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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Doesn't recapture the magic of the original series. . ., 28 Jul 2007
I had higher hopes for this second volume of The Lost Chronicles trilogy than I did for its predecessor, Dragons of the Dwarven Depths. Indeed, the plotlines which would be explored in Dragons of the Highlord Skies appeared much more interesting than the search for the Hammer of Kharas.
Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman had the opportunity to expound on the storyline which will later lead Laurana to the position of the Golden General. They also had a chance to flesh out the relationship between Kitiara and Lord Soth, and show us how it all began in Dargaard Keep. Finally, the authors would also be granted the opportunity to elaborate on the Companions' trek to Icereach in search of the dragon orb.
As was the case with the War of Souls trilogy, The Lost Chronicles fail to recapture the magic of the Dragonlance Chronicles and Legends. Even though it's a delight to get reacquainted with the Companions, at times it feels as though Weis and Hickman are simply going through the motions. Insofar as I can tell, it doesn't feel as if their hearts are into this project. . .
Let's not forget that Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's Dragonlance novels have been translated into twenty languages and have sold more than twenty million copies worldwide. And yet, much like fellow bestselling authors Raymond E. Feist, David Eddings and Terry Brooks, their latest works are clearly uninspired compared to their past collaborations. Dragons of the Highlord Skies lacks the depth and the originality that allowed them to capture the hearts and imagination of a whole generation of fantasy readers.
Sadly, Lord Soth, who could probably have kickstarted this book, only appears in about 10 pages or so. Once again, there's is an inordinate amount of "filler" in this one. As I stated in my review of Dragons of the Dwarven Depths, such portions of the narrative are unnecessary, for readers need to have read the original series to begin with.
I would compare this new Dragonlance trilogy with the Star Wars prequels. Although they'll find a way to satisfy most of the fans on one level or another just for the chance to revisit the War of the Lance, these novels are not of the same quality as the ones that came before.
Having said that, there is nonetheless an undeniable pleasure in this opportunity to follow the adventures of the Heroes of the Lance once more.
Check out my blog: www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Ill Conceived..., 9 Dec 2007
This book slots into the end of books 1 & 2 of Dragons of a Winter Night and tells the story of the death of Feal-Thas in Icereach and how Kitiara recruits Lord Soth to the Emperor's legions. This should be a brilliant addition to the Dragonlance canon with Weis & hickman at the helm but sadly it is far from it...
The book's structure is alarmingly poor and you really do get the sense that they were writing to a deadline - they seemed to have decided that the second half of the book would resolve things very quickly. The first half is a very laboured series of recaps and Weis & Hickman trying to be clever with plot by putting minor characters into the 'same room' as the companions and letting their perspective unfold. This is most apparent in the siege of Tarsis section - the writing is very lazy and essentially recaps the assault on Tarsis from the perspective of three Solamnic knights. A particular low point is discovering that Aran, knight of the Crown who hit Tanis in the face with a tomato during the riot... poor.
Furthermore by the final 50 pages of the book it is so structurally bad that we have chapters lasting a mere 3 pages as the writers career recklessly from events in Icereach to Kitiara's journey to Dargard Keep. The whole conclusion to the book smacks of genuine laziness and a rushed deadline set. The drama promised in Icereach is disappointing to say the least.
No doubt stalwarts of the series will buy this book, I just hope you are not as a let down as I was. The real concern is the final part of this trilogy - Raistlin's gaining the Dark Robes, I hope they improve considerably with that tale. That is a story many of us have been waiting nearly two decades for...
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Enjoyable Dragonlance but could do better....., 15 Aug 2007
I thoroughly enjoyed volume one of these lost chronicles (Dragons of the Dwarven Depths), so I was looking forward to reading this second volume. It covers a lost plot line from the original Dragonlance Chronicles covering the dragon orb in Icereach, and events in Tarsis with an emphasis on Kitiara Uth Matar and her relationship with her magnificent blue dragon Skie and Lord Ariakas.
Please don't get me wrong, I throughly enjoyed this book, but it did leave me wanting a bit more and I felt some areas were rushed, especially the rescue of the dragon orb from the cavern where Highlord Theal-Fas had secured it with the protection of a supposed sentinel of incredible strength and fear. This seemed to disolve away within a short chapter and I felt could have been played a bit better.
Overall this is a good Dragonlance novel and a brilliant 'supplement' to the original Chronicles and I definitely recommend it, but I am hoping the next volume due out in 2008 (Hourglass Mage) is much better and as Raistlin is my favourite character, I can't wait to read it!
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by Margaret Weis; Tracy Hickman
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