Book Description
An art-filled sourcebook about aberrations in the D&D world.
Lords of Madness: The Book of Aberrations takes a comprehensive look at the most bizarre monsters of the D&D world, and the heroes who fight them. It provides detailed information about beholders, mind flayers, aboleths, and other popular aberrations, while also introducing several new aberrations. In addition, this book provides new rules, feats, tactics, spells, and equipment for characters that hunt aberrations. Extensive story and campaign elements and flavor information add interest and dimension to playing or fighting creatures of this type. The book itself features a prestige format, with heavy use of art throughout and a full-painted cover.
Customer Reviews:
Horrifying alien usurpers from beyond time and space!.......2007-08-08
I had read this book more than a year ago (this was before I bought it), and my initial hunger was on the Illithids: Brain-eatting super-intellects from the far future. Their society, their behavious, their mindsets. All of which was pretty much mentally fufilled and sated.
Then, when I had finally read the whole book, I devled deeper still. Information of the Aboleths: Enormous, prehistoric slimy monsters who rule the wet recesses of the Underdark with inscrutable complex minds, mentally-crushing psionic powers, and debilitating slime. Beholders: Gluttonous and borderline insane monsters with an affinity to magic, and inbred xenophobic hatred toward all but the individual Beholder. Neogi: Pilfering spiderlike creeps who make their quota through slave labour and trade. The Grell: Intelligent predators from a parallel dimension with great skill in alien alchemy. And the Tsochari (newcomers to the D&D universe): Worm-like body snatchers from another planet with a fanatical intent to spread the word of their giant worm master, Mak-Thuum-Ngatha.
Each Abberation is gone into useful detail for the DM and the player alike. This book also goes into revised monsters from ealier D&D books (like the Beholderkin, the Illithidae and Illithiad, and a revision of the Psurlons), as well as some new, terrifying and maddening beasts (Hound of the Gloom, Half-Farspawn... my fave, Pseudonatural creatures, Shabboath Golems, and the Zeugalak, to name a few). Also some new feats (regular and Aberrant. Aberrant Feats physicall change your character and add some bonuses here and there), and Prestige Classes to fight, or aid the Aberration menace (Abolisher, Keeper of the Cerulean Sign, Fleshwarper, Darkrunner, the Sanctified Mind, and the Topaz Guardian).
For those not afraid to plumb the depths to know things to impress, or simply scare your D&D buddies with some impressive work, DO get this book. I fully recommend it.
Focus in on Aberrations.......2007-08-07
As a DM in an on-going D&D campaign featuring Epic Characters, it can be difficult (to say the least) to challage my group. But this book suceeds by diving into the mysterious creatures that live in the darkest caves of the Underdark. Once you lure your group into the innocuous looking dungeon, slam the door behind them and lead them deeper into the Underdark. Once there, they can be haunted by Aberrations that are the stuff of nightmares. This books goes deep in to the backgrounds of all the favorites, including Illithids, the decendents of the Gith and much more. It will be easy to create a wicked adventure for your group with this book. And it will be fun.
A celebration of aberrations........2007-02-22
This is everything that you wanted to know about Illithiads and all of the really weird races in the Underdark, an excellent source and a fun read. I would have liked to see more about the Mind Flayer/Gith history, but that might be better suited to a tome that focuses on the Githyanki and Githzerai races.
Good solid D&D reference book.......2007-01-28
This book is a must for the DM who is a fan of horror, especially the H.P. Lovecraft type of horror. Treating monsters like Beholders, Aboleths and Mind Flayers in detail gives an imaginative DM literally dozens of adventure hooks. The sample lairs are a great help for those who don't have acres of time as well. I was especially happy to see a few passing references to both Planescape and Spelljammer campaign settings (go Neogi!) giving me hope that one day these will be updated and re-released (any developers reading this I am ready to buy it all...just put it out!).
I will say that it is a very specialized supplement, so if you are a core, no frills DM this might not be for you. You certainly don't need it to run an excellent game. For those of us who revel in the mood of horror as a party stumbles upon the unearthly lair of a Mind Flayer or are captured and come up on the Neogi's slave block, this is the book for you.
Throwing a Little Bit of Light on the Terrors of the Long Night.......2006-04-07
Many aberrations in the D&D games if they have not been more or less blatantly taken from Lovecraft and his Cthulu Mythos they were at least inspired by the same. Most of the chapters are devoted to aberrations that have the intelligence and/or drive to make an attempt at world conquerors like Mind Flayers, Aboleth, the Grell, Neogi and a new thing. Next comes a chapter of secondary critters most of which are related to main chapters. A lot of the monsters are revised from 2nd Edition sources, the Illithiad being one of them. In fact when it comes to Mind Flayers a lot of material from this previous book was used. Fans of the old Monstrous Arcana will recognize material presented in a rather condensed form. SpellJammer fans will find interesting tidbits here as well. If you've gone looking for this book you probably already know what kind of information you are looking for. At least some of your questions will be answered in this tome as well as a lot to think upon. Personally I found this book to be an excellant read and treasure trove of a toolbox for Aberrations.
Book Description
Even Greater Threats Await!
As heroes grow in power, they seek out more formidable adversaries. Whether sinister or seductive, ferocious or foul, the creatures lurking within these pages will challenge the most experienced characters of any campaign.
This supplement for the D&D game unleashes a horde of monsters to confront characters at all levels of play, including several with Challenge Ratings of 21 or higher. Inside are old favorites such as the death knight and the gem dragons, as well as all-new creatures such as the bronze serpent, the effigy, and the fiendwurm. Along with updated and expanded monster creation rules, Monster Manual II provides an inexhaustible source of ways to keep even the toughest heroes fighting and running for their lives.
To use this supplement, a Dungeon Master also needs the Player's Handbook and the
Dungeon Master's Guide. A player needs only the Player's Handbook.
Customer Reviews:
More Monsters, more challenge.......2007-03-23
As with most Monster Manuals, the larger more creatures you have at your finger tips, the easier it is to keep your players challenged and keep the game fun with a variety of opponents.
god.......2007-01-27
this book is very god because it has creative monsters in it. And also a lot of templents. Well worth the price.
I like it!.......2006-01-10
When I first got the book in the mail I was a TINY bit disappointed in the size, expecting a book the size of the Monster Manual 1, but when I looked through I was presently surprised. It has some very interesting new creatures (Dinosaurs, Gem Dragons, and Phoenix caught by eye when fist browsing over the Table of Contents) and the layout is great. A perfect amount of tables, neat spacing, and beautiful pictures make the book easy and fun to pick out monsters or look through when your bored. Though it does pull slightly away from the "old school" fantasy setting of goblins, orcs, knolls etcetera, it's a great book for DMs that want to make campaigns more interesting and for players intrigued by cool new monsters.
Time for an update..........2005-08-18
Some interesting new entries in the D20 universe such as the infamous gem dragons :) but the format is still 3.0e and starting to show its age, very difficult to use any of the LA's PC possible entries...
Save this purchase for last for the completisits out there after you have the MM, MMIII, and fiend folio in your collection. Actually after that I would probably recomend others still before the MMII, notably the advanced bestiary from green ronin which contains more interesting and up to date material than the aged MMII here.
MMII is not 3.5 Compliant.......2004-12-30
A good book for its time, but DMs should take note that this book is dated. Monster description blocks are not 3.5 compliant. This means that the monster's Base Attack Bonus is not clearly listed, nor is the Grapple bonus (although most Swallow Whole descriptions define this variable). Also, Damage Reduction has changed significantly, so be prepared to make some on-the-fly adjustments. Otherwise I would say that this book is very usable at all levels.
Customer Reviews:
Stop whining about it being "to powerful" or comparing psionics to wizards.......2007-03-07
Ok ill jump straight to it. Psionics using second edition rules (which is the correct way since third edition makes them nothing more then weak sorcerers) are not unbalbalancing in any way because of one very important aspect. All psionics have to be LAWFUL. That simple. They are not going to read random peoples thoughts, teleport into random rooms to steal, dominate or mind control anyone "just because". They need a good reason to do what they are doing, if they dont have a good reason then they are becoming chaotic and will loose access to their abilitys. A chaotic person doesnt have the discipline to do what a psion does.
In Greyhawk, Forgotten Realms, Ebberron, amd most campagins, magic is a invicable force that affects all things in a invisable weave (kinda like the Force in Star Wars) in Dragonlance they come from the moons, and in Dark Sun they come from living plants and animals, that is how mages get there power. A psionic gets his power soley from his mind, he can do just fine in a magic dead zone.
Finally psionics are not overpowered because i gurante they will not make all there power score checks when they need to, and they better have some allies there to help them. Also psionics in 2nd edition rules only have one power that can affect a group of enemys (called death field pshcyometabolics) and that comes with a great cost to the psion. All other powers are individual only, so really a 3rd level psionic has a better chance of beating a ogre then three goblins.
If you have looked at second edition youll see that the powers listed are unique in the way they work, with maitnance cost and power scores needed. Third edition psionics are just a different (wearker) type of sorcerer. Power may come from the mind but it does the exact same stuff. I run 3.5 edition campaign but use 2nd edition psionics. basically you use the chart giving in the 3.5 psionic handbook for skill points, feats, save throw, etc. but for the powers you use the 2nd edition handbook. To calculate a saving throw for a target I use this formula. 1d20 + penalty to power check + main stat modifier = will power save DC.
For example John the telepath is going to use psionic blast on a ogre. John has a wisdom of 18. Psionic blast is Wis -6. First he uses contact, since this power cant hurt the ogre i dont allow a saving throw (you may if you like but thats up to you) then the next round he rolls a d20. (wis of 18 - 6 = 12) he needs a 12 or lower to even activate the power. If he rolls higher then a 12 then the power doesnt even attempt to work, if he rolls lower then the power works. Assuming it works lets see if it hurts the ogre, he gets a Will save to ignore it. Save DC is 1d20 + 6 (the penalty to the power score) + 4 (wis mod). If you wanted you could just say that the d20 roll is allways a 10 (like magic works) but i find that using a random roll on every save makes psioncs feel different to.
I have more to add but I think ive written way to much, if youd like to comment good or bad, go nuts
How Psionics should be.......2003-01-05
This is the start of psionics in 2nd Edition. It is far surperios than the d20 version, which is absolute "garbage". Better abilities and much nicer, although some are overpowered.
Translate this into the d20 similar by making it similar to the Forbidden Kingdoms system, as psionics should be skills, not spells.
Good, but not necessary.......2001-06-06
This book is great for AD&D players and Dungeon Masters alike. However, everything you can find in this book is also found in the Player's Option: Skills and Powers book as well. Save your money for the Player's Option book; the complete psionics handbook is a waste
Psionics Rocks.......2000-07-10
This book is worth the buy, I was realy wanting to know what was contained in it and it was worth it. Buy this book it is extreamly useful in D&D especialy for Dragon Psionist
but it's worth it.
Unorthodox and innovative - careful integration is worth it!.......2000-06-09
The PHBR (Player's Handbook Reference) series is one of the most highly-regarded, and yet much-maligned, series of supplements ever created. Each sourcebook takes one of the races or classes of the AD&D game, and adds to it huge amounts of new detail - new equipment, spells, kits (sub-classes), lore, new rules, etc. The problem is that the players love these so much that the DM often feels compelled to buy into the rest of the series - an expensive proposition! Fortunately, these works were "reprinted" in the excellent AD&D Core Rules CD-ROM. This one introduces the powerful and alien class of the Psionicist - if you are not running a Spelljammer or Dark Sun campaign, you will want to think VERY carefully before allowing this class to players! The power and versatility of these characters is amazing. Details of this book include: the Psionicist class and restrictions, a full explanation of psionic powers, disciplines, and advancement, special abilities, the powerful Wild Talents, psionic combat (a great system), the great powers (Clairsentience, Psychokinesis, Psychometabolism, Psychoportation, Telepathy, and Metapsionics), running a psionics campaign, and great monsters! It's a wonderful book - and used carefully, it will add a whole new dimension to your games.
Book Description
They won their first real battle in the war for Krynn, but the war has only just begun for the Companions! Friendships born in conflict will be torn apart. Hope will rest on the shoulders of a disgraced Knight and his two inexperienced companions. Worlds long divided by hatred and prejudice will either band together in a last struggle against darkness - or perish for all time.
Customer Reviews:
Must own for anyone!.......2007-06-27
I only hope the movie comming out based on this very Graphic Novel is as well put together! head over to Dragonlance movie dot com
Just wow... a faithful adaptation........2007-05-12
This graphic novel is beautifully done. The artists paint in pictures what Weis and Hickman did with words all those years ago. Devil's Due deserves a lot of credit for getting quality artists who have stayed true to the story of Dragonlance. I'm really getting stoked for the first movie, out in September.
Average customer rating:
- "Nine they were, under the three moons"
- The Separation Of Races - The Discoveries Of Ancient Weapons
- Gates of Paladine...last hope
- Excellent Follow Up
- My favorite Chronicle book
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Dragons of Winter Night (Dragonlance: Dragonlance Chronicles)
Margaret Weis , and
Tracy Hickman
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Similar Items:
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Dragons of Spring Dawning (Dragonlance Chronicles, Vol. 3)
-
Dragons of Autumn Twilight
-
Time of the Twins (Dragonlance Legends, Vol. 1)
-
War of the Twins (Dragonlance Legends, Vol. 2)
-
Test of the Twins (Dragonlance Legends, Vol. 3)
ASIN: 0786916095
Release Date: 2000-04-01 |
Amazon.com
Dragons of Autumn Twilight sets 'em up, and Dragons of Winter Night knocks 'em down. The second volume in Dragonlance's seminal trilogy stokes the action with a big ol' blast of dragon breath. The War of the Lance has begun in earnest, and the Companions--Tanis, Flint, the twins Raistlin and Sturm, Flint Fireforge, Goldmoon, et al.--find themselves separated across Ansalon. Everyone's figured out that Takhisis's dragon minions aren't just scary bedtime stories, and the desperate search for the Dragon Orbs and the mythical Dragonlance is on. Lots of great combat, some humor and romance sprinkled in, and more solid character development for this complex band (especially Tanis and Laurana). An excellent follow-up bookended by cliffhangers--check out Dragons of Spring Dawning to see what happens next. --Paul Hughes
Book Description
Now the people know that the dragon minions of Takhisis, Queen of Dragons, have returned. The people of all nations prepare to fight to save their homes, their lives, and their freedom. But the races have long been divided by hatred and prejudice. Elven warriors and human knights fight among themselves. It seems the battle has been lost before it begins.
The companions are separated, torn apart by war. A full season will pass before they meet again--if they meet again. As the darkness deepens, a disgraced knight, a pampered elfmaiden, and a rattle-brained kender stand alone in the pale winter sunlight.
Not much in the way of heroes.
Customer Reviews:
"Nine they were, under the three moons".......2007-06-22
"Under the autumn twilight:
As the world declined, they arose
Into the heart of the story."
Winter has come to Krynn and ushered in upon its chill and biting wind the armies of Takhisis, Queen of Darkness, have arisen. Among the ranks of darkness, strange creatures have arisen created by the foulest magic of the Dark Queen's sorcerers. United and fortified, this vast army of evil is advancing across the face of Krynn, marauding through the innocent citizens and establishing a bleak new era in the history of Dragonlance. Few there are who are courageous enough to face the armies of the Dark Queen yet our heroes, sorely beleaguered and dejected, continue forever onwards thwarting evil and corruption with the untarnished sword of justice. Yet, in this bleak winter of their lives, they must face things far worse than Takhisis' army; they must face their own inner turmoils, the eternal dance of light and darkness that is waged within the very depths of their souls, they must overcome prejudice, ignorance, and more. Separated and forced to fight in a world rapidly degenerating, this is their story, their epic battle against the darkness that is consuming Krynn. Yet, can they possibly hope to triumph against such unfathomable darkness? Only time will tell. . .
Once again we are reunited with those characters we have come to love. Few things bring me such extreme joy as picking up another Dragonlance novel and discovering new secrets about my most favourite characters. Once again, the mystical and sardonic Raistlin is back, discovering hidden depths in his own soul whilst experimenting with the ever dangerous dragon orb. Caramon, his twin brother, is torn between his love for Tika and his duty to his ungrateful twin. Strum, the noble Solamnic knight, must learn painful things about the "honour" of his knighthood and the true meaning of justice and piety. Alongside the dejected knight, Laurana, pampered elf princess, is forced to learn that love is not always true and that desperate situations require equally desperate actions. Tanis, torn between his elven nature and his human impetuousness, must finally decide whether he will reside within the light or be seduced into the darkness. Tas, happy go lucky kender, both irritating and lovable, must put aside his carefree nature in an effort to save the world; but will he be able to bring himself to do what must be done? Add to this mix of charming characters Fizban, the delightfully befuddled mage, and Flint, the grumpy old dwarf that hides his kind hearted ways by his eternal gruffness. Truly, the reader cannot help but to love each and every one of these characters who, although not "human" are laden with the distinct trappings and emotions of humanity. To imbue such fictitious personages with such realistic attributes is but one of the many virtues distinctly visible in the works of Dragonlance.
Combined with the vivid enchanting protagonists, the plot, intricate, creative, and highly detailed, fully comes to life evoking an aura of tension, high drama, and endless intrigue. Will the characters remain true to the forces of good? Will they be able to defeat the advancing hordes of dragons and various other villains pledged to the dark side? How will there stories end? All these questions race through the reader's mind as the plot relentlessly progresses forward constantly delivering adrenalin pumping action and shattering emotional dilemmas. Truly, such an entrancing complex plot can never fail to capture and enthrall the reader.
As if all these outstanding literary attributes were not grand enough, yet another exquisite feature of the Dragonlance world prevails: the erudite, beauteous, easy flowing style of writing. Each phrase is, in and of itself, a glorious addition to the ongoing drama and intrigue prevalent throughout Dragons of Winter Night. As usual, Dragonlance far excels other modern works.
Fraught with beauty and peril, joy and despair, and the never ending quest to do that which is noble and just, the beleaguered denizens of Krynn rise up once again to fight the oncoming horde of darkness. Yet another excellent edition to the Dragonlance Chronicles Series. Highly recommended.
- Ravenova Majere
The Dragonlance Chronicles Series:
(1.) Dragons of Autumn Twilight
(2.) Dragons of Winter Night
(3.) Dragons of Spring Dawning
(4.) Dragons of Summer Flame
The Raistlin Chronicles:
(1.) The Soulforge
(2.) Brothers in Arms
The Legends Series:
(1.) Time of the Twins
(2.) War of the Twins
(3.) Test of the Twins
The Lost Chronicles:
(1.) Dragons of Dwarven Depths
(2.) Dragons of a Highlord Sky
The Preludes:
(1.) Darkness and Light
(2.) Kendermore
(3.) Brothers Majere
(4.) Riverwind the Plainsman
(5.) Flint the King
(6.) Tanis the Shadow Years
The Separation Of Races - The Discoveries Of Ancient Weapons.......2007-06-19
Dragons Of Winter Night is the second book in the Dragonlance Chronicles series and picks up where Dragons Of Autumn Twilight ended.
With the companions separated and the Dark Queen's armies dominating Krynn the situation is bleak. It also seems that with spies everywhere and the seeds of division sown the situation is spiralling out of control. Rays of light do manage to break through however. Not only are several dragon orbs discovered, Laurana has found a Dragonlance, learnt how to use one and is attempting to craft more.
The book, much like its prequel, bears many similarities to The Lord Of The Rings - A member of a minor race who takes on great responsibilities and surprisingly drastic action, separation of companions, a seeing orb, evil warriors on winged creatures, etc. - and circumstances come across as overly providential occasionally, but Winter Night is more believable and action-packed than its prequel.
Still, many mysteries like the story of the cataclysm, the origin of the draconians or the hiding place of the dragons remains unresolved. The story however offers several minor and a major surprise in its story-line and twists, in addition to the introduction of several new species, which will help in keeping the reader's attention.
Gates of Paladine...last hope.......2006-09-21
As evil corrupts on Krynn,how will the companionsbe able to stop it? Krynn is threatened to be detroyed by the evil green, red, blue, black, and white dragons with the dragon highlords and there draconian army's. The companions are split up, the elves are destroying them selves,and Palanthas is one of the city's blocing the way. Dragon Orbs seem there only hope but is it? Silvanesti is infested with a nightmare. When all hope seems gone, a old magican shows up. Can they find the mysterious Dragonlance and help them kill evil. The forces of good still have hope and may be able to destroy evil even though the odds are greater. Can they overpower evil and prevail against it?
Excellent Follow Up.......2006-08-15
The message has already been carried. This book is a completely flowing sequel that will lead you all the way to the gates of the third novel, but not without bringing more life to the world already laid before us.
Some may find it useful, others annoying, that each book will detail the past events of the other novels and the characters. So really, you could read from any book if you so chose, however you'd be missing out on more than you'd care to if you only knew.
My favorite Chronicle book.......2006-06-25
MW and TH are one of the greatest story tellers I've ever read about.. The Chronicles trilogy will probably one day be considered as the greatest epic trilogy ever written..
This book is my favorite mainly because of the courage and bravery of Sturm Brightblade..He knew he would die but did his duty without question..Kitiara knew she had to fight him and there was no turning back..Two characters who were probably my favorite duo at one time were friends,then lovers,then turned to becoming enemies.. Of course the story didn't revolve just around Kit and Sturm,it just happened to be my favorite part of the book..
Average customer rating:
- Formula Fiction
- Dragon Winter Great Book
- fantasy at it's best
- A wonderful book
- A great book for all ages to enjoy and teach values!
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Dragon Winter
Niel Hancock
Manufacturer: Warner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0446312096 |
Customer Reviews:
Formula Fiction.......2006-07-01
This book has been sitting on my shelf for many years and I finally picked it up and read it. Either I should have read it when I was still a kid, or it should have stayed there. This book seems hastily written to capitalize on _Watership Down_, throwing in bits of _The Wind in the Willows_ and _The Lord of the Rings_. Everything about it was predictable. I was hoping for it to get better. The author's lack of imagination is apparent in naming the squirrel "Acorn", and his haste and carelessness in inconsistency about whether Acorn is male or female. (Normally Acorn is reported as male and Ash his mate, but there is at least one exception.)
The characters are very flat and go through the motions of a tired plot of an evil brother wanting to be king and temporaily seducing some young upstarts, in this case animals, to join with him. This is fantasy writing 101, and nothing beyond the sort of material I was writing in high school and couldn't get published. It might be enjoyable for children or an undemanding audience, especially if they're young enough they find _Watership Down_ (to which the publisher has the pretension to compare this to) too daunting in length, which they shouldn't if they'll read Harry Potter, but I had to force myself to keep reading this because I wanted to like it. The writing is dull and repetitive, but because of that fact I learned one word I wasn't familiar with--"hackles".
If you love animal fantasies, you'll definiely want to read this, as it's nothing terrible, but if you're looking for good fantasy writing, don't bother with this one. It's good to read mediocrity every once in a while. It keeps the faculties attuned to what is truly good.
Dragon Winter Great Book.......2006-03-10
This is a great fanatasy novel which keeps you turning the pages, with the author doing a great job of making you feel you know the characters, while makihng one feel they are there with them. You can see the setting in detail with Hancock's mastery of words, yet it is not one of those books with so many big words you have to have a dictionary by your side, making it a great read for teens to adults. I am hookeed and want to read more of his books.
Hancock takes us into a fantasy world with a spititual aspect, talking about a golden age when all creaturs got along. He talks about the Law with good fighting to reign over evil or darkness. The animals have their gods and we have sorcery making it an animal Lord Of the Rings kind of story or maybe King Arthur.
fantasy at it's best.......2004-03-29
i first read this book when i was 14 , then it was one of the best books i had ever read. I'm now 33 and after seeing this book on amazon i purchased it and after re-re-reading it i must say it is still one of the best fantasy books ever....i'm convinced if this tale was properly made into an animated movie it could surpass even the best of disneys movies.
read this book!!!!
A wonderful book.......1998-03-23
Lovers of Fantasy will enjoy this book. It's one of those gentle, innocent books that stays with you long after it's been put back on the shelf. It's not blood and guts - but heart and soul. A truly great piece of work.
A great book for all ages to enjoy and teach values!.......1998-01-27
I recommend this book for anyone just wanting a good heart-warming story. Filled with terror, heroism, and just plain fun, you can enjoy or share with the kids. With playful pups and a running story line you learn kids are a hand full of trouble without supervision, and a story never ends without a good moment leaving you wanting more.
Amazon.com
Karadur and Tenjiro are twin sons of Kojiro Antani, the dragon lord of Ippa. But only Karadur, whose name means "fire-bringer," bears the blood of the dragon in his veins. His younger brother, Tenjiro or "Heaven's hope," was second out of the womb and is the weakest and smallest of the two. As the twins grow to maturity, Karadur is anxious to attain the promise of his blood and transform into the dragon he is capable of becoming. But Tenjiro, who bears the scars of Karadur's claws, resents his older brother and, on the eve of Karadur's transformation, steals the talisman that makes the change possible. That same night he disappears, fleeing to a distant, icy realm where he will reemerge as a powerful wizard bent on destroying his older brother. But Karadur, lord of Dragon Keep, is prepared to go to war against Tenjiro, and it's likely only one will survive. --Craig Engler
Customer Reviews:
starts with potential, but ultimately disappointing.......2006-08-19
Lynn is a talented writer and is capapble of great characterization and evoking compelling, heart-wrenching emotion. The problem with Dragon's Winter I felt was that there was not enough perspective from Tenjiro or Karadur. Their rivalry is simplified and never explored. The main characters of this novel could arguable be Wolf, Thea, and Hawk, but their plot lines are ultimately dissatisfying, good in parts, never sufficient to bring it all together. I was hoping for so much more.
heart-wrenching.......2006-02-16
This and Sardonyx Net are my favorite Elizabeth A. Lynn books, and two of my favorite books all around. I've recommended both to a number of (carefully selected) friends over the years with great success. Beautifully written stories. It isn't for everyone though. Lynn is one of those writers who doesn't worry about making life fair for her characters and, in many of her stories, her protagonist has very little power over something very important to him/her. You've been forewarned...
If you like this, you might also like Lynn Flewelling, Testament by Valerie Freireich, and/or Transformation by Carol Berg
Good, but not enough.......2005-05-08
Sadly, this is one of those books that starts out well, but never lives up to its promise. All the key fantasy elements are here: dragons, magic, royalty, werecreatures and much more. Unfortunately, Lynn doesn't seem to be able to make up her mind about what direction to take her story in, or even which characters she really wants to focus on.
The basic plot line surrounds twin sons born to the Dragon-King. Their birth is both traumatic and tragic. Only one of the boys, Karadur Atani, is born with the legendary dragonblood and the other's resentment festers and grows, hidden throughout their childhood. As the moment of Karadur's change from human to dragon approaches, his twin, Tenjiro, successfully plots to keep his brother from his heritage and disappears, taking one of Karadur's closest companions with him.
As the worst winter in memory grips the land, rumors spread of a wizard and the return of an evil thought to be long gone. As Karadur prepares for war, the author begins to concentrate on a side plot involving a romance between a stranger named Wolf and a townswoman. But, almost as soon as the reader is drawn into this plot, Lynn drops it to follow another. The rest of the book tends to proceed in this jerky fashion. I found it very hard to care about the characters once I knew that the author would pick them up and drop them at will. There were also some rather disturbing torture sequences that I felt were a bit too realistic, not to mention lengthy, for my taste. The book does eventually come to something that vaguely resembles a conclusion, but leaves the door wide open for a sequel, not that I'll be looking for it. If you can tolerate the disjointed sequences and enjoy some grisly battles with graphic and violent descriptions, then this book might be for you. But, if you want something that has a well-paced plot with characters that you can care about, you may as well pass this book by.
it does fall short!!.......2005-05-04
well, let's say it bluntly: i am fed up with ms lynn's shortcomings.
she is a distinguished writer, i would give nearly anything to be half as good as she is, but she goes on casting her pearls to swines; she has done it in all her previous novels and she keeps on doing it.
the plot is inconsistent, sometimes slow, sometimes rash and superficial. jealousy between brothers is to say the least trite and she does nothing to develop the issue in a convincing way.
many reviewers have complained about the crude violence spattered throughout the book: i do not mind bloodshedding (i do not like it either, especially if it involves the main characters), but i DO mind other things:
- the evil brother is absurdly commonplace, he lacks any depth and his being possessed by an ancient entity is too easy a device.
- the dragon brother has good potential as a character, but ms lynn wastes any opportunity to make him such: he just looks like a tyrannical brat you cannot smack on the nose because he can set you on fire at will.
- there is no character throughout the book one feels satisfied about: the two decent (not distinguished, just tolerable) ones die after much description but before any real action.
- plot twists are to say the least contrived and absurd. after the death of the evil brother we have an episode with brigands which makes no sense at all and tops an incredible amount of imbecilities.
- last but not least ms lynn keeps on indulging in a most peculiar idea of homosexuality: she tries to convince us that the dragon brother, after years of passionate love for the court musician (another potentially great character totally wasted) can not only discard this love but also discard men entirely. an irritating notion indeed especially because she forgets to give us not only a plausible but any reason at all about why he should find the popped up woman of the last pages attractive.
Good book.......2005-04-29
I read Dragon's Winter a few years ago, and read Dragon's Treasure when it came out. Both books were good, and basically all the other reviews describe why it is good, so I will spare myself from repeating them. Instead, I just mention a few complaints- if you're not into homosexual unions, especially among the main character and his friend, and you don't have a very good talent for pretending that things you don't like that happened in the book didn't happen, you might not want to read this book, especially since the next book goes into more detail about the homosexual relationship. I, fortunately, was able to pretend that they were just very good friends who like to sleep next to each other (people do like having slumber parties with same-sex friends). In the second book, Dragon's Treasure, it actually goes into a little more detail about their "couplings," so it gets harder to pretend, but if you just skip a few sentences and hold on to the illusion that they are just really good friends who are not having any type of homosexual relations, you'll get through it. Luckily, at the end of the second book, the friend is gotten rid of and Karadur has a female lover (too bad this didn't happen sooner; the guy was a traitor anyway, despite his stupid excuses for turning traitor). Overall, I liked the book, though I had to mentally fix many unfavorable parts. As for the book being violent and gory, I take it that many of these readers haven't read Robert Jorden, Anne Bishop, or Jack Whyte, because I have and this book seems like a children's book in comparison to some of the things that go on in the books written by those three authors.
Average customer rating:
- Great book
- What a great book!
|
To the Gates of Palanthas: Dragons of Winter Night, Vol. 2 (Dragonlance Chronicles, Part 4)
Margaret Weis , and
Tracy Hickman
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Hope's Flame: Dragons of Spring Dawning, Vol. 1 (Dragonlance Chronicles, Part 5)
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The Nightmare Lands: Dragons of Winter Night, Vol. 1 (Dragonlance Chronicles, Part 3)
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A Dawn of Dragons (Dragonlance: Dragonlance Chronicles)
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Night of the Dragons: Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Vol. 2 (Dragonlance Chronicles, Part 2)
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A Rumor of Dragons: Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Vol. 1 (Dragonlance Chronicles, Part 1)
ASIN: 0786930969
Release Date: 2003-10-01 |
Book Description
An all-new young reader adaptation of the second Dragonlance novel.
The next Dragonlance novel in the trilogy that launched the entire Dragonlance line, Dragons of Winter Night has been adapted to a format specifically targeted at young readers. The novel has been divided into two volumes, The Nightmare Lands and To the Gates of Palanthas, that are sized to fit the young reader market. These titles contain brand new cover art and interior art and are a continuation of the overall young reader adaptation of the entire Dragonlance Chronicles trilogy.
Customer Reviews:
Great book.......2005-02-22
This book is amazing! You should read the whole series. You will not regret it.
What a great book!.......2004-08-26
TO THE GATES OF PALANTHAS was a great book! I have already read the adult version of this book, it is also the original, and this book brings out the true beauty of the DRAGONLANCE series! Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman made a great decision in creating children versions of the book!
The authors are really great at making you wonder about certain events that could happen. They keep you on the edge of your seat. This book is really exciting, I had trouble putting it down and doing something else.
The characters are described very well, making the book even better to read. The authors really showed the personality that makes each character different.
The main part of this book is the war that rages on in the North of the continent. The story leads us to the fortress city of Palanthas. The battle is so intense, im on the edge of my seat the whole time!! There is so much action! It's incredible!
Not all the characters are in Palanthas though, so we get to explore a big amount of the world of Krynn. There is so much beauty on the continent that is all being destroyed. The authors portray the time as a time that could come crashing down and destroying everything.
My favourite part of the book would have to be when the Dragon High Lord fights against her old friend. There is a lot of emotion within that battle, as short as it may be. Sturm, the Kngiht she is fighting, shows anger and hate.
The most dissapointing part of the book was when Sturm di...., I won't spoil it for you.
Another thing I like about the book is that Laurana, the elf, becomes the general of the army of Palanthas. The authors show how powerful and intelligent she actually was, something I wasn't very sure about before.
A great book! A must have if you are a DRAGONLANCE fan.
Book Description
The fifth title in an all-new series for young readers.
Figure in the Frost continues a new series of adventures written specifically for readers ages 8 and up. Sized to fit the young reader market, the series follows the adventures of three children who, through their heroic deeds, become members of the Order of the Knights of the Silver Dragon. The opportunity will be extended to readers of the series as well, whereby young readers can become members of the Knights of the Silver Dragon and receive a free promotional figurine of a silver dragon. The series will be given extensive web support through www.knightsofthesilverdragon.com.
Customer Reviews:
A good book.......2005-06-25
Snow is covering all of curston and freezing
everything with it while some people are busy
Selling things in order to buy winter
supplie's The knights of the silver dragon
are playing and enjoying the snow but when moyra finds A
rather heavy snowball she has to make A decision
wether to tell her secret of the the blue
gem she finds or keep it hidden.It Was really good
much better than the 3rd or 4th.
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