was not a need to kill everyone off and their children as well. I can understand wanting to put in new blood / characters into the mix. But this was not the Detriot Lions or the Bengals, we did not need a complete overhaul. I was let down, to be brought up with the liking of some of the children to the heros of the Lance, to be brought back down when they are pretty much all killed as well. I will go with another comment I have seen, I will re read the the first two series containing the Heroes of the Lance and the Meetings Sextets. Pretend the the Second Generation and Dragons of Summer Flame were bad dreams.

AWSOME!!
This book is friggin awsome!! Even for people who have never read the DLC.But for people who have, this book is deep in reminiscence.
Basically picture this: "good and evil have to combine in order to destroy a threat that wants to end ALL EXISTENCE, oh and two main characters die at the end too....so sad..

What have they done?
I mean, seriously, what were they been thinking?
First off, the kender stuff is overly used on chronicles and legends, ok we got it, it was funny, dont tell the same joke more than 3 times.
The descriptions of be with a kender is worse than fighting a troll is told so geek like, it kinda made me feel being a geek by reading this crap.
Palin is so a boring character only second maybe to the awful Laurana.
And why all the new heroes have to be the sons of the previous heroes? does heroisem go by blood line and not personality?
And why we need Palin if we have Raistlin back? at least Rasitlin was a true hero which had a lot of power aura around him.
Palin was said to be meant to be powefull, but i would put money on him fighting a scared mouse by the way his personality goes.
I quite liked Usha, she was very funny in her untrusting people manner and her simple thinking on life.
Steel was a very good character which i would build upon, like a normal person he had a good side and a dark side, people are not totally evil or totally good.
The end was a real dissapointment as Paladine sits back on the couch and let Steel, His Dragon, Palin, Usha and Tas to do the job. Where was the God Commander himself? if he cannot defeat chaos, how can his creations?
Another thing that dissapoints me is Takisis leaving, it is stupid to think that she does not care for the world, she has a different perspective from Paladine but still they both focus on this world. Making her leaving just poits her out more of a scared child rather the Queen of Darkness. But Paladine is no better as he was not doing anything much either.
And where the hell was Gilean, i know he writes history, but dude, the world comes to an end, cant you raise your lazy butt and do something?
Chaos is the source of all the gods, shouldn't it be that he be fought by his children, and Steel, Palin and all fight his generals?
If Chaos was defeated by mortals, how can we have respect for the gods in this book? Where was Raistlin that defeated Takisis, why couldn't he fight there and let Palin play with dolls at home?
Instead of making a grand finalle, Chaos was destroyed by the hands of a kender, is that what was i kept on reading for?
Is that the best you can make of?
This book had some nice moments, I couldn't ignore that, but he was really rushed and the plot eventually was lame. ... Read more

Product Description
The surprising history of Balif has finally come to light...

The Journeyman is chargedto use the ancient Anvil of Time to travel back along the river of time and findthe lost stories that fell between the pages of the history books.

One of the mostintriguing figures in Dragonlance(R) is that of Balif, the elven general who wasan intimate of Silvanos, the first Speaker of the Stars. Balif founded the city ofBalifor, granted the kender a homeland, was an advocate for the wizard Vedvedsica,lived under a curse, was altered by the Graygem--but no one elf could do all thosethings. Or could he? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Good concept
This final volume her my attention a lot more, but still there were parts that were extremely mundane.

Will the real Balif please stand up?
The latest (and perhaps the last) book in the "Anvil of Time" series explores the fate of Balif. Now that is a name that has been spoken in many books. Heck, there's even a whole city named after him. Stories and legend are few and often contradictory. It should come as no surprise that the Journeyman chose to chronicle Balif's fate. Paul B. Thompson has the unenviable task of writing the truth behind the legend of Balif; I say unenviable because Balif's backstory is a jumbled mess. Was he an elf? Or a kender? Was he really a general? Did he live and perish during Silvanos' time or Sithel's? What was his connection with another well-known character, Vedvedsica?

Wrapping your head around all that would have produced a headache but Thompson did a remarkable job threading the various storylines and legends behind Balif into amore or less coherent narrative. We finally get to read about the origin and emergence of the kender as a race and the founding of their new homeland. Any book with a kender or three is always amusing. Additionally, Thompson strongly tied aspects of this book to the Elven Exiles trilogy and to a lesser extent, the Barbarians trilogy (both were co-written with Tonya C. Cook). I guess Dragonlance authors have finally wizened up to the benefits of continuity. It is heartening to read about how events that happened in the different time periods share similar roots or origins. In order to ease readers into the book or clear up confusion, I suggest the editors and/or publishers include a timeline with these novels. After all, time travelling is a theme in all the books in this series.

Thompson portrayed Balif as a character fallen out of grace but still with enough dignity to go out with his head held high. While Silvanos appeared in scant 10 pages, his presence shadows almost every major event in the story. I found the author's interpretation of Silvanos and Balif's relationship to be a high point in the story because it sheds a rare light on the first Speaker's inner dealings. Yes, there were a few more important/prominent characters but I was riveted by Balif most of the time. In this book, the Journeyman becomes a bookish scribe as opposed to his strong but silent countenance in previous appearances (in fact, he spoke more than he did in the past 3 books put together.) Honestly, I expected more from him but I guess different authors will write each version of the Journeyman differently. He is still a most fascinating character and the best plot device this side of the Dragonlance mythology has ever seen. At times, I felt like I was channeling the fellow because the Journeyman is doing essentially what readers are unconsciouslydoing: uncovering a story and reaching new understanding of events.

Good...but not Great
I just finished The Forest King: Tracy Hickman Presents the Anvil of Time, Volume Four last night.Going into the book, I knew that it would be about Balif, the legendary Silvanesti general.I had recently read Destiny (Dragonlance: Elven Exiles, Vol. 3), which mentions Balif and Vedivisca.I was hoping this book would fill in the gaps to the mystery hinted at in the Elven Exiles Trilogy.Sadly, it didn't take me long to realize that it wasn't giving me nearly the details of Balif that I had hoped to find.It really was more centered on another character named Mathi.One I didn't care nearly as much about.Also, not to give much away, but I was hoping to learn more about the mystery of Treskan...but was left with many questions.Maybe the answer to the riddle that was Treskan was right there and I didn't pick up on something at the end, but I don't think so.

Finally, this novel seemed to continue the disappointing editing that many Dragonlance novels have had of late.It seemed to get worse as the book went on.Very strange.Mathi is a female.Treskan a male.Several times they would be talking about Mathi, only to use a male pronoun like "he" or "him" or "his".Very distracting.

Overall I was disappointedbecause I wanted to read more about Balif during his height in power, but instead got his downfall.

One last thing.Is the cover supposed to be of Balif or Silvanos Goldeneye?I assumed Balif, but then there is the "goldeneye" that throws me off. ... Read more

Product Description

For two centuries the portion of the great Sovereign Stone belonging to the humans of Loerem was lost from sight and memory. But there are those who dare never forget ...

A magical relic has been miraculously recovered -- and the battle for the future of Loerem begins. It is a nightmare conflict that will ensnare dwarf, human, elf, and orken beings, as the immortal dark lord Dagnarus launches terrible war from the blackest depths of the Void. And now heros must emerge from the most unlikely corners of the world to deny Dagnarus the awesome power of the Stone -- or suffer the hideous damnation of his hellish reign.

Customer Reviews (18)

Better than the first book which only improves the story.
The Guardians of the Lost is the second book in the Sovereign Stone Trilogy by Margret Weis and Tracy Hickman. In the second installment the plot is moved considerably forward at the same face pace as was found int he first book. the characters are also more defined in this book and their roles are more clear than in the first book.

This world is unlike their Dragonlance books in that they have complete control over what happens and it's noticably a little darker than their other works.

The story during the Sovereign Stone Trilogy moves along at a break neck pace. There are multiple twists along the way. I thinkt he thing I like best about this trilogy is that the 'villian' starts off as a good guy for the most part, but with misguided ideals. He doesn't really know he's being evil he thinks he's doing what's best.

Overall, if you are a fan of Weis and Hickman's Dragonlance Chronicles of Death Gate cycle you should give these books a chance. The world if fresh and different from most that is out there today.

If you're ready for a new journey, jump aboard and get ready for a fun enjoyable ride.

Lord Of The Stones
Guardians Of The Lost, the second tome in the Sovereign Stone trilogy, follows its predecessor Well Of Darkness with more characters, more races, more action and even more oddity. The setting is 200 years following the fall of Old Vinnengael in the world called Loerem. The races distrust each other and one another while a noble few seek to reunify the sovereign stones and rid the world of evil and woe. The servant of void Dagnarus, still alive and bent on domination, has increased his army of nefarious Vrykyl and moreover used magical portals to gain indefatigable foot soldiers.
For most of the book Guardians Of The Lost bears a close resemblance to Tolkien's Lord Of The Rings. Two sets of companions traverse the land carrying precious (in this case) stones. They flee and approach dark forces bent on capturing them and possession of the prized magical stones. The choice of the companions again defies logic at first, although the gods trust in them is ultimately justified. As battles, betrayals and bewilderment ensues Dagnarus is thwarted in his ultimate dream, but so are the noble companions and their custodians. The book ends mid-saga as danger looms and confusion reigns on all sides.
The fantasy is rich and the characters motley, but one can only wonder at the semblance of the story to the well-known classic of the genre.

Series gets even better in the second installment
The first book in this series was very well done and in this second book, the series gets even better. The danger to the realm is much more dire than in the first book as Dagnarus now has an army plus numerous Vykrls at his command. But in typical fantasy tradition there are always heroes to rise to the challenge and defend their land. The characters in this book are very well written and a few even infuse the book with a little humour, something lacking in the first book.

All in all this is a really good book and I can't wait to read the third and final book in this series.

Too Obvious, Backward Characters, and Nothing Accomplished
First off, Dagnarus was and still is my favorite character (even though I know, like all my favorite characters, he's going to have to die.)I ploughed through this book like I plough through winter when the snow's up to my waist. Not because the book was bad, mind you, but because I hated to see Dagnarus constantly being thwarted time and time again -- and I knew he would be. But, I didn't take off any stars since that's a personal thing, and not all people love Dagnarus.

That mentioned, and my love for Dagnarus aside, this book lost one star because of the ending. Normally I like a book when something is ACCOMPLISHED at the end, but nothing was accomplished here. New Vinningael hadn't even CRUMBLED at the end of the book. Oh, it was obvious that it would, I have no doubt it will be, but it DIDN'T; The book ends with what could be a guarantee that the stones will be captured, but throughout the book there's been so many times when the same thing was promised, the odds were infinite, and they STILL escaped with both stones. The promise at the end doesn't make you WONDER anymore -- you KNOW that it won't happen; The Grandmother and Bashae, alone and with the human portion of the stone, are ordered to be captured. But again, they weren't CAPTURED, which makes me believe there's a 100% chance that the capturing of these two pecwae, despite that they are weak and cowardly and small, will again be a FAILURE by of an all-powerful Vrykyl.

I didn't like any of the main protagonists, and the ones I did like had the worst ending imaginable - Wolfram and Ranessa. The only two decent characters in the book. Their role was a huge letdown, for several reasons: They were the only flawed characters, and deserved to have a much larger part; Dagnarus knew that they were decoys, so why the hell was he ordering them captured?; and instead of being creative and having a Trevinici who's unlike any other Trevinici, she has to be a dragon, which just shows you how robotic and similar that race is. I was hoping that she would teach the snotty, proud, and ANNOYING Trevinicis a few things.

Success for the good became too obvious (it would have been better if the success of DAGNARUS was obvious, because then you would think, "How the hell are the protagonists going to beat him NOW?") -- furthermore, I was hoping that at the end, Dagnarus would have at least been HOLDING at least ONE of the stones - not promised it AGAIN. I thought the main characters deserved smaller roles whereas the background characters should have deserved larger roles, and the fact that nothing was accomplished made the plot and storyline nowhere near as strong as the Well of Darkness.

Furthermore, I didn't like how a Vrykyl turned its back on Dagnarus when they were linked, and yet a Dominion Lord who has their own free will can't turn a little evil now and then.

I had been about to give it 2 stars, but since there was Dagnarus, Wolfram, Ranessa, Valura, and Shakur (as small parts as these characters had) I bumped it up to 3.

A homage to Tolkin, yet a great book.
Let me tell you the plot of this book, and you'll see how Tolkin gets in: Two people, in this case only one of them is a halfling, are getting a quest which involves carrying a magical item which is the key to rule the races of the world. They ae joined by a wise old person, which happens to be a wizard, and by warriors along the way. A dark Lord, which once owned the artifact, is also searching for it, sending his lethal, undead servants after the party. Reminds you something?

Yet, even though Tolkin's effect is clear, this book makes a great reading. The plot is of course much more complicated than what I wrote above, and Weis and Hickman's amazing character building, world describing and storytelling talent, makes you read this book flowingly, and be eager for more. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the first anthology to tie in to the bestselling War of Souls trilogy by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. It contains 11 stories, written by well-known Dragonlance authors, that elaborate on the characters and locations from the War of Souls trilogy. The stories link to the ongoing saga through the time frames of the main characters.

Contents:
Introduction
"All for a Pint" by Brian Murphy
"The End" by Nancy Varian Berberick
"The Lost Sea" by Linda P. Baker
"Some Assembly Required" by Nick O' Donohoe
"Go with the Floe" by Paul B. Thompson
"The Great Gully Dwarf Climacteric of 40 S.C." by Jeff Crook
"Bond" by Kevin T. Stein
"A Twist of the Knife" by Jean Rabe
"Hunger" by Richard A. Knaak
"Product Given for Services Rendered" by Don Perrin
"Dragon's Throat" by Donald J. Bingle
... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Umm....Yeah
After reading some of the other tales and short stories, I found this boring.Like others have said, there are only a few stories about the search for magic and the use of the magical items, well, ones that had power left in them anyway.i found it dissappointing.I've read better

Not bad
I was hoping for more,but it was pretty good though.Leaves you with questions,but alright.Try it, you will enjoy it.

Decent but a tad disappointing
I picked up this book expecting a bunch of stories about well, the search for magic, but instead they're only a handful and the other stories are about kender and gnomes (which isnt necassarily a bad thing).
But the stories themselves are decent enough and the gnome stories, as always, are hilarious.
I would recommend this only to dragonlance fans. ... Read more