The Annotated Legends (Dragonlance Omnibus: Legends) [Englisch] [Gebundene Ausgabe]

The Legends Trilogy definitely deserves a 5-star rating. I rate this edition as 3-star strictly because of the annotations.

Legends follows up the great Chronicles trilogy, with Raistlin, Caramon, and Tas embarking on a time-traveling adventure with enormous consequences for the entire world of Krynn. The story takes on a much more personal feeling in Legends, with the focus being narrowed to a few key characters and the plot seemingly less epic than the previous trilogy (even though the events have a larger potential impact on the world). This trilogy also has a darker and more serious feel, with much more emotional clarity and desperate circumstances. The characters are forced to make difficult sacrifices and each seems to fight their own form of depression.

The main premise focuses on Raistlin's efforts to become the most powerful mage of all time and challenge the gods themselves. Caramon and Crysiana fight their own personal battles to discover themselves and achieve peace with the world. Tas basically tags along in innocent curiosity and a desire to help his friends.

The annotations of this version add nothing to the story. I was hoping for interesting insights from the authors telling about their views of what the various characters are thinking or what really happened in alluded to events. Instead you get a whole bunch of repetitive and obvious commentary along with self-important glorifications of the authors' talent and foresight. This was my fourth journey through the Legends trilogy and it was by far the least enjoyable due to the distracting influence of pointless annotations. You would think that you'd be able to just ignore the commentary, but its impossible as you keep telling yourself that there must be at least a little useful information only to be disappointed time and again.

While the Legends trilogy is awesome, pick a different version than this one to enjoy.

Let's face it: The Dragonlance books will never be classic literature. Weiss and Hickman might make a decent writing team (Weiss can apparantly hold Hickman in check while Hickman can moderate Weiss' tendancy towards over emotive writing), but they're certainly not the best.

This story, though, the three books that make up the Legends Trilogy, are an excellent sequal series to the truly excellent Chronicles. Though they do tend to fall into the trap of "last time . . ." repetitiveness and tell vs. show, for the most part, the books are engrossing and extremely interesting. Character development is the name of this game rather than the overarching, "zoomed-out" approach of the original Chronicles. Characters that we barely got to know the last time begin to really grow and evolve into something other than their archetypes.

Caramon, the big burly "meat-shield" (if I may borrow an RPG term) warrior type was originally nothing more than a head clunking, thick headed, but exceedingly loyal puppy with a sword character: albeit an entertaining one. When we are reintroduced to him in the opening chapters of Legends, we find not the brash young warrior that he used to be, but a slovenly, drunk shell of a man, mourning the loss of a brother that we know is willing and able to tear his twin brother to shreds. We see Caramon hit absolute bottom (we konw this because the authors so kindly tell us so) early on and then begin the slow, arduous crawl out of his pit and into an even darker time of his life where he must confront the twin he used to protect lovingly and confront himself as well.

Raistlin, the twin brother of Caramon, whom we all know was at least a bit megalomanaical, is pushed so far into his archetype (but never stereotype) by the authors that the reader is utterly astonished when the full details of his plans come to light. Delighting in cruelty and complete control, Raistlin leads those who serve him straight into hell (literally) while they follow along gleefully, caught up in his strange charisma like moths drawn to a flame. The change in Raistlin, if one can even identify such a change, happens suddenly and tragicly.

Tasslehoff is again along for the ride as comic relief, but we are given the chance to look deeper into the sticky-fingered little thief than before, revealing a great wealth of character and fortitude that could only be guessed at before. Sure, he has more than his fair share of one-liners, but Tasslehoff manages to grow beyond his comic relief role into a wonderful and lovable character.

The plot itself is complicated, extensive, and well planned out if fumbled only occasionaly. I've found that afer three run-throughs, I've managed to wrap my head around everything that's going on in this book and, though as I said it's not "literature" in the strictest sense of the word, it's certainly interesting. Time travel, always a sticky subject for fantasy and science-fiction writers, is the main plot element, but it almost never becomes the main theme. That the characters have traveled back in time centuries into the past is nearly besides the point. The thematic elements are always centered around dysfunctional relationships, love, hate, lust, and adventure. The backdrop of pre-Cataclysmic Istar (which is a vaguely obvious metaphor for organized and traditional church structures in the modern world) merely reflects and parallels the emotional and social troubles of the heroes.

There is a major drawback to this edition of the novels, however. The notations -- which in the Annotated Chronicles were interesting, logical, and relavent -- are intrusive and stupid at times. Tracy Hickman seems absolutely determined to claim credit for the entirety of the Dragonlance saga and link it inextricably to his own Mormon faith (though the connections are tenuous at best). Weiss, on the other hand, comes through again with her usual style and intelligence providing usefull and enlightening commentary along with Michael Williams (the poet of the Dragonlance Saga).

Four stars for the story itself, but only two for this particular edition.

Even if you loved Legends, the initials TRH will get on your last NERVE before you finish this book. Tracy Hickman's commentary is SO annoying! Margaret Weis's notes are enlightening and entertaining, but Hickman wants to drive into your head that HE planned the War of Souls books and "the One God" well in advance... something that NONE of the text he refers to in these comments supports! It's incredible. Throughout all three novels, TRH tells you how wonderful he is, points out all of the ideas that were his and how creative they are, tells you how epic his writing is (with comparisons from Greek mythology!), and generally lets his fan mail go to his head. If you know the story of Legends, you know a lot of it centered on the pride of two of the main characters. Perhaps TRH should learn a lesson from them. From his comments, his tragic flaw is all-to-easy to spot! Although it is a bit entertaining for him to tell you how pride is a terrible, sad thing while he constantly reminds you how beautiful his life and writing are, it's more annoying than anything else. Crysania, anyone?

If you've read Dragonlance Legends before, save yourself the misery and skip this annotated version. If you haven't, get the paperbacks instead. They'd get 5 out of 5.