This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.
Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman Also by this author: Dragons of Winter Night, Dragons of Spring Dawning
Series: Dragonlance Chronicles #1
Also in this series: Dragons of Winter Night, Dragons of Spring Dawning
Published by Wizards of the Coast on 11/11/2008
Genres: Fiction / Fantasy / General
Pages: 445
Format: Paperback
Source: Personal Library
Amazon
Goodreads
Lifelong friends, they went their separate ways. Now they are together again, though each holds secrets from the others in his heart. They speak of a world shadowed with rumors of war. They speak of tales of strange monsters, creatures of myth, creatures of legend. They do not speak of their secrets. Not then. Not until a chance encounter with a beautiful, sorrowful woman, who bears a magical crystal staff, draws the companions deeper into the shadows, forever changing their lives and shaping the fate of the world.
No one expected them to be heroes.
Least of all, them.
I first stepped into the world of Krynn – and Dragonlance, in 2002 with The Legend of Huma. I was working at a little used bookstore in Texas and had noticed that the small rack of Forgotten Realms and Dragonlance books we had got a lot of attention – and purchases. I enjoyed The Legend of Huma greatly and set out to read more books. My friend suggested reading Dragons of Autumn Twilight. So I obtained a copy and tried. I got less than 1/4 of the way through it and stopped reading. Then I picked it up a few months later, got about 1/4 of the way through it and stopped reading. I did this several times over the years. Finally, my friend who suggested reading Dragons of Autumn Twilight all those years ago, who is now my roommate, brought me the book1He actually brought me the first 8 books recommended in the reading order on Witty & Sarcastic Book Club’s post, and he hadn’t read the post! this past Friday and told me I needed to read it. So I did. And I finished it this time.
Now I can’t understand why it took me so darned long to read it! I love the characters, I love the world, I love everything about it. I think my favorite character has to be Tasselhof Burrfoot, although I have to say Flint Fireforge and Fizban are up there too. Tas is so funny – always mysteriously finding other people’s belongings in with his, getting himself into awkward or bad situations. Flint is hilarious – especially his commentary on gully dwarves. And Fizban – I’ve never seen a more daft mage… he literally fights with trees. It’s utterly hilarious and you have to read about it to truly understand how hilarious it is.
I love the world of Krynn. I love the dragons2Even though all we’ve gotten so far are “bad” dragons.. One dragon in particular tugged at my heartstrings even though she’s technically a “bad” dragon. Personally I don’t think any of them are “bad”, just misguided and misunderstood. But that’s just me. I love dragons period.
The plot had enough plot points to keep things interesting and I appreciate that the book, even though it is part of a series, doesn’t end on a cliffhanger, nor does it end in an abrupt manner. It even ends on a happy note even though the struggle isn’t finished. It’s a satisfying ending and I enjoyed it very much.
Now, as to why it took me so long to read this book? I think in a lot of ways it has to do with the fact that I didn’t play D&D back then. Now that I do, I can appreciate the world, I can appreciate the stories and the plotlines that are going on. It’s like reading a D&D campaign without having to roll dice or decide what I’m going to do. I can just sit back and watch the characters handle their business on their own. That being said, if you don’t have an interest in D&D, you might not understand the books and you might find yourself on the bored side while reading them.
If you like fantasy and you like D&D3Or Pathfinder as 1st edition for Pathfinder was based on the rule set for D&D 3.5. I’m sure you’ll love the Dragonlance books. Even if you aren’t, give them a try. You might be pleasantly surprised.
