Test of the Twins (Dragonlance Legends, Vol. 3)

Book Description

Defying the fate that claimed his evil predecessor, Raistlin opens the Portal to the Abyss and passes through. With Crysania at his side, he engages the Queen of Darkness in a battle for the ultimate prize--a seat among the gods.

At the same time, Caramon and Tasslehoff are transported to the future. There they come to understand the consequences of Raistlin’s quest--and Caramon at last realizes the painful sacrifice he must make to prevent his brother’s success. Old friends and strange allies come together to aid him, but Caramon must take the last, greatest step alone.

The step into the Abyss.

Customer Reviews:

:) Luved it! :).......2007-02-21

This book was a great ending for the Legends trilogy! It is beautifully written and touches your heart. I got really scared when Caramon and Tas went into the future and saw Caramon's corpse. The world couldn't end! But I luved the ending, where it teaches a valuable lesson: there is good in even the most evil people.

Test of the Twins (Dragonlance Legends, Vol 3).......2007-02-20

Loved the book, LOVED it, but very very disappointed that the saga doesn't continue forward from this spot. There are other books that pick up later on (much later) but naturally I'd like to see a smooth segue' into the next segment of this same tale. Oh, well...the series and this book are still well worth reading.

Not what I thought.......2006-01-06

This book wasn't what I had in mind and I was sorely disappointed in it. I thought this book was going to have a twist to it and that Raistlin was going to be persuaded into the good side by Crysania at the end or that he was going to turn back to were he left her. I also think that the author should have gave Raistlin some love and caring at the end. I was touched by how Margaret Weis wrote that Raistlin was blinded by tears, but I was also wondering why he didn't just go with them at the first place. I think that there should totally be more love and a bit less death.
Besides this point about Raistlin, the book was OK, but I don't think it was better than the two others. I have to give props to the painter of the cover though; his paintings for Margaret Weis' books are spectacular and make everything more realistic. The conclusion was strong with emotion, but to me, it wasn't the best conclusion to fit the other two incredible books.

Saving a soul.......2004-10-20

Test of the twins, the concluding novel in the Dragonlance Legends trilogy, is the story of "saving a soul". The story is, in my opinion actually the concluding novel in the six volume series compiled of both the Dragonlance Chronicles and the Legends. The novel effectively and entertainingly ties off nearly all of the loose ends and left me with a distict feeling of completeness.

In the author's own words, the book is about "saving a soul". The reader is, and was in previous editions, led to believe that it is Raistlin's soul that needs saving, however it is notl; it is his twins'.
Caramon, the twin, is the one who needs saving. He is Raistlin's opposite and keeping with the theme of the series, his soul must be saved by the light in order to balance the evil of Raistlin.

The authors also do a reasonable job of dealing with time travel. The pebble, Tasselhoff, is superb in his role and is easily the "best" character in the series, with Fizban coming a close second. Fizban in his limited role, almost seems as a kender himself.

About the only part of the novel that I did not like was the limited definition of magic. The term casting of a spell means nothing more than it says, more details are needed.

I would recommend this novel and series to anyone looking for an easy, fun, engaging read!

THE BEST!!!.......2004-06-06

The Legends Trilogy- the Time of The Twins, the War of the Twins, and Test of the Twins, is the sequel to The Chronicles Trilogy- Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Dragons of Winter Night, and Dragons of Spring Dawning, which brings to life the ultimate battle between Good and Evil in the magical World of Krynn. The books are so incredibly well written that the reader feels that they have been transported to another plane of existence and are actually present among the characters, seeing what they see, feeling what they feel, sensing what they sense. The authors Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman have truly outdone themselves and have presented us with a masterpiece of literature the likes of which we have seen only in JRR Tolkien's work and RA Salvatore's The Dark Elf and Icewind Dale trilogies. Duty, honor, bravery, magic, dragons and heroes are all about. One should seriously start thinking about maybe turning them into movies...

Dragonlance Legends: Time of the Twins, War of the Twins, Test of the Twins

Average customer rating:

Everything good fantasy should be
Do not buy these books!
Fantastic Novel!
NO WORDS TO DESCRIBE IT!
GREAT!!!

Dragonlance Legends: Time of the Twins, War of the Twins, Test of the Twins
Margaret Weis , and Tracy Hickman
Manufacturer: Distributed to the book trade in the U.S. by Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 088038610X

Customer Reviews:

Everything good fantasy should be.......2001-10-18

It is almost impossible to describe how wonderful this book is. There is nothing about it that is not absolutly perfect. It is absolutly incredible what Margaret Weis and Tracy HIckman have written. I wish I could sit here and type out the whole plot, but unfortunatly, I can't. But I will say this. The characters are beyond belife. Anybody who didn't worship Raistlin before will now. He is most definatly the greatest fantasy character ever written. Crysania is good too, especially in Test of the Twins. Dalamar Nightson, Raistlin's apprentice, is one of the better characters, and is part of why this trilogy is so incredible. No one has ever written anythig close to this. Everyone should read this book, it is so wonderful. Personnaly, I've read it so many time I can almost recite it, and it never gets worse. Please, for the love of Raistlin, BUY THIS BOOK.

Do not buy these books!.......2000-05-20

Off limits! Never buy these wonderful adventures. If you do, you will ever after be disappointed in everything else you read. It's truly sad to stumble through the rest of your life searching for a comparable read as lively and passionate as this series by the masters of adventure, Weis and Hickman. OK, you've been warned.

Fantastic Novel!.......2000-03-14

By far, these are the best set of books that I have read in a VERY long time. I agree with some of the other people that the contents, especially the ending should NOT be reveiled in an email. I think that such a wonderful book should be read by the reader & not told to you by some goof. Experience the wonderful world of Krynn for yourself & you'll find you'll be back again & again & again.... :) Enjoy them all but start with Chronicles first! :)

NO WORDS TO DESCRIBE IT!.......1999-06-18

If you are reading this and thinking about buying, STOP READING THIS AND DO IT. I really can't think of any better book to read (other than the Chronicles) to get you started on fantasy. These books are easier to read and understand than most Tolkien novels. Caramon and Raistlin show the true struggle between Good, Evil, Love and Hate. Tasslehoff Burrfoot, our friendly Kender, also plays a MAJOR role, which I am glad to say. Just one more word......AWESOME!

GREAT!!!.......1998-12-06

This was one of the best series I've ever read, next to Chronicles. I read it at least five times!

Legends Gift Set: Time of the Twins, War of the Twins, and Test of the Twins (Dragonlance: Legends Trilogy)

Average customer rating:

A good read!
You'll love these books.
SIMPLY AMAZING
Twins
Dragonlance top 3

Legends Gift Set: Time of the Twins, War of the Twins, and Test of the Twins (Dragonlance: Legends Trilogy)
Margaret Weis , and Tracy Hickman
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0786927666
Release Date: 2002-09-03

Book Description

A boxed set of three core titles from the Dragonlance saga.

This slip-covered gift set contains three key titles from the Dragonlance saga: Time of the Twins, War of the Twins, and Test of the Twins, all of which were authored by New York Times bestselling authors Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. These are three of the strongest-selling Dragonlance backlist titles.

In Time of the Twins, Tasslehoff, Raistlin, Caramon, and the priestess Crysania travel back in time to visit the city of Istar before the Cataclysm in an attempt to avert disaster, while Raistlin plots to seize the magical power of the ancient wizard Fistandantilus. In Test of the Twins, Raistlin casts a magical spell to open a Portal to the Abyss. At the same instant his brother Caramon operates a magical device that throws Caramon and Tasslehoff into an unexpected place. And in War of the Twins, Raistlin prepares to enter the Abyss and challenge the Dark Queen herself, only do discover that he is caught in a time loop from which there seems to be no escape.

Customer Reviews:

A good read!.......2007-09-25

I love Dragonlance a lot! This trilogy was not as interesting as the first one Cronicles. however it was very good. If you like Raislin and the story of him searching to gain more magical power than this is the trilogy for you. A must for Dragonlance fans.

You'll love these books........2007-01-29

It doesn't matter what kind of books you like. Youll love the Chronicles and Legends trilogies.

SIMPLY AMAZING.......2006-11-12

Margret Weis and Tracy Hickam simply wrote the best six books I've ever read. Cronicles and Legends are great for any reader who enjoys a world of adventure. Every theme that you can find in a movie are in these books. Currently deployed, I finished the books in about a week for each one. If you love fantasy novels, this is the way to go!

Twins.......2006-11-10

My son could hardly put this set of books down. He read 5 of the the Dragonlance books in 3 months with is a seriously amazing thing for him!

Dragonlance top 3.......2006-11-05

These books along with The Soulforge are by far the best in the Dragonlance saga. Maybe I am partial to Raistlin but I find that the character is one of the most interesting in all D&D novels and the work that Weiss puts into him really pays off.
And time travelling is always a plus !

War of the Twins (Dragonlance: Dragonlance Legends)

Average customer rating:

great series
One of the best books in the Dragonlance saga
the review
A classic heroic fantasy
FANTASTIC!!!

War of the Twins (Dragonlance: Dragonlance Legends)
Margaret Weis , and Tracy Hickman
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0786932171
Release Date: 2004-05-01

Book Description

The second title in the second Dragonlance novel trilogy, now available for the first time in hardcover.

The second title in the second Dragonlance novel trilogy is now being released for the first time ever in a trade hardcover edition. Featuring the stunning art and design that graced the cover of the paperback edition, the new version of this series is a follow-up to the release of the Dragonlance novels Chronicles trilogy in hardcover in 2003. It also continues the planned release of all of the core Weis & Hickman titles in trade hardcover, allowing fans and collectors alike the chance to obtain the entire set in hardcover.

Customer Reviews:

great series.......2007-01-19

An excellent book and a great series quickly sent by seller very happy

One of the best books in the Dragonlance saga.......2006-11-04

War of the Twins is one of my absolute favorite books to come out of the Weis-Hickman machine. Mind-bending concepts of time travel and of the future locked in place combined with world-altering events makes for a dramatic and intense read that will keep you up late at night. It is also perhaps the most emotionally tense book in all of Dragonlance. The interactions between Raistlin and Caramon and Crysiana and Tas are fantastic. The strange love triangle between the brothers and Crysiana makes for interesting reading and also helps the reader really appreciate the emotions of the characters. Of all the characters, Raistlin in particularly really starts to reveal his true self: merciless and determined. While at times you feel like Raist must be starting to actually feel for the people that love him, it is quickly revealed that he only cares about his ultimate goal. Caramon comes into his own in this book, leading an army and realizing that he doesn't need his brother in order to live his own life. Crysiana doesn't evolve too much in this one but does grow in her sense of purpose and in her faith. Tas kind of gets left by the wayside for much of this novel, but comes back for dramatic impact on the overall story.

The only complaint I can think of is that the Dwarfgate wars were sort of skimmed over, not revealing too much detail as far as the actual battles are concerned. The leaders of the various armies and factions could have been better fleshed out, especially Kharas and the leaders of the plainsmen and hill dwarves. These are minor regrets thought and Weis and Hickman leave much to the reader's imagination which probably enhances the overall effect of the story. They focus on the main characters and the emotional battles they are going through, and that would have been taken away from some if they had included too much detail about the side stories and characters.

Overall I'd say this is one of the more mature and grim of the Dragonlance novels, without very much humor at all and a lot of tense and dark moments. The vivid characterizations of the book sold me. I'd recommend this entire trilogy to anyone in for a good emotional story.

the review.......2005-10-26

This book was great. It was a little difficalt because it went back and fourth between the characters and things that went on in the past. This book is a gory one so it would be good for 7th grade and up. It tells the tall of the twins very good. but only read it if you read the first one time of the twins.

A classic heroic fantasy.......2005-09-30

Dragonlance series is beyond doubt one of the best known and loved works of heroic fantasy. Written with an exceptional honesty and story-telling talent, it sparkles with the authors' love for their characters and the world they created. The Twins Trilogy is a dark tale following all the patterns of heroic fantasy, but it still manages to be fresh and exciting like the best folktale. Raistlin remains one of the most striking tragic characters eagerly awaited to reappear in subsequent Dragonlance novels.

FANTASTIC!!!.......2004-06-06

Time of the Twins (Dragonlance: Legends Trilogy)

Average customer rating:

WOW. Excellent book in a new trilogy
The exciting start of a new trilogy!
Worth a Read
Awesome Book, annoying character
The start of a great series

Time of the Twins (Dragonlance: Legends Trilogy)
Margaret Weis , and Tracy Hickman
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0786918047
Release Date: 2001-02-01

Book Description

Sequestered in the blackness of the dreaded Tower of High Sorcery in Palanthas, surrounded by nameless creatures of evil, Raistlin Majere weaves a plan to conquer the darkness--to bring it under his control.

Crysania, a beautiful and devoted cleric of Paladine, tries to use her faith to lead Raistlin from the darkness. She is blind to his shadowed designs, and he draws her slowly into his neatly woven trap.

Made aware of Raistlin’s plan, a distraught Caramon travels back in time to the doomed city of Istar in the days before the Cataclysm. There, together with the ever-present kender Tasslehoff, Caramon will make his stand to save Raistlin’s soul.

Or so he believes.

Customer Reviews:

WOW. Excellent book in a new trilogy.......2007-03-19

I just finished reading Time of the Twins for the first time, and I am honestly impressed by the story. It is very dark, but there is plenty of plot twists, character development and complex situations to satisfy any true fantasy lover. Raistlin is truly an amazing character, he shines in every page. I highly reccommend this book, and I'm looking forward to reading the next!

The exciting start of a new trilogy!.......2006-07-14

Travel back in time to the reign of Kingpriest with Raistlin, Caramon, and Tas (along with the new heroine Crysiana). This story picks up after the ending of the Chronicles Trilogy, with Raistlin the most powerful mage in the land and his brother Caramon a pitiful drunk. Their adventures in Istar are exciting and the characters grow a lot (in the minds of the reader, and as people in the story). While the Chronicles were basically non-stop and somewhat predictable action, the Legends start with a more mature and emotional feel. The reader gets a deeper look into complicated dilemas going on within the characters, and you really don't know who to cheer for. You can't help liking Raistlin a lot, even though you know he is a heartless and basically evil person. While this book is a bit more sophisticated with the character interactions and feelings, there is still plenty of excitment (with Caramon becoming a gladiator and Tas's never-ending forays).

Many people say that they like the Legends trilogy even better than the Chronicles. Its a close call, but I do know that they are excellent fantasy and would be enjoyed by anyone.

Worth a Read.......2006-02-13

After having finished the Dragonlance Chronicles, I was eager to find out what happened to Raistlin after he took what I had assumed to be Fistandantilus's place as Master of the Tower. In Time of the Twins, I was not disappointed. The authors gave brief updates on what was happening in the lives of the companions after the war, and started up another tale involving the twins.

Tas was a welcome presence in this book, as he always is. However, I was looking for something new in the main character introduced in this series, Crysanthia, Revered Daughter of Paladine. The authors did an excellent job with each of the companions in the Dragonlance Chronicles. Readers could identify with and feel close to each of the characters. With Crysanthia, I get the feeling that she was just thrown in there to create something new and to add a bit of romance to the book. Whenever I'm reading something from her point of view, I feel so...detached. I feel like I'm looking down on her and watching her go through the actions, rather than walking right along beside her, going through the actions with her.

This book is more thought-provoking than the action-packed Dragonlance Chronicles. One moment, you're wondering if Cyrsanthia's love can "save" Raistlin. The next, you're thinking that what would "saving" Raistlin be? After all, he'd never be content to just...settle down. As long as he's alive, he'll constantly lust for power. And so while on one side, you want Raistlin to accomplish his task, on the other you wonder if his death will be the only thing to bring "peace" to Krynn. And then there's the whole good/evil balance thing...

I think that to enjoy this book to its fullest, it's an absolute MUST to read the Dragonlance Chronicles. While that made this book more enjoyable for me, unfortunately I consider this to be one of the book's failings, because it is a completely new series and should be easily followed by anyone deciding to pick it up. On Caramon's and Tas's part, there is continued character development that makes their characters more complex and interesting to read. However, Crysanthia is very predictable (you can probably guess from the prologue what will happen with her) and so I hardly consider any change on her part "character development." As for Raistlin, I hope things start going wrong for him soon, because it gets a little boring reading about his (nearly) ultimate power again and again.

Awesome Book, annoying character.......2006-01-25

I've read the Chronicles, the New Adventures, and the Second Generation when I started on the Legends series. This is a very good book, but I cannot stand Crysania. Too bad she's pretty much the second main character. Raistlin is awesome though, and continues his quest to gain even more power. Overall, I love it, but I just hate Crysania. The ever-lovable Tas, however, balances her out a bit.

The start of a great series.......2006-01-06

I think this book is great! I was hooked by the spell of this book and it's words. Marvelously written probably because of Raistlin, the greatest mage of Krynn in his time. Raistlin is my favorite character of the whole series since he is full of mystery and power. The mage is an ambitious, strongwilled, and intellegent perfectionist who loves getting his way. He and his twin are as different as the sun and the moon which is so interesting. I think I like Raistlin because he is like me in many ways and that I can relate to him in many things. I also like the way Margaret Weis spun romance into the book that is intrancing in my point of view. I love the cover of the book and I think that it fits extremely well with the books. I hope the next book will be just as good as the first!

Legends Of The Twins (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Dragonlance Setting)

Average customer rating:

Best product yet from MWP
This is a D&D campaign setting, NOT the legends of the twins trilogy.
Krynn is great
Great

Legends Of The Twins (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Dragonlance Setting)

Manufacturer: Sovereign Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 193156731X

Customer Reviews:

Best product yet from MWP.......2007-05-07

This book is fantastic. There is so many variations included from the main storyline that this book is wwell worth the price.

This is a D&D campaign setting, NOT the legends of the twins trilogy........2006-08-10

No where on this webpage does it say that this is a campaign setting. Yet its titled the exact same as the trilogy name. Quite decieving. Other that that I dont know about the book I returned it.

Krynn is great.......2006-03-23

All the books about the world of Krynn have entertained and this one is no exception. good action and characters give you a book hard to put down. Definitely recommend!

If you like books like this one, might I suggest another I've recently come across. The Unsuspecting Mage by Brian S. Pratt. It's another fantasy adventure sure to please. I highly recommend it.

Great.......2006-02-24

This is an awesome addition to the books made by Sovereign Press. Glad to see the alternate Krynns. This book does a lot of major things in it, including showing Tas, Caramon, Raistlin going back to the time of Istar and Kingpriest Beldinas, along with the Dwarfgate War, Abys, and the Blue Lady's War. The battle section is great. The alternate Krynn's is every DM dream. I highly recommend this to anyone.

Annotated Legends (Dragonlance: Legends Trilogy)

Average customer rating:

Annotations detract from the story.
Keeps getting better don't it?!
Legends
Great Fantasy Novel
Excellent and engrossing story, poor commentary

Annotated Legends (Dragonlance: Legends Trilogy)
Margaret Weis , and Tracy Hickman
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0786939745
Release Date: 2005-09-15

Book Description

A key trilogy in the Dragonlance line, collected in an annotated paperback.

This annotated version of Time of the Twins, War of the Twins, and Test of the Twins contains extensive notes by The New York Times best-selling authors Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. The three titles deal with all of the Heroes of the Lance, but primarily with the most popular character in all of Dragonlance, Raistlin Majere.

Customer Reviews:

Annotations detract from the story........2007-02-17

The Legends Trilogy definitely deserves a 5-star rating. I rate this edition as 3-star strictly because of the annotations.

Legends follows up the great Chronicles trilogy, with Raistlin, Caramon, and Tas embarking on a time-traveling adventure with enormous consequences for the entire world of Krynn. The story takes on a much more personal feeling in Legends, with the focus being narrowed to a few key characters and the plot seemingly less epic than the previous trilogy (even though the events have a larger potential impact on the world). This trilogy also has a darker and more serious feel, with much more emotional clarity and desperate circumstances. The characters are forced to make difficult sacrifices and each seems to fight their own form of depression.

The main premise focuses on Raistlin's efforts to become the most powerful mage of all time and challenge the gods themselves. Caramon and Crysiana fight their own personal battles to discover themselves and achieve peace with the world. Tas basically tags along in innocent curiosity and a desire to help his friends.

The annotations of this version add nothing to the story. I was hoping for interesting insights from the authors telling about their views of what the various characters are thinking or what really happened in alluded to events. Instead you get a whole bunch of repetitive and obvious commentary along with self-important glorifications of the authors' talent and foresight. This was my fourth journey through the Legends trilogy and it was by far the least enjoyable due to the distracting influence of pointless annotations. You would think that you'd be able to just ignore the commentary, but its impossible as you keep telling yourself that there must be at least a little useful information only to be disappointed time and again.

While the Legends trilogy is awesome, pick a different version than this one to enjoy.

Keeps getting better don't it?!.......2007-01-10

Following up on the previous trilogy we now get to explore a character the reader is most interested in, Raistlin. I think by the end of this second trilogy you really come to love or hate this mage. He is a very complicated individual sweating evil darkness with a scent of goodness.
Well if you enjoy dark wizardy and wizard battles this is one for you, though you should read the first trilogy, of course.

Once again, in this particular edition of The Legends, we get to have the authors riding along with us giving us droplets of backstory and history behind the stories, much like a commentary on a DVD movie. Excellent!

I purchased this after already having bought the paperbacks a number of years prior. Well worth the money. A hardback of this edition is also available as the paperbacks don't hold up that well being so large.

*This review is being brought over from an old account.

Legends.......2006-02-24

I must say, the added MW and TH comments and their views was a good addition to this book. If you haven't read the originals, you should pick those up first before reading this one. It may ruin the end for you.

Great Fantasy Novel.......2005-11-27

First off, the notations are for the most part pretty useless. If it is your first time reading the Legends, I suggest not reading the notations at all, they give away too much foreshadowing.

The Legends series is the best Dragonlance series in my opinion. The charactors have good depth, and just enough is kept out so that the next plot twists are not over exposed. Raistlin is especially great, one of my more favorite literary characters. Tas is overly silly, and Cameron to transparent. The plot line is a little out there, and not very intuitive, but it is decent. It really is the characters and well described landscapes that keep this together. Any D&D fan will find this well worth the time.

Excellent and engrossing story, poor commentary.......2005-07-12

Let's face it: The Dragonlance books will never be classic literature. Weiss and Hickman might make a decent writing team (Weiss can apparantly hold Hickman in check while Hickman can moderate Weiss' tendancy towards over emotive writing), but they're certainly not the best.

This story, though, the three books that make up the Legends Trilogy, are an excellent sequal series to the truly excellent Chronicles. Though they do tend to fall into the trap of "last time . . ." repetitiveness and tell vs. show, for the most part, the books are engrossing and extremely interesting. Character development is the name of this game rather than the overarching, "zoomed-out" approach of the original Chronicles. Characters that we barely got to know the last time begin to really grow and evolve into something other than their archetypes.

Caramon, the big burly "meat-shield" (if I may borrow an RPG term) warrior type was originally nothing more than a head clunking, thick headed, but exceedingly loyal puppy with a sword character: albeit an entertaining one. When we are reintroduced to him in the opening chapters of Legends, we find not the brash young warrior that he used to be, but a slovenly, drunk shell of a man, mourning the loss of a brother that we know is willing and able to tear his twin brother to shreds. We see Caramon hit absolute bottom (we konw this because the authors so kindly tell us so) early on and then begin the slow, arduous crawl out of his pit and into an even darker time of his life where he must confront the twin he used to protect lovingly and confront himself as well.

Raistlin, the twin brother of Caramon, whom we all know was at least a bit megalomanaical, is pushed so far into his archetype (but never stereotype) by the authors that the reader is utterly astonished when the full details of his plans come to light. Delighting in cruelty and complete control, Raistlin leads those who serve him straight into hell (literally) while they follow along gleefully, caught up in his strange charisma like moths drawn to a flame. The change in Raistlin, if one can even identify such a change, happens suddenly and tragicly.

Tasslehoff is again along for the ride as comic relief, but we are given the chance to look deeper into the sticky-fingered little thief than before, revealing a great wealth of character and fortitude that could only be guessed at before. Sure, he has more than his fair share of one-liners, but Tasslehoff manages to grow beyond his comic relief role into a wonderful and lovable character.

The plot itself is complicated, extensive, and well planned out if fumbled only occasionaly. I've found that afer three run-throughs, I've managed to wrap my head around everything that's going on in this book and, though as I said it's not "literature" in the strictest sense of the word, it's certainly interesting. Time travel, always a sticky subject for fantasy and science-fiction writers, is the main plot element, but it almost never becomes the main theme. That the characters have traveled back in time centuries into the past is nearly besides the point. The thematic elements are always centered around dysfunctional relationships, love, hate, lust, and adventure. The backdrop of pre-Cataclysmic Istar (which is a vaguely obvious metaphor for organized and traditional church structures in the modern world) merely reflects and parallels the emotional and social troubles of the heroes.

There is a major drawback to this edition of the novels, however. The notations -- which in the Annotated Chronicles were interesting, logical, and relavent -- are intrusive and stupid at times. Tracy Hickman seems absolutely determined to claim credit for the entirety of the Dragonlance saga and link it inextricably to his own Mormon faith (though the connections are tenuous at best). Weiss, on the other hand, comes through again with her usual style and intelligence providing usefull and enlightening commentary along with Michael Williams (the poet of the Dragonlance Saga).

Four stars for the story itself, but only two for this particular edition.

DragonLance Legends, complete set: Time of the Twins, War of the Twins, Test of the Twins

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DragonLance Legends, complete set: Time of the Twins, War of the Twins, Test of the Twins
Margaret Weis , and Tracy Hickman
Manufacturer: TSR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N5VALA

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DRAGONLANCE LEGENDS: TIME OF THE TWINS
TRACY HICKMAN MARGARET WEIS
Manufacturer: PENGUIN BOOKS LTD
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000S9N7SA

DRAGONLANCE LEGENDS: Time of the Twins, War of the Twins, Test of the Twins (Set of 3 Fantasy Novels)

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DRAGONLANCE LEGENDS: Time of the Twins, War of the Twins, Test of the Twins (Set of 3 Fantasy Novels)
Margaret; Hickman, Tracy Weis
Manufacturer: TSR/Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000NRTIQ2

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