Dragons of Summer Flame

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Dragons of Summer Flame
Dragons of Summer Flame.jpg
Cover of the first edition
Authors Margaret Weis
Tracy Hickman
Illustrator Larry Elmore
Cover artistLarry Elmore
LanguageEnglish
Series Dragonlance
Genre Fantasy literature
Publisher TSR, Inc.
Publication date
November 1995
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (Paperback)
Pages586
ISBN 0-7869-0523-9
OCLC 35815993

Dragons of Summer Flame is a 1995 fantasy novel by American writers Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. The events of the novel follow the fictional Chaos War in the Dragonlance world.

Contents

Publication history

Dragons of Summer Flame was first published by TSR in November 1995, with a first printing of 200,000 copies. [1] On November 26, it became a New York Times Bestseller. [2] It was reprinted in February 2002 by Wizards of the Coast. [3]

In April 1996, the book was recorded on four audio cassettes in an abridged version by HighBridge Audio, read by Wanda McCaddon. [4]

Plot summary

After a battle, the Nightlord Steel Brightblade finds Palin Majere, nephew of the famed mage Raistlin. He allows him to return with the bodies of his two brothers, slain in the battle, to their parents, Caramon and Tika.

The Knights of Takhisis visit an island where the hidden race of Irda make their home. The Irda hide themselves with an illusion, pretending to be primitive humans, and the knights leave. This fearful encounter causes the Irda to believe that another invasion will come, and convinces them to break open a magical item known as the Greygem of Gargath. The Irda did not know that the Graygem holds the entity known as Chaos inside it, long thought too dangerous to dabble with, which sets in motion the Chaos War.

Among the Irda is Usha, an orphaned human girl they had raised among them. They believed that while their kind would be immune to the effect of the Greygem, that she, being a human, might be affected by it. So they decided to send her away, giving her a message to deliver to Lord Dalamar, master of the Tower of High Sorcery in Palanthas. After she is gone, they crack open the Greygem and release the god Chaos.

Reception

Maryanne Booth reviewed Dragons of Summer Flame for Arcane magazine, rating it an 8 out of 10 overall. [5] She called the story "well-formed and entertaining, the pace is good and it holds your interest to the end." [5]

A reviewer for Dragon magazine said that the book "...completes the original trilogy on a resounding note." [6]

The many character deaths in the book brought the Dragonlance series to an apparent ending point, which was resolved by taking the world into the Fifth Age, the Age of Mortals. That in combination with TSR's change in the accompanying game rules "ended up splitting Dragonlance fandom", according to Weis. [7]

Margaret Weis does not consider this book to be canon. [8]

Reviews

See also

Related Research Articles

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 their car on the way to TSR for a job interview. Tracy Hickman met his future writing partner Margaret Weis at TSR, and they gathered a group of associates to play the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. The adventures during that game inspired a series of gaming modules, a series of novels, licensed products such as board games, and lead miniature figures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tracy Hickman</span> American writer

Tracy Raye Hickman is an American fantasy author and designer of games and virtual reality (VR) experiences. He co-authored the original Dragonlance novels with Margaret Weis as well as numerous other books. He also designed and created role playing game material while working for TSR and has cowritten novels with his wife, Laura Hickman. He is the author or co-author of over 60 books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margaret Weis</span> American fantasy novelist (born 1948)

Margaret Edith Weis is an American fantasy and science fiction author of dozens of novels and short stories. At TSR, Inc., she teamed with Tracy Hickman to create the Dragonlance role-playing game (RPG) world. She is founding CEO and owner of Sovereign Press, Inc and Margaret Weis Productions, licensing several popular television and movie franchises to make RPG series in addition to their own.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kender (Dragonlance)</span> Type of fantasy race

Kender are a type of fantasy race first developed for the Dragonlance campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role playing game published by TSR, Inc. in 1984. The first kender character was created by Harold Johnson as a player character in a series of role-playing adventures co-authored by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis. Weis and Hickman's Dragonlance shared world novels introduced the kender to readers and players alike, largely through the character Tasslehoff Burrfoot, who became one of the main protagonists in the series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raistlin Majere</span> Fictional character from Dragonlance books

Raistlin Majere is a fictional character from the Dragonlance series of books created by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. Raistlin played an extensive role in the two main series of books, particularly in Dragonlance Legends in which he was both primary protagonist and antagonist. He is twin brother to Caramon Majere, half-brother to his protective sister Kitiara uth Matar, and a significant member of the Heroes of the Lance. In the animated movie adaptation, Dragonlance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Raistlin was voiced by Kiefer Sutherland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sturm Brightblade</span> Fictional character

Sturm Brightblade is a fictional character from the Dragonlance series of role playing games and novels, based on the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons franchise. The character was created by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman and is published by Wizards of the Coast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tasslehoff Burrfoot</span> Fictional character

Tasslehoff Burrfoot is a fictional character of the kender race from the Dragonlance series of novels, written by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. He was born in Kendermore. His parents are unknown and he has few known relatives. He has a sister, and also claims to have an Uncle Trapspringer. He has three uncles, by the names of Remo Lockpick, Bertie, and Wilfre. He also has a cousin, Latchlifter Furrfoot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goldmoon</span> Fictional character

Goldmoon is a fictional character from the Dragonlance fantasy series of novels and role playing games, originally published by TSR, Inc. and later by Wizards of the Coast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Douglas Niles</span> American writer & game designer

Douglas Niles 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 opera setting and the Top Secret S/I espionage role-playing game.

<i>The Legend of Huma</i> 1988 fantasy novel

The Legend of Huma is a fantasy novel by American writer Richard A. Knaak, the first in the Heroes Sextet of Dragonlance novels. It was based on characters and settings from Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's Dragonlance Chronicles series. Published in 1988, it was the first Dragonlance book not dealing with the original companions.

<i>Dragons of Autumn Twilight</i> 1984 novel by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

Dragons of Autumn Twilight is a 1984 fantasy novel by American writers Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, based on a series of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) game modules. It was the first Dragonlance novel, and first in the Chronicles trilogy, which, along with the Dragonlance Legends trilogy, are generally regarded as the core novels of the Dragonlance world. Dragons of Autumn Twilight details the meeting of the Companions and the early days of The War of the Lance. The novel corresponds with the first two Dragonlance game modules, Dragons of Despair and Dragons of Flame, but with a different ending. It introduces many of the characters that are the subject of later novels and short stories.

The DL series is a series of adventures and some supplementary material for the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons role playing game. These modules along with the Dragonlance Chronicles trilogy of novels, which follow one possible adventure series through the modules, were the first published items that established the Dragonlance fictional universe. The original DL series was released from 1984 to 1986, with the final two modules added to it in 1988. In the 1990s these roleplaying adventures from the original series were collected and revised for 2nd Edition AD&D as the three DLC Dragonlance Classics modules. There were also versions of the module series released in 1999, 2000 and 2006.

<i>Dragons of Despair</i> 1984 book by Tracy Hickman

Dragons of Despair is the first in a series of 16 Dragonlance adventures published by TSR, Inc. (TSR) between 1984 and 1988. It is the start of the first major story arc in the Dragonlance series of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) role-playing game modules, a series of ready-to-play adventures for use by Dungeon Masters in the game. This series provides a game version of the original Dragonlance storyline later told in the Dragonlance Chronicles trilogy of novels. This module corresponds to the events told in the first half of the novel Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. Its module code is DL1, which is used to designate it as the first part of the Dragonlance adventure series.

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 Legends series.

This is a complete list of works by American science fiction and fantasy author Margaret Weis.

This is complete list of works by American science fiction and fantasy novelist Tracy Hickman.

<i>The Dragons at War</i> 1996 anthology novel edited by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

The Dragons at War is a fantasy anthology novel edited by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, set in the world of Dragonlance, and based on the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. It is the second novel in the "Dragons Anthologies" series. It was published in paperback in May 1996, (ISBN 0-7869-0491-7).

<i>The Sylvan Veil</i> Fantasy role-playing adventure

The Sylvan Veil is a role-playing game adventure published by TSR in 1999 for the Dragonlance: Fifth Age campaign setting using either the rules for the second edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, or the SAGA System rules.

References

  1. Oxoby, Marc (2003). The 1990s . 48. Greenwood Publishing Group. p.  1.
  2. "BEST SELLERS: November 26, 1995". The New York Times . November 26, 1995. Retrieved 2008-03-11.
  3. "Dragons of Summer Flame". Archived from the original on January 18, 2003. Retrieved 2009-04-08.
  4. "DragonLance : Dragons of Summer Flame - Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman". Archived from the original on August 16, 2009.
  5. 1 2 Booth, Maryanne (January 1996). "The Great Library". Arcane (2). Future Publishing: 89.
  6. Dragon issue 225, page 110. January 1996. TSR
  7. "Fantasy writer Margaret Weis soars on the wings of dragons", By Jean Marie Ward, Science Fiction Weekly , issue 290.
  8. https://x.com/WeisMargaret/status/1810395294322012604?t=c24-SS8apO8gtHigrl3jnw&s=19 [ bare URL ]
  9. "Backstab Magazine (French) Issue 07".
  10. "Magia I Miecz 1997 09". September 1997.