Redemption: 3 (Dragonlance: The Dhamon Trilogy) [Hardcover]

Redemption is the last of a three-book series. I followed the series with as much eagerness as I pursued the War of Souls trilogy. Jean Rabe is a very promising author and the potential shows in her writing, making her works enjoyable of their own, but her style lacks that certain depth that marks the difference between a fantasy book, and a magical world which you live in vicariously as the story progresses. Redemption is a fantasy book. If this weren't a series, and if Jean hadn't written a series before this I would wonder if this was indeed a first novel.

Jean's overall style is swift and to-the-point. Succinct perhaps to a fault. She usually gives a brief description of the environs followed by thoughts and monologue from a given character. This gives you a sense of being in the character's head, which is interesting. The descriptions of the environs and of actions are all too brief and general, giving you the gist of it all, but rarely going into much real detail. This gives an unmistakable feeling that the book was rushed to meet a deadline and your mind has to work a little more to fill in the blanks. This is why Jean's style takes some getting used to at first, and why Weis and Hickman fans, being so used to the descriptive and full of depth style of the duo, are furious that Jean writes Dragonlance books.

Once you get used to the style, you'll find Redemption an enjoyable read, though there are some glaring inconsistencies. For example, at the end of one chapter Dhamon gives Maldred's great sword away, and Maldred spends the remainder of the chapter being angry about it. Apparently Dhamon must have forgotten that he gave the sword away for in the very next chapter he "hefts the great sword". The Fiona character is another example. I don't want to spoil anything, but as the story went on I wondered why she was even there. She seemed to be nothing but the token female presense in Dhamon's party, taking the place of the absent Rikali, and the constant diversion with her mad antics.

Despite all that, Redemption is a solid book. The story is interesting and full of twists, and Jean has a knack for making her characters come to life. She draws a constant tension between all the characters which is refreshing, though a bit overdone at times. I really cared what happened to the characters and their relations with each other. The only major disappointment had to be the ending. The story concludes with a bang, yes, but it's rather wanting. I found myself scratching my head and wondering "that was it?" On the optomistic side it does open the story up for future Jean Rabe books.

Overall, this is a Solid book and worth adding to your collection. A worthy addition to the Dragonlance world in it's own way. Just don't come here expecting Weis and Hickman. You'll be disappointed.

In the Dragonlance fan base, the equivalent to this can be seen in the fanatics that only seem to enjoy Margaret Weis and Tracy hickman novels. I have read several other authors whose books are every bit as well written (some even better... the conclusion to the War of The Souls trlogy I found wanting...).

One of those is one Jean Rabe. Given the not to be admired task of building Krynn's Fifth Age with an introductory trilogy, which was wirtten in a style markedly different than that of Weiss and Hickman, a duo that many consider their "One (or Two ) Gods of Krynn." jean's first trilogy has been widely criticized not because it is not well written but because of what it is not... It should be noted that many of those critics continue to read her work and continue to criticize her books because they are not written int eh style of Weis and Hickman, and many can find no other truly rational or well articulated points of contention.

Because of this all too sad myopic vision, a few highly vocal fans have continued to unfairly criticized Rabe's work and not judged it based on how fun it is to read or how well it is written but by the fact that it was that which it was not.. It is NOT a Weis and Hickman tale.

I have faithfully given every Rabe book a chance and I have come out waaay more than satisfied... so you can understand that I was all too anxious for this book... One of the things that kinda stinks at times about a trilogy is that one has to wait ENORMOUS lengths of time to await each book's release...but wiat I did and I was well rewarded!

Well I have to say that this book was worth the wait. After getting the book only two days ago from amazon.com I devoured it word for word... re-reading certain parts of it not because it was difficult to understand but because...dang, DANG, D A N G, they were just stupendous. The characters don't get along all the time, they are not all cozy and when they bicker I could feel the tension in the air and LOVED IT because I felt I could identify with the characters and their points of view.

This book, nay this trilogy is not only a sequel to Jean's often controversial Dragons of a New Age trilogy but rather can be easily read without that background. The book is the conclusion to a trilogy about a rather tragic yet engrossing man named Dhamon Grimwulf... a man who has been put to the crucible and at times succeeded, and at times failed. In other words he is HUMAN and fallible. At times he has given up and now with a book titled, "Redemption," I had to wonder upon opening it.. well does Redemption exist for this man?

Of course I am not so cruel as to spoil the book, go and get it to find out! All I can say is that the book continues to dissect the land of Dragonlance's Fifth Age and I found it to be exciting. I felt like I was a voyager, traipsing the world on a genuine D and D quest of my own. This is not a campfest though and it is not a book about epic events... although things continue to build and build into a very dramatic and tear inspiring conclusion.

Am I sounding vague? yes, and purposefully so. The cast is small. Rabe examines them all thoroughly and takes the characters on a trip around Krynn that is decidedly Fifth Age and is above all, very captivating. I cared about all the characters in the book, they were all written very well. She continues to take risks as a writer, giving us well fleshed characters that are mythic monsters... yet ultimately the cast stays small and is focused. The plot twists and turns but never deviates...

Ultimately it is a book about the journey of one man and his hope to redeem himself for the dark stains in his past as well as to plot out if possible, a new future for himself before he dies of a strange malady induced by a dragon scale grafted on his skin...

In summary, looking at my own standards...
1. Was it well thought out?

Absolutely. It is a book that is paced well and has a tonna surprises. But the layers of plotting all make sense and fit together very logically. This book does not collide with anything Weis and Hickman either for those "purists" out there... Read it and enjoy.

2. Did the characters live and breathe and tell their tale well?

Yes. We are presented with 2 knights with diverging quests, beasts out of legend that are written as characters in a way that made me empathize with their desires, their goals and their motives.

3. Did the conclusion make me want more?
Heck yes! To quote my now favorite half-elf character that rabe writes, Rikali... "Pigs!!! These beasties are great... I hope to see you all again soon. "

Weis and Hickman purists, give Rabe another look ... this trilogy is a great addition to the saga that is Dragonlance and meshes in nicely with the War of Souls...

Get this book... you WILL not be sorry.