Gauntlgrym (Forgotten Realms: Neverwinter, #1; Legend of Drizzt, #20)

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Gauntlgrym (Neverwinter #1)

4.13 of 5 stars 4.13 · rating details · 2,688 ratings · 181 reviews

Drizzt joins Bruenor on his quest for the fabled dwarven kingdom of Gauntlgrym: ruins said to be rich with ancient treasure and arcane lore. But before they even get close, another drow and dwarf pair stumbles across it first: Jarlaxle and Athrogate.

In their search for treasure and magic, Jarlaxle and Athrogate inadvertently set into motion a catastrophe that could spell d...more

Kindle Edition, 364 pages

Published October 5th 2010 by Wizards of the Coast (first published September 30th 2010)

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Oct 15, 2010 Travis rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

Gauntlgrym by R. A. Salvatore- This is the first book in the Neverwinter trilogy as well as the twentieth novel in The Legend of Drizzt series. The next two books in the trilogy are yet to be named at the time of this review. The Legend of Drizzt series contains a number of trilogies and series and it all takes place in the Forgotten Realm universe of Dungeons and Dragons. The Dark Elf Trilogy (Homeland, Exile, and Sojourn), The Icewind Dale Trilogy (The Crystal Shard, Streams of Silver, and The...more Gauntlgrym by R. A. Salvatore- This is the first book in the Neverwinter trilogy as well as the twentieth novel in The Legend of Drizzt series. The next two books in the trilogy are yet to be named at the time of this review. The Legend of Drizzt series contains a number of trilogies and series and it all takes place in the Forgotten Realm universe of Dungeons and Dragons. The Dark Elf Trilogy (Homeland, Exile, and Sojourn), The Icewind Dale Trilogy (The Crystal Shard, Streams of Silver, and The Halfling's Gem), Legacy of the Drow (The Legacy, Starless Night, Siege of Darkness, and Passage to Dawn), Paths of Darkness (The Silent Blade, Spine of the World, Sea of Swords), The Hunter's Blades Trilogy (The Thousand Orcs, The Lone Drow, and The Two Swords), and Transitions (The Orc King, The Pirate King, and The Ghost King) are all apart of The Legend of Drizzt series. Some other characters in the saga are found in The Sellswords trilogy (Servant of the Shard, Promise of the Witch King, and Road of the Patriarch) and The Cleric Quintet (Canticle, In Sylvan Shadows, Night Masks, The Fallen Fortress, and The Chaos Curse). R. A. Salvatore has also written a few other books set in shared universes. He has written two Star Wars based books, Vector Prime and Star Wars Episode Two: Attack of the Clones, and he has also written a book based on Tarzan called Tarzan: The Epic Adventures. R. A. Salvatore has also written a few books in his on created worlds, Ynis Aielle (Echoes of the Fourth Magic, The Witches Daughter, and Bastian of Darkness), Spearwielders Tales (The Woods Outback, The Dragon's Dagger, and Dragonslayer's Return), The Crimson Shadow (The Sword of Bedwyr, Luthien's Gamble, and The Dragon King), Demon Wars (The Demon Awakens, The Demon Spirit, The Demon Apostle, and Mortalis), Demon Wars: Second Saga (Ascendance, Transcendence, and Immortalis) and the Saga of the First King (The Highwayman, The Ancient, The Dame, and The Bear). He also co-wrote The Stone of Tymora (The Stowaway, The Shadowmask, and The Sentinels) with his son Geno Salvatore. Along with all that, he has written a few short stories. Gauntlgrym was released in October 2010 and is published by Wizards of the Coast.

Years have passed since Drizzt Do'Urden's life changed. His love, Catti-brie, is dead, along with his friend Regis. The dwarven kingdom of Mithral Hall's peace treaty with the orcish Kingdom of Many Arrows has held over the years and a peace is found in the land. His other friend, the king of Mithral Hall, Bruenor Battlehammer, is nearing the end of his life. However, Bruenor still has the fire in him to find the lost dwarven kingdom named Gauntlgrym, so he brings Drizzt, the battlerager Pwent, an orc named Jessa, and a gnome alchemist named Nanfoodle along with him. Years upon years pass by with no luck finding the place. Even after Jessa and Nanfoodle pass away, Drizzt and Bruenor continue the search. However, another group stumbles upon the forgotten city. A Thayan named Dahlia is searching for what powered the Hosttower, a treelike tower that housed wizards in Luskan before the cities fall. Her search for answers leads her to Jarlaxle and his dwarven friend Athrogate. Little do they know that it was Gauntlgrym that produced the Hosttower. Unknown to the group, unleash a primordial and with it, devastation. After years pass after the devastation, Drizzt and Bruenor are still on the search for the ancient dwarven stronghold. However, they may need the help of Jarlaxle and Athrogate to find it.

Criticisms:
1) Time Jumps. This is my major issue with Gauntlgrym, as well as any other book I read. I loathe time jumps. I am not a fan when a story jumps forty some odd years. I would have liked to see some of the adventures that Drizzt, Bruenor, Jessa, and Nanfoodle under took, I do hope that somewhere down the line there will be a short story involving one such adventure. I would have liked to see more of Drizzt and Bruenor failing at finding Gauntlgrym or their brief search for finding Catti-brie and Regis. I would have liked to see this, or even a chapter about some of these things. Now, I wouldn't have an issue if it was two or three years pass. I wouldn't even have that big of an issue with just one time jump. However, Gauntlgrym has two jumps. Two jumps that forcefully progress the story. While the first jump was about fifty years, the second is a more reasonable ten or so. However, this still bothered me. We never really see Dahlia's consequences for her actions she took in Gauntlgrym. We never see how Athrogate is effected, nor Jarlaxle. We do have little snippets, but there is so much more to be said. These jumps just make the story seem as through it was rushed. We have a lot of things happening, but nothing to really show for it aside from a line or two.

Praises:
1) Drizzt. Let me be honest here for a second. It's my opinion that after twenty-sum books, Drizzt Do'Urden has grown a little stale. Don't get me wrong, he still is great, but he never really seemed to undergo a major change that seems to last for an extended amount of time. Sure there were times were he let his savage side take over (The Hunter's Blades Trilogy) and the life changing event that he underwent in The Ghost King. But for the past twenty-two years, he has hardly changed. That being said, Drizzt does undergo a shift in personality, albeit subtle. In fact, I barely noticed any major change until Jarlaxle pointed it out. Before, Drizzt only killed when it was necessary. Now he seems to enjoy it. It's almost like the 'Hunter' in The Hunter's Blades Trilogy, but with more control. It's almost like he's becoming more 'Drow'. It is nice to see that everything that Drizzt went through in his life thus far is finally affecting him. He may seem like the Drizzt we all know and love, but now there seems to be something more, and darker, growing in everyone's favorite drow.
2) Jarlaxle. Jarlaxle really surprised me. I knew that Jarlaxle does have a somewhat noble streak to him, but I am utterly at a loss for words about what he does. Sure, he's still the pragmatic drow that we've known from before, but now there seems to be more to him than what meets the eye. He seems to be more disparate and uncontrolled. The best example is his one on one interactions with Drizzt. To put it simply, Jarlaxle yells at Drizzt for being what he's become. I never would have thought that Jarlaxle would do such a thing. But that's just not all he does. There were other things in the story that I would have never have thought Jarlaxle would do. It was just a nice surprise to see more character depth to Jarlaxle.
3) Forward. I do like where the series seems to be heading. Now it seems like there will be little reminiscing of the past, and the legend of Drizzt is going in a new, exciting direction. I'm just excited to see what happens next.

Side Notes:
1) Valas Hune. It was nice to see one of the my favorite characters from The War of the Spider Queen series make a brief cameo.
2) Barrabus the Grey. I hope this isn't who I think it is. If it is, all I can say is that I'm disappointed.
3) Cover Art. The first thing I noticed about the cover art is that it's bright. It really catches your eye and draws it in. After so many recent Dungeons and Dragons based books having darker coloring, it's nice to see something bright. The action scene between Drizzt and Dahlia is pretty epic looking, although it doesn't happen in the novel. That kind of bothers me. It would have been wonderful to see Drizzt and Dahlia fighting one another. The only major issue I have is that Dahlia looks horrible. She doesn't look the least bit attractive. In fact, her face just doesn't look quite right, almost as though everything is just squished together. However, the cover art is definitely a nice, bright change and I do like it.

Overall: 4/5
Final Thoughts:
Gauntlgrym is good. I wouldn't really expect any less from a Drizzt novel. However, there is one problem that I still can't get over. I hate the time jumps. I absolutely hate it when things are skipped over that could have made an interesting couple of chapters. In fact, I would have rather have had this book as the second in the trilogy. The first book could have been some of the events leading up to Athrogate pulling the lever. Dahlia seemed to need a little more development, and we could have had some time getting to know Jessa and Nanfoodle. That said, the rest of the story was great. It's nice to finally see everything impacting Drizzt and a new, unexpected look at Jarlaxle. I'm really liking where this story is taking Drizzt. So should you pick it up? Yes. Definitely. Even if you're not a fan of Drizzt, it's well worth a read. However, you should have a little prior knowledge before jumping in.(less)

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Aug 06, 2011 Shannon added it · review of another edition

After many years of following Drizzt Do'Urden, the most recent book by RA Salvatore finds Bruenor and Drizzt on their own searching for Gauntlgrym. New characters are introduced as well as some older friends coming back for me (Jarlaxle specifically). Not sure exactly why, but I almost feel as if I'm losing interest the series. The writing is still spectacular, and I know that things could never remain the same as they were with the older books, but with so manyu changes happening and suddenly y...more

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Oct 04, 2012 Nathan rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am almost offended that this book has 4 stars. I have read and enjoyed all the Drizzt characters, but in this book Salvatore introduces a character who breaks his own world, is crazy annoying, and is quite obviously, the DM's girlfriend.

Drizzt has fought some badass stuff over the years, he's fought against Drow, Assassins, Dwarves, Demons, Liches, Undead of Every flavor. Hell, open a Monster's Manual and flip through it, Drizzt has probably killed whatever you turn to in there. (view spoiler)...more I am almost offended that this book has 4 stars. I have read and enjoyed all the Drizzt characters, but in this book Salvatore introduces a character who breaks his own world, is crazy annoying, and is quite obviously, the DM's girlfriend.

Drizzt has fought some badass stuff over the years, he's fought against Drow, Assassins, Dwarves, Demons, Liches, Undead of Every flavor. Hell, open a Monster's Manual and flip through it, Drizzt has probably killed whatever you turn to in there. (view spoiler). There is also a character named Barbarus in this book, who I was happy to see and is only vaguely disguised as clearly another character from this series. (view spoiler).

And then there's Dahlia, she out wits the witty characters and outfights the fighty characters. Her motivation? How did she get so badass? Years of training under the best weaponsmasters in the world? No. A life as a fugitive, constantly on the run and fighting guards every step of the way? No. She was raped by demons. That's her backstory. That's literally the only thing about this character's past that we know. And she outdoes every character she encounters in this book in everything.

She has a magic staff, that Salvatore rambles on and on about constantly. I would have prefered 1/3rd less talking about how she does a handstand on a magic stick, and 1/3rd more discussion on her past or anything else about her. It was bad enough that I hesitated buying the next book in the series, and since she appears in it and has even more screen time than in this one, I put the book down and am currently uncertain if I'm going to be reading any more of RA Salvatore's writing, which again as someone who has read every other book he's written and given him 4-5 stars is pretty bad.

For the few things I DID like. He does a bunch of huge time jumps, like 10-15 years at the end of each chapter. Most people didn't like this, but I thought it did a good job of showing a world changing around these characters with extended lifespans. I also like the reappearance of Barbarus, and the descriptions and ideas in Gauntlgrym (some complaints I read called it a mines of moria knockoff, but I didn't get that, I thought it was awesome).

Some longtime characters won't be returning after this book, and met a very fitting end here, and the climax of the book, I thought, was great, but getting there was a serious chore. If you're a completionist or intend to read more of Salvatore's stuff you should probably give this a read since it has some major plot stuff, but if you read The Ghost King and liked it, you might want to consider that the end of the Drizzt series of books and close off on a highish note.(less)

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Apr 30, 2012 Tjbray rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As I read this book, the twentieth title in the Legend of Drzzt series, I felt almost drawn in with Drizzt as he battles with what we all must some day come face to face with: the loss of our loved ones. Time in this book seems like it has sped by much faster than it had in any other of the series. I'm still not sure if this is in fact the case, or if it was only emphasized more by the author to bring it to the forefront.

Many of us who have read the entire series to date can visualize the enemie...more

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Dec 16, 2010 Aaron Schuitema rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I thought this book for fantastic; which comes as no surprise because I've enjoyed all R.A. Salvatore's books, regarding the dark elf Drizzt Do'Urden. Starring alongside Drizzt in this adventure is Bruenor Battlehammer, Drizzt's longtime dwarven companion; Dahlia, the deadly elf who takes the lives of all her lovers; Jarlaxle Baenre, the dark elf entrepreneur; and Athrogate, Jarlaxle's dwarven bodyguard. The book takes place around the discovery of the ancient dwarven city of Gauntlygrym, and th...more

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Nov 15, 2010 Zachary rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Are you interested in a good fantasy action book? Then the book Gauntlygrym by R. A. Salvatore is the book for you. It is a smooth action pack book containing a little mystery and love too.
The plot is that a group is chosen to save a city from total destruction. The setting takes place in the fantasy world called Fraulen. In the world the characters are in the part called Neverwinter, where the fate of all the lands people and the ghosts that live underneath the land.
One of the characters is...more

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May 01, 2013 David Williams rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Gauntlgrym, the ancient homeland of the dwarves. Ever dwarf has heard of it. They sing about it in legend. It has been lost for many generations. This is the final quest for King Bruenor and his companion Drizzt Do'Urden. Bruenor wants to find the ancient homeland of his people before he dies. Drizzt has no real concern for Gauntlgrym, all he wants to do is travel and fight. The loss of Catti-Brie and Regis still breaks his heart and his only solace is in battle. So now they travel.

At the same t...more

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Feb 02, 2011 Kevin rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

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

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Jul 09, 2011 Ron rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Drizzt fans

The mass market paperback has just come out and I thought I’d celebrate it by writing a review of this era-starting novel. And the first thing I should probably say is that this is the first volume of the Neverwinter trilogy... but that it won’t make a lot of sense if you are not a previous Drizzt fan.

Be aware that old characters and past events are glossed over at best to the point that I had some trouble catching up – and I have only skipped the Ghost King novel while waiting for my local lib...more

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Oct 11, 2010 Jeff rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone

Recommended to Jeff by: Andy Kahan

Shelves: fantasy, favorites

A book written with joy and love for the characters protrayed: old friends, indeed, spanning 20-plus years of the author's life; a philosophical musing on Life, Purpose, and Fulfillment clothed in rich and fine garments of Good vs Evil, High Adventure, Heritage and Tradition, Friendship and Love. RA Salvatore's Gauntlgrym will move you, I unabahedly assert, and will bring tears to your eye - tears of joy, of just reward - by the time you finish the epilogue.

I will only add, then say no more - fo...more

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Jun 12, 2012 Stanley rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I didn't like how the book started by jumping forward so quickly with only lip service to characters that had been in a number of books.

When the book began introducing the new characters that would be involved in the new series, it nearly lost me. After the abrupt shift in time to so many new characters, I found my interest waning here.

However, after the introductions and backstories, the book really began to pick up. The Jarlaxle/Athrogate pairing continues to grow deeper and more interesting a...more

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Jul 28, 2011 Scooter Monkey added it · review of another edition

This was a very hard book to read not because it was bad but because Salvatore is changing his writing style with the story and with the characters. His books used to cover a few months or a year and a trilogy may cover 3-4 years but this book alone covered, i think, over 100 years. I guess I can understand why he did it. His main character can live for 4 or 5 hundred years so I think to really grasp his mind set of having people in yer life that can't live that long you have to at some point ad...more

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Feb 18, 2011 Luke Van Wegen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Not only did I grow up with the Drizzt novels but I can say that they got me through some hard times spent in hospital as a teenager going through back surgery. So I feel a strong kinship with the twin scimitar wielding drow ranger. The tales have got a little repetitive since the Silent Blade with all the characters seeming nothing more than high level player characters from a game of D&D. But that is what it is and long live Drizzt Do'Urden! Gauntlgrym continues taking Drizzt into a darker...more

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May 13, 2013 Darrell rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013

I hovered on either a 1 star or 2 star rating for this book. It's probably really a 1.5 in my mind.

The start was a mess and almost turned me off reading further. This is mostly due to a 40-50 year time gap that disconnects from the previous trilogy. So there is a prologue and the initial chapters provide some bridging of events and losses that occured then and where we now are, but it was more like some rough random notes and thoughts yet to be turned into an actual storyline.

Once we got past th...more

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Jan 19, 2013 Daniel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Gauntlgrym is the first in the Neverwinter books and continues some of the story threads from the Transitions series. Several decades have passed since the events in those books and the cities of Neverwinter and Luskan have both seen better days. Drizzt and Bruenor are trying to find the ancient Dwarf hall of Gauntlgrym while still trying to locate the mystic forest their now deceased friends are rumored to inhabit. To aid them in their quest, Jarlaxle and Athrogate are helping, but what they un...more

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Oct 10, 2011 Cd Coffelt rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I’ve been Drizzt-less for many a moon. This book pulls me back into his realm.

Fast paced, battle-driven, this novel doesn’t have a lot of surprises but the territory is familiar. And beloved. The Forgotten Realms series was good in the eighties and its continuation in the form of Drizzt Do’Urden, drow elf is the meat of epic fantasy.

The battle scenes are plentiful and my eye skips a bit through those places. Not because of the prose but simply to get on with the story.
The beginning pulled me ba...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Hacedores Desierto rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: epic-fantasy, fantasia-ligera, fantasy, fantasía, fantasía-épica, khardan, light-fantasy

Nos volvemos a encontrar, Drizzt. Hacía bastante que tus libros no conseguían llamarme, desde el inicio de Transiciones, donde todo se vuelve oscuro. No estaba preparado para ver a mi héroe esperanzado convertirse en alguien oscuro que solo lucha para olvidar; en vez de a la bebida, tú parecías abocado a la lucha. Ver esta nueva saga ha sido un nuevo comienzo para nuestra relación. Me ha permitido ver, no ya a un Drizzt esperanzado; pues tras los sucesos de Transiciones difícilmente puede sucede...more

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Dec 13, 2011 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: d-d-books, fantasy

I read this book before finishing the main Legend of Drizzt series, so I came to it without background info on some of the characters, but enjoyed it nonetheless. Salvatore had an interesting story here, but focused too much on action scenes instead of the character development it called for. He's a great fight writer, but I felt that Drizzt and especially Bruenor needed a lot more attention. Dahlia and the other new characters were established nicely for the purposes of setting up this Neverwin...more

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Feb 01, 2011 CluckingBell rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Although it’s book #1 of the Neverwinter series, I’m pretty sure there are 20 or so other books I ought to have read before this one. Or I’m 20 years too old for reading anything Dungeons & Dragons (which I didn’t even realize I was doing at first). I may have just started too late in the game on both counts. Regardless, for a couple hundred pages it felt a little too fanciful (a unicorn, a character named Nanfoodle, and two scimitars named Twinkle and Icingdeath, for example) and derivative...more

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Jul 23, 2012 Mauro Saracino rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Era da molto che non leggevo un romanzo di Salvatore e sono rimasto sorpreso di trovare ancora il duo Drizzt e Bruenor. Una cosa bisogna subito dire: la capacità dell'autore di descrivere duelli e battaglie è impareggiabile. Ogni scontro viene descritto nei minimi dettagli e la sensazione di trovarsi a un tiro di spada è fortissima. Purtroppo però un romanzo non è fatto solo di botte. La prima parte del libro è confusa e poco avvincente, impiega troppe pagine per condurre il lettore al succo del...more

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Nov 15, 2010 Kevin rated it 3 of 5 stars

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

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Feb 13, 2013 Keith Wick rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, favorites, magic, forgotten-realms

I loved this one. The interplay of the various characters thrust together in a race against time was not only convincing, but fascinating to watch. I'm a big fan of Drizzt too, but it's clear he's struggling emotionally with several things now--Salvatore really delves deep into the psyche of an aging elf who's lost many of the people he truly cares for to the ravages of time and conflict.

My only complaint is the story takes a big leap of time forward, but it didn't bother me enough to really rui...more

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Jun 03, 2013 Pete rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

RA Salvatore has been on the NY Times Bestseller list a bunch of times for his D&D books, as I understand it. So clearly he has a loyal and enthusiastic following.

But these books are not my cup of tea. If I had to describe them, I'd ask you to imagine starting with a Kung-Fu Movie, putting a D&D fantasy spin on it, then translating it into a book. There's lots of combat which goes beyond my ability to suspend disbelief, a ton of magical gee-gaws, one for any and every occasion, and lots...more

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Mar 01, 2012 Maris rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. At long last Drizzt will be able to move on in his journey called life.
thou the price to pay was hefty, but that's to be expected as one is the dark elf, whose life span is many more centuries than his followers and friends had and the life of this drow couldn't be called calm.

I really loved this book, even though I started to read it with a bit of concern as the way elf was heading and one who remembers the early days of Drizzt might or should say - liked to imagine, wasn't exactly the "right...more

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Aug 15, 2011 Sensitivemuse rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Drizzt fighting? check. World run amok? check. Another story plot where lots of changes are going to happen? check. Yet another book that will please the majority of Drizzt fans all over the world. The last trilogy (Transitions) was one that took me a while to get used to. It could have been because of the drastic changes happening to Drizzt, or it could have been the writing style (I found some parts to be extremely slow) but Gauntlgrym calmed my fears and woes. I could not put down this book w...more Drizzt fighting? check. World run amok? check. Another story plot where lots of changes are going to happen? check. Yet another book that will please the majority of Drizzt fans all over the world. The last trilogy (Transitions) was one that took me a while to get used to. It could have been because of the drastic changes happening to Drizzt, or it could have been the writing style (I found some parts to be extremely slow) but Gauntlgrym calmed my fears and woes. I could not put down this book while I was reading it.

The plot was most definitely a good read and as exciting as I thought it would be. The action is consistent with all of Salvatore’s novels and I’m glad that has not changed. Drizzt has changed, whether for better or for worse we’re still not sure. His development as a character is still wonderful to read and it’s always amazing to see him develop - especially when you think he’s already reached his limit (or maybe he has?) The pace was definitely faster than most of Salvatore’s novels - yet that could be because I was just so engrossed with the overall plot and how the story was going.

Again, as usual it’s always nice to see other beloved characters from Salvatore’s other works to make an appearance. I’ve always enjoyed (and squeed) when Valas Hune came along as he’s one of my favorite characters outside of Drizzt and his circle of friends also to note, Gromph also appears as well (another squee came from me when I read this part). So seeing a cameo appearance from him was nice to see in this book. There are new characters to add, and Dahlia of course, is the most fascinating one of all. I liked her personality and she was a strong character that could possibly be a potential fighting companion to fight alongside Drizzt, they did seem to fight along really well together. I am really looking forward to reading more about her, as she seems to be a great idea for yet another plot for Drizzt to deal with.

Drizzt fans will be happy with this book. It opens up quite a few possibilities for Drizzt to explore, and with a new set of characters there’s a lot more in store for him. There are also quite a few changes, and although it was sad to see some of the other characters go, I am hoping the new ones will keep Drizzt adventures going for yet another fantastic round. Fans will love this one, and newbies should read the entire Drizzt saga from the beginning in order to fully appreciate it. I can’t wait for the next book!(less)

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Apr 03, 2013 Jonathan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I missed the Neverwinter PAX party and so missed meeting R.A. Salvatore, but some of the other OnRPG folks were there. As a result of one of them not really being a reader I ended up with this and a hardback signed version of the fourth book in the saga.

I've never really read any of the D&D books. I rather enjoyed it but I will admit the constant time skipping at the start annoyed me.

Specifically there is 100 years in total between the Spellplague and the start of the Neverwinter MMO. This...more

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Aug 20, 2012 Victor rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-reads, favorites

After reading the last couple of pages of "The Ghost King" I was overwhelmed with the sensation that any other Drizzt novel would have a great void. It is not something new, and Mr. Salvatore has hinted many times at a new direction for his Drizzt novel since the "Hunter's Blade" trilogy. I was not expecting changes would come so soon.

"Gauntlgrym" stands separate from other novels because this time we get the impression that Mr. Salvatore will explore different paths and different adventures in...more After reading the last couple of pages of "The Ghost King" I was overwhelmed with the sensation that any other Drizzt novel would have a great void. It is not something new, and Mr. Salvatore has hinted many times at a new direction for his Drizzt novel since the "Hunter's Blade" trilogy. I was not expecting changes would come so soon.

"Gauntlgrym" stands separate from other novels because this time we get the impression that Mr. Salvatore will explore different paths and different adventures in mind. At the beginning of Gauntlgrym, we get the notion and the inner struggle surrounding Drizzt and Bruenor, wondering about an uncertain future and shortly after both pass the first door of no return.

A the same time we are introduced to the Beautiful and deadly Dahlia Sin'felle, a promising young elf in the service of Szazz Tam, the lichlord of Thay. In teh beginning chapters we are introduced to Dahlia's traumatic childhood, her despise of Herzgo Alegni, her hateful relationship with Sylora, another witch, who she is often competing and her custom of killing her lovers, male or female, once she has found no other use for them.

In an essence Gauntlgrym will explore the bounds Drizzt Do'Urden established for himself when he left Menzoberranzan more than a century before. We have the sensation he feels his life is forfeit and unfair and he is desperately trying to use his blades to drown his sorrow. No more is the Paragon of virtue that sees the world in black and white, right and wrong. The new outlook instilled in Drizzt's mind from the newcomer Dahlia, which is touched upon briefly in this book will play an important part in Drizzt's future in the books to come.

This is the first time that Salvatore uses a place as if it was a main character. Through the pages and the characters interactions we do get a feeling that Gauntlgrym is speaking to us. We can feel the holiness of the place and the desperate calls to help its inhabitants procure.

Another interesting details was the use of nature as an important element in the story. Before, armies of drow, orc, ilithids, a dragon's horde and decious pirates would be the primary antagonist for our characters. That Salvatore used a natural phenomenon was very interesting and refreshing. It was a welcome adition that gave the novel an element of realism.

The only particular criticism I have is that the story begins, then jumps in time about 40 years, some events happen, and the story proceeds again forward in time ten years or so. The first jump in time seemed extremely unnecessary. By doing this Salvatore eliminates two characters that could have been presented in much better light (it is true that they do not contribute to the story, but a better demise would have been more glorious and satisfying to fans), it states that nothing interesting happened in the world in 40 years or so, much like 4E of D&D. The second time jump, albeit, more logical, still felt impossed to fans to set the story according to 4E conventions.

Salvatore has not been very good at uncovering information. Everytime he reintroduces a character, he is not very good at keeping mysteries, and this time the same happens. I wish that some characters were not revealed as easily as he does in this book.

I have to again give praises to the fighting scenes. If there is something that Salvatore excels the most in his books, is the detail of his swordfighting. One of the reasons why I enjoy Drizzt books is that I can get into a great fight anytime I want.

Another element I found very enjoyable was the equal division of character time. Drizzt was absent for many chapters, and although he is the main character, the other characters were competent and entertaining. Several old characters make an appearance and they do not dissapoint. Some of their interactions were the best on the book. I particularly expected more character development from Dahlia, but this is the first on a trilogy, we get to see more from her in future books.

A particular note must be made from the epilogue. I felt this was the most satisfying ending from a Drizzt book I have ever read. It does not matter if it is sad, it was great and gave me a sense of accomplishment.

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Jun 27, 2012 Scott rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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

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Jun 04, 2013 Dave rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The first in a four volume collection finds Drizzt and Bruenor on a trek to find the legendary and lost dwarven kingdom of Gauntlgrym. It was a pretty nice read featuring a new staff wielding elf with angst named Dahlia along with two of my favorite returning favorites: the dark elf rogue Jarlaxle and the laughing and rhyming dwarf Athrogate.
Salvatore sets up a lot of tasty intrigue and back stabbing introducing a wide array of villains to go up against his heroes. There is a lot that happens...more

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Dec 16, 2010 Mouse rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As long as Salvatore keeps writing these books, I'll keep reading them. Not much to say other than I love these books. Was Gauntlgrym his best?...maybe not...but definitely not his worst. It was alot of fun and a heck of an adventure as Drizzt, Bruenor, Athrogate, Jarlaxle and more journey to the fabled dwarven city of Gauntlgrym. Over the years his books have taken a slightly darker turn and this is no exception. Matter of fact, one of the major characters dies in this book and what with both R...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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Quotes from Gauntlgrym

“Damn you to Lolth's web!" he said. "Don't you dare pretend if doesn't matter to you!" "Why do you care?" Drizzt growled back at him. "No one who has ever made a diffence?" "Do you believe that?" "What do you want from me, son of Baenre?" "Just the truth-your truth. Yoy believe that you have never mae a difference?" "Perhaps there is no difference to be made," Drizzt replied. "Do not ever say that," Jarlaxle said to him. "Why do you care?" Drizzzt asked. "Because you were the one who escaped," Jarlaxle replied. "Don't you understand? Jarlaxle went on. "I watched you-we all watched you. Whenever a matron mother, or almost any female of Menzoberranzan was about, we spoke your name with vitriol, promising to avenge Lolth and kill you." "But whenever they were not around, the name of Drizzt Do'Urden was spoken with jealousy, often reverence. You do not understand, do you? You don't even recognize the difference you've made to so many of us in Menzoberranzan." "How? Why?" "Because you were the one who escaped!" "You are here with me!" Drizzt argued. "Are you bound to the City of Spiders by anything more than your own designs? By Bregan D'Aerthe?" "I'm not talking about the city, you obstinate fool," Jarlaxle replied, his vocie lowering. Again Drizzt looked at him, at a loss. "The hertiage," Jarlaxle explained. "The fate.” — 12 people liked it

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