Rating: Summary: An unfortunately poor effort . . . Review: Extremely disappointing. Weis and Hickman's Dragonlance Chronicles from the 1980s were very good and the Dragonlance Legends were fantastic. But they should have stopped with Dragons of Summer Flame. This book (and really the entire War of Souls series) seems like nothing more than an opportunity to revisit our old favorite characters for a couple of pages and introduce some new Krynn citizens -- most of which are incredibly boring and static. In fact, by the end of the first 30 pages of this book, nearly all of Weis and Hickman's dynamic characters (Tasslehoff, Palin, Dalamar, Medan, Laurana, Raistliln) are dead, not in the picture, or relegated to a deep background role. The writing is simplistic, there is no pacing, and -- well, plainly -- this book is just not fun. i may be overly critical of Weis and Hickman, but only because they've shown that they can be terrific writers (see Chronicles and Legends, the Soulforge and their short stories). That's why it's a shame when they turn in an effort like this one . . .
Rating: Summary: Finis.... but you want more! Review: I found that Vanished Moon was an excellent read. Although the sections of elven politicing go a little bland, the story picks up the pace gradually until the end. Although most fans likely had surmised the true nature of The One God, the questions raised in the first two books were answered - with a twist. IF you thought Krynn changed fovever before, well, then you are in for a shock. I anticipated this book maybe too much, that is I did not have the emotional reation at the end that I have experienced with Autumn, Winter, and Spring (Chronicles). The more I read, the more I miss the original companions.
Rating: Summary: Another classic from Weis and Hickman Review: To make this short and sweet, this is another great book from Weis and Hickman and a superb conclusion to the War of Souls.
Rating: Summary: Disappointed. Review: When I started reading The War of Souls series I thought that Weis and Hickman were correcting an error that they had made when they, as I saw it, killed the world of Krynn that I had come to love. I couldn't wait to finish the series so that I could see how Weis and Hickman would breathe life back into the would that I loved. Breathe life back into they did. Like impotent gods Weis and Hickman have turned Krynn into something akin to a living corpse.This final book is a great book and a tribute to the genius of the writers, that is until the closing chapters. It is in these final chapters that it seems that the authors had no idea were they were going with the story when the first started out. I may be that they had a destination in mind when they started out and got lost along the way or simply changed the destination to the terrible place that we find ourselves in the end. Some inconsistencies are inevitable when writing books in this genre, but they are usually small and few. By the end of this book the inconsistencies in the story line become so great and numerous that it causes the story line to become so frayed at the end that it threatens to unravel completely. Hickman tries to explain away some these inconsistencies after the story is finished with an appendix, of sorts. While this helps to some degree it is as effective as trying to hold water in your hand in that no matter how hard you try, you watch as it slips through your fingers and inevitably from your grasp. Undoubtedly there will be those who will disagree with me. This may even anger some. I do not doubt that Weis and Hickman are great writers, but I was disappointed with how they ended the story. I was not expecting a "happily ever after" ending, for Weis and Hickman are far too imaginative and talented for such benign ending. However I will not apologize for insisting on such writers using this extraodinary talent and imagination all the way up to the end ... and maybe more especially in the end for this is where all the threads of a story are supposed to come seamlessly together instead of becoming frayed at the end. I have to wonder if Weis and Hickman have lost interest in this world and wanted to wipe their hands clean of it.
Rating: Summary: i want more Review: I wanted rastlin to have revenge on the queen because he didnt get to finish the job the first time.However with that said the book kept me up all night and my eyes were hurting but i couldnt stop until i finished.Thats when you know you have a good book haha.
Rating: Summary: Disappointing Review: What started off in the first two volumes of the War of Souls as an interesting revitalization of the over-stretched DragonLance series concludes with predictable contrivances from two authors known to churn books out so fast that glaring inconsistances run amok. Plausbility is generally non-existant in 'Vanished Moon' as the authors pull one bizarre plot after another from their grab bag, including their favorite, the intervention of the dead, yet not entirely gone, Raistlin Majere. The intervention of Raistlin and the inexplicable on-again, off-again powers of Takhisis allow the authors to repeatedly jump over plot points that might prove troublesome to actually work through. Finally, the "explanation" appendix is ridiculous and convuloted. Instead of leaving Krynn as they created it in their earlier works, the writers tear away at it in favor of a revised history. Also, the "creation" of Krynn as listed in the appendix is little more than a thinly veiled reworking of the Valaquenta from Tolkien's Silmarillion. The names were changed, but the sequence is virtually identical. All told, the writers only consistency comes from their rush to publish without spending the time building their worlds. Tolkien spent a lifetime on his master work, which was reflected in the level of quality. Weis and Hickman seem to substitute quantity as their virtue of choice.
Rating: Summary: Finally... Review: This is Krynn like it is supposed to be! Weis and Hickman are back. The fun is unending! Dragons of a Vanished Moon promises a new beginning for adventures and gaming. Wonderful!
Rating: Summary: Vanquished by a lovesick puppy? Review: After reading "Lost Star" I got extremely excited for the next book in the trilogy knowing that the end of the 5th age would be no more. Boy was I wrong. After a year of waiting patiently for "Vanished Moon" I am almost as dissappointed by the ending as when I read "Summer Flame". Paladine and Takhisis were the backbone of Krynn. Representatives of evil and good. Not to be messed with.Period. Like "Summer Flame"they messed with the formula of the gods and lost.Now their lost again from "Vanished Moon". To sum it up,Palin dissapoints me at the end,unhonarable"now"Dalamar dissapoints.And ayt last that lovesick puppy Silvanoeishi is utterly pathetic at the end. No Way,No how that should of happened. But ofcourse I'll buy the next book in hopes they can somehow fix this.
Rating: Summary: Great Story Killed by tired writers Review: After reading the Dragon Lance stories for 18 years, I was looking forward to the writers finaly catching Tass & taking his pouches and setting the rest of the world on its way in a fitting, satisfying fasion. An ending that went "BANG". What we got was a wimper. The possibilities were there: great evil, great good, people who were well thought out and believable. The opportunity to end Dragon Lance that left the reader wanting to read the whole serries all over again was there, but like a kender, it slipped thru the authors hands.
We were left with very little resolved, and the those who sacreficed all the greater good not rewarded in any way. Yes, a few were given some scraps, but the rest? Sorry, either the writers have a follow up set in mind, or they should go back to edit and re-do the final few chapters. Either way, this reader was left feeling like a kender was in my home: respect is missing. Next time, I'll get it from the library.
Rating: Summary: I think it is time I finally forgive Weis and Hickman. Review: I have to say that after Dragons of Summer Flame I was so irritated with Weis and Hickman that when the first book of the War of the Souls trilogy came out I didn't even get it in hardcover and I'm a big fan of theirs! I didn't want to waist the money on it if it was going to be like Summer Flame. But I did buy it in softback (eventually) and now...I wish I had it in hardback because the whole series was fantastic! Volume 3 was like watching Raiders of the Lost Ark mixed in with Star Wars set in the Dragonlance world. Just one fun ride that keeps going from the first page to the last. Every five chapters or so I would let out a "Whoe! I can not believe they did that!" You have to admire authors that are not afraid to take risks in changing something for the sake of a good story. The only problem I had was that there were a few holes in the plot that left me thinking I must have missed something (i.e. why did Tas have to go back to die if it wouldn't change the timeline? What would be the point?) I really enjoyed this book and hope that someday Weis and Hickman do another Dragonlance series (but how will they bring Tas back the next time?).
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