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2007-03-21
2006-08-062005-09-212005-05-132004-03-23The only detraction in this series is the interminable philosophizing of the main character periodically throughout the book, the heavy handed moral introspection is extremely tedious. Fortunately this is done in italics so you know when to skip on in the book.
All in all, this is a very good read, very entertaining, and well worth the money.
OVERALL SCORE: (A-)
READABILITY: (A-), PLOT: (B-), CHARATERS: (B-), DIALOGUE: (B+), SETTING: (A+), ACTION/COMBAT: (A-), MONSTERS/ANTAGONISTS: (B+), ROMANCE: (C-), SEX: (n/a), AGE LEVEL: (PG)
great 2008-01-07
The book arrived just a few days after I ordered it and it was in great condition. thank you
Drizzt's continuing Saga 2007-12-18
This is just the next set of Books in the continuing Saga of Drizzt and his companions. Great books all. Sorry not much of a writer for a full review. I greatly enjoyed this and the others. If you are just starting these, start with Icewind Dale Trilogy.
The conclusion to the 'Legend of Drizzt' (finally) 2007-07-17
The Paths of Darkness compendium includes R.A. Salvatore's Forgotten Realms novels published from 1998 to 2001. The principle storyline for this series is the return of Wulfgar from imprisonment by the demon Erttu, and his stuggle to come to grips with his new life. Three of the books included in this one make up the final part of the 'Legend of Drizzt'. One book, Servant of the Shard, seems to have been included in this volume only because of publication order. It is actually the first book of the separate 'Sellswords' trilogy and doesn't really have anything to do with Drizzt and Co.
In The Silent Blade (Forgotten Realms: Paths of Darkness, Book 1), a fresh new adventure for the Companions of the Hall is began. As Drizzt and Co. head out to Spirit Soaring to have Cadderly destroy the (same old) Crystal Shard, monsters hound them at every turn. Wulfgar struggles with inner demons until he finds a place as a bouncer for a rough tavern in Luskan, where he has a great time bashing heads and drinking booze. Artemis Entreri travels back to his roots in Calimport to begin reestablishing his name and fortune. Jarlaxle has ventured out of Menzoberanzan in the search for power and wealth and coaxes Entreri to join his plans. Character development is the primary thing that stands out in this book. Wulfgar, Entreri, and Jarlaxle especially grow as characters. [4-star rating].
The Spine of the World (Forgotten Realms: Paths of Darkness, Book 2) is completely devoted to the continuing struggle of Wulfgar, who cannot seem to overcome his inner demons and allows himself to fall into a rather shameful existence. The story consists of two separate plot-lines that briefly come together near the end of the book. Wulfgar and Morik (who develops nicely here) fight, are framed, get beat, leave Luskan, fight, are framed, get beat, and so on. The other story was actually the more intriguing to me. It involves characters that we've never met before and their emotional wrangling. A hi-bred lord courts a lowly peasant (Meralda), who goes along with it for her family's sake but makes a big mistake in getting knocked up by another man. The two stories come together in an unpredictable way that results in a hugely surprising and satisfying ending. [3-star rating]
The third book in the Paths of Darkness, Servant of the Shard (Forgotten Realms: Paths of Darkness, Book 3), probably shouldn't have been included in this collection. It is really somewhat of a duplicate book, released two different times with different looking covers, the second time as book one of The Sellswords. It is also one of the most enjoyable Salvatore books to date. The Sellswords series follows the adventures of Artemis Enreri and Jarlaxle. This perfect couple is extremely well-developed and are fun to read about. In book 1, the Crystal Shard occupies center stage as the story began in The Silent Blade is continued. The annoyingly pious Cadderly plays a part in the latter parts of the book, but doesn't do too much harm to the story. Excellent fighting scenes and plenty of action make for a fun and exciting read. [5-star rating].
In Sea of Swords (Forgotten Realms: Paths of Darkness), the story of Wulfgar is rejoined for the final book of the Legend of Drizzt. As the Companions of the Hall set out to retrieve Aegis-Fang from the pirate Sheila Kree, it seems nothing could stand in their way. Wulfgar finally comes to terms with his new place in life, and is reunited with his old friends before the final battle. A mysterious elf from Drizzt's past has plotted to slay Drizzt for years and the two meet in an epic clash. Overall, this was a bit disappointing for a Drizzt novel, particularly because of its being the last in the series. [3-star rating].
Overall, these books really start to lose interest as the reader becomes inundated with Drizzt and his friends. The heroes (except Wulfgar ironically) become practically invincible and the stories become predictable. I'm just glad that I'm finally through the Legend of Drizzt (although I probably will read The Hunter's Blades trilogy).
Salvatore rolls a critical hit again! 2007-06-09
First and foremost, there are four books in the series and unless you have an idea what these books are, like this particular genre, like what they deal with or play D&D then you probably should start at the beginning. It made several references to the old books and although it didn't annoy me since I read them, another reader might not like it. For the most part, this storyline speaks mostly about Wulfgar, his life and redemption after he returned from Errtu's grasp.
In any case, the four books are listed and summarized below:
The Silent Blade
The Spine of the World
Sea of Swords
Servant of the Shard
The first one dealt with Drizzt and an old grudge a thief named Artemis had with him. The thief was apparently an assassin for Pasha Pook who was the Guildmaster Regis stole his magical gem from. The book was great and although there was some mature content, it wasn't anything near what a teenager sees online at a porn site or on the movie 300 in terms of explicitness of gore. Besides, I believe if you can read then you're entitled to some juicy bits of writing. If you're a DM much like me and play D&D then this might give you an idea or two or a theme. It could even give you several comical or devious characters and scenarios to copy into your own campaign.
The Spine of the World was great. At first it threw me off by introducing the story of some prissy Lord of a no-name town in the backwaters of Faerun but as the book progressed, the author meshed the two distinct storylines together into an intricate web which of course featured Wulfgar. This book is primarily about Wulfgar and his redemption. A daring rescue and a few lies later and Wulfgar found his life changed. I don't want to ruin the book or the ending but it's a strong read in my opinion! There was more drama and storyline than action in this book. There weren't many battles and the few that were in the book were obviously one-sided. There were some good plots there if you are a DM and I strongly encourage you read about how shoddy the fiefdom of Auckney really is. At times DM's make small hamlets too powerful and often their best fighter can take out the heroes in one or two hits. A perfect example is the gnome fighter who claims to be the best fighter in all of Auckney.
The next book is off to a promising read with a couple of guys tracking down Drizzt and they are enlisting magical aid. Apparently from what I gathered in the first few pages I've read Bruenor is going to look for Wulfgar's hammer and the King of Mithral Hall is dying of old age. There is much to read as I am only a few pages shy of the fourth chapter. All his books thus far from the previous series have done his name and his claim justice. Read them all if you wish, but be forewarned, make sure you've got nothing to do as time will fly by!
Doesn't get much better. 2007-05-07
If you're a fan of Salvatore- this is a must.
If you're a fan of fantasy- this is a must.
If you are a fan of reading- this is... a nice read.
I love the character development in Salvatore's books- and this series easily has the most of that compared to any of his others.
A good place to pick up if you've never read any of Salvatore's Forgotten Realms books- or if you already love the series, as I do.
