13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Two Solid Tales Better on Character Than Plot, May 22, 2010
This review is from: The Raistlin Chronicles (Paperback)
With the Dragonlance novels continuing to be put in omnibus collections, "The Raistlin Chronicles" gathers "The Soulforge" and "Brothers in Arms" by Margaret Weis and Don Perrin in a single collection. The works cover the youth of Raistlin Majere, the antihero at the heart of the Dragonlance Chronicles and Legends collections. Fans of these books will have nothing to worry about-Weiss and Perrin do little to damage the stories and characters that Weis and Tracy Hickman fleshed out in those works. But if these prequels do no harm to the series, they do not do much good either. Weis is excellent with nurturing characters but she is not as strong when it comes to crafting a plot-"Brothers in Arms" especially drags and the end is anti-climatic. Raistlin is the main character with his twin brother Caramon (who really could have been better development in these books) and sister Kitiara (who is fleshed out quite well) in supporting roles. Other "heroes of the lance" appear in "The Soulforge" to a lesser extent but the only one of them who really emerges well is Flint Fireforge. Despite the plot dragging in "Brothers in Arms," this is a fun return to Raistlin and the world of Krynn. I would not recommend this work to readers unfamiliar with the Dragonlance books-it really serves better as a coda after Chronicles and Legends than as an introduction to them. One other sour note. These books have been out for more than a decade. Somehow in that time, not all typos were caught. It's annoying to say the least.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
The Raistlin Chronicles, June 7, 2011
This review is from: The Raistlin Chronicles (Paperback)
I have barely started this book. I will be buying the books separately as I know I will love them. But the combined chronicles is tiny tiny type. I cannot even read it with reading glasses without my eyes watering. I find it very annoying to buy a book with type that small. Why would they do that??? But like I said. I will buy the two books separately as I'm a die-hard Raistin fan.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Backwards Perspective, December 12, 2011
This review is from: The Raistlin Chronicles (Paperback)
I actually picked this book up without having read any of the Dragonlance novels previously. From my perspective this was the beginning of the story, not a prequel. This is due to my own ignorance of the order in which they were intended to be read. I have since read both the Chronicles trilogy and the Legends trilogy.
That being said, it was okay, not great. There is a lot of emphasis placed on the characters themselves, and not on the story of the book. I'm assuming, these novels being written after the Chronicles and Legends trilogies, in which Raistlin plays a huge part, that the characters were intentionally the main focus. If you read the originally series before this, I would think you would be much more interested in hearing more about Raistlin, and the origins of him and his companions, than reading another separate tale.
From my perspective, reading this first it was a good book and I would have called it just that; a good (not great) book. However, the trilogies that come after this are fantastic! These two novels simply add depth to an already excellent tale and are worth reading even if you have already read the trilogies. It is just like reading an excellent book, once in a while you will come across a less exciting chapter that may not be "great" but it adds significant depth to the rest of the story. If the Dragonlance series was one book, this would be that chapter, and it is definitely worth reading it to get to the rest of the story!
Side Note - I actually preferred reading these two before the trilogies, and if I had to do it over again I would read this first still, it just seems to flow better that way.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
