The Ghost King (Forgotten Realms: Transitions, #3; Legend of Drizzt, #19)

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The Ghost King (Transitions #3)

4.1 of 5 stars 4.10 · rating details · 2,796 ratings · 115 reviews

Don't miss the gripping conclusion to Salvatore's New York Times best-selling Transitions trilogy!

When the Spellplague ravages Faerûn, Drizzt and his companions are caught in the chaos. Seeking out the help of the priest Cadderly–the hero of the recently reissued series The Cleric Quintet–Drizzt finds himself facing his most powerful and elusive foe, the twisted Crenshinib...more

Hardcover, 352 pages

Published October 6th 2009 by Wizards of the Coast (first published 2009)

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Feb 24, 2012 Child_reborn rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. >Well.. what can I say... nothing lasts forever, not even cold november rain.

defenitively one of the best books in the series. Action packed from start to finish. Not a minute rest.. no moral doubts.. no nothing,. just plain survival minute after minute.

I was begining to grow tired of drizzt's palladin posture... allways good.. always moraly correct. Well, he didn't have any moral doubts here. Just killing.

Spoiler....

The end is seriously messed up, none of the bad guys die, and 3 of the goo...more

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Nov 04, 2011 Stefan rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: lamest-books-ever-dear-god-no-mor

This is undoubtedly the worst Drizzt book ever written. So bad, that I am strongly considering writing my own conclusion to this series, since Drizzt and co. deserve so much better. Where to begin? I guess RA Salvatore was under the impression that if you mash a lot of cool things together, the coolness just keeps piling up. Wrong. Dragons are cool. Telepathic squid monsters are cool (sometimes). Liches are super cool. An undead dracolich is just not cool at all, especially if this "Ghost King"...more This is undoubtedly the worst Drizzt book ever written. So bad, that I am strongly considering writing my own conclusion to this series, since Drizzt and co. deserve so much better. Where to begin? I guess RA Salvatore was under the impression that if you mash a lot of cool things together, the coolness just keeps piling up. Wrong. Dragons are cool. Telepathic squid monsters are cool (sometimes). Liches are super cool. An undead dracolich is just not cool at all, especially if this "Ghost King" is comprised of a magically (magic here meaning deus ex-machina) combined hodgepodge of earlier villains who all DIED (yes, I repeat, they all died). Somehow, without any explanation at all (escept for soem throw-away bullshit about mystra's weave, whatever the hell that is, and how it's unravelling),all these dead villains came back to life and, just cause the author thought it would be WICKED COOL MAN A GIANT UNDEAD DRAGON WITH MIND POWERS OMG, fused together into the most mind-numblingly retarted idea for a villain since...never mind, actually, I can't think of anyone lamer right now.
The plot makes just as little sense. For some unexplained reason, magic is malfunctioing, which is really irrelevant, since the plot actually cneters around killing this stupid dracolich thing. It, and its army of servants that seem to look like Sebulba from Star Wars. Yes. That lame. Oh, also undead bear and fish. ***ing zombie fish.
Two main characters end up dead, and when I look back at all the times they could have been killed off, I have to say that these are certainly the most inglorious, random, shameful and un-dramatic death scenes RA Salvatore could have contrived. I mean, why implausibly save characters from certain death so many times only to kill them off in the least satisfying way imaginable? Yes, folks, this here is death by diabolus-ex-machina. A spellplague kills our heroes, and funnily enough we will never really learn in this book what a spellplague is (anyone who tells me to wikipedia it or something is missing the point. I shouldn't have to read Dungeons and Dragons manuals to understand or enjoy a book.) The death of these characters here is what really kills the series. Otherwise I might just have ignored this book and moved on to the next one, but I can't ignore it. Because it irreversibly changed the series' dynamic.
Cattie-Brie could ahve died when a giant threw a bolder at her. It would have been sad, but at least it would have seemed logical and made sense. Regis could have died when he got stabbed with a spear, or hit on the back of the head, or any number of times, but not this way. This way is an insult to the readers of this series.
When George RR Martin, for instance, kills someone off, unless that someone is Kevan Lannister, it usually makes sense, is dramatic, and is done for the sake of furthering the plot. RA Salvatore, on the other hand, probably thought if he shocked everyone by killing off two major characters, people would be tricked into thinking it was well-staged and dramatic, despite the fact that these deaths actually don't even RELATE to the main story being told here. Judging by all the reviews on this site, he fooled quite a few people, which is depressing. I'd rather if they'd all died in the Orc King instead. Although maybe they'll come back to life. If a squid who got MELTED WITH DRAGON FIRE and a crystal that also got MELTED WITH DRAGON FIRE can come back to life, surely our heroes can.
Also, I could see a lot of dungeons and dragons in here, which I hate. I graoned when the book talked about how Danica's "monk abilities" kept enabled her to heal faster. Monk abilities? What, prey tell, are those? a +4 to constitution or something? Being a monk does NOT enable you to defy the laws of science and heal faster, just as being a firefigter does not give you +30% resist fire. Or being a pilot does not give you levitate.Unless, of course, you're in a dumb role-playing game. But this is not a game, it is a book. Also, I must point out that for some reason the makers of role playing games seem to be under the delusion that monks are some sort of karate masters, rather than religious people who sit around and transcribe books and preach sermons. Oh, maybe they're like Shaolin Monks or something? But if so, they ought to explain that, rather than just assume they can say 'monk;' and all the readers will just translate that into 'badass.'
I know this was a long review, but this book really pissed me off. The first two in the series were really enjoyable, so I thought this one, the grand finale of Drizzt, with such a badas title, would be one of the awesomest books ever. Instead, I got something that made twilight look like the Lord of the Goddamn Rings.
I am completely baffled by the positive reviews, considering that the book lacked a plot that made sense and furthermore wasted two characters who could have had tragic, meaningful deaths in the context of a good story. If they'd died in Orc King I would have liked it better for God's sake.

PS: In light of the fact that this is not even the last Drizzt book but still managed to brutally rape and then murder the series (probably with a rusty hatchet) I have to add that if there were book burning polcie like in Fahrenheit 451, I would offer this one up with a smile. Hell, I'd probably burn it myself. In fact, if it hadn't cost so much damn money, I would.
.(less)

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Dec 03, 2012 Jimmy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Jimmy by: Barnes & Noble.com

Shelves: ebook, fantasy, young-adult-teen

The best of the Transitions trilogy books! The magic is harder, crueler, and more challenging. Heroes and enemies of the past come together for the greater good. Love breaks hearts. The trilogy is about change. And the changes in rulers, magic and comrades are happening, to change the face of Faerun. At the end of The Pirate King, I expected someone to die in The Ghost King, and you should too. This book is not to be missed! I eagerly wait to see what R. A. Salvatore does to the future of Drizzt...more

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Dec 09, 2011 Lauren rated it 4 of 5 stars

There are some things I take into account when I go into a book from R. A. Salvatore. One, that I am highly appreciated of his work getting me interested in both reading and the genre. Two, that it will not be a shining example of genre literature. I expect to find plenty of action -- so much so that it may prove a detriment to the novel; Promise of the Witch King being a prominent example. I also expect to find dwarves with horrible names and various characters philosophizing despite their walk...more There are some things I take into account when I go into a book from R. A. Salvatore. One, that I am highly appreciated of his work getting me interested in both reading and the genre. Two, that it will not be a shining example of genre literature. I expect to find plenty of action -- so much so that it may prove a detriment to the novel; Promise of the Witch King being a prominent example. I also expect to find dwarves with horrible names and various characters philosophizing despite their walks of life. These expectations are based on expectations are based on experience and they are rarely off the track. They were not this time around either.

I have a love and hate relationship with Salvatore's dwarves. I love them because they are often hilarious and some of the more outrageous characters tend to stem from this lot. I hate them because they are often used as little more than comic relief and they turn up so often throughout all of Salvatore's work that it gets old. In The Ghost King, the use of dwarves has been romped up to the point of sniggering glee, which is a contrast to the usual limited use -- after all, who needs that much comic relief? I actually liked this about the book because it provides a contrast to the downward spiral of depression that the novel entails. Instead of brief moments of comic relief, we are instead presented with a line of comedy running along the entirety of a novel. In this it feels less tacked than it would otherwise.

Over the past year or so, I have discovered that I do not gain much enjoyment from reading about fights and battles anymore. It stems from branching out in my reading and encountering a wealth of novels that are more focused on drama than action. However, I did enjoy a few of the battles found in The Ghost King. These few, which I cannot and will not mention thanks to their spoiler nature, managed to impart a feeling of...epicness. The sort of feeling that makes you want to thrust your fist into the air and scream something unintelligible. These scenes were well written and impressive and definitely recieved a nod of approval from me, along with a fist pump and declaration of "Huzzah!" Make no mistake though, not all of the fights or battles in the novel were like this. There were many that left me unintrested and skimming through the barrage of thrusts, slashes, kicks, and punches.

When I read The Pirate King two weeks before, I had quite a bit of respect for it. I enjoyed it more than most of Salvatore's other recent novels because the spotlight was finally removed from Drizzt Do'urden and dropped on some of the minor characters we have met along the way. The Ghost King tries to take this route as well and in a way, it succeeds, but in another it fails. The Pirate King managed to focus the spotlight on a couple of characters, switching over to Drizzt every once in a while to fufill the notiion that it is a novel in the Drizzt series. This novel cannot focus. It tries, it really does, but in the end there are too many characters and too few pages to follow any single one or group of them for any significant length of time.

And that leads me into my major issue with the novel. I am not sure whether there is an enforced word limit -- though I am inclined to believe there is -- but it seemed to me that there was a lot of story either left untold or edited out. Everything seemed rushed, from small things like traveling, to big things, like the conclusion. More time spent traveling, though an idea that strikes me as profoundly distasteful by my own inclinations, would have provided much-needed interaction amongst our desperate group of adventurers. On that same note, a lot of possible tension was siphoned off by skimming over scenes or leaving them to act out in the background. The resolution to the major arc of the novel was glazed over in a fashion that could only br described as lazy, but even then it only stands as the penultimate tragedy, the end of the storyline that ran from the beginning of the novel until the bitter end, was done in such an abrupt manner that the only description I can coin for it is: complete and utter failure.

The Ghost King is a novel written by R. A. Salvatore. That alone is enough to pique the interest of some and to make others scrunch up their faces cand turn away in search of something else to read. The prose here is simple and unadorned -- and therefore inherently readable -- and the likelihood of finding innovation amongst the books pages is slim, but that is the norm. What can be found here is an adventure story filled with more than enough action to keep even the most distracted individuals interested and a wild mixture of characters that promises, at the very least, humor and hints at the possibility of awe and emotion. The Ghost King was a novel that had the potential to be more than good, better than decent, but the issues dragged it down to merely average. I would recommend the book, but only buy it if you are a fan, everyone else should make use of their local library(less)

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May 17, 2010 Travis rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

The Ghost King by R. A. Salvatore- This is the third and last book in the Transitions trilogy. The first book is The Orc King and the second book is The Pirate King. The trilogy is a part of the Drizzt Do'Urden saga, this being the most recent installment.

The story starts with Jarlaxle, a drow mercenary leader, and his traveling companion, a dwarf named Athrogate, traveling to around. Jarlaxle gets troubled by dreams he has in which a dragon and an ancient artifact, thought destroyed, threaten t...more The Ghost King by R. A. Salvatore- This is the third and last book in the Transitions trilogy. The first book is The Orc King and the second book is The Pirate King. The trilogy is a part of the Drizzt Do'Urden saga, this being the most recent installment.

The story starts with Jarlaxle, a drow mercenary leader, and his traveling companion, a dwarf named Athrogate, traveling to around. Jarlaxle gets troubled by dreams he has in which a dragon and an ancient artifact, thought destroyed, threaten to find and kill him. At the same time, Drizzt Do'Urden and his wife, Catti-brie, are returning to Mithral Hall when blue fire consumes Catti-brie. The fire puts her into a lethargic state in which she is oblivious to everything around her and at times recalls past experiences and conversation. Drizzt, in obvious shock and terror, quickly returns to Mithral Hall and tries desperately to figure out what is happening. Catti-brie adoptive father, Bruenor Battlehammer is in the similar state of disbelief. With nothing working, Regis, with his magical ruby, tries to reach Catti-brie but instead gets trapped in the same nightmare with her, only more violent and destructive. Jarlaxle thinking that the cause of his problems could be solved by a priest of Deneir named Cadderly Bonaduce, persuades Drizzt and company to help them, by saying that Catti-brie could be helped by Cadderly as well. The reason Jarlaxle needs Drizzt and Bruenor's help is because Jarlaxle can never return to Spirit Soaring, the cathedral of Deneir. So desperate to find anyone or anything that could help them, the group embarks to Spirit Soaring. At the same time, Cadderly and a meeting of mages and priest are trying to understand what is happening to the world and magic. But soon darkness and a creature more powerful than anything imaginable descends upon the cathedral. Can Cadderly help Catti-brie and Regis? Will Jarlaxle find answers? And can Cadderly protect his family and home, and figure out what is wrong with the world?

Negatives:
1) Missing Dialogue. There were parts and times when something was left unsaid and it seemed like it wasn't supposed to. Then there were other times when dialogue didn't even fit into what was actually being said. For example, there was a scene when Danica, Cadderly's wife, is talking to Jarlaxle and Drizzt about something and bursts out with something so random that it made me take a double take.
2) Cadderly's Children. Honestly, I didn't really care to read their parts. Sure they were interesting in their own ways, but it just felt at times to be more of the stories focus. It didn't help that other scenes with other characters were so engaging that when the children's scenes came up, I honestly didn't really care. Not to mention that they seemed so general. Hanaleisa, the daughter and twin of Temberle, is a basic carbon copy of Danica. Temberle, the fighter, was just so underdeveloped and plain that I just didn't really care. Rorick, the youngest child and a mage, was the most different and therefore, the most interesting, barely had anything to say. They just weren't as engaging as say, Athrogate and Pwent or Jarlaxle, Bruenor, and Drizzt.

Positives:
1) "The Group." To put it simply, when Jarlaxle and Athrogate meet up with Bruenor, Drizzt, Pwent, and a lethargic Catti-brie, it was just amazing. The utter fascination that Pwent has with Athrogate's hell boar was just funny. Then you had the fighting styles between the group. When the first fight happens, it was neat to see how Jarlaxle and Bruenor fought, side by side, than later on how Jarlaxle and Drizzt complimented each other. They were the main focus of the story, and I really could have used more.
2) The Ending. It really leaves you on a sad, depressing note. I'm not giving away anything, but I know people who have teared up and cried about it. After going in, knowing what happens, I even got a little upset. It's so powerful and written so well. Even the last line, "... for guests who never came", was just so powerful and sad that you couldn't believe it.

Side Notes:
1) The illithid. What happened to him? I mean seriously. Did he just get consumed by the Ghost King's other desires?
2) Cover Art. Simple, but good. Seeing the Ghost King trying to chomp Drizzt and seeing Drizzt just jump away is beautifully drawn.

Overall: 5/5

Final Thoughts:
This is a really hard book for me to review. The whole Drizzt series is my first foray into fantasy, not counting The Hobbit. So after a good eight or nine years of my life, Drizzt and company were in them. And losing even one of them is a little hard. But overall the book was great. It's funny and powerful at the same time. It really keeps you interested and invested in the story, and it almost forces you to keep reading it. Even the faults I mentioned weren't terrible. Cadderly's children were still pretty good, albeit general and the little bit of missing or confusing dialogue didn't hamper the experience the slightest. The story is was the driving force of this book.(less)

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Oct 11, 2009 Jeff rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

The Ghost King: Transitions Book III, By R.A. Salvatore
(Advance Copy)
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast (October 6, 2009)

“When the Spellplague ravages Faerûn, Drizzt and his companions are caught in the chaos. Seeking out the help of the priest Cadderly–the hero of the recently reissued series The Cleric Quintet–Drizzt finds himself facing his most powerful and elusive foe, the twisted Crenshinibon, the demonic crystal shard he believed had been destroyed years ago.”

I think one...more

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Nov 15, 2012 Dirk Grobbelaar rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, fantasy

At this point in the series it probably boils down to personal preference, but this at least seemed better than The Pirate King to me. This is a very dark part of the Drizzt legend. The cast of characters is getting whittled down, which is either good or bad depending on your point of view. In the run up to the Neverwinter saga, however, this does make sense to me. If you’re very emotionally invested in the Drizzt saga... well, read it and see.

It’s a bit of a weird read, as Salvatore incorporate...more

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Aug 06, 2012 Christopher rated it 4 of 5 stars

Don't know what to say about this book. It was way better than the previous few. Pacing is better, storyline is way better, characters are more interesting.

The Ghost King is The Crystal Shard infused into a undead Dragon. It is SUPER powerful and can raise the dead, invade minds, call shadow demons from another dimension, etc. It wants revenge against Drizzt and Jarlaxle and wants to kill Cadderly b/c he is the biggest threat to his existence in the region. The reality of magic itself is changi...more

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Jul 23, 2012 Brenda rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 11, 2010 Daniel rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the final book in the "Transitions" trilogy. The Ghost King continues with the overall story from the other novels in the trilogy. With the obvious exception of Wulfgar, everyone else is in this story in varying capacities. This is one of the darkest novels I've read featuring Drizzt, but it is also one of the most gripping. Without spoiling too much, the Crystal Shard was destroyed in a previous novel by a dragon, but it wasn't completely obliterated. It and the dragon merge, along with...more

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Sep 19, 2011 Jay Glasgow rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book took my soul, everything i love about Drizzt and his companions, everyone's hope and dreams, and ripped it to shreds, in a good way. This book was the darkest thing to happen to Drizzt since the Lone Drow, instead of his meaning of life and all preconceptions he had being taken away and seeing his only hope at elf-redemption dashed, instead he sees his happiness and hope, as well as his last vestiges of innocence, ripped away. It was dark, and started out with terrible premonitions to...more

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May 11, 2013 Emilio Castro rated it 4 of 5 stars

Español (Spanish, read BELOW for ENGLISH) – El Rey Fantasma

(4) CUATRO ESTRELLAS // EC10+
(Dale una mirada a mi blog si quieres más detalles acerca de mi criterio de ranking
http://jalanderseries.blogspot.com/20...)

Este libro cierra la trilogía de “Transiciones” y da sentido al nombre de la serie. Sin dudas un momento de cambios en la vida del muy querido Drizzt. Aunque gran parte de la acción transcurre centrada en otros personajes.

La lectura me resultó un poco incómoda al principio, por la cantid...more

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Feb 01, 2012 Lyricsninja rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-and-reviewed

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 17, 2012 Forgotten Realms Queen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-realms, high-fantasy, fantasy

This is the hardest book I have ever had to read. Here we say goodbye to the Companions of the Hall, possible for good.

Warning: Do not read if you're a person who does not like "spoilers"

Everyone comes back for this one. All the Companions, Cadderly and his family, Jarlaxle and Athrogate, the only one missing is Artemis Entreri. They come together to face the danger of the Ghost King.

In the Cleric Quintet, Cadderly outsmarts and kills a red dragon, which leads Jarlaxle back to him in the Sellswo...more This is the hardest book I have ever had to read. Here we say goodbye to the Companions of the Hall, possible for good.

Warning: Do not read if you're a person who does not like "spoilers"

Everyone comes back for this one. All the Companions, Cadderly and his family, Jarlaxle and Athrogate, the only one missing is Artemis Entreri. They come together to face the danger of the Ghost King.

In the Cleric Quintet, Cadderly outsmarts and kills a red dragon, which leads Jarlaxle back to him in the Sellswords saga, to take the infamous Crystal Shard to Hephaestuas, a red dragon, and trick him into destroying it. A mind flayer joins the party, in an attempt to save the shard.

In the end of the Sellswords, the Crystal Shard is destroyed by the breath of the red wyrm, along with the mind flayer and the sight of Hephaestus. Or so we think, because in the beginning of the Ghost King, we find that the sentience of the Crystal Shard and the mind flayer fused with Hephaestus, turning him into a dracolich, the Ghost King, and giving him the ability to phase between the realm of the living and the dead.

Of course he is defeated, but not without casualty.

Cattie-Brie is touched by the Blue Fire after the death of Mystra, and when Regis tries to heal her with his pendant, she draws him into her dark prison, and takes him with her when Mielikki comes for her soul.

Cadderly sacrifices himself so that his soul is left walking the grounds of Spirit Soaring, defending it against undead for all eternity after the final battle with the Ghost King.

Jarlaxle and Athrogate stay in Mithril Hall, picking up the broken pieces of Drizz't and Bruenor after the final deaths of Cattie-Brie and Regis.

The only complaint for this book is that Drizz't seems to be finally broken. Understandable considering what he has lost, but after bouncing back after everything else that has been thrown at him in his relatively short life, it seems almost a shock that he has finally lost his heart.

All in all a beautiful, wonderful, heartbreaking end to a two decade long series. Goodbye dear friends. We will miss you.(less)

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Aug 17, 2011 Ryan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Not bad, but not splendid. It was certainly much more interesting than the Pirate King, though Salvatore seems to be transitioning his characters for the future name of the book series suggests. Major turns that seem more determined to actually get their job done then to create an enjoyable read were the biggest drawback to this book. A sad day indeed, as I never thought that a book with Jarlaxelle as one of the main characters would result in a less than stellar read (I do so enjoy him, though...more

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Apr 12, 2011 Steven Cole rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: forgotten-realms

A strong finish to the Transitions trilogy. This one had a lot less politics than the prior entries in this trilogy did, and we finally see the beginning of the Spellplague, which was a welcome thing. (I’ve wanted stories of the Spellplague for a while now.)

That lack of politics really let the book focus on just a few core characters. We have our bad guy, the Ghost King pictured on the cover, the cleric Cadderly of Spirit Soaring and his family, and the drow elf Jaraxle, frequent foe of Drizzt D...more

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May 11, 2013 David Williams rated it 5 of 5 stars

The great and evil sentient artifact Crenshinibon was destroyed by the dragon Hephaestus. Or so it was believed. The powerful priest Cadderly joined with the mercenary drow Jarlaxle and the assassin Artemis Entreri to destroy the eveil item once and for all. Something has happened to the world since that day. The vey weave of Mystra that makes the realm of magix possible is coming undone. As a loose thread crosses the remnants of the destroyed artifact it reawakens the evil within. The artifact...more

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Dec 28, 2011 Benjamin Thomas rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, e-book

This is probably the best Drizzt novel since The Dark Elf Trilogy came out. I tend to enjoy Mr Salvatore's non-Drizzt novels a little bit more, with Mortalis being my all time favorite, probably because he doesn't have to confine himself to the predefined D&D rules/world. As an author, I'm sure he revels in the creative aspects of his own world building. But this one is the final novel in the "Transitions" trilogy and he clearly has poured his heart and creative talents into it. I can't offe...more

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Jan 09, 2010 Sensitivemuse rated it 4 of 5 stars

Of the three books featured in this Transitions series, I liked this one the most. The Orc King was all right (let's not talk about The Pirate King) but I preferred this one. This one had a lot more character development, and plenty of battle scenes to keep the plot interesting, plus it feels as if all hell is breaking loose. What more could you want? I actually rather liked the concept of the undead horde rising, magic running amok, basically the world going to shreds which kept me interested i...more Of the three books featured in this Transitions series, I liked this one the most. The Orc King was all right (let's not talk about The Pirate King) but I preferred this one. This one had a lot more character development, and plenty of battle scenes to keep the plot interesting, plus it feels as if all hell is breaking loose. What more could you want? I actually rather liked the concept of the undead horde rising, magic running amok, basically the world going to shreds which kept me interested in the book (the last two were a bit on the dry side, this one made up for it entirely.) Fans of Drizzt and his friends would be glad to see the usual cast of characters, and also including Cadderly and his family (whom I am not familiar with, but will soon be once I pick those books up). There is also the return of Jarlaxle, and some cameo appearances of other characters from other Forgotten Realms books - which is nice to see and makes Faerun a much "smaller world" if you get my meaning. Who I was very excited to see was Valas Hune (who is mostly in the War of the Spider Queen series) even though it was only a cameo appearance.

The plot was good, with plenty of fighting action that is standard in these Forgotten Realms novels. What's really nice to see is Drizzt developing as a character throughout the book. Also what I enjoyed was seeing a different side of Jarlaxle (the one that's not so selfish and always wanting something in return). I think both of these characters developed in some way or another. A word of warning however, there will be some fans that might be sad and dissapointed with the ending of this book. It does leave a lot in the open so naturally we can only look forward to more Drizzt and of his friends.

Despite the ending, I was satisfied with how this series ended. It leaves me wanting more and leaves me with a lot of questions unanswered. Fighting was standard, and although there were a few scenes where I wished the story would move along a bit faster, everything else about the book was good. Definitely recommended for Drizzt fans everywhere. Those that have just started with the series though, it's a good idea to just read the past books for a little background information as it might help you understand what's happening a bit more clearly. I haven't read all of them but it was enough information for me to get by. I'm sure if I actually completely read the entire Drizzt series it would be one hundred percent more clearer.

Overall a great book for the Drizzt fans.Fantasy lovers might want to start with The Crystal Shard or Homeland both also by Salvatore. (less)

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May 04, 2011 Alan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Big Spoiler...

I have been waiting for Salvatore to ditch one or more of his characters for a while, but I'm just not happy with how he does it. I can understand taking one with the Spellplague, but just tossing another in for the ride to cheese heaven seems like a cop out. I mean, these are characters who have battled numerous devious and deadly foes, and you're going to toss them out with the plague? Feels too much like war of the worlds to me...

On the upside, I did appreciate finally getting t...more

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Jan 08, 2010 Gaberax rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Kennuf

All three books from the Transitions series have lived up to the word "transitions." Interesting twists to the genre and the characters. "The Ghost King" was a fairly good read. I hope that those characters killed off stay killed off, however. Time to learn more of the relationship between Jaraxle and Drizzt, offspring for Drizzt, the fate of the drow in Menzoberranzan and the final disposition of Breunor and Artemis Entreri. I am not sure if the spirit of the original books can be maintained (r...more

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Mar 23, 2010 Mario rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was probably Salvatore's best Forgotten realm book since Dark Elf Trilogy, and Salvatore left Drizzt at an interesting place. Now, one of the problems I had with Salvatore's writing style is the meticulous actions scenes; some are well-choreograph, but at times, it usually comes across pretentious and superfluous. I understand that Drizzt is flashy, and a drow, but his fighting style is pretentious.I had a problem with the magic system, because it was over-power and unexplained throughly. O...more

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Jun 06, 2010 Brad rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, fantasy

One of the best novels of the Drizzt saga (and definitely the best in this trilogy), but also the most larger-than-life. Combo/ultimate bad guy vs. super good guy team, lots of battles and excitement. I loved that we had Cadderly and family involved (from another series Salvatore wrote) and that Jarlaxle and Athrogate figure prominently in the story.

A mixed ending, both sad and happy, as ***MINOR SPOILER*** three major characters bite the dust. It will be interesting to see what else, if anythin...more

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Feb 13, 2012 Kevin rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is one of my favorite books in the series to date. There was one point where I actually played for just a second with the idea of how I could best laminate the whole book, and instead decided not to shower, or even go to work. Joking aside I couldn't put it down, the action is gripping as always, and the threat of impending death looms over every shoulder, closer than ever. As such it is also one of the darkest books in the series and in the lives of the characters. After reading the pirate...more

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Jan 07, 2011 Matthew rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: forgotten-realms-read

Salvatore begins this story with a prologue, one of which has never been read before. He explains how he must descend to a dark place to write this novel much like he did for another saga he wrote. This novel tells of the beginning threads of the Spellplague. The companions return to Cadderly and assist him in his struggles. Another tragic end haunts the end of this book leaving an empty feeling with the reader. This is such an emotional book for both the characters and the reader but it is with...more

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Jun 12, 2012 Doppelganger rated it 3 of 5 stars

Its been a while since i've read about the exploits of Drizzt and the gang, so when I heard that Crenshinibon was making a return as well as Jarlaxle, Athrogate and company, I thought this a must read! I consider myself a pretty big fan of Salvatore's work but this book was a double edged sword for me, impressing one minute and disappointing the next. Early on in the book, I had a hard time developing any emotional connection with some of the Spirit Soaring gang: Hanaleisa, Temberle, Pikel etc....more Its been a while since i've read about the exploits of Drizzt and the gang, so when I heard that Crenshinibon was making a return as well as Jarlaxle, Athrogate and company, I thought this a must read! I consider myself a pretty big fan of Salvatore's work but this book was a double edged sword for me, impressing one minute and disappointing the next. Early on in the book, I had a hard time developing any emotional connection with some of the Spirit Soaring gang: Hanaleisa, Temberle, Pikel etc. I think this is due in part to the fact most of their entries into the book seemed to consist of pasted in battle scenes with undead. My full interest returned when the story came back to Drizzt and co, as the countless battle scenes with undead were beginning to get tiring. I understand that battle scenes are part of Salvatore's forte but early on these seemed far too frequent to the point it was like ugh, another melee with undead? For me, things really started to pick up around 2/3 of the way through the book when the story culminated at Spirit Soaring. Then every character seemed to "feel" a part of the story and much less like a filler crew for battle scenes.

Salvatore's writing shined in his description and all around depiction of the three different entities and personalities within The Ghost King himself. I can't think of anyone better in the Forgotten Realms to handle such a character and it was done with brilliance here. I also found Jarlaxle and Bregan D'Aerthe's part of the book very engaging. Then again, I've always loved anything to do with Jarlaxle. Unfortunately the ending of this book, while pretty good was wrought with some unexplained and very odd results. WARNING: THE NEXT PARAGRAPH IS A SPOILER. Just the next paragraph, promise.

Spoiler/ After a climactic battle with the Ghost King, Cadderly Bonaduce somehow "becomes" the Ghost King and wanders in a circle around Spirit Soaring for all eternity. That seemed pretty nonsensical and there was no explanation of how his defeat of the creature left him in such a state when (given the context of the rest of the book), it seemed more likely he may ascend to godhood! Not to mention, what happened to Crenshinibon? So the dracolich was defeated but the sentient artifact just vanished into nothingness? What happened to the divine god Deneir? Who was it that granted Cadderly all of those godlike powers, only to leave him in an eternal state of torture as the Ghost King? Its clear a lot went unexplained and was underdeveloped in what could have been a very rewarding finale to this trilogy. /end spoiler

Overall the book is pretty good and I'd recommend it to Drizzt and Salvatore fans because of the huge revelations within. That being said, I just can't find much satisfaction in the completion of the story as there were too many things without explanation and without any logical reasoning behind them. Salvatore shines periodically throughout but ultimately falls short from what could have been his best Drizzt book ever: 3 solid stars.(less)

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Jul 13, 2011 Chris Arena rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Well, Salvatore finally did it. The typical "one of our friends is barely saved" story was getting old fast, he'd heard it, and he knew it. So in one fell swoop, literally within a dozen pages, Cadderly, Regis, and Catti-Brie all shuffle off this mortal coil. I teared up a bit, the characters have been huge in this series. Knowing the author, there's no guarantee that "death" is forever, but this is at least a new way to go about it- I can't recall another trilogy of his that ended with even a s...more

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Jun 28, 2011 Livy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi-fantasy, sci-fi-fantasy-fav-shelf

O.M.W.
I really don't know what to say about this book. Seriously. Just finished it about 15 minutes ago and...I'm in shock. DARN R.A. SALVATORE!!!!!!!!!!! X'-( (here comes the rant)
HE SPENT LIKE 20 FRICKIN' BOOKS GETTING CATTIE AND DRIZZT TOGETHER AND THEN HE JUST KILLS HER OFF!!!! LIKE, WHO GIVES A CRAP?! WELL, I SURE FRICKIN' DO!!!!!!!!!! NOW DRIZZT IS IN DESPAIR AND I'M IN TEARS AND EATING ICE CREAM, AND THERE'S NO ICE CREAM TO MAKE DRIZZT FEEL BETTER!!! In essence...THIS WAS A FREAKIN' AMAZI...more

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Mar 15, 2010 Mical rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

*SPOILERS CONTAINED HEREIN*
I enjoy R.A. Salvatore, truly I do. I've read nearly every story he's written involving the Forgotten Realms and relished each adventure, each challenge, each moment of his character's lives as they played out on the pages before me.

That being said: this wasn't his best work. It felt a bit too 'forced' to me, and I didn't care for the death scenes of Cattie-brie and Regis, nor really for the end of Cadderly, to be honest.

While I know that not every hero dies glorious...more

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Feb 08, 2011 Josh Shearer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Without question this is the most emotionally stirring book I have ever read. It surrounds a band of characters about whom R.A. Salvatore has written numerous times, namely the Drow Elf Drizzt Do'Urden. This is also the first novel to reintroduce Cadderly Bonaduce as a primary character. Even if the reader is not already familiar with the Forgotten Realms, the characters, or the history, this novel tells a story that stands on its own. The action scenes as well as the slower narrative parts all...more

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About R.A. Salvatore

As one of the fantasy genre’s most successful authors, R.A. Salvatore enjoys an ever-expanding and tremendously loyal following. His books regularly appear on The New York Times best-seller lists and have sold more than 10,000,000 copies. Salvatore’s most recent original hardcover, The Two Swords, Book III of The Hunter’s Blade Trilogy (October 2004) debuted at # 1 on The Wall Street Journal best-...more As one of the fantasy genre’s most successful authors, R.A. Salvatore enjoys an ever-expanding and tremendously loyal following. His books regularly appear on The New York Times best-seller lists and have sold more than 10,000,000 copies. Salvatore’s most recent original hardcover, The Two Swords, Book III of The Hunter’s Blade Trilogy (October 2004) debuted at # 1 on The Wall Street Journal best-seller list and at # 4 on The New York Times best-seller list. His books have been translated into numerous foreign languages including German, Italian, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Turkish, Croatian, Bulgarian, Yiddish, Spanish, Russian, Polish, Portuguese, Czech, and French.

Salvatore’s first published novel, The Crystal Shard from TSR in 1988, became the first volume of the acclaimed Icewind Dale Trilogy and introduced an enormously popular character, the dark elf Drizzt Do’Urden. Since that time, Salvatore has published numerous novels for each of his signature multi-volume series including The Dark Elf Trilogy, Paths of Darkness, The Hunter’s Blades Trilogy, and The Cleric Quintet.

His love affair with fantasy, and with literature in general, began during his sophomore year of college when he was given a copy of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings as a Christmas gift. He promptly changed his major from computerscience to journalism. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications from Fitchburg State College in 1981, then returned for the degree he always cherished, the Bachelor of Arts in English. He began writing seriously in 1982, penning the manuscript that would become Echoes of the Fourth Magic. Salvatore held many jobs during those first years as a writer, finally settling in (much to our delight) to write full time in 1990.

The R.A. Salvatore Collection has been established at his alma mater, Fitchburg State College in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, containing the writer’s letters, manuscripts, and other professional papers. He is in good company, as The Salvatore Collection is situated alongside The Robert Cormier Library, which celebrates the writing career of the co-alum and esteemed author of young adult books.

Salvatore is an active member of his community and is on the board of trustees at the local library in Leominster, Massachusetts. He has participated in several American Library Association regional conferences, giving talks on themes including “Adventure fantasy” and “Why young adults read fantasy.” Salvatore himself enjoys a broad range of literary writers including James Joyce, Mark Twain, Geoffrey Chaucer, Shakespeare, Dante, and Sartre. He counts among his favorite genre literary influences Ian Fleming, Arthur Conan Doyle, Fritz Leiber, and of course, J.R.R. Tolkien.

Born in 1959, Salvatore is a native of Massachusetts and resides there with his wife Diane, and their three children, Bryan, Geno, and Caitlin. The family pets include three Japanese Chins, Oliver, Artemis and Ivan, and four cats including Guenhwyvar.

When he isn't writing, Salvatore chases after his three Japanese Chins, takes long walks, hits the gym, and coaches/plays on a fun-league softball team that includes most of his family. His gaming group still meets on Sundays to play.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/rasalv...(less)

More about R.A. Salvatore...

Books by R.A. Salvatore

Homeland (Forgotten Realms: The Dark Elf Trilogy, #1; Legend of Drizzt, #1)

Exile (Forgotten Realms: The Dark Elf Trilogy, #2; Legend of Drizzt, #2)

Sojourn (Forgotten Realms: The Dark Elf Trilogy, #3; Legend of Drizzt, #3)

The Crystal Shard (Forgotten Realms: Icewind Dale, #1; Legend of Drizzt, #4)

The Halfling's Gem (Forgotten Realms: Icewind Dale, #3; Legend of Drizzt, #6)

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Quotes from The Ghost King

“Do we behave out of fear of punishment, or out of the demands of our heart? For me, it is the latter, as I would hope is true for all adults, thought I know from bitter experience that such is not often the case. To act in a manner designed to catapult you into heaven would seem transparent to a god, any god,for if ones heart is not in allignment with the creator of that heaven, then... what is the point?” — 6 people liked it

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The Ghost King (Transitions #3)

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