Customer Reviews

Dragons of Winter Night: Dragonlance Chronicles, Volume II

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Definitely a great fantasy epic and one of my personal favorites, The Chronicles Trilogy- Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Dragons of Winter Night, and Dragons of Spring Dawning, brings to life the ultimate battle between Good and Evil in the World of Krynn. The books are so incredibly well written that the reader feels that they have been transported to another plane of existence and are actually present among the characters, seeing what they see, feeling what they feel, sensing what they sense. The authors Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman have truly outdone themselves and have presented us with a masterpiece of literature the likes of which we have seen only in JRR Tolkien's work and RA Salvatore's The Dark Elf and Icewind Dale trilogies. A GREAT trilogy indeed and a "must read" along with Margaret Weis' Legends trilogy! Duty, honor, bravery, magic, dragons and heroes are all about. One should seriously start thinking about maybe turning them into movies...

That sums it up! Hooked For Life! If you read Dragons of Autum Twilight, the first book in the series, you might have said "eh...whats the big deal with these books and why have they made so many?" Well my friend by the time you finish chapter seven of this book you will know. After chapter seven every chapter becomes an earth shattering, wild riding, can't put it down, good read!
After this book I went out and bought 40+ more of the Dragonlance Books! Read it today!

This book truly was the best book I ever read and I have read lots of good books like: Series of Unfortunate Events, Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, The Thief Lord, and Artimis Fowl. Even after all of this it is still my favorite book.
Why you ask? It is full of adventure and suspence through out the whole book and it sparks the imagination.
I would compare this to LOTR (Lord of the Rings) and I would say that I would rather have seen this book as a movie other than LOTR.

Dragons of a Winter night was probably the best one out of the series. It seems to me, this book was a little more thought out than Dragons of Autumn Twilight. The Character's personalities where brought out more and instead of a hack and slash, runaway action-adventure novel, it was a hack and slash, runaway, emotional, Melodramatic action-adventure novel, which are my favorite type of stories to read.

The book highlights were that of the character's Sturm, Laurana, Kitara, Tanis (not until the end half) and of course, Raistlin. I didn't like and sometimes was annnoyed by Sturm's character in the first book, but Sturm's character shined in this book. The Love affair with Alhana and the trial in Solamia where some of the best parts of the book.

Not a tough read, but a lot O' sub-plots going on here and it can get a little confusing if you haven't read the first book. But if you have and didn't like it, read this book because it's a fun story and what else are you going to do? If your reading this your not doing anything, so go read this book and enjoy........For me?

The second installment of the now classic Chronicles Trilogy picks up shortly after the events detailed in "The Dragons of Autumn Twilight". The second volume shows the companions scattered across the continent of Ansalon, with each member battling personal demons as well as the minions of Takhisis. The parties search desperately for weapons to use against the spreading evil such as the dragon orbs and the legendary dragonlance, and throughout the novel Weiss and Hickman continue to develop their memorable cast.

The climax of the novel is one of the most vivid scenes in the entire Dragonlance saga, as Sturm Brightblade and a paltry force of loyal Knights defend the High Clerists tower against overwhelming forces. The increasingly powerful Raistlin Majere dangerously flirts with darkness, and Tanis is torn between beautiful women, one of darkness and one of the light.

"The Dragons of Winter Night" is a worthy successor to Chronicles Vol. 1, and is easily the darkest of the three novels. Fans of fantasy should be well pleased, and the Dragonlance series is a great way for younger readers to become introduced to the genre.

STORY: As one editorial review put it: "The second volume in Dragonlance's seminal trilogy stokes the action with a big ol' blast of dragon breath. The War of the Lance has begun in earnest, and the Companions--Tanis, Flint, the twins Raistlin and Sturm, Flint Fireforge, Goldmoon, et al.--find themselves separated across Ansalon. Everyone's figured out that Takhisis's dragon minions aren't just scary bedtime stories, and the desperate search for the Dragon Orbs and the mythical Dragonlance is on."

MY FEEDBACK:
Back in my days of playing the pencil & paper version of AD&D you always had two kinds of players:
1) The players that just ran into everything killing and asking questions later (lots of action)
2)The other extreme of those that wanted to think everything through leading to an hour discussion just to make one single decision.
This book was like the first group of players. Lots of action but it lacked the balance of thinking things through or a true build up of suspense.
Every character (and it felt like "every" one of them) had a level of pride to the point of everyone was wanted to fight whenever they felt slightly insulted. Each scene seemed a repeat of the previous one where someone would get offended, then it would require a comrade having to hold them back...this got tiring after a while.
If the authors were really trying to portray such prideful characters realistically then the story would not logically have progressed because of so many egos at work then no decisions would be made.
Good thing for us the authors take some obvious stereotypes and just keep them moving whether we believe they would or not.
There was some good comic relief and the story had all the other facets of a D&D adventure:
1) several races and the prejudices built up between races
2) lots of different locals to visit
3) high adventure, magic and dragons
So if you want something that doesn't stop to take a breath and let you ask yourself "Is this plausible?", then this book is for you.
Don't get me wrong I'm more action oriented myself so I enjoy the book enough to give it a "good" rating, just not a very good or great rating.
I feel that if you want a truly sweeping saga of a story then try the Riftwar Saga by Raymond E. Fiest which starts off in the first book, "Magician: Apprentice"; or Barbara Hambly's, Darwarth series starting off in, "The Time of the Dark".

This book ranks three stars because it was better than the other two in the series. The game mechanics were not in your face. I do not recall reading how Raistlin was forced to rest after casting a spell, or too often about the "language of magic". I also enjoyed the Bardic renditions, to a degree.

There were still too many subplots, and the adventure overall is too grandiose. There were some cases where the plot was paper-thin. I would have preferred subtler foreshadowing, especially with a trilogy in which to unfold the story. If the authors have to tell me what's coming or how the characters feel, I don't feel that they have done their job.

The best of a mediocre series.

What a great way to bring the sequel to the Chronicals to life. Another great book about all your favorite characters. This books is sad though but don't fear the last in the trilogy will be great. Dragonlance is of epic proportion and it shows in this book. Dragonlance is here to stay. Follow Laurana, Sturm, Tas, and Flint in the Battle of the High Clerist Tower. Stay with Tanis, Caramon, Raistlin, and Tika as they enter a dream. You'll follow them through every book after this.

The middle child of a trilogy has the most tenuous position. After all, the novelty may have worn off after the first installment, and the big ending doesn't come until the next. Many are relegated to serve as simply a bridge between the first and third installment. Dragons of Winter Night defies stereotypes with its gripping storyline filled with many tense sequences and surprising revelations. True to the title, the mood is considerably darker than in the first book, ending with the heroic sacrifice of one of the main characters. Sadness is a powerful emotion, and the ending features one of the most emotionally moving scenes I can recall since Tolkien. Yet there is beauty in tragedy, and having known the ending, I wouldn't have it any other way.

As DoWN begins, the refugees from Pax Tharkas have found a temporary home, albeit one ill-suited for them, in the kingdom of the mountain dwarves. The companions prepare to embark on their next quest, to the ancient great city Tarsis the Beautiful, in search of a better refuge. Little do they know that evil forces are already following their tracks and laying a trap for them. Events in Tarsis would force the companions to split into two groups, each searching for an ancient artifact that allows the wielder to exert control over dragons. Their adventures would take them to distant lands, fraught with dark mystery and danger. Some of the companions will have grown in power, some in knowledge, some in maturity, and some would find love along the way. In a sense, the wide-eyed innocence of the first volume has worn off. As the characters gain experience, their worries and sorrows also increase. Laurana is a case in point. She has changed greatly since leaving Qualinost. No longer the happy elfmaiden innocent to the ways of the world, she has become more and more like Tanis, wiser yet weighed down with care and sadness.

Tanis would encounter a figure from the past that would prove to be his greatest temptation thus far and force him to reconsider his beliefs and loyalty in a whole new light.

Despite the prevailing depressive mood, there are many light moments. My favorite character, Tas, is as funny as ever and is given more screen time than before. While the focus has been taken off some characters such as Goldmoon and Riverwind, Tas would shoulder more responsiblities and even makes a few crucial discoveries, unwittingly of course.

In light of its gripping storyline and powerful emotional undercurrents, it would not be unfair to characterize DoWN as a fantasy masterpiece.

Dragons of Winter Night is my favorite of the three original Dragonlance novels. This book is darker than the other two, filled with much pain and sorrow. The story picks up several months after the end of Dragons of Autumn Twilight, with the Companions of the Lance continuing their search for the ancient Gods of Krynn. They have been swept up into a war that is begining, and are separated in the city of Tarsis the Beautiful. This is a tale of lost love and lost innocence. Tanis is torn between two women, and Raistlin flirts with the black robes of evil. Across the continent, Laurana and Sturm face many challenges, some leading to glory and some to the sword. The character development is supreme and the plot moves quickly. Watch out, the end of this book will bring you to tears if you have a heart.