Bibliomusings: Time of the Twins--Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman (The Dragonlance Series)

Friday, October 23, 2009

Time of the Twins--Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman (The Dragonlance Series)

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 335

Year Published: 1986

Rating: 5/5

I am a huge fan of the Dragonlance series, and the Legends trilogy is my favorite. Focusing on the relationship between the twins Caramon and Raistlin, it wrestles with themes such as good versus evil, redemption, and the corruption of power and ambition. Raistlin has become the most powerful mage of his time, and quite possibly of all time. His thirst for power has led him to his latest ambition: to challenge the Dark Queen, god of evil. But in order to do this he needs the help of Crysania, a cleric of Paladine, god of good, who is too often blinded by her own vanity and refusal to see the truth. While leaving Raistlin's tower, Crysania is attacked by a dark knight, and ends up sent back in time, to the time period just before the gods brought the Cataclysm down upon the City of Istar. Raistlin too goes back in time to learn from--and become--the great mage Fistandantilus. The conclave of mages decides to send Caramon back, hoping he will be able to save Crysania and stop his brother. What they didn't plan for was Tasslehoff the kender joining Caramon on this quest.

This is a double love story. There is Caramon's unconditional love for his brother and belief that he is not truly evil; also Crysania falls in love with the mage. Raistlin's character is fascinating, in that he struggles with his own weakness when it comes to love--he finds himself falling for Crysania and fighting bitterly against it to remain true to his goals. Crysania sees the good within Raistlin and truly believes she can save him from his evil path.

The book ends abruptly and continues in the next book in the series, War of the Twins.

Book-a-week # 46

Challenges: Read it Again, Series

Date Read: 10/23/09

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