Reviews of More Dragonlance Novels
Crossroads - Dragon's Bluff
Oh dear, this was such a disappointment. I was really looking forward to meeting Ulin. Not that he'd not been mentioned before, he has small parts in the Jean Rabe Trilogy that I'll get to later, but he was supposed to be the 'star' character of this book. And he turns out to be such a lackluster guy. I cannot convey how bad this book is... I will admit at this point that I've not finished it. (Yes, it's that bad!) I will try to get further ... persevere on - perhaps some day that I'm VERY bored. For now, I'd give it a miss. Sorry.
Bridges of Time - Dezra's Quest
We'll forget my analysis of the timeline where Dezra is supposed to be just thirteen year old in this book, huh?! It got two stars from me because it's rather predictable, and the storyline just doesn't 'seem' right to me. I loved meeting Caramon again and Tika (even though her role was tiny and should have been made far more of)... Again, if you're desperate, read it. If not, give it a big miss.
The Linsha Trilogy - City of the Lost
I just can't get into the Linsha books. I'll have another try, I promise.
Chaos Wars - Tears of the Night Sky
I really enjoyed this book... in general the Chaos Wars series tells of events leading up to and taking place during the Chaos Wars. In this one we have cameo appearances from Palin Majere and Steel Brightblade and the scene in question directly corresponds to a scene from Dragons of Summer Flame. This is a story relating to Lady Crysania and perhaps explains why she wasn't 'available' to see Raistlin after he asked after her. Astinus tells Raistlin that she is away fighting her own part of the Chaos War. This is that story.
Add Dalamar, a tiger called Tandar, a white-robed mage who is more than devoted to Crysania and there is a great tale here. And in my opinion, no one has ever written Dalamar better than Nancy Varian Berberick.
Chaos Wars - The Puppet King
While Palin was fighting Chaos, Dalamar was away doing 'something' and Crysania was off on an errand of her own - see Tears of the Night Sky above - , what was happening in the elven kingdoms?.... the answer for the Qualinesti is here. We learn of the events that follow on from "The Sacrifice" (from Second Generation) after Tanis' son Gilthas was made Speaker of the Sun and Stars. It neatly fits in also to Dragons of Summer Flame, where we have already seen Alhana give birth to Porthios' son Silvanoshei (who is to play such an important role much later in the War of Souls). We meet Dallatar (no relation to Dalamar despite such a similar sounding name!) who is leader of the Kagonesti elves living in the Qualinesti region and his daughter Kerienseray, who eventually becomes Gilthas' wife. And in a surprising epilogue, we learn that Porthios survives the attack of the fire dragons, horrifically burned and mutilated, he is nursed back to health by Dallatar who invites him to live with the Kagonesti. Why do a feel this is leading to another story, somewhere down the line!
If you've already read the War of Souls trilogy, this probably won't endear you to Silvanoshei any further as he really only is a token character - but it might help you feel a bit better about Gilthas!
For fans of Tanis Half-Elven, he makes a very short appearance.
While it doesn't solve any mystery about just what Dalamar was doing during the Chaos Wars - probably something to do with the Silvanesti that may or may not appear in a later book - it does clear up and fill in the story of the Qualinesti, which is completed in the War of Souls. A good book to read.
Tales II - Volume 1 - The Reign of Istar
It's one of those 'only if you are really missing the Dragonlance world' reads... with another collection of short stories... with the best one being "The Silken Threads' by Weis and Hickman where Raistlin makes more than a cameo appearance. I haven't read all of them yet, so I'll add to this review later.
