Tanis the Shadow Years Review

Join me as I review Tanis the Shadow Years by Barbara Siegel and Scott Siegel, live! Share your thoughts on this third novel in the Dragonlance Preludes II series, released in November 1990 by TSR Inc. You can buy a copy here: https://amzn.to/48E0vpI 

https://youtube.com/live/0q57oFjhYp0

About Tanis the Shadow Years

The sixth and final book in the Preludes series follows Tanis Half-Elven on a dangerous adventure through time and memory

The tale is told that Tanis Half-Elven once disappeared in the mountains near Solace. He returned changed, ennobled—and with a secret. No one knew what happened to him in those mist-shrouded peaks. Until now.

Accompanied by his new dwarf acquaintance, Clotnik, Tanis chases after information about his mysterious and long-dead father. His search leads him to Kishpa, a dying, lovesick mage who holds the answers to Tanis’ burning questions—but who needs Tanis’ help first. So begins a wild adventure in which Tanis becomes a traveler in Kishpa’s memory, journeying into the past to fight an impossible battle against time itself.

Review

Welcome to another DragonLance Saga review episode. It is Kirinor, Brookgreen the 6th. My name is Adam and today I am going to give you my review of Tanis the Shadow Years by Barbara Siegel and Scott Siegel. 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.

We open with Tanis paired with a mysterious dwarf named Clotnick, in the Inn of the Last Home being served ale by Tika. Tanis, ready to go, says goodbye, and the dwarf insists on another round. Tanis refuses, so he offers it to Tika, she goes back to the kitchen and Otik comes out with the bill. The dwarf has no money to pay for the large bill, but juggles for it. He talks of Tanis leaving and that he wants to go with him. He even knows Tanis age, which is 97 by the way, and says that if he can go with him, he will introduce him to a man who knew Tanis’ father. This seals the deal.

They leave in the morning and after a few days, Tanis notices a wildfire in the distance. They plan to have a log in the lake they can hold onto as the fire passes them by, but Tanis notices a man through the smoke and flames in the distance. They both rescue the man and get to the lake only to reveal the unconscious man is who Clotnick was going to introduce Tanis to… It's a fun beginning. It presents Tanis' ignorance, and the audience’s as well, to his parentage is a mystery. The Inheretance wasnt written yet so it presents a different version of his mother’s rape. And that he lived with distant relatives, not the Speaker, which has been defined at this point. It leads you to believe that the mother had nothing to do with royalty in this version, only distant relatives did.

So they took the old, burned man to the lake and they stayed there overnight, floating. The old man is passed out and he comes to as Tanis is swimming to the shore. He is called Kishpa, and he is clearly burned and nearly dead. He is Clotnick’s friend, but wanted someone else to rescue his one true love. He offers Tanis the opportunity but tells him that in order to meet his father and save the girl, he will have to travel into Kishpa’s memory, and rescue her from his mind! How is she stuck in his mind? I have no idea. Is she a person trapped or a memory trapped? I have no idea, but he is sure Tanis could die trying to find her as the Qualinesti ...