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Dungeons and Dragons has existed since 1974. It is now the most popular pen-and-paper role-playing game in the world. Over the years, much gaming material has been published, but only a few settings, characters, items, and monsters have stood the test of time. Greyhawk, the Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, Planescape, Dark Sun, or Spelljammer are probably the legendary settings in Dungeons and Dragons. They still regularly serve as backdrops for adventure groups today. One of these popular settings is also 🛒Dragonlance.
The first novel for Dragonlance was published in 1984 under the name 🛒Dragons of Autumn Twilight. It was written by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, who used the events and characters from their own D&D campaign as the basis for the books. The world of Dragonlance is called Krynn. It is a world at war between good and evil forces. Dragons are very present and threatening in Krynn, unlike in other settings. They can only be killed by mortals using the eponymous dragonlances. These are magical lances that require divine artifacts for their creation. I find the setting totally exciting. The high density of dragons particularly appealed to me, so I bought the first novels and began reading.
The Plot
The plot of Dragons of Autumn Twilight is quite simple and generic. 6 adventurers meet in a tavern and encounter two barbarians there who must hide a magical artifact, a crystal staff, from the evil draconians. They are attacked by the draconians and decide to help the two barbarians. During their journey they experience adventures and some battles. They learn that they must bring the staff to a temple in the destroyed city of Xak Tsaroth and that the draconians serve the dragons. In Xak Tsaroth, the adventurers are attacked by a black dragon, but they manage to escape. They fight their way through the destroyed city, sneak into the dragon’s lair, and finally kill it with the magical staff. They flee from the collapsing city and see that through their act, the gods have returned to Krynn. However, the war has also begun, as the armies of evil have also burned down Solace, a city in the trees. Here ends the first book of the Chronicles of the Dragonlance.
Dragons of Autumn Twilight – Great Setting, Bad Book
The Setting of Dragonlance
The world of Krynn is great, the world is full of places that feel unique. I liked the tree city of Solace, the Forest of the Dead, the sunken, now vertical city of Xak Tsaroth. And I liked the lore, the vanished gods, and the fear of dragons. The magic and magical items were cool too. The invasion of the draconians provides a great background for an exciting story. Unfortunately, this first book completely lacked the dragonlances, which disappointed me.
Dragons of Autumn Twilight – Shockingly Poorly Written
I was also disappointed by the prose in the book. In my opinion, it is not well written. The sentences are flat and short. The words are uninspired. I have read many mediocre fantasy books in my life, but Dragons of Autumn Twilight belongs among the weaker ones.
A Boring Story
Moreover, the plot of Dragons of Autumn Twilight is infinitely generic. The heroes must transport an object from A to B, with battles along the way. There are no surprises in this book, or exciting character development. This type of story works in pen-and-paper because the players can actively participate in it. As a reader, it frustrated me.
Too Many, Too Flat Characters
Another shortcoming was the book’s characters. 6 main characters were too many for the 320 pages. I liked Tanis, the half-elf, Raistlin, the deathly ill mage, and the kender/halfling Tasslehoff. The rest of the cast felt like typical copies of familiar fantasy tropes. Especially the dwarf Flint Fireforge was the epitome of dwarven stereotypes. I myself love playing dwarves in fantasy games. But Flint was too shallow even for me. I think Dragons of Autumn Twilight could have gotten by with fewer characters. Then as a reader, you would have had the time to actually get to know them.
My Conclusion on Dragons of Autumn Twilight
The idea of turning your pen-and-paper stories into a book is not new. I believe that many players have already dreamed of becoming successful authors with their game stories. However, there are some points to consider when you want to transform a pen-and-paper story into a book. I think for successful adaptations like The Expanse, you need a smaller cast of characters and a stronger plot than in many role-playing sessions. Nevertheless, Dragons of Autumn Twilight convinces with its interesting world, about which one would like to learn more. I confess, Dragonlance as a setting has captivated me. I will read more about the world of Krynn, in books and modules. Maybe I will even run a campaign during the time of the Dragon Wars someday. However, I will stay away from the novels in the Chronicles of the Dragonlance series for now.
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