Dragons of Summer Flame

Rating:
Summary: A little disappointing...
Review: Unlike everyone else, I wasn't disappointed in the ending(even though I knew that was a bad idea). It was the way the story was written that disappointed me.
This was a story that should have been told in 3 novels. After learning in the Second Generation that evil had discovered the secret to defeating good(by having respect for one's opponents), I wanted to see evil win for about 2 books. I wanted to see good struggle with an opponent that couldn't be beat by inner ambition. Dang you, Chaos!

It was also a little disappointing to learn that Usha wasn't Raistlin's daughter. After I learned how awesome the bad guys had gotten, I immediately thought good was in real trouble & would need a miracle to win. Then I thought maybe the miracle would come in the form of Raistlin & his daughter but it was not to be. Anybody else think that would have made a great trilogy?

Rating:
Summary: Immensely disappointing.
Review: I've long loved the Dragonlance books. Legends in particular is one of my favorite fantasy trilogies of all time.
But I cannot understand just what compelled the authors to write this.
There are many additions to keep things interesting of course: most of the readers who stuck to the 2 trilogies will find a lot of new and strange characters in this book. (I for one, was compltely stumped by Steel Brightblade's history.)
In the beginning, the book starts off well, the creation of Krynn in particular was interesting. But by the time we get to the pre-requisite love story, things start going out of whack.
The introduction of the Knights of Takhsis, while initially seems like a good idea, conflicts greatly with the old Dragonlance adage 'Evil turns in on itself.' While explained away in the beginning, this idea of honor and (for lack of a better word) goodness in men that venerate evil seems absurd, for evil stands completely against such values. This theme was repeated earlier in their Rose of the Prophet trilogy.
Some of the new characters are fine, but others I dont care for, especially Usha.
But all that are minor niggles compared to the catastrophe that is the ending of the book.
Time and again, the authors have in other books have drawn parallels from our world to theirs. This is a very, very ambitious aim, and in one trilogy, they almost succeeded (The Darksword Series). While most people disagree with me, they nearly pulled it off in that one, despite the 'parallel' being more akin to a magic mirror.
In Summer Flame, they fail, completely and utterly.
Of course it was on the last page of the book, but that 'Krynn turns to Earth' ending was so disappointing and stupid that it has severely limited my enjoyment of the book.
Other readers lament the deaths of Tanis, Tasselhoff, et all but what the authors really killed off was the spirit of an entire world. And that is something I can never accept.
One of the factors that make this book almost worth reading is the reappearence of Raistlin. The portrayal of the dark mage without his power, his visit to his brother, and his subsequent departure is excellent. Also, Tasselhoff is as amusing as ever.
So in other words, this book is for hardcore fans only. And even to them, I'd advise ripping out the last few pages of the book.

Rating:
Summary: Indispensible for any Dragonlance Fan
Review: Of all the Dragonlance books I've read so far, this one is definitely my favorite. Why? Well, being a pivotal point in the histroy of Krynn, it's got to be the most exciting, which is pretty impressive for a 585 page book. Along with the old heroes from War of the Lance trilogy, we get to see some of the new generation of characters, the latest villains, and of course all manner of dragons battling it out against the ultimate enemy - Chaos, father of all the gods. The story itself is broken down into the storylines of the three main characters - Usha, child of the Irda and possibly a descendant of Raistlin, Steel Brightblade, son of Kitiara and Sturm, and also a knight of the Deathlily, and Palin, Nephew of Raistlin and aspiring mage. As confusing as it sounds along with everything else, these three plots flow together very nicely, right down to the spectacular, and surprising, resolution. It's probably a good idea to read the Legends trilogy and The Second Generation first, but I urge any Dragonlance fan who hasn't already read this to do so, because it's an indispensible part of the series.

Rating:
Summary: and so it ends...
Review: "Dragons of Summer Flame" was a depressing novel because it was the end of all-mighty Krynn as we know it. I have been a faithful fan of most of the Dragonlance series and was lucky enough to have picked up "Dragons of Autumn Twilight" as my very first Dragonlance book. After reading the Chronicles Trilogy, I thought it was all pretty much over and felt moved by all of it. When I heard about "Dragons of Summer Flame", I was mostly reading out of curiousity. I mean, to me it already ended in the best possible way...yet they wrote another novel to "really" end it. I felt the novel was beautifully written as all Weis/Hickman novels, however, it started out rather slowly and suddenly speeded up. It was too easy to resolve the conflicts in this novel and fight the infamous "bad guy" Chaos. I think if Weis and Hickman wanted it to really end, they should have killed off EVERYONE. That way, the book would really all come to a close. I really adored Steel and Palin though. Usha was annoying. The new, second generation characters were all modeled too much after the original Companions. That showed Weis and Hickman's inability to "let go" themselves and therefore, they kind of ruined the it a little. Don't get me wrong though, the novel was definately worthy of carrying the "Dragons of..." name and was a brillant conclusion to our beloved Chronicles Trilogy. It was sad and depressing though. Oh well, i'm done w/ it now and I'll have to think about whether to read the War of the Souls Trilogy...I have a feeling that will just ruin it. "Dragons of Summer Flame" was a wonderful book and a must-read. Definately not as brilliant as the original Chronicles Trilogy though. The Chronicles Trilogy is unprecedented!

Rating:
Summary: Seemed a little short and rushed, but thoroughly enjoyable
Review: Although it's not mentioned on the cover, this book is considered to be volume 4 of the DRAGONLANCE CHRONICLES. It follows the adventures of the "second generation of heroes", the sons and daughters of the Heroes of the Lance. If you read SECOND GENERATION by Weis & Hickman first, you'll get a lot more out of this book.

Weis & Hickman live up to their normal levels of excellence. This book is chock full of vivid characters, brilliant storytelling, and plenty of action and suspense. The dialogue and character interaction are still top notch and believable. The characters from the original trilogy that are seen act consistently with how they've been written before. Weis & Hickman do an excellent job of immersing the reader in the land of Krynn.

The one shortcoming, I felt, was that it seemed to be rushed, especially after the halfway point. Battles seemed to be over too quickly or simply referred to as something that already happened (there was one particular scene I would have loved to have read directly) and the resolutions to the numerous confrontations seemed to be too simple. I think it would have taken a minimum of two, and preferably three, books to do justice to this story.

My only other minor gripe is that, between this book and SECOND GENERATION, we never even meet some of the offspring that are referred to (I won't spoil it for those of you who haven't read these books). We also don't get to see Riverwind and Goldmoon. A character that was introduced in SECOND GENERATION (which made me think they would play a pivotal role in this book) is never directly showed to the reader, but rather referred to by other characters. Finally, there are a couple of characters whose destiny we never find out at the end of the book (and I'm assuming they won't be around in the WAR OF SOULS trilogy).

Other than these two things (which were actually minor, despite the amount of time I spent writing about them), this was a thoroughly enjoyable book for Dragonlance fans. While obviously a setup for THE WAR OF SOULS, it was still a satisfactory read. I enjoyed revisiting the characters I've come to know so well from the other books and Weis & Hickman do not disappoint in their return to the world of Krynn. Definitely a must read for any fan of the Heroes of the Lance.

Rating:
Summary: Put Me Off The Dragonlance Series Forever
Review: Just found out (belatedly) Weis and Hickman are starting up with the Dragonlance world again -- which compelled me to write this review.

Dragonlance fans, if you are lucky enough to have not read this book, skip it, read this review and others, then move on to the new books. You'll save time and money.

I was a huge fan of W&H's Dragonlance work. I fondly remember the Chronicles and Legends series as some of the best books of my childhood. After Legends, I read all of W&H's work in the subsequent Tales series eagerly. I was a bit disappointed with them unraveling the magic of the fabled Dragonlance, but I could live with it.

Enter Second Generation. This turned up the heat on my anticipation for their next work. Interesting storylines were seeded using new characters that were carefully developed. All was good... then Dragons of Summer Flame came crashing through the window. Remember those carefully developed characters? They were either relegated to the background (Tanis' son) or discarded uncermoniously offscreen (Caramon's sons). Tanis, is quickly offed in the most off-hand manner. One thing about W&H's prior Dragonlance work, when a major character died, you really FELT the death. When Tanis died it was like, don't let the door hit you on the way out. He was not my favorite character, but dude, the entire Chronicles series revolved around him. Axing characters like cheap plywood would have been forgiveable if the replacements were at all memorable. Not the case. Palin isn't fit to carry Raistlin's jock strap. Steel gets it in the end -- see ya, nice knowing ya. I won't even mention Palin's girlfriend. The story seemed to have been slapped together in record time -- "Let's create a big boogie man that burns the whole mess down! Never mind about logic or development!"

Other reviewers have speculated as to why this volume was so horrid, but all I know is that it put me off of Dragonlance forever. I just tried to pretend that it never happened (someone fittingly suggested they make a recall). It left a bad taste in my mouth. W&H should be ashamed. They created a masterpiece and then pissed all over it. Can they redeem themselves with these new books? I won't bother to find out.

Well, maybe there's an outside chance.

Rating:
Summary: the MASTER returns.....
Review: I'm really intrigued by the Dragonlance books, even though I've only heard of them two months ago and have never played the RPG. I just LUV how Raistlin returns from the Abyss, yes, even though his first *death* in the Abyss was heroic and noble. I wish that he and Crysania could just have met once more, if only to talk about the years that passed on Krynn since Raist's long slumber. I don't see how his nephew, Palin Majere, can be the greatest mage on Krynn--he has always had life handed to him on a platter and has never endured the kinds of trials that Raistlin had underwent. And Usha, child of the Irda, who claims that she is really Raistlin's daughter (but as we all know in the end that she really ISN'T), is such a whiny, simpering BABY. Palin seems to be entranced with the girl simply because of her extraordinary beauty--most of these people in Krynn are so shallow and superficial! I did like Steel Brightblade: he was truly conflicted with where his allegiances lay, Darkness or Light, due to his heritage. I suppose that Palin's brothers, Tanis, and Steel's deaths were necessary for the plot--they all died in battle and will be greatly remembered as heros. And I am really beginning to like that nosy, energetic kender Tas--he totally cracks me up! Now I'll read the original Chronicles--reading the books backwards won't be THAT terrible, will it?

Rating:
Summary: The End?
Review: The problem with a commercially successful series like Dragonlance is the tendancy to drag the series out in the name of profit. Granted, I like several of the spin-off novels, but most of them are honestly prattle compared to the core chronicles/legends books.

Which brings me to Summer Flame. The Second Generation was an interesting book because it allowed readers to explore the fates of characters more in depth, but it was never anything more than a supplement. Summer Flame expands that supplement into a monstrous chronicle of yet another war of conquest, with a twist: This time, Takhisis has the upper hand. Until Chaos comes and destroys everything...

I find the Chaos storyline hard to swallow. Dougan Redhammer (Reorx) is a fun character, but slightly overkill when paired with Tasslehoff (who shows up, again.) Usha is just not a likable character. She starts out as a naive youth, and remains such throughout the entire story. Ah, but wait! She falls in love. Great. Fun. As a previous reviewer pointed out, Usha by all means SHOULD be Raistlin's daughter according to the short story of the same name, and unless Weis and Hickman are laying the doubt on too thick, they contradict themselves. This, and several typos, are annoying.

Yet this book remains little more than exposition upon a sequel. Steel is the resolution of the great Sturm/Kitiara conflict from Chronicles and Preludes, and Palin is just a pawn in the ongoing majere storyline. I think I understand that Weis and Hickman wanted to unify some previous storylines into an ultimate conclusion, and they do so very well, but possibly at the expense of the new characters. The book does provide some sense of closure, which is good.

Overall, it's not a bad story. Steel is a good character. But god, I miss Sturm. His ghostly reappearances are some of the best parts of the extended storyline. Kitiara, too. And the death of Tanis Half-Elven is fitting, for like the Dragonlance series, he had nowhere left to go. The scene in which he speaks briefly to Laurana before departing to defend the High Clerist's Tower is wonderfully written and one of my favorite in all of Dragonlance. This may sound silly, but I also think that Summer Flame's cover art is by far the best of any of the Dragonlance novels. Steel Brightblade is rendered as the quintessential Dark Paladin.

In short, if you are a fan of Dragonlance, this book deserves to be read. If not, don't start with this one. As a devoted fan of the Dragonlance saga, I cannot give this less than 4 stars. But if you've never read Dragonlance before, you won't be as forgiving as I am. Go back to Chronicles and pick it up with Flint and Tanis on the road to Solace.

Rating:
Summary: Not bad, but they killed the wrong characters
Review: This book wasn't really bad. It wasn't the best Dragonlance book ever written, but it was good. I loved the part with Usha and the Irda. The only problem I had with this book was they killed the wrong people. As usual, they killed the characters I liked. Tanis was one (I'm sorry if I'm spoiling this for anyone, but he had to die eventually). I didn't really like Tanis that much until I read the letter he wrote to Laurana in Test Of The Twins. After that I didn't mind him so much. I was kinda glad when he showed up in this book. Then at one point I just relized 'he's gonna die pretty soon' and sure enough, a few chapters later, he dies. Then there was Ariakan. I like bad guys. I thought he could be really good for the plot in other books, and he dies. Steel was the one that I didn't want to see die. He was the only one of the newer characters that I liked. And, surprise surprise, he dies. Palin and Usha should have died. I'm sorry but they were annoying. I must say, I was glad Tas died. He was not that great of a character after Chronicles (he was funny in The Soulforge though) and they should have killed him earlier in the book (I sincerely apoligize to all Tas fans). If you are a fan of Dalamar, just a warning, they make him sound kinda bad in this book. That kinda made me unhappy,but everyone maked mistakes. Also, if you are a devouted Raistlin fan (like myself) this book will give you something to brag about. The gods didn't give Raistlin magic powers because he was too much of a threat. Isn't that great? You have to respect the Shalafi after that. In conclusion, I do recomend this book to any Dragonlance fans. I know some people were upset with it, and it is a little long, but it is worth it if you want to read any fifth age books. If you want to read something just as good (in my opinoin) read Dalamar The Dark. That is even better than Dragons Of Summer Flame.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: First, I want to talk about a big typo that occured four times in the book. I'm not sure if this typographical error was made because two women were talking to one guy at once but; Jenna and Usha seem to be interchangible in this book. On page 104 it says "We found Raistlin's daughter," Usha said. Usha is Raistlin's daughter supposedly, so she wouldn't say that, and on page 101 is also something around those lines. Not a big deal, just thought you would like to know that, with no fault on the authors of course.

And another fault, a little on the funny and philosophical questions. In a world full of gods, and the abyss, with no heaven or hell, would hell exist? No, but a few times in the book, they say "what in the hell was/is that?" I'll leave that as it is.

Now the book. It didn't dissapoint me at all. I read reviews on the book being too short, and less descriptive, that is all wrong. The book goes into great detail, a little too much sometimes, and doesn't leaving you wonder who or what something was or looked like. My only problem was the excessive recalling of previous books. Atleast 100 times they talked about previous things that have happened, in actuality only about 300 pages of the book was new. But those 300 pages were great.

About Palin finding out Usha is his supposed cousin being too fast;well of course it was, there really couldn't have been another way of it, that to just drag it on and on and coming to the same conclusion. About the deaths of a few of the Dragonlance long loved characters, it seems right that it happened now. If they dragged there lives on longer would be only to make those not craving change happy and others shying away from Weis/Hickman books and going to more believable series.

The ending was fitting to the novel, made you feel at peace. Tas was a bit annoying, but in the end, he brightened everything up, espacially near the very end when he asked Reorx "Been hitting the dwarf spirits again, eh?" At the particular part in the book that was very fitting and made me keep reading for a reason unknown to me.

I dont agree with any reviews under 3 stars, 4 and 5 stars are the only stars you could give this book and be right in your judgement.