The United Federation of Charles: Dragonlance

Showing posts with label Dragonlance. Show all posts

Friday, August 23, 2024

Top Ten Favorite Female Characters in Dungeons and Dragons

We are the products of a variety of factors in our life and one of those things is the media we consume. No, playing roleplaying games and listening to Goth metal didn't turn me into a vampiric wizard (much to my regret) but they opened my eyes to a lot of things I wouldn't have normally been exposed to.

I grew up in a very fundamentalist rural area and I don't think I would have been nearly as educated about girls kicking ass as much as the boys if not for a lot of the heroines I met through the pages of paperback fantasy. Dungeons and Dragons' many heroines (and villainesses) didn't make the entirety of my 12-13 year-old-old's education in this fact but it certainly helped.

So here is a collection of some classic Dungeons and Dragons characters of the feminine persuasion. There's also some modern ones that I've taken a liking to as well because the game never ends.Take note that I'm also only incorporating the ones directly from the game's media or I'd just end up posting the entire cast of Critical Role's campaigns.

10. Kyriani Agrivar (Advanced Dungeons and Dragons comic)

First Appearance: Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 1#

Description: Kyriani is a half-drow, half-human sorceress with a frequent problem of being split into her two halves. After she finally settles that issue, she is a bon vivant who frequently scandalized her teenage male readership by (GASP) having multiple partners at the same time while refusing to settle down. She also saved Waterdeep and her fellow Selunite bar patrons multiple times with her magic. Too bad TSR burned its bridges with DC comics and her comic was abruptly cancelled.

Why We Love Her: Kyriani of Shadowdale was the daughter of a good aligned wizard and a drow priestess that got split into her respective sides before being reunited. While the racial element might not have been handled the best, Jeff Grubb had a strong lesson about her in that both sides of her heritage were important to treasure. Eventually, she became a lusty and chaotic sorcerer thief that had numerous misadventures throughout Waterdeep. Much like Captain Kirk, her friends had to realize that her "good" and "evil" sides were both necessary for a complete person. Now if only they could keep that comic consistently available for purchase.

9. Viconia DeVir (Baldur's Gate)

First Appearance: Baldur's Gate

Description: Viconia DeVir is the sole survivor of the once grandiose House DeVir in Menzoberrazan. Banished for her refusal to sacrifice an infant, she fled to the surface but struggles with the whole "not being evil" thing in a way that Drizzt Do'Urden came to naturally.While the prejudice she faces may have no existing analog (due to the fact Drow really are a bunch of evil murderers), she's someone who just wants to live her own life. Baldur's Gate 3 made a very controversial choice with her subsequent actions post-game and ones that I think were poorly chosen.

Why We Love Her: Despite this, the love of a good man (or woman with mods) can redeem her to being slightly less evil. Compared to the other love interests of Baldur's Gate 2, she had a far more interesting arc and complete character. She was also someone that players loved even if they weren't interested. Plus, we all love Grey Delisle's voice.

8. Larisssa Snowmane (Dance of the Dead)

First Appearance: Dance of the Dead (Ravenloft)

Description: A dancer working on a magical paddle-boat, Larissa Snowmane just wants to live her best life possible in a demiplane not kind to either women or magic-users. Traveling through the fantasy Louisianian land of Sourange, she dares to seek out forbidden supernatural power from its Dark Lord in hopes of figuring out how to survive the dangers around her.

Why We Love Her: I almost put Ivana Bortisi or Gabrielle Aderre on this list. I wish I could have put Tatyana but she's unfortunately defined by Strahd kidnapping her so much that it's hard to remember she's actually pretty badass. Larissa is a likable and well-realized character that fits right into the Gothic atmosphere of the setting.

7. Shadowheart (Baldur's Gate III)

First Appearance: Baldur's Gate 3

Description: Shadowheart is a cleric of Shar, making her the second of the Lady of Loss' priestesses on this list, but there's a very good reason for that. As basically a perky Goth who seems to fundamentally misunderstand that her goddess isn't misunderstood but a genuinely terrible being. She is the most pursued of all of the Baldur's Gate III love interests, which may be because the audience is still primarily male and she's not a lizard-woman or crimson. Still, she has a fantastic character arc that can run to either good or evil.

Why We Love Her: A lot of people have very complicated relationships with religion. Sometimes, we spend a lot of time trying to justify when tyrannical and oppressive systems that we would just be better off abandoning. Either for different belief systems or abandoning them altogether. Shadowheart is in a cult that, while it worships a goddess of darkness, has all the earmarks of a real life one. While the ideal path is to help her come to this realization on her own, you can also encourage her to double down on a path that will simply destroy everything that she truly is. Both paths have powerful emotional beats. She's also adorable and a LGBT character.

6. Alias (Azure Bonds)

First Appearance: Azure Bonds

Description: Alias wakes up in Cormyr with no memory of her past, a mute dinosaur man companion, and a set of magical tattoos that she can't explain. Later, she discovers that she has no past to return to and is someone who has to forge her own destiny. She's a sarcastic, forceful, but fun character that gradually has to come to learn to accept the choices of her friends even when they mean going against her.

Why We Love Her: Alias is one of the earliest Dungeons and Dragons heroines and is from a time when they weren't afraid to go utterly weird with her origins. Without spoilers, Alias has a more science fiction origin than traditional fantasy. Jeff Grubb and Kate Novac writes her as a flawed, sometimes even bratty, character that has a lot of growing up to do despite (seemingly) being in her twenties. These flaws give her personality. Fun fact: The (inaccurate) art for the character is somewhat infamous and hilariously led to Kate Novac canonizing her chain mail corset by making it evening wear that was enchanted to be harder than plate.

5. Sadira of Tyr (The Prism Pentad)

First Appearance: The Verdant Passage

Description: Sadira of Tyr is a half-elf born to a woman enslaved by the ruthless Templar Tithian of Tyr. Studying the arts of the preserver, Sadira is part of the resistance known as the Veiled Alliance and wants more than anything to liberate the slaves of her city. Sadira loves both the gladiator Rikus and the nobleman Agis. Rather than being forced to choose, she just carries on a relationship with both. Which was pretty unusual for Nineties fantasy. At least the kinds I read.

Why We Love Her: Sadira is a fantastic antiheroine who doesn't always make the correct choice in the burned out world of Athas. The temptations of dark magic and defiling power are always present. Sadira also doesn't want to give up anything she acquires because she's a woman who grew up with nothing. Faced against the cruelty and oppression of the slave-holding Sorcerer Kings, she is always on the right side of history but that doesn't mean she doesn't have her own personal ambitions.

4. Cattie Brie (The Legend of Drizzt)

First Appearance: The Halfling's Shard

Description: A young warrior woman raised by dwarves, Cattie Brie has been the longtime companion of Drizzt and the other Companions of the Hall. Cattie Brie is an archer and swordswoman who eventually decides to become a sorceress. Cattie Brie eventually becomes lovers with Drizzt but spends the majority of her literary time as simply his closest friend.

Why We Love Her: Cattie Brie isn't the strangest of the Companions of the Hall but is probably the glue that sticks them all together. Like Steve Guttenberg in Police Academy, it's necessary to have a straight man keeping everyone on point. Much of the story is about her coming into her own across the decades and realizing she has more to offer than simply being everyone's support. Plus, it's nice to have a plaintalking and serious protagonist. I fully believe Cattie Brie helped inspire plenty of the archer rogues and magicians out there like Imoen.

3. Crysania Tarinius (Dragonlance Legends)

First Appearance: Time of the Twins

Description: A cleric of the god Paladine, Crysania grew up spoiled sweet and devoted her life to the cause of good after wanting for nothing. Unfortunately, she was a little too confident in her righteousness and was easily persuaded to join Raistlin Majere's blasphemous plan to slay the Queen of Darkness so he could ascend to godhood. Her flaws, like other characters on this list, actually make her interesting.

Why We Love Her: The greatest of all Dungeons and Dragons romances is one built from being an utter train wreck (lightning rail?) from beginning to end. Crysania is attracted to the dark, sinister, and delicate nature of Raistlin while he's always believed himself to be an unlovable monster. In a lesser series, this would have been the start of a redemption arc but it is a story that benefits from acknowledging there's more important things than love. Her care for Raistlin is real but, in the end, she is a person who cares for good more.

2. Arilyn Moonblade (Songs and Swords)

First Appearance: Elfsong

Description: Arilyn Moonblade was born a half-elf and the child of a Princess of Evermeet. You'd think the latter would count for something but her human heritage means she's just a stain on the royal family's honor. Growing up with no knowledge of her heritage, she is trained to be an assassin for the Harpers and ends up with a lot of very ridiculous notions about how to go about doing this (like challenging opponents to honorable combat). It requires the goofy and flamboyant Danilo Thann to bring her, even partially, out of her shell.

Why We Love Her: Arilyn Moonblade is much like Tanis Half-Elven in that she struggles with her mixed heritage. However, unlike Tanis, it is not a source of shame for her. Instead, it is a source of anger because Arilyn recognizes it is the racism and undeserved pride of the elves that motivates her ostracism. A hardened killer with a heart, Arilyn is a character who normally would be a man in the kind of fantasy I read growing up. However, the fact that she is one doesn't detract from her femininity nor does it require her to prove herself. It's simply her personality and it is always entertaining. If the elves can't accept that about her, she'll just do her own thing.

1. Kitiara Uth Matar (Dragonlance Chronicles/Legends)

First Appearance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight

Description: The only villain on the list and my pick for the all-time best female character in Dungeons and Dragons, Kitiara Uth Matar is a multifaceted female character that could have been the protagonist of her own series. Indeed, she has starred in several spin-offs and prequels to the Dragonlance main series. A hardened warrior, lover, and warlord, she just happens to have chosen to fight on the winning side.

Why We Love Her: Kitiara was unlike any other female characters I'd read when I first picked up the Dragonlance Legends books for the first time. Physically dominant, sexually aggressive, and ambitious, she was a woman after my own dark ambition. Kitiara also was a character who was chiefly opposed by a fellow woman in Laurana Kanan. Lord Soth, Dalamar, Skie, and Ariakas are all impressed with her strength of spirit with only her brother really able to hold her respect. Plus, she's a dragon rider.

Honorable Mentions: Laurana (Dragonlance Chronicles), Neeva (Prism Pentad), Princess Alusair (Forgotten Realms), Ruha (The Harpers), Lirel Baenre (Daughter of the Drow), Alustriel (Forgotten Realms), Imoen (Baldur's Gate), Annah (Planescape: Torment), Falls from Grace (Planescape: Torment), Danica (The Cleric Quintet), Sheila (Dungeons and Dragons cartoon)

Wednesday, July 24, 2024

Dragonlance: Dragons of Fate by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman review

Note: I received an Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review.

DRAGONLANCE: DRAGONS OF ETERNITY is possibly the final Dragonlance novel. This isn't because there's nowhere left to take the story but because Hasbro is no longer interested in publishing books. It's a shame because it manages to tell a very entertaining story and also sets up a new status quo for the fantasy world of Krynn that I found far more intriguing than the original Fifth Age of the setting established by DRAGONS OF SUMMER FLAME. There's a legend that with them being taken off of their own creation, Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman wrapped up all of the plots in that world as a form of creator revolt. While I don't believe that to be the case, I also think the setting was not meant to be what Wizards of the Coast eventually turned it into.

The premise for the DRAGONLANCE DESTINIES trilogy, of which this is the third, is that a young Solamnic woman named Destina has unwittingly become pawn to the god Chaos in its Graygem of Gargeth form. Basically, it manipulated events and her own petty desire to undo her unfortunate circumstances to rewrite all of history. At the start of the third book, Takhasis has won the Third Dragon War and all of Ansalom is under her control. Tanis Half-Elven heads back in time with the help of Antinus and attempts to join with Sturm, Destina, Brother Kairn, Tasslehoff Burrfoot as well as others to set things back on track. The book has some minor issues that come with time travel, whether fantasy or science fiction.

For instance, in a world where Takhasis won the Third Dragon War, there would never be a Kingpriest of Istar or Cataclysm. As such, it would be highly unlikely that there would be a Solace or Tanis Half-Elven or Brothers Majere. Indeed, history seems mostly unchanged from the Fourth Dragon War except things are even more dire than they were before (and they were already pretty dire in the original Dragonlance Chronicles).

This is a fairly minor complaint, however. Really, this book exists for the purposes of allowing us to get the band back together and hang out with old friends who have been with us for forty years. I was four when Dragons of Autumn Twilight came out and I read it when I was twelve. As such, it is an eternal part of mental landscape. A lot of it is revisiting old locations like the Inn of the Last Home, Solace, and dealing with delightfully boo hiss villains like Toede or Henderick.

My favorite part of the book is definitely the return of Kitiara uth Matar, the Blue Dragon Highlord. I have always considered her my favorite of the Dragonlance characters. Indeed, if I'm going to be honest, she was my first fictional crush. There was just something refreshing for a boy of my fundamentalist background to meet the sexually aggressive take-no-prisoners antiheroine who was out for herself. Sadly, the book doesn't really do much with her character and I was hoping some of the Heroes of the Lance would try to reach out to her across time for a redemption arc. Sadly, it was not to be.

The book dials back the role of Destina, Kairn, and Tasslehoff a bit. Instead, it focuses a lot more on the greater Dragonlance cast. I think this could have been dialed back a bit. I was much more invested in the changes done to the timeline as well as how they might fix it or not. A lot of people were speculating the ending of this book would undo Dragons of Summer Flame. The answer to that? Well, you'll have to read it but I think it leaves a lot to the imagination.

In conclusion, I very much enjoyed this book but I will state that it has some flaws. A little too much time is spent reliving Dragons of Autumn Twilight, the time travel elements are a bit more nonsensical than usual, and we could have done more with Kitiara's return. Still, I very much liked visiting with my old friends again. The ending also feels like it does offer the possibility of a better world for our heroes than the one that executive meddling gave us.

Available here

Monday, May 1, 2023

Ten Recommended Classic Dungeons and Dragons Novels

I have to admit that Dungeons and Dragons is where I got my start in fantasy. Aside from The Hobbit when I was a small child, my first real experience was the worn paperbacks I picked up in my school library of Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, and Ravenloft. However, for every awesome work of fantasy, there's going to be five that aren't up to snuff.

These are some of my favorite books from the TSR/WOTC era of novels and what I enjoyed most among them. There's some other fantastic novels other than these but I don't want to recommend a hundred of them.

10. Homeland by R.A. Salvatore (Forgotten Realms, The Legend of Drizzt)

Blurb: Discover the origin story of one of the greatest heroes of the Forgotten Realms—Drizzt Do’Urden—in this thrilling first installment in the classic Dungeons & Dragons series, the Dark Elf Trilogy

Drow ranger Drizzt Do’Urden, first introduced in The Icewind Dale Trilogy, quickly became one of the fantasy genre’s standout characters. With Homeland, Salvatore pulls back the curtain to reveal the startling tale of how this hero came to be—how this one lone drow walked out of the shadowy depths of the Underdark; how he left behind an evil society and a family that wanted him dead.

As the third son of Mother Malice and weaponmaster Zaknafein, Drizzt Do’Urden is meant to be sacrificed to Lolth, the evil Spider Queen, per drow tradition. But with the unexpected death of his older brother, young Drizzt is spared—and, as a result, further ostracized by his family. As Drizzt grows older, developing his swordsmanship skills and studying at the Academy, he begins to realize that his idea of good and evil does not match up with those of his fellow drow. Can Drizzt stay true to himself in a such an unforgiving, unprincipled world?

Homeland is the first book in the Dark Elf Trilogy and the Legend of Drizzt series.

Review: RA Salvatore is one of the most successful fantasy authors of all time with over fifteen million copies of his books sold. The Homeland Trilogy is, for me, the best of his works. Setting in the underground city of Menzoberranzan, the dark elf race is a theocratic and sexist fascist state that practices racial supremacy as well as worship of the demon princess Lolth. In this horrific environment, a young drow boy named Drizzt Do'Urden is born.

Drizzt is, to turn a phrase, "Not like other drow" and suffers from the pangs of conscience. Struggling to articulate why he does not feel ruthlessness and power-lust are the ways to live, he wishes to find something better but finds no other dark elves who feel like him. It's a fascinating and well-done work that ranks among not just the best of D&D fiction but fantasy in general. Or maybe I'm just remembering it fondly because it was the best thing ever when I was fourteen. Maybe both.

Needless to say, if you read this trilogy and like it, you have about thirty other books starring Drizzt to read thereafter. RA Salvatore is a writing beast and they're a steady meal that I have enjoyed for decades.

9. Elfshadow by Elaine Cunningham (Forgotten Realms, Song and Swords)

Blurb: An undercover agent and a half-elf assassin join forces to bring a killer to justice in this first installment of the Song & Sword series, set in the Forgotten Realms

Silent death stalks the Harpers of Faerûn, a semi-secret society dedicated to preserving justice and peace in the Realms. One by one, the Harpers are falling to the blade of an enigmatic killer—and every victim has associations with Arilyn Moonblade.

A half-elven fighter and Harper agent, Arilyn’s surname derives from the magical sword she wields. But even after she’s tasked with finding the murderer, there are many who believe she is the true culprit. Enter Danilo Thann, a bard who joins Arilyn’s quest after they meet in Waterdeep. Though Danilo may play the fool, he is secretly a capable Harper agent and mage—charged with determining Arilyn’s innocence and uncovering the secrets of her powerful moonblade.

Together, the unlikely duo set out to save the Harpers, embarking on a magical, action-packed adventure that launches an exciting new story in the Forgotten Realms universe.

Elfshadow is also the second book in the Harpers series.

Review: The Drizzt Do'Urden books are fascinating tales about a ranger dealing with racism on the surface as well as the philosophy underscoring life, the universe, and everything. Unfortunately, the metaphor of Drizzt Do'Urden for oppressed minorities breaks down since his people are the equivalent of Nazis.

Elfshadow deals with the metaphor of racial bias in Dungeons and Dragons in a more successful way by making the subject Arilyn Moonblade, half-elf. Arilyn is a Harper, sort of a secret service for adventurers, and the reluctant wielder of the Moonblade. The Moonblade is a sacred elvish relic designed to protect their species from its many enemies. The relic kills anyone who isn't worthy but a lot of elves take it personally the gods think Arilyn is.

Arilyn isn't an elvish nationalist and can barely stand her people at times. She's also attracted to a human wizard (who acts like a bard) named Danillo Than. It's a rocky-rocky road for Arilyn and no one can say which side of her heritage she'll end up pursuing--or if she needs to make a choice at all.

8. Azure Bonds by Kate Novac and Jeff Grubb (Forgotten Realms, The Finders Stone Trilogy)

Blurb: Her name is Alias, and she is in big trouble.

She is a sell-sword, a warrior-for-hire, and an adventuress. She awoke with a series of twisting, magical blue sigils inscribed on her arms and no memory of where she got them.

Determined to learn the nature of the mysterious tattoo, Alias joins forces with an unlikely group of companions: the halfling bard, Ruskettle, the southern mage, Akabar, and the oddly silent lizard-man, Dragonbait. With their help, she discovers that the symbols hold the key to her very existence.

But those responsible for the sigils aren't keen on Alias's continued good health. And if the five evil masters find her first, she may discover all too soon their hideous secret.

Review: One of the early successes of the Forgotten Realms, Alias is a woman who wakes up with no memory of her past and a magical tattoo. Describing more of the plot would potentially spoil it but it is an odd collection of weirdos that slowly become a family as well as resolve a fascinating mystery. I really enjoyed the character of Alias and think this is one of the most Dungeons and Dragons-like novels in this novels I'm listening.

7. Vampire of the Mists by Christie Golden (Ravenloft)

Blurb: Alone and torn by grief, a vampire accepts the hospitality of the local lord—only to question if he has placed his trust in the wrong person

Jander Sunstar is a gold elf, a native of magical Evermeet in the Forgotten Realms. He is also a five-hundred-year-old vampire.

Torn by rage and grief, Jander is transported into the nightmare realm of Ravenloft, where he gains the attention of the demiplane’s master, Count Strahd Von Zarovich. But can Jander trust this elegant fellow vampire once he discovers that his own quest for revenge is linked to the dark heritage of the count’s domain?

Vampire of the Mists is the first in an open-ended series of Gothic horror tales dealing with the masters and monsters of the Ravenloft dark fantasy setting.

Review: Ravenloft is a fascinating setting as well as a frustrating one. Created around the Hollywood Transylvania-like nation of Barovia, Dungeons and Dragons chose not to make it a setting like others but a weird demiplane where it touched multiple other worlds before drawing in the wicked or simply vulnerable. This premise was best illustrated by Vampire of the Mists. Jander Sunstar, elvish vampire, is sucked into Demiplane of Dread where he becomes the semi-willing guest of Strahd von Zarovich.

A bit like Interview with a Vampire, Jander is the "good" vampire to Strahd's "bad" vampire but the two of them are stuck with each other since no one else can possibly understand their shared plight. However, there's a limit to how far Jander Sunstar is willing to go to ease his loneliness and he unwittingly starts a religion dedicated to fighting the undead.

It's a fun mix of Gothic horror and high fantasy.

6. Time of the Twins by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman (Dragonlance, Legends)

Blurb: The first installment in the New York Times–bestselling epic fantasy trilogy about twin rivals Raistlin and Caramon, set in the magical Dragonlance universe.

The War of the Lance has ended, and the darkness has passed. Or has it?

Sequestered in the blackness of the dreaded Tower of High Sorcery in Palanthas, and surrounded by nameless creatures of evil, archmage Raistlin Majere weaves a plan to conquer the darkness—to bring it under his control.

Two people alone can stop him. One is Crysania, a beautiful and devoted cleric of Paladine, who tries to use her faith to lead Raistlin from the darkness. She is blind to his shadowed designs, and he draws her slowly into his neatly woven trap.

The other is Raistlin’s twin, Caramon. Made aware of his brother’s plan, a distraught Caramon travels back in time to the doomed city of Istar in the days before the Cataclysm. There, together with the ever-present kender Tasslehoff, Caramon will make his stand to save Raistlin’s soul.

Review: I know what you're going to say, but Charles, isn't the proper place to start with Dragonlance the Chronicles trilogy? Time of the Twins is the first book in the Legends Trilogy that is the sequel to the Chronicles trilogy. Yes, my readers, this is true. However, the first fantasy novel I ever read was Time of the Twins and I loved it.

The War of the Lance is over and the Heroes of the Lance have been feted as legendary heroes. However, not every one of them has landed on their feet. Caramon Majere, warrior, has become nothing more than a fat drunk due to being abandoned by his magic-using twin brother, Raistlin. Raistlin has become the most powerful and feared wizard in the world but turned to the powers of darkness. A beautiful cleric, Crysania, has decided to recruit the former to engage the latter and things get complicated from there.

The storytelling dynamics of these books hold up decades later and I regularly re-read them. What happens after the big adventure? What new vistas are left to conquer?

5. Prince of Lies by James Lowder and The Crucible: The Trial of Cyric the Mad by Troy Denning

Blurb: The gods may have been restored to their rightful seats of power—but the end of the Time of Troubles does not mark the end of all strife

Although the gods have regained their powers and no longer walk in the mortal world, there is still little peace between them. When their deeply engrained power struggles erupt once more, ex-comrades Mystra—formerly known as Midnight and recently elevated to godhood—and Cyric are bound together in conflict.

Cyric, now the god of strife, murder, and the dead, has become even more obsessed with power and revenge. No longer content with just the Tablets of Fate, he wants the Forgotten Realms all to himself—and to rule them in the name of evil. Only Mystra, the new goddess of magic, has the ability to defeat him and restore the balance that has been lost.

Review: I'm cheating by including these two but they're not quite a duology and both work as standalones. Both of them deal with an area not often discussed by Dungeons and Dragons: gods and how they react. It is also a book from the perspective of one of the gods of evil no less. Cyric the Mad, God of Evil, has been royally screwing up his side. This would be good if not for the fact that there must be a cosmic balance in the universe.

Both of these books follow various deities and mortal champions as they attempt to deal with Cyric's erratic, even stupid, behavior that causes massive damage to both his side as well as the side of good. I really enjoyed both books and think they get into the Olympian-like antics of Toril's heroes.

4. The Verdant Passage by Troy Denning (Dark Sun, The Prism Pentad)

Blurb: Return to the apocalyptic deserts of the Dark Sun world as unlikely heroes spark a revolution against an evil sorcerer-king

For thousands of years, the devil sorcerer King Kalak has used vile magic to drain Athas of its precious life-force. Now, his reign is coming to an end—though the city of Tyr, like the rest of the world, is nothing more than a magic-blasted ruin and a desolate place of dust, blood, and fear. All that’s left is desperation—and revolution.

Leading this revolution against Kalak are a maverick statesman, a winsome half-elf slave girl, and a man-dwarf gladiator bred for the arenas. But if the people are to be freed, the mismatched trio of steadfast rebels must look into the face of terror and choose between love and life.

First introduced in 1991, Troy Denning’s post-apocalyptic world of Athas remains one of the most talked-about and fan-requested settings in the Dungeons & Dragons universe. Now, a new generation of readers can discover the magic-blasted deserts of the unforgettable Dark Sun . . .

Review: Dark Sun is a very strange setting that attempted to broaden what Dungeons and Dragons was all about. Basically, a magical post-apocalypse setting, Dark Sun had the majority of the world reduced to a brutal unforgiving desert ruled by depraved sorcerer kings. Troy Denning took this opportunity to tell a huge epic about a group of adventurers who make the decision to tackle this world head on and do their best to save it.

Sadira of Tyr and her companions are part of the city-state of Tyr's resistance against the brutal sorcerer king, Kalak. They are determined to be heroes and overthrow the tyrant but even when the book was first written, they weren't your typical adventurers. The antiheroism was strong in this group and made all the stronger for their ruthless Darwinist society.

3. I, Strahd by P.N. Elrod (Ravenloft)

Blurb: Part of an open-ended series of gothic horror stories, this is another thrilling dark fantasy set in the Ravenloft universe of Dungeons & Dragons—where vampires and dark magic reign

War-hardened vampire Strahd von Zarovich will do anything to win the hand of the woman he loves—even if it comes at the cost of his brother’s life

Ever since a vampire slew his son, Dr. Rudolph Van Richten has waged a personal war against these monstrosities of night. Now he has discovered the Font of Knowledge—and the most powerful vampire of them all: Strahd.

The very heart of evil in Barovia, Strahd Von Zarovich has ruled his land with an iron fist for nearly four centuries. At first, he was a strict but fair human lord, demanding honesty and repaying treachery with death. He rose to power through war, his life comprised of armies and assassins, taxes and laws. But beneath the grim gray weight of these thousand duties, Strahd was growing old.

Then came Tatyana.

The nearly dead soul of Strahd was revived; his dusty heart began to beat again. Tatyana awoke something in him—the hope of the youth and happiness he had so willingly squandered. And she awoke in him desire; raised his spirit to empyrean heights so that when he fell, he fell like a meteor.

The Devil Strahd, his people call him now, an unnatural necromancer by all accounts. But few of the living know he is a vampire lord. Van Richten is one of those few.

Review: Strahd Von Zarovich is undoubtedly Dungeons and Dragons' greatest villain. The Count Dracula-esque antagonist not only had personality when most villains were, "Stay in the end of the dungeon waiting for the players to reach them" but also a genuinely compelling character.

So, reading his biography from his perspective is quite the treat. It may seem a bit redundant to read this with Vampire of the Mists but I actually think the books make excellent compliments. Specifically, I, Strahd has Strahd putting all of his actions in the best light possible and you can tell he's outright lying in several places.

2. Darkwalker on the Moonshae by Douglas Niles (Forgotten Realms, Moonshaes Trilogy)

Blurb: The very first Forgotten Realms novel ever published—and an exciting introduction to the kingdom of Corwell in the Moonshae Isles

The evil beast Kazgaroth wages war against the peaceful balance of the Earthmother, goddess of the Isles of Moonshae. The beast’s relentless army of giant Firbolgs, dread Bloodriders, and other vicious creatures are a force to be reckoned with—and only young Tristan Kendrick, heir to the legacy of the High Kings, can stand in their way.

However, Tristan is more interested in hunting, drinking, and revelry than heroism, and the realms are in grave danger. Can Tristan rise to the mantel of his legacy to unite forces of good and to save his home from evil?

Review: The first Forgotten Realms novel was actually originally written unrelated to the setting but created one of the most vibrant and interesting stories of the setting. Part of what makes these books so good is the fact that they are set in a self-contained isle around a limited but likable royal family. The Kendrick family are worshipers of the Earthmother and living on the idyllic Irish-themed islands. Unfortunately, Bhaal the God of Murder has decided to summon himself in the physical world to lay waste to their home. That's it and that is an impressive epic story by itself.

1. The Legend of Huma by Richard Knaak (Dragonlance)

Blurb: In the realms of Dragonlance, the legend of one heroic knight is larger than life . . .

When word spreads that goblins are roaming nearby, Huma Dragonbane, a Knight of the Crown, is sent to patrol the woods and fend off chaos. It is there that he stumbles upon a tortured minotaur, Kaz, who he swiftly frees from vicious goblin captors. So beings an unlikely but powerful friendship—one that will plunge Huma and Kaz into a deadly battle against the treacherous Knights of Solamnia and the dark goddess Takhisis. Even with the power of the legendary Silver Dragon at their side, Huma and Kaz face overwhelming odds . . .

Only fragments of the account of Huma survived the Cataclysm that broke the world of Krynn. His story has never been fully told—until now.

Review: One of my all-time favorite fantasy novels and what introduced me to the works of Richard Knaak. The Legend of Huma is a prequel to the Dragonlance Chronicles as well as Legends books. Takhasis, the Queen of Darkness, has started a massive war to conquer the world with the forces of good on the losing side. Huma, a young Knight of the Crown, finds himself the reluctant champion of the god Paladine against her efforts. It is a compact but entertaining story with a strong narrative that manages to introduce all the elements of Krynn you need to know without being otherwise familiar with the setting.

Check out other Lists

Five Indie Cyberpunk Recommendation List

Five Recommended Kindle Unlimited Books

Tuesday, March 28, 2023

Dragons of Dwarven Depths by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman review

DRAGONS OF DWARVEN DEPTHS is the first of the “Lost Chronicles” trilogy for Dragonlance. They basically are a series of novels meant to fill in the material left “off camera” from the original Dragonlance Chronicles trilogy. Now if you’ve always wanted to know how Tanis Half-Elven and Flint Fireforge acquired the Hammer of Kharas, that’s probably a great selling point. If you have no idea who either of those people and think Raistlin is a type of candy, then I’d argue this book is still for you. It’s surprisingly easy to follow and might lead you to check out the other books. However, as a rule, I recommend you check out the original Chronicles first.

The premise is pretty simple and picks up directly after the events of Dragons of Autumn Twilight. The simple version is that a bunch of adventurers are leading a bunch of refugees through the wilderness while being hunted by dragon-themed bad guys. The safest place is a nearby dwarven kingdom but it’s been sealed up for centuries. They need to figure out something the dwarven kingdom wants to get shelter before the bad guys or winter finishes them off. The complicated version requires explaining centuries of backstory that isn’t actually necessary to explain the story but ties together a dozen other books.

This is what I like about Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman at the height of their game. When they are at their best, you don’t need to know all the backstory and lore to understand the story. The first fantasy novel I ever read after The Hobbit was The Time of the Twins and I actually thought the big epic war was just backstory invented for the book. It didn’t hurt my enjoyment of the book at all to be introduced with them and I feel the same for this one. If you’ve never heard of these guys, this would be a decent way to meet them for the first time.

Part of what makes this book work is the heavy focus on characterization and seriousness of the problems both mundane as well as exotic. A bigger issue than ghosts in the ruins of Skullcap is that Raistlin’s resentment of his brother and his dependence on him drives him to emotional abuse. Something that helps cause Raistlin to lose the trust of everyone who would be otherwise more willing to listen to his (often sound) advice. Flint, Riverwind, Tanis, and the others take the threat of winter as seriously as draconians. It grounds them and makes them likable in a way that lots of other fantasy, particularly Dungeons and Dragons fantasy, doesn’t.

Flint Fireforge never got that much character development in the main books and was sort of regulated to being “Team Dad” and “Token Generic Dwarf.” This book doesn’t so much challenge that as fill it out a bit. We get to see how the bigotry against Hill Dwarves (and by them) has affected all of his relationships. The rest of the characters are somewhat stuck with their characterizations from Chronicles, for better and worse. Raistlin bullies Caramon, who is horny for Tika, and Tanis has a bizarre belief that his ex-Laurana wants to romance the preacher Elistan. Still, it’s some good characterization and watching the noble knight Sturm get tempted with glory as well as power is always good.

The villains for the book are serviceable but entertaining with a pair of draconians impersonating Verminaard, the antagonist from Dragons of Autumn Twilight. I think this is a reference to how Verminaard was referenced as being alive somewhere after the first book but I, sadly, failed my Dragonlance lore check. Still, they provide a decent enough threat and it’s always good to note that even though our heroes “beat” the Red Dragon Army in the previous book, they are still able to mount a horrifying threat. My only real regret is that the book brings back Hederick the Theocrat and doesn’t horribly kill him. I thought he was an unrealistic cartoon in the original trilogy and unfortunately, now I know he’s all too realistic but that just makes me hate him more.

Dragons of Dwarven Depths is probably up there with Legends in my mind for best Dragonlance book and is among the better Dungeons and Dragons fiction as a whole. It’s a bunch of extremely likable fantasy protagonists and gives them enough depth to move them beyond the stock archetypes that they may have started as. In other words, if you’re a fan of Dragonlance or interested in checking it out then try it.

Available here

Thursday, March 23, 2023

Ten Recommended Dragonlance Novels

Awhile ago, I wrote an article that proved popular called TEN RECOMMENDED CLASSIC DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS NOVELS. Being a lifelong Dungeons and Dragons fan of a certain age, I have read hundreds of novels across most of the campaign settings. For a long time, the novels were as much a source of revenue for the TSR/WOTC company as the actual product they were producing.

However, if I were to list where my heart lay, I would have to say it was Dragonlance. I fell in love with the setting after reading Dragonlance Chronciles for the first time as well as Dragonlance Legends. As such, I've decided to share my favorite ten books in the franchise. A lot of these are by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, because no one does it better than the creators, but not all of them. All of these are the first in their series despite some of the sequels being "better" but if you see them recommended, assume I recommend reading the whole thing.

10. Chosen of the Gods by Chris Pierson

The destruction of Istar is one of the most seminal events in the Dragonlance universe. The end of the corrupt theocracy was the subject of the second Legends book but how it got to be as horrible as it was at the end is something that was never chronicled, until these books. Part of what I like is the protagonist is a likable enough fellow that keeps making what he thinks are the right decisions but, in fact, facilitate fanatics.

Part of what I enjoy about this is Fistandantilus, rather than Raistlin impersonating Fistandantilus, plays a significant role in the novel. We also get a sense of the Kingpriest's personality beyond being the guy who wrecked the world with his immense hubris. You may argue with whether the gods of Krynn should have smote the theocratic tyranny or not but at least you get a sense of who these people were before the mountain fell.

9. Dragons of Dwarven Depths by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

The original Dragonlance Chronicles was a adaptation of a series of adventure modules originally. One of the ones that wasn't adapted was the quest for the Hammer of Kharas. This is an interquel as a result, set between Dragons of Autumn Twilight and Dragons of Winter Night. Our heroes are frozen in their characterization at this point in time but reading about them is like spending time with an old friend.

I think my favorite part of the book is that it helps expand on the much-overlooked character of Flint Foreforge. While there's plenty of Raistlin Majere books, with good reason, there's little developing the Hill dwarf who served as the "Team Dad" for the War of the Lance.

8. The Soulforge by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

The Soulforge is a fascinating story about the origins of the aforementioned and much alluded to, Raistlin Majere. How did Krynn's greatest wizard get someone to tutor him? What were his early struggles and what helped him become the embittered misanthrope that wanted to become a god? The character of Raistlin is one that has fascinated generations of Dragonlance readers.

Raistlin is a character who appeals to the dark self-centered sides of ourselves but the authors never forget that most of the problems that he encounters are entirely the result of his own self-sabotage. Raistlin thinks women hate him, people look down on him, and that everyone is envious of his powers as well as intelligence. He is also insanely jealous of his brother. In truth, most people dislike him because he's such a jerk.

7. Lord Toede by Jeff Grubb and Jeff Easley

Hobgoblins are an undervalued antagonist in Dungeons and Dragons. Basically, if you're going to use monster mooks then you either use the more iconic goblins or orcs. However, Hobgoblins are the classic fascist "intelligent Dark Lord worshiping" Lord of the Rings goblinoids. So I've always had a fondness for killing them. What could make a book about a hobgoblin scheming weasel better?

Make it a comedy explicitly based on Blackadder. Toade gets a massive intelligence boost for this story as well as charisma versus his Chronicles appearance but you know what? It works. It works great.

Fewmaster Toade wants to regain his position as Dragon Highlord, despite never technically having held it, and that requires dealing with everyone who is willing to backstab him for power. Which turns out to be both the forces of darkness AS WELL AS the forces of good.
Sadly, this doesn't seem to be available in ebook form.

6. Lord Soth by Edo Van Belkom

This is going to be an odd choice and I almost put The Doom Brigade here instead. However, I think Lord Soth is my favorite of the various books devoted to villains. The Chronicles and Legends version of Soth is one that is a truly good man brought by lust as well as jealousy ala Othello. This one is shown to be an even worse person as we're introduced to having his father's bastards killed to secure his succession. Nevertheless, Soth remains powerfully charismatic despite the constant and never-ending awful things he does to the women he supposedly loves. It makes me think, oddly enough, of Joe from You. Now that's a weird piece of fantasy casting if I've ever heard one.

I think Lord Soth is my second favorite Dragonlance character, no, wait third after Kitiara. He's a delightful reflection on the self-hating fallen knight. He's also incredibly entertaining in how few cares he has for what the gods or other beings can do to him. There's a reason much of Soth's backstory from this book was used in later books like Knight of the Black Rose.

5. Dragons of Summer Flame by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

Dragons of a Summer Flame is a controversial book to me because it is both an excellent high-stakes sequel to the War of the Lance and Legends but also what effectively ended the Dragonlance line as a story. There's also the urban legend that the reason the books ended the way they did was because the authors were attempting to "torch the franchise and run" due to TSR taking it away from its creators. I don't believe that but it did make sequels to the setting nearly impossible and required a lot of retcons to fix the changes.

On the other hand, it is a truly fantastic story with Palin Majere and Usha the human girl raised by the Irda. Chaos works very well as a Morgoth figure against the evils of Takhasis' Sauron. I especially liked the Appendix that established a counterpoint to the idea of all three Alignments being equal among the gods.

4. The Second Generation by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

The War of the Lance period makes fantastic stories but there's always been something of a question of "what to do next after the Queen of Darkness is defeated"? This book doesn't really answer it but provides a wonderful collection of stories that give a good idea how to do Dragonlance adventures without the War of the Lance looming over everything. Palin Majere, Steel Brightblade, and other characters are all fascinating individuals with a bunch of entertaining tales. It sets up Dragons of Summer Flame pretty well but is a lot lighter as well as "funner" than the much darker story listed as No. #5.

I highly recommend people who want to read the entirety of the Dragonlance Saga but without getting sidetracked go Chronicles, Legends, Second Generation, and then Dragons of Summer Flame. Everything else is just gravy.

3. The Legend of Huma by Richard Knaak

The most famous knight in Krynnish history is Huma Dragonbane who managed to defeat the Queen of Darkness with the aid of the Silver Dragon that he fell in love with. Condensing an entire war against the Dark Queen from three books into one book is a big chore but Richard Knaak pulls it off. One of the reasons why is because it's all from Huma's perspective and thus we get a much more intimate look into his thinking process than if he had to share events from an entire Heroes of the Lance-esque adventuring party. The book also introduces Kaz the Minotaur that helped develop the underdeveloped culture of Krynn's most unusual life.

2. Dragons of an Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

The book that began it all, Dragons of Autumn Twilight isn't my favorite of the novels but it is a book that introduces the fantastic world of Krynn. I recommend it as a good "introductory" book for anyone who wants to get into the genre for the first time. Tanis Half-Elven, Sturm Brightblade, Raistlin (again), Goldmoon, Tika, and so many other fantastic characters are introduced. They may be archypes but that doesn't mean they're not people you fall in love with. The book also has something of a Dungeons and Dragons game-esque feel with lots of encounters, magical items, and a big bad with the detestable Verminaard.

1. Time of the Twins by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

Raistlin Majere is, by far, the most popular character of Dragonlance and up there with Drizzt Do'Urden in terms of name recognition. So, it was inevitable that he would get his own trilogy. He ended up getting multiple books of his own actually. However, this is the "main" sequel to Chronicles and deals with the mage's attempts to become a god. Most of all, the story benefits from exploring Raistlin's toxic relationships with his brother Caramon as well as his attempts to manipulate Crysania. Raistlin is not someone to be redeemed by the power of love but that someone could love him is something that shakes him to the core.

Friday, August 5, 2022

Dragonlance: Dragons of Deceit by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

DRAGONS OF DECEIT by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman is the best Dragonlance book since THE SECOND GENERATION. Unfortunately, that's saying quite a bit since that includes DRAGONS OF A SUMMER FLAME, THE WAR OF SOULS, and THE DARK DISCIPLE books. I haven't read THE LOST CHRONICLES yet, but I feel like it is hard to capture the magic of THE DRAGONLANCE CHRONICLES and DRAGONLANCE LEGENDS.

Anyway, Destina Rosethorn, my one complaint being her name sounds like it came from Harry Potter fanfic, is a young Solamnic Knight's daughter during the War of the Lance. Her father doesn't believe in the gods, but her mother does. After a series of unfortunate events result in Destina losing her father, castle, fiance, and self-respect, she proceeds to hatch upon a plan to use the Device of Time Journeying ot save her father from death at the High Clerist's Tower.

Much of the book's humor derives from the fact that Destina's plan is utterly insane and incredibly ill-considered from beginning to end. It is also hypocritical as she spends a lot of the book talking about her disdain for magic and wizards while depending on a device that is unquestionably magic. The fact she chooses to involve the Graygem in this, which many book fans will know from Dragons of Summer Flame, is another layer of stupidity on a stupid sandwich.

This isn't a complaint about the book because Destina's plan is actually somewhat endearing. We've all lost someone and would love to see them return if we had the right magic to do so. Watching her blunder forward with not one, but two of the most powerful mystical artifacts in existence is even more humorous than Tasslehoff Burrfoot ever was. Especially when she starts mucking with the timeline like if Rosencratz and Guildenstern decided to tell Hamlet's mother that her current husband murdered her late husband.

Speaking of Tasslehoff, much of the book is about how Destina can't outwit him. Which is hard to really summarize the full meaning of that sentence. She.cannot.outwit.Tasslehoff. I love Destina and she's a wonderfully fun girl but while she may have an INT score of 12 or 13, she absolutely must have either the lowest WIS score on Krynn or is consistently rolling 1's on her Diplomacy or Sense Motive checks. Tasslehoff runs rings around her and that, honestly, is the best evidence I can think of that a character is a complete moron.

How bad is she at this? I mean, beyond trying to alter time and space with an object the gods can't control to save her father versus, I dunno, calling her father's ghost up to contest his will or finding Elistan or Crysania to resurrect him? Asking Astinus to confirm that her father left her keep to her rather than his evil nephew? Straight up murdering her evil cousin and his wife? I mean, still incredibly extreme measures but a little less insane is all I'm saying. Well, Tasslehoff and she end up married. No, I'm not going to explain the circumstances.

Dragons of Summer Flame ended the Dragonlance epic in many fan's eyes with the assumption being that Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman were attempting to wrap it all up before WOTC took it away from. Mostly because they've been trying to undo the changes to the setting for the past couple of decades. Many fans are assuming this trilogy is going to be yet another attempt and be a bit like DC's FLASHPOINT PARADOX.

Is Dragons of Deceit going to do that? Honestly, I don't know, but it's heavily implied that the Second Cataclysm is something everyone wants to avert. The fact Dalamar and the other High Sorcery mages see it coming as well as desire to stop it is an argument by itself. They certainly didn't know about it in the original timeline. It's also described not in "oh, humanity finally can make its own way!" terms but, "Oh my god, a world without gods and magic after we just got them back? That is monstrous!" Which, honestly, I think is how they would react so no complaints from me there.

I love this book. I love Destina, who feels real both because and despite the fact she is the dumbest person in Krynn. We have way too many incredibly clever protagonists. Dungeons and Dragons was founded on people who see the Necronomicon and forget the magic words to use it safely. There's even a nod to this when the Hand of Vecna is sold to some gullible Black Robe mages with instructions to chop parts off themselves. Yet, I felt her pain and her very real-life problems that were relatable to all of us that struggled after the death of a loved one. Plus, some old favorites may or may not be back from the dead.

8.5/10

Available here

Sunday, March 13, 2022

Books that made us: Dragonlance's Legends Trilogy

    One of the things some of my friends have been revealing is that a lot of us share the same books that made us the lovers of fantasy we are. Ryan Howse did a fantastic job talking about what the Canticle books by RA Salvatore meant to him. Jodie Crump talked about the wonders of the Dragonlance Chronicles.

    For me, however much I liked these books, the ultimate book series was Dragonlance Legends: Time of the Twins, War of the Twins, and Test of the Twins. These were the sequel books to the Dragonlance Chronicles but I actually read them first. Furthermore, they were not only my first exposure to Dungeons and Dragons fiction but they were my first fantasy novels ever. I mean, not counting Narnia and the Hobbit when I was in grade school.

    The premise is the big epic heroic battle against the forces of darkness is over. The forces of good are triumphant and the forces of evil are defeated. I always thought that was a tremendously clever way of opening a campaign setting because, even then, I knew enough about high fantasy to be bored of epic battles against good versus evil. Indeed, it was such a clever idea that I pretty much copied it with Wraith Knight (shh). A war of light and dark can usually end only one way while the aftermath can go anyway you want it to.

    War hero Caramon Majere, who I misread as Cameron for a decade, is a fat drunk who is barely keeping himself from being abusive. While the rest of the Heroes of the Lance have gone on to bigger and better things, he’s allowed himself to wallow in self-pity as well as regret. There’s also some un-diagnosed PTSD but there isn’t exactly much in the way of psychology on Krynn. The biggest regret Caramon has is his brother Raistlin Majere turning to the Dark Side (or Black Robes in this case).

    Raistlin Majere. Man, if there has been a more influential character to my writing then it’s either Harry Dresden or no one. Raistlin was the man when I was a fourteen-year-old nerd thinking he was smarter than everyone else. As a teenager, you think the entire world is out to get you and everyone is jealous of your superior intellect–or maybe that was just me. As an adult, I look back on Raistlin Majere with different eyes. Perhaps the eyes of wisdom. A genius, indeed, but so self-absorbed and misanthropic that he made 90% of his own problems.

    In a way, Raistlin also serves as an excellent rebuttal for all those dark and tragic romances out there. He and the cleric, Crysania, have all the hallmarks of a bad boy/good woman romance but the books never shy away from what a terrible person he is. He could have happiness with her but to do so would require him to give up his self-agrandizing plans that have no real purpose to him. Raistlin wants to be a god but, really, why? What’s he going to do once he’s a god? It was an interesting concept to present to a teenager.

    I also loved the character of Crysania who was a spoiled and somewhat arrogant woman but possessed of a genuine empathy as well as faith. She wants to help Raistlin but also has own ambitions that are guiding her somewhat foolish actions. I also love the story of Caramon Majere as he struggles to overcome his trauma as well as addiction. He also needs to divorce himself of his toxic relationship with his brother that was, previously, his only reason for living.

    Fantastic series and everyone should read it.

Friday, August 23, 2024

10. Kyriani Agrivar (Advanced Dungeons and Dragons comic)

9. Viconia DeVir (Baldur's Gate)

8. Larisssa Snowmane (Dance of the Dead)

7. Shadowheart (Baldur's Gate III)

6. Alias (Azure Bonds)

5. Sadira of Tyr (The Prism Pentad)

4. Cattie Brie (The Legend of Drizzt)

3. Crysania Tarinius (Dragonlance Legends)

2. Arilyn Moonblade (Songs and Swords)

1. Kitiara Uth Matar (Dragonlance Chronicles/Legends)

Wednesday, July 24, 2024

Monday, May 1, 2023

10. Homeland by R.A. Salvatore (Forgotten Realms, The Legend of Drizzt)

9. Elfshadow by Elaine Cunningham (Forgotten Realms, Song and Swords)

8. Azure Bonds by Kate Novac and Jeff Grubb (Forgotten Realms, The Finders Stone Trilogy)

7. Vampire of the Mists by Christie Golden (Ravenloft)

6. Time of the Twins by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman (Dragonlance, Legends)

5. Prince of Lies by James Lowder and The Crucible: The Trial of Cyric the Mad by Troy Denning

4. The Verdant Passage by Troy Denning (Dark Sun, The Prism Pentad)

3. I, Strahd by P.N. Elrod (Ravenloft)

2. Darkwalker on the Moonshae by Douglas Niles (Forgotten Realms, Moonshaes Trilogy)

1. The Legend of Huma by Richard Knaak (Dragonlance)

Check out other Lists

Tuesday, March 28, 2023

Thursday, March 23, 2023

Friday, August 5, 2022

Sunday, March 13, 2022

Follow me on Twitter!

Total Pageviews

Followers