My many thanks to Doug Feldmann for sending me this, and to everyone who writes.
There are many more inconsistencies than you have pointed out.� I can't think of specifics, but if you felt like it you could probably go through many different books and find spots where characters pay for rooms, food, and supplies with some copper.� Then you'll find books where a mug of ale costs steel.� You aren't the only person to notice these things.� For this reason many people do not read any of the "spin-off" books.� Some even include "Dragons of Summer Flame" in this category.
The thing is, you must realize that each author has a different perspective of the world.
Every person that reads the series has a slightly different perspective. For instance you, like many people, seem to consider Caramon to lack intelligence.� This isn't the case, as I believe Weis points out specifically in Soulforge.� He is not stupid, but he is also is not always quick thinking.� He first demonstrates this in Xak Tsaroth when he convinces Flint to come along with the Gully Dwarves.� The reason you rarely notice is because in the Chronicles Caramon is rarely forced to think for himself.� He can use his charm and his arm to deal with almost everything.� This will cause a glaring inconsistency if an author of a spin-off portrays Caramon as a muscle-bound idiot.� I personally would find this far more irritating than the fact that Flint probably never actually set foot in the tower of the sun(as he is supposedly did in Kindred Spirits).
However, what I find to be the much more troubling inconsistency is that the relationship between Flint and Solostaran becomes such that, when Flint meets the Speaker in Autumn Twilight, The Speaker would definitely have acknowledged the dwarf had Kindred Spirits been true.� However, in the Defense of Kindred Spirits, it is a good hypothesis of the relationship between Flint and Tanis. The relationship between Tanis and Laurana is also very well done.� And, most importantly, it was a fun story to read when I was 13 or 14.� Now it leaves me a little disappointed though.� It doesn't have the magic of the Weis and Hickman books.
Before I continue I must say that I do not intend to slight any of the authors of the secondary DragonLance books.� Most of them probably did not even help in it's original creation and face a daunting task in creating a story that remains true to the series, yet is exciting enough to keep readers reading.� There is probably where the problem lies.� Spin-off books are written based primarily on the demand of the readers and the desire of the publisher to make more money.� The books will sell regardless of how good they are, so authors are probably pressured a lot more to finish books in a timely fashion.� This creates a problem when it comes to consistency. Weis and Hickman probably don't have time or desire to sit down with every author and discuss at length details about shapeshifting elves.� Authors probably rely more on AD&D than input from Weis and Hickman.� This is why Flint has infravision in Kindred Spirits but not in the Chronicles.� I would bet you could probably trace many inconsistencies this way, because Weis and Hickman did not restrict themselves to AD&D rules.� Elves are taller and don't live for a 1000 years.� Dwarves don't have Infravision (I don't think the Dewar even had it).� Gnomes are different, and kender, well... exist.
My advice is to treat the spin-off books as hypothetical events that can be valued for the plot if not it's place in the world of Krynn.� But of course, though _I_ consider my perspective to be better than yours, I'm certainly not God, so feel free to disagree with me as much as you like. It's quite probable that I have misunderstood your viewpoints (as I believe other Authors have misunderstood Weis and Hickman's).