The Dragon Isles Review

Join me as I review The Dragon Isles by Stephen D. Sullivan live! Share your thoughts on this fourth novel in the Dragonlance Crossroads series, released by Wizards of the Coast on December 1, 2002. You can buy a copy here: https://amzn.to/4k9Vsow https://youtube.com/live/G7_6TTEypEQ About The Dragon Isles The Dragon Isles: abandoned home of the good dragons, land of amazing adventure and legendary treasure. The trouble is, no one knows how to get there. Now Mikal Vardan and his crew have found the hidden route, but they’re not the only ones interested in the isles. A beautiful sea elf scavenger thinks the wealth of a lost civilization might be worth killing for, and a menacing sea dragon is determined to bring a reign of terror to the peaceful archipelago. Review Part one of this novel deals with Lady Karista Meinor and her bodyguard Bok hiring a ship to take them to the Dragon Isles where they want to open a trade route. They are using an old poem that is thought to be a prophecy about how to find the mysterious dragon isles. The novel opens with the ship’s captain, Mikal Verdan rescuing one of his sailors, a kender named Tripleknot Shellcracker from a sea monster. THey narrowly escape and are pulled on deck just in time for the crew to near mutiny. THey have not been informed about the point of this excursion and they have been sailing the northern Courrain ocean for longer than anticipated with no end in sight. They are told they are headed to the Dragon Isles where everyone will get their share of the spoils, and this pacifies them. Then they see floating wreckage which the kender claims has someone on top. It takes a while to intercept but there is a Dargonesti elf chained and unconscious on the wreckage. They bring her aboard and nurse her. It is revealed that she was believed to be cursed by her former shipmates and left to die, because there is a sea dragon named Tempest trying to enter the Dragon Isles with her dragonspawn Mog. If they can’t get through the veil which protects the isles, no one will. She has been attacking all ships that dare to get near. It is also revealed that the captain, Mik, is having visions of treasure and the dargonesti named Ula, is willing to help him locate the isles and treasure for a percentage. He agrees, but Karista doesn’t. Then Tempest attacks. She capsizes the ship and kills most of the crew. Mik and Trip use the failing magical items to breathe under water but are captured by other Dargonesti and brought to their underwater town. There they will be sold off into slavery or fight. However, Tempest and Mog followed. Once imprisoned they see that Ula and Karista were there and the only other survivors. Then Tempest attacks. They escape together with the help of one of the elves that captured them named Shimmer. He leads them to the Veil and with the aid of a black gem Mik has, they all pass through. Mog follows and narrowly passes through as well. Though Tempest is left on the other side still. Tempest charges at the barrier using all her might and magic and is repelled again and again. She must be content that her spawn is on the other side, following the mortals, waiting to spring a trap and drop the veil once and for all. On the other side, the party comes ashore and is seen by a massive dragon, then a ship rolls up under order of the Brass taking them captive. Ula demands honor by combat rather than them being taken to their lord, and she fights Misa Kell, defeating her. Her brother is furious but honors the bargain. Ula is to take them to the dargonesti kingdom, but Benthor Kell, Misa’s brother, holds to the law of shipping the kender to an island where they all dwell. Karista Meinor decides to stay with Kell to have the Order of the Brass negotiate shipping routes with her. The kender is tied up in a cabin, and Ula, Mik and Shimmer are dropped into a boat and leave to the dargonesti home. Once they arrive they see some of the people from the ruined sea elf town outside the veil, and they make their pleas to the lord of this realm. He allows them freedom and Ula, mik and shimmer decide to look for the next key to their treasure by visiting the sea sage. When they arrive it ends up attacking them and they temporarily defeat it, taking its key. Next they head to the gold dragons libraries. There Ula stays at the ship while shimmer and Mik head up, only to be stopped by a copper dragon guard who knows shimmer and lets them pass. Back on Kell’s boat, Trip escapes and jumps overboard, swimming from the pursuing ship. He hides in a cave and finds a secret entrance to a pirates hide where he takes a sea dragon cloak that allows him free movement and breathing underwater. He escapes his pursuers and gets passage from the pirate Jerrick the Red, an old acquaintance of Miki’s. Very convenient. He takes the kender to the same island as his companions, conveniently, and meets Ula there. Mik and shimmer enter the library and mik climbs to ...