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Key to understanding the past of the series - excellent stand alone story.
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The Dragonlance Chronicles were so popular that they spawned dozens of prequels, sequels, and "histories" set in the world of Krynn. Unfortunately, most of those not written by Weis and Hickman were mediocre at best. This was one of the rare exceptions - almost as compelling as the original trilogy. Knaak has written other Dragonlance books, and I actually enjoyed them all, but this is his best. Mostly due to the rich subject. Huma was mentioned in the Chronicles as being the hero of Sturm. A legendary Knight of Solamnia, Huma sacrificed himself, and his beloved (a silver dragon) to save Krynn. Knaak gives us the legend, but also the man.
Huma was a flawed human being who rose to great heights on courage and honor. He is a three-dimensional character who is engaging, annoying and riteous at times, and a worthy hero to the story. But, I have to admit, my favorite character here is Magius. Magius may be more well-known simply because Raistlin (my favorite of the original companions) carried "The Staff of Magius" throughout the Chronicles and Legends before it was inherited by Palin. In some ways Magius, as characterized by Knaak, is a rip-off of Raistlin. He's sly, self-centered, incredibly gifted but with a heart buried somewhere beneath the lies. Sound familiar? Yet, he works well for many of the same reasons Raistlin did. Every heroic crusade needs a cynic! His relationship with Huma, while bearing some superficial resemblance to Raistlin and Sturm, is far deeper. Magius truly is Huma's friend, and though he considers Huma a fool most of the time, he stands by Huma's side when it matters most. Magius is the perfect foil for Huma's blinding heroism. He reminds readers that courage and honor come with a high price that most ordinary people are unwilling or unable to pay. Their dialog and interaction provide great humor, as well as making the story flow. It also made the ending bittersweet as well as a bit surprising (despite knowing Huma would die). Another bonus of this novel is that more of the evolution of magic, in terms of the towers, heirarchy, etc, are explored.
Overall, this was an exceptional entry to the Dragonlance Saga. Well worth reading!
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As a single book, this is my favorite of the Dragonlance books. The legend of Huma really is a legend. If you like Gerald uth Mundar from the War of the Souls trilogy, you will love Huma, they are basically the same character.
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I'm not a huge sci-fi fan but I've read a few sci-fi books over the years. I hadn't read any sci-fi for about 15 years but picked this one up and thoroughly was captivated by the characters, their world, and the storytelling. Huma is absolutely a great story which then prompted me to read his follow up, Kaz the Minotaur, which was another great story!!! Huma and Kaz are two intriguing 'characters' that you get to know through Knaak's detail. Definitely read Huma and then read Kaz!
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One of my favorite books. Even if you are someone who only reads the Weis/Hickman Dragonlance novels, this is the perfect prequel to the Chronicles. Huma and his exploits are mentioned several times, and this tale is a great backstory to explain the battle between good and evil dragons. A great read!
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