Davyn's Quest: Read About Dragon Knight,
Book 7 in the Dragonlance: The New Adventures Series
By Michael G. Ryan
Author Dan Willis, who wrote the third book (The Dragon Well) in the Dragonlance: The New Adventures series, is back for the seventh book with Dragon Knight. The story focuses on Davyn this time around, who has been struggling since Elidor died. And Dan Willis has some things to say about returning to the world of dragons and quests . . .
Wizards of the Coast: So, how did it feel to come back to the series?
Dan Willis: I really enjoyed it. This is a great series with great characters. I have to admit that I was upset when I found out Elidor died. In The Dragon Well, I spent a lot of time on Elidor, and I was sad that he was gone. On the other hand, the opportunity to write Davyn as he dealt with the aftermath of those events was very exciting. The other thing that really interested me about this book was that Davyn was off on his own while the rest of the characters were busy doing other things. This meant that I got to create some new characters and introduce them to the series. I also got to revisit some of the old characters from The Dragon Well, which was nice.
Wizards: In the new book, Dragon Knight, Davyn is finally convinced to head out on a quest to save Nearra from Asvoria, who possessed Nearra's body so long ago. And he's convinced by a young girl named Jirah . . . who just happens to be Nearra's sister! Tell us about the quest for the Dragon Knight that the seer Shemnara sends Davyn on.
Dan: Davyn is drawn back into the quest to restore Nearra when the consequences of his actions come back to haunt him. This happens when he meets Nearra's little sister Jirah, who has been looking for her sister ever since she disappeared over a year ago. Davyn agrees to help get Asvoria out of Nearra's body, but there's only one problem -- he doesn't have the slightest idea how to do that! To learn what he needs to do he turns to a familiar source: Shemnara.
Shemnara gives Davyn the answers he seeks. Nearra can be freed only by the power of the Dragon Knight, a mythic warrior who lives in northern Solamnia. When Davyn finally arrives at Viranash Keep, the Dragon Knight's home, he finds that seeking the warrior's aid is not going to be as easy as he thought. In fact, it might cost him and everyone with him their lives.
Wizards: Among those who need to help Davyn find the Dragon Knight is Oddvar, the dark dwarf who once served the wizard Maddoc. Oddvar is something of fan favorite! Was it exciting to get to bring him back into the center of things?
Dan: When I realized that Davyn would be alone on this journey, I knew I had to bring in some new characters. It also gave me the chance to bring back some of my personal favorites. Oddvar immediately came to mind. Since the dwarf's association with Maddoc ended with him not getting the magic he wanted, I figured he'd be drifting, looking for a new plan to advance himself, so I brought him in.
I really like Oddvar. He's a very uncomplicated guy and I think a bit misunderstood. Sure, he worked for Maddoc, but he's less of a bad guy and more a mercenary willing to work for the highest bidder. The real fun here was to put someone as jaded as Oddvar in the same group as optimists like Davyn and Jirah. In the end, both groups learn a lot from each other.
Wizards: You have lots of old friends reuniting in Dragon Knight, many of whom appear again in Potter's Mill when Davyn returns there. And you have some great new characters who help Davyn along the way. Do you have favorites? Do you find some characters come to life easier for you than others?
Dan: I think my favorite character is Hector, the gnome. He's so enthusiastic and so eccentric that he really jumps off the page. Hector's also quite brave and heroic in his own, gnomish way, and I liked that.
Another favorite of mine is Rina, a mysterious elven archer who joins Davyn on his quest. I have a feeling readers will be seeing a lot more of her.
Wizards: There's one more book to go (Dragon Spell by Jeff Sampson) and then the series is complete. Do you think you'll ever write about Davyn, Nearra, Catriona, and the others again? And what are you going to write next?
Dan: Actually, I am doing another book for The New Adventures series: the final book of the Trinistyr trilogy. The Trinistyr is something that first appears here in Dragon Knight and is going on to a story of its own. Readers of the Trinistyr will see Davyn and Nearra again along with some new characters and a few surprises.
I'm also pitching a new trilogy that will deal with another fan favorite, Set-ai, and his quest (along, of course, with some of our young heroes). I'll let you know if Mirrorstone likes it enough to do it!
Wizards: Sounds great, Dan! You have lots of things going on. Is there someplace that fans can write to you to tell you how much they enjoy your books?
Dan: I'm currently getting a website put up, but it's not ready now. Fans can definitely e-mail me, though. They can contact me at thedragonknight@mac.com!
