Dragonlance Preludes: Darkness and Light v. 1 (Dragonlance: Preludes Trilogy) [Mass Market Paperback]

Following the success of the better-known Dragonlance saga and legends, the world was expanded via a series of spinoff novels, many concentrating on the histories of characters from the earlier stories. This prequel focuses on Sturm, a noble knight who numbers among the Heroes of the Lance, and Kitiara, the lost member of the Heroes' company better known as a major villain of the original saga. For fans, it will have foreshadowings of the momentous meeting of these characters in this saga. It also explores a unique location - the moon Lunatari - creating the unusual need for the author to incorporate explanations of interplanetary travel into a high-fantasy world.

The Dragonlance series is the literary equivalent of a special effects movie. Like many Dragonlance stories, this book does not exactly excel in characterisation, subtlety and plot. Usually this is compensated by the epic quality of the story, but in a prelude such as this, the world-shattering import of other novels is also missing. As is typical of the series, the book reads like a series of RPG encounters and mini-quests, linked by the passage of time and the narratives of the characters. The story's main interest is in filling in the past of characters from the original saga. To this are added a smattering of usual and unusual monsters, tricky situations, ethical dilemmas and an often humorous supporting cast of gnomes and other secondary characters.

The book is divided into a series of short adventures. Firstly, Sturm and Kitiara head for Solamnia, encountering elves, draconians, bandits and finally the gnomes with whom they spend most of the book. Second, the book chronicles their life aboard a gnome flying ship, facing technical problems such as survival at sub-zero temperatures. Third, stranded on Lunatari, they encounter a mad king and an army of tree-men. Fourth, they face the dilemma of whether and how to free a brass dragon imprisoned in an obelisk. Fifth, returning to Krynn, there is a storyline aboard a haunted ship. Finally, Sturm reaches Solamnia and the story culminates in his attempt to recover his heritage.

The story's leitmotifs - embedded in character development and the recurrence of mystical talismans - focus on the dilemmas surrounding Sturm's tense negotiation of honour and friendship and Kitiara's descent into darkness. The latter is handled as well as the book's "PG certificate" tone allows, though it remains unclear where ruthless pragmatism and pursuit of glory slip over into out-and-out evil. The suggestion of an ambivalence built on a denied love between the protagonists - unknown to them, but visible to the gnomes and dragons - adds some depth to their relationship. While the gnomes lack depth as characters, they function effectively as light relief and as a foil for the main characters; the typecasting of gnomes as AD&D characters is developed in individual cases to good effect. The monsters - glass-wielding tree-men, giant ants and an oversized, regenerating ghoul for instance - are not as original as could be expected from the otherworldly setting of much of the novel. The story also builds up mysteries (over the origins of the dragon and Lunatari's magic for instance) which it leaves frustratingly unresolved.

Definatly a Good Book, All of the companions meet up and make a deal over some ale... The deal is that no matter what, everyone would meet back in Solace in 5 years, and if they wanted, meet every year at the Inn of The Last Home. The story is about Sturm and Kitiara, and their wild adventure witha a pack of wacky inventing gnomes. Sturm is leaving for Solamnia, in search of the truth about his heritage, and Kitiara comes along just for a new adventure. They run into a bad storm and notice a HUGE ship, but it was on land, and a whole bunch of gnomes swarming around it. The gnomes ask Sturm and Kitiara if they would help them, and as a Knight must go by his "Code and Measure" he helps, as does Kitiara. After much talking, the gnomes ask if Sturm and Kit would like a ride to Solomnia, and they accept. This was a mistake! The crazy gnome ship ends up breaking and sending them to Lunitari! (The Red Moon) After landing on Lunitari the adventurers and the gnomes set off in search of ore to fix the ship. In the time they were gone their ship and 3 gnomes were carried away to a strange obelisk with a Dragon dwelling inside it. Sturm, Kit, and the gnomes set off to find their ship, they run into... a city, BUT the city is a city of tree people. The tree people are reigned by a crazy king that was marooned on Lunitari. After dealing with the tree city, they move on, towards the strange obelisk. They venture to the obelisk and see their flying ship! The go into the obelisk and meet a very nice dragon... The dragon helps then rebuild their ship to send them home, and in return, they must help free the dragon from the obelisk!

Darkness and light is a bit of a departure from the usual Dragonlance offerings. It follows the story of Kitiara and Sturm, both of which you will be very familiar with if you have read any of the core books, on a rather unusual trip to the moon of Lunitari with a gang of Gnomes.

I've read around 30 or so Dragonlance books but this has been one of the hardest to get into. The authors seem to have a hard time finding the flow of characters and story. However, it does pick up about 40% into the book.

I don't want to go into the story as it will spoil it for those who haven't read it. I will tell you that it does include dragons but unfortunately the alien setting just doesn't sit well with me at all. Other readers may enjoy it though.

Recommended to hardcore fans only or those who like fantasy crossed with a tinge of Sci-fi.