Fantasy Archives - Timothy Imholt

DragonLance Heroes – Kaz the Minotaur is it worth the read?

This is the 19th book I have read in the DragonLance universe this time through the series. I am reading these again (for some titles) and for the first time with others. It is a fun thing to do as I am progressing through with my teenage boys. My 11 year old daughter has no interest and if I push she’ll reject reading all together.

Imagine: the classic hero’s tale, but told from the perspective of the grumpy, misunderstood sidekick. No, not the plucky halfling, but the towering, labyrinth-loving Minotaur! That’s Kaz, the star (well, maybe supporting star) of Richard A. Knaak’s “Kaz the Minotaur.” Get ready for a hilarious adventure filled with snorts, snorts, and… snorts (Minotaurs snort instead of chuckle, just so you know).

Kaz roams the land, not slaying dragons, but grumbling about his vegetarian diet and trying to avoid angry townsfolk with torches. He’s haunted by the tragic death of his human best friend, Huma (yes, the legendary Huma!), leaving him with a hefty load of angst and a tendency to brood in dark corners. But fear not, for humor shines through like a ray of sunshine through a bull’s-eye window.

Picture this: Kaz, with his massive horns and intimidating stature, trying to blend in at a bustling marketplace. He trips over a basket of turnips, sending them flying like shrapnel, only to be berated by a granny with more spunk than a goblin horde. Or his encounters with Delbin, a kender (think mischievous hobbit on overdrive) who collects everything that isn’t nailed down and drives Kaz up the wall (or, more accurately, the labyrinth wall) with his constant chatter.

The plot itself is a wild ride: mistaken identities, ancient prophecies, and a bumbling attempt to clear Kaz’s name for crimes he didn’t commit (except maybe accidentally eating someone’s prize pumpkin). Throw in some sassy sorceresses, grumpy dwarves, and a talking skull named Schädel (German for “skull,” because of course!), and you have a recipe for laugh-out-loud moments that will have you snorting like a… well, like a Minotaur.

Remember, this is a fantasy novel, so expect some epic battles and daring escapes. But don’t be surprised if Kaz wins the day not with brute strength, but with a witty quip or a well-placed snort that sends his enemies scrambling in confusion. So, if you’re looking for a fantasy adventure with a healthy dose of humor and a lovable, grumpy protagonist, “Kaz the Minotaur” is your Mino-ticket to fun! Just don’t blame me if you start snorting in public. You’ve been warned.

You can find the book over on Amazon in print, kindle and audible at the link below:

Kaz the Minotaur

DragonLance Preludes II Volume 3 – Tanis the Shadow Years

This is the 18th of the DragonLance books in the order I have been reading them. Honestly, this one was probably the least favorite so far. It could have or maybe should have been a short story.

The book wraps around and meanders for 160 pages easily in bizarre directions that just don’t feel all that well thought out.

The plot is simple, the book takes place during the 5 years between the Companions making the pledge and returning to the Inn of the Last Home to kick off the Dragonlance Chronicles trilogy.

In this book Tanis meets another dwarf, who claims he can introduce him to someone who knew his human father. It turns out a mage who was 1/4 elf, and 3/4 human had met him, and could give Tanis a chance to do the same if he allows Tanis to magically insert him into his memories. The deal is Tanis has to bring forward the memory love of his (the mage’s) life.

The book started out pretty good but then it was like they ran out of story and through in 150 or more pages of just filler “killer hobo” stuff if I can steal that phrase from the playing style some use while playing Dungeons and Dragons.

I finished the book, but I had to push myself to do so in places, and I will finish just about anything.

I would do a video about this one, but I think I have said it all. Out of the books I have read in the DragonLance series (now with more than 200 books) I have liked this one the least, but it won’t cause me to give up on the series.

Yes, I will read and review more DragonLance books, as I do enjoy many of them, but not this one.

DragonLance Preludes II Volume 2 – Flint The King

In Flint the King by Mary Kirchoff and Douglas Niles we follow the story of Flint as he visits his home before the Chronicles trilogy kicks off.

It was really interesting to me because we get a fairly deep dive into the dwarven culture and learn more about their love of crafting and creating things. It is really deeply rooted in who they are.

We open with Flint just enjoying alone (before he travels to his homeland) and realize that he really is aging and not as adventurous as he might have been when he was younger. He is really more the reluctant hero in many ways.

As he travels he finds that this new Seeker group who claim to be religious and offering people chances at and afterlife, claiming to believe in the “new Gods” are really just kind of bullies that take taxes or donations from people that aren’t really all that voluntary. In Flint’s mind that makes them not to be trusted. These religious zealots have none of the healing powers of the clerics of old, and business owners view them as an absolute annoyance.

As he considers traveling to his homeland we find that Flint hasn’t really been around other Dwarves for years, and as he runs into one he finds that things in the homeland aren’t what they were, that annoys him into going and checking it out.

As Flint travels we see that he really doesn’t mind traveling, what bothers him is other people. We get the impression he is really just a recluse who would rather be left along than thrust into some leadership role.

We do in this book learn why he was invited into the Elven homeland and how he met Tania, which was an interesting side bit of his character backstory. It also serves to show just how respected Flint Fireforge is around Krynn.

Once we reach his homeland we find things are much different, his brother has been murdered and the entire village is not as he left it at all. Now change happens but apparently Dwarves are too stubborn to change quickly. That leads to some great action as Flint has to figure out what the heck is really going on.

There is more discussion in the video on my YouTube channel, but all in all this book I really enjoyed. I kept looking for time to read (I may have snuck the book into a football game which annoyed my fiancé just a little). Highly recommended for any DragonLance fan!

DragonLance – Preludes II Volume One – Riverwind the Plainsman

This book is one of the better ones I have come across so far in this series. During the original trilogy Riverwind wasn’t really a super main character I mean he was there but he played kind of a supporting role. But we were left with a lot of questions.

If you are curious this is the picture of all the books we (my two sons and I) have read so far:

This book clears those up.

We kind of knew that ceremony and tradition were important to the Plainsmen? But how important?

What were the politics that really led to his quest that he was so driven to achieve?

How good of a hunter/survivor is he really.

All of that gets answered.

We also learn more about the Draconians, a race of elves we didn’t (at least I) didn’t know about. Something called the Nightrunners. Kind of these wolves led by a half man/half wolf creature by the name of Kyanor.

There is a strange guy I still have questions about called Catchflea. Still not really sure about his obsession (humorous though it is) with these three acorns.

We also aren’t really sure what of Riverwind’s memories from his quest were part of reality and what were part of an illusion that was cast upon him.

I know it sounds like the book left us with a lot of questions, and it did, but it also cleared up a lot of things.

If I had to rate it on the “should you” read it list. If you like DragonLance and fantasy reading 7 out of 10 must read. If you are deep in DragonLance 10 for 10. Well worth the time and was an actual page turner for me. (Some of the ones in the series really weren’t but this one delivers).

DragonLance Preludes Volume 1: Darkness & Light

If you have been following along I am on a quest to read (hopefully) all of the books in the DragonLance series. Given how many there are, we shall see if I make it.

So far I have read the following books:

Dragons of Autumn Twilight	Nov-84	Chronicles
Dragons of Winter Night	Apr-85	Chronicles
Dragons of Spring Dawning	Nov-85	Chronicles
Time of the Twins	Feb-86	Legends
War of the Twins	May-86	Legends
Test of the Twins	Aug-86	Legends
The Magic of Krynn	Mar-87	Tales I
Kender, Gully Dwarves and Gnomes	Aug-87	Tales I
Love and War	Nov-87	Tales I
The Legend of Huma	Mar-88	Heroes
Stormblade	Aug-88	Heroes
Weasel’s Luck	Dec-88	Heroes
Darkness and Light	Apr-89	Preludes

Darkness & Light is the first in the Preludes trilogy. It takes place five years before the War of the Lance in the Chronicles trilogy and gives us much of the backstory we all wanted after reading those books.

This book focuses mostly on Sturm and Kitiara and their travels somewhat assisted by some Gnomes.

The Gnomes always mean well, and are super good at comic relief but they may not always get you where you want to go by the most direct route possible.

We open up with Sturm and Kitiara practicing their swordsmanship with one another. Kit is obviously the better fighter at this point. As they head out on their travels, after promising to return in 5 years (for the now famous meeting in Chronicles) things don’t go really well from the start.

They are traveling along when Sturm learns a valuable lesson. Never ever fall asleep on guard duty. Had it not been for Kit, the Sturm we all knew in Chronicles would have never made it there.

After a little fight, they get caught in a storm that interrupts their travels. They eventually meet some Gnomes that have a strange method of traveling. They have a ship, powered by lightening that happens to fly.

The only challenge is they end up losing control of the ship (go figure) and end up on Lunitari, the red moon!

I won’t go into what they find there but it does foreshadow the war to come in other books.

No shocker, they do eventually find their way back to Krynn, and at the end, we are treated to how it was that Sturm finally received his father’s armor and sword.

I really enjoyed this book, but anything with the Gnomes is always a joy for me.

DragonLance Heroes Vol 3: Weasel’s Luck

The third installment in the Heroes series of DragonLance books is called Weasel’s Luck. It is set in a time around 100 years before the Chronicles Trilogy and tells the story of Sir Bayard Brightblade.

I found this book interesting because it really dives a bit deeper into the Knights of Solamnia than we have gotten in any of the other books. It also tells a story in a time before Draconians and Raistlin, and the companions.

Like the other books in the Heroes series we got to see how things were before the war of the lance. How did we get there? Before Draconians, before Raistlin, before the giant war.

I love that it filled in some of the details we didn’t have on the Knights. It really was a great story, great fantasy novel and helped me understand more of the lore of the Knights of Solamnia and the Brightblades.

Solid read, not the best of the DragonLance books, but it did keep me and my two teenage sons turning pages.

DragonLance Heroes Volume One: The Legend of Human

While reading the first 9 DragonLance books in the world of Krynn we heard little bits and pieces about Huma. Mostly legend, no one was sure if the stories were true. Now, you can see for yourself.

Huma is human, he goes through the emotional swings everyone does. He is scared, tired, feels defeated, he isn’t sure if he is doing the right thing all the time. He isn’t sure if he can live up to the expectations of a Knight of Solamnia.

There are times he just wants to figure out how to live through the day!

In this book we also meet Magius, and Kaz a Minotaur that Huma befriends and they save one another more than once despite a long standing feud between the Knights and the minotaurs.

I really enjoyed this novel. I think Richard A. Knaak did an amazing job in filling in the blanks I had in the back story of Huma in the time before the Cataclysm.

DragonLance, The Legend of Huma is one to read! You won’t be disappointed.

DragonLance Tales Volume 2: Kender, Gully Dwarves and Gnomes

DragonLance Tales Volume 2: Kender, Gully Dwarves and Gnomes, is a collection of short stories and a Novella by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. I want to just give a brief overview of each.

Some of these short stories are absolutely hilarious. There are one or two that greatly expand the Universe of Krynn, one that could easily become its own Trilogy, and one or two that I didn’t really care for completely.

I will give a brief overview of each story/novella, and I will keep my opinion to myself on which ones I didn’t care for that much (hopefully).

Snowsong by Nancy Varian Berberick

A younger, pre War of the Lance Tanis, Sturm, Flint and Tasslehoff are trapped on a snowy mountain. What could possibly go wrong when you have a bored Kender who might at any moment wonder off into a snowstorm and freeze to death! Ok, there is a lot more to this story than that, but it is filled with both comedy and adventure.

The Wizard’s Spectacles by Morris Simon

Glasses of true seeing, allowing anyone to read a magic scroll fall into the hands of someone who probably shouldn’t have them. It isn’t necessarily evil that he does, but he is a bit self serving and not every spell goes exactly the way he wants them to go!

The Storyteller by Barbara Siegel and Scott Siegel

A local storyteller tells a tale that a Dragon Highlord isn’t all that happy about. How do the local people who love the story teller keep him from being put to death! Especially when you have Gnomes and Kender involved.

A Shaggy Dog’s Tail

This one did not end how I thought it would. I was surprised just the twist this story of jealousy, revenge, and magic twists and turns.

Lord Toede’s Disastrous Hunt by Harold Bakst

Lord Toede goes on a hunt, and decides it will be fun to hunt a pair of Kender. You have to be careful, they are pretty sneaky, and fearless. It might or might not be all that simple despite how harmless Kender appear!

Definitions of Honor by Richard A Knaak

A young Knight of Solamnia is hired to help a town with a Minotaur problem. It turns out the problem is much different than he expected and he must question just how one defines honor, and what is and isn’t an honorable solution to the problem.

Hearth Cat and Winter Wren by Nancy Varian Berberick

The pre-war on the Lance companions come upon a wizard who likes turning people into animals and keeping them in that state. We all know Kender have a short attention span, but what happens when you turn one into a Kender. Can you keep track of it long enough to turn it back?

Wanna Bet? by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

Caramon Majere’s three sons go on adventure of their own and end up in a drinking contest with a dwarf. They don’t necessarily win that contest and end up on an adventure of their own. But let’s face it, who ever really wins a drinking contest?

Into the Heart of the Story

Written as a Gnome records the story of the contributions of the Gnomes to the War of the Lance. They have to have their chance to correct the official record as only a Gnome can.

Dagger Flight by Nick O’Donohoe

This is the story of a dagger, from the perspective of the dagger. The dagger goes through some parts of the story you know if you read the Chronicles Trilogy.

DragonLance Legends Vol 2 War of the Twins

I, like many parents, have been trying to figure out how to get my kids to spend more time doing something that doesn’t involve the words streaming, or video games. Therefore, this summer I decided to try to read some books with them.

The three kids that live around here, ok here, are 10, 12 and 13 1/2 (I’m told the 1/2 is important). I started reading DragonLance about the age of the two oldest when there were only 2 books on the market.

The two older ones are into it. The 10 year old drifts in and out. (Working on her).

But, so far we have made it through the three books in the Chronicles Trilogy, and have just finished the second in the Legends Trilogy, War of the Twins.

War of the Twins is written by the amazing writing team of Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. It is the second book in the DragonLance Legends trilogy and follows the story of Caramon and Raistlin Majere, two brothers who find themselves caught in the middle of a war between two powerful nations, ok they might be kind of starting this one. In War of the Twins, the brothers must find a way to survive and save the world, and themsleves from destruction. Especially as Raistlin intends to challenge the Dark Queen herself, and take his place amongst the Gods.

This novel is an exciting and captivating read, filled with adventure, fantasy, and a compelling story. It is full of unexpected twists and turns that will keep readers on their toes. The characters are complex and well-developed, and the story is full of suspense and action.

It is at least my third time reading it since it came out in the 1980s, and it never fails to deliver.

So far our summer reading has included the books below. Yes, I now have multiple copies of each thanks to the kids reading in parallel to me!

DragonLance Chronicles Vol 2 Dragons of Winter Night

This classic novel by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman is filled with action, suspense, and a captivating story line that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

One of the main characters in this book is Raistlin Majere, a powerful mage who is determined to become the most powerful wizard in all of Krynn. Raistlin is a complex character who is both a hero and an anti-hero. He is often seen as a villain due to his ambition and ruthlessness, but he is also capable of great compassion and loyalty. Raistlin’s journey to become the most powerful wizard in Krynn is one of the main focuses of the novel and is sure to keep readers engaged.

In addition to Raistlin, the novel also features a wide range of other characters, including the heroic Tanis Half-Elven, the brave Caramon Majere, and the mysterious Kitiara Uth Matar. Each of these characters has their own unique motivations and goals, and their interactions with each other create a captivating story.

If you’re looking for an exciting adventure that will keep you hooked for hours, Dragons of Winter Night is the perfect book for you. With its complex characters, thrilling plot, and captivating story line, this novel is sure to be an unforgettable experience. So don’t wait any longer – pick up Dragons of Winter Night and start your adventure today!

This book, like Dragons of Autumn Twilight, has a little bit of art before every chapter that foreshadows something about to happen. I did my best to capture many of those.

Please, if you have not read the Chronicles Trilogy (which later grew to four books) pick it up today. Start with Dragons of Autumn Twilight, you won’t be disappointed.

Intro art to book 1