Customer Reviews

The Kagonesti (Dragonlance Lost Histories, Vol. 1)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Being a big fan of Elves myself, I never really knew much about the Kagonesti. This book descended upon me in the summer and I could not put it down. Quite possibly the best history I have read. It spans well over three generations, shows everything about the relationship with the Silver Dragons. The only thing that I can find to complain about it is the fact that it spent a bit too much time on battles with other cultures, instead of describing the society itself, which does seem a little one-sided.

This is my first DragonLance Book and it was Exetremely Good! I highly recommend it. It contains Suspence, Violence, Easy-to-Understand Material and an Outstanding Plot. The Novel is about the Kagonesti Elves and their honorable struggle against tyranny of several opponents who strive to bring the Wild Elves' lives in the forest to a gruesome ends. These Enemies includ the House Elves, Queen Tahkis, Istar (humans), and the multi-colored dragons. Join Kagonos, Ashtaway, and Iydahoe in their heroic attempts in keeping the Kagonseti free from domestication and eradication.

The book was excellent. I have always wanted to know where the Wild Elves came from, and how they came to be called the Kagonesti. The covenant between the Elderwild and the Silver Dragons is of great historical value to Krynn, symbolized by the twin Ram's Horns. The fact that Ashtaway and Iydahoe became great Pathfinders when they were only simple warriors, are two stories worth the tell. Hey, for three not-too-short stories in one book...its a steal!

Niles has completed a huge story in a few pages with this novel. The time covered is amazing in itself, but the great thing about it is that it is like getting three short novels in one book. A very fun read! The only thing I would like to have seen is three books instead of one. The individual "Pathfinder" stories were good but a longer more in depth story would have been even better. Still, a great, easy, read.

From beginning to end, this book is a page turner. It tells of the wild elf tribe called the Kagonesti. And the perils it faces as it developes through time. Every part is exciting and you really sympathize with the characters. This is a great book.

Very nice view points in this book. This book is nearly as good as its counterpart, The Dragons. This book is very realistic with its wars at the appropriate times and the tribes of Kagonesti responding to the destruction of their forests and the historical facts as viewed by the Pathfinders of the Kagonesti. A definite must read.

If you read Dragonlance, you are probally familar with the House Elves, but you may have only heard about the Kagonesi tribe once or twice in another story about humans or House Elves. This book explains the grand history of the Kagonesti and three of there most honorable leaders. It tells of the time when Kagonos first met the Silver Dragon to start the great legacy of the Rams Horn used by all of the tribes leaders since. This book also looks at the grim prejudgice that almost all other races put on the wild elves, and how near the Cataclysm, he human and house elves almost destroyed the Kagonesti. If you like elves than this book is not to be missed.

A solid and pleasurable read for those experienced in the Dragonlance world. This novel is divided into three parts, each telling a climatic event within the history of the Elderwild elves.
The first story touches upon events in the life of Kagonos, the first Pathfinder of the "wild" elves. Through his pact with a dragon, to his timely defeat of an orge horde, to his final separation from the "house" elves, Kagonos remains a fairly wooden character and extremely difficult to like. While there are some brief flashes of reverance and grief, this "founder" of the Kagonesti tribes only potrays stoicism and a bordering on rage-like anger. Through out his tale, Kagonos never encounters fear or doubt, he is never asked to change or develop. He is presented as an unfeeling machine and continues that feel to the end.
The second story arc is the best tale of the three and focuses on a young brave named Ashtaway, the nephew of the tribes current Pathfinder. What Ashtaway accomplishes in the history of Krynn is not as profound as what Kagonos did, but what he changed within himself and the mindset of his tribe is the better story. Battling through worry and revenge, Ashtaway confronts his own people to protect the life of a human. He has the opportunity to mend mistakes and couragously defend what is correct rather than what is easy. Compounded on the growth of the main character is the appeal of the foreigners that Ashtaway meets. Sir Kamford, Highbulp Toofer and Hammana have a life of there own, there own fear, doubts and goals. Add onto that a very well written battle sequence and this story trumps its counterparts.
The third story is a chronicle of survival, then revenge and then right back into survival. Here the story tells of our young protagonist, a Kagonesti elf named Iydahoe and his bouts with the empire of Istar. These events range from fourteen years before to the day of the Cataclysm. While our main character has some epiphanies about life and the right path to take, this story is actually driven by the events that are taking place around him. While the world is falling down about his shoulders, Iydahoe goes nearly insane and loses all hope. While this is a good place for drastic character development, Iydahoe is spared that inconvenience by an apparition that leads them to safety. With that considered this third tale had the ability to be just as powerful as the second but the transitions were rushed and the true weight of what the character was dealing with was only realized in a few aspects of his journey. The most intriguing aspect of Iydahoe's story in found in what actually took place during the infamous Cataclysm and the nightmarish days preceeding it.
All in all this is a fun supplemental book to the Dragonlance realm. The history of the Kagonesti separating from the Silvanesti elves, the role a single elf played in the war during the time of Huma and how the Kagonesti fought back from the brink of extinction during the time of the Cataclysm gives more life to the living, breathing world of Krynn.

This is a very well-written book that gives the history of the Kagonesti, or Wild Elves, by following the story of three separate characters who lived in three different ages. This book should be of interest to Dragonlance fans, but might seem a little esoteric to people with little or no knowledge of the world of Krynn and its inhabitants.

This book does a great job of giving the story of the origins of the Kagonesti and how they broke off from the other elves on Krynn. This first part was the best in the book.

The second and third parts, while still interesting, are not quite as good. They tell of the first positive interaction with humans and the days leading up to the Cataclysm. I would really have liked to see another part that leads closer to the War of the Lance and shows how the Kagonesti came to be servants among the other elven nations. This book leaves that question unanswered.

All that being said, Niles is a wonderful author and writes a good book.

along with DL's CHRONICLES this ranks among the best DL books i've read. with lots of action, magic and even drama, this book's collection of stories about the wild elves always holds your attention and you never get to skip pages out of boredom. an essential DL book. trust me i have about 30 of them.