Dragons of Spring Dawning (review)

by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

Dragonlance Chronicles 3
← Dragons of Winter Night

Rating: 8,5/10

The darkness might conquer, but it could never extinguish hope. And though one candle — or many — might flicker and die, new candles would be lit from the old.
Thus hope's flame always burns, lighting the darkness until the coming of day.

The army of Takhisis, Queen of Darkness, conquer more and more lands, but now there are many who took to the field to face her.
In the meantime Berem, the Everman, slowly reveals his story, and we discover why his destiny is linked to the Queen.

Very nice this final chapter of the trilogy of Dragonlance, but not beautiful, I couldn't give it 5 stars, it has left me in the end with a slight dissatisfaction that made me lower half vote against the second book.

Our heroes face increasingly tough tests, they detach themselves, they come back togheter, but only for break apart again. Many things are made clear (for example, now we know the truth about Raistlin's Testing), there are several touching moments, of hope but also of desperation. In the end,

thanks to the cooperation of everyone, even of Raistlin, evil is defeated, but, as Fizban/Paladine is keen to clarify, not for the triumph of good, just to restore the balance.

Reading this book was very enjoyable, it was nice to find again all these characters who have become dear to me now, but as I said at the end of the book the satisfaction was not full!

One of the things that I missed more were all that subplots raised, and then finally not completed.

Who helped Gilthanas and Silvara to escape from their captivity? What will become of these two unhappy lovers? What happened to Alhana? And the child of Riverwind and Goldmoon? We don't even know if it is male or female! :)

I know the two authors have written other books set in the universe of Dragonlance, perhaps in some of these the adventures are completed or delved into, I don't know, the fact is that I still have a lot of curiosity! :)

Anyway, there have been very exciting moments, and I would like to linger over one in particular a little bit. It is located towards the end, so I have to talk only under spoiler! :)

Caramon and Raistlin have just found each other. The first one is injured, the second wears the Black Robes of Evil, and not Red Robes of Neutrality anymore. Despite this, and despite the previous Raist's "betrayal", Caramon was glad to see his twin, and he's ready to help and accompany him. Only the wound makes him weak and vulnerable.
"Yeah, give me a moment," Caramon grunted. Pushing himself away from the rocks, he took a step forward, then staggered, nearly falling.
"I'm weaker than I thought," he mumbled, clutching his side in pain. "Just let me... catch my breath." Straightening, his lips pale, sweat trickling down his face, Caramon took another step forward.
Smiling grimly, Raistlin watched his brother stumble toward him. Then the mage held out his arm.
"Lean on me, my brother".
Those who know the saga will surely understand why this passage struck me: the phrase "lean on me, my brother" occurs frequently in earlier books, only reversed: it is usually Caramon who said those words to his twin.

This phrase, more than other striking events, has meant to me the real end of the story, it was like a closing of a circle, a barrier beyond which things would no longer been the same.

In fact the end of the trilogy leaves a great deal of melancholy: yes, the dawn came, and brought hope, but also farewells, separations and no real certainty that things will get better from now onwards.

On the one hand it is, in a certain sense, a great final, true to classic fantasy in which the world is saved, but sadly changed, and with a touch of realism, because even in our world, in the end, you should almost always be satisfied that things are just less worse.

On the other hand, all this has helped to create that feeling of "unresolved" I mentioned earlier, which makes me again say: I must find out what are about other books set in the universe of Dragonlance! :)

Book Info

Title: Dragons of Spring Dawning
Authors: Margaret Weis (official site) and Tracy Hickman (official site)
Series: Dragonlance Chronicles, 3
Italian title: Le Cronache di DragonLance - I Draghi dell'alba di primavera
First publication date: 1985
Publisher: Armenia
Italian translation: Giampaolo Cossato and Sandro Sandrelli
Pages: 271
Links: ANOBII

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

Quotes

"Why, look, Berem. Here's a path... how strange. All the times we've been hunting in these woods and we've never seen it."

"It's not so strange. The fire burned off some of the brush, that's all. Probably just an animal trail."

[incipit]

Shall I tell you a story, Half-Elf? A story of a woman and man, lost and alone and frightened. Bearing a great burden, they came to an inn. The woman sang a song, a blue crystal staff performed a miracle, and a mob attacked them. One man stood up. One man took charge. One man — a stranger — said, 'We'll go out through the kitchen.' Do you remember, Tanis?

Goldmoon

I've learned a great deal, Tanis — about myself. The lessons have been hard ones. [...] What Laurana did, she did out of love for you. I'm learning about love, too, Tanis. Or I'm trying to learn. Mostly I'm learning about pain. But that's my problem.

Gilthanas

Then Raistlin stopped and looked around him.
"I am home," he said.
Peace stole over Palanthas, sleep soothed away fear.
A dream, the people murmured. Turning over in their beds, they drifted back into slumber, blessed by the darkness, which brings rest before the dawn.
[explicit]