Dragonlance: Dragons of a New Age Volume 1: Dawning of A New Age

by: Jean Rabe.

I must begin this review by saying that I hold Jean no ill will. I also don’t want my review to taint anyone’s views of her as a writer as she may be a wonderful writer. The truth is, I’ve heard from some higher up sources that she was forced by TSR into some nonsensical decisions in this trilogy. Furthermore, she had the unenviable task of following Weis and Hickman in their world in an age where the landscape had changed so drastically that the world was barely recognizable.

Basically everything was against her and almost nothing was for her, save maybe the ability to use one or two familiar characters.

With that being said.

Abhorrent. I hated this novel. I almost sold the whole trilogy, was glad I didn’t when I went back to review the main Dragonlance story arc, but after I am done, might just go ahead.

The world was boring, the old characters were barely used and then just shadows of themselves and the new characters had very little depth. They had HINTS of depth, but then they lose my interest. I’ve had people say they love the Dhamon saga that was a spinoff of this, but I can’t see it. I may go back and read it just to be complete, but none of these characters spurred my interest.

The dragons as the enemy was pretty logical given the end of Summer Flame had the gods on the run and magic on the wane.

It was obvious Summer Flame was meant as the end, because the way they try to shoehorn more story out of it is just pathetic.

The whole first novel specifically is all set up with very little climax and at the end, you wonder how did anyone change?

Dhamon as a recovering knight (of Takhisis no less), is alright, but conceptually works much better than in action. Blister the kender is just…well…not really a kender. She plays as more of a female dwarf in honesty. Feril is again not horrible, just not someone I care to know more about. jasper Fireforge. Ouch. I think I would have actually liked him better if he weren’t supposed to be Flint’s nephew who promised his uncle he’d help Goldmoon. When? What?

The supporting characters are slightly better, but that’s because they don’t have to do too much. The husband-wife, seafaring team of Rig and Shaon are amusing and their hired deck hand, the deaf half-ogre Groller and his pet wolf Fury is the most entertaining to watch. But still in the end, it’s kind of hum drum.

Ms. Rabe tries to advance the story and does so in time only, large chunks of time that we just accept as the world goes around. I wasn’t enamored of her writing style either. The exciting was made droll, the subtlety was completely absent, and the power was drained.

As the trilogy goes on I can hope that it gets more engaging, but it certainly wasn’t a promising start.

D+