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.
