Join me as I review Brother of the Dragon by Paul B. Thompson and Tonya C. Cook live! Share your thoughts on this second novel in the Dragonlance Barbarians series, released by Wizards of the Coast on August 1, 2001. You can buy a copy here: https://amzn.to/3PaWyVy
About Brother of the Dragon
On the ancient plains of Krynn arise new perils.
The village of Yala-tene is flourishing. Twelve years of peace and plenty have allowed the little settlement to grow into a thriving town. But its peace is threatened–from within by an ambitious priest of the dragon cult, and from without by a savage horde of warriors, bent on conquest. Against this array of evil, Chief Amero and the bronze dragon Duranix strive to hold the fragile threads of civilization together.
Best-selling writing team Thompson and Cook return to the world of Dragonlance in the second book of the epic Barbarians trilogy.
Review
Intro
Welcome to another DragonLance Saga review episode. It is Kirinor, Brookgreen the 18th. My name is Adam and today I am going to give you my review of Brother of the Dragon by Paul B. Thompson and Tonya C. Cook. I would like to take a moment and thank the DLSaga members and Patreon patrons, and invite you to consider becoming a member or patron. You can even pick up Dragonlance media or get $10 by signing up to StartPlaying.Games 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.
Review
Following the previous conflicts with the plainsmen and the elusive elves, Amero, the Arkudan of Yala-tene, has transformed the settlement into a fortress. Life behind the massive stone walls is a calculated existence of survival. While Amero focuses on the physical—attempting to master the forging of bronze to arm his people—a spiritual rot begins to fester from within. The “Sensarku,” or Servers of the Dragon, led by the increasingly fanatical Tiphan, grow in influence, claiming that only their devotion to the bronze dragon Duranix keeps the village safe.
Across the wilderness in the dark hold of Almurk, the green dragon Sthenn (often appearing in his human guise as Greengall) is playing a much longer game. He has taken the captive Nacris and twisted her grief and rage into a weapon. Under Sthenn’s shadow, she has raised Zannian to be a ruthless chieftain. More terrifying, however, are the Jade Men—warriors Sthenn has molded into an unstoppable force, their humanity stripped away to serve as the green dragon’s personal scourge. Sthenn’s goal is not merely conquest; he seeks to dismantle everything Duranix protects before moving in for the kill.
Obsessed with finding a power to rival the dragons, Tiphan discovers an ancient elven scroll that speaks of “spirit power.” He leads a group of acolytes to a forbidden site of standing stones. These stones act as a literal soul-trap, lethally reacting to any metal that touches them. To bypass this, Tiphan’s followers use primitive stone tools to chip away fragments of the glowing rock.
As Tiphan integrates these shards into his being, he hears the cacophony of a thousand trapped souls—saints and monsters alike—promising him god-like power if he acts as their vessel. The ritual is interrupted by an elven war party that slaughters the acolytes, but Tiphan escapes, his physical appearance forever changed. Returning to Yala-tene with white hair and eyes glowing with blue fire, he uses his unchecked power to force the orchards to grow. The growth is grotesque and wild, mirroring Tiphan’s own descent into megalomania as he begins to challenge Amero’s leadership.
In the pits of Almurk, a slave named Beramun narrowly escapes a predator in Zannian, only to fall into the clutches of Sthenn himself. The green dragon does not kill her; instead, he carves a magical green mark onto her chest and sends her toward Yala-tene. She is a Trojan horse of flesh and blood.
When she is discovered by the villagers, Amero is drawn to her, but the bond is immediately threatened when Duranix returns. The bronze dragon, sensing the “stink” of his rival on her, nearly executes her. Amero’s intervention saves her life, and in gratitude, she reveals the truth: Sthenn’s army is already on the march.
Duranix flies out to intercept the threat but falls into a meticulous trap. He is peppered with spears coated in a specialized poison designed by Sthenn to paralyze a dragon’s massive limbs. As Duranix’s legs fail him, Sthenn descends to gloat, savoring the slow death of his “brother.” Duranix manages to hold his ground through sheer tenacity, forcing Sthenn to temporarily retreat and wait for the poison to finish its work.
The bronze dragon is forced to crawl through the dirt—a humiliating and agonizing journey back toward his people. He is eventually found by Amero and Beramun, who have ventured into the wilds to find him.
As the Jade Men and Zannian’s raiders close in on Yala-tene, the village reaches a breaking point. Tiphan, now fully consumed by the voices in his head, declares that he alone will save the village. He leads his remaining Sensarku out to meet the army.
In a moment of desperate convergence, Tiphan encounters the wounded Duranix. Using the volatile spirit power, he heals the dragon’s paralysis. The surge of energy is so potent it physically alters Duranix, making him larger and more formidable than ever before. While Duranix and Amero retreat to organize the village defense, Tiphan turns to face Sthenn.
The confrontation is brief and brutal. Sthenn, amused by the “ant” challenging him, moves to crush Tiphan in his massive fist. However, Tiphan calls upon the full, terrifying weight of the souls within him. As Sthenn’s hand closes, Tiphan does not die in the traditional sense; he vanishes in a blinding flash of blue spirit fire, leaving the green dragon grasping at empty air and setting the stage for the total siege of Yala-tene.
As the siege of Yala-tene begins in earnest, the conflict separates into two distinct battles: one of muscle and stone, and one of ancient draconic fury. Sthenn, still reeling and missing a hand from his encounter with Tiphan’s spirit explosion, finds himself hunted. Duranix, now revitalized and physically larger due to the spirit-healing, pursues the green dragon across the peaks. Sthenn plays a cowardly game, attempting to lure Duranix into a narrow canyon to bury him under a rockslide. The trap fails; Duranix’s brute strength allows him to weather the stone-fall and deliver several savage wounds to Sthenn, forcing the green dragon into a desperate aerial retreat that keeps both predators away from the human infantry for weeks.
In the valley, the war of attrition turns grim. Zannian’s raiders and the Jade Men throw themselves against Amero’s walls. Days bleed into weeks, and the village’s resources dwindle. In a move of desperation, Amero sends out “runners” to find his sister, Karada, and her nomadic army. Among them is Beramun, whose survival is nothing short of miraculous. While her companions fall to the Jade Men, she is nearly captured by a band of opportunistic centaurs looking to sell slaves to the Silvanesti elves.
She is saved by the timely arrival of Karada herself. In the nomad camp, Beramun discovers a haunting link to the past: Mara. Once a village girl taken during the disastrous mission to the spirit stones, Mara has been hollowed out by her time in elven captivity. Karada, struggling with her own internal demons and a perceived “curse” that draws her back to her brother, works to restore Mara’s shattered mind, providing a living reminder of the cost of Tiphan’s ambition.
Back at the walls, Amero refuses to be a passive victim. He leads a daring midnight sortie, striking the raiders while they are deep in their cups. They burn tents and reclaim stolen livestock, providing a temporary reprieve and a boost to the village’s morale. During the chaos, Amero is guided by a spectral manifestation of Karada—a “spirit walk” she performs without fully understanding her power. This psychic connection finally convinces her to lead her horsemen to Yala-tene’s rescue.
However, the villains are escalating as well. Disregarding Zannian’s tactical caution, the vengeful Nacris sends word to the Ungra-de—a tribe of ogres. These behemoths possess the raw strength needed to finally crack Amero’s stone walls and reduce the village to rubble.
The novel concludes on a knife’s edge, masterfully setting the stage for a three-way family confrontation. The hints that Zannian may actually be the long-lost brother of Amero and Karada add a layer of Greek tragedy to the upcoming finale. If this is true, the next volume promises a fascinating dynamic where the three siblings must choose between their shared blood and the dragons that have claimed their loyalties.
The mystery of “spirit power” remains the book’s most intriguing wild card. Unlike the structured arcane magic of the High Sorcery or the divine grants of the gods, this power feels raw, ancient, and dangerously linked to the land itself. With Mara’s return, the narrative strongly suggests that Tiphan—or at least the cacophony of souls he unleashed—is not truly gone.
Brother of the Dragon is a strong middle entry that moves the series away from simple “barbarian” tropes and into a complex study of how ancient magical entities use human lives as pawns. While it stands somewhat apart from the main Dragonlance chronicles, its a rewarding read for those who want to see a different side of Krynn. If you enjoyed the first book’s focus on survival and community, the escalation into total war here will not disappoint.
Outro
And that’s it for my review of Brother of the Dragon by Paul B. Thompson and Tonya C. Cook. What did you think of Tiphan and the spirit power? Did you appreciate the oppression of the elves being replaced with the raiders? And finally, will Duranix defeat Sthenn and survive? Feel free to email me at info@dlsaga.com or leave a comment below.
I would like to thank Creator Patrons Aaron Hardy & D. Robert Handy, Developer Patrons Chris Androu & Sam Ruiz, and all of the YouTube Members! I would also like to take a moment and remind you to subscribe to this YouTube channel, ring the bell to get notified about upcoming videos and click the like button. This all goes to help other Dragonlance fans learn about this channel and its content.
This channel is all about celebrating the wonderful world of the Dragonlance Saga, and I hope you will join me in the celebration. Thank you for watching, this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga and until next time Slàinte mhath (slan-ge-var).
