I do n’t recall it ’s assumptive of me to have assumed that flying lizard of Spring Dawning , the third novel inMargaret Weis and Tracy Hickman ’s darling firstDragonlancetrilogy , would heavy sport … well , dragonlances . These record kicked off the steel - newDungeons & Dragonscampaign setting , introduced the dragon - filled world of Krynn , and chronicled the heroic War of the Lance in which our heroes had to confront the malign dragon goddess Takhisis . Also , the series is called Dragonlance . And yet somehow , Spring Dawning is mostly dragonlance - free .
Alas , it ’s not the only disappointment to be found in the final mass of the Dragonlance Chronicles trilogy , nor is it the only baffling determination made by Weis and Hickman in the Holy Writ . Spring Dawning frequently reads if it was a rush job , where the duo did n’t have time to amply think out the plot of ground and was forced to apply a form of deus ex machinas to keep the story churning . This candidly may well have been the case , as Spring Dawning was published in September of 1985 , a simple two months after the previous novel , Dragons of Winter Night . ( flying dragon of Autumn Twilight , for the record , came out in November of 1984 . )
Let me explain . The primary adventure of the novel is Tanis and his comrades ’ attempt to bring Berem — aka the Green Gem Man — to the Temple of Takhisis at Neraka so he can do something that will help seal the goddess aside again . Takhisis is well - aware of Berem and sends her draconian ground forces and flying dragon to encounter him , because if she nonplus her claws on him , she ’ll be complimentary and unbeatable . It ’s hard to get too invested in Berem as a character or his journey because we ’ve spend no previous time with him — he was barely in either of the first two books and never verbalise a line of talks , so the discovery that he ’s the McGuffin that ’s choke to save the world is n’t fulfil . And it ’s even less hearty when you learn the reason why he ’s the McGuffin , afterward in the book : hundreds of years ago , he and his sister spotted a jeweled pillar in the woods . In true Smeagol fashion , Berem was consumed by greed , tried to seize a jewel , and accidentally knocked his babe down and shoot down her . ostensibly , the newspaper column had lag Takhisis and the remotion of the gem allowed the goddess a little second of exemption , which is why she ’s induce trouble in the present . But all it ’s going to take to save the humans is to take a bit of super - glue and pose the jewel back on the newspaper column . It all feels quite well-worn , especially compared to throwing the most powerful enchanted point on the planet into an open volcano .
Inset of original cover to Dragons of Spring Dawning by Larry Elmore. From l-r: Caramon, Tika, and Raistlin.Image: Wizards of the Coast
In one of his endeavor to remain out of the helping hand of the military group of Takhisis , Berem sails his ship , along with Tanis , Raistlin , Caramon , Tika , Riverwind , and Goodmoon , directly into a lethal whirlpool in the midriff of the sea where the ship breaks and they all get sucked into the whirlpool . Weis and Hickman take their time take back to their storyline as if anyone reading would believe they ’d killed more than one-half of the trilogy ’s main role in the first few chapters of the book , but the way the authors save themselves out of the street corner stinks . of a sudden , sea hob exist , and even though they do n’t deal about the surface universe , plain they occasionally rescue drowning citizenry by taking them to the conveniently placed ancient urban center full of breathable air on the bottom of the sea floor . When the sea elves return Tanis and the others to the aerofoil , the heroes do n’t even remember what happened to them . The wreck is entirely for seismic disturbance economic value , but the deus ex machina robs it of its power , and the memory wipe pee-pee it a total waste matter of time .
However , my least favorite moment in Spring Dawning — and maybe in the entire trilogy — is when Kitiara sends a content to Laurana , who has been give up the draconian screwing of Takhisis ’ forces all across Krynn . She ’s a tactical genius , all the disparate groups under her control believe in her fully , and she ’s known as the “ Golden General ” to her troops and the townsfolk . Unfortunately , all these battles almost entirely happen as asides , and these are the only battle in which citizenry in reality ride on undecomposed dragons while maintain dragonlances , so they ’re only in the book by proxy ( minus a single shot where a hapless Tasslehoff and Flint get draw into a dragon - fight and have to work out out how to use the lance ) . The War of the Lance is essentially concentrate to a brief collage .
But I was speak about the message Kitiara charge to Laurana , which states Tanis is dying and want to see the extremely low frequency - general before he give-up the ghost . All Laurana call for to do is bring an evil commander she ’d capture for a hostage exchange and to come alone . Laurana extend no validation that she has Tanis , and Tas and Flint excuse repeatedly that they hump Kitiara and she ’s definitely lying — but ignoring the warfare , the polar use she play in it , the troops that need her in command , and the people she ’s supposed to protect , Laurana goes anyway , like she ’s the moon - eyed girl from Autumn Twilight . She ’s captured instantly , of course . Again , it ’s like Weis and Hickman cognize they want Laurana at the Temple of Takhisis for the final act but were given 10 minutes to brainstorm on a narratively solid manner they could make it happen , and this is the best they could come up with . Oh , also , Kitiara tells all the combined force of good they have three workweek to unambiguously surrender and rent the real embodiment of evil rule over Krynn or Laurana will be kill . Admittedly , Laurana was passing skillful at her job , but why would they opt eternal darkness and conquering over a individual soul ? Why would the military group of wickedness call up they would ? It ’s just dull .
Matt Stawicki’s cover for the reprint, which replaces Tika with the twins’ half-sister Kitiara.Image: Wizards of the Coast
There are still several things that do work in Spring Dawning , however ! Tanis ’ ego - abhorrence is a mass more toothsome when he has concrete reasons for it , namely the fact he begin the novel literally sleeping with the foe , and I think his twisted family relationship with Kitiara feels genuinely self - destructive . It bring in his role arc more satisfying , and it pays off well in the write up ’s final act , when he expend his toxic relationship to rejoin the forces of immorality in hopes of unblock Laurana .
Speaking of iniquity , this is the book where Raistlin at long last goes full bootleg robes , first by teleport himself off the whirlpool - bound ship , empty everyone else , let in his devastated twin sidekick Caramon . Still , Weis and Hickman superintend to give the new smuggled mage shades of gray-headed by make him join the force of Takhisis , only to serve Tanis kill the goddess ’ most powerful acolyte , Emperor Ariakis . Then Raistlin grant Berem to return the precious stone to the column to lock the divine flying dragon aside . Sure , he makes exculpated he ’s done all of this because it ’s made him the most powerful force of evil on Krynn , but then he still make unnecessary Tasslehoff and Tika from death . He ’s evilness , but he still has a soft side in there somewhere , which has make him to be one of Dungeons & Dragons ’ most beloved characters .
to boot , the book ’s final act is just great . Once you get past the nonsense of Laurana ’s capture , Tanis , Caramon , Tika , and Tasslehoff ’s three - pronged assault is wonderfully plotted and edited together for maximum energy . I ’m not sure Tanis and Kitiara ’s plan , or the programme they ’ve kept secret from each other , would all make sense under penny-pinching scrutiny , but it was exciting enough that I did n’t care , especially when everything at the Temple of Takhisis degenerate into total chaos anyway . And there were some wonderful quality beats : Caramon ’s hapless supplication for Raistlin to take him on his unexampled journey towards immorality is heartrending , especially when he ’s standing right next to Tika , the woman who have it off him ; Kitiara ’s decision to let Tanis and Laurana leave , possibly out of kindness to the half - elf she roll in the hay , but perhaps to make trusted Tanis ’ can never get her out of his psyche and fully commit to a kinship with Laurana , is absolutely enigmatic .
Full original cover by Larry Elmore.Image: Wizards of the Coast
There ’s enough goodness in here to make the total original Dragonlance trilogy worth reread to be certain , but as its own Holy Scripture and as a decision to the series , Dragons of Spring Dawning is a disappointment , peculiarly after study its predecessors . But again , this first Dragonlance trilogy overall is better than any D&D trilogy I ’ve record so far . I can certainly understand why it ’s beloved , but I ca n’t in good conscience call Spring get across better than its predecessors . Thus , it rolls a 14 on its 1d20 , below Winter Night ’s 17 and Autumn Twilight ’s 16 , and same as the Forgotten Realms novelShadowdale . It feels abrasive but fair : Spring Dawning is a mostly good Koran that is penetrate with small bits of atrocious plotting .
After translate three good Dragonlance novels in a row , I experience like I should try another presumably horribleGary Gygax / Greyhawkjoint to balance it out … but I really do not require to . So alternatively , get ’s finish out R.A. Salvatore’soriginalIcewindDaletrilogyand look back at The Halfling ’s Gem . See you next month !
Assorted Musings:
The entity that Raistlin made his inscrutable pot with to defeat the green dragon Cyan Bloodbane in Winter Night turns out to have been the ancient ( and stagnant ) malign genius Fistandantilus . It ’s Raistlin ’s 2d slew with Fistandantilus that tolerate him to live after nearly dying using the Dragon Orb to escape the sinking ship . The partnership hit the mage powerful enough to be of use to — and finally defeat — Takhisis . I ’m under the impression this gets explore a majuscule softwood more in Weis and Hickman ’s subsequent trilogy , Dragonlance Legends .
It turns out the reason that the good , metallic Draco had been keeping out of the conflict was because the evilness , chromatic Draco had stolen the safe dragons ’ eggs and were take them hostage . But Laurana ’s buddy Gilthanas went on a fact - finding commission and break those eggs were being transform into the half - dragon , half - humans draconians that made up Takhisis ’ regular army . This happen upon me as weird when I was a kidskin , and it strikes me as unearthly now because there seem to be hundreds or maybe even thousands of dragons on each side , but the evil , humanoid draconians seem to list in the tens of thousands , if not more ! How did the spoilt guys get their hand on so many eggs from the good dragons ? Do serious dragons lie nut like chickens ? How does this work ?
Flint River dies of a heart tone-beginning along the way to Neraka . Since it ’s such a mundane death by D&D standards , it in reality has more magnate than it would if he fall in conflict against a tartar or some such . The wizard Fizban takes him to Dragonlance heaven , mostly so Fizban has an excuse not to take part in the final fight . And that ’s presumably because he ’s secretly Palantine , the immortal of good that suffer in endless opposition to Takhisis . Why he allows himself to be in billet where he dies dreadfully — like when he falls dozens of foot and smashes into the ground while trying and failing to cast feather fall back in Autumn Twilight — is completely unknown
The most mess up - up thing in the ledger is another diatribe about the grandness of keep the proportion between good and evil , as if evil was an OK part of the equating . But Spring Dawning engage it a wild footmark further , as per this quote about the problems with goodness : “ [ Good ] breeds intolerance , rigidness , a opinion that because I am good , those who do n’t believe as I do are incorrect . We God saw the danger this complacency was bringing upon the man . We see that good was being destroyed simply because it was n’t infer . ” I ’m not going to even attempt to begin to take out that .
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