Reviews of Renegade Wizards: Tracy Hickman Presents the Anvil of Time

Renegade Wizards, by Lucian Soulban, was quite an interesting read!
Obviously, as my email address, and being the owner of raistlin.ca, I'm a big fan of Dragonlance, but more so when it comes to stories related to magic within the Dragonlance setting. 

This was the first book of Mr. Soulban I read, and I must say I was hesitating a bit before buying it - but I'm glad I did.  I'm also a fan of time-traveling stories, especially when it's about clearing up mysteries, despite that other reviews I've read out there utterly dislike such illumination (why read it in the first place, then?).

Yes, I do agree with those other review that talk about how it's "risky" to write a background story on two influential characters that we have come to know other the Chronicles and Legends trilogies.  However, a risk is not a cause for absolute prevention!  I found Mr. Soulban's writing on Par-Salian and Ladonna to be good, all the while keeping at least the majority of each character's... well, character!

Additionally, I like the fact that the story takes place in a time that is not frequently mentioned, as well as how Mr. Soulban managed to include wild magic (Wylding, as termed in the book) BEFORE the fifth age series' timeline.  It was done in a way that doesn't reflect the poorer ways it got introduced and written in those aforementioned books.

The inclusion of Wylding magic as part of the plot in the story to convert wizards is adeptly written and often reminds the reader of the world's current religious arguments and subsequent atrocities that follow.  Although, I found it to be enjoyable the way these arguments were presented, from beginning to end. 
Besides, after reading the "Wizard's Conclave" book, and borderline throwing up afterward from all the inconsistencies and ridiculous story, it was refreshing to stumble across Mr. Soulban's book and it was immediately apparent that RESEARCH had been done to support the storyline compared to Wizard's Conclave where a mere sixteen year-old girl is suddenly, and without any teaching, learning or otherwise, a mage, and more insultingly, Head of the White Robes by the end of the book after even vying to be Head of the Conclave!
In Renegade Wizards, we see a younger Par-Salian and Ladonna, and they are not the archmages we know them.  They struggle, they study and they weaken after spell-casting - the way it should be, according to the core Dragonlance books set about by Tracy and Margaret. 
I would just say, as a minor discrepancy, that they seem to remember a spell once or twice after casting it, but that's the extent of it. 

However, there is a topic in the book's storyline that, I found, was completely unnecessary, but only for the reason that it has already drawn weird and ridiculous comments - sexuality. 
Yes, it's great that by comparison to the original books, much like most other things in the real world, we have come a long way - and in that is the inclusion of political matters, of all kinds. 
I've even read reviews that boast the bravery of the author, the culmination of human acceptance, etc, etc. 
With no offense at all aimed towards those that boast, some brag, others force on, being gay, or anything of what is considered "normal", Dragonlance is a way, a world, a refuge, where one can escape the political realities that obscure the joys in life, the slandering of people that appear different in someone else's eyes. 
But I find it totally irrelevant.  Why?  Well, have we heard rants and raves from black people on how the Ergothian population is set up in Dragonlance?  Did we have a backlash from readers how Theros Ironfeld has a minor role in the Chronicles because of his skin colour?  Or the fact that Rhys Mason can be Bruce Lee's distant cousin, or any of the Monks - especially when Rhys is accused of unfair fighting when using his feet - did we hear an uproar from the Asian community?

That's the only aspect of the book I wince at.  Not because it's a big deal, especially not because I have anything against it - I'll be the first guy to have a smile on when reading about how a female character is all hot, shy and bothered when having "accidentally" sneaked a peek at Ladonna's chest the way Tythonnia did. 
But, rather, it's fuel for an unnecessary fire - as I have read from other reviews.  Politics and Dragonlance don't mix (unless you're part of the Whitestone Council, or a Knight of Solamnia - ha ha) and why would we ever want them to?

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I think Mr. Soulban is a very good writer.  Especially compared to other "contributors" that clearly demonstrate lack of research (perfect example being Tanis The Shadow Years and how disappointing that book was to me).  But even while reading Renegade Wizards, I had stumbled upon Mr. Soulban's facebook profile and saw that he had put pictures up in an album of when he was writing Renegade Wizards.  It was very cool to see the ton of D&D books he has, the research and time he put in, as well as being an avid D&D player.

I hope to see more books like Renegade Wizards (and less of Wizard's Conclave!).