My next target is the Dhamon saga by Jean Rabe. I have always detested the 5th Age and therefore I have mostly avoided it. However, for some odd reason, I have developed a weird interest 15 years after they stopped publishing the setting. Maybe I am just starved for some Dragonlance books.
I read Dragons of a New Age when it came out, but it was never a book that got me super interested in the 5th Age. However, I a, looking forward to diving a bit more into the Age of mortals and see if maybe I was mistaken when I discarded it.
Amazon is usually my friend during these endeavors, so let’s hope there are some European books stores that have these books.
Update: So, I have been going through Amazon, and so far each book will cost me around £20, which is a bit too much. I am going to my old bookstore tomorrow, so hopefully I can find them there, although I do not have high hopes.
I just finished reading The Lost Chronicles, and as usual I thoroughly enjoyed the series. True to form, I know wish Wizards still published Dragonlance books, and what if the published The Lost Legends? It would be a great way to begin a new era of novels by leveraging the old strengths of the series.
Who wouldn’t want more of this good stuff?
What would that series be about? Well, here’s my take
What did Raistlin do during those two years between Chronicles and Legends?
What did Raistlin do while he was in Istar, before and after he defeated Fistandantilus.
What happend during Raistlin’s battle with Takhisis in the Abyss? This one is a less obvious than the others, but it could make for a seriously wild ride.
In all honesty, this idea might actually not be the best thing to do if one was to publish more novels. After the 5th age split the fan base, the last couple of books published, started to move the setting forward, and that might be the best way to create something sustainable,.
Last night
I watched the latest episode of Game of Thrones. For some odd reason I haven’t
been watching this show, but my wife has, and she suggested we watch the last
season together. So basically, I have skipped the entire book and have jumped
right to the last page.
In last
night’s episode, there was a dragon battle, which of course made med think of
Dragonlance. I know, obvious. There has been a lot of talk in the Facebook
group about an upcoming live action rendition of Dragonlance, which a lot of
people seem to be interested in. Given the success of Lord of the Rings and
Game of Thrones it might be an obvious choice to adapt Dragonlance for the
small or big screen.
To be honest,
I think I would rather have the book line resurrected. There are so many
interesting things that could be done with Krynn in terms of gaming and novels
that I think it would be a shame to not do this. There’s probably not a lot of
money to be made from that though, so maybe an adaptation would make the most
sense.
As far as I
can tell, the creators of Game of Thrones have worked closely with George R. R.
Martin in order to keep the show as close to the books as possible. If the
Dragonlance Chronicles were to be adapted for TV, I think it would require a
thorough change in order to make it more relevant for the current times. I still
love the Chronicles, but there are not the best written books by Weis and
Hickman. However, if the two original creators were heavily involved, I have no
doubt they could recreate the Dragonlance feel in more modern and mature context.
Unless of course they want to make it a kids’ show.
The
beautiful thing about taking the Chronicles to the small screen is that in case
of a success, you have the sequel ready to go with the Legends books. Imagine what
the battle between Raistlin and Fistandantilus would look like using today’s
technology. Or the dragonarmies arriving at Neraka.
I stumbled upon this post by Tracy Hickman from February. Now, as any good fanboy I went down the rabbit hole and started imagining what new Dragonlance project had been green lit by the Dragon Highlords in Seattle. It is of course wishful thinking, as there have been no signs whatsoever of a resurrected Dragonlance since the line was discontinued back 2007.
However, if we allow ourselves to dream a little, one might have a preference as to what will be released. A lot of people on Facebook talk about a live action movie or TV show like Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones. It would make a lot of sense given the success of these franchises and the profits that can be found in those media.
Personally, I would prefer books and game material as that would move the setting forward instead of rehashing stories we have all read and re-read a hundred times. Not to mention the risk of releasing something that will alienate the original fan base due to questionable creative choices, much like what happened with Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Besides, I think it is time to move the story forward, especially considering where we left the world of Krynn. It seems to me that they had fixed the issues that the 5th Age created and had a pretty good baseline for new stories independent of the characters and story lines we are familiar with.
I am not holding my breath here, but I do return to that Facebook post from time to time.
I have been reading The Messenger this weekend. Well, I have read two chapters that is. Between three children and a new kitchen project that was about what I had the time for. That, however, is not necessarily a bad thing. This way the series will last longer.
There’s not much to say about it yet though. It is set in Icewall, which I think it really great and makes for an interesting setting. And then it’s written by Chries Pierson who is one of my favorite Dragonlance authors. So, if you are still feel that Dragonlance itch and have not read this trilogy yet, so far, I can recommend it. Oh yeah, it is still on Amazon.
Two weeks ago I finished the final novel in the Elven Exiles trilogy and let me tell you that was some of that good stuff.
I never fully understood why the elves always were the victims considering their vast power and knowledge. However, especially the War of Souls totally kills everything we had come to associate with the elves. There, I think it’s really nice to see them find their new homeland and rebuild their nation in a meaningful way. Again, I can only cry about the fact that Dragonlance novels are a thing of the past as I think there are tons of good story hooks here. At least we have Star Wars
In my quest to collect all three books in the Elven Exiles trilogy I have so gotten my sticky hands on volume 2 and 3. Volume 1, Sanctuary, has up until now eluded me, as Amazon have not been able to acquire it anywhere. Luckily I found another seller on Amazon, and it looks like I will receive the book during my summer vacation.
The Dragonlance Canticle inspired me to read the Elven Exiles trilogy. Since this is out of print it is really difficult to get this series, however, that will not stop me from trying.
Today I received the second book in the series, so I can’t start reading just yet. Good thing I am still reading the Taladas trilogy.
One of the really sad things about the death of Dragonlance in my opinion, is the fact that wew ill never see any real meaningful development of the continent of Talads. I have started reading Chris Pierson’s excellent trilogy, and the more I read the more I want to explore this continent.
I was never a bg fan of the Time of the Dragon boxed set, simply because it lacked some of the details I was interested in at the time. Especially NPC stats, organizations, cities etc. were never really fleshed out to the extent that I wanted to see. Now that all my game material is packed away I cannot revisit this set, but I wonder if I would see it differently today.
Adding insult to injury, I believe that Margaret Weis and her good people were working on a Taladas sourcebook when Wizards cancelled the licensing deal. Given the quality of the material Weis et al. released, I can only fantasize about what they could have accomplished with a Taladas sourcebook.
