Volume Three - Dragons of the Hourglass Mage - Lost Chronicles

some of the bad reviews here are people that just want to re-live the glory days of the original chronicles and they need to wake up. This book is a great addition to the collection and does what it's supposed to do, which is to fill in the gap of what the heck happened to raistlin when he dissappeared during the maelstrom. Yes, there were times that I felt we didn't need a history lesson of who each individual hero was, or what had happened up to that point with the war, but for newer readers, I understood the concept of helping them catchup a bit. The only section of the book I felt a little "tangled" was at the end in Neraka where the last 20 pages or so felt extremely rushed as I read the ending and was asking myself "wooooaaah, how did we get here so quickly?". All in all, a very good book though.

Much of this book almost feels more informational to me than anything else. Towards the last 3rd of so of the book, it started getting a lot better. Most of this book will only be of interest to avid DL fans and Raistlin fans. For a fantasy reader that doesn't have an excessive affection for Dragonlance or Raistlin, this book is better off left unread.

To sum up, only worth reading if you're a hardcore DL and/or Raistlin fan.

I went through middle school and high school reading Dragonlance novels and I've been re-reading them as an adult. These books had a huge impact on me growing up (eventually having a big hand in the decision to write and publish my own works) and they're just as entertaining as I remembered. Well written with entertaining and developed characters.

The definitive volume to the Lost Chronicles Trilogy was probably also the most anticipated. Long time Dragonlance fans have been salivating at the prospect of what could be the last hurrah by the team that gave birth to the world of Dragonlance. To top it all off, this book would finally tell the events behind the scenes in Dragons of Spring Dawning from the perspective of one of the most beloved (and intriguing) Dragonlance characters: Raistlin.

This 300 some odd page book details the mage's rise to power as well as his machinations and schemes. Many of the characters we are all familiar with appears in cameos as well as lead roles: Kitiara, Lord Soth, the Innfellows, Par-Salian, LaDonna, Justarius, etc. In fact some of the characters that first appeared in Highlord Skies return - most prominently, the witch Iolanthe. I was pleasantly surprised by the narrative in this book because the first half of it felt like the sequel to Highlord Skies. Kudos to Weis and Hickman for maintaining a sense of continuity.

Much of the story weaves in and out of Spring Dawning. No doubt many fans will want to revisit Spring Dawning just to remember what went on where and when. It isn't essential but it was jolly good reminiscing and reflecting on events in Spring Dawning and tying it to Raistlin's story in Hourglass Mage. The first two entries in the Lost Chronicles saga were basically the untold tales that happened in Dragons of Autumn Twilight and Winter Night but Hourglass Mage is the only book that can be called a companion book to the original Chronicles. This book provided many answers to questions readers had in Spring Dawning. The authors managed to tie MANY plotlines in MANY books neatly into the narrative and that is no easy feat. The writing was crisp and the characters were imagined and reimagined brilliantly. Barring Tasslehoff and Palin Majere, Raistlin is probably the most well thought out character by Weis and Hickman. And in this book, they have fleshed him out extremely well. What a way to end it all.

There are a few misgivings as I read Hourglass Mage. First, it seems the writers were weighed down by continuity and seemingly disregarded some of the events in the Legends trilogy, particularly Raistlin's relationship with Fistandantilus. Weis and Hickman delved into some parts of this twisted relationship but they seem to have glossed over it and kinda tied it up (confusingly) in a rush at the end while focusing more on Raistlin's part in the end of Spring Dawning. I was disappointed that the writers did not straighten out one of the most important plotline involving Raistlin's ascent to power. The ending also seemed rushed and the book just felt too short. I'd venture to say Hourglass mage almost read like it was incomplete.

Overall, Hourglass Mage is a must-read book for any Dragonlance fan. Enjoy it while you can because over the past few months, the outlook of Dragonlance has not been favorable; comic lines halted, licensing not renewed, Wizards' non-committal attitude, etc. Maybe this is the end but then again, maybe it's just the end of a chapter...

Phenomenal.

This is a book about Raistlin, our favorite "Sly One". The guy who is the perfect out for himself mage. He makes it clear whose side he is on in a war and why. He is never quite rude, but quite the snark. And this story although it tells of his evolution and choices shows him for his compassion and humanity.

The story was a tad too short for $25 but it was well edited. The descriptive language evokes crisp and clear pictures and action scenes. The dialogue is right on. Of course there is no way this duo of authors could do any less.

Overall a fantastic read and well worth the cost in hard cover. I hope this becomes a best-seller. It is quite true that you should really read the Chronicles trilogy first and Soulforge wouldn't hurt. But even if you don't.... this is a book about a person who is dark trying to cast away their even darker shadow. It shows the beginnings of Raistlin's conscience and there are 2 scenes that poignantly show his care that will make even the stoic shed a tear or 2.

Well done and bravo to Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman the Dynamic Duo of Dragons.
:)

Great great book. What makes this guy Raistlin tick

Its assumed you've read the Chronicles. If you haven't you might be going, "Huh?! Whos this Fistandantilus character?"

So Tas and Flint turn up, and old characters you may recognize from the Dragons of Spring Dawning (like Astinus, Bertram the Aesthetic) but the focus is on Raistlin. He must lose the lich, he must become the Master of Past and Present, how is he to do this?

I would recommend this book, but I don't think you should read it FIRST. Read the Chronicles books. Those come first chronologically. This series is a filling in the blanks between stories

Raistlins an interesting character. Okay, he can be a dick, but what makes him tick and why is he the way he is? Okay, he had a rough Test to become a mage, but why split on his brother in the maelstrom - basically, why is he this way? Why turn to evil?

If you have no interest in Raistlin, this may not be the book for you, because its his story. Other characters (Kitiara, Par Salian) figure in it, but its his story

Again, this fills in the blanks. In Dragons of Spring Dawning Raistlin pops up dramatically (he had a flair for the dramatic) a number of times, first when hes dying in Palanthas, then when hes barring the way for the Green Gem Man to reconcile with Jasla; he has a very important part to play in the book (assisting Tanis, and turning on his Queen) but hes not the focus character (in the Chronicles books, that tends to be Tanis)

Again, I think it would help if you had read the Chronicles books. Legends, the Soulforge, not so much. But a lot of the action is in the Chronicles books, so you will probably need to read those

Perhaps you don't need to read the earlier books in this Lost Chronicles series (although Iolanthe also figures here prominently - she was in Highlord Skies as I recall). But Chronicles is a must, and the Soulforge might be nice to look over again, as this volume concerns Raistlin and his nemesis, the lich Fistandantilus, rather closely

Pretty disappointed with the plotline and writing in this book. The manuscript -while still delayed from its initial date- seems to have been rushed by the writers and the Wizards of the Coast to meet business minded deadlines. It felt like it was written more to cash in on the popularity of Raistlin and the Heroes of the Lance, rather than having anything more to say about the characters. A lot of the story is filler that leads nowhere (Hidden Light anyone?) and the interaction between the characters and Gods feels inconsistent, forced, and confusing. The whole "third act" of the novel was a let down, and felt like it was trying to tie up loose ends for Dragons of Spring Dawning. I have a problem with these Lost Chronicles in general, and their insistence to retrograde Chronicle storylines. (SPOILER!) Why does every character have to be secretly present for events in the Chronicles!?

Weis and Hickman have done it again! In what probably is their last DL book as a duo, they have provided the backstory of one of the most enigmatic characters in literature, Raistlin Majere. It helps if you are familiar with Chronicles, as the authors explain at the beginning, however, even without reading those books, this is a worthy entry into the DL world. No author writes Raistlin like Margaret Weis, and this book proves the love she has for her character. He is portrayed perfectly: bitter, angry, loyal, emotional and yet emotionless. There's even humor in the novel (Marigold Featherwinkle----not the darkest of assassin names -my personal favorite)

Thank you Weis and Hickman for giving your loyal readers this entry as your closing.

I feel compelled to start this review by stating that I am a life-long Dragonlance fan (I fell in love with the stories as a kid when the books were first published)and that I have faithfully read all the Weiss/Hickman core novels in this series. Despite their limited skills as authors, the setting, the story and the characters are some of the most beloved in fantasy for me. I suppose I read the original trilogy in a very "formative" period in my youth and as such the DL mythos is central to my fantasy fandom.

Anywho...this book reveals most all of the weaknesses of the authors' writing skills but does fill us in on some of the last remaining tidbits of Raistlin's journey to power. They break some of the most basic tenets of writing that any student of Creative Writing 101 is taught to avoid such as "Show, don't tell". Another reviewer on here stated it aptly that most of the novel is told to the reader through narrative making it feel like an outline rather than a story. I fully agree with that diagnosis.

I also agree with several other reviews that the story is likely hindered by the vast canon of Raistlin mythology that has come before and this story had to keep true to as much of that as possible. That all being said, I did purchase the book at full retail price, faithfully read it despite the extreme amateurish writing, and would heartily recommend it to any hardcore Dragonlance fan for it caps of the core storyline for us.

For anyone who is a fantasy fan and wants a TRULY LITERARY read, my highest recommendation goes to Steven Erikson's Malazan series. This series is not for the casual readers who like simple escapism for it requires intelligence and trust and uses heavy linguistic narrative. If light escapist reading, such as Dragonlance is your cup of tea, I would recommend authors such as Terry Brooks, David Eddings and R.A. Salvatore.

Dragons of the Hourglass Mage, Volume III of the Dragonlance Lost Chronicles, could also be considered the de facto Volume III of the Raistlin Chronicles. Although it follows the chronology of Dragons of Spring Dawning, it reprises and builds upon images and events from both The Soulforge and Brothers in Arms.

This is a large part of Hourglass Mage's charm. It has far more in common with The Soulforge than with Spring Dawning, but manages to evoke the best parts of both books.

The balance of narrative to dialogue is extremely good, neither one overwhelming the other. The descriptive passages are among the best that Weis and Hickman have done, and the dialogue is excellent. The story itself is notable for what Raistlin Majere can do without his magic: Thinking on his feet; gathering intelligence; playing one adversary against another.

Through it all, Raistlin's often agonizing decisions are informed by self-interest, compassion, cynicism... And a disarmingly naïve ambition that is forced by circumstances to grow up very fast.

Dragons of the Hourglass Mage, Volume III of the Dragonlance Lost Chronicles, could also be considered the de facto Volume III of the Raistlin Chronicles. Although it follows the chronology of Dragons of Spring Dawning, it reprises and builds upon images and events from both The Soulforge and Brothers in Arms.

This is a large part of Hourglass Mage's charm. It has far more in common with The Soulforge than with Spring Dawning, but manages to evoke the best parts of both books.

The balance of narrative to dialogue is extremely good, neither one overwhelming the other. The descriptive passages are among the best that Weis and Hickman have done, and the dialogue is excellent. The story itself is notable for what Raistlin Majere can do without his magic: Thinking on his feet; gathering intelligence; playing one adversary against another.

Through it all, Raistlin's often agonizing decisions are informed by self-interest, compassion, cynicism... And a disarmingly naïve ambition that is forced by circumstances to grow up very fast.

If you liked Raistlin from the original Dragonlance books, but wished that he were presented in a cheesier and more childish version, then this might be the book for you. Be prepared for the fact that the evocative emotional content that is the hallmark of the Chronicles and Legends series is completely absent from this book. Also, unlike those original trilogies, this work relies almost exclusively upon a narrator to tell the reader what is going on (who the characters are, what they are thinking, why they are doing certain things, etc...). Thus most of this book feels more like reading an outline or having someone tell you about a book than actually reading a story. In general, this book is worth neither the price of purchase, nor the time to read-especially for the serious fan of the original Chronicles and Legends.