Join me as I review Kindred Spirits by Mark Anthony and Ellen Porath, live! Share your thoughts on this first novel in the Meetings Sextet series, released on April 1, 1991 by TSR Inc. You can buy a copy here: https://amzn.to/4aaSeuQ
About Kindred Spirits
The origin story of a legendary friendship: When his new companion is accused of murder, Flint Fireforge must find a way to clear the half-elf’s name
When Flint Fireforge, dwarf and metalsmith, receives a wondrous summons from the Speaker of the Sun, he journeys to the fabled elven city of Qualinost. There, he meets Tanis, a thoughtful youth born of a tragic union between elf and man. Tanis and Flint, each a misfit in his own way, find themselves unlikely friends.
But a pompous elf lord is mysteriously slain, and another elf soon meets the same fate. Tanis stands accused, and if his innocence cannot be proven, the half-elf will be banished forever. Solving the mystery will be a perilous task. Time is on the murderer’s side—and he is not finished yet.
Review
Intro
Welcome to another DragonLance Saga review episode. It is Misham, Brookgreen the 21st. My name is Adam and today I am going to give you my review of Kindred Spirits by Mark Anthony and Ellen Porath. 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.
The first third of this novel takes me back to my youth. Not at the time of reading it in the public library, but before that. I think many of us, certainly myself, were picked on or bullied as children. I never found out what other boys disliked about me, but I remember their animosity going from not wanting to hang out, to mocking me, trying to fight me and throwing rocks at me. I can only assume it was in part or wholly because I was an easily excitable kid who they found annoying. I don’t blame them for it at all, as they were just kids too, acting through herd behavior. And I don’t bring it up for anything other than context. I understand how Tanis feels in this novel because I went through it too. He was ostracized by those around him, even those who were supposed to be family. That happened to me as well. But more than that I then saw that my own son decades later was going through the same thing in his school, and I couldn’t help but feel like it was my fault. Like I somehow passed on some gene that made others react negatively. There was nothing I could do to change the kids’ minds about me in my own youth, but I was mortified to realize that I couldn’t do anything to help my own son through the same experiences.
I also don’t think being picked on or bullied is a totally negative experience. It made me self reliant, driven to be myself rather than fit in. It gave me the perspective not to care what others thought of me, and I believe it did the same to my son. We know it did with Tanis, who always longed for a sense of connection, a connection that he knew wasn’t going to come from his supposed family, so he found it in Flint. I am getting ahead of myself, but I wanted to start this review with my rationale on why I connected to this story and these characters so strongly in this first third of the novel. We actually open with Tanis as a baby, his mother just died, and Solostaran entered the room asking if his late mother, his sister in law, named the baby. Its nursemaid Eld Ailea lied and named him Tanthalas, which is supposed to mean ‘ever strong’ in the human dialect. I thought this was a fitting and wonderful way for Tanis to get his name.
We then flash forward to Flint being invited to Qualinost by the Speaker of the Sun Solostaran. My only experience with this elf is through the Chronicles and he was a complete ass. He seemed half crazed and fanatical. This version of him is infinitely different, and he and Flint become genuinely good friends. It’s an odd choice as the Speaker never addresses Flint as an old and dear friend in Autumn Twilight, but I actually like it. Solostaran is trying to keep his nation in order, but also trying to open trade with outside people, against the wishes of much of the elven population and houses. It really frames later novels where we see the Elven senate working against Tanis’ son as Speaker, and it feels like it’s unified with how the elves have always been. Deeply rooted in tradition and bigotry.
So he invites Flint to do some metal working commissions and actually owns many of Flint’s work already. Flint agrees and between commissions he makes wooden toys for the elven children then passes them out, acting like he’s put out and doesn’t want to do it the whole time. I love that this is the old Flint we have always known. It feels so good also, to see someone of a different race, genuinely care for and love the children simply for being children. I often say that I am a big fan of humanity but not of humans. Animals and Children, I hold on a higher pedestal. They haven’t proved to be worthless sacks of flesh like most people, and they are filled with both magic and wonder, two aspects of life I struggle to keep close. This is the same reason I have always loved the concept of Santa. A nice old man, who makes toys for kids because he wants to, and feels they deserve some form of happiness. Flint is Santa to me, and I love him for it.
Flint also meets Tanis this way, and sees first hand the way Porthios and his longbow trainer Lord Tyresian treat him. Flint is a dear friend to Tanis who opens up to the first person who accepts him for who he is, not for what he is not. I love Flint. They build a strong relationship over the years as Flint leaves and returns to Solace in the winter, then returns to Qualinost, and the closeness to Tanis and the Speaker grows. We see Tanis getting better at his martial training and education from the Silvanesti elf magi Master Miral, who was hired in the court after befriending and joining the Speakers younger brother in Caergoth as they returned to Qualinost. They were supposedly beset by bandits and the Speaker’s brother was killed. The Speaker hired Miral after reading the letter his younger brother supposedly wrote him.
We are also introduced to some cagey people like Lord Xenoth who advises the Speaker, and Lord Tyresian is hired later as well. Knowing this will be a murder mystery, I am already putting pieces in order, as I don’t recall who will be the murderer from my childhood. In all, this first third is completely wonderful and I am thoroughly enjoying it. Flint comes across a Tylor, a magical lizard-like creature on his way to Qualinost and flees for his life, accidentally discovering one of the many hidden Sla-Mori’s in Qualinesti, and ends up in the Speakers hall. He goes on a trip to find more with Tanis only to end up drenched in a storm and gets a cold. The Speaker visits him to make a medal for his son Porthios’ come of age ceremony and Flint is honored to take the commission.
Flint decides to make Tanis a sword and some arrowheads as a gift, and Tanis is approached by Laurana who gives him a ring, promising they would be married when they are older. Tanis accepts it but clearly doesn’t feel the same for her. Porthios and Gilthanas both know Laurana loves Tanis and they both try to get Tanis to act like a brother and Elf rather than lead their sister on. Eld Ailea visits Flint’s forge hoping to find Tanis, but instead spends time with Flint, and they become friends and exchange toys for the children she watches for clothing Flint can wear. Then Miral arrives, also looking for Tanis, but as he isn’t there, he leaves. Miral and Ailea are both from Cergoth, and Ailea knows something about Miral she isn’t sharing with Flint. That night as Flint is sleeping, someone enters his forge and casts magic over the sword and arrowheads Flint made for Tanis. Gee, I wonder who that could have been? My suspicions are just being proven, if it does turn out to be Miral is a traitor.
Then there is a great meeting in the Speakers chamber. He announces the prearranged marriage of Laurana to Lord Tyresian, and Laurana refuses saying that she is already promised to Tanis! Tanis freaks out as he doesn’t feel that way for her, and she runs off as he tries to explain it to the Speaker. Lord Tyrisean leaves and as the room clears, that night Miral approaches Laurana trying to convince her to marry him. When she demands he leave her fathers service before she tells her Father about it, he casts a spell on her, where she wakes in front of her chambers, not remembering the conversation. This leads to more evidence that Miral wants to get Tanis out of the way by cursing his weapons…. But, it could all be a red herring, so I will wait and see.
There is a call for a hunting party to finally deal with the Tylor menace, and among the group are the Speakers Sons, Tyresian, Xenoth, Tanis and Flint. The elves jump a ravine to cross it but Lord Xenoth cannot as he is older and has not handled horses in a long time, and Flints mare isn’t lith enough, so they plan to return to watch Xenoth safely back to Qualinost when the Tylor attacks Xenoths Horse. The elves on the other side of the ravine are afraid to jump back as they would be within striking distance, and the Tylor kills Xenoth with a tail strike. Tanis begins shooting arrows at it and Miral leaps over and casts lightning bolt, a spell he shouldn’t know how to cast if he is as weak as he claims to be constantly! The Tylor dies, and as they examine the field, Xenoth has Tanis’ arrow in his chest, but it isn’t damaged from the Tylor, so it hit him after Xenoth dies.
This gets back to the Speaker where everyone is blaming Tanis, but Miral speaks out in his defense saying he redirected the Tylors magic somehow back at him to explain how he cast that powerful of a spell, and it must have reflected Tanis arrow as well. Without any justification or verification by other magi, the Speaker is faced with demands to exile Tanis. This seems to be clearly putting Miral in the place as a traitor, but as the Speaker puts Tyressian in Xenoth’s place. This means the xenophobic elven houses have more influence, and the Speaker is clearly upset talking with Flint about it all. Flint comes to a decision on the design of the pendant for Porthios which the Speaker approves and he begins finalizing it. I am struck by how Laurana is telling Tanis to throw away the ring, but in Autumn Twilight freaks out when Tanis tries to give it back, and she seems to still Love him as if they left on good standing… a lot of frustrating inconsistencies in these novels.
The authors seem to be doing their best to throw suspicion on Lord Tyresian, but it isn’t landing as the only person that can do the things the murderer is doing, is Master Miral. Tyresian approaches Flint to get his sword fixed before Porthios’ ritual of manhood, and Flint refuses, then Tanis and Ailea enter his forge and it forces a confrontation between Tyresian and Tanis before Flint outright threatens the lord. He leaves and we cut to Flint returning to his forge after a visit and it’s booby trapped. He avoids one dagger but another strikes him. This is the oddest part, they address Tanis and Ailea taking turns helping Flint, but no one asks where the trap came from, who set it, or brought it to the law’s attention. The story line is just dropped entirely, it’s so ridiculous! Especially when Flint is in a personal friendship with the speaker!
So Flint heals up and finishes the pendant, and he is delivered a note by a child for Ailea saying she knows who killed Lord Xenoth. Flint rushes over there with Miral, they lose each other in the crowd and Ailea is killed before Flint arrives. It’s now painfully obvious who the killer is. Then Tanis enters the house after hearing the news and finds Ailea, Flint enters and sees him and Miral appears and Tanis is then blamed for her death. They are ready to banish him from Qualinesti forever when Flint intercedes and demands time to find proof of the real murderer. They reluctantly concede and Flint convinces Laurana to distract Tanis’ guard, Then Flint breaks Tanis out and they rush to the forest where Gilthanas is, as they believe the Speaker and his children are the true targets of the murderer. Gilthanas is the only one without guards so he’s the most vulnerable. Flint falls into a pit in the forest leading to an old dwarven tunnel, and Tanis finds Gilthanas being attacked; he rushes to help and Gilthanas falls over the cliff, then Tanis is pushed over as well.
They land on an overhang where Tanis holds Gilthans for protection as Gilthas is passed out from the fall. Why wasn’t Tanis? I dunno? How did Gilthans get knocked out? I Dunno? Flint then decides to take a nap in the tunnel… seriously. So the murderer is free to do his murdering and they take a nap. Good choices here. They all eventually get to the top with Gilthas re-aresting Tanis, even after he saves his life, and leads them back to Qualinost. Tanis overwhelms him and ties him up, rushing to act like Gilthanas so he can catch the murderer. Flint gets to the top with the help of his mule, then uses the same secret tunnel as he did earlier in the novel. Tanis stops Porthios and tells him everything, then leaps out to tell the speaker, that’s when Miral admits to everything like a good bad guy does, and it turns out he is in fact the Speakers brother thought dead, Arelas! He was contacted by the Graygem and corrupted in his youth, and has been plotting his return and ascendancy to the throne to keep it as pure as Silvanesti for the elves.
Tanis ends up stopping him, ala Mace Windu and Emperor Palpatine with Lightning being reflected from a sword, and we cut to Flint and Tanis in the Inn of the Last home in Solace talking about it all. It was a really rapid end, but it did what all great mysteries should, give you a few culprits and present the clues for you the reader to figure out before the characters in the story did. I really enjoyed this, even though the end was really rushed, and not everything made sense. I would definitely recommend this to fans of Flint and Tanis, but also Elves and Dragonlance in general. It is worth a read as it treats Tanis and Flint as the heroes they are, and especially puts a spotlight on why Flint is such a great character.
Outro
And that’s it for my review of Kindred Spirits by Mark Anthony and Ellen Porath. What did you think of the murder mystery based story? Did you enjoy a younger, more innocent Qualinost? And finally, why were these events never mentioned in Dragons of Autumn Twilight? Feel free to email me at info@dlsaga.com or comment below.
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