Customer Reviews

Dragons of the Highlord Skies (The Lost Chronicles, Vol. 2)

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Dragons of the Highlord Skies is the second novel in the Lost Chronicles trilogy by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. The first book in this trilogy is Dragons of the Dwarven Depths (Dragonlance: The Lost Chronicles, Vol. 1) and tells of tale if the companions as they attempt to recover the lost hammer of Kharas. This book focuses mostly on the journey Kitiara takes as she rises in the ranks of the Dragon Army, it also tells of the tale of Laurana as she slowly emerges into what she becomes in the later books of the Dragonlance Chronicles. Fans of the Dragonlance Chronicles will no doubt find this novel very interesting. However, if you have not yet experienced the Dragonlance Chronicles Trilogy Gift Set and are thinking of reading this book, I would highly suggest that you read the Chronicles first. I say this simply because some of the events that happen in this book will be so much more clear after reading the firs trilogy.

The plot of this books fills in a major gap of events that occurred during Dragons of Winter Twilight, and a little into Dragons of Spring Dawning. The plot of this book is a little different than most Weis and Hickman books. In that it is a very involved plot and has several shifts in perspective and following main characters. Some of the plot points in this book are things such as Kitiara's rise through the dragon Army, her interactions with Highlord Ariakas, Sturm's interacting with Derek Crownguard, the battle of the Ice Wall, and several other things. This book is chalk full of plot points and story arc points. Fans of the original Chronicles will appreciate the depth that this story is explored and the answers it gives for how characters behave later in books and stories. Weis and Hickman have obviously had this story idea in their heads for a long time. It's great to see that this story has finally seen the printed page.

The characters in this book will be largely familiar to fans of the original chronicles. There are a few additions, but for the most part all the `big players' will be known to readers. Unlike the first Lost Chronicles book, Dragons of the Dwarven Depths, there is a substantial amount of character development in this novel. Almost every one of the major characters has some level of development. Kitiaria, Laurana, Derek Crownguard, and several other characters all grow as characters in this book. It seems that Weis and Hickman put more thought behind developing the characters in this book than they did in the first. It was very refreshing to see.

My main point of contention with the first Lost Chronicles book was that the character dialog seemed `off' ad wrong at times. I am very pleased to say that that issue seems to be completely resolved. The dialog in this book is exactly what I read in the first chronicles. Sturm, Tasselhoff, Derek, Laurana, and Kitiara all have spot on dialog and hold true to the characters I came to love more than twenty years ago. After the last book, I was slightly worried that those things would be repeated, I was very pleased to see they were not.

This novel fits nicely into the stories that have come before it. Reading this novel was like putting on an old pair of shoes. It was comforting and I knew just what I was getting myself into. I can't say enough good things about the original Chronicles and now I have another book to add to that saga. Fans of the Chronicles will fall in love with the companions all over again. Hopefully, this also brings more readers to the original Chronicles and allows others to discover the wonderful books I grew up with.

The last book in the Lost Chronicles is scheduled to be released in the summer of 2008, and is titled Dragons of the Hourglass Mage. This is certainly a book I am looking forward to. In regards to this book, I have no doubt I will find myself recommending it to countless Dragonlance fans. It truly was a great read.

After the somewhat sub-par writing present in the first book of 'The Lost Chronicles,' I bought this book with a mild sense of trepidation. Like many, many avid fantasy readers I fell utterly in love with the characters of the original Chronicles, which remains a classic text of contemporary fantasy writing. The prospect of revisiting old friends and experiencing untold tales was seductive and intoxicating (when I first read about the upcoming 'Lost Chronicles' I performed a fairly silly dance of joy in my living room).
The second text in the series shores up Weis and Hickman's signature style of prose. These are the fine writers who spelled out the epic of Raistlin's fall and redemption. These are the great storytellers who guided us through the horrors of the Chaos War. Derek and his fellow knights are brought to the fore, fleshed out as excellent and sympathetic protagonists caught in the tide of war. Kitiara has returned, crooked smile resplendant. And Laurana finds her footing as a leader, paving the route to her stint as the Golden General.
Weis and Hickman have successfully emulated the tone of the original Chornicles, spelling out a twisted tale of intrigue, sorcery and friendship. I'm eagerly awaiting the 2008 publication of the series finale.

While Potter mania peters out in the fantasy literary world, Dragonlance fans were treated with what can only be called a return to the stories that started it all. Dragonlance Chronicles was probably one of the first few stories that introduced us to the world of Krynn. When news came that Weis and Hickman planned to revisit the original trilogy, I was elated but wary at the same time. My trepidation was warranted when I read the first entry of the Lost Chronicles; it was an average Dragonlance story at best but coming from Weis & Hickman, I expected better.

Right of the bat, there are very few scene featuring the Companions. Don't believe the blurbs. Yes, Tassslehoff is back (sigh...) along with grumpy Flint and the emerging Laurana. From what I gathered, the story took place right after Dwarven Depths and runs all the way to the first 3rd of Winter Night; focusing primarily on the other group of Companions adventures in Icereach and the political intrigue and rise of Kitiara.) The relationship between the 3 primary protagonists Knights (first introduced in Winter Night: Derek Crownguard, Brian Donner & Aran Tallbow), and later Sturm Brightblade, is a microcosm of the schism engendered by the Solamnics in this era. The authors did a great job fleshing out the said Knights (aside from Derek & Sturm, the other Knights had paltry roles in Winter Night) as multi-dimensional characters rather than the archetypes we are all too familiar with. Kitiara... is still Kitiara. Those hoping to read more about her and Soth will be disappointed. The venerable Lord Soth appears in one chapter at the start of the book and 3 chapters at the end of the book while Kit spends most of the novel plotting and scheming her way to ever-more dizzying heights of power and of course, obsessing over Tanis (who can resist a red head?). Simply put, the authors could've done more with Soth than cameo the poor fellow.

As with any Weis and Hickman novels, it's the side characters that often catch my attention. Toede makes his groveling appearance while Ariakas is still a tower of power. The scheming witch Iolanthe is too similar to Kitiara but the Aesthetics the knights met in Tarsis are a breath of fresh air. Again, too bad the authors did not make full use of the other Highlords that made cameo appearances that were all too brief. Feal-Thas, the primary antagonist, is markedly different from the megalomaniacal villains that reside in every pocket of Krynn. He's intelligent, aloof, cold, calculating, powerful and vicious. His agendas are murky but his reasoning and thoughts are smartly translated. With some touch-ups, he could have been a memorable Dragonlance villain.

Most readers will have no doubt know how this story ends (if you don't... well, piece it together.) That being said, I found myself wondering about the what-ifs as I read the novel; what if some one DID NOT do that or happen on THAT? You've got to give Weis and Hickman for threading together multiple ongoing story lines that interweave in this period. References to past events and ominous portents of things to come are liberally scattered throughout the book, making it a joy to read and recollect some of the past and future stories IF you have been an avid fan. The authors even included a little reference page at the end to help sort out some (but not all) aspects of the narrative. I considered the writing style for the Dwarven Depths to be ham-handed and clunky but the authors have refined the prose in this volume. The pacing was generally acceptable but it seemed rushed towards the end. That is frankly disappointing because by golly, THE FIRST MEETING BETWEEN LORD SOTH AND KITIARA merited more than just 18 pages. What a waste of literary exposition.

So, why 4 stars? Despite my criticisms, most of us will enjoy this book for what it is: a trip down memory lane. How many of us were thinking this while reading any of the Lost Chronicles: What we were doing and where we were when we first read the original Chronicles?

Kitiara has left her friends behind as she carves out a place for herself in the service of Emperor Ariakas and the Death-God Queen Takhisis. She's risen to be a dragon-lord, with a host of soldiers and dragons at her command, but the Emperor seems to have grown cautious, and Kitiara wants more. Until, that is, she learns that her former companions are still alive and that the man who, supposedly, loved her has been spending time with the elf-princess who was once his fiancee. Driven by jealousy she's unwilling to acknowledge, Kitiara wanders around asking questions, serving her own interests rather than those of the Emperor. Fearing that her irrational behavior means she's betrayed him, the Emperor turns on Kitiara. But Kitiara doesn't turn on Takhisis and that loyalty may save--or doom--her.

The Emperor has come up with a plan to destroy the damaged but still powerful Solamnic knights who oppose him. A dragon orb has already ruined the elf-king and Ariakas has learned of another dragon orb. If he can get it into the hands of one of the more arrogant of this arrogant group, it seems possible that internal dissention will tear them apart. Before he gives up on her completely, the Emperor tasks Kitiara to help set up the trap. Neither suspect, though, that many of Kitiara's former collegues, including the woman she hates with jealous rage, will become involved in the dragon orb search.

Authors Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman combine in an intriguing look at the dark side of the DragonLance world. The Gods are returning, despite the skepticism of many--especially those on the side of order and 'good,' but not all the Gods are kind. Dragons and other powerful beings remain free to pursue their own goals--and cannot be compelled even by the gods. And human desires and needs, as much as noble causes, often drive decisions--and result in dramatic swings in the outcome of war.

I've read and enjoyed a number of novels by Weis and Hickman and was looking foward to DRAGONS OF THE HIGHLAND SKIES. The writing remains strong and Weis and Hickman do a good job describing their world, the magic systems, battles, and the races of the DragonLance universe. Kender character Tasslehoff is always amusing, and the various knights face intriguing struggles between honor and other virtues. For me, however, HIGHLAND SKIES was weakened by the weakness in Kitiara's character. Her irrational jealousy could have driven the story but instead it made her dither ineffectually. Her decision to recommend promotion of the ineffectual Fewmaster Toede to the Emperor's high command is effectively treason--and Kitiara deserved everything Ariakas threw at her. The Emperor's current lover, Iolanthe comes across as far more interesting--and resourceful, although her ultimate decision that Kitiara is a winner seems dictated by the story rather than by anything Kitiara actually did.

Fans of the DragonLance series will welcome the return of a number of favorite characters and the chance to learn more about this land and the events taking place. If you're not already a fan, this novel is not likely to make you one.

Though the characters in this book are not my favorites, I enjoyed the book immensely. Other reviewers noted that much of the story and character descriptions have been covered in other books. I agree. However, I reserve criticism. I recognize the need for the authors to write a book the welcomes all visitors, not just the ones who've read 80 or more books in the series (80? I can't believe it either). I am thankful to Weis and Hickman for allowing me several hours to spend with old friends.

I guess I'm just too much of a perfectionist, but if you're going to write a book about what's already been established...shouldn't you at least make it accurate with your own work? Just a few flaws I noticed in this book that are directly contradicted in Dragons of Winter Night:

1) There's never a single mention of them finding the lance while in Ice Wall in this book. Unforgiving, considering its huge role in DoWN.
2) Takhisis is setting up the Knights and allowing them to get the orb? In DoWN she is furious they got it and even send Sleet after them in order to retrieve it. Huh?
3) Speaking of Sleet, in this novel she is sent out of Ice Wall as a ruse. A way to lure everyone into her lair...in DoWN she is out scouting the area unknowing as to what's going on in Ice Wall.
4) Gilthanis is kicking and screaming in this novel and saying the Dragon Orb should go to the elves...yet in DoWN he is happily taking it to Sancrist for the Humans to use. Huh???
5) Brian makes Sturm his Scribe in this novel, therefore meaning he is also under Derek's command...but in DoWN Sturm is defiant to Derek and says he doesn't have to listen to him cause he's not in the Knighthood. Being a Scribe means you're in the Knighthood, pal.
6) DoWN says the companions were chased by bears, wolves, and Thanoi before finally discovering Ice Wall Castle and fighting Feal-Thas. In this novel they have very little interaction with the Thanoi and only see 1 farkin bear. WHAT?

That's just for starters. Again characters aren't acting themselves and everything seems a little forced. DoWN recaps what happens in this book...did Weis and Hickman just forget what they had said happened and decide to go against it? NO mention of discovering a Silver Dragon encased in ice with a Knight of Solamnia on its back holding a Dragon Lance?? How do you just decide to ignore that part? I don't get it.

Also, Kitiara is boring. I don't care about her at all in this book. She's petty and seems like a lovesick girl. It's annoying. And her whole 18 pages with Lord Soth...wow. All that buildup for 18 pages. Lord Soth is one of the best characters in the books history and that's all he gets. Good job.

I've just read this book as part a reading project of sorts: I'm re-reading the original Chronicles, interspersed with the newer Lost Chronicles. So I've read Dragons of Autumn Twilight, then D.O Dwarven Depths, then the first half of D.O Winter Night and now D.O Highlord Skies.
This makes for a sweeping epic, but also makes the many consistencies in This book (as well as those in DoDD) stand out much more.
The inconsistencies are pointed out in Mr. Wynings' review, so I won't repeat them here. Suffice to say, they rankle.

To those who haven't read the original Chronicles, or don't remember, it won't matter much.

My other other complaint is while the meeting and agreement between Kitiara and Lord Soth is a very interesting event and is touted as a central piece of this book, it does not actually get proper attention and the mysterious way Kitiara managed to convince an uninterested powerful undead knight to join her cause was to...wait for it... fight a bunch of his undead soldiers. WHAT??
This is so stupid it hurts. Soth is known to have declared he will only join if someone spend the night in his castle, which Kitiara admittedly does, albeit unconscious (!) after being harshly wounded.

It also feels like Weis & Hickman shoehorned a needless, brief meeting between Laurana and Kitiara and had to stretch and skew the plot a lot to make it happen, damaging the rest of the book.

On a positive note, I found the characterization and writing to be fine, with the most interesting part being Laurana's change psychologically to fit the role she plays later in the series. Also the way Kitiara ends up having to contact Lord Soth also makes sense, which is a feat of plot writing.

I summary, I found that this long book (nearly 600 pages long) has wasted a lot of its plot on uninteresting bits and while competently written, it has its emphasis on the wrong parts and, personally, I found the inconsistencies with the original books and adventures inexcusable.

Dragons of the Highlord Skies details Kitiara Uth Matar's rise within the ranks of the Dragon Army, and Laurana's struggle to accept the loss of Tanis whilst helping a trio of Solamnic Knights search for a second Dragon Orb.

I was a little disappointed after finishing the first book of the Chronicles, Dragons Of The Dwarven Depths: The Lost Chronicles, Volume One (Dragonlance). The characters felt a little "off". While Dragons of the Highlord Skies did a better job of recapturing the personalities of beloved characters, I felt Weis and Hickman spent a little too much time on characters introduced in this novel whereas I would have preferred to see more depth imparted to the relationships we already care about thanks to the original trilogy. Considering what happens in Dragons of Winter Night (Dragonlance: Dragonlance Chronicles), I would have loved more interaction between Laurana and Sturm.

Though I didn't enjoy Dragons of the Highlord Skies as much as the original novels, it's a pretty satisfying read, and I enjoyed learning more about what Kitiara was up to whilst the Companions were traipsing around Krynn in the The Annotated Chronicles (Dragonlance: Dragonlance Chronicles). However, I'll freely admit to being sorely disappointed by the much anticipated meeting of Kitiara and Lord Soth. Instead of spending chapters detailing Kitara's journey to Dargaard Keep, I'd have preferred reading about the meeting itself, rather that being fobbed off with what felt like a summary.

Notwithstanding the Kitiara/Lord Soth letdown, I am really looking forward to Dragons of the Hourglass Mage as Weis and Hickman seem to be getting back into their groove, and Raistlin always was one of my favourite characters.

If you are interested in a return to the old characters and world of Krynn, this is about as good as your are going to get nowadays, without re-reading your old novels or buying the annotated collections (which may actually be a better investment if you don't like Knights). The story is not at all awful and at no point did i want to stop reading, but it certainly isn't one of the best of the series.

I find myself bored with the Solmanic Knights stodgy rhetoric and constant huffing and puffing. They spend most of their time justifying their most recent transgression of "the measure", and then they hardly ever get into any worthwhile battles anyway. The two story lines sold on the cover of the book really only come to bare in the last 70 or so pages! The rest is somewhat boring lead up to the money shot.

I kept reading and reading and as there grew to be less and less pages I was wondering if Kit was even really going to get to Nightlund in this novel. I really would have like to have seen more time devoted to the actual battle for the dragon orb as well as Kit's encounter with Lord Soth instead of the mundane lead up. The book glances over the significance of things like the Star Jewel (or whatever it is called, the gem from Alhana given to Sturm) and spends pages upon pages delving into a love story involving one of the other knights; that never really goes anywhere or means anything to the story.

I could go on, but I'm not being paid for this. Let's just hope the last of this trilogy, "Hourglass Mage," doesn't spend 90% of it's pages on a story leading up to meeting Raistlin, and then hurridly telling his turn to the Black Robes in 60 odd pages of a 600 page book.

A roller coaster ride of writing for sure.

There are some of areas greatness falling into clumsiness, awkwardness, followed by fresh material, new characters, some much missed and much appreciated detail on others, shocking twists, turning into fantastic detail and depth, and all ending with a big bang of "Huh??"

If your a hardcore Weis/Hickman fan, get it. If not, read up more on the reviews. You may also find that Weis & Hickman are interviewed in a podcast, freely downloadable off of iTunes about this novel. It's a good listen, you hear why the book has been written from the horse's mouth.

While I enjoyed the book, I'm left with "good, but not great." I'm a hardcore Dragonlance fan, and we few, we happy few, know Weis and Hickman's style has definitely changed, they have changed as authors, and many may find that it's harder for them to enjoy newer Dragonlance novels from the duo because they are still in love with the Chronicles & Legends Trilogies, and rightly so.

However, I suggest we all move on but never forget, and try to immerse yourself in neuvo Weis & Hickman. Some magic has been lost, but the addictive nature of their detailed story telling is not lost at all. I couldn't put it down for sure. I had to see what we had allegedly never received.



Iif your expecting Dragons of Winter Night 1.5, you're kinda getting it and you're kinda not. You're getting it in the sense that, for one, Kitiara's story is much more explained, and I think this was a good direction. After all, she was one of the original companions, and she did not show up at the Inn of the Last Home where Dragons of Autumn Twilight begins. Kitiara is a great character and if you listen to Weis & Hickman's podcast on iTunes about this you will find that Weis & Hickman enjoyed coming back to her.

The tale of Laurana, Sturm Brightblade, Flint Fireforge, Tasslehoff Burfoot, Derek Crowngaurd, & Elistan's flight from Tarsis to Icewall is in detail, and their defeat of Feal-Thas, the White Dragon Highlord, is covered in-depth as well. No spoilers here but you will find out why Derek Crowngaurd does what he does, and its a huge surprise.

Why your not getting Winter Night 1.5, overall, a few inconsistencies, what I thought were typos or bad grammar and sentences, and an overall lack of the dramatic and original emotional feelings of the Chronicles series is why myself and many have dubbed this one good but not great. You can fault Weis and Hickman for this, and you can't. For one...its been a long long time, and for another...you know their deep personal love of these characters and this world is why they made this book. It's for the fans, and fans we are.

What you may also be surprised to find out, in a bad way, is, even though he is on the cover, Lord Soth is most notably absent from the novel. Not completely, but most notably lacking. To me, this was a big "WHAT!!!???" as he graces the cover. I mean, if he's on the cover, its got to have a lot of him, right? Why else? This was a huge let down as Lord Soth is a undeniably bad-ass character, having graced us with his unholy presence many times before, I for one love hearing more. His brief appearance is by far the biggest con of the book. Lesson learned again, "Never judge a book by its cover". I still feel somewhat deceived though.



Bottom Line 3.5/5 - A must read for hardcore Dragonlance fans. Weis & Hickman ultimately deliver a book purely for the fans and it is very much appreciated. Others are warned with caution that the tone and feeling of the Lost Chronicles is vastly different from the original Dragonlance Chronicles Trilogy released over 20 years ago. As stated at the top of my review, one could call it a roller-coaster ride that leaves you with a bit of motion sickness. Time has cast a sleep spell on Chronicles and I don't know if we'll ever wake up.



Pros:

-It's Weis & Hickman...need I say more?
-Great detail on Kitaria. This is the vast majority of the book and I loved it. It's really Kitiara's story. It was a good decision and well done.
-The stories of the knights who accompany Derek Crowngaurd in Tarsis are told. Their stories are told well and was a very great addition to this book.
-A shocker in the story of Derek Crownguard.
-A very cool new female character Iolanthe, mistress of Ariakas, who also is in Dragons of the Hourglass Mage in greater depth.
-All the details of the rise and downfall of Dragon Highlord Feal-Thas, who was mentioned for a mere sentence or two in Winter Night.



Cons

-Missed opportunity to elaborate further on a few areas other areas of Winter Night, such as the forging of the Dragonlance.
-Where is Lord Soth??? His minor role and large absence is very much noticed and disappointing. I wanted more.
-Some minor inconsistencies and some re-hashing on the original novels feels unnecessary to those who read Chronicles. I must elaborate further in saying this was probably to help this book stand on its own better, but it still was rather poorly done and felt clumsy and even akward at points.

-pdr