Dragons of Summer Flame

I was extremely unhappy with this book. It was actually written OK, but I cannot for the life of me figure out why ALL of the heros of the lance were killed in this. It just does not make sense to me, then I kind of got into some of the Lance heros kids (as their characters were developing well) Like Palin, Tanin, Gilthanis, they all get killed off too between the "Second Generation and Dragons of Summer Flame" It seemed that for whatever reason, the whole entire bloodline of the heros of the lance were set out to be destroyed. I have read books in Ebberron, Grey Hawk, Etc. The Chronicles and Legends are still the best series of books I have ever read, I have not found any others that are in the same realm as these. I just think there could have been many other ways to have done this, there was not a need to kill everyone off and their children as well. I can understand wanting to put the world in a new direction and new characters into the mix. But we did not need a complete overhaul. I was let down, to be lifted up with the liking of and or attachment too - some of the children to the heros of the Lance. To be brought back down when they are pretty much all killed as well. I will go with another comment I have seen, I will re read the the first two series containing the Heroes of the Lance & Pretend the the Second Generation and Dragons of Summer Flame were bad dreams.

Although it's not mentioned on the cover, this book is considered to be volume 4 of the DRAGONLANCE CHRONICLES. It follows the adventures of the "second generation of heroes", the sons and daughters of the Heroes of the Lance. If you read SECOND GENERATION by Weis & Hickman first, you'll get a lot more out of this book.
Weis & Hickman live up to their normal levels of excellence. This book is chock full of vivid characters, brilliant storytelling, and plenty of action and suspense. The dialogue and character interaction are still top notch and believable. The characters from the original trilogy that are seen act consistently with how they've been written before. Weis & Hickman do an excellent job of immersing the reader in the land of Krynn.
The one shortcoming, I felt, was that it seemed to be rushed, especially after the halfway point. Battles seemed to be over too quickly or simply referred to as something that already happened (there was one particular scene I would have loved to have read directly) and the resolutions to the numerous confrontations seemed to be too simple. I think it would have taken a minimum of two, and preferably three, books to do justice to this story.
My only other minor gripe is that, between this book and SECOND GENERATION, we never even meet some of the offspring that are referred to (I won't spoil it for those of you who haven't read these books). We also don't get to see Riverwind and Goldmoon. A character that was introduced in SECOND GENERATION (which made me think they would play a pivotal role in this book) is never directly showed to the reader, but rather referred to by other characters. Finally, there are a couple of characters whose destiny we never find out at the end of the book (and I'm assuming they won't be around in the WAR OF SOULS trilogy).
Other than these two things (which were actually minor, despite the amount of time I spent writing about them), this was a thoroughly enjoyable book for Dragonlance fans. While obviously a setup for THE WAR OF SOULS, it was still a satisfactory read. I enjoyed revisiting the characters I've come to know so well from the other books and Weis & Hickman do not disappoint in their return to the world of Krynn. Definitely a must read for any fan of the Heroes of the Lance.

Unlike everyone else, I wasn't disappointed in the ending(even though I knew that was a bad idea). It was the way the story was written that disappointed me.
This was a story that should have been told in 3 novels. After learning in the Second Generation that evil had discovered the secret to defeating good(by having respect for one's opponents), I wanted to see evil win for about 2 books. I wanted to see good struggle with an opponent that couldn't be beat by inner ambition. Dang you, Chaos!
It was also a little disappointing to learn that Usha wasn't Raistlin's daughter. After I learned how awesome the bad guys had gotten, I immediately thought good was in real trouble & would need a miracle to win. Then I thought maybe the miracle would come in the form of Raistlin & his daughter but it was not to be. Anybody else think that would have made a great trilogy?

This is an excellent book. You gotta love

those cliff hangers at the end of each of the

chapters. I couldn't put the blasted book down

I start reading it at nine at night intending

on only reading one or two chapters and often

times find that it's three or four in the

morning and I'm still reading it!

I almost broke out in tears when I got to the

last few pages though. Besides my favorite

kender Tas being killed off, all the gods
left,and most importantly all the magic of

Krynn was also gone. Talk about an aweful
fate! I really hope this doesn't mean the

end the Dragonlance series, that would be a

fate worse than death.

Nevertheless this is an excellent book and I

definitly recommend reading it.

I've long loved the Dragonlance books. Legends in particular is one of my favorite fantasy trilogies of all time.
But I cannot understand just what compelled the authors to write this.
There are many additions to keep things interesting of course: most of the readers who stuck to the 2 trilogies will find a lot of new and strange characters in this book. (I for one, was compltely stumped by Steel Brightblade's history.)
In the beginning, the book starts off well, the creation of Krynn in particular was interesting. But by the time we get to the pre-requisite love story, things start going out of whack.
The introduction of the Knights of Takhsis, while initially seems like a good idea, conflicts greatly with the old Dragonlance adage 'Evil turns in on itself.' While explained away in the beginning, this idea of honor and (for lack of a better word) goodness in men that venerate evil seems absurd, for evil stands completely against such values. This theme was repeated earlier in their Rose of the Prophet trilogy.
Some of the new characters are fine, but others I dont care for, especially Usha.
But all that are minor niggles compared to the catastrophe that is the ending of the book.
Time and again, the authors have in other books have drawn parallels from our world to theirs. This is a very, very ambitious aim, and in one trilogy, they almost succeeded (The Darksword Series). While most people disagree with me, they nearly pulled it off in that one, despite the 'parallel' being more akin to a magic mirror.
In Summer Flame, they fail, completely and utterly.
Of course it was on the last page of the book, but that 'Krynn turns to Earth' ending was so disappointing and stupid that it has severely limited my enjoyment of the book.
Other readers lament the deaths of Tanis, Tasselhoff, et all but what the authors really killed off was the spirit of an entire world. And that is something I can never accept.
One of the factors that make this book almost worth reading is the reappearence of Raistlin. The portrayal of the dark mage without his power, his visit to his brother, and his subsequent departure is excellent. Also, Tasselhoff is as amusing as ever.
So in other words, this book is for hardcore fans only. And even to them, I'd advise ripping out the last few pages of the book.

They should've stop at the 3rd book...they should've make it a trilogy, and if they really wanted to publish this book, they shouldn't have publish it under the Chronicles title...
The amazing and mysterious ending of "Dragons of Spring Dawning" and the incredible "Legends" series that followed, was enough. Heck, it was, and still is, if you ignore this one, the best fantasy series ever. I have known and loved it long before "Dragons of Summer's Flame" arrived to Israel, and I was very excited when "Sumer's Flame" arrived. I bought it, and prepeared myself to a sleepless night of jumping into my favorite world. As I read I felt my excitment turn into a bitter disappointment. The book is connected to the other 6 (Chronicles and Legends) only by charectors and name. The plot is a lot under the normal "Dragonlance" standard, and it's sad that it's under the same title as the chronicles, because it's only pulling it down. Sometimes 3 is just enough.

This book, Dragons of Summer Flame, is now one of my favorite books out there. I thought that the action was great with the battles in all of the battles with Chaos' forces, and well written. And although I wasn't that happy with all of the many hero deaths, it was Really cool to see Raistlin again. Tasslehoff was more humorous than he's ever been, and I liked all of the mystery behind the newer characters Palin, Usha, and Steel. Unfortunately though, I hadn't read the Legends series yet, so I was kind of left in the dark about Raistlin, and all of his business with Caramon and Tasslehoff. Also, all of the gods were portrayed excellently. The ending disappointed me a bit, but every event leading up to it was superb. All in all, I can say that the book was well narrated, had a good progression of plot, and was very interesting. A must buy.

After being captivated (well, at least throughly enjoying) the first three books of Chronicles, I was sorely dissapointed at this conclusion. First, people should realize before buying this that "Summer Flame" is not a direct sequel to Chronicles 3, but takes place many years after and focuses on the children of and the remaining Heros of the Lance.
I don't think that this book deserved the "Chronicles" title at all, because it really doesn't fit the flow well at all. As other reviewers revealed, the deaths of beloved Heros of the Lance was sad and silly. "The New Cast" definitely leaves something to be desired. The book is thick and long and drags, and in many cases is rather silly.
The major point of merit was the explanation of the "gods system" that appeared in this tome. It was informative and had me wishing it had been in chronicles one. Some readers may find it boring, but I thought it helped me to understand some aspects of the earlier chronicles books.
IMHO, read the first three "Chronicles" and skip this and "Second Gen". Read Legends and perhaps a few others. But this so called 4th book of the trilogy isn't really worth your time.

Enter Kryn, a world of adventure, heroes, and magic. The war of the lance ended 30 years ago and a lull has given the surviving members a chance to rest, recuperate, and most importantly procreate. But when bad news reaches the Majiere family, the peace abruptly ends and a new cast of heroes, Steel Brightblade, Palin Majiere, and Usha, must overcome their differences and prepare for a great war to come.
Dragons of Summer Flame is not so much a 4th chronicle as it is a stand alone novel. It requires an understanding of Legends and of course Chronicles. The stories of Second Generation are also helpful in understanding the characters that seem to come out of nowhere. We do see all surviving heroes of the lance once again, but the spotlight certainly shifts to the next generation.
This is my favorite book I've read since last finishing Chronicles and I couldn't disagree more with the reviews that say something is missing in this 4th instillation. In fact, I believe Weise and Hickman have matched their former glory PERFECTLY. Finally, a Dragonlance book with the adventure and marvel of a true fantasy epic. To my great surprise, the new characters aren't in anyway simple rehashes of their parents, a fate I dreaded since hearing the second generation books were coming. The novel is very long and juicy; something you can really sink your teeth into every time you sit down to read.
Dragons of Summer Flame is the PERFECT book for anyone who enjoyed Legends and Chronicles years ago and has been looking for that reading high again. Believe me, this book does it.

I enjoyed Weis & Hickman's Dragonlance Chronicles, and even _The Second Generation_ (some reprints, some vignettes). I was hoping for more from this "final" story, though.
For one, I would've enjoyed it much more if the book had been written more "stand-alone"--some of the characters were barely sketched, relying instead on _The Second Generation_ for background. Not good. Similarly, I would've liked to see *much* more development concerning Steel (a fascinating and multidimensional character) and Palin (you never *feel* his brothers' deaths--no, this isn't a spoiler; it's one of the book's first events--because you never *see* them). Much *less* concerning the annoying "Irda" twerp.
Chaos struck me as unconvincing--he was just there to be a big bad guy who'd beat everything up. Uh-huh.
As far as apocalypses go, I've seen better. The book has its moments, though, and I didn't regret reading it.

I have read all of Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's original novels for this series. I love them unconditionally and unlike most people, seem to enjoy their choice to make it more realistic with continuing on where they left off. All worlds continue on, none stop and are just left off. To hear the stories of the next generation puts an interesting spin on things. Letting it be known that heros themselves are human too and their lives carry on as well. Overall, I found it enjoyable and well written.

This book concludes the fourth age of Krynn and rushes it into the fifth age and to a ridulous [level]. But that is a different review. This book is good, the plot was intriguing and the characters deep and agreeable (though Palin kind of ticks you off at times with his insatiable whining). Somethings I did find disconcerting about this book was that it seemed rushed, and I too believe that the authors were forced into changing Krynn in order for TSR to use a new game to base the books on (and in my opinion souring the book a bit and ruining Dragonlance evermore). But this is an excellent read and maybe the last of the Dragonlance line. Wies and Hickman end Dragonlance 4th age with a flare few can...hopefully Dragon's of a Fallen Sun with revive once mighty story line.

I received this book as a Christmas gift, having read the Chronicles and Legends series years before. I wasn't expecting much, but after a few dozen pages found myself engrossed. The chracters, both the familiar and the new, are interesting and the story is solid. True, some of it was rehashed from previous Dragonlance books, but I didn't find that to be a problem.
Apparently, there is a short-story book called "The Second Generation" previous to this one that fills in some of the gaps about the new characters, but I haven't read it and didn't find that it affected my understanding or enjoyment of this novel. Any pertinent points were gone over again in this book anyway.
As other reviewers have pointed out, the ending of this book leaves something to be desired. It is also true that the authors have covered this ground before. However, here I found it appropriate, and may have pushed this book to the 5 stars level if I didn't know that they had continued things from here. This should have been an ending, period, for this series of books. Money talks though, and I am sure that the authors were hounded mercilessly until they agreed to write more novels in the series.

I am a true lover of the two Dragonlace Trilogies, Chronicles and Legends, and must say that Dragons of Summer Flame was a disappointment.
Character development was severely lacking in this book and the integration of our beloved companions and the next generation of heroes does not harmonize. Perhaps the worst part of this book is how frivilous the lives of people are. those whom we've come to endear are slain without much thought. The valor or purpose seen in Sturm's death is absent in Summer Flame.
I was hoping for a lot more in Summer Flame. And although it is a decent book, it does not live up to the standard that Weis and Hickman set in their original two Trilogies. this book should have been told in a trilogy itself, taking time to fully develop characters and such, but instead, we are given a very shallow view.

I honestly think Weis and Hickman were so peeved at being buffaloed into doing another book by T$R that they decided to go on a killing spree of the main characters, which fit well into T$R's plans for Fifth Age (There's no gods! No magic! But look at that handling!). Tanis' death was tolerable, since he went out in a noble way, the writing style is as descriptive as ever, and it's always good to see Raistlin, but Chaos is a lame bad guy (He needs to summon armies of goofy creatures? Ao of Toril could snap his fingers and fry the Realms!), Caramon's kids are dumb, and all the Irda -an interesting race- get roasted. I dunno. Its greatest fault is making you think, "You mean all those damn Dragonlance novels I read were pointless?"
Oh, and I don't care what Weis and Hickman say. Usha IS Raistlin's daughter; they made that clear in Tales. Or was that more meaningless crap like Summer Flame? Oh well, back to the Realms...

"Dragons of Summer Flame is a good book. Written by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, both wonderful authors, this book is sure to be a good bet for you avid readers. "Dragons of Summer Flame" is the story of how the new generation of heroes must save their world known as Krynn from the evil father god known as Chaos. The hero Palin, a white mage, get's help from many unlikely people including the Dark Knight, Steel Brightblade, the rambunkchous kender, Tasslehoff Burrfoot, and a mysterious girl whose name I cannot place at this moment. Together they alone will decide the fate of an entire world. All-in-all, this book is an exciting read and I would recommend it to anyone.

Dragons of Summer Flame, while a good piece of Fantasy, was a bit of a disappointment to this long time Dragonlance fan. While I won't spoil the end for you, lets just say that Krynn will never be the same again. It was my impression that the authors had just grown tired of Krynn the way it was and decided to make a drastic change. And while indeed that is their porogative, it kind of kills any future Dragonlance novels for me. I give it a 7 because it is indeed a very good piece of Fantasy, but the flame on Krynn has died, and unless the authors can once again work the magic of the Gods, I no longer have a spark of interest in any future Dragonlance novels.

Ever hear the phrase quit while you're ahead?

Hickman and Weis were well ahead. They should have quit.

Leaving the Companions to wander off into the sunset was the ending those characters deserved.

Finishing up with the whole 'The Gods didn't leave us, we left them,' idea was just fine.

They had written six really well done, beautifully characterized, interestingly plotted books, which dealt with religious and moral issues in a manner more subtle than most books aimed at younger adults tend to.

And then they wrote Dragons of Summer Flame. I saw another reviewer suggest that this book was written "to nuke" the world they had created. If that's true, they succeeded beyond what could have been their wildest hopes and dreams. They spent 300+ pages abusing their characters, even ones who really should have been well past abuse, and ripping what made their world unique to pieces.

If you loved the Chronicles or Legends, just don't read this. If your favorite character was a certain hour glassed eyed mage, then please, by the love of all that is good and holy, put the book back on the shelf and pick up your old copy of Time of the Twins and re-read that. You'll be much, much happier.

This book seems to almost have been an afterthought to Weis and Hickman. Their intention with this book was supposedly to put an end to the Dragonlance Saga, which makes no real sense, since they are currently working on a new trilogy. The book details the travels of a young girl with powerful magics with Dragonlance's usual sidekick, Tasshehoff Burrfoot. Oddly enough, Raistlin also makes a return appearance, which makes me wonder if they just threw in a bunch of readers' favorite characters in the hopes of getting people to buy it.
In all, the writing was still good, but I felt that the storyline needed some serious help

Right off the bat, the plot is pretty obvious. The Irda have the Greygem and the newly founded Knights of Takhisis are ready to take over the world. With some insane idea of protecting themselves with a power even the gods couldn't control, they crack the Greygem and let Chaos free. The heroes who are supposed to eventually beat back Chaos are running around fighting and ransoming each other. About midway through the book, the characters just start to reveal themselves and team up. At the end it seemed that Weis and Hickman tried to cram an entire book worth of getting to know the characters into a few chapters. I liked what they decided to do with Krynn, though. A series can only go on for so long before the history lessons of the world get boring and new scenery is needed.

The problem with a commercially successful series like Dragonlance is the tendancy to drag the series out in the name of profit. Granted, I like several of the spin-off novels, but most of them are honestly prattle compared to the core chronicles/legends books.
Which brings me to Summer Flame. The Second Generation was an interesting book because it allowed readers to explore the fates of characters more in depth, but it was never anything more than a supplement. Summer Flame expands that supplement into a monstrous chronicle of yet another war of conquest, with a twist: This time, Takhisis has the upper hand. Until Chaos comes and destroys everything...
I find the Chaos storyline hard to swallow. Dougan Redhammer (Reorx) is a fun character, but slightly overkill when paired with Tasslehoff (who shows up, again.) Usha is just not a likable character. She starts out as a naive youth, and remains such throughout the entire story. Ah, but wait! She falls in love. Great. Fun. As a previous reviewer pointed out, Usha by all means SHOULD be Raistlin's daughter according to the short story of the same name, and unless Weis and Hickman are laying the doubt on too thick, they contradict themselves. This, and several typos, are annoying.
Yet this book remains little more than exposition upon a sequel. Steel is the resolution of the great Sturm/Kitiara conflict from Chronicles and Preludes, and Palin is just a pawn in the ongoing majere storyline. I think I understand that Weis and Hickman wanted to unify some previous storylines into an ultimate conclusion, and they do so very well, but possibly at the expense of the new characters. The book does provide some sense of closure, which is good.
Overall, it's not a bad story. Steel is a good character. But god, I miss Sturm. His ghostly reappearances are some of the best parts of the extended storyline. Kitiara, too. And the death of Tanis Half-Elven is fitting, for like the Dragonlance series, he had nowhere left to go. The scene in which he speaks briefly to Laurana before departing to defend the High Clerist's Tower is wonderfully written and one of my favorite in all of Dragonlance. This may sound silly, but I also think that Summer Flame's cover art is by far the best of any of the Dragonlance novels. Steel Brightblade is rendered as the quintessential Dark Paladin.
In short, if you are a fan of Dragonlance, this book deserves to be read. If not, don't start with this one. As a devoted fan of the Dragonlance saga, I cannot give this less than 4 stars. But if you've never read Dragonlance before, you won't be as forgiving as I am. Go back to Chronicles and pick it up with Flint and Tanis on the road to Solace.

Summer Flame had an incredible plot going with the rise of the Knights of Takhisis, and a fascinating subplot with the Irda and the chaos gem. Although some of the newer characters lagged, the veterans of the Chronicles and Legends trilogies made up the difference. The return of Raistlin and his new relationship with Caramon worked better than I imagined. The irrepressible Tasslehoff Burrfoot carries several of the rookie characters as only he can. Tanis has found his long sought after inner peace; and although the lack of turmoil within his soul simplifies the once complex hero, his character shines brighter than ever as leader of the Knights of Solamnia. The main plot twists and thickens beatifully when with little to no warning it is completely taken over by the far less developed subplot involving the chaos gem. I personally love a good plot twist, but this was too much too fast. Fortunately, the new plot is interesting enough to rise somewhat successfully out of the wreckage of the previous plot it utterly destroyed. The death of my two favorite characters left me in absolute shock when I first read of them, but Weis and Hickman brilliantly conclude the dragonlance series with a return to an afterlife theme from the original Chronicals and Legends. I say conclude the Dragonlance series despite the fact that The Fifth Age series exists, because it is obvious to anyone who has read any of the Fifth Age books that Dragonlance is dead. TSR should have held a beautiful funeral and honored the memory rather than dragging around the souless corpse of what Dragonlance once was. Perhaps this is part of the reason TSR was recently taken over by Wizards of the Coast (creaters of Magic the Gathering trading card game).

***SPOILERS*** This book might be great if you haven't read the Chronicles or Legends trilogy and become attached to Dragonlance. My problem with DoSF is that the world of Krynn is completely butchered and old heroes we've come to love are killed off like rats. It seems to me that either the authors or TSR (I'm suspecting the latter) tried to kill off the series so the Fifth Age could replace it and make some money (and mind you, the Fifth Age trilogy is horrible). Despite all that, I'm still hopeful about the upcoming "War of Souls", especially now that TSR is out of the picture (yeah!).

For these authors, moving DL forward can't be easy. True there are years to skip and years for other authors to fill in, but hey if every book moved the line forward there'd be too many problems! I won't give anything away here, so I'll just state that if you haven't read 'Second Generation' do so first, it'll get you familiar with the characters here, then after this get started on the novels with 'the Chaos Wars' in them (ie. Tears of the Night Sky, etc.)then go to the 'Bridges of Time' series, and then the 'Dragons of a New Age' series will lead you right up to the 'War of Souls' trilogy. Enjoy the pages within this novel, a fan of DL won't be dissapointed!

I loved the chronicles, read all three books more than once in the space of 9 years..but I couldn't finish this one. Why? It seems this book was made to kill off everything on Krynn and start all over again, not what I and other Dragonlance fans wanted.
What we wanted was an adventure that reunited all the living heroes, and with the spirit of Raistlin battle an evil and powerful foe from the Abyss..or something like that. I was shocked when Tanis was stabbed in the BACK!!! My favourite hero killed by an Orge for gods sake!!
TSR YOU owe us fans an explanation, or a movie!

This book is a disappointment to anyone after reading the three original Chronicles. The characters are pretty good but the story is horrible. I suggest to anyone who has read the Chronicles to read the Legends which are maybe even better then the Chronicles. But don't read this book it will taint the greatness of the other two triologys. All in all this book sucks because their are far fetched elements in the plot that are just dumb. I mean the creator of the Gods is freed and is pissed off against the world of Krynn. This book was written to make money and it shows.

Alright, all in all the book was excellent. There are some things though that should be cautioned though... But if this is gonna ruin the book for you DON'T READ IT! Last chance... Alright, first of all. Like most of the readers I felt as if the whole of DragonLance was pulled out from beneath me when Tanis died. He was one of the original characters and (though all of us have to die sometime)I feel he should have had a more heroic death or they could have at least described his funeral afterward. COME ON! He's one of the main people! Anyway, I did like how Tasselhoff was in it and I found that the way he died (sniff) was very noble. That part I think was played up really well, exspecially with the epilogue. The first time I read the book I felt a little confused about the new characters and had to read it again to acually feel any compassion for them. You just didn't have the kind of kinship with them that you feel you have with the other characters (exspecially if you've read the preludes)and it kinda takes away from the story. The part about the 'hidden race' (Irqa) did answer any questions about the (Love and War- one of the Tales trilogy) Raistlin's daughter story and taught you about them. I didn't really like how all the Irqa (minus Usha) died because well, it's kinda sad.All in all the book did have a stirring plot and showed the 'companions' lives later whihc is interesting as well. There is a satisfaction of the story since it does seem to be the boundary between Fifth age and before it. It kind of wraps up the 'companions' lives and brings a whole new 'world' to be unleashed. (too bad Tas didn't have any children!)

This story passes the torch from the original first generation, "The Heroes of the Lance," to the 2nd generation of heroes, namely Palin Majere and Steel Brightblade. There are token appearances by the original heroes, (some seeming a bit contrived), but both Tasselhoff and Raistlin are prominent in the plot. The ending of the story was a dissappointment to me and seemed to be a carbon copy of the ending of The High King, by Lloyd Alexander. A definite must read for any lover of fantasy, this story isn't quite up to par with Chronicles & Legends series

This book is the long awaited final chapter in the Dragonlance chronicles. Set more then 20 years after the War of the Lance, it features the evil Knights of Takhisis attempting to open the Portal to the Abyss. Unfortunatly, Chaos, father of the gods, has arrived in Krynn, and will not stop at anything. A young maje, Palin Majere, is forced by the Knights to open the portal. He knows he cannot open it, but believes his Uncle Raistlin will open it from the Abyss.
I reccomend this book to whoever enjoyed the Dragonlance series.

Chaos, the father of the gods, has become angry with his children, so he decides to destroy the world that they created, and stop their fighting amongst themselves.

Raistlin, the corrupt brother of Caramon, at last returns, but his changes are far different than you may think.

The fight continues with a new generation of heroes, the children of those companions we have come to love. They fight still to destroy the evil that the Dark Queen has brought upon the land. It is a time of troubles still

Before I read this book, I was into reading children's sci-fi books written by small-time authors. Then my friend urged me to read DoSF. I was skeptical at first, but when I finally finished this 586 page book, I was astonished and sad. I didn't want the book to end! I wanted more! Since that time more than two years ago when I was in the fifth grade, I have read all of the DragonLance Chronicles, DragonLance Legends and several other DragonLance novels by authors such as Don Perrin, Jean Rabe, and others.
My favorite character was the ever-lovin' Tasslehoff Burrfoot! This kender is hilarious.
The plot of DoSF was so intoxicating that, not only was I not able to put it down, but I have read it THREE TIMES and each time I find something that I had forgotten about the book that I absolutely LOVED the first time!
This book is possibly the best book in the history of fantasy, and definately the best in the history of Krynn!

Very captivating at all times... othe rnovels I have read I found my thoughts wandering, not here. Once I got involved in the story that was it... only my children (after much screaming and hollering at Daddy from them)could break me away from this novel, and even then I was reluctant.
Histories a revealed, wars are waged, and I had to read the ending alone twice, just to make sure I read what I thought I did!
Highly recommended to any fantasy fan... but be forewarned... if you're not a Dragonlance fan, you may very well be after this.

I mean, seriously, what were they been thinking?
First off, the kender stuff is overly used on chronicles and legends, ok we got it, it was funny, dont tell the same joke more than 3 times.
The descriptions of be with a kender is worse than fighting a troll is told so geek like, it kinda made me feel being a geek by reading this crap.
Palin is so a boring character only second maybe to the awful Laurana.
And why all the new heroes have to be the sons of the previous heroes? does heroisem go by blood line and not personality?
And why we need Palin if we have Raistlin back? at least Rasitlin was a true hero which had a lot of power aura around him.
Palin was said to be meant to be powefull, but i would put money on him fighting a scared mouse by the way his personality goes.
I quite liked Usha, she was very funny in her untrusting people manner and her simple thinking on life.
Steel was a very good character which i would build upon, like a normal person he had a good side and a dark side, people are not totally evil or totally good.
The end was a real dissapointment as Paladine sits back on the couch and let Steel, His Dragon, Palin, Usha and Tas to do the job. Where was the God Commander himself? if he cannot defeat chaos, how can his creations?
Another thing that dissapoints me is Takisis leaving, it is stupid to think that she does not care for the world, she has a different perspective from Paladine but still they both focus on this world. Making her leaving just poits her out more of a scared child rather the Queen of Darkness. But Paladine is no better as he was not doing anything much either.
And where the hell was Gilean, i know he writes history, but dude, the world comes to an end, cant you raise your lazy butt and do something?
Chaos is the source of all the gods, shouldn't it be that he be fought by his children, and Steel, Palin and all fight his generals?
If Chaos was defeated by mortals, how can we have respect for the gods in this book? Where was Raistlin that defeated Takisis, why couldn't he fight there and let Palin play with dolls at home?
Instead of making a grand finalle, Chaos was destroyed by the hands of a kender, is that what was i kept on reading for?
Is that the best you can make of?
This book had some nice moments, I couldn't ignore that, but he was really rushed and the plot eventually was lame.

"OK" Da! that was one of my biggest understatements this year! I didn't quite like some parts because the some charictures die in it. Man! I thought my stomic was in my shoes. I felt like crying my eyes out! (but I didn't) But there was only some things I didn't like, the rest, I LOVED ! I like it because, Tas,(Who is by-the-way, my Favorit charicture.)is as fun as ever, Raistlin,(also one of my favorits) comes back and scares the life out every-one, and the natural excitement of the Dragonlance books. So ya better keep reading! fun as ever.

Although I agree that the novel could have been longer (though certainly not a trilogy - that would have been too draggy), the story had at moments nearly brought tears to my eyes.
The courage and sacrifices that the characters had to make, especially Steel and Tanis, portrays the traits that make all of us humans. It is an excellent tale of love, courage and honor.
Maybe there were a few moments where I wasn't entirely satisfied with the book, but overall it is the best book I have read so far.

This is the book that really began Dragonlance's downfall... It's as if the authors or whoever decided to make the book wanted to revitalize Dragonlance, and instead ended up ruining most of what made Dragonlance fun. Still, I'd have liked to give it 2.5 stars, but since I couldn't, I erred on the side of condamnation since the book was such a disappointment. After DoSF came the horrible Fifth Age. *shudder* Well, I've moved to Forgotten Realms, so Wizards is still getting my money.
Despite the failings of the story, Weis and Hickman were up to their usual standards of writing, meaning DoSF was still more enjoyable than nearly all the Dragonlance spinoffs.
Speaking of the spinoffs, there was one phrase in the book said by Astinus, "but this is another tale" when speaking of Crysania or something similar. If that wasn't a hook for a spinoff, I don't know what was. Sure enough, in time Tears of the Night Sky was published.

For the amount of material covered, this book should have been its own trilogy. It seemed like Weis and Hickman rushed through the story to make it fit in one book. Case in point, the death of Tanis Half-Elven, perhaps the most influential character in all of Dragonlance. This story doesn't belong in the Chronicles anyway. It has almost no relation to the first three. There simply seems to be too much missing to merit anything more than three stars. By the way, why don't we ever meet Gilthas?

This book was an enjoyable diversion, but certainly not the best the series (and the authors) have to offer. This book is definitely for readers who are desperate for more Dragonlance to inhale, and in the regard, it suceeds. However, and I know I'm going to be critized for this, the character Tasslehoff makes another annoying, unfunny, tired, overblown and unrealistic appearance in this book AS WELL, which makes him a major character in every Chronicles and Legends book. I'm sick of this character, always saying the same things, stealing, and yet somehow surviving huge battles and coming out the hero. The very same thing irked me about TLOR, tiny characters like the hobbits somehow defeating powerful wizards and such. I know that maybe Tolkien and Hickman and Weis intend that these characters represent the triumph of spirit over body, but I'm frankly sick of Tasslehoff's tired gags. Thankfully, in this book he finally dies, but of course, after defeating the destroyer of worlds and saving all of existence basically by himself. On the plus side, Raistlin comes back, and is still an interesting character, though I can't really respect him because he never killed Tasslehoff even when he had all those lovely chances. I'm amazed people actually like Tasslehoff! Anyway, it's a good book and you'll probably like it.

Just found out (belatedly) Weis and Hickman are starting up with the Dragonlance world again -- which compelled me to write this review.
Dragonlance fans, if you are lucky enough to have not read this book, skip it, read this review and others, then move on to the new books. You'll save time and money.
I was a huge fan of W&H's Dragonlance work. I fondly remember the Chronicles and Legends series as some of the best books of my childhood. After Legends, I read all of W&H's work in the subsequent Tales series eagerly. I was a bit disappointed with them unraveling the magic of the fabled Dragonlance, but I could live with it.
Enter Second Generation. This turned up the heat on my anticipation for their next work. Interesting storylines were seeded using new characters that were carefully developed. All was good... then Dragons of Summer Flame came crashing through the window. Remember those carefully developed characters? They were either relegated to the background (Tanis' son) or discarded uncermoniously offscreen (Caramon's sons). Tanis, is quickly offed in the most off-hand manner. One thing about W&H's prior Dragonlance work, when a major character died, you really FELT the death. When Tanis died it was like, don't let the door hit you on the way out. He was not my favorite character, but dude, the entire Chronicles series revolved around him. Axing characters like cheap plywood would have been forgiveable if the replacements were at all memorable. Not the case. Palin isn't fit to carry Raistlin's jock strap. Steel gets it in the end -- see ya, nice knowing ya. I won't even mention Palin's girlfriend. The story seemed to have been slapped together in record time -- "Let's create a big boogie man that burns the whole mess down! Never mind about logic or development!"
Other reviewers have speculated as to why this volume was so horrid, but all I know is that it put me off of Dragonlance forever. I just tried to pretend that it never happened (someone fittingly suggested they make a recall). It left a bad taste in my mouth. W&H should be ashamed. They created a masterpiece and then pissed all over it. Can they redeem themselves with these new books? I won't bother to find out.
Well, maybe there's an outside chance.

This book is a fiting part of the Dragonlance world. However, it is a little inconsistent with some of the latter books. Outside of that, the book was great. It raises some interesting questions about good and evil and whether evil can be honorable. It is an easy read even at over 500 pages. The characters were great and the use of both old and new characters allow a casually fan it enjoy as much as a Dragonlance veteran. Hickmen and Weis are a great one-two punch in the fanasty genera. They both are creative and work well together. I really don't have any negatives to say about this book.

Other reviews below mine could reveal too much for your liking. I read the first 6 books about 10 years ago. Bought them recently for my 10 year old and he is a little young for them so I read them again. I hardly remembered a thing except "Look, Raist....Bunnies...;-)" I discovered a new 4th chronicle and got it right away and quickly realized it wasn't gonna be the same book I was used to. Took me 3 days to read it. Man I was glad I was sick so I could stay home in bed and read it! Considering that the book takes place 20 years after the last and I have aged about 10 it was very much like seeing old great friends. There were even a few places that brought a tear to my eye. If you want to go see some good old friends I suggest by all mean that you do so. If you want to critique a book and pick it apart well..... ok you can do that too...hehe I really loved it. My only regret was that I read a few reviews about it that told me more about the story than I really wanted to know. Weis and Hickman gotta tell ya, I still love ya.. [note one hint]: that picture on the cover of this book never happens in the story.

This book wound up the saga very nicely. After a couple
years of reading the Tales, Heroes, Preludes & a multitude
of side-areas, it was great finally getting back to the meat
of the story. The story itself takes so many unexpected
turns throughout the World of Krynn that the reader never
loses interest. I finished this 500+ page book in a matter
of 2 days. A definite must for any Dragonlance fan.

The DragonLance saga was My absolute favorite reading experience. I finished the chronicles and Dragons of Summer Flame in less than a week. The Chronicles were wonderful, but DoSF was one of the most absolutely wonderful overwhelming fantasy books I've ever read. A lot of people saw it as a continuation of something that could never end and that's why they don't like the fact that all the main characters died, well it wasn't a continuation, it was an ending. Obviously Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis weren't into the whole fifth age thing and wanted this to be IT. The TSR company had other ideas, this was a book that made me cry for over and hour after I finsished it, it was beautifully written with some deep symbolism that can be connected directly back with our world, and therefore it was something most fantasy books aren't, there was more to the story than just fighting and killing, it made some really good statements about what is wrong with all worlds, not just Krynn. Anyone who didn't like this book is obviously more interested in the bash 'em smash 'em side of fantasy and not the deeper, more symbolic and poetic parts

Alright... almost every other review I have read about this book is that it doesn't stack up to the other 3 chronicle books. Most of those reviews seem to be written by people who don't want anything on the wonderful world of Krynn to change. I'm not saying it was time for the Companions to step aside, because they are the essence of Dragonlance. But, in this book, Tanis, Flint, and Sturm die, and although this was hard to read (especially Tanis), they had all surved their purposes. Also, this book encompasses the biggest fight of all... against Chaos. This book was the setting and stage for the greatest battle of all time. The father of All and Nothing and his armies. Also, tie in the Knights of Takhisis (who were larger than the armies of the Dragon Highlords), and you have the 2 largest forces ever assembled on Krynn. But, what I think people disliked most about this book, and what I liked the most, where the "inspirational" messages it conveyed. Sure, some of our dearest in the book died, but they performed their duties, and got their deserved rests. Steel, Usha and Palin, along with Tas make an even more unlikely combo of heros, and heros they were. Steel making like his father by sacrificing his life for his faith, Usha doing her part (for the fight, and for Palin), and Palin become, in the words of Raistlin "the greatest war mage ever". And then there was Tasselhoff Burrfoot, probably the most influential of the Companions in terms of actions directly done to influence events. Toss in the return of the greatest dragonlance character of all time, Raistlin, who sacrifices his magic to re-enter Krynn for Palin, and you have one hell of a book. Finally, the ending.Somehow the writers ultimately tied Krynn into the Earth that we live in. No magic, in the sense that there was before, but other kinds. It all fit well, and it was very reassuring to see the gods would sacrifice everything for the greatest of their creations, that love conquers all, and when it really comes down to it, people will forget their differences, and join together. For me, it was the best ending to the greatest 4 books I have ever read in my life.

I was disappointed in the conclusion of this book. Many of the companions that we have come to know and love meet an unfitting fate. Heros are killed off uselessly and dishonored. I loved the trilogy. It is the best 3 books I have ever read but this one is very poorly written. It appears as if the authors were rushed to finish this book. I did not like the finale to the heros of Krynn.

I grew up reading Dragonlance. I love Weis and Hickman's creation and still can't believe how they could destroy all that they built with one miserable book. This book is similar to the movie "Highlander 2" - it makes you want to forget you ever read it because it ruins everything you liked about the previous books. I was physically angry as I finished this book. Do not read it!

After reading some 40 odd Dragonlance Novels, and other assorted stuff(Ie comics, Modules) I was amazed and saddend by this book. I read all 700+ pages in about 36 hours. I couldn't put it down. It brings closure to the Dragonlance Saga like I never expected. It's been about a year since I read it but it's still crisp in my mind after reading only a few reviews. This book was not pointless but rather brought everything together to a climatic end. If you have read the second generation book and the Chronicles then this book will bring it around full circle.
However before you read this book you may want to read some of the other eariler books in the series also.. Such as Legends, the tales books and the Heros books for a flesh out of the ideology of the Humans on Krynn and the Elven Nations Trilology was my favorite non-War of the Lance Series.

My first impression of this book was that it would be a disjointed add-on to a popular series for the purpose of making some money. However, I was very wrong. This book truly concludes the saga of the Heros of the Lance in an epic way. This book breaks all the typical fantasy romanticism rules. Good does not always win in this book; loved characters die, but not just to evoke a feeling of sadness in the reader, but for a real purpose in the story. Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman have truly created a masterpiece with this novel, even transcending the previous Chronicles and Legends series. This is an absolutely wonderful book that everyone should read.

Dragons of Summer Flame: a Return to Krynn after 10 years (I have never really gotten into the DL books other than Chronicles and Legends, with the occasional exception, such as the great "Legend of Huma"). I was eagerly awaiting this book. I have read it twice now, since it came out. The story is very well told (Weis and Hickman ARE master storytellers), but it is a very shallow story. Chaos, Father of All, is angry and wants revenge for being trapped for so long. The forces of Good and Evil unite to fight him and preserve their world.
The scope is just too grand; it would have been appropriate if this had been a superhero book, or a novel about the adventures of Paladine and Takhisis, but it seemed ludicrous to have very human, and thus very limited characters, take on the almighty Chaos. His inability to devine the heroes' plan to conquer him is even more ridiculous.
Tanis' demise and Raistlin's escape from the Abyss remain very compelling parts of this book, but you can't help being disppointed about the book's conclusion...
Let's see what "Dragons of a Fallen Sun" will turn the Dragonlance World into...

For those of you who are true Dragonlance fans, and have read the first trilogy, as well as the second, please, stay clear of this book no matter the cost. The first six books deserve to be on the shelf of anyone who is interested in fantasy literature. But this disappointing-and totally unnecessary-seventh edition to the series brings up the question: were Weis and Hickman indulging in dwarven spirits while writing this?

The already exhausted plot of gods at war is present in this book; if that was even the intended plot at all. For Dragons of Summer Flame goes in so many directions at once that it is difficult for the reader to determine as to what goals the characters are aspiring to achieve.

And speaking of characters, Dragons of Summer Flame features some of the most boring, one dimensional, and as Tasselhoff would say "Uninteresting" rejects torn from a bad DnD campaign. As if it wasn't enough that Weis and Hickman killed off some of the most beloved protagonists in the previous books (I'm not naming any names at the moment, but die hard Tanis Half-Elven fans will be balling when they reach the book's climax) but they had to replace a loveable cast with cardboard cut outs that had no depth whatsoever.

It's these things, combined with the lackluster prose, surprising amount of "modern slang" used in dialogue scenes, unimaginative narrative, and a painful ending that would leave any seasoned adventurer of Krynn rushing to Fizban to learn a fireball spell so they could storm Wizards headquarters, that make Dragons of Summer Flame a craptastic edition to the Dragonlance Saga.

Long story short, this book single handedly murders all of the magic and meaning that had been present in Ansalon up until this abomination. So a message to true Dragonlance lovers: read the first six books, and then stop there.

This was a great book and almost nothing negative can be said about it. All of the characters were highly developed and the plot flowed smothely. Despite it being only one volume, it's about as long as two usual dragonlance novels, making for an epic reading experience. The only problem, though, is that it doesn't cover enough of the chaos war. It centers around the trials of Palin Majere and Storm Brightblade, both of whom play pivotal roles in the war, but there's a lot left out. Although the chaos war series covers much of this, i feel a little bit cheated because the War of the Lance filled three volumes. I believe this should have been made at least into a trilogy, to cover more in depth some of the areas left mentioned but not explored. Other than that, it's a great continuation of the chronicles of krynn.

Well, this book is great. It really answers the readers queations about the future once the reader has read chronicles 1-3. And the ending of the book is really good since it leaves the readers wonder what is going to happen to Palin. Also what role will he take in the future Krynn. Well, this is a great book with all the ingredients to make a great book.

This book completely destroys Dragonlance. I almost vomitted when I finished it. The two best writers Dragonlance has ever had threw together a piece of $hit. At the end almost everyone is dead, the Gods are banished (really ticked me off) and most importantly, magic is no more. I never though Dragonlance could produce a horrible book, but once again other people have proven me wrong. Hickman and Weis, you disgust me. I only picked one start because it would not allow me to rate any lower.

I loved the Legends and the Chronicles books. Once I opened up Dragons of Summer Flame I couldn�t put it down until I was finished. What other people say are weak probably because it comes from the fact they never actually *read* the book only reviewed it. From the evil Knights which I thought were the perfect opposite of the Knights of Order in every way to the Palin who was a powerful mage in the making. Weis and Hickman's best ever book.

At last, the story that began with Dragonlance Chronicles, Vol. 1 comes full circle. The charactors are as lively and believable as ever, and the story is rich and inviting. No one can do Dragonlance like Weis & Hickman. This is a story no one should miss and I can't wait for their return to Krynn in Dragonlance's 5th. Age!!!

Unlikely allies, facing fierce adversaries, Krynn heating up to the point of setting the world aflame, the gods departing! This is all too much! A sad end to a great age that left me somewhat heart broken. I think Weis, et. al. are heading in the wrong direction, although true to form Weis, et. al. are really true to form in their storytelling, imaginative, and creative. I rated this a three since the stories end left me shattered, and destoyed the very reason I read this series.