This novel is at least partly written in third-person omniscient, which means there's a lot of perspective switching, but this does lend some complexity to characters who are often out of focus in the Dragonlance series, such as Flint, Sturm, and Caramon. Unfortunately, the female characters are written out near the beginning of the story. The descriptive writing makes Thorbardin a relatively distinct and recognizable setting, and the plot answers some continuity questions from the original trilogy. The pacing was also pretty good. ( )

This review is also featured on Behind the Pages: Dragons of the Dwarven Depths

Dragons of the Dwarven Depths picks up right where Dragons of Autumn Twilight left off. The companions and escaped refugees are trying to survive in the valley. But danger is never far away. All it will take is a single dragon to fly over the valley to discover them and Winter is fast approaching. The group is left with the choice to stay, or attempt a journey to Thorbardin and plead with the dwarves under the mountain for help. As the companions split up to find safe passage for the refugees, they will encounter ancient magics, stubborn dwarves, and lost artifacts.

Back when I first read the Chronicles I always wondered what happened directly after Dragons of Autumn Twilight. I felt like a large piece of the story had been pushed to the side. And while I still may not know why the authors chose to skip a section of the adventure, I am glad to finally be able to read about it.

Journeying once again with the companions was a breath of fresh air. The writing style felt a bit more modernized and there was a better balance struck between characters. I enjoyed seeing Tika’s point of view more often. She was portrayed as less of a damsel in distress, though her age did factor into decisions she made. However, she struck off on her own in this tale and began to realize as an individual what she was capable of.

The battle scenes flowed much better. The characters each had their time to shine and Raistlin's magic was used more often. I feel like now that the characters have been written about so many times, the ability to articulate their strengths in battle really came through. The dialogue also felt more on point and I’ll always enjoy an adventure where Tas and Flint share quips back and forth.

Having read about the dwarves under the mountain, but never diving into the side stories surrounding the cataclysm or the dwarven kingdoms did not hinder my enjoyment of this book. I did feel like the history lesson on each clan was a bit much, but it all goes into the massive world-building that encompasses Dragonlance. Flint does have a large portion of this tale focus on him and Tas, and every moment is wonderful. The friendship they share (though Flint will adamantly refuse to admit their friends) is one of comical mishaps and witty banter.

I do advise you read the Chronicles and Legends trilogies before diving into this one. Knowing what's to come in the future adventures adds a depth of understanding to the plot and actions of the characters. I highly recommend this for fans of high fantasy tales. The lore of Krynn and the depth of complexity these characters hold is sure to keep you reading and rereading for years to come. I know it certainly has kept my attention for years. ( )

copy-pasted from my Librarything account: started well, had some slow passages where nothing really exciting happens and you almost feel as if W&H simply HAD to write this book for the sake of writing it. But far in the second half there's finally some action and it's hard then to put the book down. sure, the original Chronicles were fab, this one's a little less, but let's see how Highlord Skies and Hourglass Mage complete the 'lost chronicles'. ( )

Until the second half of the book, I was not impressed and had reviewed this new edition to the dragonlance saga poorly. But Tracy and Margaret seem to just have been warming up. Flat characters in a stale storyline eventually livened up and came into their own and became more than just a stagnant tale to fill in the War of the Lance. I was comforted to be back with old friends, despite the slow start, and towards the end i found myself deeply entrenched in flint and tas, who accomplish perhaps the most important single feat in the War. A good read - I'm pumped to get my hands on the next one. ( )

It's always good to see old friends. In the first volume of the Lost Chronicles setting between the first and second book of the original Chronicles trilogy the companion of Tanis, Flint, Caramon, Raistlin and Tas are looking after the sealed kingdom of Thornbardin and the powerful artifact, the Hammer of Kharas. Although not as thrilling as the original series, as I said it's always good to see old friends.... ( )