The Legend of Huma

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 show more 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! show less

Huma is a knight of legend among all the races of Krynn. He came from humble beginnings, fought through great challenges, and finally faced the dark goddess herself and prevailed...in a way. This is finally the telling of his story, the true story, without all the gloss and shine the ages have placed on it over the years.

Huma is a knight of Solamnia...an order dedicated to honor, truth, and loyalty. Known throughout the world for following their strict code. As the Queen of Darkness herself begins a war to conquer to world, nothing seems to be able to stop her. The knights fight valiantly to hold her back, but are losing ground little by little. As what must be the final battle approaches all seems lost. But Paladine, the god of good show more has a little something up his sleeve, but only if Huma can pass the tests put before him to test not only his mind and body, but his soul. And he must be willing to give up much to save the world.

I love this entire series, and this story has long been one of my favorites. It can be read independently of the rest since it is more of a history than a continuation of the world. The story is face paced and full of surprises, even to someone who has read it before. There is love, betrayal, respect won, and strange friends made. It is full of dragons, magic, knights, and the ever present battle of good vs evil.

5/5 show less

Packed full of fantasy cliches and beginner mistakes. Don't judge Knaak on this corny first novel he gets much better. That being said while it is quite bad it's still a quick enjoyable read if you can ignore a couple of things.

This volume tells the story of Huma, a low level knight in the Knights of Solamnia, who, through his belief and embodiment of the standards of the knighthood, rises to become the standard bearer for the forces of good against the terror of the Dark Queen. Included in this volume are Kaz the minotaur and Magius (of the Staff of Magius fame). All in all, I was pleased with the book. The first surprise, with Rennard, was not one I expected, but probably should have. The second surprise, with Gwynneth, wasn't much of a surprise, so I was disappointed with the way it was handled.

My biggest disappointment, however, was with the wildly divergent stories of the defeat of the Dark Queen between this book and the Tales Trilogy, Volume 3 (Love and show more War). The basic story is the same: Huma and his silver dragon use the dragonlance to defeat the Dark Queen. Beyond that, very little is the same. This discrepancy really disappointed me. Perhaps it's just sloppy editing. Perhaps it's revisionist history. Perhaps they attempted to write it in with the prologue to this book with Astinus talking about how a wayward assistant had lost the original history but that Astinus himself and recreated it... I don't know... But it bothered me, nonetheless.

Read 9/2007 show less

A really good read. The Dragonlance series
And world has been a favourite of mine for ages and the Legend of Huma provides an insight into the past often mentioned in other books.
Huma is a true embodiment of the Knight spirit and his valour and strength - right and goodness - wins through.
Onwards to the next in the series.

Not as good as when I was 16...or perhaps my standards have cahnged. It was still quite enjoyable.

The action in this book takes place well before the days of Raistlin, etc. A decent book, although I didn't read many after this.