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Dragons of the Hourglass Mage Book Review
Raistlin Majere has chosen to cast aside his symbol of neutrality and take up the black robes of Nuitari. By bearing the robes of the dark god, he’s able to slip into Neraka unhindered. There he seeks power to surpass the Gods themselves. But Raistlin is soon interrupted when he finds Queen Takhisis plans to remove magic from all but those who devoutly follow her. Refusing to be subservient to anyone, Raistlin wages his own battle against the Queen of Darkness.
Dragons of the Hourglass Mage allows the reader to experience Raistlin’s choices and actions behind taking the black robes. When reading the original Chronicles, it’s clear Raistlin seeks more power, but all the sacrifices and challenges he faced trying to attain it were never mentioned in detail. There are also rare moments within the novel when the reader is drawn into a first-person point of view allowing readers to see through Raistlin’s eyes and experience his emotions. Raistlin has always been a guarded character. Being able to see his doubts and insecurities added a new depth to him.
It also helps that compared to the older novels, Raistlin is able to be the main focal point. This allows the authors to write in all the minute details of his character’s ambitions and goals. His title as the Master of Past and Present is well known to anyone who has read The Chronicles. But now readers are given a first-hand encounter of how Raistlin faces his destiny. And it is so artfully done, that the essence of who Raistlin is as a character hasn’t been altered from his original appearance. If anything, this story shows how much he has grown from his experiences and how certain events refocus him on what is important.
Raistlin is a wonderful morally gray character. He can manipulate and con his way into almost any situation and turn it to his advantage. Dragons of the Hourglass Mage showcases him playing both sides, the light and dark, masterfully. Readers will be entranced by his scheming ways and the small glimpses of hope that he genuinely cares for others. And as the story told in this novel begins to line up with Dragons of Spring Dawning, readers will be able to witness events from an entirely new perspective.
For those new to the Dragonlance series, picking up Dragons of the Hourglass Mage right away isn’t going to be a good choice. However, there is information at the beginning of this book detailing which stories need to be read beforehand. For fans of the series, this is a wonderful supplemental tale to Dragons of Spring Dawning. And if Raistlin is one of your favorite characters, this is a must read.
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