Time of the Twins: Dragonlance Legends, Volume I [Mass Market Paperback]

Margaret Weis (Author), Tracy Hickman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2001 | Series: Dragonlance Legends (Book 1)

Sequestered in the blackness of the dreaded Tower of High Sorcery in Palanthas, surrounded by nameless creatures of evil, Raistlin Majere weaves a plan to conquer the darkness--to bring it under his control.

Crysania, a beautiful and devoted cleric of Paladine, tries to use her faith to lead Raistlin from the darkness. She is blind to his shadowed designs, and he draws her slowly into his neatly woven trap.

Made aware of Raistlin’s plan, a distraught Caramon travels back in time to the doomed city of Istar in the days before the Cataclysm. There, together with the ever-present kender Tasslehoff, Caramon will make his stand to save Raistlin’s soul.

Or so he believes.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Margaret Weis is the author of numerous Dragonlance novels, many of them co-written with Tracy Hickman or Don Perrin, including the recent New York Times best-seller Dragons of a Vanished Moon. She is also the author of The Soulforge and the Star of the Guardian novels.

Tracy Hickman, in addition to his work on several Dragonlance novels, has co-authored with Margaret Weis the Darksword series and the Death Gate Cycle. He is the designer of the game setting Starshield and is the author of the futuristic novel The Immortals.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Wizards of the Coast (February 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786918047
• ISBN-13: 978-0786918041
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1.1 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (95 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #103,082 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #14 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Authors, A-Z > ( W ) > Weis, Margaret

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One man ambition and the bonds that unites all..., May 22, 2000

By 

P. Almeida (Portugal) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Time of the Twins (Dragonlance Legends, Vol. 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

Time of the Twins is the first volume of the "Legends" trilogy. The story starts 2 years after the finals events of the "Chronicles" trilogy. If you are not familiar with the series, i recommend reading the first book of "Chronicles", "Dragons of Autumn Twilight". While not fundamental to the story, you will experience the tale from the beginning and see what is all about. This will certainly enhance your experience with the "Legends" trilogy, and if you have liked the first books, you will enjoy this new series. They are great books to introduce someone to fantasy. Just be sure to start with the "Chronicles".

Now about this one:

After the War of the Lance, Raistlin, "master of past and of present", reclaimed the Tower of High Sorcery in Palanthas. And now, his ambition knows no limit. His brother Caramon, the kender Tassheloff and Crysania, a cleric of Paladine, will join efforts in an attempt to bring him back to the path of light. But the task is much greater than anyone imagined, dragging them into a cycle no one could have predicted and that will surely shape the future, for better or for worse.

The story is more slow than the "Chronicles" trilogy. It's not about defeating evil armies. It's a great story about one man ambition and the bonds that unite us all, even when we don't realize...

Readers familiar with the series will surely enjoy this book, especially fans of a certain black robed wizard, with golden skin and hourglass eyes.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Time of the Twins - An intriguing beginning!, February 21, 2003

By 

K. Wyatt "ssintrepid" (Cape Girardeau, MO United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Time of the Twins: Dragonlance Legends, Volume I (Mass Market Paperback)

This, the first volume of the Legends trilogy is as stated above, quite intriguing. Where the Chronicles trilogy propelled the reader through fast paced action and a multitude of characters, Legends enthralls you with captivating intrigue and suspense. The beginning has a few of the "Heroes of the Lance," in the early stages of the book as part of the setup, but then sets off on its own with its primary characters; Raistlin, Caramon and Tasslehoff. We are also introduced to a "Revered Daughter of Paladine" in Crysania. High praises once again for Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman who with this trilogy, prove that they are not limited to stunning action. One almost questions themselves as to whether the authors were planning this trilogy when writing Chronicles or capitalized on several things they set up in Chronicles. In either case, they did it perfectly. The Wizards of the Coast new cover art is quite beautiful as well, even much more so than the original covers.

The premise:

It is now two years after the "end" of the War of the Lance. At the end of Dragons of Spring Dawning, Raistlin went to Palanthas and as the master of past and present he dared the Shoikan grove without fear to enter the Tower of High Sorcery which no one had entered since before the Cataclysm due a curse laid upon it by a black robed mage. Raistlin has now had two years in the tower to study and become even more powerful than he was at the end of the Chronicles. He's also been devising his plan for the future...

At the end of the war, Caramon and Tika returned to Solace to be married. Unfortunately for Caramon though, he's fallen on hard times. Crysania "Revered Daughter of Paladine," has some plans of her own as she met with Raistlin and these two begin making their own plans of each other. The lovable Kender, Tasslehoff Burrfoot gets deeply into the story with humorous antics as well.

Combine these characters and small points of the plot and what we have is another outstanding book written by these authors that will compel you to hurriedly pick up the second book of the series, especially with the highly dramatic ending.

I would highly recommend this trilogy, even if you've not read the Chronicles, but it would be good that you do so. {ssintrepid}

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Catherine & Heathcliff, August 1, 2001

By 

R. Edd (Texas) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Time of the Twins: Dragonlance Legends, Volume I (Mass Market Paperback)

This is the Wuthering Heights of the fantasy genre. Yes, it's DARK; No, there's not much 'action' and swords, but SO WHAT? It's an incredible piece of psychological fantasy literature that you can read and enjoy over the age of 12 and be blown away. IS there a more engaging portrait of an anti-hero? The end of the third book breaks your heart -- but more importantly this trilogy is about the human psyche, ambition, love, greed, power, and the human soul. I thought the Chronicles were OK, but this trilogy made me lose my entire mind. Make fun of D&D nuts everywhere, but this will make you EAT your thoughts/words.

There's no saccharine ending here, folks -- it's tragedy in the grand fulfilling sense of the word. It's life.

If you've cut your teeth on the likes of George RR Martin, Robin Hobb, Tad Williams, & Stephen R. Donaldson, this series is a PLEASANT and fabulous surprise. We've all been there -- whether your disillusioned like Crys, or bound & determined for revenge like Raist, there's a little bit of both of them in ALL of us. Which, of course, is the general theme.

And as for the "Was Raistlin really inlove?' debates.... oh PLEASE, you mean to tell me you buy the whole Cameron/Tika, Sturm/Alhana, Silvara/Gilthanas -- hello, let's fall inlove in all of five minutes relationships, but Crys and Raist leave you WONDERING? Grow up, read this, grieve, grow up some more, and read this flippin' series again.