For my 16th birthday, my aunt gave me a fantasy book. She really had no idea what I liked or what this book was about, she just knew I read a lot and that this was a new and hot book. Turns out it was one of the best birthday presents I ever got.
The Dragonlance Chronicles takes you on a journey to a fantasy world, similar to Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. There are elves and magic and interesting places and creatures. I liked this series better because it was much easier to get into and digest. I could picture what was going on in my head and imaging the people and the world much better than I could when I read Tolkien.
The people you meet are extremely interesting. Tanis, their leader, isn’t a 2d doogooder. He is conflicted and has self-doubt. The magician Raistlin seems like a bad guy but may not be. The curious Kender, Tasslehoff, is easy to relate to and have fun with (he and the dwarf, Flint, remind me a bit of a couple of droids in one of my favorite movies.)
The book is good for older kids. There is some violence with fighting and people killing each other, but it’s not graphic. Similar to what’s in Lord of the Rings or in a movie like Iron Man. There is some hint at sexuality, which is why it’s recommended for older kids – say 14 and above as a guideline.
This is another of my all time favorite books. Most of my friends borrowed this and my original copy is so worn I don’t think I could actually read it without most of the pages falling out. The link below takes you to Amazon if you are interested (but the price is a bit higher than the $3 original cover price.)
