Wizards of the Coast, $7.99, ISBN 0-7869-1807-1
Fantasy, 2001 (Reissue)
Purist fantasy readers and critics may sneer at Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis, but I always have a soft spot for them. Hence, I have no problems plunking $7.99 for this 627-paged epic combo.
Dragons of a Fallen Sun is set in the world of Krynn, where dragons rule over humans, dwarves, elves, gnomes, and other humanoid and not-so-humanoid beasts. Danger arise when a waif called Mina starts healing the blind and mobilizing the crippled (yes, this is a very obvious attempt at not-too-subtle philosophical pretensions from the authors), thus commanding an army of fanatical zealots to what seems like a plan to rule the world under the religion of the One True God (don’t groan, please – I already did enough of that).
Meanwhile, the whiny elves are bickering – again – and the silly fools of Silvanesti are being tricked into killing themselves, but Silvanoshei is here to save the day. Or rather, as best as his whiny incapacitated buffoon self could. At the other end, Qualinesti, the whiny and equally tedious Gilthas (the late Tanis Half-Elven’s son) has to deal with politics.
Palin Majere is very whiny because he is losing his magic, thus alienating his lackluster and very dull wife Usha. I’m still wondering how these authors think Usha was capable of carrying off Dragons of Summer Flame when she has the constitution of a brown cow.
A human Solamnic Knight called Gerard is assigned to escort a kender named Tasslehoff Burrfoot (yes, he’s back from the dead) to Dalamar the Dark (who’s supposed to be dead). Naturally, he’s not happy with this.
All these four stories – and many other subplots – collide in one epic finale in Silvanesti. The world is in danger once again, ho-ho-ho!
The main thing that struck me is how uninteresting the main characters are, apart from Mina and Gerard and of course, the incorrigible Tas. The elves are still so whiny and stupid I still say the now-departed Gods did Krynn a big disfavor by not causing the Cataclysm to burst open in one genocidal nuclear explosion in the two Elven kingdoms. The authors are trying to make Palin some sort of Raistlin figure, but he has the charisma of a dry shriveled pea. And most unforgivable is the way the authors reduce Laurana and Goldmoon, former strong warrior women, into useless, weak symbols of martyrdom. It is one thing to be old, but old doesn’t mean a complete loss of dignity, does it?
Still, the second half of this story burst into life when the plot moves away from the characters’ self-absorbed whinges and things actually get moving into action and war territory. Here, the authors demonstrate that they still haven’t lost their touch when it comes to bringing out the best in their characters, both good and evil, in times of turmoil. Loyalty, courage, and unforeseen nobility – traditional themes the authors always excel at. And yes, as always, I am delighted at the way these authors blur the lines between good and evil, even if this time around they do it with the subtlety of an elephant falling down from the sky through my roof.
I confess I find the Biblical pretensions and the elves very, very annoying, but when I find myself closing the book with this eager anticipation for book two, I know this book has gotten to me despite all my reservations about the premise and forgettable main characters. Dragons of a Fallen Sun can still pack a punch when it wants to. A weakened punch, but still, a punch nonetheless.
