Winterheim (Dragonlance: Icewall Trilogy, Vol. 3) [Mass Market Paperback]

Douglas Niles (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Icewall Trilogy | Publication Date: January 1, 2003

Shrouded in ice, the stronghold of the ogres has stood for eons as an impregnable bastion of the Icereach. But now Strongwind Whalebone, king of the Highlanders, has been imprisoned in the ogre fortress. Outside its walls, a band of his compatriots plots his rescue. Within the fortress, ogre king Grimwar Bane faces royal treachery and desperate revolt.

It is time for the ogre king to decide if the greater threat lies outside Winterheim—or within.

In the third book of his epic trilogy, Douglas Niles weaves a tapestry of magic and adventure into a climax that will affect the destiny of all those who dwell in the cold land of the Icereach.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Douglas Niles is the author of more than 30 novels, including ten in the bestselling Dragonlance line. In addition to his Dragonlance work, he has written the Watershed and Seven Circles trilogies, both published by Ace fantasy. Niles has also designed numerous roleplaying games.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Wizards of the Coast (January 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786929111
• ISBN-13: 978-0786929115
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #876,442 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Niles keeps rolling, February 2, 2003

By 

Victor Hwang (Leesburg, VA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Winterheim (Dragonlance: Icewall Trilogy, Vol. 3) (Mass Market Paperback)

Winterheim, the epic conclusion to Douglas Niles latest trilogy, maintains Niles reputation for consistently enjoyable, thorough and well-written fantasy novels. Throughout the trilogy, Niles has explored a previously untapped region of the Dragonlance world: Icereach.

This last book serves to tie together the fates of the very engaging main characters: Moreen Bayguard, Strongwind Whalebone, Bruni, and Grimwar Bane. This trilogy, and specifically this book, is refreshing from other fantasy titles in that, awe-inspiring magic and all-powerful characters are not to be found. Instead, every character is mortal with his or her own set of trials and tribulations. Every fight is a real struggle and every action comes with it's own emotional turmoil and consequences. For example, the supposed enemy of the novel, Grimwar, is torn by his own personal feelings towards the humans and his duty as the leader of the ogres, natural enemies of the humans.

The book moves along at a brisk clip; the plot nevers gets stale or bogged down, as the perspective of the narrative changes from character to character quite frequently.

The ending is relatively satisfying albeit a brief abrupt. Every character and his or her story ends in an appropriate manner. Overall, it is a peaceful conclusion to a dark and warlike age in Icereach. This book is heartily recommended to any fantasy fans.

On a side note, it would be helpful if you read the first two books in the trilogy before you read Winterheim. It is not necessary, but you would better understand the characters, setting and plot.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A worthy conlusion with some minor flaws., January 11, 2003

By 

Leslie Wagner (Cedar Rapids, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Winterheim (Dragonlance: Icewall Trilogy, Vol. 3) (Mass Market Paperback)

With Strongwind Whalebone imprisoned in Winterheim, the mountain fortress of the ogres, Moreen Bayguard and her people mount an attempt to save his life. The strongest aspect of "Winterheim" has to be the character development. Characters such as Bruni the large Arktos woman, Mouse the Arktos warrior, and even Grimwar Bane the ogre king grow. The relationship between Moreen and Kerrick evolves and even a certain elusive kender makes an appearance or two. There are also a few new characters added to the mix. While it's certainly not the greatest book, it does make a worthy conclusion to the series. I definitely enjoyed reading it, but I have to admit the ending kind of annoyed me. (A tad too convenient and sappy for my tastes.) Douglas Niles once again proves his writing prowess and I sincerely hope that this isn't the last of his Dragonlance novels.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great ending to terrific trilogy, December 2, 2003

By 

Russell P. Horton (Stoughton, WI) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Winterheim (Dragonlance: Icewall Trilogy, Vol. 3) (Mass Market Paperback)

This is an excellent finish to a really entertaining trilogy. Fans of fantasty fiction who have no prior exposure to the Dragonlance world can still enjoy these books (the first two are The Messenger and The Golden Orb).

This book basically ends to tale of the characters introduced at the beginning of the trilogy. There are plenty of epic battles, narrow escapes, and character development. A couple of nagging questions (e.g. is Coraltop the kender real?) that are finally answered.

The only qualm I have with this book is that the ending seems a bit rushed and a little too convenient. But it is not at all unbelievable, and the epilogue is very nice.

Overall, a very good novel, but when taken in conjunction with the other parts of the trilogy, it is really excellent.