Customer Reviews

The Messenger (Dragonlance Icewall, Vol. 1)

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

 

 

This is a good book, though I would not say super great. I finished it in a day, pretty rare since I've found myself getting bored of the present day's fantasy books. What this book does for me is entertain me without bogging me down with all that political intrigue that is so en vogue in fantasy books these days. I love Kerrick, the 'disgraced' elf. I suppose since I like fallen heroes, my opinion is biased - but seriously, if you want a simple and entertaining read, this is it!

The story does begin a tad slowly in the beggining, but it picks up speed towards the end. The background of the Arkos people are intriguing enough for you to wonder what's going to happen to them after they found the citadel. I found myself caring for the Highland King and Chiefwoman (can't remember her name), and I hope to see both of them more in the next book. As for Kerrick, I really can't wait till he finds out more about the fate of his parents.

Unfortunately, the editing could use some work. I mean, I'm usually not one to notice such things (since I tend to read too quickly to note anything of detail such as spelling), but I did notice and that says a lot. But don't let this bug ya, it's a good story, albeit simplistic. Can't wait for the second!

Douglas Niles begins the telling of the Icewall Trilogy with the story of a young elf who is cast out of his homeland, the Arktos who lose their home and many of their people and are forced to find shelter elsewhere, and the warring ogres who rule most of Icreach. This series is a great addition to the overall Dragonlance storyline. Niles' characters are well developed: the Arktos, the Highlanders, walrusmen, Ogres, an elf and a disappearing Kender. He fills out his story with vivid descriptions of the icy region, full of realistic details about glaciers, weather, and water. This series can be read without knowing much about the world of Dragonlance. I recommend it to anyone who is an avid reader of Fantasy. See also: The Golden Orb, and Winterheim.

I first read this book in high school because a friend loaned it to me. Soon after, I borrowed it from the library, and now I own all three books. Why? Well they are great books thats why!
Maybe it was because I have never read any Dragonlance books before so was ignorant to how much *better* other ones under the genre are but I argue that this series is a nice gem of fantasy.
I disagree with those who complained it was borrish and no characters. Maybe I was reading something else! I think Kerrick the elf's character is interesting and develops well throughout the series. There are many other characters I enjoyed but mainly Kerrick and his little *imaginary friend* Coraltop whos true identity is revealed in the third book. I saw a lot of symbolism and intruge in these books and so far haven't become too impressed with the other Dragonlance books. Oh well. I do recommend giving this series a chance, who knows, you just might like it! :)

I liked this novel. I found the setting to be unique, and I liked the character of Kerrick the exiled elf. While I found the story better when reading the entire trilogy, I did not find the characters lifeless as others have mentioned. This is not the very best of Niles, but I found it to be a good story to breeze through.

This book definitely gets off to a slow start, but it picks up at the end. And when taken as a part of the Icewall trilogy, it rates a bit higher than it would as a stand-alone novel. It is set in the Dragonlance world, but a reader would not need prior knowledge of DL history to enjoy this. Fans of Dragonlance and fantasy in general should enjoy this- Niles is a talented author.

I thought this book had great character development but, it seemed like the main characters could escape anything. Some escape scenes and battles were beleavable but others were so insanely impossible. The decriptions were good but I wish there was more about Kerrick's fathers and ship.

This book was one of Niles best. I have read all of the Dragonlance books he has written, in fact "The Dragons" was the book that got me hooked on the series. Not many authors have been able to go back into the past of Krynn and tell a story that has already happened while still keeping the reader guessing. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a doorway into another world.

I can't believe they still write books these days with this little editing. I would have given this book four stars out of five but the obvious spelling and grammatical errors just grate on my nerves after a while. As to the book, it starts out very slow, picking up steam until the end. By the end I would say it was a very good book. Hey Mr. Niles, if you ever read this review and need a better editor, I would be more than happy to look over your books a final time before they are released for the small fee of $10 (or if you just want to buy me a beer thats good too) Let me know!

Well what can i say? Dougie does the job with this one although i am left with a feeling of ...well impatience! i am a little ticked off because he tempts the reader with a storyline and history that you are going to have to wait for!!(hopefully when the next book comes out)oh well i guess. The book is kinda setting the stage and building up the plot for the next two (i think)and i hope they are as well written and action packed as this one. I think this is one of D.G.'s best books. Great characters! he does accidently forget to give a little more info on some of them but it all works out in the end. Overall this could be a DL hall of famer i just hope the next two books can keep up the pace The Messenger sets!!

Perhaps it was his attempt to capture the mentality of the barbarians and ogres featured in this book that lead Douglas Niles to such a blockish storyline and such unconvincing characters. Douglas Niles brought me to the world of fantasy with his Moonshae Trilogy and kept me reading with Druidhome, Maztica, Kinslayer, and Kagonesti. He is one of my favorite writers in the genre. I'm not sure how this trilogy bodes for his fans.