Rating: Summary: This book was one of the best I ever read. Review: Soulforge opens readers up to a whole side of Raistlin that they have not seen before. If you are a fantasy fan and a DragonLance fan you should read this book.
Rating: Summary: The story that was missing. Review: A very good book. Gives us a good track of the characters personalities, their passions and brings some good reasons and explanations on the future events(the war). I think the Test at the Tower of High Sorcery could be more detailed or a bit longer. I have waited for it during the whole book and, when it came, it was quite quick. It is obvious that Raistlin lovers cannot miss it, but any player that likes role-playing magic-users should take it as a good example on how hard magic studying is. The problems about the book is that I found its language too coloquial for a medieval scenary. The similar book wrote about Elmister is better written, with a more appropriate language. And, also, Caramon in this book is much more stupid than he actually is: unfair!! Even so, the book is awesome and Raistlin is the best wizard ever!!
Rating: Summary: Its great, It really answers my questions about Raistlin. Review: You wouldn't beleive the kind of life this powerful magi has gone through!! This story depicts the losses, wins, pain, and love that has happened through his life. I guarantee that you will like it.
Rating: Summary: The 'true' Raist Review: Finally the story behind the Mage is told. Margaret did a wonderful job!!!! Viva la Dragonlance!
Rating: Summary: Brilliant novel, Ms. Weis proves why she's one of the best! Review: Those of you who despise Raistlin for his treatment toward Caramon in "Chronicles" will truly understand him after "The Soulforge." Weis is one of the best in her genre, this book was an absolute page turner. Thrilling from cover-to-cover. Finally, the truth behind this wonderful character.
Rating: Summary: A must-read for Raistlin fans Review: Raistlin has always been the most fascinating character for me, and Ms. Weis did not disappoint me in the slightest. Reading about his youth may have seemed an overdone concept to some, but I have always wanted to know what could have driven him into choosing the paths he did. Was it abuse? Was it jealousy? Or maybe, just Raistlin's true nature? In this book, I finally found the answers to those questions.
If you're looking for in-depth looks into the rest of the group's personalities, you're reading the wrong book for that. Aside from seeing Kitiara, Caramon and the rest through the eyes of Raistlin, the characters aren't prominent, nor should they be.
The occasional references to the real world are sometimes distracting, but not overly so. I ended up smiling at the "Earth" names and swear words more than letting myself get irritated by it. I never thought I'd ever read another Dragonlance novel written by Ms. Weis, so seeing her having fun writing the novel was almost as much of a gift as the novel itself.
Rating: Summary: Excellent Dragonlance book Review: The Soulforge carries on in the Dragonlance tradition -- which means it's well written and an engrossing read. If you liek fantasy, if you liked any of the Dragonlance books, you *have to* get this book. It answers a lot of questions about why things were the way they were in the Dragonlance Chronicles. I wish it had been a little longer (another 100 pages so that Margaret could have gone into more detail on some things like Kitiara's adventure or Tanis' background), but it was well worth the money.
Rating: Summary: Good addition, but not the best Review: I was not aware that this book was going to be coming out, and so it was a very pleasant surprise to find it in the bookstore. I have to say that I bought it with very high hopes, for it was only 2 months ago that I re-read the Chronicles Trilogy, which I had not read in 10 years. I was taken back to Krynn, and wanted more. The book starts off well enough, and it is billed as telling to story of what happened in the Tower of High Sorcery. Sure, in the last 20 pages. So much of the book was spent dealing with things that happen in the future (kind of a way to say, "hey did you catch this reference") that I was left a little flat. The character development also was extremely inconsistent. There was very little on Kit, about whom readers of the trilogy are least knowledgeable. Sure it discussed her past, but did very little, in my mind, to discern what motivated her to hate her mother so, to leave home, and what drew her to the dark side of life. It was as if Weis was saying money and power, that's it. No reason, just money and power. More was made of what drove Raistlin, but in very short quips, the one about Miranda being the best example. Furthermore, Caramon was painted as a complete idiot, a description that is highly inconsistent with the chronicles. Things just seemed to be too nice and neat in this book. It was as if Weis had a bunch of loose ends that needed taking care of. It would have been so much better if the book had centered more on Raistlin's psychological development, giving a clearer window into his soul. While I appreciated witnessing the origination of the relationship between Tas and Flint, and references to the 5 year deal, I was hoping that this book would not try to cover so much ground in such little time. Let's be clear, Chronicles covered less than a year in over 1000 pages, and this book covers 14 in 350? My perception of the test, at least as it was painted in Chronicles, could have covered 300+ pages. Why cut it short? So much more could have been done. At the end, the reader is left with the feeling of, "Oh, that is why his eyes are like that, and why his skin is like that, and why he does this that and the other thing" but, again, it was too nice and neat.
Rating: Summary: A detailed look at the forging of a soul Review: This book was a great experience for me. Having read all the Dragonlance novels, this one somehow struck me as the most human, most personal. It is primarily the story of a young Raistlin Majere, aspiring wizard. It details his life from age 6 to 20, from his first day at mage school to his culminating Test in the Tower of High Sorcery. Overall, this book is good because it does a very good job of portraying Raistlin's growth as an individual, showing how he became the way he is in Chronicles and Legends. Look for appearances by other classic Dragonlance characters, as well: For instance, this book plays with the relationships between Tas and Flint/Tanis and Kitiara, as well as Raistlin and Caramon.
Rating: Summary: A great story in its own right Review: Certainly, any fan of the Dragonlance Chronicles should run, not walk, to the nearest vendor and get this book. But its appeal stretches beyond those familiar with the series. Weis blends a interesting plot with far more interesting characters, Raistlan cheif among them. The prose and dialogue, while unmistakable, remain so good that you don't notice them. I was especially pleased to pick up all the backstory details only hinted at in the main series. My only minor quibble is the repeated allusion to early sping in Ansalon and the smells of "freshly mown grass" in the air. Mowers and the olfactory stimulation they engender seem out of place in Solace.
|