This is one of those books that just makes me happy every time I read it. I adore Raistlin Magere: he is the perfect fantasy world realization of the misfit kid who nobody likes who the average fantasy reader--myself included, of course--can identify with. The childhood story of Raistlin thus offers much satisfaction for the once picked upon kid. Raistlin gets to slowly learn to draw upon the strength that will one day even the playing field between himself and his tormenters--so that one day, as Raistlin dreams, even "fat inkeepers" will bow to him.