Finished: Time of the Twins. Started: War of the Twins

I don't know what it was about the book, but it took me forever to finish. Actually, I don't think I can blame it on the book, more likely a change of lifestyle. It took me about 3 weeks to finish the first Dragonlance trilogy, "Chronicles," and it has taken me over a month to finish this book. But oh well, its done and I enjoyed it anyway.

It seemed to move at a much slower pace than the previous novels, and it only focused on a few central characters: Caramon, Tasslehoff, Crysania, and a few different clerics from Istar, including the Kingpriest.

Raistlin has transported himself back in history, to the time just before the Cataclysm. Here he kills and takes over the persona of Fistandantilus, the greatest mage who ever lived (before Raistlin). Tas and Caramon too are sent back in time with Crysania, on a mission to destroy Raistlin. Caramon and Tas are captured and enslaved into a Gladiator-meets-professional wrestling style troupe that performs for the anciant people of Istar. Crysania, being a cleric, is welcomed into the holy home of the Kingpriest and the servants of good.

In the end, Caramon finally comes to terms with the fact that he must kill his twin brother Raist, and seeks him out to do so during the night of the Cataclysm. Meanwhile, Raistlin has tricked Tas into destroying the only means for himself to return home.

During all of the commotion that is caused by the Cataclysm, which includes earthquakes, floods, and eventually a meteor shower of some kind, Crysania chases Raistlin into the deepest basement of the tower, followed closely by Caramon, then followed by Tas. When Caramon is about to strike the killing blow, something unexplained happens and he fails. Caramon, Crysania, and Raistlin dissapear, presumably transported to another time (confirmed within the first chapter of book two, they have been transported 100 years beyond the Cataclysm.) Tasslehoff is left behind and his fate is not yet explained.

It seemed that the Chronicles trilogy featured many, many tales woven together, and compounded into three books. The Legends trilogy, seems to be just one tale, stretched and divided into three books. Thus it feels like far less actually occurs in the first novel.

I have started the second novel, "The War of the Twins" and I would like to see it broaden to a few more character story lines. One of the strengths of the Chronicles trilogy, was that there was always several different branches of stories, and characters doing things that affected one another only in the big picture. Legends so far is a "little picture" book; even if there are new characters or underused ones that have a more prominant position. For instance, I would like to go back to the "present" time of Krynn and follow Raistlin's apprentice, Dalamar.

Although I've read the first few chapters already, I won't discuss them here, I'll wait until later, whenever that may be. Hopefully you won't have to wait another month until the next post, then again who the hell are YOU anyway?