Dragonlance: War of Souls Volume 3: Dragons of a Vanished Moon

by: Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

As always, Weis and Hickman have a good idea on how to end things climactically enough that even if it feels a tad abrupt, it is still satisfying.

What amazes me most is their ability to skirt cheesiness avoiding any groans or disbelief. Bringing characters back from the dead like Tas and Raistlin is a tricky proposition. It usually comes off as desperate and cheap. But Weis and Hickman make it seem believable and intricate to the storyline.

Mina continues her conquest of Krynn in the name of the One God, Takhisis. But finally the other gods catch up with her thanks in no small part to Raistlin. Some details of the book are slightly glossed over, but it didn’t bother this reader.

What I truly liked about the story is that it truly was a world changing event, not just a story to be wiped away. At the end of the trilogy, the gods have returned, Takhisis is dead, Paladine is mortal, Qualinost is destroyed, Silvanost is heavily occuppied, the elves are homeless, the minotaur are encroaching on Ansalon. The list is endless and finally the last of the Heroes of the Lance are gone leaving the world to their children.

I liked this ending better than the last “ending” of the saga in Summer Flame. And although there was some definite retconning going on with regards to Chaos being the creator, etc. and the existence now of a High God. And yes, I know there is more still to come as I begin the newest trilogy written solely by Weis, but it was satisfying.

The action was splending, the morality was finely tuned and at the end like the greatest of all tales, the readers meditates on their own mortality, spirituality and place in their world. That kind of connection is what Weis and Hickman excel at and why they continue to be phenomenal authors. It’s not their style or even their storylines. It’s the way the characters and their trials connect with the reader.

B+