Dragons of a Fallen Sun

Rating:
Summary: Same High Standards
Review: Dragons of a Fallen Sun is a very complete work by Weis and Hickman that will leave you anxious for more in the series. It is developed with very full characters, uses great foreshadowing, and has a seemless build-up of tension toward the conclusion. Not unlike Dragonlance Chronicles, the story leads you into very complete world full of drama and suspense.

A lot of time is taken to fill you in on events leading up to the current storyline so that someone new to the Dragonlance series could quickly learn to know the world in which it takes place. For those who are already familiar with the older novels, the constant review of past occurances can cause the book to drag at times. Overall, the depth that Weis and Hickman write with is not unexpected and can be appreciated by most Dragonlance readers.

The threads of this novel wind together better than any book I've read in quite a long time. There is an undeniable mood that carries you deep into the story so that every page is easily devoured for the next. Though over half of the book tends to concentrate on background and introduction of new characters there is constant action developing and the reader is truly rewarded with a superbly intricate plotline. Don't worry about the cliff Weis and Hickman leave you dangling on. You'll have no trouble getting addicted enough to plunge over it into the next in the series, Dragons of a Lost Star.

E.H.

Rating:
Summary: Get on with it!
Review: For everyone applauding the return of Weis and Hickman to Dragonlance, they've been there the whole time (at least since Summer Flame), quietly directing the course of all those 'horrible' 5th age novels, and trying to make the best of a less-than-inspiring setting. I, too, am thrilled to see a new book series from them, which will hopefully repair all the errors of the 5th age.

As for this book, I found myself floundering through the exposition. Having read or at least followed most of those horrible 5th age books, I am sure I am prejudiced against the eternal recapping which takes place in this novel. Unfortunately, the recapping gets in the way of the storytelling to such an extent that the characters seem to lack developement because there isn't time for it. If there was more character development, there wouldn't be enough room to actually fit a story in. As it is, the story is thin, and doesn't really get interesting until about the 2/3 point, which is where the climax should be (not the beginning). Some of the characters are weak and rather stale - Sylvanoshei for one - while the messianic/Joan of Arc characterization of Mina is a bit too obvious. However, Palin has at last gotten interesting and fulfilled his promise (can you see my preference for Raistlin?). Sir Gerard is the best character in the book. At first I didn't like him, but he grew on me. He has true heroic qualities, something most of the new characters from all the books lack. The Knights of Neraka commander in Qualinesti was quite good as well.

If I had one wish, it would be that they hadn't needed to spend half the book recapping, with all those annoying 'meanwhile back at the farm' chapter introductions, and could have given us more story. I don't mind a good cliffhanger, but the wait on this one will be far too long, I am sure. That's why I gave it three stars. It cannot compare with the the Legends series.

Luckily, there will be another Weis and Hickman story out in August - Well of Darkness, for the Sovereign Stone setting. I can get my fix then.

Rating:
Summary: mina i've crossed oceans of time...............
Review: Love the new story to an excellent epic saga but I was left.... wanting . Which is good but i felt the first 2 books should have been one BIG book. Would have made more sense.

Rating:
Summary: A good first step...
Review: Unlike, it seems, most of the reviewers here, I stopped following Dragonlance after the first couple of 'Tales' books. Once I figured that we'd have a flood of books milking the original premise until it was dry, I gave up. 'Dragons of a Fallen Sun' has brought me back, though.

Weis and Hickman appear to have taken the route that George Lucas did with 'Phantom Menace' - they use this first book to set up the story and characters, rather than create a complete, stand-alone story. This book is merely a stepping-stone for the meat of the story, which they'll flesh out in the next couple of books.

That said, this book provided more than enough material to have me panting for the next release. The characters (what we see of them) were intriguing, and the various plot threads vaguely sinister and wonderous. If anything, it appears that there's TOO much going on, as we have to bounce back and forth between the different locales and characters, and that may prove distracting for some readers. I did not mind it, however. Weis and Hickman don't appear to have lost any familiarity with the world they created so long ago, and it's nice to walk the paths of Krynn again under their direction.

Overall, I would not recommend this as a reader's first step into the Dragonlance world - the Chronicles are your best bet for that, since most of the enjoyment of this novel is that of being reunited with an old friend. As a standalone book, it is competently written and has a story that moves along at a decent pace, enough to keep a reader involved. The reader must be aware, however, that this is just the opening chapter of a larger work and, as such, may leave you wanting for a bit more substance.

Rating:
Summary: Doesn't feel like a Dragonlance novel...
Review: Perhaps the influx of new characters and the diminished role of the olders ones gave this book a distinctly different flavor from the other DL novels by Weis and Hickman. Certainly Dragons of a Fallen Sun breaks the mold of the Legends and Chronicles, which delve into character with much more depth. Some of the old heroes are still around, granted, but they are pushed into the background by new ones, or by those previously-undeveloped charaacters like Gilthas and Silvanoshei. Unfortunately, either because of the lack of character-development or the comparatively-bland and uninteresting personalities or simply 15 years of Dragonlance history, the new heroes do not command the same attention as do the old. The only saving grace is Palin, who has undergone some significant changes, reminiscent of another Dragonlance legend.

Except for some bright patches offered by Tasslehoff's antics, this is a darker novel, filled not only with the decay of Krynn without its gods but also of its classic heroes. This is unfamiliar territory, even more so than Summer Flame. In a way, much of what was familiar to DL fans has vanished, replaced by a new, alien world. Part of this is due to the drastic changes instituted by the Fifth Age storyline, one which (until now) has paled in comparison to the richness of classic Dragonlance. But another factor which has completely altered the aspect of Dragonlance is the writing style of Weis and Hickman. It has been mentioned that a lot of the book was synoptic and plot-oriented, and that has indeed contributed, but Weis and Hickman are breaking new ground, writing about characters which do not have 15 years of history, which do not seem like old friends to them, but strangers, and this has affected how the reader views the characters--not with the familiarity of two trilogies, but the awkwardness of a first meeting.

Plot-wise, this book has certainly sown the seeds that will revitalize the Dragonlance series. However, given the relative lack of character-development, there was insufficient story-development to truly compensate. Weis and Hickman seem to have but one cookie of creativity to offer their readers, and are trying to dole it out slowly, giving us only the barest crumbs. While this may whet our appetite for the remaining books of the trilogy, the lack of completeness in this first book is evident. Not only have we been left hanging, but there is no sense even of a partial resolution. Granted, this is only the first book, but without a firm bite, without being able to truly sink my teeth into this trilogy, I don't feel as drawn into the world as I was, for instance, when the Legends series was released.

Still, this was a good, albeit somewhat disappointing novel, in part because it could not fulfill the expectations after four years away from the world, in part because it only somewhat salvaged the mishaps introduced by the Fifth Age storyline, and in part because it has such a rich legacy to live up to.

Rating:
Summary: Engrossing and richly developed
Review: It took me a few chapters to become hooked, perhaps more than most books seasoned with thick prose. The language of the author was very eloquent, but almost different. Without being hyperbolic, it was a bit like reading Shakespear in that you must find the rythym of the writer, but when you do it comes to you in a natural and pleasant fashion.

The characters, especially Mina, are multi-faceted and well-developed throughout the trilogy. I mention Mina because it is tempting to see her initially as flat and unidimensional. But she is not. To demonstrate this, most readers will find themselves rooting for her and fearing her simultaneously. By the end of the trilogy you're concept of her will take another, quite unexpected turn - sympathy or pity. (You'll have to find out why).

I bought this compulsively from a HB bargain bin and it sat on my shelf for more than a year and finally read it when I got bored. I missed out. This has become one of my favorite series and I am willing to try other series from Weis.

This was well worth the purchase and serious fantasy fans should try it.

Rating:
Summary: Huh? What's Going on Here???
Review: Okay, I read all the original Chronicles, and they were great. I read the self-indulgent "Time of the Twins" storyline where Raistlin practically wore a leather jacket and brooded a lot about his soul. It was okay, even though the story ultimately did nothing-other than give me a permanent twitch every time that irritating kender pops up yet again.

I read the Second Generation novellas-as always, a mixed bag but some good ideas there. And I read "Dragons of Summer Flame," where everybody fought All-Father Chaos and most of the original heroes were finally polished off (even-dare I hope?-Tasselhoff himself!). And it was okay, even though Usha's identity was never resolved.

So now I pick up what's ostensibly the "next step" in the timeline... and I'm totally lost. What's all this about "monster dragons" killing regular dragons? Where did all the mystics and sorcerers come from? Yes, I know the gods left Krynn at the end of the Chaos War; fine. And it IS forty years later. That can explain the Silvanesti blight-shield, the fading of magic-though not properly introduced or explained-and the introduction of Demon Queen Mina. (Anyone who didn't see her faux-monotheism as the Obvious Harbinger of Pure Evil, go to the back of the class).

But I've obviously missed something in between. Where did all these alien dragon-monsters come from? When did the kender get wiped out and "afflicted"? (I'm kinda sorry I missed that....) What's up with these new powers (also fading) replacing the magic of wizards and clerics, and when did Palin switch from a 2nd Edition wizard to a 3rd Edition sorcerer? In short, WHERE'S THE MISSING CHAPTER???

And why, oh WHY did they have to dredge up that stupid kender again? The little twerp is DEAD, people! You'd think we could safely have ONE book that doesn't have Tasselhoff's irritating face popping up, now that he's dead and buried! I'm not naming names, but someone is far, far too in love with their pet character to move on and create new, more interesting protagonists.

Finally, by reading the other Amazon reviews, I pieced together the fact that there may have been an intervening story (perhaps a whole trilogy) by someone named Rabe, who wrote "Dragons of a New Age." (What a creepy title: "new age" and "dragons" should never be in the same sentence lest a herd of crystal-waving unicorn lovers descend upon us.) And apparently, "Fallen Sun" picks up where Rabe's story presumably left off.

To which I can only say to Weis & Hickman: bad move. If you're relying on someone else's work to bridge the gap between your novels, you need to 1) refer to those books in your frontispiece chronology and 2) build in some explanation for readers who never saw those books. Weis and Hickman did neither... so somone who (like me) has mainly followed the "canonical Dragonlance" as written by the original authors stumbles into this new book totally lost and without a map.

The actual story and characterization are fairly thin, though I can't be too objective a judge since that demonspawn Tasselhoff keeps intruding into every other chapter (die, damn you! why won't you stay dead?). So far, Gerard's an honorless ass, Silvan's a selfish twit, and Mina-as noted-is a self-evident Agent of Evil. Are there ANY heroes in this book to root for? So far, I'm favoring Mina's minotaur sidekick, Galdar. At least he has an interesting history and a strong personality... something sadly lacking from the whiners and egotists that otherwise populate modern-day Krynn. It seems that when Tanis and company died out, they took heroism with them.

I really, really hope this story picks up and that Weis & Hickman get back some of their engaging characterization and sense-of-wonder skills that made the first books so compelling. And I hold out the faint hope that by the end of this set of books, maybe-just maybe-this time Tasselhoff will finally. Stay. Dead.

Rating:
Summary: Grew up with Dragonlance
Review: My mother bought me a Dragonlance book when I was 13 years old. The first book in the Elven Nations trilogy. From that first book, I was hooked, through the Chronicles, Legends, Tales, etc. This book came to me sans the "prequel" and I must say that I was bamboozled to see what had happened to our beloved Krynn. Nevertheless, the book is superb and a great introduction to a new age in the Dragonlance saga. I feel like I'm 13 all over again. A good read.

Rating:
Summary: Dosn't reach the usual Weis-Hickman standard
Review: This book isn't as good as the rest of the Weis and Hickman Dragonlance Saga. In the matter of fact, most of the time it doesn't reach the standard of any of their books that I've read. Why 5 stars then? Well, it's Dragonlance and it's Weis and Hickman. They are still great storytellers that make you eager to turn the page, even when the plot is relatively weak. Another thing that's puahing you forward is, as I said, the fact that Krynn is your favorite world, and you enjoy just being in it. I do recommened this book, even if only as a bridge to the other 2 books in the series, which are great.

Rating:
Summary: Glimpses of the Chronicles
Review: Let me start by saying that Weis and Hickman are among the best in the genre. The Chronicles and Legends trilogies were landmark, just fantastic reads. So obviously I was excited to check out the War of Souls trilogy.

The setting of DoFS is cold, bleak, verging on hopelessness. The Gods are gone and monstrous dragons hold the peoples in their firm talons. There is no joy on Ansalon. Then a storm hits, and in comes the mysterious Mina.

While all other wizards are losing their power, Mina has plenty to spare. She leads a regiment of the Knights of Neraka and performs miracles a plenty.

Okay, the storyline isn't too bad. But in my humble opinion, the characters leave much to be desired. It is hard to find a hero to root for. The personal character of the heroes are weak. Remember the selfless and strong of heart Caramon? The honorable Sturm? The courageous and bold Flint? No such characters here. Instead we have a small band of whiners, an arrogant knight, and a familiar kender.

On the plus side, this leaves the characters plenty of room to grow in the next two books. Also, the book is predictable. You know Mina is going to be successful in whatever she does. You will find yourself rooting against her, but knowing she's going to win each battle. There are some twists, but fans of Dragonlance will see them coming.

This book is a good one, and I plan to read the next two. But if the first book is any indication, the War of Souls is not going to rock our worlds like the War of the Lance.