Book Description
Magical creatures, great and small.

This original anthology gathers together eighteen fantastical stories about cats, dogs, mice, and other furry creatures from realms beyond our world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Furry Fantastic Anthology!
Animal lovers and fans of all forms of fantastic literature will adore this anthology of short stories devoted to creatures other than homo sapiens sapiens.Here are eighteen delightful tales of fantasy, dark fantasy and horror tales told from the viewpoints of the winged, scaled, furred and purely legendary.Herein you will find denizens of the city as well and roaming creatures of the wilderness. Their homes are sky, the forests and even cushy uptown condos.Like their homo relatives, some of these animals are drawn to light and courage, while others serve a darker purpose.Magic spells and portents abound in these stories where you will encounter dogs and cats as well as mice and gerbils--and practically every creature in between.Try Judi Rohrig's marvelously dark and cautionary tale of a wolf that bridges the dark territory between art and animal instinct.If you've been enjoying Animal Planet's Meerkat Manor, you will adore Paul Genesse's story, "The Mob", about a family of courageous little meerkats. C. J. Henderson turns in a wonderful examination of the loyalty of dogs with "All the Virtues of Man", and a dog returns from the dead in Diana Francis' "In Between the Dark and the Light".You'll find incredible stories from acclaimed writers who hail from every conceivable genre within the malleable borders of fantastic fiction.This is a cunning and magical blend of entertaining tales, some light-hearted, some darkly disturbing.All are deeply satisfying.I urge you to click on the cover and discover the FURRY FANTASTIC.It's the perfect cure for the winter blahs.

fun fantasy collection starring animals
Before anyone decides this is too cute for fantasy, the editors remind the audience of the works of Beatrix Potter (Peter Rabbit), Richard Adams (Watership Down) and Robert C. O'Brien (Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh).However, the inspiration for the theme comes from Andre Norton's "Catfantastic" tales.The eighteen all new stories are fun though mostly lighthearted as the contributors have had a good time writing the tales.The stars range from the normal fur bearers like dogs and cats to the rodent breed like mice, weasels, possums and gerbils; while some of the tales contain supernatural magical creatures who soar in the sky or come back from the dead.In all cases, the headliner battles evil using enchantments and courage to protect loved ones including human pets.Readers of short personification fantasies will appreciate this delightful anthology while those from the WC Fields' thought of never co-starring with animals (natural or paranormal) will pass as humans for the most part play a support part in danger roles.

Harriet Klausner
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Customer Reviews (7)

I've read better fanfiction...
I couldn't believe this got published, and then I read who the author's friends were...

Has a HUGE show don't tell problem, flat, unengaging characters, and a boring, predictable plot which is not make fresh or original in any way.It read like an outline of a story. I kept reading in hopes it got better, but had to put it done in despair about half way through.

I gave it two stars because it was a fairly creative idea (that I wish this author could have done more with) and it was readable (in terms of grammar and spelling).

Fun adventures of a young girl & a young horse
"The Finest Creating" is intended for young adults.This book is set in the middle ages, with a sprinkling of magic and magical creatures.The plot follows two main characters.The first is an orphaned girl, the king's nephew.She and her brother have gown up in isolation, and at the start of the story are about to travel with their cousin, the prince, to his weding.The second main character is a magical horse, one of "the finest creations".These magical creatures are morally superior to humans.Their purpose is to guide their chosen humans into being better people.This quest is complicated by their other goal, which is to never let anyone know that they are more than simple horses.The mood of this novel is light and enjoyable.

I had three problems with this novel.First, the middle of the novel is a bit slow.Second, I don't see how the magical horses are supposed to provide moral and ethical guidance to people, while being constrained to pretend to be ordinary horses.Apparently the author doesn't know either, because the magical horses choose good people and then simply protect them.Third, it ends rather suddenly, with the plot continuing in the next book, and I prefer stand alone books.If these sound like overly fussy complaints to you, I'm sure you will love "The Finest Creation."

Overall, the author has crafted an enjoyable story, with interesting people and just the right amount of magic.The mood is quite dissimilar from Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar, which has lots of moody sulking and melodramatic complaints.Rabe's people & horses are happier and more concerned with others, so their quandaries build sympathy.I enjoyed watching the young magical horse grow and learn.

Magical Young Adult Adventure
Jean Rabe has authored a lot of stories and books in worlds originally established by others and, although she has had a greater impact on many of those worlds than is sometimes realized, it is wonderful to see her create a world that is entirely of her own making.Aimed at a YA audience, The Finest Creation has a magical feel comparable to Harry Potter, but characters who are more innocent (and less bratty) and a less convoluted plotline.Jean has a real affinity for describing the feelings of her young protagonists and for showcasing the natural world, including the equine Finest Creations.Creative and original.Donald J. Bingle, Author of Forced Conversion.

Didn't quite make it for me
The cover's nice enough to catch my eye.The review blurbs comparing this book to a cross between Narnia and Valdemar was enough to convince me to pick it up.

Unfortunately, this book lacks the charm of Narnia, and the action of Valdemar.The characters don't develop well at all, the plot was shaky overall and downright unbelievable in places.Of the two big revelations toward the end of the book, one I'd called during the first couple of chapters, the other was improbable enough to be unbelievable.

Sorry, but I won't be picking up the rest of the trilogy.

sorry i disagree.....
unlike the previous reviewers, i did not really like book overly much, but it was a read. i found the evil, talking birds a bit corny, and not really all that evil, just dumb. And if you hate books that focus around young children (teenage), this was one of those.
The one good thing about the book, the ending. the last 50 or so pages were quite good, and may have been enough to make me read the next book.
But give this book a go any way, YOU may like it.
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Book Description

Customer Reviews (3)

Fun Book!
What a fun book and a great read. The fast-paced adventures of Kal and Rue (also known as Gallant Stallion) continue in this novel about a young girl and her guardian angel--who happens to be a horse! The bad guys are out in force and a terrible war must be ended. There is something great about the determination of Kal, who shows us how to have courage no matter how bad it gets.

An action-packed finale from a fantasy master
Having been a fan of Jean Rabe since her Dragonlance novels, I was very pleased to see her get the chance to create and play in her own world with the Finest trilogy, and I'm even happier to see that the third volume continues the wonderful writing and plot of the first two.It's refreshing to see characters, especially young adults, who know everything and aren't able to save the kingdom and tie everything up in a neat little bow; her heroes and heroines come across as real in their worry and hurt and struggle to make the right choices.And her take on such fantasy tropes as sentient animals (love the deadly flock of birds!) is a fresh breath of originality in endless books and films of talking animals and magical creatures.Kudos on a delightful journey...with the possible hint of more to come.

Worthy Conclusion to Finest Trilogy
Jean Rabe brings the story of Meven, Kalantha, and Gallant Stallion to an action-packed conclusion, but leaves hints that may lead to a larger continuing story.Once again, Jean does a superb job portraying the world of the Fallen Favorites, as well as the world of their protectors, the Finest Creations.I especially enjoyed the chapter-beginning quotes from a variety of Finest characters, the battle descriptions, and the mix of impetuousness, stubborness, and wisdom in young Kalantha.Of course, the swarming, deadly, evil birds of the series are an interesting and original contribution to fantasy literature.Lavane is also a wonderful new character, though I confess I wanted him to do even more behind Nineon's back.I can only hope that he figures prominently in any continuing adventures.A fun read for YA and fantasy fans, with a serious side in its portrayal of the realities of war and the difficulties in simply stopping the fighting.Recommended. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (83)

Tough to finish, from a long-time Dragonlance fan
First off let me state that the most recent person to give this book 5 stars "doesn't normally read" and can't spell.

I've read a lot of Dragonlance, and really a lot of fantasy in general, and I've come across a few books that were tough reads, but this one trumps them all.Here's a comment D&D fans everywhere will appreciate:This book reads like it was written from the point of view of a DM planning an adventure.Characters go here.Characters do this.This happens.That happens.What's sad is that it reads at some points like a poorly planned adventure, where scenes seem haphazardly strung together, and at times I found myself rereading pages to try to follow the trail, only to realize its really not there at all.Books should read like they're from the point of view of the characters, or perhaps at points an under-educated omnipresent being.I kept wanting to finish, as I've never stopped in the middle of a Dragonlance novel in the past.It just got harder and harder to keep going, but I did it.Underdeveloped characters, played out scenes, the list just goes on & on.I'll stick to the Weis & Hickman as far as Dragonlance is concerned in the future, and would have to recommend some George R.R. Martin, or perhaps a dabble of Terry Goodkind if you're looking to delve a bit further into fantasy.WoTC, please do the Dragonlance line some credit and filter out your authors BEFORE publishing.

Don't waste your time
The dragonlance series has been a personal favorite since the chronicles. I have read every book margaret and Tracy had to offer. Since I began the series in middle school, I have re-read them several times, each time enjoying it just as much as the last. It has been a long journey into the world of Krynn!

The fact that margaret and tracy let other authors use their world, and completely destroy it, angers me. Publicity and money must be worth more than the fans....

This book was ridiculously painful to read....A terrible plot....underdeveloped characters....and a seemingly disproportioned writing style don't just bore the reader, but if they are a dragonlance fan, angers them.

This BUTCHERS the series....if you are a fan, steer clear...if you are a first timer to the series, Stick to Margaret and Tracys' books ONLY.

If i could give it negative stars, I would.

Excellent story, mediocre characters
The bad reviews are an unfortunate result of Weis & Hickman's amazing ability to develop characters.In fact, the world of Dragonlance is a fantasy world.If you have read as many series as I have, you understand that there is a draw to this well developed world that is familiar, fun, and exciting.So all of us reviewing this have read the Chronicles and Legends.We love the characters, and all of us were blown away at how well the characters became entire worlds unto themselves.And then the other books, and stories, were so easy to be drawn into because of this.

Now comes the Fifth Age (don't worry, no spoilers).It's different, all the old characters are gone.Now we (the readers) don't feel like you're in the same world.Before, it was so easy because we saw so many characters walk through Ansalon, and learned and experienced Ansalon through their eyes.Many Dragonlancers will agree that the character development in the Chronicle/Legends were superior in quality, well above _ANY_ genre of books (and I love Steven King).The reason Dragonlance is so popular is (arguably) because of the amazing character development that Margret Weis and Tracy Hickman did.And I'm not gonna lie to you, the character development in this book and the series is NOT as good as the Chronicles/Legends.That being said,

SO WHAT.This is a series.None of the 50+ books in the Dragonlance series has been as good as Chronicles/Legends. Okay, enough about character development.Don't compare it.These books are good.They keep you on the edge, and they are fantastic stories about the history of new Krynn.If you're like me, you'll love reading what happens next the absorbing stories. The conversation is sub-par.But the interaction, the storyline is still very fun and exciting.Don't read this book expecting Chronicles/Legends.Read this book expecting the next exciting story of the Dragonlance world.

Work better left for another author
Perhaps the biggest tragedy associated with 'The Dawning of a New Age' is that there is vital 5th age information contained within its pages, but the reader must plod through Jean Rabe's drivel to get to it.An outline would be better.

It's time for Dragonlance/Wizards of the Coast to replace Jean Rabe... w/Chris Pierson?He showed potential with his Kingpriest Trilogy.I don't foresee myself ever purchasing one of her books again (and from the reviews below it seems that many longtime Dragonlance fans share this sentiment).If the Fifth Age is to take hold it definitely needs a new voice.

To anyone who gives this book 4 stars:I encourage you to read earlier Dragonlance novels (Chronicles, Legends, Elven Nations, etc) or other contemporary Dragonlance trilogies (Ergoth).That's 4 star writing.

Takes a few pages to get started
This book reminds me a lot of the first of the Dragonlance Chronicles. I didn't like it much until I got into the second book. I'm now almost done with the second book in this series and I like it a lot. 350 pages isn't enough to do it justice. I'm always a big fan of making BIG books to completely tell a story. I think with a few hundred more pages this book could have been spectacular. As it stands, I'm pleased with this book,
I liked the idea of the Dragon overlords, I liked the links that are being made to other Dragonlance stories, but felt the characters were not very fleshed out. And the action scenes were rushed. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (62)

A good book but the ending left me unsatisfied.
All in all this book was decent. Certainly was not one of the best Dragonlance books I have read. Some parts of it kind of dragged along without a whole lot of suspense to the point that I nearly put it down. It ended very blandly without a true and proper conclusion. As this book was the third and last of three books in a set it would have been better to end the whole adventure. Instead Jean Rabe pushes it even further to three more books in which after this one I truthfully am not looking forward to. This is still a good book to read I enjoyed many parts of it though so it is still worth a look.

The Eve of the Malestrom
This is likely one of the greatest dragonlance books ever written. Any one who misses this great addition to the dragon lance seris will be truely sorry. READ THIS BOOK!

Best book of the trilogy
As the trilogy progressed, Rabe's writing just got better and better. It went from being awkward and stilted in the first book to very smooth flowing in this last book. It actually felt like a true Dragonlance book and made for some very enjoyable reading. Yes, some of the characters needed to be fleshed out more and they seemed to get mortally wounded and overcome unbeatable odds more than they should have, but those seemed like minor things.

The last half of the book seemed like fight scene after fight scene with minimal rest in between. Rabe has a knack for writing suspenseful battles, despite the fact that they can be a little unbelievable at times (5 people taking on 3 dozen Knights of Takhisis and winning). Her handling of the dragons and the intrigue among them in this book was very well done. I especially enjoyed the introduction of the shadow dragon. There was also an interesting exploration of the undersea kingdome of the sea elves, Dimernesti.

The conclusion, however, seemed a little flat. It seems as if the author wanted to set up another book, be it one of hers or some other author's in the Dragonlance saga. Maybe it continues almost directly into Weis & Hickman's War of Souls or into her own Dhamon Saga. Guess I'll find out when I get to those books.

My only complaint was the need for some serious proofreading. Typos, missing words, incorrect words ("to" instead of "too"), and missing punctuation got to be really excessive. I was surprised at how bad it was. There were pages where I found three or four of these. Of course, this was the previous edition that I read, so maybe they fixed these in this new release.

All in all, a very satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. Even if you hated the first book, I think you'll like this one (just make sure you read the second installment as well).

An interesting ending...
The Eve of the Maelstrom, by Jean Rabe is a fine conlusion to an otherwise intresting series. Rabe does a great job bringing the heros together to fight against something that has been a problem throughout the whole trilogy: The Overlords.

I happened to find this trilogy exciting and worth the read. It definately leads nicely into Wies and Hickman's War of Souls Trilogy. Granted, Krynn is different in these books. But that doesn't make it any less interesting. In fact, I found these books just as interesting as the Chronicles trilogy that started the Dragonlance world. While these aren't AS good as previous Dragonlance books, they are still quite entertaining.

If you pass up these books cause of the poor reviews that it gets, then you are going to miss an exciting series. The adventure and action seems to never stop in these books. New mysteries are revealed, while others are solved. Finally the heros strike back against the massive Overlords. This book is definately worth the read. Don't pass it up. It sheds light onto the new face of Krynn. A Krynn without the gods.

Disappointment
After reading most of the Dragonlance books, I finally bought this trilogy. I wasn't expecting much, and I didn't get it. It's a bad sign when your book has 15 pages left with no resolution in sight. Or when you have a "slideshow" telling what happened to the characters because you ran out of space. How many times did these paperdoll characters get burned, scarred, run through and mortally wounded just to get revived by the healer? How many times did we get detailed descriptions of their new outfits but not real personalities? Despite the good idea of dragon overlords, how come no one deals with the problem of food? At the rate they eat, Ansalon should have no people or livestock left. But that, along with so many plot points, is just part of the mystery. Maybe that mystery is why five dragons let a band of humanoids poke, prod and wound them, then let them leave. It's too bad Jean Rabe had to introduce unbeatable, unkillable monsters and found them more fascinating than the characters we had to read about for three books. ... Read more

Book Description
Jean Rabe returns to the world of Dragonlance with a tale of slavery, rebellion, and the struggle for freedom!

When a series of earthquakes strike a Dark Knight mining camp, goblin and hobgoblin slaves take advantage of the bedlam and revolt. A fast and deadly rebellion erupts, pitting the Dark Knights against their slaves... and against the still-rumbling ground. Casualties on both sides climb as a leader emerges among the slave force --Direfang, a hobgoblin foreman with deep scars and a long, brutal history of servitude. He must rally the surviving goblins and hobgoblins and lead them out of Neraka, turning his rag-tag force into an army that will not allow itself to be enslaved again. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A great start to the goblin trilogy.
The Rebellion is the first book in The Stonetellers Trilogy by Jean Rabe, and Jean's third trilogy I the world of Krynn. To begin, I must say that a lot of the reviews I had seen regarding the book scared me a little bit. So going into this first book I was a bit hesitant. Now having read the novel, I am glad that I decided to read the book. For me, it was pleasantly surprisingly a good book. There are no returning characters from Dragonlance in this novel all are new.

The book takes place in Steel Town for a portion of the book, and the rest of the book in the Khalkist Mountains. I felt that the pace was a bit slow at times, but it was all just set up for the second book. I did not have a hard time at all getting a feel for goblin characters. I did feel a bit sorry for them, having grown up in slavery their entire life. They desired freedom, same as any "intelligent" race of Krynn.

The book follows the desired of a hobgoblin named Direfang, who is the main character of the novel. There are several other goblins, and a few Dark Knights that are the central characters of the novel. There one thing of note that I found very interesting with this book. We get to see a goblin shaman who is able to use earth magic. She then finds other goblins that are able to use this magic also, and they are able to combine their magic to make a more powerful spell together. I was very happy to see something like this in a novel, rather just being in the gaming sourcebooks.

The major thing I did not like about this book is that it tried to show itself off as the "first goblin nation on Ansalon". Wizards of the Coast tried to sell it like that also, but it seems they all forgot about the goblin nation of Sikk'et Hul over on Northern Ergoth. This is where I thought the book series was going to take us too, but now having read the book I can understand a shaman's manipulations as to where they are going and why.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. Any Dragonlance fan out there should read this novel, but if you are just starting out with the series I highly suggest you do not pick this book up. You should instead focus on the core novels, while this is a good supplement to those and will be a good series once Death March and Goblin Nation come out.

Goblins, goblins and more goblins
I luckily picked up this book before I went on vacation.The only thing I didn't like about this book was that I found myself staying up late to read just one more chapter.Needless to say, my vacation outlasted the book.

It was a wonderful read, granted it was about goblins, but this is Dragonlance and it's refreshing to see things from the prospective of something usually considered dragon snacks or fodder for the next fight.

Even though I was left shocked at the end of the book (and a bit sad that I couldn't run out and pick up the second book in the series) this is somethingI am looking forward to reading more of.

Wonderful Reading
I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did, goblins and hobgoblins not being high on my list of interesting creatures.But with the first chapter, Jean pulled me in to the Dragonlance world.

By the end of the book, I was caught up in the plight of the rebellious slaves and their struggling masters.I'm afraid that the next book will bring more sorrow than joy for them, but I can't wait to read it and find out what happens.

A Sub-par Dragonlance novel
The Rebellion by Jean Rabe set in the Dragonlance realm is the first book in The Stonetellers trilogy. The second book will be released in August, 2008 and is titled The Death March. I should preface this review by saying that I have enjoyed Ms. Rabe's previous work, in particular the Dhamon Saga; which in my opinion is a very well written trilogy and certainly showcases Ms. Rabe's talents as a writer.

The plot of this book is rather straightforward in that it follows a group of goblin and hobgoblin slaves in a mining camp run by Dark Knights. The mine must continue to run smoothly in order to provide the steel for Dark Knight swords and armor. When devastation comes to the camp all the slaves unite and rebel against their slavers. Throughout the book the former slaves struggle to find their way out of the mountains, the face attack from monsters, as well as a couple other things that I won't mention. There are very few sub-plots in this book, in fact the biggest sub-plot in the novel isn't touched upon until the last fifteen pages of the book. While that is perfectly fine, since this is the first book in a trilogy, as a reader I would have liked to see a few hints leading up to it. All in all it's a pretty simple plot line, so far since there will be more books, but it just seems like an average story at best.

The characters in this book fall into two categories. One, you have the group of goblin and hobgoblin slaves. They are largely cowed into doing the will of the Dark Knights. Ms. Rabe makes it a point to make sure the reader understands the squalid conditions and the work they are expected to do. There are quite a few `main' characters from this group, Moon-eye, Mudwort, Direfang, Graytoes, and Saro-Saro to name a few. The second group is the Dark Knight contingent of which only three or four become `main' characters. They are Grallik, Kenosh, and Horace. Throughout the book I had a very difficult time connecting with any of the characters, both human and goblin. They just seemed so two-dimensional to me. It seemed as though Ms. Rabe tried to instill emotion in them, yet, quite honestly, I could really care less about them. They seemed to be dragged along by the story, instead of the characters creating the story.

The book as a whole is just average. There is obviously a bigger story in the works here as evident by some of the comments the goblins make during the book and what they want to accomplish. However, the execution of this novel leaves the story flat and uninspiring. The dialog in this book is simply atrocious. I fully understand that the author was trying to create `goblin speak', yet it came of as barely readable. There are times when Mudwort uses very broken dialog, then a few pages later uses big words and talks in complete sentences. The characters seemed to actually take away from the story. Reading this novel I felt as thought the characters were the third wheel, at times, got in the way of the story.

Ms. Rabe does have talent as a writer, the Dhamor saga proves that. In my opinion, this book does not do Ms. Rabe's talent justice. Her prose is solid, and her descriptions are very good. The story and characters are simply uninspiring.

I am a big fan of the Dragonlance world, and would say that other core fans should probably read this if for no better reason than that there are events that will probably occur in this series that will be very important. However, for the normal fantasy fan, I can't in good conscience recommend this book tot hem. There are many other fantasy books out there that I would recommend before this one.
... Read more

Book Description
The troll known as Hood and his fellow Shadowrunners steal some biotechnological agriculture from the Plantech Corporation-only to find themselves framed for murder and tied to an even greater conspiracy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Best of the 6 Shadowrun Books
The other reviewers did a nice job on the recap. In the end, I am a hardcore Shadowrun RPG fan. This book came closest in the series to explaining the new 4th edition environment. It was written at a higher reading level than the other books and I enjoyed it immensely. The first 3 books in the series tie together nicely but are neither challenging, nor original. Books 4 and 6 had some good points but lacked that 4th edition feel.
If you want to see what 4th edition SR is all about read this book. The others were good for a 1 night read or to collect the series if you're into that. Otherwise, borrow them from a friend or local library.

Good but not Great Sci FI
Good solid sci-fi set in the shadowrun world.Just make sure you read the whole trilogy SR 4-6.

Busting stereotypes in the genre
Let me preface this with some personal background: I'm big on screwing with the common perceptions of people.I've been an SR fan since way back (bought my copy of the first edition in August 1989) when I was in college the first time.I am now studying law for my second tour of academic duty.In between, I have worked construction, on a loading dock and as a bouncer (6'5" tall).Despite being an "Appalachian-American" (a fancy way of saying "hillbilly"), I don't have a twang and can speak six languages aside from English (I also spent time abroad teaching English as a second language).So to look at me, you would assume "brute" unless otherwise informed. That being said, I really enjoyed this book's concept of the hulking thing (Hood the troll) as the brains of the outfit with a serious compunction against homicide.I can also appreciate his fixation on a cultural icon (Robin Hood as presented by Errol Flynn).A similar fixation caused me to learn to fence back in college, a hobby I maintain to this day.The decker/rigger, Max, is an ork, again a member of a race frequently assigned to the brute-force/low-brow roles.Contrarily, the combat powerhouse is an elf physical adept, which is somewhat against type.I agree that the motivations and personality of Max (ork) are not particularly well developed, but for those of us who have played the game, how many times have we felt thoroughly shafted by our employers?For most of us, that happens in real life, we just don't usually have the opportunity to renegotiate our paychecks on the fly.I enjoyed the novel and look forward to more from this author/team.

i beg to differ !!
i disagree completely with the above guy. i'm an old school SR fan and was glad to see someone take liberties with the normal roles of each race. yes, max wasnt very well written, but a refreshingtwist on a race that's usually all muscle and no brain. ditto for the character "hood". not since "changeling" (#5 of the first series) has a troll been potrayed other that a brainless bruiser. it was nice to see a troll with taste.

Too Far Out of Character
This is the second of the revival of Shadowrun that I've read -- the fifth in the new series.By rights I should be delighted with it.I've missed having these books around with their vision of a future where legendary races have re-expressed themselves, where magic and technology coexist on uneasy terms, and politics are upside-down.Shadowrunners are the heroes of the underworld of 2063, living by stealing from the megacorporations that dominate the world.

For some reason, though, this book doesn't click with me.A small team of shadowrunners is hired to steal some plants from a biotech firm of all things, and what should have been a fairly easy run goes all kinds of bad.Caught in between lawmen for hire and corporate troops, they are betrayed at every turn, their survival in doubt right to the end of the book.This is a classic Shadowrun plot, and would have worked except for the make up of the team.

The two elves, brother and sister, physical adept and mage, both on the run for past misdeeds, are fairly straightforward.A very out of character troll is the team leader.He is wealthy, addicted to a very refined lifestyle, with a surprising background and an intense reluctance to kill.Some if this oddity (for a troll) can be explained by the fact that he was originally human, not born a troll.Hood never quite rings true - sometimes he is trollish and sometimes not, but he is always marginal.

The real disaster is Max, an orc hacker.This is a very unusual role for an orc, and in this case Max is clearly the wrong person for the job.Her avarice and unwillingness to play a team part cause most of the run's problems.With Max always to blame, the plot becomes secondary, refusing to develop along Shadowrun lines.Orcs can be sympathetic characters, but all Max does is demonstrate the worst of the orc stereotype.

I'm sure that authors were simply experimenting with the Shadowrun parameters, which can be limiting, but this time it didn't quite work out.It would be interesting to see more of Hood, the troll.But Max's character needs to be rewritten if she is to appear in later volumes. ... Read more

Book Description
A new anthology by some of the top names in the genre.

Time travel and the dangers of altering the time stream continue to fascinate readers. This book offers 17 new stories of daring adventurers who meddle with time including: a science fiction fan who warded off an alien invasion of Earth through contemporary culture...Joan of Arc's training in future history...and an FBI hunt for a Mafia don who found his way back to the age of knighthood. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

seventeen fun new science fiction tales
These seventeen new science fiction tales focus on time travel and the related paradoxes including the impact on the present by changing the past and meeting one's self or ancestors, etc.The short stories are fun to read, but the mode of delivery never allows any of the entries to go deep into the seemingly impossibility of time travel.Still fans of the topic like this reviewer (EC comics hooked me during my prehistorical period - the late 1950s) will find all are Wells with this anthology.All the entries are fun for those who enjoy reading TIME TWISTERS; especially enjoyable are "Yeshua's Choice" at Masada, "Downtown Knight" (the mobster meets the Templar on the latter's turf), nineteen years old conscript Pheidas of the Philistine army who has "Occupation Duty" in Gaza and "Voices" as Joan of Arc learns combat strategy with a modern day military unit.The rest are well written fine contributions to a delightful compilation with all the time in the world to stroll down a not so "Mundane Lane".

Harriet Klausner
... Read more

Book Description
They were the Finest Creationsmystically forged creatures of perfection sent by the creators to aid the Fallen (mankind) during their mortal existence.Though they resemble ordinary horses, they are highly intelligent, capable of communicating telepathically, and completely moral. They are assigned to bond with individuals of great potential and protect them from harm while guiding them along a path of virtue. Gallant-Stallion has found his charge, a young girl by the name of Kalantha, whose brother is soon to be king. Her brother is also pawn of a deceitful and murderous bishop who covets the royal power and has allied himself with creatures of the dark arts. The Finest has successfully removed Kalantha from his influence but now must contend with the other temptations of the worldthe lure of power, the mystery of learning and knowledge, and the intrigue and freedom of adventure and independence. Kalantha is still young and bitter over her lot in life, betrayed, envious, and scared. Her mentor, Gallant-Stallion, is unsure of how to lead her as is his duty as her Finest. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Blah
I don't know why the other reviewers liked this book so much.I very much looked forward to reading the book.However, it did not live up to expectations.With so many other great fantasy books out there, this one was a waste of time....

Book 2 of The Finest Trilogy
Jean Rabe continues her magical young adult adventure, following Meven as he becomes king and Kal as she seeks to escape both the evil birds that have continued to attack her and the strict, monastic life that the Bishop would have her follow.But as interesting and adventurous as the two young royals are, the real star of the piece is Gallant Stallion, the Finest sent to shepherd young Kal, but unsure how to perform his task.Gallant Stallion's wonderment at the world of men (the Fallen) and the sights and smells and interactions of nature make this much more than a simple adventure yarn.While Kal's impetuous nature can be a bit abrupt at times to adult readers, it is appropriate for her age and circumstance.Much more is set up for resolution in the final volume than is actually resolved at the end of Book 2, but such is the nature of trilogies.Jean's vivid descriptions of the flora and fauna that Gallant Stallion and Kal encounter and her action-packed fight scenes are a true delight.I am certainly looking forward to the final volume.Highly recommended for young adults and lovers of fantasy.Donald J. Bingle, Author of Forced Conversion.

Book 2
They look like regular horses, but they are not. They are the "Finest Creations", mystically forged by the creators to aid mankind during their mortal existence. Each Finest is given a human charge to lead, without directly interfering. Humans must have free choice. A human is only granted the honor of Finest if the human has great potential.

Meven Montoll is being crowned King of Galmier at the beginning of this novel. but Meven is the pawn of a murderous man, Bishop DeNogaret, who intends to rid the world of the Montoll line before crowning himself ruler. But first the bishop will use his dark arts to persuade King Meven into war with the other kingdoms, thus enlarging the Galmier realm.

Gallant-Stallion "Rue", a Finest, has a young girl named Kalantha "Kal" Montoll as his charge. Rue has removed Kal from the bishop's grasp and they travel the land almost aimlessly until Destiny arrives. Rue and Kal communicate telepathically, thinks to their magical bond. In this novel, the second of a trilogy, the two must learn about the assassin birds from the Vershan Monastery. The problem is locating the monastery and then finding the one, old, needed book for answers. During it all, those of the dark arts hunt Rue and Kal with murder in their black hearts.

**** Like other second books within a trilogy, this one is not as great as the first. It is mainly to continue the first novel and set things up for the third. Yet the author, Jean Rabe, did a wonderful job in keeping my attention. I never found myself growing bored. People and events begin to come together. I can see where the story is going and am eagerly waiting until I can find out how it wraps up. Excellent book! ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

A wonderful read!
I love this series.

Not just because of the world the author weaves, but because of her use of words to transport me to a world that is not just muddy and musty, but that also has its beauties.I love the fact that Rue uses all of his senses to learn and interpret his world.I don't feel like he is a human in a horse's body.But Ms. Rabe doesn't stop there, she also packs in thrills and chills, at times leaving me breathless with fear for the characters.

I also love this series because we see the world not just through Fallen Favorite Kalantha's eyes, but also through the eyes of the Finest Rue.The reader watches as both Fallen and Finest learn about the world and each other, experience success and defeat, and see each other's strengths and weaknesses even as the evil that surrounds them shifts and grows.

One thing is for sure.I will never think of a flock of birds quite the same way again. . . ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (6)

A great book but a bad ending
OK, I love Dhamon, Ragh, and everyone in the book, but i was suprised at the ending and the way each character was "resolved," if you can call it that. And the biggedt question on my mind is "What happened to Feril???!!" She was Dhamon's love and she just disappeared. There was specultion in Downfall but nothing was ever concrete. I hope, pray, and beg Jean Rabe to give us something that can answer some of my questions and a new book with just a little more of the story.

A great story, but execution is wanting.
I have noticed two types of reviews of Jean Rabe books. Those who absolutely hate her works because she is not Weis and Hickman, and those who love her books without question and write glowing reviews in defiance of the nay sayers. Hopefully you won't find any of that here.

Redemption is the last of a three-book series. I followed the series with as much eagerness as I pursued the War of Souls trilogy. Jean Rabe is a very promising author and the potential shows in her writing, making her works enjoyable of their own, but her style lacks that certain depth that marks the difference between a fantasy book, and a magical world which you live in vicariously as the story progresses. Redemption is a fantasy book. If this weren't a series, and if Jean hadn't written a series before this I would wonder if this was indeed a first novel.

Jean's overall style is swift and to-the-point. Succinct perhaps to a fault. She usually gives a brief description of the environs followed by thoughts and monologue from a given character. This gives you a sense of being in the character's head, which is interesting. The descriptions of the environs and of actions are all too brief and general, giving you the gist of it all, but rarely going into much real detail. This gives an unmistakable feeling that the book was rushed to meet a deadline and your mind has to work a little more to fill in the blanks. This is why Jean's style takes some getting used to at first, and why Weis and Hickman fans, being so used to the descriptive and full of depth style of the duo, are furious that Jean writes Dragonlance books.

Once you get used to the style, you'll find Redemption an enjoyable read, though there are some glaring inconsistencies. For example, at the end of one chapter Dhamon gives Maldred's great sword away, and Maldred spends the remainder of the chapter being angry about it. Apparently Dhamon must have forgotten that he gave the sword away for in the very next chapter he "hefts the great sword". The Fiona character is another example. I don't want to spoil anything, but as the story went on I wondered why she was even there. She seemed to be nothing but the token female presense in Dhamon's party, taking the place of the absent Rikali, and the constant diversion with her mad antics.

Despite all that, Redemption is a solid book. The story is interesting and full of twists, and Jean has a knack for making her characters come to life. She draws a constant tension between all the characters which is refreshing, though a bit overdone at times. I really cared what happened to the characters and their relations with each other. The only major disappointment had to be the ending. The story concludes with a bang, yes, but it's rather wanting. I found myself scratching my head and wondering "that was it?" On the optomistic side it does open the story up for future Jean Rabe books.

Overall, this is a Solid book and worth adding to your collection. A worthy addition to the Dragonlance world in it's own way. Just don't come here expecting Weis and Hickman. You'll be disappointed.

Journeys End, A New Begining!
Amazing. This is by far in my top 10 favorite Dragonlance Books of all time! Jean Rabe does an amazing job of fleshing out her characters and giving them more than just the normal two dimensions.

While reading this book you truly feel that you are in the story itself. The action never seems to slow down that much, but at the same time even with all the action going on the story is what really holds the book together. Plenty of plot twists. Not to mention Jean continues to let us see some of the lesser mentioned creatures of Krynn.

The ending will bring tears to the eyes of most that read it. All in all she ended the Dhamon Saga with a bang, and opens up for many of the characters in the end a new begining.

Hopefully even though this was the end of the Dhamon Saga, it will not be the end of Dhamons stories. Go out and buy this book, I doubt you'll have any complaints.(DL Archives rating = 5 Orbs!)

When is book Four? I WANT MORE!!!!!!!
Redemption is incredible. The writing is gorgeous and the characters are complicated and "real." Dhamon is my favorite Dragonlance character. I like his draconian pal, too.

The book moves along quickly, and it puts the characters in a bunch of frightening situations. I liked how it went from one area of Krynn to another -- lots of traveling. I also liked all the surprises. I figured by the name "Redemption," that the book would turn out all happy. But it didn't turn out the way I thought it would. Blew me away!

I want there to be a book four and a book five and a book six.

...Jean Rabe, you have hit a HOME RUN with this one!!
...I have to say that this book was worth the wait. After getting the book only two days ago from amazon.com I devoured it word for word re-reading certain parts of it not because it was difficult to understand but because... they were just stupendous. The characters don't get along all the time, they are not all cozy and when they bicker I could feel the tension in the air and LOVED IT because I felt I could identify with the characters and their points of view.
This book, nay this trilogy is not only a sequel to Jean's often controversial Dragons of a New Age trilogy but rather can be easily read without that background. The book is the conclusion to a trilogy about a rather tragic yet engrossing man named Dhamon Grimwulf a man who has been put to the crucible and at times succeeded, and at times failed. In other words he is HUMAN and fallible. At times he has given up and now with a book titled, "Redemption," I had to wonder upon opening it... does Redemption exist for this man?
Of course I am not so cruel as to spoil the book, go and get it to find out! All I can say is that the book continues to dissect the land of Dragonlance's Fifth Age and I found it to be exciting. I felt like I was a voyager, traipsing the world on a genuine D and D quest of my own. This is not a campfest though and it is not a book about epic events although things continue to build and build into a very dramatic and tear inspiring conclusion.
...I cared about all the characters in the book, they were all written very well. She continues to take risks as a writer, giving us well fleshed characters that are mythic monsters yet ultimately the cast stays small and is focused. The plot twists and turns but never deviates...
Ultimately it is a book about the journey of one man and his hope to redeem himself for the dark stains in his past as well as to plot out if possible, a new future for himself before he dies... Read it and enjoy. ... you WILL not be sorry. ... Read more

Book Description
Sail enchanted seas and cross swords with a crew of award-winning fantasyauthors in this first book of the exciting new Blue Kingdoms world! Within thesepages, you'll find enchanted islands, angry sea gods, mysterious magic, andpirates galore in a treasure trove of tales by Robert E. Vardeman, J. RobertKing, Lorelei Shannon, Lester Smith, Marc Tassin, Kathleen Watness, James M.Ward, Paul Genesse, Brandie Tarvin, Steve Winter, Dean Leggett, Jason Mical,Kelly Swails, and Jean Rabe & Stephen D. Sullivan. ... Read more

Book Description
Word count: 884. ... Read more

Book Description
Nineteen original tales of the pandora legend-as no one has ever imagine it before.

When Pandora's Box was opened, so the ancient tale goes, all the evils that would beset humanity were released into the world. When the box was all but empty, the only thing that remained was hope. Now some of fantasy's finest writers have taken on the task of opening Pandora's closet. It is naturally chock full of an assortment of items, including a ring that can bring its wearer infinite health, a special helmet found in the most unlikely of places, a mysterious box that holds a legendary piece of cloth, and a red hoodie that transforms a woman's world. These stories are of items claimed by people, but only at their own peril. After indulging in these stories, readers will certainly look at their own closets in a whole new light. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

What's in Your Closet?
Pandora's Closet is an interesting theme anthology that explores clothing and accessories which have some significance or enchantment that changes the fate of the possessor. The stories range from the probable to the fantastic, and together they weave an eclectic, yet marvelous tapestry of tales. It is a very evenly made anthology in that there seems to be stories for everyone's tastes. "Jack's Mantle" by Joe Madson is so blood chilling I had goose bumps for over an hour, and "The Travails of Princess Stephen" by Jane Lindskold is a modern fairy tale that soft and sweet. "What Quig Found" by Chris Pierson had me smiling and cheering out loud, and turned out to be my favorite story of the book.

A complete list of the stories is: **The Ring by Timothy Zahn **What Quig Found by Chris Pierson **Technicolor by Louise Marley **Loin Cloth by Kevin J. Anderson & Rebecca Moestra **Seamless by Michael A. Stackpole **Ancestral Armor by John Helphers **The Opposite of Solid by Linda P. Baker **The Travails of Princess Stephen by Jane Lindskold **The Lady in Red by A.M. Strout **Another Exciting Adventure of Lightning Merriemouse-Jones: A Touching Ghost Story by Belle Holder and Nancy Holder **Revolution: Number 9 by Judi Rohrig **Curosry Review by Donald J, Bingle **Jack's Mantle by Joe Madson **Irrestible by Yvonne Coats **Seebohm's Cap by Peter Schweighofer **Cake and Candy by Kelly Swails **A Clean Getaway by Keith R.A. DeCandido **Off the Rack by Elizabeth A. Vaughn **The Red Shoes by Sarah Zettle

All in all, the quality of the stories is consistently good with only a few, short exceptions. The stories keep you turning pages without knowing if your story will be chilling, sweet, funny, or thoughtful. Many prominent items and accessories throughout history make appearances here, from the Mantle of Don Quixote to Dorothy's famous red shoes just to name a few. Even the `ordinary' items in the stories will have you looking at your thrift store finds and hand-me-downs in a whole new light.

Over all, this is a well done anthology and it would make the perfect addition to your short story collection, or a great vacation book to take along on a trip.

Recommended.

Great anthology
The underling connective thread between these nineteen new tales is items worn like garments and jewelry found in fantasy realms.Think of classic accouchements like Superman's cape, Green Lantern's ring, and Dorothy's slippers.Thus the tales focus on the garb mostly with a humorous vent.The stories are well written, but there is only so many ways that one can find magic in rings, hats, and slippers oh my.Thus the audience will enjoy the contributions but should spread out reading the anthology over a few weeks to avoid ennui caused by a somewhat repetitive narrow theme as the enchantment can only go so far even with trips to historical Japan, WW II, and Oz changing the locale.

Harriet Klausner
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Book Description

Customer Reviews (10)

A step in the right direction..
Jean Rabe is probably one the most notorius writers in the Dragonlance world. People don't seem to like what her books tackled in her Dragons of a New Age trilogy. I for one am a fan of Rabe. I was immensly pleased with her DoNA books and looked forward to reading her Dhamon saga as soon as I had time.

This book starts where "Downfall" left off. Other than a short cameo in the beginning and end of the book by Rig and Fiona, the story mostly settles around Dhamon, Maldred, Riki, and an interesting draconian. Dhamon and Maldred are searching for a treasure, that when found, will hopefully help Dhamon find a cure for the cursed dragon scale in his leg.

"Betrayal" is full of enough adventure, excitement, backstabbing, and intrigue to keep any Dragonlance reader hooked. Rabe has really grown as a writer since her DoNA books. They just keep getting better. There are plenty of twists in this book to keep you guessing the whole time. The ending is a shocker and will easily keep you thinking about it until long after you are done, and will keep you begging for more. If you are a fan of Dragonlance, this book is a must.

Smashing well-paced story Rabe rocks!
Rabe gets too much flack from Dragonlance fans. Many automatically brand her books with the mark of the Beast simply because she is not Weis nor Hickman.

Instead she gives us a good RABE book, her own style. With characters that are risky to write and even harder to pull off, and she does it.

The book takes us on many adventures throughout the realms of the evil Dragoness Onysablet, called Sable by we mere mortals.

We see the suffering of humans becoming monstrous spawn, repitilian slaves of the Overlord. We see towns and characters put to the crucible and sword and feel their suffering.

Rabe's writing grows a lot. Her plot pacing is not fast but subtle. She uses wording that is differnt and unique.

I must say that I found this book to be a great supplement to the War of Soul in that it fleshes out Krynn for me ....It helps me see the Fifth Age through the eyes of people other than the Heroes of The Lance... Rabe's books stand out as being every bit as strong, but different than Weiss and Hickman!

Heartily Recommended.

great, wonderful book
this book is going to be a great classic and leaves you hanging waiting for the next book, which comes out in june 2002 if i am not mistaken truly a good book, the whole benedict maldred episode puts a nice touch in.

Twists and Turns kept my head spinning!
I have to admit that I like surprises, and there were plenty in this book. I felt sorry for some of the characters, and angry at others. I like it when a book gets me to feel something.

I probably shouldn't give away the ending, but it surprised me. I am looking forward to the next book to see how it all turns out.

the last book was good this one is better
If u thought the last book in the Dhamon Saga was good.......... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Fun Fantasy Adventure
A delightful tale.Jean Rabe's obvious affection for her characters gives them a warmth and charm not often found in fantasy adventures.Plenty of action, surprising twists and turns, and gentle humor in a story about a gnome thief who thinks he has lost all control over his own destiny, but finds otherwise as he learns lessons about life, family, work, outrageous fashions, and tattoos.Recommended for tweens, teens,and all lovers of fast-paced, humorous fantasy.Donald J. Bingle, Author of Forced Conversion. ... Read more

Product Description
Between twilight and dawn, half-glimpsed things lurk in the swirling sea mist, long-dead things that have clawed their way out of the darkest abyss, things that were better left entombed.In this second volume of Blue Kingdoms Stories, you'll find a host of specters, ghosts, monsters, and more . . . guaranteed to shiver your timbers.Sail the Azure Sea with our ghoulish crew of tale-spinners:Robert E. Vardeman - Paul Genesse - Lorelei Shannon - James M. Ward - Dean Leggett - Jason Mical - Kelly Swails - Marc Tassin - Brandie Tarvin - Kathy Watness - and Jean Rabe & Stephen D. Sullivan. ... Read more

Amazon.com
It's not easy being Jean. For some Dragonlance fans, the world of Krynnended with Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's Dragons of Summer Flame. ManyLancers would just as soon forget Jean Rabe's famously awful Fifth Age kickofftrilogy (The Dawning of a NewAge, The Day of theTempest, and The Eve ofthe Maelstrom), and that's putting it nicely. (Imagine the Comic BookGuy from the Simpsons saying, "Worst fantasy author ever," andyou'll begin to understand the enmity that Rabe has generated for herself.)

But Weis and Hickman returned triumphantly to the Fifth Age with Dragons of a Fallen Sun,proving that the reports of Krynn's death were, at worst, an exaggeration. Somaybe--just maybe--Rabe deserves a fresh start in Dragonlance, too.Downfall begins a trilogy revolving around Dhamon Grimwulf, former Knightof Takhisis, ex-Hero of the Heart, and erstwhile co-protagonist of Rabe'saforementioned Dragons of a New Age series. Dhamon is on the outs, runningaround robbing the sick and the weak in cahoots with a kobold, a tattooedhalf-elf floozy, and a suspiciously powerful thief-wizard named Maldred. (Hmmm,there's something fishy about that guy...) In rolls plate-mail babe Fiona (aspit-shined Knight of Solamnia) and pirate-turned-good-guy Rig Mer-Krel,presumably to clean up Dhamon and set him on the straight and narrow. But fasterthan you can say "Charm Person," the entire crew ends up on the road together,heading off to bargain with an ogre chieftain, rescue a herd of goats, andransom Fiona's brother from the black dragon overlord Sable. Or so they think.Quite a few switchbacks and blind canyons here, enough to keep you wonderingwhat's around the next corner, but don't expect emotional, involvedWeis-and-Hickman fare: while many Dragonlance fans would consider it damningpraise, Downfall reads a lot like a decent Forgotten Realms adventure.--Paul HughesBook Description
How far can a hero fall? Far enough to lose his soul? Dhamon Grimwulf, once a Hero of the Heart, has sunk into a bitter life of crime and squalor. Now, as the great dragon overlords of the Fifth Age coldly plot to strengthen their rule and to destroy their enemies, he must somehow find the will to redeem himself. But perhaps it is too late. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (34)

Read at your own risk
I should start off by saying that this is the first Dragon Lance book I have read so if there was some great back story that would have given life to these characters it was lost on me.

The Good

The story moves along at a decent pace with plenty of action and battles.

The Bad

A good story has to have a degree of logic behind it, things have to make since. Like if you knew where a valley with priceless gems just laying about was would you waste time robbing patients at a hospital? If you see a guy cozying up to your fiancé would you allow them to be alone together all the time? If you knew a spell that would allow you to explore a cavern without going into it would you wait until you were ¾ of the way in then use it?

Character problems. The characters over all came across as relatively flat.Maybe it is just my perception but perception becomes reality. I always pictured elves as graceful, intelligent, reserved and honorable even if they are only half elf. The one in this book comes across like a stupid red neck and is quite annoying.

Annoying writing habits. The author was apparently in a contest with someone to see who could use the phrase pommel of his/her sword and the word pommel the most time in one book. Jean Rabe wins! The phrase and word are repeated so often that I began to get mad every time I read it. I thought writers were supposed to be creative and use their extensive vocabulary to mix it up a little. Also why is everybody hissing everything? "Shut up" Rikali hissed. Also everyone always mouths something. "Wow" Maldred mouthed. No one ever just thinks something.

Anyways I could go on and on. Only read this if you have nothing else to read and no money to buy anything else.

Different style, with different character types
I have read a few types of reviews about Jean Rabe's books, but to get the best opinion, you should read for yourself.
My own opinion is high.I like the detail about the atmosphere and suroundings the characters find themselves in.This detail really makes the scenes pop and come alive for me, and I appreciate it.The characters are not developed like in other Dragonlance novels, but whether you can fault Rabe, or not, is another matter.These characters are definately not like the originals, such as Caramon or Goldmoon.They are quite a contrast, struggling with good and bad, right and wrong.A solamnic ammong theives, a fallen hero, a pirate questioning life; these characters are much more delicate, and as such, require a different way to bring them to life.Is Rabe's way the best?I can't say I know what the best way is, but I found her style well done, and this book a good read.I recomend it, and await reading the next in the series.

Dragonlance: Downfall the legend of Dhamon
Downfall by Jean Rave is very well planned out. The plot is easy to seperate from the details of book. The adventure in the story is engrossing. and mysterious. While teh characters are journeying around and the events take place, no matter what the story alwyas stay on track of it's main plot. It's a good stroy, but it's like a movine-if you miss a poart, then it doesn't make sense at all. The plot of the story is clear and easy to follow. While reading the story, I admit it was hard to remember all of teh hundreds of citeis that they had traveld to. But it was also easy to understand the past of teh main character. Since the book is part of a saga, the ending that led to the sequels wasn't too vague. The antagonist and the heros of the book aren't all that hard to seperate, but they could use a little work. It was really amazing to me how the author how the author made you feel like you were part of the story. The book also described the characters very vividly. I could easily picture each of the characters personalities. The way the book was written, it felt like something important was always happening and that none of the information was there just to make it look long. The author made all of the creatures come to life and made a wonderful book to read.

Very Enjoyable
After having spent the last couple years reading text books for school, I was ready for a great adventure.Although Rabe's Downfall was not the greatest book in the world, it did satisfy my immediate needs.The thing I thought was hokey is a couple times when one of the main characters, Maldred, uses magic to win the heart of his traveling companion, Fiona, and all I could think of is that it's the Jedi Mind Trick all over again. Oh well. The book had it's moments and was good enough that I ordered the other two books in the series.

this book is not good
Downfall was the first book I read from Dragonlance realm, big mistake on my part.But I didn't learn and thought the second book of this series, betrayl, would be better.BoyO', I was wrong.

Downfall starts off with the main character, Dhaemon, being an uninteresting and very annoying, it ends the same way too.The plot and the characters were very hard to believe and were even harder to like.After finishing this book it left me with nothing, except a strongly dislike towards dragonlance novels and for a couple of years I refused to read them. But don't worry, I like Dragonlance now.

Even if you have read the core books (chronicles and legends) and are looking for other dragonlance novels, stay clear of this one.It's really horrible. ... Read more