Fantasy Books

I don't know what it was about this book that made me want to read it over and over again. It didn't have any colosal {I don't know if I spelled that right} battles or anything. I guess it was just the amazing storyline! The adventure was fantastic, but I honestly like whats going on with the woodlanders better than Martin the warriors journy, more action happens with them. In all, this is one of the best Redwall books, complete with an awesome one on one battle at the end. Read this book!

This is about Martin the Warrior , a heroic mouse, the self-appointed Prince of Mousetheives (and best friend to Martin), Gonff, the totally evil wildcat Tsarmina, and sundry other animal characters. The plot is that (1) Martin is (after a sidetracked problem) questing for Salamandastron, (2) the woodlanders defending themselves from Tsarmina until Martin returns, and (3) what's happening in Kotir, the moldy, falling-down castle where Tsarmina and her horde of vermin (stoats, rats, foxes, weasels and so on). This is a good series because it never ends on a cliffhanger at the very end. Mr. Jacques is a wonderful author, and I've read all his books except Eulalia!, because it isn't out yet. :(

The Redwall series was recommended to me by my own readers, who recognized a similarity between the writing style, animorphism, and medieval setting of my own debut novel "The Other Side of Yore" and of Brian Jaques' famous books. As I learned more about the books, I was amazed that the books had escaped my attention for so long. Sure I had heard the name in passing, but I really didn't know what the books were about, and had probably passed them over as too child-oriented when I was a young blossoming fan of fantasy. Boy, had I been missing out!
Mossflower may be the best YA fantasy book I've read since "The Hobbit," maybe even surpassing "The Chronicles of Narnia" for imagination, superb writing skill, literary worth, and sheer reading enjoyment!
Far from being just a book for young adults, I am well over thirty and highly critical of most fiction books, and was unable to put the book down. Not only does Jaques write in an incredibly skillful and beautiful style, but his plots and subplots are nothing short of genious. The character developement of the animorphed creatures is far superior to even the average bestselling book of fiction starring realistic human characters. Jaques is a master of dialogue and dialect, and I especially enjoyed the strange coloquial mole-speech;
"Hurr, Oi be liken it moiself better'n any deeper-n'-ever pie oive et, stan' on moi hole!"
The triumphs, determinations, and gallant speeches of Martin the Warrior actually brought tears to my eyes a few times during the tale, and the antics and humorous songs and poems of Gonff made me laugh out loud more than once.
What's more, Jaques created a complex villian to be copied by fantasy authors for centuries to come in the characterization of the wicked cat Tsarmina, and painted a thoroughly believable array of personalities and attitudes in the various soldiers of her army.
Like Tolkien's work, Jaques has also done his homework thoroughly, and has created a vast history to support his tales, which I think is a trait missing from many of the more fly-by-night and commercial fantasies of today.
By the end of this novel, you will have forgotten that mice can't talk and that badgers don't wield swords, having become intimately familiar with some of the most realistic personalities ever to grace the pages of literature. I cannot recommend this book enough, and am sure that the others in the series will be equally delightful!
J. Lyon Layden
The Other Side of Yore

"Mossflower" is the epic prequel to "Redwall". Written by Brian Jacques, it is a book full of adventure and surprise.
The peaceful woodland creatures of Mossflower are forced to live under the tyrannical rule of the evil wildcat queen, Tsarmina. That is until the coming of Martin the Warrior. Martin brings hope and promise to the animals of Mossflower. With the help of a mighty weapon, the habitants of Mossflower will ban together to take back what is rightfully theirs and put an end to the evil reign of Tsarmina.
I highly recommend this book. It is full of action that draws the reader in and keeps him/her reading.

It is all you want in a good book.It has just the right amount of action,
peril,valor,and humor. If you want a book that is good for everyone, you just found one!

I read this before I read the other series (Song of the Lioness)so I really had no background info on the setting. The plot is intriguing and the details back it worthwhile.

Daine is a young girl, newly orphaned who applies for work at a horse fair. The horse trainer, Onua doesn't want to take on such a young girl but gives her a chance and sets her in among the horses she has already purchased. It's not a problem for Daine that those horses are wild, untamed and unruly because Daine has wild magic and can speak to the animals.

Onua takes her on and they set off for the capital of Tortall because Onua is the horse-mistress of the Queen's Riders. Daine makes herself invaluable on the way by keeping the horses in line and fighting off immortals.

She meets Numair who plays a huge role as her teacher in the rest of the series. Numair is 27 at the start of the series and Daine is 13 so there is a huge age gap there.

Daine's magic grows leaps and bounds under Numairs tutelage and Daine's wild magic becomes instrumental in saving Tortall from Carthaki invaders.

Daine is probably my favorite character in the Tamora Pierce world of Tortall. She's got this natural thing with animals that I would love to have... She's not overly stubborn (like Alanna) or boring (like Kel - she was my least favorite heroine) or mischievous (like Aly, who is my second favorite (^_^) ) or even determined (like Pierce's newest heroine Bekka). Daine is just nice and has a lot of common sense and is brave.

This is the most disappointing thing I have ever bought online. Actually, I don't know because it hasn't come yet. I ordered it over a week and a half ago and it still hasn't come. Why sell when you don't deliver?

Wild Magic, a book by Tomora Pierce and the first book in the series The Immortals, is about a girl named Daine. Daine was always good with animals. Then she leaves her home and realizes she is more than good with animals; she has magic. Her magic allows her to talk to them and they obey her. Her magic is about to run away with her when her new job sets her in the company of a kind mage named Numair. Numair helps her learn how to control and use her magic.
My favorite part was when all the birds in the story help Daine fight off several Stormwings. Even though they all die, Daine's powers seep out and bring the birds back to life, fix broken wings, and heal their wounds. This book would be great for anyone in to fantasy and fiction books, more for someone in 6th too 8th grade. I don't really know, older groups of people might like it as well. I give this book a 10 on a scale of 1:10.
This book has sparked my imagination. I am always thinking about how life would be if we had magical powers. This book is very entertaning and keeps the adventure going. I hope you read the other books in the Immortals series. This book captivated me. I hope you enjoy/ enjoyed it as much as I have.
-- Skylar Rowan

This is an excellent book. Tamora Pierce is a great author. I just bought another copy of this book because I misplaced my first copy.

*Remember that I am not the target audience for this book, so younger adults will enjoy this novel.

For die-hard Redwall fans, or even the casual readers who've picked up any Redwall book would know who Martin is. He is the source of prayer to the Redwallers, the mouse that annoyingly sticks his snout in other's dreams, giving riddles to the would-be-warrior. He is also featured on a tapestry that hangs at the Great Hall. And what you are holding in your hands, or are probably about to, are the story behind the warrior, and how he was so well honored among the Redwallers and all free good woodland critters.

In the book, Martin is a young mouse who is slave to a wicked stoat named Badrang the Tyrant. He has gathered up a large horde of every evil stereotypical villain except for stoats like himself, and plenty of slaves who mostly do the work of enlarging his fortress called Marshank. He is a sly, wicked beast, like any Redwall villain, stuck with a 'friend' (I say this term loosely because you know there is never any deep relationship between vermin buddies) named Clogg, a corsair stoat, and backstabbing one another to get control of Marshank. Martin defies Badrang, escapes with a few slaves, and then he gathers up an army to attack Marshank and end Badrang's tyranny.

For the pros, this book is up there as my rare Redwall favorites simply because you got at least two characters who are woodland good but turn bad like the bankvole named Druwp, who acts as a spy among the slaves, and a tribe of squirrels who give in to Martin and help him fight.

It's a decent Redwall novel that I do enjoy and that's saying something, since most of my Redwall reviews have been negative. Perhaps I have taken this book as it is (finally): a good childhood story. Well, it's a good story, when you get down to it.

This book is supposed to be about 'Martin the Warrior'. About how his legacy lived on in so many creatures when all other heroes have been forgotten. So this book must be special, and it is.

The characters were mostly one dimensional, with exception to a few villains like Clogg and Badrang, who were very neat, twisted villains with good motives. Rose was put up there to serve as a very weak love interest for Martin that I wished could've been a tiny bit more developed. Felldoh was a very interesting character, and I can admit that I did like him, and I would have liked him a lot more hadn't he fallen through the same path of wickedness as a vermin, or from what the kind, peace-loving woodland creatures call them. I mean, this guy kills off the rats and weasels without blinking, always using revenge as a motive to not care, or because these guys are wicked, that they don't even have souls or lives. The fact that these runaway slaves are so good at handling weapons, far better than any rogue who's had many years experience using swords and such, can also be bending some reality rules here.

But there really isn't much realism here, I'll admit. I mean, when a mouse is the same size as a fox as a fox is to a squirrel, and when all the bad guys act like dumb idiots who have no idea how to keep pecking order, there isn't much room for reality left. How can a couple of dimwitted morons like Badrang's horde even be in a horde if they're always backstabbing one another and running away from woodland creatures in fear?

Adults and those with older mentalities will say these questions, but this is a children's book. And I actually did like it, even with those questions in mind. Skeptics will have a hard time reading it, like myself, but I really did like this book, no matter what insane flaws, and I did get a good few laughs from the bumbling villainy idiots.

If you're looking for a legend, you will actually find it here, and it is better than 'The Legend of Luke'.

I pretty much said it all in the title! This book is awesome! It's got the most action, battles, and the coolest bad guys! It's great! Read this book!

A fantastic story from the Redwall series, Martin the Warrior, is a mix of friendship and battles against a ruthless rat clan. This "National best seller" from Brian Jacques is about a mouse named Martin, who gets captured in the rat's prison. This story is full of foxes, lizards, moles, rats, and of course, mice. Most fantasy lovers and animal lovers will keep rereading this fantastic book about how friendship can help others in times of conflict. As most good stories are, all Brian Jacques books are well more than worth reading. And all animals have human characteristics.

I have to admit that when I first heard of the Redwall series, I had my doubts. I mean, a book about animals? However, I decided to give them a chance and now they are my favorite books of all time.
Martin the Warrior is my favorite out of the series. I love how the characters interact with each other in a way that makes you want to be more like them. They stuck together through everything, and in the end the slaves were freed and the sword that once belonged to Luke was returned to it's rightful owner, Martin the Warrior.
I recommend this book, as well as the whole series to kids of all ages. If you like the Redwall books, you will probably also like Brian jacques' other series, the Castaway series.

Great series for young and old looking for a mental shut-down for bed book.

Excellent story plot for both the young and old.... A story to be passed down from generation to generation

I don't often read books. I think I can say that I've read about as many books as I have fingers. I also can say that this books is so precious to me that I have it in hardcover. On top of that, this is the first review I've ever written.

I'm 29 years old and this by far is and is not a children's book. It's good fantasy for a child's mind, but it is so much more. If you aren't into philosophy, then you will miss so much that this book has to offer. But to each their own.

Being a child of the 80's, I had certainly watched and enjoyed the movie. But the movie totally misses the point of what Michael Ende was trying to convey. And I don't blame Mr. Ende for wanting to have nothing to do with the movie (they snuck his name in in the credits). I hope to see a remake of the movie that actually sticks to the story within my lifetime. Regardless, I have the book.

The message of this book is so powerful. The journey it takes you on is necessary for the end to have its full impact. The way it touches on reality is so phenomenal.

If you want to read about the human journey, this is the book for you. The conclusion brings purpose, not only to the main character, but a reminder to you.

What are we living for? Read and find out.

This book is a childhood favorite and even to this day at the age of 21 I absolutely love this book. The adventure and writing style is absolutely irresistible.

This is perhaps the greatest - certainly one of the most well-known - works of German juvenile literature in the last century. And it is so much more than simply a fantasy adventure, although it certainly doesn't lack in entertainment value.

The book is actually imaginative literature that makes the imagination itself its main subject. It is about the proper handling of one's imagination and how to SAVE the imagination as an essential part of being human. The English reader might not immediately notice this, but the German reader will. In the German original, Fantastica/Fantasia is called "Phantasien," which is derived from the German word for "imagination." Thus, Fantastica could be called "The Realm of One's Imagination."

For a full appreciation of the book, it is important to recognize this. When Bastian, the main character, steals The Neverending Story from an antique book store and starts reading it, he doesn't enter (within the fictitious world of the story) a real place such as Narnia or Hogwarts. Rather, he enters his own imagination and needs to learn to handle his imagination well.

Being an outsider in school, Bastian is tempted to use his imagination in a bad way, namely for egoistical daydreams in which he imagines himself doing whatever he likes and taking revenge on others. Slowly, he learns that this is not the proper way of handling his imagination - that self-absorbed daydreaming is harmful.

So he learns to save his imagination from the threat of "Nothing," which is eating up Fantastica.

The intended parallel isn't hard to find. Michael Ende was a man deeply concerned about the loss of people's imagination in modern culture (about the "nothingness" eating it up), and both his novel "Momo" and "The Neverending Story" deal with this.

Whether you are young or old, whether you intend this book for yourself or your children, it is ideal for growing one's imagination as well as reflecting on its precious realm.

- Jacob Schriftman, Author of The Crack Beneath the Worlds and Other Books

Many reviewers have already given a synopsis of this fantastic story of a boy literally drawn into a book he is reading. So, I wanted to comment on this particular edition.

I was hesitant to spend so much money on a book that has been in print for so long and is readily available in cheap paperback copies. However, this is a beautiful hardcover edition. Collectible quality. The dust jacket has lovely artwork. But, the best aspect is the two color text. The majority of the book is printed in green typeface. Bastion's sections are printed in red typeface. This allows for a smooth, but noticeable, transition between the two stories. I think this makes is easier on younger readers to keep track of what's going on, as well as being visually appealing. The paper feels thicker than in most books, and seems to be high quality. Bright white pages showcase the color text very well.

Fans of "The Princess Bride" would enjoy the story. Book collectors will be happy to add this to their shelf.

"I stumbled upon this book in my school library looking for a good book for a book report. I had no idea it was going to be so good! Even though it's fantasy, it is written so well you could almost believe it being real! This book had many mind-boggling ideas included, but that just made the whole plot more interesting! I don't know how anyone could not absolutely love this book! This is almost a monument in human literature."

Wow, this book is exciting and thrilling! If you are interested in adventures, you will love this book. Join Ben, Tom, Lindy, and the Professor as they try to travel to Whangdoodleland.
These children met the professor in an animal zoo and they discuss what animal they would have if they could have something unusual. The professor spoke about the unique Whangdoodle, and the children seem to be interested. However, the professor kept it a secret about how he knew about the Whangdoodle. On Halloween, Lindy, Ben and Tom went to a "haunted house," but to their surprise, the professor owned the creepy house. The children started visiting the professor, who began teaching them how to get to Whangdoodleland, an imaginary place where imagined creatures roam free, including the Whangdoodle! It took many tries, but they used their scrappy caps and imagination to succeeed. If you would like to meet some imaginary creatures, like the Whiffle Bird, read this book!
Some of the themes, or lessons we learned, were not to prejudge others, that your imagination is a really important thing, that you should always believe in yourself, and that you should never give up even if you feel greedy, selfish, or weak. A big theme is that genetics and cloning are difficult and controversial. If you want to learn more about these lessons, you have to read The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles!

I first discovered this book while working in a bookstore about 20 years ago. We had one dusty hardcover edition and employees were allowed to borrow hardcovers so long as we were careful to keep them in salable condition. I was intrigued by the flap description and began to read. Two hours later and by the end of the book I caught my breath and wanted more. I bought it because I couldn't stand the thought of not having it in my library. And then I ordered two more for the bookstore. Whenever anyone came in looking for "just the right book for a gift" I lauded it as "a book that will be the one they will never forget and will love forever". Over and over I would have customers come back to thank me for recommending "The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles" because it turned out to be the Most Favorite Gift of the child receiving the book. Quite often they would buy another copy for themselves or another child. If you don't have this book in your library, you should. In fact, you might want to buy two. One to keep, one to loan. You will treasure it in your heart for the rest of your days.

Last year, my daughter read this book and came home saying it was the best book she had ever read. She recommended it to me. At first, I was a little bit skeptical. I thought it was just a little fairytale for children, but I was wrong. My daughter began learning and sharing new and healthy lessons with me that she had learned from the book. Now, I can't wait to read it.

I read this to my 7yo son and 8yo daughter. I enjoyed it as much as they did!

This book was so bad that I actually keep it on the shelf so that I wont forget the author's name or the writing style. Nothing seemed coherent in this novel and the dialogue was awful.

I loved this book, even my mom liked it! We liked it so much we had to read the next one. This duet is awesome. I would recommend this book and its sequel to anyone interested in books about a girl who sets out to save her country and in doing so finds something totally different.- OOPS!!- I said to much, you will have to read it to get more info!!!

A great fantasy story of Meliara. She swears to her father on his deathbed that she will reclaim the kingdom, which was once her mothers, and she will reclaim it from the greedy King Galdran. This leads her village to a war against the king and will threaten the lives of the people and their homes. This is a great book for fantasy lovers and people who love stories about court life.

I have to agree with the editorial reviews above; this book is somewhat predictable and the plot is a bit trite (when a male & a female character bicker throughout the whole book, we all know what's going to happen at the end, right?). However, the characters are well-developed and the world is richly detailed, with a unique culture and customs.

As a 20-year-old English major and a connoisseur of young adult lit (it being the only section of the university library I can find my way around in), I'd recommend it for fans of YA girl-oriented fantasy. Anyone who likes Tamora Pierce, Donna Jo Napoli, Gail Carson Levine, or Robin McKinley should be satisfied with this series.

While this book has more action, I preferred the sequel, Court Duel. It's a bit hard to find unless you know what you're looking for - it's very hard to find on its own, but can be found bundled with Crown Duel in one volume, confusingly titled Crown Duel. It appears Amazon has finally cleverly changed it to "Crown Duel (Originally Published as the Two Books Crown Duel and Court Duel) (Firebird) (Paperback)," which clarifies things. It provides a satisfying conclusion to the story.

I love this book. Mel is strong, but believable. You can really relate with her even if you don't always think she is doing the right thing. I could not put this book down, and i did not want to!It is very well written and by the end of the book you feel like you have known Mel your whole life. As if you were there when all these things happened. Great,Great,Great Book!

Court Duel the sequel, is just as good!

Warriors #1: Into the Wild (Warriors)

This was a very fun book to read. It is about Rusty, a cat that wishes to catch a mouse. He leaves his home and joins a clan to save all the Warriors in it. He must please everyone in the clan. He must hunt for the clan and train to be a Warrior. His best friends in the clan are Graypaw and Rayvenpaw. The clan leader's name is Bluestar; they must always protect her. I loved reading this book and if you like cats you will love this book! I can't wait to get the second one!

Fire and Ice (Warriors, Book 2)

It was a chore getting my daughter to read 30 minutes each day until she discovered this series. She got thru Harry Potter and other great books before this, but it was not until this series that she started carrying her books around with her all day, so that she could sneak in a few paragraphs constantly throughout the day. She would read 8 hours straight if we didn't make her put her books down. Now we have to tell her to stop reading. I also read a book to her at night at bedtime. We like to find books that we both like including such great titles as The Golden Compass, which required quite a bit of explaining. She had already finished the Warrior series on her own, so when we finished our most recent book together, she requested that I read the Warrior series to her at bedtime because she wanted me to share it with her. I am pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable this series is to read, especially out loud. We both like it. My daughter is 9.

This book is about the adventures of Rusty, who is a six month (moon) old tom.

When he is a house cat, his normal dreams are always interrupted by dreams about catching mice in the woods, so he decides to try to really catch a mouse. His best friend Smudge lives next door. Smudge tells him "Don't go out there! There are wildcats who eat bones! Dangerous!" But Rusty insists.

He is attacked by a little gray tom, his age. The gray cat stops fighting, and says his name is Graypaw. More cats come out of the bushes the silver she-cat asks him to join her clan, Thunderclan. Soon Rusty accepts, and is named Firepaw, he meets Tigerclaw, who may be a dangerous mystery, Yellowfang a grumpy she-cat who has more than meets the eye, and the big threat of Brokenstar, Shadowclan's leader.

This book has a powerful adventure in it, and I was instantly drawn into the warrior cats' world. I think it is suitable for anyone. Some stories about wild animals make me cry when there are really sad parts, but this book was fine.

At first, I had trouble with some of the vocabulary. I didn't know what "brindle" meant, for instance.

Kyla Cherry
(on her mother's Amazon account)

In the warriors series cats live in the forest. Erin Hunter the person who wrote the book and is actually three people they didn't want to confused.The story begins when an ordinary house cat walks into the forest. All this happens in the forest and rusty finds deceit and lies not to mention secrets buried in secrets only to find-- can't tell the ending.

I loved the first book Into the Wild. in the begging a cat named Rusty walks into the forest to meet Gray paw a Thunder Clan apprentice. Gray paw takes Rusty as an intruder and attacks him then he realizes Rusty is a kitty pet and lays off. They get into a conversation and Gray paw tells Rusty everything and rusty decides to become a Thunder Clan apprentice.

Every one would love this book Every One. This is a fantasy book and is about cats. The message Never Stop Trying.

All of the Erin Hunter books are great! I just love them and have read them many times over. I am not a reader, I hate to read!!! But give me a Warrior series book and leave me alone for a few days. They are the best. If you don't fall in love with Rusty, Greystripe, Blue Star, Raven Paw and the rest of the clan then you know nothing about cats. Thanks Erin for opening up a new world for me.

As an adult who reads a great deal of YA fiction (because I don't care for the smut and language that fills many adult novels), I found Court Duel engaging, refreshing and imaginative. I loved the subtlety of the romance and found the male lead particularly appealing. Mel was believable, with a voice, perspective and humility that carried the story well. I like a heroine who is teachable.

Smith is a skilled writer; the story flowed smoothly from the beginning of book I to the end of book II--with no jarring moments that left me dazed or disappointed. I marveled at the world and characters that the author created and was intrigued by the matter-of-fact ways in which magic was utilized in the story.

Loved it, loved it, loved it. This was a very G-rated book that I look forward to sharing with my daughter and my friends.

When I read the Crown Duel (which is equally as good as this one!), I had to read this book. But I was sadly disappointed when I found out that this book was out-of-print and too expensive (how about $75.00?!)...but I eventually found a copy and I read it in about 3 hours, almost nonstop! I loved it...

When Meliara's brother, Bran, shows up in Tlanth unexpectely with his fiance and the person Mel disliked most, she is to be soon caught up in a dizzying whirl of flirtation, politics, and letters from an Unknown. Not to mention the secret plot against the Hill Folk-- again.

Although I wasn't really surprised who her Unknown was, it was really romantic the way he told her! I loved it. I gave the books to my mother to read as well, and she also liked them a lot. She couldn't stop reading them either. I really liked the way she was confused about her feelings...especially about Shevraeth! (I still call him that, I can't get used to his name being Vidanric!) It didn't have as much sword and fighting action, but the romance totally made up for it. I know it costs a lot, but it's so worth it--you'll LOVE it!

The equally interesting sequel to crown duel. Mel is invited to the royal palace to be with her brother and finally decides she will go. When she gets there she finds out that friends and enemies look alike and intrigue is everywhere. She must learn to fight with wit and words. At the palace she also learns that love can be confusing but wonderful. This story is just as good as the first if not better.

Sherwood Smith did it again with Court Duel the sequel to Crown Duel.It doses not have the same amount of action sences as the first book, but what it is missing in that department, it makes up for in romance. In one review i saw, it said that you don't even have to read the first book, this is true, however in order for you to get the deeper meaning of the things that Mel and the other charecters do and say, i suggest reading the first one too, which is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat!

Admitedly, as soon as I started reading this book I could not put it down, I read it in about three hours, only pausing to eat dinner. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Was it the best book I've ever read? No.

Mel goes to court and becomes a popular lady with many suitors. All the while she is trying to decide if Shrevraeth (was that his name?) would make a good king or if this other woman whose name I fail to recall would be a better leader. That part of the book wasn't very exciting and I felt that Mel wasn't doing very much good.

Let's be honest. The only reason people stuck around was to read about the developing romance between Shrevraeth and Mel. We endure 200 pages of Mel trying to convince herself that she hates him. How will things turn out between them? Who is the mysterious suitor sending her letters? Hmm..

Yes this book was very predictable and the conclusion was a bit dull. I know I sound very negative but I did like this book. It just didn't astound me with it's brilliance like it did for some other reviewers.

I am sounding lucid? I'm tired and don't want to keep writing.

Yes anyway, I liked the book. It was good but not wow, yippee, this is the greatest book ever, good. At least not to me.

Wow. I really enjoyed this series of books. Stephen King at his best.

I was hook on the Gunslinger back in 1984, but was only able to find 2 of the series and only in paperback. I have been a fan of Stephen King since I was in the U.S. Army bootcamp. I have been checking every now and then to find the rest. Thanks to Amazon I've order the entire series and in hard bound.

This series is the quite possibly Stephen King's greatest work! I've read the first four books in the last week; drugs are not nearly as addictive as the Dark Tower Series. I've definitely have becom a "TOWER JUNKIE". Do yourself a favor and buy this now; your only disappointment will be having to wait for the release of the next book.

This book ,in my opinion, is the greatest series I have ever read. If you ever wanted to read anything by Stephen King you should read this. The fact that I bothered to write a review (i usualy don't) speaks volumes about how truly amazing this story is.

This series is outstanding!!!! True King fans love it, and I think it's an interesting change for those who may not care for King's normal "horror" genre. Bits and pieces of this masterpiece are hinted at in many of King's other books,a nice "inside joke" for King's Constant Reader. This series grabbed me and would not let go! I've read them all at least twice and like the header says, I'm foaming at the mouth for the "Wolves of Calla" to come out. This is a beautiful set and a series that could be as much of a fantasy classic as the likes of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. HIGHLY ADDICTIVE! Once you read the first page of just one in this series you'll be compelled to read every one of them!

This is the first book I read by Margaret Weis without Hickman, and I was therefore interested to see the difference. Actually, the pace of the book is slower and more introspective than the Chronocles series. I would regard this book as "canon" and part of the essential story (along with Chronocles trilogy, Lost Chronocles trilogy, Legends trilogy, Second Generation, Dragons of A Summer Flame, and the War of Souls Trilogy).

FACT - Weis and Hickman are not literary geniuses. They flout several rules of good writing including their tendency to repeat ideas, recap plot points, tell you what to think (instead of showing you). However, there are few writers who can claim to have explored the depth of a character to the same extent as Weis does with Raistlin in this book. A great addition to the series.

If you want to go on and read Brothers in Arms, then do so, however, I would not consider it canon or essential to the story. However, it does give some of the background to the War of the Lance from the point of view of Kitiara, and is (reasonably) consistent with the storyline in the chronocles trilogy.

One point I would like to note - if you read dragons of autumn twilight straight after this, you will find that Raistlin's relationship with some of the other characters has "soured" somewhat, despite the fact the characters have supposedly not seen each other for five years. I found this a little unconvincing but this is a minor detail.

"Raistlin startled to wakefulness, a sense of danger bursting like lightning on his sleep, jolting him out of terrifying dreams." Oh Boy. Hemmingway this is not.

With the new Dungeons and Dragons 4th edition coming out my old dungeon master (just writing that makes me cringe) has decided to try and reunite distant (and aging) gamers using the new online gaming engine. In order to get into the spirit of things I thought I might spend some time back in the realm of D&D. When I was in high school every self respecting nerd had read the DragonLance series by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. Quite frankly my taste in literature was still developing back then but the books seemed fine and I enjoyed all three. The most memorable character, by far, was the mage Raistlin Majere. One of my friends even modeled his D&D character after Raistlin including his relentless (and irritating) pursuit of power.

It's pretty clear by this books intro that Raistlin is also Margaret Weis's favorite and this is likely what doomed the book for me. As intriguing as Raistlin is I was hoping for more than to read about his elementary school years, his handling of bullies and his mildly dysfunctional family. The author also goes way overboard trying to hammer home the point that Raistlin is the dark brooding brains and his twin Caramon is the strong, good looking dolt. It's sometimes difficult for adults to write dialogue for children but this one is pretty bad. No five year old on earth has ever talked the way young Raistlin does and in trying to make little Caramon sound simple and naïve Weis basically writes him as retarded.

I just didn't feel that D&D vibe reading this book. The story was so focused on Raistlin that there was barely anytime for anything else and quite frankly most of the book was rather boring and tedious which isn't helped by its 400+ page length. Raistlin still stands above the rest but mainly because Kitiara and Tasselhoff were so bloody annoying while Sturm, Tanis and Flint were less like characters and more like empty ciphers.

While a bad ending can kill a good book a good ending is less likely to redeem a mediocre book but it does help and the ending in Soulforge is by far the best part. Still, rather than rekindle my interest in D&D the book ended up dampening it. If you want a good fantasy book I suggest the Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin. It's not D&D but the characters are significantly better.

Really good to read after you've read Chronicles because you just HAVE to know more about Raistlin!

Wow! Raistlin fan or not this is a great book. I, of course like most of the people who read Dragonlance, like Raistlin but I am not a huge fan per say but I do find him interesting to read. A lot of my question were resolved here not all but many.
Perhaps the best part about this book is that you get to witness the Test that Raistlin endured! You've heard about out it for a long time now and finally your in the midst of it all! WOOT!
Three highlights ** Slight Spoilers ** (but not really) :)
1) Meeting all the old friends Cameron, Raistlin, Tanis, Tas, Tika, Otik, Flint, Sturm, etc. and learning about them as they met. Watching them make a covenant to return to Solace to meet again...which, if I remember, brings you to the first book you read...the Dragons of Autumn Twilight. (I liked that part)
2) Raistlin's Test
3) Raistlin's Letter at the end which gives you the reason for the book you just finished,

The Soulforge, was well written and thrill. I think this book, of all the Dragonlance books I've read to date, has answered more questions than any other novel yet.

*This review is being updated and brough over from an older account.

I am not quite sure why people are giving this 5 stars and a perfect rating. This is nowhere near classic literature, nor is is a wonderous example of english prose.

All that aside, I simply found this book slow. If you are a huge Raistlin fan, then this might have something for you. Really all you do is follow his life day by day from childhood to adulthood. Really boring and drab with about 3 pages total of action.

The second book in this set was much better, and I would pick up a third if it gets written. By itself, this book doesn't really stand for itself at all. I have liked many of Weis' books, but this one is down there at the bottom of the stack.