Dragons of Deceit is the newest Dragonlance novel, the primary one in fairly some time, and the primary one from Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis in a good longer time. I’ve bought numerous love for Dragonlance and the Dragonlance novels. One of many first novels to ever make my cry was Dragons of Winter Night time.

Dragonlance: Dragons of Deceit

Authors: Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis
Writer: ‎Random Home Worlds
Hardcover: ‎400 pages

This Financial institution of the River

Our main protagonist on this story is Destina, the daughter of an Ergothian girl and a Solomnic Knight. We get to see the occasions of the Warfare of the Lance and the occasions of the Chronicles trilogy from an out of doors perspective, as Destina sees her household and their fortunes crumble within the aftermath of the current, dramatic occasions.

Destina’s quest to reverse the fortunes of her household take her to varied places throughout Ansalon, and finally lead her to come across among the Heroes of the Lance. Regardless of this fateful assembly, it stays solidly Destina’s story.

Shadows of the Previous

I do know that numerous my nostalgia for older D&D fiction goes to be tainted by being conscious of the issues inherent within the assumptions of these novels. In comparison with extra trendy sensibilities, there are some uncomfortable points because of race or ethnicity, each between D&D races and totally different human peoples.

This isn’t a continuing subject, nevertheless it comes up usually sufficient that it by no means actually goes away. There are some points with extra status-concerned people making assumptions about different people, which sadly may be mapped to pores and skin colour even when it’s not intentional. There are some assumptions about fantasy races that get painted throughout entire species.

There are additionally a couple of incautious feedback which are dismissive of recent points in a means that I don’t suppose are intentional. For instance, there are a couple of commentaries about individuals “needing to just accept the our bodies the gods gave them,” when discussing transformational magic, in addition to a tune that, whereas it has totally different verses with “he, she, they,” appears to fairly definitively body marriage as an establishment between a “he” and a “she.”

There may be fortunately an vital part of the guide the place assumptions about a complete race are challenged, contextualizing why that race has been relegated to a disadvantageous place of their society that has extra to do with financial fortunes and spiritual biases than with the perceived evil nature of the species in query.

There are additionally numerous phrases used to guarantee us that the protagonist is a really engaging girl. After some time, when that appears to be a longtime reality, we get a couple of extra locations the place it’s bolstered.

Again within the Stream

I like these characters, and after we transfer away from establishing characters and their degree of attractiveness, we get an opportunity to love these characters and see them take part in an attention-grabbing story. We get a whirlwind tour of Palanthas, Thorbardin, and Solace. We additionally handle to get a narrative that feels prefer it has stakes, fairly than enjoying on the edges of what has already been established.

That is most likely my favourite Dragonlance novel by Hickman and Weis because the Dragonlance Chronicles. I’m not fairly as invested within the story as I used to be with these, however I’m a lot happier with how the story progresses than the narrative that advanced from Dragons of Summer time Flame, The Warfare of Souls, and even the Misplaced Chronicles.

A number of the more moderen Hickman and Weis Dragonlance novels have felt like parts of the setting that had been established later within the timeline retroactively grew to become true even in earlier tales. Sturm is extra pragmatic lengthy earlier than he turns into introspective sufficient to completely contextualize his honor. Raistlin is the Chosen of the Gods proper from the beginning, nearly unable to make a mistake because of his superb mind and drive of will. Gods that made their affect recognized in additional refined methods present up, usually, plainly explaining their plans and intentions.

This guide feels much more like visiting an previous buddy once more, even when lots of the characters are new. Cosmic-level occasions are framed from the angle of mortals. There are fewer archetypal character traits that current themselves each time a longtime character seems. There are additionally some tantalizing new facets to Krynn’s cosmology revealed. Telling this story from a brand new character’s perspective appears to make the story stream way more naturally.

The Circulation of the River

It is a enjoyable guide, in addition to one which hits numerous the notes that Dragonlance followers are going to be on the lookout for. Destina is a likable protagonist, who nonetheless manages to return throughout as competent regardless of the variety of instances we’re reminded how engaging she is. The brand new supporting characters are attention-grabbing sufficient that I wish to see them reenter the narrative, and regardless of Tasslehoff displaying up so many instances in numerous Dragonlance books, his vector into this story is novel and totally different than we’ve seen in different books that function the kender.

The Ripples and the Stones

Do you know that Destina is actually engaging? Like, actually, actually engaging? So engaging that it have to be reiterated a number of instances within the narrative? I’ve gone over a few of what seems like missteps above, however I believe the continued sexism, both unintentionally within the framing or deliberately within the narrative as one thing for Destina to beat, might be the least attention-grabbing aspect of the guide.

Certified Suggestion–A product with plenty of constructive facets, however patrons could wish to perceive the context of the product and what it accommodates earlier than transferring it forward of different purchases.

I loved this novel, and it managed to be what I needed in a Dragonlance novel. That stated, this undoubtedly isn’t the very best “entry level” into the collection, and it’s arduous for me to say how a lot I might get pleasure from this novel if it wasn’t standing in distinction to among the different novels I learn which had been much less participating to me. It’s additionally arduous to completely disengage my affection for the setting from the very formative time after I learn them.

That stated, it is a well-paced, participating novel, with enjoyable characters, and plenty of flaws to navigate. Whereas it’s not a paradigm-changing narrative, it’s significantly better than numerous the game-related fiction I’ve learn in my lifetime. For anybody involved in returning to Krynn, it provides new characters, new stakes, and new revelations, however instructed in a way that feels nearer to the unique trilogy that the newest novels within the collection.