The Dark Elf Trilogy Collector's Edition (Forgotten Realms: Dark Elf Trilogy, #1-3; Legend of Drizzt, #1-3)

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The Dark Elf Trilogy Collector's Edition (The Dark Elf Trilogy #1-3 omnibus)

4.3 of 5 stars 4.30 · rating details · 11,351 ratings · 292 reviews

This three-book set is perfect for collectors and an ideal gift for readers unfamiliar with the Forgotten Realms setting. The Dark Elf Trilogy--"Homeland, Exile, "and "Sojourn"--are enclosed in a hard-sided slipcover case featuring the cover art from the series.

Paperback, 816 pages

Published February 1st 2000 by Wizards of the Coast (first published 1980)

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Mar 27, 2009 Felicia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: beginning fantasy readers.

Shelves: fantasy

Love love love this character. This would be the best intro fantasy book I could give someone. Classic adventures, great storytelling, wonderful complex main character, interesting philosophy and moral core. I love it so much! I can't wait to get the next books as well. Drizzt is an epic character in an epic fantasy setting.

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Jul 29, 2008 Karl rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone

This is a compilation book that includes Salvatore's entire Dark Elf Trilogy. Homeland, Exile, and Sojourn are chronologically the first adventures of the endearing forgotten realms hero Drizzt Do'Urden. The books deal with the themes of personal integrity in the face of adversity, friendship, and being true to one's self. Many readers who are not drawn to fantasy books will despise the first book; Homeland, but it is the most important one and I found it to be the most interesting.

In Homeland,...more

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May 30, 2011 Marian Willeke rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Marian by: Eric Willeke

Shelves: fantasy, fiction

At first I berated myself for lumping the whole trilogy together before I would give my review; however, after finishing Sojourn, I am glad that I held my review until I got the perspective of all three books.

In a word: fantastic.

At first, I was unimpressed with Homeland, not liking the start. Once I got going with it, however, I realised that my problem was that I felt like the beginning (circumstances surrounding Drizzt's birth) was just plopped in the front. Once I started understanding the...more At first I berated myself for lumping the whole trilogy together before I would give my review; however, after finishing Sojourn, I am glad that I held my review until I got the perspective of all three books.

In a word: fantastic.

At first, I was unimpressed with Homeland, not liking the start. Once I got going with it, however, I realised that my problem was that I felt like the beginning (circumstances surrounding Drizzt's birth) was just plopped in the front. Once I started understanding the author's goal though, it started falling into place and I quickly fell in love, and despaired for Drizzt.

This was my first real knowledge of the Drow's way of life other than the terms "Underdark", "evil", and "Spider Queen", but as I started comprehending the complex politics surrounding a drow's life, I wanted to explain to Drizzt how screwed he really was. It seemed unbelievable to me that such an innocent could survive, and the book tantalizes you with the very thin line of survival regarding Drizzt's naiveity and Zak's protection.

Exile was by far the BEST book of the three, in my opinion. Wrapping up the links from Menzoberranzan and the hope for a better future, this book forces Drizzt to understand that evil is not everywhere. Belwar's forgiveness and comprehension that Drizzt actually saved Belwar's life was an wonderful story of friendship. Also Drizzt's futile but determined road to save Clacker keeps the reader hoping that by some miracle he can be saved, but inevitably, of course, that is impossible. After the clear heroism of Zak, Drizzt determines that he must do more than flee the drow city, but also the Underdark.

Sojourn is a book full of frustrating coincidences that seems to constantly screw Drizzt - mostly due to Drizzt's lack of knowledge of the surface cultures. However, the overall terribly sad story of Drizzt's struggle to maintain a life on the surface for seven years makes the stories of Mooshie and the moutain dwarves with Catti-brie so poignant and special, giving hope to Drizzt's future.

After all, Drizzt is still very young, despite all these experiences.(less)

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Jul 04, 2009 Nic rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have to admit that I read this. I am, thusly, admitting that I have a problem. I've read books that were hard to put down, but this trilogy was basically impossible to put out of my head - to eat, to sleep, anything. It scared me how powerfully it had hold of my consciousness. I felt, and still rather feel, like the author was using some kind of painful trickery on me, and I don't really appreciate it. At the same time, I suppose it might be a good set of books, as I remember details from it p...more

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Aug 15, 2008 Heather rated it 1 of 5 stars

I was really looking forward to reading these books because several people I know positively raved about R.A. Salvatore.

Remind me to hunt those people down later and beat them to death with a chunk of moldy cheese.

These were some of the worst books I've ever read. I'm not sure how it's possible to make fearsome battles and magic swords and dark elves so boring and annoying but Mr. Salvatore managed to do both. I haven't seen such a whiney protaganist since Luke Skywalker (and I love Star Wars, d...more

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Nov 23, 2008 Jenni rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Dark Elf Trilogy is the first three books of Salvatore's Forgotten Realms series. It includes the books Homeland, Exile, and Sojourn. It is in the style of "Dungeons and Dragons," which makes it very familiar as far as the type of abilities, items, and races you might expect to see. Being a huge fan of Fantasy, I really enjoyed this novel. It included everything you would expect from a "Dungeons and Dragons" fantasy book…sword fights, dragons, good and evil, yet it starts in a rather unexpec...more The Dark Elf Trilogy is the first three books of Salvatore's Forgotten Realms series. It includes the books Homeland, Exile, and Sojourn. It is in the style of "Dungeons and Dragons," which makes it very familiar as far as the type of abilities, items, and races you might expect to see. Being a huge fan of Fantasy, I really enjoyed this novel. It included everything you would expect from a "Dungeons and Dragons" fantasy book…sword fights, dragons, good and evil, yet it starts in a rather unexpected way.

The main character, Drizzt comes from a rather backwards society. Evil and hatred are the norm in his city of Menzoberranzan. As the third male child of a noble family, his destiny was to be sacrificed upon birth. In the female dominated Dark Elf society, men's lives are of very little worth. A twist of fate changes his course and he is allowed to live.

Drizzt's childhood experiences challenge his thinking. Should he dawn the evil mantle of his society? His father, Zaknafien, teaches Drizzt swordplay and he becomes perhaps the greatest warrior in his city. However, Zaknafien also plants the seeds of doubt in Drizzt's mind about the morality of their culture. As Drizzt struggles with his conscience and the challenges of his society, it comes down to a culminating moment where he must decide between submitting himself to the will of his people or saving a young elf child. He inevitably chooses to save the elf child and his life is turned upside down. He becomes outcast from his people and later hunted. The other races shun and fear him because of the reputation his people have earned. Drizzt's only friend for much of his journeys is Guenhwyvar, a black panther from another plane of existence. Even Guenhwyvar is able to spend little time with Drizzt, needing to return often to its own plane for sustenance. Drizzt struggles to do what he believes to be right while facing searing loneliness and despair.

What I enjoyed most about these books was the look at the great beauty that emerged from such a dark society. It is so easy to blame our actions on our circumstances. Drizzt is a true underdog, yet rose above and allowed his integrity to set his course. Despite the pain it costs him, he never once looks back on his decision with regret... only sorrow. I also enjoyed the amazing picture of the underdark, particularly the city Menzoberranzen. I think perhaps the most beautiful moments in the book were the rare moments when Drizzt felt loved. The only thing I didn’t really like was the overly detailed sword fights. I am not a big fan of strategy and maneuvers so I usually skimmed past these parts, but in spite of that, I found it an excellent book, well worth the read.
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Jan 25, 2013 Viola Mccoffee rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. To be honest, this is my very first Salvatore book. I enjoyed it, but I can't say I was exactly impressed very often.

The world was solid and detailed. I liked the setup of the underground city of dark elves and the different Houses to which they belong. The idea of the Spider Queen was great, creepy, and threatening. Everything was very detailed and believable. However, I found myself getting a bit twitchy and wanting Drizzt to leave the dang place a lot sooner than he actually did, which brin...more To be honest, this is my very first Salvatore book. I enjoyed it, but I can't say I was exactly impressed very often.

The world was solid and detailed. I liked the setup of the underground city of dark elves and the different Houses to which they belong. The idea of the Spider Queen was great, creepy, and threatening. Everything was very detailed and believable. However, I found myself getting a bit twitchy and wanting Drizzt to leave the dang place a lot sooner than he actually did, which brings me to the pacing.

The pacing was painfully slow. it dragged and dragged with unnecessary pile after pile of info dump before I even cared about the information I was being force fed. For instance, we don't begin with Drizzt, we begin before he was even born, then we get to sit through long and drawn out accounts of his entire childhood, all of which could have been summed up in but a few paragraphs.
Also, we come to know (in great detail) of all the horrors Drizzt went through as a child. All his life, he was surrounded by an entire civilization full of twisted morals and wickedness. So as you would expect, he turned out to be your typical good hearted hero full of justice, truth, and fairness for all.

Wait, what?

Sure, his father, Zak, held on to what's right and briefly encouraged it for a tiddly bit, but that's not enough. Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Drizzt was keenly holding on to untaught and/or bluntly discouraged morals before Zak even got the chance to plant the seed of righteousness within his little dark elf brain.

Another pet peeve about this book was the random head hopping. At first it was like, "Yay, I'm a mind reader!" But then I was all like "Nooo make it stooop!" It's one thing to change POV's after a chapter, it's another to know what every single slightly sentiment creature was thinking at every given moment.

Okay, All I've done was complain about it, but there's some really cool stuff in here once you get past the initial info dumps. I wouldn't have been able to finish it otherwise. It had inventive creatures and a lot of moments I really enjoyed. (Like faking out a dragon.) And once Drizzt came across a few friends, they brought out aspects of his personality I wasn't aware of, which made Drizzt a little more complex. To be honest, as much as I gripe about him, he's one of my favorite book protagonists.
The action was great at times and, since I did care about the characters, it could get pretty tense.
I was satisfied with the ending and all in all I can't say I was disappointed. The Dark Elf Trilogy had some bad points, but it has a lot of good points too. The characters were usually two-dimensional at best, but, to be honest, that's better than most books I've been ending up with. So in my opinion it's a decent and pretty well rounded fantasy book.
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Feb 22, 2012 Πέτρος rated it 3 of 5 stars

Like many successful franchises, Salvatore’s books are also following the winning formula: Keep it naïve and fun. And it is true that his books will be mostly appreciated by those who have played D&D and are familiar with the quirky rules of the second edition, as well as the cheesiness of its campaigns. In this regard, the Dark Elf Trilogy is a fine D&D campaign adapted to paper. Chaotic, contradictory, and damn blurry in its reasoning to keep you guessing and making it feel unpredictab...more Like many successful franchises, Salvatore’s books are also following the winning formula: Keep it naïve and fun. And it is true that his books will be mostly appreciated by those who have played D&D and are familiar with the quirky rules of the second edition, as well as the cheesiness of its campaigns. In this regard, the Dark Elf Trilogy is a fine D&D campaign adapted to paper. Chaotic, contradictory, and damn blurry in its reasoning to keep you guessing and making it feel unpredictable.

And it true that its charm lies in the fact that it is bending the rules in a most indirect way that most won’t notice consciously but unconsciously will love it for the same way. It starts by making the protagonist Drizzt a one-of-a-kind creature and thus super special for you to care about him. Besides being unique, Drizzt also stands out for having to constantly go against his own nature (or alignment if you want to go geek on the subject) and thus makes a fine tragic hero who is constantly against the norms of the world. Everyone in his society is a backstabbing pretender of justice yet he is just trying to stay out of trouble, and be all “live and let live”. You could say that he is trying to fight his own stereotype and I’d be damned if he didn’t succeed since he created his own stereotype of thousands of players creating imitations of his character, weapons, and personality.

The first thing any reader must accept is that he is a protagonist with a good nature (or Chaotic Good instead of Lawful Evil in game terms). I heard many readers complaining why it was never explained why he has purple/violet eyes instead of the typical red ones, or why he is so good all the time although he was raised in such a cruel society. In the cheesiness of its era, everything black or red is considered evil, while everything white or blue is good; thus purple is what you get by mixing red with blue; an allusion to him having to constantly be stuck in the middle, never truly accepted by any side. As long as you accept that, the reading will go a lot smoother.

Unfortunately, the same thing is what eventually contradicts the nature of his species (and game rules in general) so I guess the complaints are excused in an internal-logic way. While the rules state Drow creatures are “born” to be acting cruel and selfish (their alignment is in italic), the entire first book which describes their society is bent on trying to make us feel that Drow are like that only because they were raised to be like that, tricked by their Goddess to be constantly plotting to backstab one-another for a better rank in the hierarchy of the houses. So now you are wondering why all that would matter in the tragic life of our protagonist. If he and all others simply follow their nature, then there is no way anyone can change and are thus just doing what they were created to be doing all along. If on the other hand it is an issue of upbringing, then Salvatore sure didn’t try a lot to make it appear as if he was raised differently than the rest to be acting this way. You could say his mentor is the reason, showing guilt for all he has done, and trying to make his pupil to be different, but he didn’t do any drastic change to make sure Drizzt will grow up in a friendly place with loving people. Thus it is all one big contradiction which in our minds turns to a maelstrom of emotions.

A second contradiction lies in the very way of life of Drow society. All the houses are pretending to be lawful to the eyes of the world, but otherwise constantly seek to find an excuse to kill the others and take over their privileges. This never made much sense since everybody knows this and just pretends not to be like that. At the same time their own Goddess favors them while they are lawful (the clerics can tap into her powers for refreshing their spells) but also punishes them when they break the rules for trying to exterminate others, a thing which she indirectly wants them to be doing anyway. It is never exactly explained what more privileges greater houses have next to lesser ones, other than a bigger army. They sure don’t seem to care about riches or more resources. Thus their own way of life is fruitless and aimless, since they spent their years into making elaborate plans to kill their neighbors, for no other reward than the simple fact they managed to do it in secrecy. And since they do it all the time, eventually they make a mistake and are exterminated by another house. You could say that all that is nothing more than an elaborate conspiracy created by their Goddess to feast on the souls of the wicked who end up in her own private hell after they lose their favor. Which also makes you wonder what happens to those who don’t lose her favor and live a full life without backstabbing. Anyways, this may as well mirror any human society which endlessly makes wars for money and fame, things which are otherwise fruitless on their own. It is another contradiction that makes your mind go wild.

Typical to the campaign, many events happen thanks to magic or divine intervention, something which eventually makes a lot of things to feel unimportant or cheap in their resolution. I’d be damned how many times Drizzt used his aster familiar to eradicate his opponent before it returns to heal in a few hours in its own plane. And seriously, if they have a dozen different ways of scying, resurrecting, brainwashing, or teleporting, then nothing can stay hidden, distant, or dead permanently, thus you are made to think anything is possible in any given moment. That can be perceived both as good and bad, depending on the way you see it.

The way of writing is also not particularly good as you constantly get lots of corny dialogues and descriptions of battles that feel quite silly. Especially those NOOOOs Drizzt was screaming everytime he was getting into emo mode; they were horrible. So don’t expect quality writing in here as it is made to appeal to all those 14 year old geek players who were trying to sound cool while eating pizza and playing at the same time.

Anyways, the first book (Homeland) is by far the best one in terms of backdrop and character interaction. It has most of the development, most of the coolest characters, and the most captivating society to study. I still didn’t like how most of the secondary characters were taken out before doing anything important to the plot. Especially that deformed sorcerer who went to all the trouble of hiding his identity and plotting to kill Drizzt and avenging his house. You were made to think he would get his own trilogy with so much focus he was given and yet he was just a minor opponent.

The second book (Exile) is less exiting since to the most part we just see Drizzt roaming the dangerous Underdark, killing random monsters and allying with random people he leaves behind in the same book. The last battle with his now undead vengeful mentor was cool as a set up but seriously, he won just because the other guy had too much guilt. I also didn’t like how he killed most of whatever Drizzt left alive while looking for him.

The third book (Sojourn) is by far the less interesting one. Its plot is made up of almost random side stories, where Drizzt kills random monsters and befriends random people. He definitely gets developed here thanks to the second mentor he finds (gets levels as a Ranger) but other than that, none of his enemies were nearly as powerful and memorable as the Drow. And damn, were we supposed to consider that pitiful hunter with the hounds to be his nemesis? The dude was just a couple of hits worth of a random encounter.

In all, it is cheesy and naive but it works as long as you are into the proper mentality. Other than that, it could definitely be shorter or with better writing style. (less)

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Jan 28, 2012 Carma rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

I have to agree with the reviewers who give this a "mediocre" rating. The funny thing is, it's not really mediocre. It has some really good parts and some REALLY awful parts, which average out to mediocre. I wish I could give it a 2.5 star rating - halfway between "I liked it" and "it was okay."

Very briefly: This trilogy is the first three books about Drizzt, a drow or dark elf. The drow are inherently evil but Drizzt (inexplicably) has a moral code and escapes the underworld to live on the sur...more I have to agree with the reviewers who give this a "mediocre" rating. The funny thing is, it's not really mediocre. It has some really good parts and some REALLY awful parts, which average out to mediocre. I wish I could give it a 2.5 star rating - halfway between "I liked it" and "it was okay."

Very briefly: This trilogy is the first three books about Drizzt, a drow or dark elf. The drow are inherently evil but Drizzt (inexplicably) has a moral code and escapes the underworld to live on the surface, where he is misjudged by people who know that all dark elves are evil.

What's good about it: The whole idea of the story is good. I really like Drizzt as a hero and I also like the general plot of the story.

What's not so great: The pacing of the writing is off and drags a lot, even in areas that should be thrilling. The writing is fairly juvenile and full of brightly mistaken adverbs (kind of like that one there). And by the third book I *already know* that when Drizzt drops a globe of darkness, he is calling upon his innate magical abilities. You don't have to mention his innate magical abilities every time he uses his innate magical abilities. Really.

And in several places it just doesn't make sense, darn it. For instance:
- WHY is Drizzt born with a pure heart that stays unstained by drow morals? Better if he grew into it, or if his father had taught him a moral code more explicitly.

- WHY do his powers of levitation slowly decay when he is living on the surface, but not his other innate magical abilities? (You do remember that he has innate magical abilities, right?) He can still use fairy fire and globes of darkness, but not levitation. Huh?

- I got seriously annoyed with the last half of the third book. His only friend Mooshie dies, and Drizzt goes out to travel the world for SIX years without being hunted down by humans who think he murdered the family in Maldobar, or befriended by the Rangers and elves who know he didn't do it. WHY didn't Mooshie, who knew he was dying, put Drizzt in touch with the Rangers ... since he was training Drizzt to be a Ranger? WHY did the band of elves who came to help Mooshie and Drizzt when they were attacked by orcs dash off afterward without meeting the person they came to help? HOW does Drizzt travel the world for SIX years, showing people he is a dark elf with purple eyes, without becoming the subject of a manhunt by people who think he is a murderer?

- And darn it all, WHY does he have purple eyes? Never explained, and never really exploited well. I kept waiting for him to run into the little elf girl - the one he didn't kill when he was supposed to - who would recognize him by his purple orbs. Never happened. What was the point of the too-often-mentioned purple orbs?

Bottom line: the interesting storyline and hero kept me reading through the juvenile writing style. I think with the great main character and storyline, this could actually break the mold and be a better movie than book, given the right director. (I'm thinking Peter Jackson!)(less)

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Jan 16, 2012 Theresa Ramseyer added it · review of another edition

I seem to be moving more and more towards science fiction and fantasy these days, not sure why. Usually I overdose on mysteries, and some love stories, but lately? .

Drizzit is another of the fantasy stories that I dipped into once or twice and then decided he wasn't for me. But last year I rode with a bunch of family up to my cousin's daughter's graduation party, and one of my other cousins was deep in a Drizzit book. That cousin and I get along fairly well, and so I put Drizzit on my reading l...more

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Nov 24, 2011 Anna rated it 2 of 5 stars

I have a love-hate relationship with this series: I love the character Drizzt, but I don't like Salvatore's writing style or quality in many areas. Overuse/misuse of some words/phrases (found myself mentally editing as I read), a little over-melodramatic in places, and with the RPG setting, sometimes you can almost hear the dice rolling. Book 3 is the best, but that's not saying a whole lot. But dammit, there's just something about Drizzt that keeps drawing me back.

Big problems:
1- *Why* does Dri...more

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Oct 14, 2011 Sol Gonzalez added it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2004

Lo mas difícil de comenzar un nuevo libro es toparte con uno que valga la pena leer. Es muy fácil vivir leyendo bestsellers, pero no soy muy buena viviendo en base a lo que los demás me dicten, así que siempre estoy buscando algo nuevo que se aparte de los cánones de lo que la mayoría tiene en casa.
Hace mucho encontré que el género que mas disfrutaba no era aquel que más se vende en las tiendas, así que me dedico a buscar pacientemente mis nuevas adquisiciones, y si se presenta la oportunidad co...more

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Sep 14, 2011 Cj W rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, fiction, young-adult

“Station: In all the world of the drow, there is no more important word. It is the calling their - of our - religion, the incessant pulling of hungering heartstrings. Ambition overrides good sense and compassion is thrown away in its face, all in the name of Lolth, the Spider Queen”
- Drizzt Do'Urden -

Drizzt Do’Urden. Secondboy of house Daermon N’a’shezbaernon.
Born into the world of the underdark city of Menzoberranzan, as the third boy of the house of Do’Urden, to be automatically sacrificed to...more

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Feb 09, 2011 Kiel Van Horn rated it 2 of 5 stars

Similar to Goodkind, this writing was sort of naive. A series of three books combined, the first book traces the development of Salvatore's main character, Drizzt, who is famous in the Forgotten Realm series because he's a drow/dark elf who isn't just pure evil. Characterization is lacking. It's not explained why he has purple eyes and isn't evil like the rest of his kind; it's just sort of glossed over that he's "different." Pacing is odd in the first book, as the book tries to detail his educa...more

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Oct 13, 2010 Diogo rated it 4 of 5 stars

It's the first book I read from the Forgotten Realms collection. Overall, I think it's a very nice read.

The descriptions are many times excessive, not in detail but in scope. The narrator tells us of the setting too much, especially in the the first book, Homeland. And many of the drow world disclosures are completely unnecessary. It's perfectly clear how evil the drow are, and how "happy" such a society is. There is no need to spell it out. Also in the first book, clearly for the reader's immed...more

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Jun 29, 2009 Brett rated it 4 of 5 stars

One of my summer reading books for 2009. Actually three books in one volume, so the 800 pages took me a while to get through. This is the back story of Drizzt, R.A. Salvatore's prized character. It's not so much epic fantasy, but more a tale of an outcast in a fantastical realm and the many other outcasts he meets. In Homeland, Salvatore paints a bleak image of Drizzt's home city beneath the surface. Exile tells of Drizzt's struggles to escape his past in the the caverns of the Underdark, and mo...more

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Oct 23, 2010 Colby Pryor rated it 4 of 5 stars

As a writer, this book contained some very intriguing elements. One was the culture that the Dark Elves had; a culture that was dominated by a religious Matriarchy that continuously sacrificed members of their society to their spider god. A culture that was built on a power structure and each noble house warred with each other for control. This society is such a left turn from any previous experience with any fantasy setting, this is how you craft a culture of people. The other element was just...more

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Jan 14, 2011 Ken rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, drizzt, favorites

I love the characters of Drizzt and Guenhwyvar and its great to finally find out how Drizzt came to be an outcast of Menzoberranzan and how he acquired the black panther as his companion. You will come to appreciate these books more if you have read them after the Icewind Dale trilogy as it gives a rich background to Drizzt's old way of life and how much he did not fit in.

The first book Homeland gives a detail background of life in Menzoberranzan and here we see how Drizzt was brought up and how...more

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Nov 06, 2012 Zoran Krušvar rated it 1 of 5 stars

It's hard for me to find a book that's crappier that "Twilight", with even paler characters and more predictable outcomes.

Well, this is one of those.

This book should be a school example of how NOT to write.

Speaking of the main character, Drizzt, I see him as Twilight's Edward, only instead of 12 year old girls, he is here to sparkle the imagination of 12 year old boys.

(12 here stands for any age before discovery of sex life)

Both Edward and Drizzt are heroes without a flaw, strong, brave, smart,...more

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Jul 03, 2008 Chandra rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi-fantasy, josh-books

This is actually a pretty decent fantasy series - combine solid writing with interesting characters and setting and it was enough to have me pretty well absorbed for three books straight. It's not particularly cool to admit that one likes these types of books, but I really did enjoy these a lot and have considered trying out some of the new books in the series.

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Nov 04, 2009 Mark Steinhauser rated it 4 of 5 stars

Very, very page-turning. As a former (and recurring) D&D fanatic, I can say these books are straight up my alley. My familiarity with the fantasy setting of the Forgotten Realms, and the world of the underdark, are the foremost reasons I can't put these books down. But I'll try to look past that and assess its more accessible qualities.

Salvatore's characters are very real. Reading the adventures of Drizzt and his companions, and the exploits of his evil family and other denizens of the under...more Very, very page-turning. As a former (and recurring) D&D fanatic, I can say these books are straight up my alley. My familiarity with the fantasy setting of the Forgotten Realms, and the world of the underdark, are the foremost reasons I can't put these books down. But I'll try to look past that and assess its more accessible qualities.

Salvatore's characters are very real. Reading the adventures of Drizzt and his companions, and the exploits of his evil family and other denizens of the underdark, make me feel like such individuals actually exist somewhere, and the book is describing real, historically verifiable events. Of course this is quite a feat considering none of the species actual exist. Salvatore also gives the reader a glimpse of the (sometimes alien) mindset of these fantasy races - after a few chapters of the first book I began to think like a devious, power-hungry drow.

The author also describes the world in vivid detail, sometimes painting brilliant scenes. His descriptions of the characters' sight in the infrared spectrum make the underdark a colourful place to be - body heat radiating a bright red glow against the dark blues and blacks of cold background stone. He really squeezes a lot of life from a cold, dark, and empty wasteland, too, describing underground lakes of acid, glowing spore-spitting fungi, forests of mushrooms and moss, great cities carved from stalagmites. The monsters and other beings lurking in the tunnels are a treat, and Salvatore never goes too long without rewarding his readers with a chance encounter, a fierce battle.

Which brings me to the fight scenes. The more action going on, the more finely the author details, and combat is where he uncaps his thinnest sharpie. Every second of battle is painstakingly drawn to perfection, each enemy's dispatching painted starkly in the reader's mind. One gets the feeling of watching the fight play out in one's head, watching the whirling, thrusting blades and the flailing, soaring, crumpling bodies as they pummel and hack each other, gritty and raw, for survival.

And then the book has its tender parts too. I won't go into detail because I'm running out of steam, but parts made me cry, and more parts made me shout at my book, in joy, or hatred, or encouragement.

The book isn't perfect. The pace it sets is so universally action-packed, with fight scenes stretched out to entire chapters and (literal) years of uneventful wandering left to a few sentences, that the book seems unbalanced, disproportional, at times. It can be hard to conjure a mental picture of some of the locations and battle movements; there will always be some ambiguity when the writer doesn't care to bore his audience with an instruction booklet play-by-play. Readers without a fair knowledge of swordfighting technique will sometimes wonder what they just read; I occasionally find myself substituting his precisely choreographed combat with a pre-recorded generic fight scene in my mind's eye. Finally, the editing could use some work - run-on sentences and sentence fragments litter the books.

All that aside, a stunning and marvelous body of work from R.A. Salvatore. I look forward to reading the rest of his works set in the Forgotten Realms.(less)

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Jan 31, 2013 Aleina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

First off, I must say that R.A. Salvatore is my first and foremost favorite author in the world. Secondly, this series is my second all-time favorite series in the world with Vampire Academy in first and Ink Heart series behind.
Salvatore has a way with writing things that I've never seen an author write out so clearly before in a book, and that, I do believe, is certain aspects of life that not even could put words for. If you know what's good for you, you'd do best to give this book a chance a...more

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Jul 30, 2011 Tim added it

Being a huge fan of the science fiction and fantasy genres, I have seen MANY books in the "Forgotten Realms" series but as there are so many declined to ever start reading any. Seemed like it would probably be too formulaic. Glad I finally changed my mind with this trilogy. As I understand the history behind the Forgotten Realms the "Icewind Dale" trilogy was the first set of stories and the dark elf, Drizzt Do'Urden was the surprise favorite character of many readers. In response, the Dark Elf...more

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Jun 23, 2010 Brian rated it 3 of 5 stars

It's definitely one of "those" books, the sci-fi/fantasy series that get people to buy them because of some sort of brand name on the side. However, if you aren't totally into MMORPGs and have never played pen and paper D&D, reading them will do no damage to you, because you'll never have to run into 10,000 idiot noobs who want to be Dark elves dual-wielding scimitars. Also, it does say something about how "bad-arse" Drizzt is if he can inspire that kind of following. They were entertaining...more

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Apr 02, 2012 Ren rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People who really like Drizzt

I won't get into the usual Salvatore bashing that seems to go on - I have liked some of his works.

That said, this set of books was a pretty painful Drizzt love fest. Some whirring scimitars here, occasional lamenting woeful upbringing there, but I really just couldn't get over the presentation of the awesome awesomeness that was Drizzt do'Awesome.

If you're into the character, go nuts. I'd start with The Crystal Shard and if you're that into the super elf, you've got some more reading to do here.

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Dec 17, 2010 Sarah Crampton rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: guilty-pleasures, nerdy-indulgent-fantasy-and-sci-fi

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

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Jan 08, 2012 Steve Drew rated it 5 of 5 stars

God I loved these books. I was mid-college and had churned through a number of mediocre fantasy novels when a friend loaned me his copies of The Dark Elf Trilogy. It was all about the fight. The fight and the adrenaline. The two things it was about were the fight and the adrenaline and an Underdark world that completely drew me into the intrigue. Three. The three things it was about...

It's hipster to knock Drizzt Do'Urden nowadays but I, for one, unabashedly recommend the first three books in th...more

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Jul 30, 2011 Beverly rated it 5 of 5 stars

My husband doesn't read a lot, but he has read every book R.A. Salvatore has released, featuring the dark elf Drizzt. One day, when I didn't have anything to read, he suggested I begin reading the series. My first answer was "No way am I going to be caught reading geek books!" but at his insistence, I started reading them. R.A. Salvatore is very talented, his creation of both worlds and characters was really impressive. So far I have read 12 of the books (Joe has the trilogy collections), but I...more

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Jul 16, 2010 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: epic-fantasy

The origins of one of the most beloved characters in fantasy and my favorite dark elf Drizzt Do'Urden. In Homeland we learn of the matriarchy of Dark Elf society and the young Drizzt as he struggles with his values that conflict with his society. In Exile, Drizzt struggles with the vicious hunter instincts and his need for companionship.Then in Sojourn, Drizzt must face countless of prosecution for his racial identity then his character and principals.This trilogy is of Drizzt search for a home,...more

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Jul 16, 2012 Findingjb rated it 4 of 5 stars

First I read LotR. Then it was Dragonlance. Then I discovered Drizzt based on the recommendation of a buddy and the next thing I knew I had read 13 books in a series without reading other things. The development of this character throughout his adventures is fast-paced, breath taking, exciting, intense and at many points even thought provoking. To weave so much thought and action together in books that should have been made into movies ages ago is quite the feat. With scimitars blazing, magic, l...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.

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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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The Dark Elf Trilogy Collector's Edition (The Dark Elf Trilogy #1-3 omnibus)

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