Glad you got to read it! I agree with a lot of the points that you made. Their reading style is my absolute favorite and I cherish every new DL book they write. Having said that, my biggest gripe with this series so far is that the subject matter should be grim - the characters are back in time during a war and the fate of the timeline itself which affects everyone they've every met is at stake. Yet, the tone was very light and relatively carefree. I wouldn't mind as much if this was 1989 and Dragonlance was in its heyday and the company that owned it (TSR at the time) was planning on making hundreds more Dragonlance books. But this is 2024 and these are the first Dragonlance books produced in over 10 years and sadly, may be the last as Hasbro who owns Wizards of the Coast, is not interested in producing novels. So for what may be the last ever Dragonlance books, I was hoping for more. If you go back and read Chronicles or Legends, the same authors had a much more serious tone while still keeping the fun. At least we have one more book in the series to try to salvage that, AND the cliffhanger at the end of this one was possibly their best ever! 😁 Very cool concept for the next one. Thanks for the review and I hope you have a happy and healthy new year!
While I thought this one was an improvement over the last book (I liked Tas and Destina a lot more here) I still had a number of issues with it. Random gripes/concerns below... On Raistlin, I actually quite liked him (which is unusual for me as I am typically not much of a Raistlin fan), but I do wonder how the hard core Raistlin fans will react to his characterization here. He was actually... pleasant in this book and didn't have the hard, cynical edge that usually defines the character. On Sturm, I agree that his role in the book was almost nothing. To be honest I'm increasingly thinking that Sturm was a one story character who should have been allowed to rest in peace after that story was told. He's beloved by the fans because of his story in Dragons of Winter Night, but that's really the only story where the character has ever worked. It may seem a minor point, but it really annoyed me in this book that they kept giving Tas shared credit for Laurana's use of the Dragon Orb. Tas didn't use the Dragon Orb (he initially wanted to destroy it, repeatedly tried to talk Laurana out of using it, and just stood there watching while she battled the orb, risking her very soul to save the tower and her friends), so giving him credit for her controlling the orb is straight up stolen valor. Both Tas and Laurana deserve better than that. Probably my biggest issue with the book though is how it overwrote Richard Knaack's The Legend of Huma. LoH is one of the most beloved Dragonlance books and probably the best non-Weis and Hickman book in the canon, so it's not something that should just be casually overwritten and especially for an inferior story. (LoH did a great job of making the Third Dragon War truly feel like an epic, continent wide conflict with the fate of the entire world at stake, whereas here the war feels like little more than a minor skirmish with even Takhisis herself being on Krynn being treated as less of a concern then the possibility that Tas might get into the silverware.) And the sad thing is that it wasn't even necessary to overwrote LoH to tell this story. That book begins with the Third Dragon War having already been underway for many years and with Huma already a seasoned knight, so you could have easily had this story take place just a few years earlier in the war with a less experienced Huma, and you still could have had Sturm and Raistlin meet Huma and Magius without overwriting LoH. Oh well, still one book to go. Hopefully W&H will stick the landing.
@@JoeChrisMorris Incorrect. Tas didn't want them to use the orb. He wanted to destroy it. Laurana had to talk him into not destroying the orb. "No, you mustn't break it," said Laurana. "But Fizban said-" "I know what he said," Laurana replied impatiently. "It isn't evil, it isn't good, it's not anything, it's everything. That"- she muttered- "is so like Fizban!' She and Tas stood in front of the dragon orb. -Dragons of Winter Night, Book III, Chapter 12 And it was also Laurana that insisted they had to risk using the orb. "And you think you can read the orb?" "I can try," Tas hedged, "but, Laurana, Sturm said there probably wouldn't be any dragons. Why should we risk even bothering with the orb? Fizban said only the most powerful magic-users dared use it." "Listen to me, Tasslehoff Burrfoot," Laurana said softly, kneeling down beside the kender and staring him straight in the eye. "If they bring even one dragon here, we're finished. That's why they gave us time to surrender instead of just storming the place. They're using the extra time to bring in dragons. We must take this chance!" A dark path and a light path. Tasslehoff remembered Fizban's words and hung his head. Death of those you love, but you have the courage. Slowly, Tas reached into the pocket of his fleecy vest, pulled out the glasses, and fit the wire frames over his pointed ears. -Dragons of Winter Night, Book III, Chapter 12 And even when the dragons were attacking the tower, Tas still didn't want them to use the orb and repeatedly tried to talk Laurana out of using it. "Who'll use the orb?" Sturm asked slowly. "I will," Laurana replied. "But, Laurana," Tasslehoff cried, "Fizban said-" "Tas, shut up!" Laurana said through clenched teeth. "Please, Sturm!" she urged. "It's our only hope. We have the dragonlances- and the dragon orb!" The knight looked at her, then toward the dragons speeding out of the ever-brightening east. "Very well," he said finally. "Flint, you and Tas go down and gather the men together in the center courtyard. Hurry!" Tasslehoff, giving Laurana a last, troubled glance, jumped down from the rock where he and the dwarf had been standing. -Dragons of Winter Night Book III, Chapter 13 "What do I do?" Laurana gasped, out of breath. "Laurana," Tas begged, "don't do this! I've read- if you fail to control the essence of the dragons within the orb, the dragons will come, Laurana, and take control of you!" "Tell me what I need to do!" Laurana said firmly. "Put your hands on the orb," Tas faltered, "and- no, wait, Laurana!" It was too late. Laurana had already placed both slender hands upon the chill crystal globe. There was a flash of color from inside the orb, so bright Tas had to avert his eyes. "Laurana!" he cried in his shrill voice. "Listen! You must concentrate, clear your mind of everything except bending the orb to your will! Laurana. . ." If she heard him, she made no response, and Tas realized she was already caught up in the battle for control of the orb. -Dragons of Winter Night, Book III, Chapter 14 Thus it definitely was not Tas's idea to use the orb. He may have found the orb, but it was Laurana that came up with the plan to use it and had the strength and heart to successfully control the orb.
Glad you got to read it! I agree with a lot of the points that you made. Their reading style is my absolute favorite and I cherish every new DL book they write. Having said that, my biggest gripe with this series so far is that the subject matter should be grim - the characters are back in time during a war and the fate of the timeline itself which affects everyone they've every met is at stake. Yet, the tone was very light and relatively carefree. I wouldn't mind as much if this was 1989 and Dragonlance was in its heyday and the company that owned it (TSR at the time) was planning on making hundreds more Dragonlance books. But this is 2024 and these are the first Dragonlance books produced in over 10 years and sadly, may be the last as Hasbro who owns Wizards of the Coast, is not interested in producing novels. So for what may be the last ever Dragonlance books, I was hoping for more. If you go back and read Chronicles or Legends, the same authors had a much more serious tone while still keeping the fun. At least we have one more book in the series to try to salvage that, AND the cliffhanger at the end of this one was possibly their best ever! 😁 Very cool concept for the next one. Thanks for the review and I hope you have a happy and healthy new year!
Ending was just horrendous..where do we go from here? Worse than Frodo being captured at the end of book 2
Great video!
While I thought this one was an improvement over the last book (I liked Tas and Destina a lot more here) I still had a number of issues with it. Random gripes/concerns below...
On Raistlin, I actually quite liked him (which is unusual for me as I am typically not much of a Raistlin fan), but I do wonder how the hard core Raistlin fans will react to his characterization here. He was actually... pleasant in this book and didn't have the hard, cynical edge that usually defines the character.
On Sturm, I agree that his role in the book was almost nothing. To be honest I'm increasingly thinking that Sturm was a one story character who should have been allowed to rest in peace after that story was told. He's beloved by the fans because of his story in Dragons of Winter Night, but that's really the only story where the character has ever worked.
It may seem a minor point, but it really annoyed me in this book that they kept giving Tas shared credit for Laurana's use of the Dragon Orb. Tas didn't use the Dragon Orb (he initially wanted to destroy it, repeatedly tried to talk Laurana out of using it, and just stood there watching while she battled the orb, risking her very soul to save the tower and her friends), so giving him credit for her controlling the orb is straight up stolen valor. Both Tas and Laurana deserve better than that.
Probably my biggest issue with the book though is how it overwrote Richard Knaack's The Legend of Huma. LoH is one of the most beloved Dragonlance books and probably the best non-Weis and Hickman book in the canon, so it's not something that should just be casually overwritten and especially for an inferior story. (LoH did a great job of making the Third Dragon War truly feel like an epic, continent wide conflict with the fate of the entire world at stake, whereas here the war feels like little more than a minor skirmish with even Takhisis herself being on Krynn being treated as less of a concern then the possibility that Tas might get into the silverware.) And the sad thing is that it wasn't even necessary to overwrote LoH to tell this story. That book begins with the Third Dragon War having already been underway for many years and with Huma already a seasoned knight, so you could have easily had this story take place just a few years earlier in the war with a less experienced Huma, and you still could have had Sturm and Raistlin meet Huma and Magius without overwriting LoH.
Oh well, still one book to go. Hopefully W&H will stick the landing.
Very well said! I agree with all of these points, but your articulated them way better than I could have
@@CANDROU1Sturm wasn't really in the book so much
It was Tas's idea to use the orb, as he had found it in the tower
@@JoeChrisMorris Incorrect. Tas didn't want them to use the orb. He wanted to destroy it. Laurana had to talk him into not destroying the orb.
"No, you mustn't break it," said Laurana.
"But Fizban said-"
"I know what he said," Laurana replied impatiently. "It isn't evil, it isn't good, it's not anything, it's everything. That"- she muttered- "is so like Fizban!'
She and Tas stood in front of the dragon orb.
-Dragons of Winter Night, Book III, Chapter 12
And it was also Laurana that insisted they had to risk using the orb.
"And you think you can read the orb?"
"I can try," Tas hedged, "but, Laurana, Sturm said there probably wouldn't be any dragons. Why should we risk even bothering with the orb? Fizban said only the most powerful magic-users dared use it."
"Listen to me, Tasslehoff Burrfoot," Laurana said softly, kneeling down beside the kender and staring him straight in the eye. "If they bring even one dragon here, we're finished. That's why they gave us time to surrender instead of just storming the place. They're using the extra time to bring in dragons. We must take this chance!"
A dark path and a light path. Tasslehoff remembered Fizban's words and hung his head. Death of those you love, but you have the courage.
Slowly, Tas reached into the pocket of his fleecy vest, pulled out the glasses, and fit the wire frames over his pointed ears.
-Dragons of Winter Night, Book III, Chapter 12
And even when the dragons were attacking the tower, Tas still didn't want them to use the orb and repeatedly tried to talk Laurana out of using it.
"Who'll use the orb?" Sturm asked slowly.
"I will," Laurana replied.
"But, Laurana," Tasslehoff cried, "Fizban said-"
"Tas, shut up!" Laurana said through clenched teeth. "Please, Sturm!" she urged. "It's our only hope. We have the dragonlances- and the dragon orb!"
The knight looked at her, then toward the dragons speeding out of the ever-brightening east.
"Very well," he said finally. "Flint, you and Tas go down and gather the men together in the center courtyard. Hurry!"
Tasslehoff, giving Laurana a last, troubled glance, jumped down from the rock where he and the dwarf had been standing.
-Dragons of Winter Night Book III, Chapter 13
"What do I do?" Laurana gasped, out of breath.
"Laurana," Tas begged, "don't do this! I've read- if you fail to control the essence of the dragons within the orb, the dragons will come, Laurana, and take control of you!"
"Tell me what I need to do!" Laurana said firmly.
"Put your hands on the orb," Tas faltered, "and- no, wait, Laurana!"
It was too late. Laurana had already placed both slender hands upon the chill crystal globe. There was a flash of color from inside the orb, so bright Tas had to avert his eyes.
"Laurana!" he cried in his shrill voice. "Listen! You must concentrate, clear your mind of everything except bending the orb to your will! Laurana. . ."
If she heard him, she made no response, and Tas realized she was already caught up in the battle for control of the orb.
-Dragons of Winter Night, Book III, Chapter 14
Thus it definitely was not Tas's idea to use the orb. He may have found the orb, but it was Laurana that came up with the plan to use it and had the strength and heart to successfully control the orb.
🤠👍