''Preludes'' is a series of novels comprising two trilogies set in the

Dragonlance ''Dragonlance'' is a shared universe created by Laura and Tracy Hickman, and expanded by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis under the direction of TSR, Inc. into a series of fantasy novels. The Hickmans conceived ''Dragonlance'' while driving in t ...

world of the ''

Dungeons & Dragons ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by TSR (company)#Tactical Studies Rules ...

'' fantasy

role-playing game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within ...

''Darkness and Light''

''Darkness and Light'', written by Paul B. Thompson and Tonya R. Carter, is the first volume in the ''Preludes'' series. This novel details the travels of Kitiara and Sturm before the beginning of Dragonlance Chronicles, as they seek to find news of Sturm's father, and eventually admit their attraction for each other.

''Kendermore''

''Kendermore'', written by

Mary Kirchoff Mary L. Kirchoff is an American author of fantasy and young adult novels. Biography Kirchoff was born and raised in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, the city where the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' role-playing game was invented. "I went to school with Ernie ...

, is the second novel in the ''Preludes'' series. In this novel, Tasslehoff Burrfoot is charged with violating the kender laws of prearranged marriage, and forced to return to Kendermore due to the imprisonment of his Uncle Trapspringer. In the book, it is said that

Flint Fireforge Flint Fireforge is a fictional dwarf character appearing in the Dragonlance series of books. The dwarf Flint Fireforge is one of the six Heroes of the Lance. He is the second of thirteen children. He was born and lived in (for a time) the village ...

is a mountain

dwarf Dwarf or dwarves may refer to: Common uses *Dwarf (folklore), a being from Germanic mythology and folklore * Dwarf, a person or animal with dwarfism Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * Dwarf (''Dungeons & Dragons''), a humanoid ...

. However, Flint is a hill dwarf who hates the mountain dwarves. Denzil is described as a half-orc, while orcs do not exist in the Dragonlance continuity. The novel mentions the remains of a werewolf. Lycanthropes do not exist on Krynn.

Reviews

*Review by Scott Winnett (1989) in

Locus Locus (plural loci) is Latin for "place". It may refer to: Entertainment * Locus (comics), a Marvel Comics mutant villainess, a member of the Mutant Liberation Front * ''Locus'' (magazine), science fiction and fantasy magazine ** ''Locus Award' ...

, #345 October 1989

''Brothers Majere''

''Brothers Majere'', written by

Kevin Stein Kevin Stein (born January 1, 1954, in Anderson, Indiana) is a poet and professor of English at the Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois. The fourth poet laureate of the State of Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern Uni ...

, is the third volume in the original ''Preludes'' series. This novel explores the love/hate relationship between the brothers Caramon and Raistlin as developed in the ''

Chronicles Chronicles may refer to: * ''Books of Chronicles'', in the Bible * Chronicle, chronological histories * ''The Chronicles of Narnia'', a novel series by C. S. Lewis * ''Holinshed's Chronicles'', the collected works of Raphael Holinshed * '' The Idh ...

'' and ''

Legends A legend is a historical narrative, a symbolic representation of folk belief. Legend(s) or The Legend(s) may also refer to: Narrative * Urban legend, a widely repeated story of dubious truth * A fictitious identity used in espionage Books, co ...

'' trilogies. Raistlin is unable to forgive Caramon for allowing his ailing mother to die, or forgive himself for his inability to save her with his magic. Raistlin agrees to pursue their mother's last wish, but he is unaware that they are pawns in a power struggle between the gods.

Reception

John C. Bunnell reviewed ''Brothers Majere'' for ''

Dragon A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...

'' magazine, calling it "narrowly the best of the Dragonlance Preludes", and noted that part of the success of the Dragonlance line "has been a product of its carefully stylized atmosphere; Stein captures the mood more accurately than have some recent writers."

''Riverwind the Plainsman''

''Riverwind the Plainsman'' was written by Paul B. Thompson and Tonya R. Carter. It is the first volume in the ''Preludes II'' series, and the fourth volume in the overall ''Preludes'' series. This novel relates the courting quest of Riverwind for the hand Goldmoon. Riverwind, who had fallen out of favor with Goldmoon's father, chief of the Que-Shu tribe, because of Riverwind's belief in the old gods. Riverwind is given the task of discovering proof of the existence of his gods and return with irrefutable evidence.

''Flint the King''

''Flint The King'' was written by

and

Douglas Niles Douglas Niles (born December 1, 1954, in Brookfield, Wisconsin) is a fantasy author and game designer. Niles was one of the creators of the Dragonlance world and the author of the first three Forgotten Realms novels, the ''Star Frontiers'' space o ...

. It is the second volume in the ''Preludes II'' series, and the fifth volume in the overall ''Preludes'' series. The main character is

, hill dwarf and future

War of the Lance The ''Dragonlance Chronicles'' is a trilogy of fantasy novels written by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, which take place in the Dragonlance setting. This series is the first set of Dragonlance novels, and is followed by the ''Dragonlance Lege ...

hero. In the novel, he returns to his old hometown, Hillhome, where he uncovers a murder mystery that involves a member of his own family. ''Flint the King'' was the first collaborative writing effort for authors Mary Kirchoff and Doug Niles, with Niles stating: "It doesn't mean that you do only half the work ..Each of us did more than write half a book, but I think we came up with a better story because of it." According to Kirchoff, "we assumed that our strengths and weaknesses would offset each other. Doug does great battles and magic, and my strengths tend to be characters and dialogue, and that's worked out very nicely." According to Kirchoff, "The first time I tried to make Flint talk, he just sat there with his lips moving. I paced around the house and drank another cup of coffee, but I just couldn't make words come out of his mouth." Her editor suggested she assign some famous personality the role of Flint, and she ended up choosing Wilfred Brimley and Yosemite Sam.

''Tanis, the Shadow Years''

''Tanis, the Shadow Years'' was written by

Barbara Siegel Scott Warren Siegel (born 1951) is a US writer of mostly young adult shared universe science-fiction and fantasy, generally with his wife Barbara Siegel. Many of their novels were published in the 1980s and 1990s. In later years, he and his wife t ...

and

Scott Siegel Scott Warren Siegel (born 1951) is a US writer of mostly young adult shared universe science-fiction and fantasy, generally with his wife Barbara Siegel. Many of their novels were published in the 1980s and 1990s. In later years, he and his wife t ...

. It is the third volume in the ''Preludes II'' series, and the sixth volume in the overall ''Preludes'' series. In this novel, Tanis journeys into the memory of an old mage as his dying request, to search for the lost love of the old man and give her a chance to live on.

References

{{D&D topics American novel series American fantasy novels Dragonlance novel series