Dragons of Autumn Twilight

by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

Dragonlance Chronicles 1
Dragons of Winter Night →

Rating: 8,5/10

On the ground Huma lay, at his side a woman,
Her silver skin broken, the promise of green
Released from the gifts of her eyes. She whispered her name
As the Queen of Darkness banked in the sky above Huma.
(from Song of Huma)

A group of friends meet after five years of travel and research to take stock of their mission: Tanis (an half-elf), Flint Fireforge (a dwarf), Tasslehoff Burrfoot (a kender), Sturm (a Solamnic Knight) and the twins Raistlin and Caramon (a magician and a warrior). Unfortunately, their research has not been successful, almost all of them have returned empty-handed, just full of disappointment. But soon they realize that during their absence things have changed in the good old Solace, and probably the worst is yet to come.

Uh, since how much time I wanted to read this saga! :) I had heard about it very well on aNobii, and when at last a friend of mine has also praised it highly offering in addition to lend me the book with the entire trilogy, I finally decided to begin it!

Well, I must say that this first volume held up expectations, even if it didn't drive me mad (or, it's very very nice, but not 5-stars).

Obviously I love all the characters already! The first who fascinated me was Tas, the kender, since his very first appearance! Fizban also intrigued me as soon as he appear

at the beginning of the novel, and I was glad to meet him again, even if a lot of pages after! I can't understand if he's pretending, or he's really fuddled with some flash of lucidity! :) Anyway, I'm sure we'll see him again, that feather landed on Tas in the ending gives me hope!

Adorable also his magic light, which doesn't go too far away... because it's afraid of the dark! :D

Another character who obviously could not fail to fascinate me is the enigmatic Raistlin. At first, I must say, he seems a bit unpleasant, but soon he conquered me, especially the power and mystery that distinguish it. Well then, we are talking about a man with golden skin and pupils in the shape of hourglasses! How not to remain subdued by him? :) But even more convinced me

that sudden tenderness appeared in his face to bid farewell to the dwarf Bupu: A look of infinite tenderness touched Raistlin's face a look no one in his world would ever see. [...] knowing what it felt like to be weak and miserable, an object of ridicule and pity. And, I might add, even of suspicious, since no-one, apart from his brother Caramon, trusts him completely. Poor him!

I like authors' style, very ironic and funny, and very exciting in some parts! There's no lack of tolkienian echoes - but which classic fantasy they aren't in? ;) - but most of all the air you breathe is a lot D&D-like, with the multi-ethnic and multi-class group, embarked against its will in a quest. And indeed I read that the idea of this saga comes from a series of adventures written just for D&D! And, 'cause I'm a fan of the game, I like it, of course.

The novel closes with some questions left unresolved.

Who is the mysterious man of the green gemstone, and what will his role be? Who is the new Kitiara's lord? (Among other things, I was convinced that the warrior would be checked out sooner or later, but at the end of the book we still didn't see her!). What is Dragonlance? Really just a spear? Finally, I was very curious about the Song of Huma reported at the end of the book: I understand that the legendary warrior loved a dragon/woman: who knows if we'll know more of this story!

Ah, I forgot! I also like the division of the series in seasons and times of the day! Now we read autumn and twilight: the beginning, when things start to go wrong, the rumblings of the night and winter (who title next book) reveal themselves, especially in the last lines,

when even the always optimistic kender loses his heart for a while at hearing the speeches with no hope by Tanis and Raistlin.

The last book, finally, speaks of dawn and spring, both synonymous with something bad that comes at the end, with rebirth and hope.

Book Info

Title: Dragons of Autumn Twilight
Author: Margaret Weis (official site) and Tracy Hickman (official site)
Saga: Dragonlance Chronicles 1
Italian title: Le Cronache di DragonLance - I draghi del crepuscolo d’autunno
First publication date: 1984
Publisher: Armenia
Italian translation: Stefano Negrini
Pages: 262
Links: ANOBII

Bookmarks: I used the one on the right during the reading; it was made by yama30.

Quotes

Tika Waylan straightened her back with a sigh, flexing her shoulders to ease her cramped muscles. She tossed the soapy bar rag into the water pail and glanced around the empty room.

[incipit]

«There's a whole damn army up there!» the dwarf gasped, grabbing the kender by the shoulder.

«Yes, well-» Tas paused to consider the situation. He brightened. «That's all the better. The more of them there are, the less chance they'll have of seeing us.» He started off again. Flint frowned. There was something wrong with that logic, but right now he couldn't figure out what.

The cruelest form of torture one can inflict on a kender is to lock him up. Of course, it is also widely believed that the crudest form of torture one can inflict on any other species is to lock them up with a kender.

«Still,» the kender said softly, «we have to keep trying and hoping. That's what's important-the trying and the hoping. Maybe that's most important of all.»

Something floated gently down from the sky, brushing past the kender's nose. Tas reached out and caught it in his hand.

It was a small, white chicken feather.

[explicit]