The Dragonlance Chronicles Trilogy is a popular fantasy series written by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, and consists of Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Dragons of Winter Night, and Dragons of Spring Dawning. This series was one of my first steps into the world of fantasy, and I loved them! There are many "off-shoots" of the series, but I haven't read them. The book takes place in the world of Krynn, a world full on dwarfs, knights, elves, and wizards. The series begins with the reuniting of a group of friends after five years. The group consists of Tanis Half-Elvin, the leader of the group, Sturm Brightblade, a Knight of Solamnia who wants to return honor to his fellow knights, Goldmoon, a "princess" of the Barbarian Plainsmen, Riverwood who loves Goldmoon and whose sole mission is to protect her, Raistlin, a mage of extraordinary powers and brother to Caramon, a large fighter who feels the need to always protect his brother, Flint Fireforge, a hill dwarf who takes on the role of an "old comedian", and Tasslehoff Burfoot (Tas), a kender who is probably the most loveable character and immune to fear. The last companion, Kitiara Uth Matar, half sister of the twins Caramon and Raistlin, was supposed to be there as well, but for reasons unexplained at the time could only send a mysterious note.
On the night of their reunion, they discover the village has been taken over by Seekers who are seeking "new Gods". They are collaborating with the Dragon Highlords who are preparing for the conquest of the continent of Ansalon. The original group joins with Goldmoon and Riverwood on a quest to "save the world", so to speak. There are so many details, and so many things happen in this series that it's hard to summarize it without giving things away. As with many fantasy books, there are boring parts and there are exciting parts but a read that I recommend to anyone interested in the world of fantasy!
I was so excited to read this book - I absolutely love the movie!! I am going to assume that most of you have watched the movie, and just say what I liked and didn't like about the novel. William Goldman writes about himself, and how he came to abridge S. Morgenstern's book, The Princess Bride. His father read it to him when he was sick, and he decided to give it to his son for his tenth birthday. After he realized his son had only read the first chapter, he decided to read the book for himself and he discovered that his father had only told him the "exciting" parts of the story. That is what he proceeds to do for us, inserting comments every now and then. The book and the movie are very similar, although we gain a lot more insight in the book into Humperdink (how much he loves to hunt), Indigo (more information about his father, how he came to learn swordplay), and Feezik (why he loves rhymes). My favorite lines are still in the novel: "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." and "I'm not a witch, I'm your wife! But after what you just said, I'm not sure I want to be that anymore!"