Review of 'Dragons of Deceit'

Destina Rosethorn—as her name implies—believes herself to be a favored child of destiny. But when her father dies in the War of the Lance, she watches her carefully constructed world come crashing down. She loses not only her beloved father but also the legacy he has left her: the family lands and castle. To save her father, she hatches a bold plan—to go back in time and prevent his death.

First, she has to secure the Device of Time Journeying, last known to be in the possession of the spirited kender Tasslehoff Burrfoot. But to change time, she’ll need another magical artifact—the most powerful and dangerous artifact ever created. Destina’s quest takes her from the dwarven kingdom of Thorbardin to the town of Solace and beyond, setting in motion a chain of disastrous events that threaten to divert the course of the River of Time, alter the past, and forever change the future.

Review

Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman return to the world of Dragonlance with Dragons of Deceit, the new start to a new trilogy.

Storytelling

Weis and Hickman have done it again, delivering such a fantastic story. But, I will admit, after the Lost Chronicles, I was left a bit heartbroken by these two. When Wizards of the Coast stopped publishing Dragonlance novels, these two went out with a whimper instead of a bang. The Lost Chronicles was disappointing.

However, Dragons of Deceit was everything I wanted and more.

I have yet to forgive them for what they did to my precious Tahkisis, but maybe with this series, I’ll get there. It was so wonderfully done and structured, going back to before the War of the Lance to introduce a new set of characters. But do not worry, the companions have returned here. But they come in much later in the story.

Dragons of Deceit follows Destina in her journey to carve out a place for herself in a society that limits women’s choices after her father’s death. Destina is Solamnic, and the Solamnic knights have the code “my honor my oath.” However, they take chivalry to a whole other level of rigidness. I have never really been a fan of Solamnic Knights, and this novel continued to reinforce my bias against them.

Weis and Hickman have an extraordinary talent for highlighting good versus evil and what it means to be one or the other. We see here that being a knight does not make one “good” and that they are just as capable of evil. We see Dalamar the Dark, mage of the Black Robes, do good things. And then there is Destina, who is, unwittingly, the agent of Chaos. Is what she is doing good or evil? She wants to unravel time to save her father and her future and right the wrongs done to her. Her heart is in the right place, but her acts will determine her alignment.

Characterization

Destina is not as charming as the original companions, so this may be a hard sell for some readers. I was never a massive fan of Sturm because I always thought of him as stiff. But he was a Solamnic Knight. Her stiffness, and her self-righteous attitude, fit her background. She is strong-willed but lacks the dynamics that Sturm had that made him tolerable.

However, once she begins to make her encounters, her voice loses some of that stiffness. Her relationship with Tasslehoff and the Bronze dragon soften her up. She is unlikable at times, but the journey she takes, her encounters with the Dwarves of Thorbardin, the mages, and the companions, make it so enjoyable.

Final Thoughts

Dragons of Deceit was everything I could have hoped for and more. I loved every minute of it. Bringing back some of my favorite characters, such as Tas and Raistlin, and taking the readers back in time, is an incredible start to a brilliant new trilogy in the world of Krynn.

• Writing Quality : 10/10
• Character Development : 10/10
• "Couldn't Put It Down"-ness : 10/10
• Intellectual Depth: 10/10
• Originality: 10/10
• Overall Rating: 5 out of 5.

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About the Author

Cynthia Bujnicki graduated from Emerson College with a BA in Writing, Literature and Publishing. She has always loved to read since she was a child. A contributing writer for YA Fantasy Addicts, she is also the Editor-in-Chief for Cyn's Workshop. She lives in sunny South Florida with her husband, son and daughter and their two cats.