Keep it forever... (Dragonlance Chronicles in general)

Member Name: craigus_moorus

Product:	Dragonlance Chronicles in general
Date:	12/06/01 (95 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Keep it forever..., Original three amazing novels, You will learn so much...

Disadvantages: You'll lose track of time...

The Collector's Edition of DragonLance, which encompasses three books - Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Dragons of Winter Night, and Dragons of Spring Dawning, is a real gem, which I will treasure forever. It is a mature book in a fantasy setting which not only captivates the imagination of the reader, but also challenges many of the concepts which the reader may hold dear, as it follows the lives of a series of companions as they pursue their life journey through the harsh and magical world of Krynn.
It is possible to see the characters grow and mature as they continue their journey, and face some of the harsh realities of the world in which they live, which over the course of these three books see them as the dominant figures in a war. The characters of these people and relationships between them determine the decisions that they make, which is a concept missing in many fantasy-based fictions in that the setting itself seems to overwhelm the situations. The world of Krynn is a wide and varied one, and the people of it have similar needs and ambitions. The books tackle some of the more difficult issues that face our reality, but set in the world of Krynn - such as discrimination, war, poverty, the struggle between the needs of the individual against the needs of society as a whole. Also thrown into this socio-economic mix are many fantasy-based agendas and beliefs, for instance the world of Krynn is watched over by a congregation of Gods of various moral alignments. Morality as whole is challenged a great deal, the whole concepts of "Good" and "Evil" are stripped bare and challenged, as the reader is made to see one view over another. This book touches upon so many ideas that it is difficult to put them all down in a single review, so I will endeavour to touch upon those in these three books alone.
Before I can do this, however, it will be necessary to give a little background on the world of Krynn, without giving too much detail to ruin
those who wish to read it.

The world of Krynn could be considered very similar to our world, set perhaps in the 13th Century before the discovery of gunpowder. It is a world in which millions of people live, of various different races, practising various different lifestyles. It is not a world dominated by stereotypes as many other fantasy settings are. It is a very believable world because it faces most of the problems that we face, but in a less developed society and world. When we are introduced to the world in the first book, Dragons of Autumn Twilight, we see a world that is recovering from a huge disaster, a world which is ripe for a new disaster, in the form of war. Unlike in our world of internet driven free movement of information, this is a world rife with gossip and misinformation, where the people in power spin information to keep the people happy (hmm not so different in that respect). It is at this point that we are introduced to a group of friends, in their early 20s, who are meeting up in a bar after making a pact that they would do so after 5 years.

The first of these characters is training to be a Solamnic Knight, a proud and solemn man, who is known by the name of Sturm Brightblade. He has returned from a five-year search for his father, the only remains of which he is wearing now, his ancient and ornate armour.
Caramon Majere, and his twin brother Raistlin, are also present. These two have a close family bond and look out for each other, the larger, muscular Caramon taking care of his frail little brother, who is more interested in the study of Magic than in the wielding of a sword. They are concerned that their older half-sister, Kitiara, will not be showing up as she has a prior engagement.
It is interesting to note that although the force of magic in this world has been well developed, the story never becomes overwhelmed by it. It rather takes the role of technology in this world - something distrusted which is best
left to professionals.
Also showing up for the reunion is a friend of theirs, called Tanis 'Half-Elven'. He is a "half-cast", of half Human and half Elven heritage. This has had quite an impact on Tanis and his life, as he has all but been banished from the Elven kingdom (very similar to the Human kingdom, but with their own lifestyle and traditions) for his relationship with the kings' daughter.
Another friend, Flint Fireforge, arrives with Tanis, and he is a dwarf. They are a shorter race than the humans, again with their own lifestyle and agendas. He is much older than any of the other companions, with the exception of Tanis.
Following close behind is a cheery little chap, named Tasslehof Burrfoot, or "Tas". He is a kender, which is a race unique to the world of Krynn, but is similar to a smaller human, again with his or her own characteristics and lifestyle. The concepts of the Kender are well developed within the DragonLance world.

The story kicks off just after the companions have arrived, as they flee the bar, helping out a couple of strangers. It sees them travel half-way across the land, through some of the most dangerous areas, through Tanis' homeland, through the dwarf land of Thorbadin beneath the mountains.
The emphasis of the books is upon the people of this world, upon the relationships between them and their actions. It is a brilliant read which will send you through every emotion, and by the end you will know the characters very well indeed. It does not try to answer every single question that comes up, but rather leaves the reader to decide a lot of it. It is not surprising that some of the characters have gained cult following, as the books make it very easy to emphasise with many of them, and anyone who is familiar with the series will know who I'm talking about (everyone has a favourite character, it just seems that everyone loves the same one!).
I don't know what else to s
ay! I love this book, as well the DragonLance Legends collectors edition, and even though it is a huge book, it will be very difficult to put it down once you start reading. When I got the Collectors Edition, I went to Florida on holiday after my GCSEs (couple of years ago now!) but I couldn't put it down the whole time, and the ending only makes you want to read more! If I have missed anything about this please tell me and I will add some more. To Margerate Wise and Tracy Hickman - damn you! This is such a good book, even if it was published in 1986 (yeah I couldn't believe it either!).
This book also contains many incredible pieces of art, as each chapter is headed by an illustration, many of which will blow your mind away... the Silvanesti Tower of the Stars is particularly beautiful. Get this book and abandon any work to be done!!!

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