Brothers Majere Review

Join me as I review Brothers Majere by Kevin Stein, live! Share your thoughts on this third novel in the Dragonlance Preludes series, released on January 14, 1990 by TSR Inc. You can buy a copy here: https://amzn.to/3SjXyGc 

https://youtube.com/live/9VAbLjA8Nyo

About Brothers Majere

Twins Raistlin and Caramon investigate a frightening string of disappearances and murders in this prequel novel to the Dragonlance Chronicles

Darkness and unrest are growing. People disappear in the night, and there are rumors of foul forces at work. To this land caught in the grips of a nameless terror come Raistlin and Caramon Majere, two brothers—one a wizard, one a warrior—who are trying to eke out a living on the backroads of Ansalon. Desperate for money, they agree to take on a job in the backwater village of Mereklar, where a series of disappearances has sent everyone into a panic.

A beautiful noblewoman persuades Raistlin, Caramon, and their kender companion, Earwig Lockpicker, to search for the missing. But what starts out as an intriguing mystery turns sinister when the town’s leading citizens are murdered by what appears to be a violent feline beast.

A ball of string, an ancient legend, and three magically glowing lines lead the twins to the truth—and to a confrontation with a deadily foe. On the fabled Night of the Eye, Raistlin will supposedly acquire great magical power . . . and he’ll need it if he is to survive.

Review

Intro

Welcome to another DragonLance Saga review episode. It is Bakukal, Newkolt the 19th. My name is Adam and today I am going to give you my review of Brothers Majere by Kevin Stein. I would like to take a moment and thank the DLSaga members, and invite you to consider becoming a member by visiting the link in the description below. You can even pick up Dragonlance gaming materials using my affiliate links. This is my perspective only, and if you have any thoughts or disagree with mine, I invite you to share them in YouTube chat.

Right off the bat, I have to say it is refreshing to read an author who takes the effort to weave their story into the existing canon. We are introduced to Earwig Lockpicker who was in Raistlin and the Knight of Solamnia short story. They reference the Test of the Twins short story, even with Fistandantilus popping in Raistlin’s dreams a bit. It really showcases Raistlin’s weakness and near-death state after the test, which is great. It references the short story where Raistlin defeated the seeker priest in Lemish, and made a nice connection to the tavern waitress, as her brother was taken in by him. And finally when they get to Mereklar, the walls are plastered with imagery that has yet to happen in the Legends trilogy, which has already happened in this. It’s great!

Earwig is a nice kender stand-in for Tasslehoff Burrfoot, and always wants to brawl, which is really entertaining. And Caramon and Raistlin are doing their best to get away from him initially before resigning themselves to their fate. They travel, looking for work, this is immediately after the first short story I referenced. They are broke and find a signpost with a bounty for work in Mereklar. No one has ever heard of it before, and when they camp for the night they are attacked by masked men. The leader escapes and everyone else is defeated. They loot the corpses and most of it is junk. 

They continue onto an inn where the residents are all worried about the cats that have gone missing. The heroes don’t know the backstory yet, but apparently Mereklar existed before anyone lived there, and it’s always been a refuge for cats.