The Dragons (Dragonlance Lost Histories, Vol. 6) (Mass Market Paperback)

by Douglas Niles (Author) "In a place unimaginably far from the Abyssal home of the Dark Queen's brood, a different world took shape, gradually emerging from the chaos of..." (more)
Key Phrases: lost fjistories, elven guise, elven patriarch, Dark Queen, High Kharolis, Allsar Dane (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
War Among the Dragons . . .

"When dragons make war, Krynn can only tremble in the shaodw of angry wings."
-- Astinus Lorekeeper

Aurican and Darlantan, mighty serpents of gold and silver, have been nurtured in a world of wisdom, meditation, and sublime faith. On the other side of Ansalon, Crematia, a dragon of red, inherits the Dark Queen's legacy of betrayal, violence, conquest, and plunder.

The advent of a worldwide war sweeps these powerful beings and many more into desperate strife. Battles rage over Krynn with a fury that threatens to annilhilate nations and whole races -- even dragonkind. As campaigns ebb and flow, generations of lesser mortals come and go, and the great serpents are left to determine the fate of the world. Their triumphs may create a destiny of all-encompassing light or cast the world beneath the shadoe of ultimate darkness.

The Dragons

The Lost Histories Series probes the historical roots and epic struggles of little-known inhabitants of Krynn.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 316 pages
• Publisher: Wizards of the Coast (October 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786905131
• ISBN-13: 978-0786905133
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #379,040 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What an epic!, November 29, 1998

By	Jeff Lee - See all my reviews

Joining the ranks of lost histories such as THE IRDA and THE DARGONESTI, THE DRAGONS is an amazing conclusion to the series that sifts through the obscure races of Krynn. People who want to know about the history of Dragonlance's most focal race will love this book, which spans over 8000 years of history from the beginnings of the world to the defeat of Ariakas at Neraka. Even better: THE DRAGONS is not only an exceedingly detailed "history" book, it's also a finely written novel in its own right. Of all the rich Dragonlance books, THE DRAGONS probably has one of the largest casts. Some four or five generations of the firstborn race are detailed, starting with the children of Paladine's daughters and finishing with the evil great-grandchild of Takhisis. It's recommended that you read "Aurora's Eggs" from THE DRAGONS AT WAR anthology before this book, because the first chapters pick up right after the short story. The best part is, both stories are great reads on their own, even better together but hardly necessary for enjoyment. Douglas Niles has quite an ability to juggle viewpoints, perspectives, and also gloss over important events without making them seem frivolous. For example, whereas other books can spend chapters on the Cataclysm, the dragons are unaware of the immense armageddon wreaking havoc on Krynn, and thus Niles appropriately makes little mention of it. The effect at the end is of one long, arduous journey completed-but a journey that was enjoyable from the start. Also a testament to Niles is the fact that despite having so many characters (he does appear to make some small lapses, however, in numbers and mentions) he never lets the focal dragons slide. Any other author might fully develop the evil Crematia and leave her descendants form-letter characters. But the development of each personality is full, although at the end, there are a handful of weaker characters. THE DRAGONS is also excellent in how much history it spans. THE LEGEND OF HUMA (Richard A. Knaak) is retold in the viewpoint of the dragons, including the adored silver dragon Heart. The stories of the exile of the three moons of Krynn, the creation of the evil draconians, the exodus to northern utopia, and the return to ancestral Kharolis are only a few of the incredible pageantry one will find in this book. Unfortunately there is also plenty of death, too, so much that it becomes predictable in the end, and this is probably the biggest flaw I can find with the book. Otherwise, it's a shiner. At the last page, it feels like Douglas Niles has written a 1000 page book, not a 300 novel. A definite must read.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dragon Heaven, June 28, 2001

By	"dragonguy_99" (FL, USA) - See all my reviews

If you're wondering how things are with the dragon race of Krynn, then this book is all your answers in one! While reading other books in the series you may wonder what's going on in the background with the dragons. Well, this book will tell you everything about the dragons of Krynn. Its really cool to see the story of Krynn through a dragon's point of view!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Niles bites of more than he can chew., February 2, 2006

By	Kyle Kritscher "Romanmeal12" (Southern California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This novel takes on the incredibly difficult task of covering the history of Krynn from the perspective of both the chromatic and metallic dragons in a three hundred page novel. I am sure like other Dragonlance fans, the unique insight of the dragons that lived and fought through the First and Second Dragon Wars and the War of the Lance was a welcome supplement. The author however, could not have given the topic justice unless he constructed a thousand page tome for the immense time span. As it was, I felt as if I was reading bulletpoints. The author allowed me to develop contempt for the villans but the climaxes came too quickly. The sudden death of major characters left me dry and wanting. The romance you are supposed you build with a character and the crooked grin one gets when the villian finally meets their end or tinge of heartache when a hero tragically dies is missing from this novel. Sadly, the author could only work with what he was provided and was forced to move on and tell us of the continuing saga of the fallen victim's progeny. Douglas Niles is a talent author, but I think any writter would have struggled to fit 10,000 years of history and three wars into a three hundred page book. With that said I would only recommend this book to those who are fans and quite familliar with the Dragonlance world and who has aleast read the Chronicles Trilogy and the Legend of Huma.