Time of the Twins by Margaret Weis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I feel kinda bad that it has taken me thirty years to finally get around to reading this second main Dragonlance trilogy. I mean, sure, it took me fifteen years to read the first Dragonlance trilogy and that was AFTER I had been playing D&D for years. Oops? Ah, but never mind that.

I discovered something awesome. This reads BETTER than the first trilogy. A lot more fun, more interesting, better characters (and not just Tolkien ripoffs), and a much more twisted story.

No, this isn't a classic fantasy in most cases... but then... maybe it IS. Raistlin has that VIBE. Originally a dark hero master magician, like Elric from Moorcock's series, Raistlin is, in some ways, a lot more interesting, evil, and sympathetic than Elric. Awesomely powerful by the end of the original Trilogy, he's insufferably cocky and sure he could take over the world in a single day in this one. So he gets more ambitious. As in taking out the Dark Goddess to become a God, himself.

In the meantime, his twin brother, a brawny, broken oaf of a warrior and pretty much Raistlin's opposite, has his own redemption arc going on because he let himself go to seed. Big time. And then we get a full corruption of a good cleric, time travel, Kinder mischief, and a big return to the awesomely big cataclysm from the Dragonlance's ancient past. And we get to see it from the ringside seats.

Awesome? I think so.

Let me be clear, however. I have only a little patience for money-grubbing franchises and the D&D series as a whole definitely qualifies. I had some issues with the original trilogy, but somehow this book kinda pushes all my reservations aside.

I had FUN. A lot of fun. And the writing is not bad at all. :) I can't wait to see the big, big events I've already been spoiled on by old friends back years ago. :)

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