Hickman, Tracy Books - Page 4

Dragonlance - Chronicles Volume 2: Dragons Of Winter Night (Dragonlance Chronicles)

Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman, Steve Kurth

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Just wow... a faithful adaptation. 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This graphic novel is beautifully done. The artists paint in pictures what Weis and Hickman did with words all those years ago. Devil's Due deserves a lot of credit for getting quality artists who have stayed true to the story of Dragonlance. I'm really getting stoked for the first movie, out in September.

Brief Note 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I bought this book because the Dragonlance Chronicles were the first fantasy books I read. I was quite young then so i loved them. so, now that the comic book is out, i thought "why not?". when i received it, my first thoughts were this could be quite an interesting experience. and it was. the artwork is very good quality, the story of course and the binding of the book is good (i am sort of a "keep your books in good condition freak"). i did find a problem though. in my opinion, the depiction of Raistlin and a couple of others isn't as good as i hoped. now dont get me wrong, its great but its not the way i thought of him. Raistlin is my favorite character in the books so that sort of disappointed me a bit. anyways, that told, i believe it is a must for any dragonlance fan and i recommend it.

Editorial Review:

They won their first real battle in the war for Krynn, but the war has only just begun for the Companions! Friendships born in conflict will be torn apart. Hope will rest on the shoulders of a disgraced Knight and his two inexperienced companions. Worlds long divided by hatred and prejudice will either band together in a last struggle against darkness - or perish for all time!

Dragons of a Fallen Sun (Dragonlance: The War of Souls, Volume I)

Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 174 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

I should've left well enough alone... 2 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I'm going to echo what I've read other people write about the series: the quality of the writing really went downhill since the last time I read a book by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. It reminded me of the difference between the beginning of the Death's Gate Cycle and the end, when they seemed to be rushing through details to finish. I don't know if they needed to be edited a bit more or if they just focused too much on trying to move forward the overly-complicated plot and not enough on the actual writing. The second novel of this trilogy, "Dragons of a Lost Star," is by far the best: unfortunately, you have to get through the 600+ of "Dragons of a Fallen Sun" to get there. The characters are largely uninteresting and unlikeable. In fact, the only reason I liked "Lost Star" as much as I did is that Laurana play such a prominent role; but, I'm invested in Lauarana only from her role in the other DL books not from anything the authors have done here. The final book, "Dragons of a Vanished Moon," had a meandering plot and an ending that seemed completely contrived and overly simplistic. All in all, I should've just stopped with "Dragons of Summer Flame" and called my time on Krynn done.

Editorial Review:

The people of Krynn have known war in past ages. Some are still alive who remember the triumph of good at the conclusion of the War of the Lance. Still more remember the devastation of the Chaos War, which ended the Fourth Age of the world.

But now a new war is about to begin, more terrible than any have known. This war is one for the very heart and soul of the world itself.

Dragonlance Legends (Dragonlance Legends Paperback)

Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Thus does the saga continue. 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

The War of the Lance has ended. The world has become peaceful again. Or has it??

The Arch-Mage Raistlin Majere, Master of the Tower of Palanthas, Master of the Past and Present, seeks more power. Through his Art, he intends to challenge the gods.

The Priestess Crysania seeks to stop him, but in her attempts, she begins to become drawn to him, the light of her goodness blinding her from the truth.

The Warrior Caramon, once a great hero, now turned the town drunk. After the war, without his brother, Caramon felt un-needed. When his wife kicks him from his house, he goes on a journey of looking. Intending just to find Crysania and then follow her for a while, Caramon is over his head as he and the happy-go-lucky kender, Tasslehoff Burrfoot, are thrust through time in a mission to "save a soul, nothing more. Nothing less."

Tasselhoff Burrfoot, the little, curious kender, joins his friend Caramon in Caramon's travels, and by entering a time traveling spell, he enables time to be changed.

And thus, Raistlin takes the place of the great mage Fistandantilus, he goes on with his twin, in the place of the General, Pheragas, to fight the Dwarf Gate Wars and gain enterance to the portal to the Abyss. With the entrance of the kender, Tasslehoff, into the river of time, the original outcome of the past can be altered completely.

Editorial Review:

Despite his considerable physical decline, Caramon undertakes a quest to save Raistlin from evil. Can Caramon even hope to save his twin brother? At the same time, the beautiful cleric Crysania has undergone a mission to redeem Raistin. Will she meet success or be drawn into evil as well? Can a reunion of the Companions be far behind?

Guardians of the Lost: Volume Two of the Sovereign Stone Trilogy

Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Series gets even better in the second installment 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

The first book in this series was very well done and in this second book, the series gets even better. The danger to the realm is much more dire than in the first book as Dagnarus now has an army plus numerous Vykrls at his command. But in typical fantasy tradition there are always heroes to rise to the challenge and defend their land. The characters in this book are very well written and a few even infuse the book with a little humour, something lacking in the first book.

All in all this is a really good book and I can't wait to read the third and final book in this series.

Editorial Review:

For two centuries the portion of the great Sovereign Stone belonging to the humans of Loerem was lost from sight and memory. But there are those who dare never forget ...

A magical relic has been miraculously recovered -- and the battle for the future of Loerem begins. It is a nightmare conflict that will ensnare dwarf, human, elf, and orken beings, as the immortal dark lord Dagnarus launches terrible war from the blackest depths of the Void. And now heros must emerge from the most unlikely corners of the world to deny Dagnarus the awesome power of the Stone -- or suffer the hideous damnation of his hellish reign.

Dragons: Worlds Afire

R.A. Salvatore, Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman, Keith Baker, Scott Mcgough

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Four stories, Four worlds, All solid editions. 4 out of 5 stars.
37 of 40 people found this review helpful.

Dragons: World Afire is a collaboration from Wizards of the Coast that has four novellas in it featuring stories from the four popular worlds of shared world fantasy books. These are; The Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance, Eberron, and Magic: The Gathering. All four novella feature stories involving dragons and the havoc they can cause. Wizards of the coast brought in some of the biggest names in each of the worlds to pen the stories. As well as some of the top fantasy artists as well to provide wonderful drawings of a dragon to start each story.

The stories are as follows:

#1- If They Ever Happen Upon My Lair by R.A. Salvatore (Forgotten Realms). This story is actually a prequel to Salvatore's latest book, Promise of the Witch-King. In this novel Salvatore explains one of the biggest questions that readers were left with after reading PotWK. Also, there is a scene in this novella that may be the single best description of a dragon I have ever read. It is a prime example of show don't tell and came across very well. The story itself is about average. While there is nothing overly special about it, it is still worth reading simply to answer one of the questions from PotWK. Fans of the Forgotten Realms and Salvatore will certainly understand this story.

#2 - Here Be Dragons {A Kender Tale} by Margaret Weis and Tracey Hickman (Dragonlance). I will freely admit reading the Dragonlance Chronicles is what started me on my fantast obsession. This novella is classic Weis and Hickman. This tale centers on Tasslehoff Burrfoot and the situations he can quickly find himself in. There are several moments in this novel that will cause a chuckle and fans of the Chronicles will surely appreciate this tale. Of the four stories in the book I would rate this one as the best, but there may be some personal bias there as well.

#3- Principle of Fire by Keith Baker (Eberron). This is a tale of deceit and has a couple plot twists within the few pages of the novella. It also adds a good amount of detail to the dragons of Eberron and what they are thinking and why they have done some of the things they do. This novella also adds some questions to the readers mind, enough so that in future Eberron books the reader may pay closer attention to things. If you are a fan of Eberron books, this is a must read for you. Mr. Baker does a decent job of furthering the world of Eberron and adding more material for the reader.

#4 - Unnatural Predator by Scott McGoug (Magic: The Gathering). I need to also admit here, that I have never read a Magic: The Gathering novel before so I didn't really know what to expect from it. This novella seemed a bit on the long side to me. There appeared to be a couple instances where it could have been shortened and still relayed the information relevant to the story. The story itself is a decent story with a couple plot twists, but nothing really special. Of course this may be a very necessary story to Magic: The Gathering fans, but I can't comment on that having never read a novel in that world before. I did enjoy reading it however.

My overall comments of the book as a whole. This seems to be an attempt by Wizards of the Coast to encourage readers of one world to cross over and read other worlds as well. What better thing to encourage that than stories about dragons. If not for Amazon.com I would have been highly disappointed in the price of the book. It retails for $29.95, but with the Amazon.com sale I was able to get it for $19.77. This needs to be mentioned because I don't feel there was $29 worth of stories in this book. Four stories totaling 142 pages does not warrant a $29 price tag, which is more than hardcover editions of the latest books by Salvatore, and Weis & Hickman. This book is certainly a good looking book, well put together, with wonderful drawings and illustrations, but not for that amount of money.

The assortment of stories is this books strength. There is humor, history, intrigue, plot twists and countless other things. The five authors enlisted for this project were the right ones in my opinion and I enjoyed the vast majority of this book.

Overall I would recommend this book to many people, but if you have to pay full price for it, I would hold off and look elsewhere.

Editorial Review:

Dragons are myths in only some worlds.

Five writers from four different settings are brought together in this beautiful trade paperback book. There is one story each from the foremost authors in the Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance, Magic: The Gathering and Eberron worlds. Preceding each story is a gorgeous full-color plate illustration of a dragon, done in the distinctive styles of each setting by the premier artists of each line.

War of the Twins (Dragonlance: Dragonlance Legends)

Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 52 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

One of the best books in the Dragonlance saga 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

War of the Twins is one of my absolute favorite books to come out of the Weis-Hickman machine. Mind-bending concepts of time travel and of the future locked in place combined with world-altering events makes for a dramatic and intense read that will keep you up late at night. It is also perhaps the most emotionally tense book in all of Dragonlance. The interactions between Raistlin and Caramon and Crysiana and Tas are fantastic. The strange love triangle between the brothers and Crysiana makes for interesting reading and also helps the reader really appreciate the emotions of the characters. Of all the characters, Raistlin in particularly really starts to reveal his true self: merciless and determined. While at times you feel like Raist must be starting to actually feel for the people that love him, it is quickly revealed that he only cares about his ultimate goal. Caramon comes into his own in this book, leading an army and realizing that he doesn't need his brother in order to live his own life. Crysiana doesn't evolve too much in this one but does grow in her sense of purpose and in her faith. Tas kind of gets left by the wayside for much of this novel, but comes back for dramatic impact on the overall story.

The only complaint I can think of is that the Dwarfgate wars were sort of skimmed over, not revealing too much detail as far as the actual battles are concerned. The leaders of the various armies and factions could have been better fleshed out, especially Kharas and the leaders of the plainsmen and hill dwarves. These are minor regrets thought and Weis and Hickman leave much to the reader's imagination which probably enhances the overall effect of the story. They focus on the main characters and the emotional battles they are going through, and that would have been taken away from some if they had included too much detail about the side stories and characters.

Overall I'd say this is one of the more mature and grim of the Dragonlance novels, without very much humor at all and a lot of tense and dark moments. The vivid characterizations of the book sold me. I'd recommend this entire trilogy to anyone in for a good emotional story.

Editorial Review:

The second title in the second Dragonlance novel trilogy, now available for the first time in hardcover.

The second title in the second Dragonlance novel trilogy is now being released for the first time ever in a trade hardcover edition. Featuring the stunning art and design that graced the cover of the paperback edition, the new version of this series is a follow-up to the release of the Dragonlance novels Chronicles trilogy in hardcover in 2003. It also continues the planned release of all of the core Weis & Hickman titles in trade hardcover, allowing fans and collectors alike the chance to obtain the entire set in hardcover.

Well of Darkness (The Sovereign Stone Trilogy, Book 1)

Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 64 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Disappointing 2 out of 5 stars.
5 of 8 people found this review helpful.

Until now, I thought MW&TH were incredibly and consistently good in a genre that is often very formulaic, and that often seems to aim for plot instead of story. I decided to pick up Well of Darkness without even knowing anything about it except it was written by MW&TH.

Ugh, what happened?? Maybe, just maybe, I will still look for a loaner from the library, but even that might not be worth it. Ironic that the story was about the Void, because that is exactly what the book gave back -- no life, no nothing. One of the elements I really enjoy from their books is losing myself in the other worlds, where the the magic and the characters and the races and everything takes on a life of their own. This book just does not have "it".

Editorial Review:

Second in line for succession to the throne, Prince Dagnarus will have his crown...and his queen -- though his heart's prize is a married elfin beauty. Let his hated half-brother Prince Helmos and the Dominion Lords dare to oppose him. For Dagnarus's most loyal servant has ventured into the terrible darkness, where lies the most potent talisman in the realm. And once it is in the dark prince's hand, no power will deter his Destiny.

Time of the Twins (Dragonlance: Legends Trilogy)

Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 93 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Worth a Read 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 3 people found this review helpful.

After having finished the Dragonlance Chronicles, I was eager to find out what happened to Raistlin after he took what I had assumed to be Fistandantilus's place as Master of the Tower. In Time of the Twins, I was not disappointed. The authors gave brief updates on what was happening in the lives of the companions after the war, and started up another tale involving the twins.

Tas was a welcome presence in this book, as he always is. However, I was looking for something new in the main character introduced in this series, Crysanthia, Revered Daughter of Paladine. The authors did an excellent job with each of the companions in the Dragonlance Chronicles. Readers could identify with and feel close to each of the characters. With Crysanthia, I get the feeling that she was just thrown in there to create something new and to add a bit of romance to the book. Whenever I'm reading something from her point of view, I feel so...detached. I feel like I'm looking down on her and watching her go through the actions, rather than walking right along beside her, going through the actions with her.

This book is more thought-provoking than the action-packed Dragonlance Chronicles. One moment, you're wondering if Cyrsanthia's love can "save" Raistlin. The next, you're thinking that what would "saving" Raistlin be? After all, he'd never be content to just...settle down. As long as he's alive, he'll constantly lust for power. And so while on one side, you want Raistlin to accomplish his task, on the other you wonder if his death will be the only thing to bring "peace" to Krynn. And then there's the whole good/evil balance thing...

I think that to enjoy this book to its fullest, it's an absolute MUST to read the Dragonlance Chronicles. While that made this book more enjoyable for me, unfortunately I consider this to be one of the book's failings, because it is a completely new series and should be easily followed by anyone deciding to pick it up. On Caramon's and Tas's part, there is continued character development that makes their characters more complex and interesting to read. However, Crysanthia is very predictable (you can probably guess from the prologue what will happen with her) and so I hardly consider any change on her part "character development." As for Raistlin, I hope things start going wrong for him soon, because it gets a little boring reading about his (nearly) ultimate power again and again.

Editorial Review:

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.

Legacy of the Darksword (Weis, Margaret. Darksword, 4.)

Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 36 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

would rate even lower 1 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

how do you follow up the two best books you have ever wrote? not by writing something that goes so totally against the grain of the story as this book does. i would say the first two were my favorite Weis and Hickman books, and this one being my least favorite of all. i have read everything written by these two, i dont even see how this made it through their story writing process, nothing in this book other character names even relates tothe greatness of the first two books. steer clear of this stinker, and leave the story as a two book trilogy.

Editorial Review:

Twenty years ago, the magical land of Thimhallan was destroyed with the forging of the Darksword, leaving a small group of survivors exiled on Earth.  Only Joram, who created the Darksword, remained behind in the shattered land. But another catastrophe beckons, as an alien race plans to annihilate the remaining colonists. But Joram has forged another Darksword, and Earth's leaders see it as their only salvation. And it is up to Saryon, an old friend of Joram's, to put the sword in safe hands and possibly save the planet.

Mystic Warrior (The Bronze Canticles, Book 1)

Tracy Hickman, Laura Hickman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 32 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

$5.98 book at Barnes and Noble 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I stopped at BN to get some books for a trip to China the next day. I was specifically looking for books 11 and 12 of the Left Behind series. This book was sitting on a table for $5.98 and I thought, what the heck. When I initially got on the plane for the 14 hour flight I started reading a Reader's Digest. I picked this one and and in the beginning it started very slow. With nothing else to do on the plane I stuck with it. While in China we had a 1.5 hour commute each way to work and I brought the book to read in the minivan every day.
The authors weave together 3 different worlds. It is a challenge with any book keeping characters straight, let alone with 3 different worlds. I found the world of humans and fairies very well described, plausible and consistantly. The world of gnomes is a little bit out there but this is a creation of the authors and hey, if you do not like it, do not keep reading.
Anyways, I have added the next 2 books in the series to my Christmas list for this year and look forward to getting them.

Editorial Review:

The Bronze Canticles is an expansive new saga chronicling the world-altering changes that take place as three connected universes#151;the Human world, the Goblin world, and the Faery world#151;are slowly drawn together.In Book One, Mystic Warrior, young Galen Arvad, a human with magical powers, must avoid the ritual that puts those with such talents to death. It seems that in the eyes of the community, magic is a sign of lunacy, and in a yearly ritual the local "crazies" are offered up to the Dragon Priests. Galen is suddenly captured and imprisoned. Now, as Galen's wife, Berkita, and his friend, Cephas the dwarf, set off to rescue him, Galen learns of the fate that awaits him, a fate far worse than even his own death.