When ideals collide

 So I recently found out Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman released another new DragonLance novel, and while it's not listed as part of a planned trilogy, it could be. 

War Wizard is focused on Huma (Hero of the 3rd Dragon War) and his adopted brother Devon Aynshire, who about a quarter of the way through changes his name to Magius after an ancestor who worked with the Legendary Vinas Solamnus ti defeat the Ergothian horde. (Yeah, we're actually in fairly early Krynnish history here. Plus somewhere, I missed a dragon war, since I thought Huma won the Second War.) Anyway, we see Magius grow up with his adoptive brother and get trained in magic by the Neutral Goddess of Magic, Lunitari (which appears to be a change. Most published history starts him off in Black robes, moves him to red, turns him renegade, then dying in white.) 

Any rate, Solamnics are bred to fear and distrust  Arcane Magic (they take no issue with divine magic in this era), so Magius is fighting an uphill battle to get traction with the Knights of Solamnia (basically freakin' paladins). 

Quite a bit happens, from supportive adoptive parents fighting for him, his close friendship with Huma, and his betrothal to his adoptive sister. Magius takes his test at the Tower of High Sorcery (named back in AD&D before sorcery became it's own thing) the same time that Huma takes his spurs and becomes a knight. So, Fiancee ends up dying thanks to Huma's at this time arch nemesis (he eventually pissess of the Queen of Darkness), and Magius tries getting the Device of Time Traveling to go back and save her. Thankfully, he changes his mind, because frankly, given how many canonical time edits characters have made in this setting over time would end a game of Chrononauts with the universe exploding. 

We end with Magius creating his famous staff a later wizard uses quite famously.  

Anyway. 

The interplay between Huma and Magius is really similar to that between Gilgamesh and Enkidu, giving them a really queer subtext.  On the other hand, when Greta and Magius are betrothed and sharing a camp bed, nothing happens because they're waiting for marriage. (Guessing that was a Tracy thing, given he discusses his opinions on saving it for marriage in the Annotated Chronicles when it comes up with Goldmoon and Riverwind). 

Will they write another one? Probably, the books sell well and Hasbro near as I can tell hasn't yet squeezed  all the possible profit out of the franchise as of yet. (Forgive me, but they currently own WotC, and keep releasing unrelated to the main storyline Magic the Gathering sets based on Hasbro properties.) But, honestly, I kind of feel like they're now paying Hickman and Weis to go back and retell stories already told by others rather than tell an original story. (The last trilogy had an original story, but kept screwing with a timeline they created in the first place. Should they continue this out, one is left to wander if they plan to redact those changes.)