Book Review - War of the Twins by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis

As I mentioned when I reviewed Warbound I was halfway through War of the Twins by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis when I switched books. Don't think that this is a poor reflection on War of the Twins but rather an example of my excitement about a new package and the masochistic way I have of reading multiple books at once. I was eager to finish the book and wrapped it up in good order. Once again Caramon and Raistlin show why they are two of the more interesting characters in the Dragon Lance books. What's more, Crysania's character grows and strengthens making her a match for the twin brothers. The Despite being called War of the Twins, the action in the book does not spend a lot of time on battle sequences but rather builds the tension between the characters and further defines their relationship. It was a good book, well planned and executed. I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Plot: Caramon, Raistlin, and Crysania barely escaped the Cataclysm, an act of Gods that changed the face of the world. However, they aren't safe yet. Jumping forward in time they arrive when people are still impoverished from the disaster and distrustful of others, particularly magic users and clerics. As Raistlin seeks to pursue his wild purpose he finds himself trapped. He has read the histories of this time and he knows what has happened and that the events led to failure. What haunts his dreams is that he is walking those very steps that lead to death, destruction, and failure and he can't escape it. Destiny seems to have sealed his fate even before he has begun. Regardless, all he can do is proceed and hope that this time it will work. Caramon is no better. Raistlin had no intention of bringing him along, saving him from the Cataclysm. The reason he sought his brother out was to kill him, but now finds himself as his bodyguard and the leader of his army. As Caramon tries to reconcile his relationship with his twin he learns more and more about the true nature of his brother. In addition to that Caramon is having feelings for Crysania. Is it possible that the twins could desire the same thing? Crysania is having a battles of her own. Unable to practice her healing magics for fear of being burned at the stake as a witch she feels helpless. Add to that the difficulty in working with the two twins and their differences and she finds herself at odds with both of them at times. She knows that she has a vital part of play, and she knows what she needs to do to succeed. That doesn't make it easy though.

My personal favorites: There was some wonderful development of the main characters. I particularly liked the middle portion where we get to see more of Raistlin. He truly is a complex character with his darkness waxing and waning under the his confidence and fears. Caramon devotion to and distrust of his twin oscillates in a very satisfying, suspenseful, and realistic manner. Despite the title, there was actually very little physical conflict in the book, but it truly is a war between the twins.

Considerations: Just like Time of the Twins there is some violence and brief sensuality. Again, there is no graphic material in either regard. Also just like the first book it ends with a mondo-cliffhanger, so be prepared to wait in suspense or have the third book ready. I'm having to wait, but I'm used to it.

All in all, War of the Twins was a satisfactory continuation of the story started in Time of the Twins. While some things were resolved, the overarching plot continued forward with the plot becoming fuller and more enriched. As always, Weis and Hickman write well and the world is rich. The book had good scope and a great balance of large and small focus. The total length was 411 pages.