Reviews for Dragonlance: Chronicles, Volume 3: Dragons of Spring Dawning Part 1

The average rating for Dragonlance: Chronicles, Volume 3: Dragons of Spring Dawning Part 1 based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2015-12-29 00:00:00 Michael Heffer "They don't want to hear about darkness and death. They want children's tales about love and rebirth and silver dragons. Don't we all." If what you are after is an uplifting children's tale about love and rebirth and dragons (of many colours) then you have come to the right place. Dragons of Spring Dawning concludes the Dragonlance Chronicles in a classic confrontation of good and evil, bravery and selfless sacrifice, and, naturally, love. Oh, and dragons, a minor detail that. I will admit: my memories of this book are better than the book itself.* It is in some places rushed, in others underdeveloped. The composition suffers as the authors experiment with different narration techniques and so inserted into the chapters you'll find songs, poems, excerpts from chronicles or retellings - but instead of being invigorating, it befuddles. It feels like suddenly in class Z family movie everybody started speaking pure Shakespearean to add some gravitas to the whole thing, which, you'll agree, is quite silly. The plot moves from cheesy to staged to improbable. But still, darn it, a good fun. Whereas all the companions are accounted for in their neat arcs, Berem the Everyman finally takes the stage and proves to be the central puzzle piece. There are some "aha!" moments when things fall into place, interspersed with "oh, well…" and "oh, no!" exclamations, but I will brave a bet that irrespective of your sympathies and regardless which character was your favourite, you should be satisfied with the ending. I was, though each time my primary loyalty switched from protagonist to protagonist; from Tanis and Laurana when I was reading the Chronicles for the first time, to Kender to Raistlin (quite surprisingly, I have to say, but mayhaps I was over-sugared and needed something else). At the same time, in spite of my initial awe, Dragonlance Chronicles never prompted me to read more of the Dragonlance world. It was a superb gateway for the inexperienced fantasy reader that I was, but for me even then it lacked the depth that would keep me ensnared for longer. I moved on quickly and looking back from today's perspective of a jaded fantasy pro, I am not surprised. I retain my fondness though. And I'd encourage you to give the Drangonlance Chronicles a try. *Disclaimer: My rating is purely sentimental. Dragons of Spring Dawning is a read down the memory lane. If I were to rate it on the basis of my current standards and preferences, it would score 3 stars the most. Also in the series: 1. Dragons of Autumn Twilight 2. Dragons of Winter Night

Review # 2 was written on 2014-04-10 00:00:00 Nancy Trimble Dragonqueen she was called in elven; Nilat the Corrupter, to the barbarians of the Plains; Tamex, the False Metal, so she was known in Thorbardin among the dwarves; Mai-tat, She of Many Faces was how they told of her in legends among the sea-faring people of Ergoth. Queen of Many Colors and of None, the Knights of Solamnia called her; defeated by Huma, banished from the land, long ago. Takhisis, Queen of Darkness, had returned. A disastrous defeat has all but destroyed the free nations of Krynn, and all hope appears to be lost. And now the dragonarmies are amassing at the ghastly Temple of Neraka, preparing to subjugate the whole world to the domination of the Dark Queen. But in a final act of defiance, a small band of heroes travel in secret to this stronghold of evil to rescue a lost friend, and to strike back one last time... Dragons of Spring Dawning saved the series. The second book (and honestly, much of this one) proved to be a huge disappointment, but in the end it deserves most of the love it gets. As usual, quality is low, entertainment value is high. The characters are shallow, the setting is amazing. And unlike the one in Winter Night, the storyline here really picks up again, almost going back to the level of Autumn Twilight. One group of characters that were particularly good in this final book were the villains. The villains in the first two books were perhaps even more one-dimensional than the protagonists, but that appears to have changed here. The only villain getting a considerable amount of spotlight is the Dragon Highlord known as the Dark Lady (who has become one of my favourite characters in this series), but the others are probably even better. Ariakas, the self-proclaimed Emperor of Ansalon, the death knight Lord Soth, and Takhisis herself are all memorable. In the end, I am glad I chose to give this series a try after nearly putting it aside because of all the negative reviews. It has tons of flaws, but there is a reason why it's one of the most popular and influential fantasy series ever written.