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Dragonlance: Heroes #3
Weasel's Luck
Trapped in a remote castle far from a world of adventure, Galen Pathwarden, a scheming, cowardly young knight and unlikely hero, is thrust into a bizarre quest for a mythical fortress populated by nightmarish creatures and untold power, thanks to the arrival of a sinister visitor bearing gold, dark
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
34 people are currently reading
1680 people want to read
About the author
Michael Williams
40 books75 followersMichael Williams was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and through good luck and a roundabout journey through New England, New York, Wisconsin, Britain and Ireland, has ended up less than thirty miles from where he began. Over the past 20 years, he has written a number of strange novels, from the early WEASEL'S LUCK and GALEN BEKNIGHTED in the best-selling DRAGONLANCE series to the more recent lyrical and experimental ARCADY, singled out for praise by Locus and Asimov’s magazines. TRAJAN'S ARCH (to be re-released in 2019) and VINE (2018)(Blackwyrm, 2010 and 2012), two recent novels, have been revised and re-issued by Seventh Star Press as part of the new City Quartet. DOMINIC'S GHOSTS (2018) and TATTERED MEN (to be released in 2019) will complete this large and multi-faceted work.
Williams has a Ph.D. in Humanities, and teaches at the University of Louisville, where he focuses on European Romanticism and the 19th century, the Modern Fantastic, and 20th century film. He is married, and has two grown sons.
Of TRAJAN'S ARCH, he says:
“This is a story that kept entering other stories, like rooms opening into rooms in some big, unwieldy gothic mansion, both hard and necessary to tell. It takes a press with venture and backbone to bring it forth, and I believe I’ve found that press in BlackWyrm.”
VINE, a combination of Greek tragedy and contemporary urban legend, was released this summer by BlackWyrm. In this new novel, Greek Tragedy meets urban legend, as a local dramatic production in a small city goes humorously, then horrifically, awry.
Williams has a Ph.D. in Humanities, and teaches at the University of Louisville, where he focuses on European Romanticism and the 19th century, the Modern Fantastic, and 20th century film. He is married, and has two grown sons.
Of TRAJAN'S ARCH, he says:
“This is a story that kept entering other stories, like rooms opening into rooms in some big, unwieldy gothic mansion, both hard and necessary to tell. It takes a press with venture and backbone to bring it forth, and I believe I’ve found that press in BlackWyrm.”
VINE, a combination of Greek tragedy and contemporary urban legend, was released this summer by BlackWyrm. In this new novel, Greek Tragedy meets urban legend, as a local dramatic production in a small city goes humorously, then horrifically, awry.
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December 12, 2019
Galen ("Weasel" in Ancient Solamnic), Third Son of House Pathwarden, is something of a disappointment to his august father Sir Andrew Pathwarden, Hero of Chaktamir Pass and retired Knight of the Sword of the Solamnic Order of Knights. Disappointment seems to be a recurring theme when it comes to Sir Andrew's offspring. The eldest, Alfric, is a wonderful mix of coward and bully, often likened to an ogre in intellect and temperament. At 21 Alfric has yet to become a squire to a Knight. Then there is the second son, Brithelm, who is actually an honest and honorable person. Brithelm, however, has no desire to be a knight. He spends his time learning clerical magic and worships Habbakuk (god of nature and loyalty, fairly popular among Solamnic families). Brithelm, while quite good and just, isn't "all there" in the head (or so it may seem).
This leaves us with Galen. Galen is everything a Knight of Solamnia isn't supposed to be: lazy, cowardly, a prankster, a petty thief, a liar and fairly awful at any combat art. His only saving grace? He is rather intelligent, even if in a cunning sort of way. Galen also dabbles in the art of divination. He is fond of the Calantina dice. Calantina dice, from the Eastwilde, are red twelve-sided wooden dice that are cast, whereupon one hundred and forty-four permutations could happen. Each permutation that could be rolled, had a symbolic animal and three lines of verses that were meant to be prophetic, but usually turned out to be too obscure to be helpful. Only after the fact would you remember the dice and go "Oh, that's what that meant". Case in point: The dice roll for Galen is the following:
"The Sign of the Weasel is tunnel on tunnel,
enchantment on enchanment.
He digs beneath himself, and in digging
discovers all roads into nothing.
Burrow the dark until darkness unravels,
in dark the philosophers dance."
-The Calantina, IX:IX
After you are done with the story, it will make sense.
So what has this to do with anything? One day Sir Andrew receives a distinguished visitor, Sir Bayard of House Brightblade and Knight of the Sword, Solamnic Order. The Pathwardens and Brightblades go way back in history as allied houses. Sir Bayard, a renowned swordsman, is on his way to win the hand of Lady Enid DiCaela at a tournament held by her father. Sir Bayard agrees to take Alfric as his squire and train him to be worthy of his name.
Sounds good? A typical D&D adventure, set in Krynn. Except that is not what this is. This is a comedy. A surprisingly good one. It starts out the way many of the Dragonlance stories do: here is a hero, his companions and a quest. But the subversive nature of the story is the superb use of dry humor. Galen is an awesome character. Best known for his ability to disappear under a bed or up a tree, at the first hint of trouble is hilarious. Galen's running commentary on the events and his views on what is happening are truly amusing. It made me smile and even chuckle a few times. Books capable of eliciting that kind of emotion from me deserve credit. This was a funny story.
Events conspire that a character called "The Scorpion", steals Brightblade's armor by subverting Galen and the blame falls on Alfric. Galen is now Sir Bayard's squire and the adventure begins. From facing the Scorpion, angry Satyrs, confused Centaurs and ancient curses of Solamnic bloodlines this all combines into a hilarious mess as the brave and competent Sir Bayard accompanied by his antithesis, and squire, Galen try to make it to the Tournament in time.
One of the more interesting, but truly funny, stories I've read in awhile. The dry humor of Galen's commentary and his actions are what makes this book. Sir Bayard's attempts to turn him into a good squire are also amusing.
Even if you have no idea what a Solamnic Knight is, or where Krynn is...that does not matter. This is a stand-alone story and really requires no background. It's a fun adventure story of a great knight, Bayard, his wickedly incompetent and reluctant squire, Galen and a myriad cast of equally interesting characters. It's a great funny story.
I knew I would enjoy the character of Galen as soon as the book started. I leave you with a brief look into the mind of Galen "The Weasel" Pathwarden:
".....'Look, I don't know who you are, but don't hurt me. I'm way down the line to inherit the fortune of this place, so I'm not even worth a well-planned kidnap. If you're looking for Father, he's downstairs at a banquet, but you'd probably have an excellent shot at him coming up the stairs in the wee hours of the morning. By the way, he had a hunting accident six months back, still favors his left leg, so aim toward the right.'
I began to weep, blubber, and expand on the subject.
'Or if it's my brother Brithelm you're after, he's probably meditating in his room-some kind of religious holiday. Down the hall, third door on the left.'
Brithelm was harmless, good-natured, and of all the family and guests I liked him best. But not enough to place myself in the way of a would-be-murderer. Quickly I continued the list..............."
What can I say? Galen is freaking awesome! A brilliant coward who raises the art of avoidance to an art form. Read this truly funny and entertaining tale of a wayward squire and his brave knightly master as they dumb-fuck their way to a tournament.
This leaves us with Galen. Galen is everything a Knight of Solamnia isn't supposed to be: lazy, cowardly, a prankster, a petty thief, a liar and fairly awful at any combat art. His only saving grace? He is rather intelligent, even if in a cunning sort of way. Galen also dabbles in the art of divination. He is fond of the Calantina dice. Calantina dice, from the Eastwilde, are red twelve-sided wooden dice that are cast, whereupon one hundred and forty-four permutations could happen. Each permutation that could be rolled, had a symbolic animal and three lines of verses that were meant to be prophetic, but usually turned out to be too obscure to be helpful. Only after the fact would you remember the dice and go "Oh, that's what that meant". Case in point: The dice roll for Galen is the following:
"The Sign of the Weasel is tunnel on tunnel,
enchantment on enchanment.
He digs beneath himself, and in digging
discovers all roads into nothing.
Burrow the dark until darkness unravels,
in dark the philosophers dance."
-The Calantina, IX:IX
After you are done with the story, it will make sense.
So what has this to do with anything? One day Sir Andrew receives a distinguished visitor, Sir Bayard of House Brightblade and Knight of the Sword, Solamnic Order. The Pathwardens and Brightblades go way back in history as allied houses. Sir Bayard, a renowned swordsman, is on his way to win the hand of Lady Enid DiCaela at a tournament held by her father. Sir Bayard agrees to take Alfric as his squire and train him to be worthy of his name.
Sounds good? A typical D&D adventure, set in Krynn. Except that is not what this is. This is a comedy. A surprisingly good one. It starts out the way many of the Dragonlance stories do: here is a hero, his companions and a quest. But the subversive nature of the story is the superb use of dry humor. Galen is an awesome character. Best known for his ability to disappear under a bed or up a tree, at the first hint of trouble is hilarious. Galen's running commentary on the events and his views on what is happening are truly amusing. It made me smile and even chuckle a few times. Books capable of eliciting that kind of emotion from me deserve credit. This was a funny story.
Events conspire that a character called "The Scorpion", steals Brightblade's armor by subverting Galen and the blame falls on Alfric. Galen is now Sir Bayard's squire and the adventure begins. From facing the Scorpion, angry Satyrs, confused Centaurs and ancient curses of Solamnic bloodlines this all combines into a hilarious mess as the brave and competent Sir Bayard accompanied by his antithesis, and squire, Galen try to make it to the Tournament in time.
One of the more interesting, but truly funny, stories I've read in awhile. The dry humor of Galen's commentary and his actions are what makes this book. Sir Bayard's attempts to turn him into a good squire are also amusing.
Even if you have no idea what a Solamnic Knight is, or where Krynn is...that does not matter. This is a stand-alone story and really requires no background. It's a fun adventure story of a great knight, Bayard, his wickedly incompetent and reluctant squire, Galen and a myriad cast of equally interesting characters. It's a great funny story.
I knew I would enjoy the character of Galen as soon as the book started. I leave you with a brief look into the mind of Galen "The Weasel" Pathwarden:
".....'Look, I don't know who you are, but don't hurt me. I'm way down the line to inherit the fortune of this place, so I'm not even worth a well-planned kidnap. If you're looking for Father, he's downstairs at a banquet, but you'd probably have an excellent shot at him coming up the stairs in the wee hours of the morning. By the way, he had a hunting accident six months back, still favors his left leg, so aim toward the right.'
I began to weep, blubber, and expand on the subject.
'Or if it's my brother Brithelm you're after, he's probably meditating in his room-some kind of religious holiday. Down the hall, third door on the left.'
Brithelm was harmless, good-natured, and of all the family and guests I liked him best. But not enough to place myself in the way of a would-be-murderer. Quickly I continued the list..............."
What can I say? Galen is freaking awesome! A brilliant coward who raises the art of avoidance to an art form. Read this truly funny and entertaining tale of a wayward squire and his brave knightly master as they dumb-fuck their way to a tournament.
December 6, 2012
Admittedly, Weasel’s Luck is very funny at times, and written surprisingly well. It certainly reads quickly enough, but the superfluous humour and the childishness of the protagonist eventually annoyed me. I disliked Weasel/Galen, which is a problem (he is after all the narrator of this story). He is a despicable, selfish, snivelling, cowardly and ridiculous boy. This is exactly what the author was going for, no doubt. He is seventeen but acts like he’s four. By the time that the book takes a turn for the serious, Galen’s facetious attitude impacts negatively on the story. And let’s not even talk about his brothers…
This is the Dragonlance Heroes series, but it is unlikely that this refers in any way to Galen Pathwarden. Then there is Sir Bayard Brightblade: Solamnic Knight, antithesis to the Weasel and the only reason this book even has “heroes” printed somewhere on the cover. He is unfortunately also a bit of a fantasy trope, being so virtuous and noble that it hurts. They certainly make an interesting pair, no? I found myself wondering about Sir Bayard’s connection to Sturm Brightblade (surely there is one). Ancestor? Descendant? I don’t know the Dragonlance timeline well enough to garner a guess.
There is a good book hidden beneath all the absurdity. If you care to dig. The author spends so much time discrediting his narrator that by the time he starts to redeem himself you almost find yourself muttering those words immortalised by Clark Gable: “Frankly my dear…”
This is the Dragonlance Heroes series, but it is unlikely that this refers in any way to Galen Pathwarden. Then there is Sir Bayard Brightblade: Solamnic Knight, antithesis to the Weasel and the only reason this book even has “heroes” printed somewhere on the cover. He is unfortunately also a bit of a fantasy trope, being so virtuous and noble that it hurts. They certainly make an interesting pair, no? I found myself wondering about Sir Bayard’s connection to Sturm Brightblade (surely there is one). Ancestor? Descendant? I don’t know the Dragonlance timeline well enough to garner a guess.
There is a good book hidden beneath all the absurdity. If you care to dig. The author spends so much time discrediting his narrator that by the time he starts to redeem himself you almost find yourself muttering those words immortalised by Clark Gable: “Frankly my dear…”
September 26, 2017
On the one hand, having a whiny incompetent boy as hero instead of the usual emo elf/knight/mage made a change. On the other hand, Galen was pretty much a drag to spending page time with.
September 19, 2024
Ladies and gentlemen as I get bored and, lately you can't read much, it has been decided to write a review of this book. Of course, it does not fall into the category of best book of this year as it is an old read, but as we do not see it praised much and, to the fact that this book is not talked about, which would be a prequel or, rather, a spin off of the Dragonlance saga by Margaret Weis and, Tracy Hickman. Margaret Weis / Tracy Hickman|35484173] . In fact, one of the characters in this novel will be the ancestor of one of the characters from the saga of the Dragonlance chronicles https://www.goodreads.com/genres/drag... .
I bought this book at the Petrarca bookstore when I was studying at La Salle College, I bought it together with "The Legend of Huma" by Richard A. Knaak The Legend of Huma (of all the writers of the Dragonlance is the one I liked the most) and, "Sword of Kings" by Nancy Varian Berberick Stormblade at first the latter was the one that attracted me the most and for which I bought the other two, but in the end the one I liked the least of the three was Nancy Varian Berberick's. I must admit that at first I didn't expect much from "The Knight of Solamnia", "Weasel's luck" (in the English version), but in the end it was the one I liked the most by far of the three.
First, because the approach seemed enormously original to me, bordered on the picaresque novel and, the main character, Galen Pathwarden, is someone who could and owes a lot to this Hispanic genre, in fact, the relationship between Sir. Bayard Brightblade and, Galen Pathwarden reminds me of the one between Don Quixote and Sancho Panza Don Quixote . He is not an exemplary person at all. He is cowardly, selfish and someone who thinks about saving his skin by sacrificing anyone. His other brother Alfric is even worse than him. As for the middle brother Brithelm, who is almost an eremitical monk and embodies the goodness of religion, he is the best of the family. The pater familias of the Pathwarden is someone of middle nobility who is sinking and is a bit rough and has a gnome who takes advantage of him and takes anything out of him. He is an excitable person and prone to violence and alcohol, although he is not bad. The patriarch of the family decides to welcome in his house Sir. Bayard Brightblade, Knight of Solamnia of the Sword (it should be remembered that Bayard was a French knight of the fifteenth-sixteenth century, mirror of knight-errant and one of the noblest knights of the Middle Ages and, standing out in the wars between the Spanish monarchy and France for the control of Italy and, who finally won Spain since he will be very gentlemanly Bayard and, all you want but he could not compete with the Great Captain Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba). At that time I did not know it and I associated the name of Bayard because of its resemblance to that of my beloved and, dear teacher Don Ramón Bayarri Oliván, who was my inspiration to choose the career of History. I admit that I became very fond of Sir. Bayard Brightblade even though he didn't have the weight he deserved and the protagonist was Galen Pathwarden. As already said, one of the successes of this work was the hooligan, relaxed tone and the unprejudiced vision of the protagonist who at first lacks any scruples. It reminds me a bit of the Philip Gaston of Joan D. Vinge's "Lady Falcon" Ladyhawke: Movie Tie in (however, the novel is not as good as the film by the never sufficiently mourned Richard Donner and, by the great Rutger Hauer, not by a long shot) it also has something of the "Levena de Urush" by my dear Jorge Sáez Criado Levena de Urush (Chronicles of Alhemi nº 1) If you haven't read my friend's wonderful novel yet, take a look at it. In any case, Galen does not reach the limits to which Levena de Urush reaches due to circumstances of life. Galen is a down-to-earth version of Bilbo Baggins The Hobbit with a comic Chaucerian Geoffrey Chaucer touch while Sir Bayard is in the vein of William Shakespeare's heroes William Shakespeare or, the protagonists of Sir Walter Scott's novels Walter Scott (who integrates very well with the secondary characters the Chaucerian universe and, the Shakespearean with the main characters). Bayard was a friend of the head of the Pathwarden family and, his plan is to attend a tournament to get the hand of the adorable Enid di Caela and, as it is very heavy to wear the armor all the time, he puts it in a safe place and entrusts the surveillance to Alfric, the older brother of the Pathwardens. Then the villain of the plot appears, the Scorpion (one of the best fictional villains I have ever known). Not to praise the villains, but I have to admit that I found the Scorpion's plan very interesting (if you want to see videos about the intelligence of fictional characters watch a video of the great patriarch about Sister Sage, Homelander's collaborator in the Boyz and, which is the deformed image that progressives have of Candace Owens Ladyhawke: Movie Tie in).
The first thing he does as if he were a vulgar Magwich Great Expectations is to go to Galen to convince him to help him steal the armor of the other brother with whom Galen doesn't exactly get along very well, because he is the bully of the family. Galen's whining and excuses trying to get the Scorpion to take her with another character are a masterpiece of picaresque, cowardice and selfishness in equal parts because at first Galen thinks that the Scorpion is going to hurt him and tries to divert him towards other family goals. However, the Scorpion tells him that he is only interested in the armor. It doesn't take much for the Scorpion to convince Galen to help him and the trick against the quarrelsome Alfric is brutal. Alfric, let's not fool ourselves, is like Galen, more violent, older and much less intelligent, but he is just as malicious as the main character. In the end the father punished the two Pathwarden offspring, because in the end they take the one they believe to be the criminal (apparently a poor old man, who does not resemble the athletic Scorpion at all) and, he accuses Galen of having been his accomplice in the robbery and they punish him, but a brilliant ruse of the Scorpion manages to rehabilitate Galen's figure and, that Bayard likes him, becoming fond of him and that he makes him his squire.
The characters are living adventures, they have to deal with a conflict between centaurs and satyrs (which occupies the first part of the novel) being, of course, behind the entire Scorpion. This adventure will make Sir Bayard and Galen join the group the centaur Agion, who does not achieve a favorable resolution of the mission entrusted to him by the centaur leader Archala ends up being part of the main group, I wish he could have spent more time in this novel and developed more, but it has a memorable ending and, worthy.
It gives the feeling and, this is the most terrifying thing about the story, that the Scorpion has something in common with Sauron, since he is a necromancer who almost always adopts the forms of dead characters, as Alfric will reveal to Galen when he reveals the fate of the old man who was accused of stealing Sir Bayard's armor.
In fact, the identity of the villain is the most interesting thing in the book. At first the plan works out well, I can't say much without revealing part of the plot, but the idea of the Scorpion is not to kill the protagonists but to delay them as much as he can. Without a doubt for me the Scorpio is an evil legal since he always tries to get everything by abiding by the laws and rules. The lack of charisma and the cruelty with which he acts is what I think prevents him from achieving his goals. The Scorpion reminds me a little bit of Galar the Terrible or, Ralier from "The Mystery of the Black Lake" by my friend Professor Manuel Alfonseca The Mystery of the Black Lake . In my opinion I think the Scorpion went to too much trouble for anything else if he hadn't intervened he might have succeeded in his machinations. I honestly don't see Bayard Brightblade winning the joust to get Lady Enid Di Caela's hand. It seems to me that his skill as a knight is just right (as seen in his combat with the ogre). If I had won, I would have intervened, but I think that the weak point for me is what was referred to in the previous paragraphs, if you are going to do things the right way, try to hide a little better. I think that one of the mistakes of the Scorpion is its cruelty, as you can see in the tournament when it takes the form of Sir. Gabriel, apart from the fact that going before victory to boast about you to your hypothetical future father-in-law does not exactly leave you in a good place (I think that like many villains The Scorpion was too clever and, he lost his megalomania and narcissism. On this subject see his last conversation with a Galen who is already beginning to question his evil actions).
This speaks well of the novel: almost all the characters are empathetic, including the villains such as the Scorpion (precisely the fact that we are here talking about how his plan could have succeeded is proof of the fascination that this character has produced in us). In fact, his plan and part of the way it was carried out were not negligible. What I think condemns him is the collateral damage and having alienated his future father-in-law with his cruelty and bad manners. Which is a big stumbling block if you want to successfully carry out your hypothetical marriage project. When Galen and Brithelm reveal the Scorpion's plans to Di Caela as if he is very inclined and eager to believe them almost without evidence.
Alfric than here, but in the next book he will have an infinitely more interesting and brief progression. Maybe to highlight something bad I like Danielle a little less and Sir. Ramiro de Maw (the handsome gentleman), but they don't bother much either. In fact, Danielle will cause a sympathetic misunderstanding in the novel and will be proof that the Scorpion does not have everything as controlled as he thinks. Bayard Brightblade, despite his limitations, is an admirable hero, Brithelm is an uplifting balsamic character and is the trigger for Galen Pathwarden to fall off the Damascus horse prey to remorse (not all Pathwardens are bad apples, not even an Alfric who during this novel will continue with his tricks without any success, ending up becoming the sack of cakes). One thing I liked before the final battle is that they got rid of their vices and superstitions. Galen stops trusting in luck and has more confidence in himself (in fact, in the original the book is called "The luck's Weasel" which is the nickname of the protagonist "weasel"). It is a high fantasy, original, funny and nice and, with something not very common in this genre, a lot of sense of humor and, of the good kind. Something, which unfortunately did not happen with its sequel where perhaps they went too far achieving a more absurd, surreal and hardly believable humor. The best humor is the one that is intelligent.
This novel leaves a very pleasant memory in the reader. The only defects that can be found are not having been able to meet the milkmaid Elspeth and, that this novel had a sequel "The Knight Galen" so bad and dreadful, but it would be very unfair that a bad sequel drags a book as promising and, of as much quality as it is, that together with "Kaz the Minotaur" Kaz the Minotaur is definitely my favorite of the entire Dragonlance. My final grade is (4.5/5). PS. Being much better the books of the Dragonlance than of the Forgotten Realms, it is a pity that the former do not have the impact of the latter, perhaps despite not being so good Forgotten Realms is better suited to the D&D world, perhaps Forgotten Realms has also benefited from video games, especially those of the Baldur's Gates saga Baldurs Gate 3 Game Guide: Walkthrough, Tips and Tricks and More!Baldur's GateBaldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn. Too bad because the former have more quality, deal with more interesting themes and are more edifying and religious than those of the Forgotten Realms universe https://www.goodreads.com/genres/forg...
I bought this book at the Petrarca bookstore when I was studying at La Salle College, I bought it together with "The Legend of Huma" by Richard A. Knaak The Legend of Huma (of all the writers of the Dragonlance is the one I liked the most) and, "Sword of Kings" by Nancy Varian Berberick Stormblade at first the latter was the one that attracted me the most and for which I bought the other two, but in the end the one I liked the least of the three was Nancy Varian Berberick's. I must admit that at first I didn't expect much from "The Knight of Solamnia", "Weasel's luck" (in the English version), but in the end it was the one I liked the most by far of the three.
First, because the approach seemed enormously original to me, bordered on the picaresque novel and, the main character, Galen Pathwarden, is someone who could and owes a lot to this Hispanic genre, in fact, the relationship between Sir. Bayard Brightblade and, Galen Pathwarden reminds me of the one between Don Quixote and Sancho Panza Don Quixote . He is not an exemplary person at all. He is cowardly, selfish and someone who thinks about saving his skin by sacrificing anyone. His other brother Alfric is even worse than him. As for the middle brother Brithelm, who is almost an eremitical monk and embodies the goodness of religion, he is the best of the family. The pater familias of the Pathwarden is someone of middle nobility who is sinking and is a bit rough and has a gnome who takes advantage of him and takes anything out of him. He is an excitable person and prone to violence and alcohol, although he is not bad. The patriarch of the family decides to welcome in his house Sir. Bayard Brightblade, Knight of Solamnia of the Sword (it should be remembered that Bayard was a French knight of the fifteenth-sixteenth century, mirror of knight-errant and one of the noblest knights of the Middle Ages and, standing out in the wars between the Spanish monarchy and France for the control of Italy and, who finally won Spain since he will be very gentlemanly Bayard and, all you want but he could not compete with the Great Captain Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba). At that time I did not know it and I associated the name of Bayard because of its resemblance to that of my beloved and, dear teacher Don Ramón Bayarri Oliván, who was my inspiration to choose the career of History. I admit that I became very fond of Sir. Bayard Brightblade even though he didn't have the weight he deserved and the protagonist was Galen Pathwarden. As already said, one of the successes of this work was the hooligan, relaxed tone and the unprejudiced vision of the protagonist who at first lacks any scruples. It reminds me a bit of the Philip Gaston of Joan D. Vinge's "Lady Falcon" Ladyhawke: Movie Tie in (however, the novel is not as good as the film by the never sufficiently mourned Richard Donner and, by the great Rutger Hauer, not by a long shot) it also has something of the "Levena de Urush" by my dear Jorge Sáez Criado Levena de Urush (Chronicles of Alhemi nº 1) If you haven't read my friend's wonderful novel yet, take a look at it. In any case, Galen does not reach the limits to which Levena de Urush reaches due to circumstances of life. Galen is a down-to-earth version of Bilbo Baggins The Hobbit with a comic Chaucerian Geoffrey Chaucer touch while Sir Bayard is in the vein of William Shakespeare's heroes William Shakespeare or, the protagonists of Sir Walter Scott's novels Walter Scott (who integrates very well with the secondary characters the Chaucerian universe and, the Shakespearean with the main characters). Bayard was a friend of the head of the Pathwarden family and, his plan is to attend a tournament to get the hand of the adorable Enid di Caela and, as it is very heavy to wear the armor all the time, he puts it in a safe place and entrusts the surveillance to Alfric, the older brother of the Pathwardens. Then the villain of the plot appears, the Scorpion (one of the best fictional villains I have ever known). Not to praise the villains, but I have to admit that I found the Scorpion's plan very interesting (if you want to see videos about the intelligence of fictional characters watch a video of the great patriarch about Sister Sage, Homelander's collaborator in the Boyz and, which is the deformed image that progressives have of Candace Owens Ladyhawke: Movie Tie in).
The first thing he does as if he were a vulgar Magwich Great Expectations is to go to Galen to convince him to help him steal the armor of the other brother with whom Galen doesn't exactly get along very well, because he is the bully of the family. Galen's whining and excuses trying to get the Scorpion to take her with another character are a masterpiece of picaresque, cowardice and selfishness in equal parts because at first Galen thinks that the Scorpion is going to hurt him and tries to divert him towards other family goals. However, the Scorpion tells him that he is only interested in the armor. It doesn't take much for the Scorpion to convince Galen to help him and the trick against the quarrelsome Alfric is brutal. Alfric, let's not fool ourselves, is like Galen, more violent, older and much less intelligent, but he is just as malicious as the main character. In the end the father punished the two Pathwarden offspring, because in the end they take the one they believe to be the criminal (apparently a poor old man, who does not resemble the athletic Scorpion at all) and, he accuses Galen of having been his accomplice in the robbery and they punish him, but a brilliant ruse of the Scorpion manages to rehabilitate Galen's figure and, that Bayard likes him, becoming fond of him and that he makes him his squire.
The characters are living adventures, they have to deal with a conflict between centaurs and satyrs (which occupies the first part of the novel) being, of course, behind the entire Scorpion. This adventure will make Sir Bayard and Galen join the group the centaur Agion, who does not achieve a favorable resolution of the mission entrusted to him by the centaur leader Archala ends up being part of the main group, I wish he could have spent more time in this novel and developed more, but it has a memorable ending and, worthy.
It gives the feeling and, this is the most terrifying thing about the story, that the Scorpion has something in common with Sauron, since he is a necromancer who almost always adopts the forms of dead characters, as Alfric will reveal to Galen when he reveals the fate of the old man who was accused of stealing Sir Bayard's armor.
In fact, the identity of the villain is the most interesting thing in the book. At first the plan works out well, I can't say much without revealing part of the plot, but the idea of the Scorpion is not to kill the protagonists but to delay them as much as he can. Without a doubt for me the Scorpio is an evil legal since he always tries to get everything by abiding by the laws and rules. The lack of charisma and the cruelty with which he acts is what I think prevents him from achieving his goals. The Scorpion reminds me a little bit of Galar the Terrible or, Ralier from "The Mystery of the Black Lake" by my friend Professor Manuel Alfonseca The Mystery of the Black Lake . In my opinion I think the Scorpion went to too much trouble for anything else if he hadn't intervened he might have succeeded in his machinations. I honestly don't see Bayard Brightblade winning the joust to get Lady Enid Di Caela's hand. It seems to me that his skill as a knight is just right (as seen in his combat with the ogre). If I had won, I would have intervened, but I think that the weak point for me is what was referred to in the previous paragraphs, if you are going to do things the right way, try to hide a little better. I think that one of the mistakes of the Scorpion is its cruelty, as you can see in the tournament when it takes the form of Sir. Gabriel, apart from the fact that going before victory to boast about you to your hypothetical future father-in-law does not exactly leave you in a good place (I think that like many villains The Scorpion was too clever and, he lost his megalomania and narcissism. On this subject see his last conversation with a Galen who is already beginning to question his evil actions).
This speaks well of the novel: almost all the characters are empathetic, including the villains such as the Scorpion (precisely the fact that we are here talking about how his plan could have succeeded is proof of the fascination that this character has produced in us). In fact, his plan and part of the way it was carried out were not negligible. What I think condemns him is the collateral damage and having alienated his future father-in-law with his cruelty and bad manners. Which is a big stumbling block if you want to successfully carry out your hypothetical marriage project. When Galen and Brithelm reveal the Scorpion's plans to Di Caela as if he is very inclined and eager to believe them almost without evidence.
Alfric than here, but in the next book he will have an infinitely more interesting and brief progression. Maybe to highlight something bad I like Danielle a little less and Sir. Ramiro de Maw (the handsome gentleman), but they don't bother much either. In fact, Danielle will cause a sympathetic misunderstanding in the novel and will be proof that the Scorpion does not have everything as controlled as he thinks. Bayard Brightblade, despite his limitations, is an admirable hero, Brithelm is an uplifting balsamic character and is the trigger for Galen Pathwarden to fall off the Damascus horse prey to remorse (not all Pathwardens are bad apples, not even an Alfric who during this novel will continue with his tricks without any success, ending up becoming the sack of cakes). One thing I liked before the final battle is that they got rid of their vices and superstitions. Galen stops trusting in luck and has more confidence in himself (in fact, in the original the book is called "The luck's Weasel" which is the nickname of the protagonist "weasel"). It is a high fantasy, original, funny and nice and, with something not very common in this genre, a lot of sense of humor and, of the good kind. Something, which unfortunately did not happen with its sequel where perhaps they went too far achieving a more absurd, surreal and hardly believable humor. The best humor is the one that is intelligent.
This novel leaves a very pleasant memory in the reader. The only defects that can be found are not having been able to meet the milkmaid Elspeth and, that this novel had a sequel "The Knight Galen" so bad and dreadful, but it would be very unfair that a bad sequel drags a book as promising and, of as much quality as it is, that together with "Kaz the Minotaur" Kaz the Minotaur is definitely my favorite of the entire Dragonlance. My final grade is (4.5/5). PS. Being much better the books of the Dragonlance than of the Forgotten Realms, it is a pity that the former do not have the impact of the latter, perhaps despite not being so good Forgotten Realms is better suited to the D&D world, perhaps Forgotten Realms has also benefited from video games, especially those of the Baldur's Gates saga Baldurs Gate 3 Game Guide: Walkthrough, Tips and Tricks and More!Baldur's GateBaldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn. Too bad because the former have more quality, deal with more interesting themes and are more edifying and religious than those of the Forgotten Realms universe https://www.goodreads.com/genres/forg...
October 3, 2012
I loved Weasel's Luck from the start. The characters were adorably dorky, full of life and, what I liked most, never perfect. Weasel is a coward of the worst part but he knows it and he doesn't mind it and it made me love him. I laughed my way through the book, but I mourned the deaths too and ate my way through the book like it was chocolate.
The plot wasn't realistic at all, but it doesn't pretend to be either - crazy things happened and that was simply the way of it. Williams has a type of humour that was just... Deliciously stupid. No other way to say it.
The plot wasn't realistic at all, but it doesn't pretend to be either - crazy things happened and that was simply the way of it. Williams has a type of humour that was just... Deliciously stupid. No other way to say it.
February 24, 2016
this is the most disappointing book from dragonlance series I have read so far, the character was such a whimp, a far cry from the heroes I have come across so far!! no wonder he is called the weasel! must admit the scorpion was the only interesting character in the book but for sure the pathfinder boys were awful!! hope I do not come across any of them again in any future reads!!
March 18, 2022
So the first half of the book starts off pretty rocky but by the end of it i found i really enjoyed it and the second half improved the story immensely.
June 11, 2016
The Dragonlance series is known for colorful heroes and powerful mages. With Weasel's Luck we are introduced to something different. Enter the Pathwarden Family. They aren't very rich or powerful. But their father, Sir Pathwarden, was a Solamnic Knight and wants his children to follow in his footsteps. The eldest, Alfric, is immensely stupid, cruel and dishonorable. The 2nd son, Brithelm, is a very decent fellow, but is rather absent-minded and follows a hermitic style of clericism. This leaves us Galen, the youngest. Galen is ancient Solamnic for "weasel" and the name fits. Galen is not heroic, not strong, not a very good fighter..and well you are seeing where this is going. Enter Sir Bayard Brightblade- a up and coming Solamnic Knight reputed to be one of the best swordsmen in this part of the land. When he decides to take young Galen as a squire and travel to a tournament at the noble 'Di Celeia House the adventure begins. In between we have dark illusions, ancient family curses still vibrant after 4 centuries, a muddle-headed centaur and other strange adventures. None of which is up Galen's alley.
The story works because of the dark humor. It really is a very well written with a tongue in cheek manner of humor that works. Galen is a terrible squire, but sometimes in his cowardice and his odd sense of "right and wrong" there lie solutions undreamed of by others. The story, told from his viewpoint is funny because Galen never puts on airs about who he is. When the fighting starts Galen will be the first one to dive into the bushes for cover. The tale thus told is droll and dry and witty. Thus is works extremely well. The difference between Galen and other DL characters is the fact that he is NO hero.
If you are looking for a good story, with some interesting twists, about ancient families, dastardly deeds and strange and foul curses backed by magic- then this is a great book. Just remember the hero in question is a reluctant hero at best. That's what makes it work. Galen is not a bad person, in fact he's rather likeable. It's just that he is a coward. A truly wonderful tale for anyone who likes dry humor and a great tale all in one.
The story works because of the dark humor. It really is a very well written with a tongue in cheek manner of humor that works. Galen is a terrible squire, but sometimes in his cowardice and his odd sense of "right and wrong" there lie solutions undreamed of by others. The story, told from his viewpoint is funny because Galen never puts on airs about who he is. When the fighting starts Galen will be the first one to dive into the bushes for cover. The tale thus told is droll and dry and witty. Thus is works extremely well. The difference between Galen and other DL characters is the fact that he is NO hero.
If you are looking for a good story, with some interesting twists, about ancient families, dastardly deeds and strange and foul curses backed by magic- then this is a great book. Just remember the hero in question is a reluctant hero at best. That's what makes it work. Galen is not a bad person, in fact he's rather likeable. It's just that he is a coward. A truly wonderful tale for anyone who likes dry humor and a great tale all in one.
June 3, 2015
I cannot tell you how much I loved this book back in the day. I adored the Dragonlance world, and had been feeling the let-down of book after book not written by Weis and Hickman that seemed to sort of only half-exist in the world they'd created.
Weasel's Luck changed that - it's wonderful, the character was so darn witty and funny, and the story itself was captivating. My teen self was head-over-heels crushed out on the guy, and to this day I can remember the omen dice, that awesome one-liner about polishing armor, and the robes catching fire on a wave goodbye.
Weasel's Luck changed that - it's wonderful, the character was so darn witty and funny, and the story itself was captivating. My teen self was head-over-heels crushed out on the guy, and to this day I can remember the omen dice, that awesome one-liner about polishing armor, and the robes catching fire on a wave goodbye.
July 6, 2022
Weasel's Luck is the only book I can reread over and over again and never get tired of it! It's a book that I loved as a kid, and as adult, it still holds up as a great book. Michael Williams writing style is wonderful. It's a fun, easy read, filled with the adventures of a very different kind of hero. At first, Galen definitely deserves his nickname, but he changes throughout to book to become the hero to root for.
June 29, 2018
Meh. It passed the time, but I didn't care for the characters, and I'm permanently fixed to Sturm's interpretation of the knighthood. There was also an annoyingly improbable feel to the plot. Not bad enough to make it unreadable, mind, but enough to undermine the otherwise entertaining whimsy of the thing.
September 8, 2020
While Galen’s narration was certainly funny at times, I didn’t like him all that much as a main character. It’s hard to get into a book when the protagonist is hard to like. Granted, by the end he’d redeemed himself a little, but overall the characters in general just felt flat and the story a little shallow/predictable. Definitely not my favorite amongst the Dragonlance saga...
December 10, 2020
The first 3/4 is dragged out, to the point I just didn't have the want to read it. The whole mess with the oldest brother is absurd. I only enjoyed the last 1/4 or less of the book, and it could have been a lot more detailed. The end was so rushed & compacted which made the book even more of a disappointment. I hope that the next book of Galen's story will be better.
March 16, 2025
This is the worst book I have ever read, and it's haunting me for almost 30 years. Instead of reading this book, do something more enjoyable - swim in the sewer, get kicked in genitals or get waterboarded.
November 14, 2024
For most of the book, yer stuck with one of the whiniest, most unlikeable manchild of a protagonist I've ever seen but once he finally gets some semblance of character development towards the end, the story gets tolerable enough, if a tad unoriginal
February 6, 2008
One of the better Dragonlance books out there -- in fact, I tend to think of Chronicles, Legends, Heroes, and Tales as the only really worthy sets of Dragonlance books that were written.
October 5, 2025
Probably my favourite of the DragonLance books thus far. Michael Williams, for the most part, has a better grasp of prose than previous authors, but it's not above critique. Weasel's Luck would have benefited from more proof reading and editing, because there are moments of repetition that left me wondering if they were bad writing or meant as jokes.
Especially in the first half, this book is very funny. In a lot of ways it breaks the DragonLance mold. The protagonist starts the book as a scoundrel, but I instantly found him amusing and was invested in following his story. This novel has excellent character writing all around. It is much more of a character driven story than previous DragonLance novels, with more satisfying arcs and chemistry between the characters. I also found the death of one of the characters genuinely unexpected and moving.
It has a fun, spooky, gothic atmosphere.
Some complaints: while the women characters are well written, they are put on a pedestal with regards to their appearance and heavily implied to be superior to other women because of their beauty. A common 80s and 90s fantasy trope. There was also kind of a baffling moment where the protagonist hits his horse! It might have been meant to be slapstick humour, but it just didn't land and was unpleasant.
An imperfect but otherwise very likeable book.
Especially in the first half, this book is very funny. In a lot of ways it breaks the DragonLance mold. The protagonist starts the book as a scoundrel, but I instantly found him amusing and was invested in following his story. This novel has excellent character writing all around. It is much more of a character driven story than previous DragonLance novels, with more satisfying arcs and chemistry between the characters. I also found the death of one of the characters genuinely unexpected and moving.
It has a fun, spooky, gothic atmosphere.
Some complaints: while the women characters are well written, they are put on a pedestal with regards to their appearance and heavily implied to be superior to other women because of their beauty. A common 80s and 90s fantasy trope. There was also kind of a baffling moment where the protagonist hits his horse! It might have been meant to be slapstick humour, but it just didn't land and was unpleasant.
An imperfect but otherwise very likeable book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 23, 2025
¿Dónde está el supuesto tono humorístico que yo lo vea? La sinopsis no puede ser más engañosa, no hay absolutamente nada de humor, es una aventura de fantasía caballeresca clásica e incluso de tono más bien sosainas. He estado fijándome para ver si pillaba los momentos que el autor pretendía hacer pasar como "humorísticos" y ni eso, es que no sé dónde están. Supongo que el pitch de la novela sería ese pero el contenido no tiene nada ni remotamente cómico, ni algún personaje que se pueda considerar gracioso o meramente simpático. De hecho el protagonista es bastante antipático más bien, no causa simpatía ni se le coge cariño, no tiene carisma. Nada. Uno de los hermanos es literalmente un bully maltratador. Es que no hay por dónde cogerlo.
La Dragonlance siempre es lo que es, pero esta me parece la peor novela de la saga que he leído hasta ahora. Es predecible hasta la náusea y ni siquiera se lee rápido, como sí pasa con otros libros de la Dragonlance a pesar de su floja calidad literaria. El final incluso cae en el manido tropo de la damisela en apuros. Es todo bastante aburrido.
La Dragonlance siempre es lo que es, pero esta me parece la peor novela de la saga que he leído hasta ahora. Es predecible hasta la náusea y ni siquiera se lee rápido, como sí pasa con otros libros de la Dragonlance a pesar de su floja calidad literaria. El final incluso cae en el manido tropo de la damisela en apuros. Es todo bastante aburrido.
January 23, 2019
Rispetto agli altri due libri della trilogia degli Eroi di Dragonlance, questo volume punta molto sull'ironia del protagonista. Galen (detto Weasel) è infatti il giovane figlio mediano della casata dei Pathwarden che diventerà scudiero del fiero cavaliere di Solamnia Bayard Brighblade al posto del fratello Alfric. Galen viene presentato subito come un vile ed opportunista, abituato a scappare e nascondersi a causa di un'infanzia trascorsa a cercare di difendersi dai maltrattamenti del fratello maggiore. Saranno gli eventi a motivarlo a mettere a rischio la propria vita e il proprio agio per aiutare il cavaliere nella sua impresa diventando così anch'egli un eroe. La storia è narrata in prima persona e la tendenza a ironizzare su tutto e tutti del protagonista rende a tratti divertente la lettura. Fatta eccezione per questa particolarità, si tratta di un'avventura molto classica nello stile di Dragonlance, senza infamia e senza lode.
August 12, 2021
The third volume in the Dragonlance Heroes series, this is one of the least heroic of the bunch. The titular Weasel is the youngest son of a modest aristocrat and is a thoroughly egotistical, opportunistic scoundrel. The book is, however, a kind of High Fantasy Bildungsroman with Weasel learning about life and what it means to be a hero.
Unfortunately, Weasel's transformation from anti-hero to hero does take place a bit too quickly towards the end and is not totally convincing, but I do understand why this happens. The truth is Weasel is a lot more fun to read about when he is just being a little shit, playing pranks on his brothers and playing both sides against each other in a supernatural good versus evil fight in order to survive.
In the end it is a really enjoyable book, above average writing for the franchise with interesting characters and a plot which includes ghosts, revenge, knights, palatial intrigue, centaurs and satyrs. Definitely worth a read.
Unfortunately, Weasel's transformation from anti-hero to hero does take place a bit too quickly towards the end and is not totally convincing, but I do understand why this happens. The truth is Weasel is a lot more fun to read about when he is just being a little shit, playing pranks on his brothers and playing both sides against each other in a supernatural good versus evil fight in order to survive.
In the end it is a really enjoyable book, above average writing for the franchise with interesting characters and a plot which includes ghosts, revenge, knights, palatial intrigue, centaurs and satyrs. Definitely worth a read.
November 13, 2025
This is the fifth Dragonlance book that I've read and, in my opinion, by far the best. It's a great little fantasy story. Although it's set in the Dragonlance world of Krynn, you could probably fit this into any old fantasy setting without losing anything. There aren't even any dragon's in it.
I say it's the best Dragonlance book (that I've read so far) because it's written with a lot of wit. Almost like someone had asked P.G. Wodehouse to write a Dragonlance novel, and this is what he would have churned out in an afternoon.
The book is told in first person perspective from a young bloke named Galen. He kind of reminded me of the Matthew Broderick character from the movie Ladyhawke, only he's more cowardly, more backstabby, and a lot more funny. The author, Michael Williams, skirts the line of being insufferable for almost the entire book, but he keeps writing really witty turns of phrase I couldn't help but love it.
I say it's the best Dragonlance book (that I've read so far) because it's written with a lot of wit. Almost like someone had asked P.G. Wodehouse to write a Dragonlance novel, and this is what he would have churned out in an afternoon.
The book is told in first person perspective from a young bloke named Galen. He kind of reminded me of the Matthew Broderick character from the movie Ladyhawke, only he's more cowardly, more backstabby, and a lot more funny. The author, Michael Williams, skirts the line of being insufferable for almost the entire book, but he keeps writing really witty turns of phrase I couldn't help but love it.
July 12, 2025
This is perhaps the first Dragonlance book that I have read with a fair bit of humor that does not rely on kender, gnomes, or gully dwarves. It is the story of young Galen, who is rather weak and lacking honor, especially in comparison to his mentor, the Solamnic knight Bayard Brightblade. There was potential here for a solid Dragonlance book, and it did have its moments, but at other times it felt about as weak as its protagonist. A pretty average book overall, 2.5 stars. This one can be skipped by all but the most seasoned Dragonlance readers.
December 12, 2025
Weasel's Luck feels a bit like an unfunny Pratchett novel; "Your most annoying nephew gets dragged along on a fantasy epic." Michael Williams has an undeniable way with words, but the whole style feels just a bit too clever for it's own good without ever being that funny. Don't get me wrong, there's some strong bits: Enid is fantastic, Brithelm is entertaining, the Scorpion is a really cool villain, the whole bit with the tournament is great. I think a lot of the issue lays with Galen as a fundamentally unlikable character. I know he's supposed to be unlikable, but he never becomes particularly compelling and his redemption arc is a bit unconvincing. Any time we're away from him it gets better, but he's the narrator so that's rare. I expected a bit more depth on the Scorpions whole deal, given that he seems as confused as the reader on it, but all and all the book lacks a particularly satisfying conclusion.
April 21, 2022
The main character is unlikable but that’s not a deal breaker for me. The events of the story start slow but steadily get better. This is no masterpiece but it does an excellent job of introducing these characters, keeping them interesting, and feeling set in Krynn.
November 28, 2018
My favourite of the Dragonlance books I read growing up. I recently re-read one of the Dunk and Egg stories, and thought of this book and how it would really fit in with the Westeros crowd.
November 2, 2019
A pretty good story that add to the Dragonlance universe.
June 13, 2021
Not my favorite of the Dragonlance series. It's very hard to get into and enjoy a book where the main character is aptly named Weasel.
September 19, 2022
It was a bit long to get into and there were long winded parts but it was a interesting story.
August 29, 2023
I don’t remember reading this when I was in my teens. It was okay. Not great, not terrible.
October 30, 2024
2 stars. RTC.
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