A book that is part of the Dragonlance world. This one tells the story of Verminaard who was a minor character in the original trilogy. You do not need to read the original trilogy for this novel. This is your basic enticement of evil path book and the character's slow descent down this path.I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book. I have read this author's other contributions to this universe and I am not a fan. But this one was different. The time setting had a feeling of King Arthur and was enjoyable. I liked the slow pace of the character's downfall and how he becomes the man we see in the original trilogy. The author gives the reader different reasons for this downfall and it's up to the reader to decide if it was because of his own volition or other factors. The author did a wonderful job of making me care about a character that I have not thought about since I read the original trilogy many years ago.This book is a nice addition to this world. If you are looking for a fantasy novel that reminds the reader of earlier times, this book accomplishes that aspect. There are a couple of battles to move the pace but ultimately this novel is about one's choice in life.
This is the story of Verminaard, unloved bastard son of Solamnic Knights, and his road to evil. My husband adores the Dragonlance series and insisted I read this. He'd finished it in a weekend, so surely I, the voracious reader, would speed through as well. He was wrong. Though far from being a bad book, it just didn't draw me in. Verminaard's evilness seems to be inborne rather than reactionary, to the point that the supposed contributing factors - the unloving father, the loss of the beloved brother - seem more like asides and much less sympathetic. Likewise with his half-brother Aglaca, who is unfailingly upbeat and loyal for no apparent reason. I understand the story the Williamses were trying to tell, and it took a while to put my finger on what was wrong. Then I realized it was missing a vital element of all great drama: levity. The human experience is not serious all the time. Even in the grimmest tales there is laughter. The unrelenting depression of this book left me frankly unmoved.
What do You think about Before The Mask (1993)?
I absolutely love this book. Ever since first reading Dragons of Autumn Twilight I'd been a fan of Lord Verminaard--so much so that as a child I really wanted a mace like Nightbringer...So for me this tale was a blessing. It gave us a chance to take a deeper look into a fascinating character that originally didn't get much chance to shine. I found myself drawn into the tale as we bore witness to Verminaard's seduction by evil and the futile attempts by others to draw him from his dark destiny. Of all the villains novels put out for the Dragonlance franchise I rank this and Lord Toede as my two personal favorites and I recommend them both though for completely different reasons. Lord Toede for it's pure humor (and hidden message) and Before the mask for the dark and compelling tale of a man born to embrace evil.
—Frankie Roxx
