Kindred Spirits by Mark Anthony and Ellen Porath

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.

The first of the series of books that details how the Heroes of the Lance (in the Dragonlance Chronicles) met. This one deals with how Tanis and Flint met and how their relationship with each other grew as they fought off an accusation of murder on Tanis. Also, even though Laurana was present, there was little development of the romance between them as was hinted as in Chronicles. For the most part, the plot and pacing is all right, and the story was engaging enough. The flaw would be that ending came a bit too quickly and felt kind of rushed.

Reading this was like seeing old friends again after a long absence. The Dragonlance Chronicles started my adventures into the world of Krynn back in high school. I felt that returning years later to read how the companions met one another was fitting. In this first book we meet Flint Fireforge and Tanis Half Elven. Flint is a guest metalsmith for the Speaker of the Sun and Tanis as many know, if your familiar with the series, is the product of tragedy after the Cataclysm. An orphaned boy of half royal blood, taken in to be raised among the Speaker's children. We see the hardships that fall on Tanis as he is ridiculed for being half human, and my heart breaks for him. As the story progresses we see the bond between Flint and Tanis grow, from a simple act of kindness when Flint gives him a handmade toy into a steadfast friendship. But trouble waits for Tanis, as he grows older and is accused of murder. The only thing standing between his exile from Qualinost is Flint's determination to prove him innocent. This was a slow building book, as the reader is shown Tanis' whole childhood, but it serves to show the basis of his personality we see in later novels. I also never tire learning about the different elven races in Krynn, so the ability to read more about Qualinost's culture and coming of age traditions interested me. Flint's humor does break up the long stretches and his faithful donkey causing laughable mayhem. A definite read for fans of the original trilogy that started the Dragonlance World.