Dragonlance is, for me, a formative fantasy series. As a young teen, the orcs and elves and hobbits of Tolkien's Middle-earth passed me by. Instead, I was entranced by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman’s Dragons of Autumn Twilight, first published in 1984. Oblivious to the games of Dungeon & Dragons upon which the novel was based, I fell in love with the book at face value. For years, my school bag always had at least one book in The Dragonlance Chronicles or the Dragonlance Legends trilogies inside, ready for yet another read through.
40(!) years later, Weis and Hickman have a new Dragonlance novel, called War Wizard, out in August. So I’m thrilled to be able to introduce this exclusive excerpt on IGN.
War Wizard is set before the original Dragonlance Chronicles and tells the story of the early years of future legends Huma Dragonbane and Magius during the Third Dragon War. This coming-of-age prequel explores how two young heroes rise amid the growing threat of dragons, magic, and war.
Here’s the official blurb:
Vinus Solamnus wrote: The practice of magic is secretive, inherently deceitful, and dishonorable. Those who practice magic are forbidden to enter the knighthood, nor should they be connected to the knighthood in any way.
The boy with a rare gift for magic was born in Solamnia, a nation that despised and distrusted mages. His father tried to beat the magic out of him. The knights threatened him with imprisonment and exile. He endured tragedy and heartbreak. Yet he persisted with his magic, for the sake of the magic.
One friend stood by him when others persecuted him, a young man who was studying for the knighthood. No one could understand this unlikely friendship.
The knight was Huma. The boy took the name, Magius. The two would one day become famous in Solamnic history, fighting together to defeat the Queen of Darkness.
But that future is distant, far down the River of Time.
For now, this is the story of an unlikely friendship that would one day change the world.
“This scene was a lot of fun to write,” Weis told IGN, setting the scene for the exclusive excerpt, below. “Doppelgangers are among the deadliest monsters in D&D. They make excellent assassins because they acquire a person’s surface memories, as well as the physical features. This enables the shapeshifter to assume the aspect of a friend or loved one, thus enabling the monster to get close to their victim. To make matters worse, they are magic resistant, as Magius sadly discovers.”
Excerpt from Dragonlance: War Wizard by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman (Publishing August 4, 2026; Random House Worlds):
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
