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Neverwinter #2
Neverwinter
With the last of his trusted companions having fallen, Drizzt is alone--and free--for the first time in almost a hundred years. Guilt mingles with relief, leaving Drizzt uniquely vulnerable to the persuasions of his newest companion--Dahlia, a darkly alluring elf and the only other member of their party to survive the cataclysm at Mount Hotenow. But traveling with Dahlia is challenging in more ways than one. As the two companions seek revenge on the one responsible for leveling Neverwinter--and nearly Luskan as well--Drizzt finds his usual moral certainty swept away by her unconventional views. Forced to see the dark deeds that the common man may be driven to by circumstance, Drizzt begins to find himself on the wrong side of the law in an effort to protect those the law has failed. Making new enemies, as his old enemies acquire deadly allies, Drizzt and Dahlia quickly find themselves embroiled in battle--a state he's coming to enjoy a little too much.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
343 people are currently reading
6650 people want to read
About the author
R.A. Salvatore
559 books11.2k followersAs 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 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...
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...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 246 reviews
November 11, 2021
I now have a Booktube channel! Find me at: The Obsessive Bookseller
It feels good to be back with Drizzt.
I set the series aside almost five years ago. Coming off a major high from the brilliance that was The Ghost King, I found myself struggling to get into Gauntlgrym. It was a decent Drizzt novel, but I don’t think I was ready to embark on a new chapter in Drizzt’s world quite yet. So I tabled it, knowing I’d get back to it eventually. What I hadn’t expected was how prolific Salvatore would continue to be in this series – I find myself now at least ten books behind the latest publication. So between series FOMO and a stellar review I read for the most recent release, I found myself eager to dive back in. Even more so since recently reading Child of a Mad God and marveling at how beautifully that was written. It was time.
But I have to admit it was a struggle at first.
I’ve waited all this time to get back with Drizzt and was disappointed that the first third of Neverwinter only had a couple of short scenes with him. It was more focused on villain POVs which, even though Salvatore does them well, I often lose patience with. These types of ongoing stories have a tendency to follow the pattern of: meet a villain, fight the villain, kill the villain, then meet a bigger/badder villain, fight and kill it, etc. So when reading endless passages about bad guys, I can’t help but feel uninvested. After all, their fates might already be sealed to perish at the end of a scimitar… every now and then I get surprised, but for the time being, those sections were a struggle to get through.
Somewhere around the middle, things started picking up. There were a couple more of those amazing introspective Drizzt interludes (my favorite component of this whole saga), and the focus shifted more to what he and his companions were doing. It frankly saved a potential DNF.
And then, Salvatore dropped a bomb. And, sir, you now have my full attention.
Yes! This is what I needed. To be surprised. To remember why I loved these novels in the first place. And now I end Neverwinter with a spring in my step – ready to pick up the next book sooner than later.
Overall, this book had a couple of great moments, but it was definitely not the strongest I’ve read from the author. There’s a lot of setup for what looks to be the next era in Drizzt’s life, which takes some time to develop.
Recommendations: Drizzt might seem an intimidating series to start, but it’s unique in that each progressive set of 3 and 4 novels are really self-contained and satisfying, so you can stop at any given point if you feel you’ve had enough and still have that sense of reading a completed story. I’d recommend starting with the Dark Elf Trilogy – one of my favorites and one of the few I’ve reread more than once (a strong endorsement, as I’m not a rereader – I’ve too many amazing titles to get to!).
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
Other books you might like:
It feels good to be back with Drizzt.
I set the series aside almost five years ago. Coming off a major high from the brilliance that was The Ghost King, I found myself struggling to get into Gauntlgrym. It was a decent Drizzt novel, but I don’t think I was ready to embark on a new chapter in Drizzt’s world quite yet. So I tabled it, knowing I’d get back to it eventually. What I hadn’t expected was how prolific Salvatore would continue to be in this series – I find myself now at least ten books behind the latest publication. So between series FOMO and a stellar review I read for the most recent release, I found myself eager to dive back in. Even more so since recently reading Child of a Mad God and marveling at how beautifully that was written. It was time.
But I have to admit it was a struggle at first.
I’ve waited all this time to get back with Drizzt and was disappointed that the first third of Neverwinter only had a couple of short scenes with him. It was more focused on villain POVs which, even though Salvatore does them well, I often lose patience with. These types of ongoing stories have a tendency to follow the pattern of: meet a villain, fight the villain, kill the villain, then meet a bigger/badder villain, fight and kill it, etc. So when reading endless passages about bad guys, I can’t help but feel uninvested. After all, their fates might already be sealed to perish at the end of a scimitar… every now and then I get surprised, but for the time being, those sections were a struggle to get through.
Somewhere around the middle, things started picking up. There were a couple more of those amazing introspective Drizzt interludes (my favorite component of this whole saga), and the focus shifted more to what he and his companions were doing. It frankly saved a potential DNF.
And then, Salvatore dropped a bomb. And, sir, you now have my full attention.
Yes! This is what I needed. To be surprised. To remember why I loved these novels in the first place. And now I end Neverwinter with a spring in my step – ready to pick up the next book sooner than later.
Overall, this book had a couple of great moments, but it was definitely not the strongest I’ve read from the author. There’s a lot of setup for what looks to be the next era in Drizzt’s life, which takes some time to develop.
Recommendations: Drizzt might seem an intimidating series to start, but it’s unique in that each progressive set of 3 and 4 novels are really self-contained and satisfying, so you can stop at any given point if you feel you’ve had enough and still have that sense of reading a completed story. I’d recommend starting with the Dark Elf Trilogy – one of my favorites and one of the few I’ve reread more than once (a strong endorsement, as I’m not a rereader – I’ve too many amazing titles to get to!).
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
Other books you might like:
October 30, 2011
I miss the Companions of the Hall. There, I said it.
I realize after 14 or whatever books about them, that Salvatore was ready to move on. I respect his right to do so as an author. But, I still miss them. They were all near and dear to me. Drizzt was always my favorite, and I am glad his tale continues, but I miss the others. I can’t think of a character from a book that I had a bigger crush on than Catti-brie.
A friend of mine floated the idea that the vast majority of authors only have one story to tell. They might write many books, but only tell one story. When he first told it to me, I thought of many authors who seemed to fit the bill, authors who I already grew tired of because it all seems the same. But in the months that have followed, I have come to believe he is very right and Salvatore is no exception. You could swap out who Drizzt was fighting against, who his current companions are, and a few minor plot points, and this book would be just about any Salvatore book.
I am not trying to be overly harsh. Salvatore still has solid interaction between his characters. And his action sequences are first rate. (Although warriors evading on instinct alone does get old.) He knows how to tell a tale, but it didn’t seem new.
Spoiler alert:
I was disappointed that Artemis Entreri returns. It was an extra twist of the blade in my missing of the Companions. Of all the people I would vote back into the story, he would not rank highly. And Jarlaxle better not really be dead! His story needs more chapters.
I’ll keep reading Salvatore’s stories as they come out, Drizzt means too much to me to give up. And, I will highly recommend the series to anyone looking for fantasy novels. But I think the heyday of Salvatore being one of my favorite authors has ended.
I realize after 14 or whatever books about them, that Salvatore was ready to move on. I respect his right to do so as an author. But, I still miss them. They were all near and dear to me. Drizzt was always my favorite, and I am glad his tale continues, but I miss the others. I can’t think of a character from a book that I had a bigger crush on than Catti-brie.
A friend of mine floated the idea that the vast majority of authors only have one story to tell. They might write many books, but only tell one story. When he first told it to me, I thought of many authors who seemed to fit the bill, authors who I already grew tired of because it all seems the same. But in the months that have followed, I have come to believe he is very right and Salvatore is no exception. You could swap out who Drizzt was fighting against, who his current companions are, and a few minor plot points, and this book would be just about any Salvatore book.
I am not trying to be overly harsh. Salvatore still has solid interaction between his characters. And his action sequences are first rate. (Although warriors evading on instinct alone does get old.) He knows how to tell a tale, but it didn’t seem new.
Spoiler alert:
I was disappointed that Artemis Entreri returns. It was an extra twist of the blade in my missing of the Companions. Of all the people I would vote back into the story, he would not rank highly. And Jarlaxle better not really be dead! His story needs more chapters.
I’ll keep reading Salvatore’s stories as they come out, Drizzt means too much to me to give up. And, I will highly recommend the series to anyone looking for fantasy novels. But I think the heyday of Salvatore being one of my favorite authors has ended.
December 4, 2011
Let's put it this way: in the final chapter of this book, a Thayan sorceress flees her castle (in a giant Dread Ring) in the form of a raven as she's pursued by Barnabus the Gray (who is really Artemis Entreri) on the back of his pet nightmare, who--along with some evil(?) elf female who bears an artifact of great power and Drizzit (who is riding on his unicorn)--and is being observed by an semi-insane lich (who is being controlled by the aboleth?) through the eyes of zombies after defeating a Shadovar wrapped in impenetrable umber hulk skin (and comes back as some sort of undead) all while being spied upon by an imp that is in the employ of a succubus that is currently having sex with a warfiend whose son(?) is a powerful (albeit deformed) Netherese sorcerer. Whose mother is the evil(?) elf girl. On the nightmare. With Artemis.
Somewhat of a complex plot. I left out the arch-lich.
Greeth! Greeth!
Somewhat of a complex plot. I left out the arch-lich.
Greeth! Greeth!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 4, 2022
NEVERWINTER is the second of the NEVERWINTER trilogy and deals with Drizzt having royally screwed up the previous time. The Primordial had been released and destroyed Neverwinter with the Thayans now much more powerful as well as determined to unleash a zombie on the world. The Shades are, sadly, the only protectors the rebuilt Neverwinter have to look to for salvation. This is unfortunate because Herzgo Allengi is a rapist and child abuser who isn't the kind of guy you'd want to have in charge of anything other than his own prison cell. Dhalia and Drizzt's love affair is a terrible toxic thing and I love it. So, really, I am in for this "new" Drizzt chapter.
The best part of the book is definitely Drizzt struggling with the sheer awfulness of the Post-Spellplague Realms. He doesn't have any good causes to fight for and all of his attempts to make life better usually backfire on the people involved.
The best part of the book is definitely Drizzt struggling with the sheer awfulness of the Post-Spellplague Realms. He doesn't have any good causes to fight for and all of his attempts to make life better usually backfire on the people involved.
December 7, 2011
Salvatore has painted himself into a corner with this series of books. The characters have become so super powerful that he has no choice but to throw the most powerful people in the book's universe at them. Sometimes it seems silly, but Salvatore is such a good writer that you always are dying to pick up the next one.
February 23, 2016
No need for Sherlock Holmes to find out Barrabus' real identity, but the long final fight was just awesome.
March 20, 2013
a decent middle volume of a trilogy that is no more than decent.
Salvatore remains outstanding at describing action, and his combat sequences are descriptive, tightly focused, and often thrilling. but the rest of it just isn't up to snuff, really. Salvatore has turned this neck of the Forgotten Realms into a dire place with little hope for anyone who isn't a fairly ruthless killer. I guess that's a good setup for the MMO game that's coming? Bah.
Moreover, Salvatore enjoys spinning out information and following along with the villains of the piece a little too much. They're thoroughly evil people with no desire or hope for redemption, which makes their exploits pretty tedious and not very entertaining to witness. (especially the insane lich, whose vocal patterns are the most grating thing I've read since Harry Potter shouted at everyone in all-caps for most of Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix)
Finally, Drizzt's moral crisis and ennui isn't as interesting as Salvatore think it is. He's treating it like some terrible conflict for the soul of the great hero when the reality is much smaller. Dwelling on it for much of the last 2 books is tedious and whiny. Especially when he's introduced an interesting and potentially deep character in Dahlia that we should be spending more time getting to know. Guess he's afraid peeling back the layers will make her less interesting?
Barely makes the 2 stars, mostly for the action. But I ended up looking at finishing this book as a bit of a chore to be faced before moving on to my next book, which is a bad sign. I won't be searching out volume three, but may pick it up if I find it on sale.
Salvatore remains outstanding at describing action, and his combat sequences are descriptive, tightly focused, and often thrilling. but the rest of it just isn't up to snuff, really. Salvatore has turned this neck of the Forgotten Realms into a dire place with little hope for anyone who isn't a fairly ruthless killer. I guess that's a good setup for the MMO game that's coming? Bah.
Moreover, Salvatore enjoys spinning out information and following along with the villains of the piece a little too much. They're thoroughly evil people with no desire or hope for redemption, which makes their exploits pretty tedious and not very entertaining to witness. (especially the insane lich, whose vocal patterns are the most grating thing I've read since Harry Potter shouted at everyone in all-caps for most of Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix)
Finally, Drizzt's moral crisis and ennui isn't as interesting as Salvatore think it is. He's treating it like some terrible conflict for the soul of the great hero when the reality is much smaller. Dwelling on it for much of the last 2 books is tedious and whiny. Especially when he's introduced an interesting and potentially deep character in Dahlia that we should be spending more time getting to know. Guess he's afraid peeling back the layers will make her less interesting?
Barely makes the 2 stars, mostly for the action. But I ended up looking at finishing this book as a bit of a chore to be faced before moving on to my next book, which is a bad sign. I won't be searching out volume three, but may pick it up if I find it on sale.
October 9, 2011
Disclaimer-If you read the review and feel there is a spoiler in it, please let me know and I will remove that section. Also, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. Thank you.
Neverwinter is the second book in the Neverwinter saga. The first book is Gauntlgrym. The third book untitled at this time will no doubt be released October 2012.
Neverwinter continues from where Gauntlgrym left off with Drizzt and his new partner getting ready to check on an old “friend”. There is still much unrest in Neverwinter and things are about to get more dire for the citizens there. Some subplots involve Drizzt’s perspective on this new life and how he feels about his new companion, the seeking of freedom of an old acquaintance, and others that would lead to spoilers.
This novel is not as deep as previous books and is more of a hack and slash type with a plethora of action throughout. So much so that it almost became a bit boring to me, however, once the book gets to the final action sequence, I was deeply involved and not so much for the action itself but the characters involved. The main plot seems more to be just a continuation of that in Gauntlgrym with Sylora trying to create a catastrophe so immense as to feed the dread ring. The characters for the most part do not develop much, but what there is feels right. The pacing is fast, mostly due to all the action taking place and this really sums up mostly what this book is about.
Some criticisms:
1. With all that is going on, I was hoping for more character development. I will say that at least now we don’t have Drizzt constantly whining over the loss of his companions and making strives to move on.
2. I really would have liked some rehashing of past events to remind me how certain characters got into the predicament they currently are in, namely Barrabus.
Some positives:
1. As always, Mr. Salvatore brings his excellent descriptions of battles to the forefront that really draws the reader into the action.
2. The detailing of the land around is never overdone and gives the reader just enough to get a picture and leaves plenty to the imagination for the reader to make it their own.
3. For me, this one had the feeling more of the old adventures at the beginning and then the feeling of the newer epic world spanning events in even parts making it more enjoyable. Not only does this book invoke feelings of nostalgia, but also gives the reader the current events of the Forgotten Realms.
I really enjoyed this one and I can see where others may not enjoy it as much. I would actually rate this one with a 4.5 stars and feel for me that it is good enough to bump it up to 5. Though it is not as good as the older books in the series, I do feel it holds a flame to them. For those wanting to tryout the realms, I would recommend starting at the beginning of the series and the same goes for those wanting to try reading fantasy as well.
Happy reading
-Dimndbangr
Neverwinter is the second book in the Neverwinter saga. The first book is Gauntlgrym. The third book untitled at this time will no doubt be released October 2012.
Neverwinter continues from where Gauntlgrym left off with Drizzt and his new partner getting ready to check on an old “friend”. There is still much unrest in Neverwinter and things are about to get more dire for the citizens there. Some subplots involve Drizzt’s perspective on this new life and how he feels about his new companion, the seeking of freedom of an old acquaintance, and others that would lead to spoilers.
This novel is not as deep as previous books and is more of a hack and slash type with a plethora of action throughout. So much so that it almost became a bit boring to me, however, once the book gets to the final action sequence, I was deeply involved and not so much for the action itself but the characters involved. The main plot seems more to be just a continuation of that in Gauntlgrym with Sylora trying to create a catastrophe so immense as to feed the dread ring. The characters for the most part do not develop much, but what there is feels right. The pacing is fast, mostly due to all the action taking place and this really sums up mostly what this book is about.
Some criticisms:
1. With all that is going on, I was hoping for more character development. I will say that at least now we don’t have Drizzt constantly whining over the loss of his companions and making strives to move on.
2. I really would have liked some rehashing of past events to remind me how certain characters got into the predicament they currently are in, namely Barrabus.
Some positives:
1. As always, Mr. Salvatore brings his excellent descriptions of battles to the forefront that really draws the reader into the action.
2. The detailing of the land around is never overdone and gives the reader just enough to get a picture and leaves plenty to the imagination for the reader to make it their own.
3. For me, this one had the feeling more of the old adventures at the beginning and then the feeling of the newer epic world spanning events in even parts making it more enjoyable. Not only does this book invoke feelings of nostalgia, but also gives the reader the current events of the Forgotten Realms.
I really enjoyed this one and I can see where others may not enjoy it as much. I would actually rate this one with a 4.5 stars and feel for me that it is good enough to bump it up to 5. Though it is not as good as the older books in the series, I do feel it holds a flame to them. For those wanting to tryout the realms, I would recommend starting at the beginning of the series and the same goes for those wanting to try reading fantasy as well.
Happy reading
-Dimndbangr
November 17, 2011
The rating is a bitter reflection of how this book made me feel. When I first started reading these books awhile ago now I fell in love with the sword and sorcery fun of it. The heroes enjoyed each others company and what they did. A lightness that is missing more and more in modern fantasy. It was refreshing. But it wasn't to last. Whatever the reason the series started to get bogged down with melodrama seriousness. And just plain preachiness and whinniness, okay maybe that's not a word. But throughout all the disappointments I wasn't ready to give up. It's not only missing the old characters, although it is a little, it's not only that I feel this new chapter of Drizzt's life was rushed, although it was, it's not even my extreme hatred of Dahlia, although I do hate her, it's I miss Drizzt. He's almost recognizable. Drizzt and Dahlia's interactions reminds me too strongly of Jarlaxle and Artemis. Whom I love but it's just not Drizzt. Even the return of Artemis, a favorite, couldn't save this for me. I've been waiting for a long time for that Drizzt and Artemis scene.....and it was very meh. Very. The whole book seemed lifeless. I really don't know if I'll continue. I'm curious about Jarlaxle, hope he's only mostly dead. I'd like to see a Artemis and Jarlaxle reunion...but I just don't know. I'm in a bad mood. And I'll probably end up caving but right now I feel like severing my relationship to this series for good.
Gah I forgot about the repetitiveness. The worse being Arklem! Greeth! Really...wth? And with the promise of more of this at the end...I think my head and wall will thank me for not buying Neverwinter Saga Book 3.
Gah I forgot about the repetitiveness. The worse being Arklem! Greeth! Really...wth? And with the promise of more of this at the end...I think my head and wall will thank me for not buying Neverwinter Saga Book 3.
July 13, 2012
I have to admit, when I heard that this new series was coming out, I didn't know what Salvatore would do. He'd just killed off all of Drizzt's friends that he'd written about in the past 20 books and now he was basically starting over. And it was GENIUS :-) Salvatore opened up a whole new chapter for Drizzt, showing a doorway into the rest of his life. Naturally, the action was great, the new romance was interesting, and Drizzt is ever faithful and amazing. The twist with (spoiler warning!) Barrbarus being Artemis was very well done ;-) With a wonderful foreshadowing at the end, I have a very good feeling about the next book to come.
July 18, 2019
Salvatore at his best! Loved this book.
Drizzt is alone - all the Companions are gone and he is free to do whatever he wants.
He teams up with Dahlia in her battle against Sylora Salm as she tries to complete the Dread Ring.
Of course it's not as easy as good vs. evil because on the third front we have Herzgo Alegni who has a past with Dahlia but is also against Sylora - all centered around the battle for Neverwinter.
There's also some fun with old characters, Luskan and the Captains.
This is somewhere around the 21-26 book in the series (depends on if you count the cleric quintet which I do) and the series has had it's ups and downs but this one was way up.
Great characters (both new and old) - great character development, really good writing, tight plot, amazing action scenes.
Really good stuff.
Drizzt is alone - all the Companions are gone and he is free to do whatever he wants.
He teams up with Dahlia in her battle against Sylora Salm as she tries to complete the Dread Ring.
Of course it's not as easy as good vs. evil because on the third front we have Herzgo Alegni who has a past with Dahlia but is also against Sylora - all centered around the battle for Neverwinter.
There's also some fun with old characters, Luskan and the Captains.
This is somewhere around the 21-26 book in the series (depends on if you count the cleric quintet which I do) and the series has had it's ups and downs but this one was way up.
Great characters (both new and old) - great character development, really good writing, tight plot, amazing action scenes.
Really good stuff.
July 10, 2012
Salvatore can do better than this. This book was a step down from the previous one, which wasn't a good read at all (though it did have a lot of emotional endings in it). Neverwinter, however, is not a good book. The story does not move forward, it is stagnant and predictable. The characters are bland and boring. Reading about Drizzt in this is like watching a different actor play him, and play him badly. There is no drive, no sense of adventure, no resolved ending. The conflict is confusing and feeble. His elf companion is the worst kind of character: trite, over written and very, very boring. The villains are laughable at best, with all sort of random and strange abilities and powers thrown in, in a feeble attempt to make them menacing or powerful. In fact, none of the characters leap out at you and make you care one bit about them.
And, to continue the trend, Salvatore's naming conventions for his characters still slide downward into the hack writer abyss that is waiting.
It is also apparant that this current series of books is only intended to help flush out an are of the new Forgotten Realms (for the newest incarnation of the Dungeons and Dragons game soon to be released) and has nothing to do with actually writing good fantasy. I hesitate to use the word sell-out, since WotC pays his bills anway, but he seems to rely on the marketing of the gaming industry giant instead of the strength of his own writing anymore.
I can only recommend this book to the most hard-core of Drizzt fanbois; the type that jump at any chance to read about their quaint little dark elf hero with little regard as to the actual content or skill he is written with.
And, to continue the trend, Salvatore's naming conventions for his characters still slide downward into the hack writer abyss that is waiting.
It is also apparant that this current series of books is only intended to help flush out an are of the new Forgotten Realms (for the newest incarnation of the Dungeons and Dragons game soon to be released) and has nothing to do with actually writing good fantasy. I hesitate to use the word sell-out, since WotC pays his bills anway, but he seems to rely on the marketing of the gaming industry giant instead of the strength of his own writing anymore.
I can only recommend this book to the most hard-core of Drizzt fanbois; the type that jump at any chance to read about their quaint little dark elf hero with little regard as to the actual content or skill he is written with.
July 23, 2016
I enjoyed this book more than the last one. The relationship between Drizzt and Dahlia improves and around the middle of the book things really pick up action-wise. There's a great fight with some devils in the forst that kicks it off. After that we get and interesting scene where they strip the hides off 5 umber hulks to put on this bad guy in enchanted/cursed armor.
I say 'they' because I'm talking about the bad guys. I had a hard time keeping track of them all, like Valindra, Solyra, Herzgo, and many more minor ones. Thankfully a couple died off.
I'm really looking forward to the next book, as this one leads up to it nicely. It's good having the assassin back, and when he and Drizzt work together - as they're about to do in the next book and did in much of this one - the Drizzt books really get going.
I say 'they' because I'm talking about the bad guys. I had a hard time keeping track of them all, like Valindra, Solyra, Herzgo, and many more minor ones. Thankfully a couple died off.
I'm really looking forward to the next book, as this one leads up to it nicely. It's good having the assassin back, and when he and Drizzt work together - as they're about to do in the next book and did in much of this one - the Drizzt books really get going.
November 16, 2011
A great battle romp of a book, loads of great fight scenes intersposed with a little characterisation. The 'new' Drizzt is a refeshing change from the overly moral woe is me character that he has been at times in the past. A couple of "twists" were a little telegraphed and I saw them coming a mile off, but I have read all of prior books. A very enjoyable second installment to the series which is now well set up for the next book.
October 24, 2011
Neverwinter by R. A. Salvatore
Neverwinter is the second book in The Neverwinter Saga and is the twenty-first novel in The Legend of Drizzt series. The first book in the saga is Gauntlgrym and the next book is yet to be named at the time of this review. Neverwinter takes place in the Forgotten Realms universe of Dungeons and Dragons. The Legend of Drizzt series consists of 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 own 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. Neverwinter was released in October 2011 and is published by Wizards of the Coast LLC.
After losing the last of his friends, Drizzt Do'Urden finds himself seeking a new adventure. His only companion, the Thayan elf Dahlia Sin'felle, wants to take revenge on her former master, Sylora Salm. What else can Drizzt do but join her and hope to avenge all those lost due to Sylora's involvement in causing a massive eruption which wiped out all of Neverwinter. But Sylora has plans of her own to take down her former champion, as well as, conquer all of the newly thriving Neverwinter in the name of Thay. The only thing stopping her is the Empire of Netheril, who has plans for Neverwinter as well. Unfortunately for Drizzt, traveling with Dahlia isn't something that he expected and he finds himself challenged by her views the world.
Criticisms:
1) Drizzt. There are quite a few problems with Neverwinter, but one of the more prominent problems is, surprisingly enough, Drizzt Do'Urden. Drizzt feels like he's losing what it takes to be a main character. The only interesting thing that Drizzt undergoes is that he is starting to slowly question his morals. Unfortunately, this 'dilemma' is only briefly mentioned and wasn't explored any further than a brief mention. It would have been interesting to see Drizzt to start to question his views, but these scenes only brought up the fact that he is starting to see the world in a slightly different light. That said, they didn't really introduce this, they really only brought it up. Aside from that, Drizzt came off as very annoying. For the past few novels, Drizzt has became increasingly whiny and annoying. In Neverwinter, this quality of the more recent Drizzt is amplified. There were times when he became genuinely frustrating. Drizzt is no longer the "outsider trying to fit in" character that he was for the longest time. He should have moved past that quality and mindset, but it seems to continue popping up. Sure, he lost all his friends, but he seems to be getting over the loss and it never felt like the reason for his attitude. The weirdest thing about his lack of changing personality is that you barely noticed it before. But in this novel, this qualities seem to be amplified. The main problem with Drizzt in Neverwinter is that there is nothing new added to him to give him more depth as a character, and he feels like he is the same character that he has always been.
2) Story. Neverwinter had a story that never really felt like a story. That might be an odd or confusing statement, but it is the most accurate way to explain it. Neverwinter only felt like a short story expanded with slightly related events to make the novel over three hundred pages in length. Basically, it felt like the main plot could have been told in a fifty page short story or even a short novella. The main plot really involves Dahlia and Drizzt returning to Neverwinter to take down the Thayan presence in the area, or more specifically, to allow Dahlia her revenge against her former master, Sylora Salm. It's not a very strong concept to start with. The whole revenge premise is very plain for a Drizzt novel and it has been done before in the series. This revenge plot just feels weak and really couldn't carry this story. Then you have the forced-in side story to try to pad out the story to the three hundred forty-six page length novel. These side stories only seemed to want to build-up to the next novel, which is what a bridge novel like Neverwinter should do. However, the side stories don't feel like they are that important. The main reason for this is that Neverwinter is full of action with little more than that. This focus on action really harms the story overall, giving it a very boring narrative and little character development. When you really look at Neverwinter's story, it is just action and more action, and because of this it never felt like an actual story.
3) New. There is one problem that will bother dedicated Drizzt fans is that there doesn't seem to be anything new added to the series with Neverwinter. You can claim Drizzt's budding relationship with Dahlia, but it felt like that was happening in the first book of the trilogy. You can also claim Dahlia is something new, but it isn't for the same reason. The only real 'new' thing that Neverwinter can claim is that now there is a warlock character who is introduced. That's really it. The story felt dry and bland because of the lack of innovation. If Neverwinter continued what the previous novel was setting up, the idea that Drizzt is now alone with no friends he can count on, that could have been something relatively new and could have potentially added another dimension to an old character. But that is hardly brought up and only really mentioned in Drizzt's first reflective moment in the novel. While there are a few things introduced, nothing really made Neverwinter feel any different.
Praises:
1) Barrabus. Before I potentially spoil anything concerning Barrabus, I will say that I would not consider this to be a spoiler in any way, shape, or form due to the fact that within the first chapter, it is revealed that Barrabus is Artemis Entreri. That said, Entreri is one of the strongest characters in Neverwinter. I'm going to honest here, when I first considered Entreri to be Barrabus, I was disappointed. I'm happy to say that I couldn't have been more wrong. Entreri's scenes are probably some of the strongest in the novel and do add a lot to his character. The main reason for this is that the majority of Entreri's scenes aren't focused solely on action, they really rely on Entreri's reasons for what he is doing and the way he says and does things. That's not to say that Entreri doesn't fight, he does, quite a bit in fact. But there's motivation and reason to his fights, something that ninety-percent of the other fights seem to lack. Through his actions and words, we start to see an entirely different person appear. Entreri is still Entreri, but there is an obvious change to how he carries himself and his personality. Fans of Entreri won't be shocked by his slight change, but it is still noticeable. It also makes you wonder how he round-up getting to where he is at now. It's a nice change to an old character and something that Drizzt is sorely lacking.
2) Dahlia. There is another character who helps make Neverwinter tolerable, and that's Dahlia. She has some great moments in the story that help develop her more. The most impressive thing about Dahlia is that she is constantly challenging Drizzt's morals and ideals. She really puts him into place and she is something new and exciting in Drizzt's life. That said, she doesn't give the story that feeling of something new, but it is a welcome change over his past companions. While reading, you can't help but notice that Dahlia is a surprisingly deep early on. She has a very developed and unique personality and meshes well with Drizzt's. In the previous novel, Dahlia felt tack-on. In this one, she's a powerhouse and single-handily makes Drizzt's scenes bearable. Dahlia gives this story something exciting, and without her, Neverwinter would have been more of a chore to get through than it already was.
Side Notes:
1) Neverwinter. The setting really does seem to be interesting. I wouldn't mind learning more about the area.
2) Fights. For fans of R. A. Salvatore's fight scenes, you won't be disappointed with Neverwinter as it is chalked full of them.
3) Cover Art. The cover for Neverwinter isn't bad, but it feels old-hat. Seeing Drizzt fight someone isn't anything new and seeing him take on Barrabus isn't as exciting looking as it should be. The background, thankfully, looks wonderful. There is a lot of detail going on and you'll most likely find yourself staring at it for a while. I also must mention that the original version of the cover art had Dahlia and Herzgo Alegni, Barrabus' master, fighting in the background. To see this removed is slightly disappointing, but understandable as the two never cross weapons. It's a decent cover with a beautiful background.
Overall: 2/5
Final Thoughts:
Neverwinter felt like the weakest Drizzt Do'Urden novel written to date, and that's hard for me to say because I am a Drizzt fanboy. There are a lot of problems that just make Neverwinter one of the hardest, annoying novels I've read. The story is bland, the characters felt underused and severely underdeveloped, and there isn't anything new added to the Drizzt series. Drizzt himself is annoying and almost unbearable. He just comes off as whiny and doesn't seem to really do much. Drizzt didn't grow as the progressed and he felt like the same old character that hasn't really changed that much as the years passed. The story is as disappointingly simple as possible. There is hardly a story, focusing more on action. This makes everything suffer because the characters felt thin and underdeveloped. Truth be told, Neverwinter felt like it should have just been a short story. Thankfully, there are two bright spots that do help in making Neverwinter bearable. Those two are Dahlia and Barrabus. Both of these characters were the only ones that felt like they grew as the story went on. Barrabus was amazingly good. You wanted to know how he round-up in the situation he is in and you are glad to seem that he has changed as the years have passed. With Dahlia, she is just great. She makes the scenes with Drizzt bearable, and at times she's the only good thing. Unfortunately, these two don't save the novel from being as weak as it is. When it comes down to it, Neverwinter is just disappointing and I can only really recommend it to die-hard Drizzt fans.
Neverwinter is the second book in The Neverwinter Saga and is the twenty-first novel in The Legend of Drizzt series. The first book in the saga is Gauntlgrym and the next book is yet to be named at the time of this review. Neverwinter takes place in the Forgotten Realms universe of Dungeons and Dragons. The Legend of Drizzt series consists of 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 own 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. Neverwinter was released in October 2011 and is published by Wizards of the Coast LLC.
After losing the last of his friends, Drizzt Do'Urden finds himself seeking a new adventure. His only companion, the Thayan elf Dahlia Sin'felle, wants to take revenge on her former master, Sylora Salm. What else can Drizzt do but join her and hope to avenge all those lost due to Sylora's involvement in causing a massive eruption which wiped out all of Neverwinter. But Sylora has plans of her own to take down her former champion, as well as, conquer all of the newly thriving Neverwinter in the name of Thay. The only thing stopping her is the Empire of Netheril, who has plans for Neverwinter as well. Unfortunately for Drizzt, traveling with Dahlia isn't something that he expected and he finds himself challenged by her views the world.
Criticisms:
1) Drizzt. There are quite a few problems with Neverwinter, but one of the more prominent problems is, surprisingly enough, Drizzt Do'Urden. Drizzt feels like he's losing what it takes to be a main character. The only interesting thing that Drizzt undergoes is that he is starting to slowly question his morals. Unfortunately, this 'dilemma' is only briefly mentioned and wasn't explored any further than a brief mention. It would have been interesting to see Drizzt to start to question his views, but these scenes only brought up the fact that he is starting to see the world in a slightly different light. That said, they didn't really introduce this, they really only brought it up. Aside from that, Drizzt came off as very annoying. For the past few novels, Drizzt has became increasingly whiny and annoying. In Neverwinter, this quality of the more recent Drizzt is amplified. There were times when he became genuinely frustrating. Drizzt is no longer the "outsider trying to fit in" character that he was for the longest time. He should have moved past that quality and mindset, but it seems to continue popping up. Sure, he lost all his friends, but he seems to be getting over the loss and it never felt like the reason for his attitude. The weirdest thing about his lack of changing personality is that you barely noticed it before. But in this novel, this qualities seem to be amplified. The main problem with Drizzt in Neverwinter is that there is nothing new added to him to give him more depth as a character, and he feels like he is the same character that he has always been.
2) Story. Neverwinter had a story that never really felt like a story. That might be an odd or confusing statement, but it is the most accurate way to explain it. Neverwinter only felt like a short story expanded with slightly related events to make the novel over three hundred pages in length. Basically, it felt like the main plot could have been told in a fifty page short story or even a short novella. The main plot really involves Dahlia and Drizzt returning to Neverwinter to take down the Thayan presence in the area, or more specifically, to allow Dahlia her revenge against her former master, Sylora Salm. It's not a very strong concept to start with. The whole revenge premise is very plain for a Drizzt novel and it has been done before in the series. This revenge plot just feels weak and really couldn't carry this story. Then you have the forced-in side story to try to pad out the story to the three hundred forty-six page length novel. These side stories only seemed to want to build-up to the next novel, which is what a bridge novel like Neverwinter should do. However, the side stories don't feel like they are that important. The main reason for this is that Neverwinter is full of action with little more than that. This focus on action really harms the story overall, giving it a very boring narrative and little character development. When you really look at Neverwinter's story, it is just action and more action, and because of this it never felt like an actual story.
3) New. There is one problem that will bother dedicated Drizzt fans is that there doesn't seem to be anything new added to the series with Neverwinter. You can claim Drizzt's budding relationship with Dahlia, but it felt like that was happening in the first book of the trilogy. You can also claim Dahlia is something new, but it isn't for the same reason. The only real 'new' thing that Neverwinter can claim is that now there is a warlock character who is introduced. That's really it. The story felt dry and bland because of the lack of innovation. If Neverwinter continued what the previous novel was setting up, the idea that Drizzt is now alone with no friends he can count on, that could have been something relatively new and could have potentially added another dimension to an old character. But that is hardly brought up and only really mentioned in Drizzt's first reflective moment in the novel. While there are a few things introduced, nothing really made Neverwinter feel any different.
Praises:
1) Barrabus. Before I potentially spoil anything concerning Barrabus, I will say that I would not consider this to be a spoiler in any way, shape, or form due to the fact that within the first chapter, it is revealed that Barrabus is Artemis Entreri. That said, Entreri is one of the strongest characters in Neverwinter. I'm going to honest here, when I first considered Entreri to be Barrabus, I was disappointed. I'm happy to say that I couldn't have been more wrong. Entreri's scenes are probably some of the strongest in the novel and do add a lot to his character. The main reason for this is that the majority of Entreri's scenes aren't focused solely on action, they really rely on Entreri's reasons for what he is doing and the way he says and does things. That's not to say that Entreri doesn't fight, he does, quite a bit in fact. But there's motivation and reason to his fights, something that ninety-percent of the other fights seem to lack. Through his actions and words, we start to see an entirely different person appear. Entreri is still Entreri, but there is an obvious change to how he carries himself and his personality. Fans of Entreri won't be shocked by his slight change, but it is still noticeable. It also makes you wonder how he round-up getting to where he is at now. It's a nice change to an old character and something that Drizzt is sorely lacking.
2) Dahlia. There is another character who helps make Neverwinter tolerable, and that's Dahlia. She has some great moments in the story that help develop her more. The most impressive thing about Dahlia is that she is constantly challenging Drizzt's morals and ideals. She really puts him into place and she is something new and exciting in Drizzt's life. That said, she doesn't give the story that feeling of something new, but it is a welcome change over his past companions. While reading, you can't help but notice that Dahlia is a surprisingly deep early on. She has a very developed and unique personality and meshes well with Drizzt's. In the previous novel, Dahlia felt tack-on. In this one, she's a powerhouse and single-handily makes Drizzt's scenes bearable. Dahlia gives this story something exciting, and without her, Neverwinter would have been more of a chore to get through than it already was.
Side Notes:
1) Neverwinter. The setting really does seem to be interesting. I wouldn't mind learning more about the area.
2) Fights. For fans of R. A. Salvatore's fight scenes, you won't be disappointed with Neverwinter as it is chalked full of them.
3) Cover Art. The cover for Neverwinter isn't bad, but it feels old-hat. Seeing Drizzt fight someone isn't anything new and seeing him take on Barrabus isn't as exciting looking as it should be. The background, thankfully, looks wonderful. There is a lot of detail going on and you'll most likely find yourself staring at it for a while. I also must mention that the original version of the cover art had Dahlia and Herzgo Alegni, Barrabus' master, fighting in the background. To see this removed is slightly disappointing, but understandable as the two never cross weapons. It's a decent cover with a beautiful background.
Overall: 2/5
Final Thoughts:
Neverwinter felt like the weakest Drizzt Do'Urden novel written to date, and that's hard for me to say because I am a Drizzt fanboy. There are a lot of problems that just make Neverwinter one of the hardest, annoying novels I've read. The story is bland, the characters felt underused and severely underdeveloped, and there isn't anything new added to the Drizzt series. Drizzt himself is annoying and almost unbearable. He just comes off as whiny and doesn't seem to really do much. Drizzt didn't grow as the progressed and he felt like the same old character that hasn't really changed that much as the years passed. The story is as disappointingly simple as possible. There is hardly a story, focusing more on action. This makes everything suffer because the characters felt thin and underdeveloped. Truth be told, Neverwinter felt like it should have just been a short story. Thankfully, there are two bright spots that do help in making Neverwinter bearable. Those two are Dahlia and Barrabus. Both of these characters were the only ones that felt like they grew as the story went on. Barrabus was amazingly good. You wanted to know how he round-up in the situation he is in and you are glad to seem that he has changed as the years have passed. With Dahlia, she is just great. She makes the scenes with Drizzt bearable, and at times she's the only good thing. Unfortunately, these two don't save the novel from being as weak as it is. When it comes down to it, Neverwinter is just disappointing and I can only really recommend it to die-hard Drizzt fans.
April 9, 2022
NEVERWINTER is a transition novel, ironically, after the transition series. The primary focus of it is Drizzt Do'Urden struggling to deal with the issues that come with the Spellplague. The Realms have become a complete crapsack world with most of its major civilizations having fallen into barely functional tyranny. Drizzt also finds its increasingly less good versus evil and evil versus evil with the Thayans battling the Shadovar over Neverwinter.
Dahlia proves to be an interesting love interest for Drizzt as she's someone who constantly challenges his rosey romantic view of the world. The irony is that Drizzt doesn't do her much good as a boyfriend, either, not bothering to ask WHY she feels so strongly about such things. He's kind of a terrible one, really, as he's too wrapped up in his own ethical dilemmas to try to get to know someone he supposedly cared about.
Plus we have poor Artemis enslaved by the Shadovar. That was rough to read.
Dahlia proves to be an interesting love interest for Drizzt as she's someone who constantly challenges his rosey romantic view of the world. The irony is that Drizzt doesn't do her much good as a boyfriend, either, not bothering to ask WHY she feels so strongly about such things. He's kind of a terrible one, really, as he's too wrapped up in his own ethical dilemmas to try to get to know someone he supposedly cared about.
Plus we have poor Artemis enslaved by the Shadovar. That was rough to read.
August 2, 2017
Hämmennys on suuri. Ikikesä ei ollut Salvatore-asteikolla edes huono. Taistelut eivät olleet tylsiä, toimivan dialogin pilkahduksia oli siellä täällä, eikä kirja ollut missään nimessä samanlainen katastrofi kuin edeltäjänsä. Drizztin ja Dahlian suhde ei vielä vaikuttanut hirveältä muutamaa kertojan töksäytystä lukuun ottamatta, mutta eiköhän se vielä pääse oikeuksiinsa seuraavassa kirjassa. Jonka aion lukea. Voi minua.
August 28, 2020
Second book of Drizzt for me. The plot is interesting but a little too linear. Way too many combat scenes, hard to follow.
August 21, 2023
Relecture
November 2, 2024
Definitely more good than bad but large portions of the book devoted to the war between the two villainous factions who I'm struggling to care about. The individual characters' struggles are interesting but they all feel like they take a back seat to this ongoing war between the two and I just found myself waiting to get through those chapters to catch back up to Drizzt or Barabus.
January 18, 2012
I have to give Salvatore his props. I mean, if I had to list my influences, when I came to fight scenes, this is where I go. I could never hope to equal him, here, and I have no real aspirations to be this detailed, but yeah.
The thing is, I’ve never been a fan of the detailed fight scenes, but Salvatore gets me into them.
On top of that, I know he’s working with the 4.0 version of D&D’s Forgotten Realms here, and that’s admirable. I only know what I’ve heard of that version, because everyone I know who’s read it plays Pathfinder. I trust these people, so I play Pathfinder.
But what I find really cool, and have found cool for some time, is that Salvatore does a good job of blending the rules for combat in the roleplaying game with the action in his series. This causes discrepancies throughout the series, as he’s working with changes to the damn roleplaying game, but he still does a wondrous job of weaving the combat rules into what the characters are doing, while still making it fluid and enjoyable. It’s just rule-changes that screw him and make him seem inconsistent from one book to the next sometimes.
I do not, however, love any of the characters any longer. I don’t love Drizzt, which is a damn crying shame. But I am still intrigued. It’s just that I’m too aware of the 4.0 changes. I did really look forward to Drizzt and “Barrabus the Gray” crossing paths, and I wasn’t disappointed there. I do like Dahlia as a companion for Drizzt much more than I liked Cattie-Brie.
Where Cattie-Brie was Miss Perfect---even though she couldn’t actually hold her own in the fights, but had some cool weapons---Dahlia actually has skill and independence. I should be loving that, but instead I’m just appreciating it greatly.
I love that Dahlia has a dark past, but the way it gets played takes away from it. I can see what Salvatore tries to do with it, and I think that’s awesome, but it’s still…unfulfilling---to a character person.
But still, as ever, I have to give the man his dues. He is the King of Fight Scenes. He’s just working in a system where there’s not a lot of room for the things that let me love characters before. I blame Wizards of the Coast, at this point. Because all of the gripes I had about the series before---where it went, at least, because I loved it at first---have diminished or been replaced by better things.
We have Dahlia, instead of the Cattie-Brie that got on my nerves for so many reasons. Her ineptitude in battle that her companions, like, looked over, her over-perfect support role, and the fact that she should have freaking ended up with Wulfgar always got on my nerves. She’s gone.
Drizzt got so freaking emo about ten books ago, and just got worse and worse. He’s out of that now, and I should be enjoying the hell out of it, but it’s weird. And all the weirdness, and the fact that I’m not enjoying it as much as I should, can be chalked up to 4.0---just the second-hand information I’ve heard of it, even.
My conclusion is that Salvatore needs to break free of Wizards of the Coast and where Forgotten Realms has gone, and finish his series in his own way. I know it won’t happen, but I can fantasize, because it’s fantasy.
And I’ll be damned if I stop reading the series now, though in normal cases I might. I mean, in any other series, if I saw a change in all the gripes I had---for the better---and still wasn’t back in love with it, I’d stop reading. But I know what Salvatore’s working with, and I do applaud him for what’s here in relation to what he’s got to work with (4.0), so I do want to keep supporting the effort.
It is still interesting, when you take all that into effect. I just wished I loved somebody.
Jarlaxle, where are you? I just can’t believe you’re dead, man. Look, I know I’ve made fun of Salvatore for not being able to kill characters before, but damn, man. Damn. Please don’t be dead.
Finally, c’mon, now. Like we don’t know who Effron is. That’ll be about as much surprise as who Barrabus was (and that wasn’t even “supposed to be” a surprise, yo.)
And, finally, like I wouldn’t geek out to see a nightmare running alongside a unicorn.
And then I read the epilogue (yes, I wrote all this before I read the epilogue, because I didn’t want to forget) and I fully realize the kinds of things to look forward to in the next book. And yeah…yeah. There is hope I’ll love characters again.
Another thing. For so much of the book, Salvatore tries to do the third person limited omniscient thing, when straight omniscient is his thing, where he shines. Toward the end, he sinks back into that, and that’s where I got back into things---characters.
Weird, how that’s how he grabs me, a character person who’s usually much more into the limited thing. Huh.
The thing is, I’ve never been a fan of the detailed fight scenes, but Salvatore gets me into them.
On top of that, I know he’s working with the 4.0 version of D&D’s Forgotten Realms here, and that’s admirable. I only know what I’ve heard of that version, because everyone I know who’s read it plays Pathfinder. I trust these people, so I play Pathfinder.
But what I find really cool, and have found cool for some time, is that Salvatore does a good job of blending the rules for combat in the roleplaying game with the action in his series. This causes discrepancies throughout the series, as he’s working with changes to the damn roleplaying game, but he still does a wondrous job of weaving the combat rules into what the characters are doing, while still making it fluid and enjoyable. It’s just rule-changes that screw him and make him seem inconsistent from one book to the next sometimes.
I do not, however, love any of the characters any longer. I don’t love Drizzt, which is a damn crying shame. But I am still intrigued. It’s just that I’m too aware of the 4.0 changes. I did really look forward to Drizzt and “Barrabus the Gray” crossing paths, and I wasn’t disappointed there. I do like Dahlia as a companion for Drizzt much more than I liked Cattie-Brie.
Where Cattie-Brie was Miss Perfect---even though she couldn’t actually hold her own in the fights, but had some cool weapons---Dahlia actually has skill and independence. I should be loving that, but instead I’m just appreciating it greatly.
I love that Dahlia has a dark past, but the way it gets played takes away from it. I can see what Salvatore tries to do with it, and I think that’s awesome, but it’s still…unfulfilling---to a character person.
But still, as ever, I have to give the man his dues. He is the King of Fight Scenes. He’s just working in a system where there’s not a lot of room for the things that let me love characters before. I blame Wizards of the Coast, at this point. Because all of the gripes I had about the series before---where it went, at least, because I loved it at first---have diminished or been replaced by better things.
We have Dahlia, instead of the Cattie-Brie that got on my nerves for so many reasons. Her ineptitude in battle that her companions, like, looked over, her over-perfect support role, and the fact that she should have freaking ended up with Wulfgar always got on my nerves. She’s gone.
Drizzt got so freaking emo about ten books ago, and just got worse and worse. He’s out of that now, and I should be enjoying the hell out of it, but it’s weird. And all the weirdness, and the fact that I’m not enjoying it as much as I should, can be chalked up to 4.0---just the second-hand information I’ve heard of it, even.
My conclusion is that Salvatore needs to break free of Wizards of the Coast and where Forgotten Realms has gone, and finish his series in his own way. I know it won’t happen, but I can fantasize, because it’s fantasy.
And I’ll be damned if I stop reading the series now, though in normal cases I might. I mean, in any other series, if I saw a change in all the gripes I had---for the better---and still wasn’t back in love with it, I’d stop reading. But I know what Salvatore’s working with, and I do applaud him for what’s here in relation to what he’s got to work with (4.0), so I do want to keep supporting the effort.
It is still interesting, when you take all that into effect. I just wished I loved somebody.
Jarlaxle, where are you? I just can’t believe you’re dead, man. Look, I know I’ve made fun of Salvatore for not being able to kill characters before, but damn, man. Damn. Please don’t be dead.
Finally, c’mon, now. Like we don’t know who Effron is. That’ll be about as much surprise as who Barrabus was (and that wasn’t even “supposed to be” a surprise, yo.)
And, finally, like I wouldn’t geek out to see a nightmare running alongside a unicorn.
And then I read the epilogue (yes, I wrote all this before I read the epilogue, because I didn’t want to forget) and I fully realize the kinds of things to look forward to in the next book. And yeah…yeah. There is hope I’ll love characters again.
Another thing. For so much of the book, Salvatore tries to do the third person limited omniscient thing, when straight omniscient is his thing, where he shines. Toward the end, he sinks back into that, and that’s where I got back into things---characters.
Weird, how that’s how he grabs me, a character person who’s usually much more into the limited thing. Huh.
August 22, 2018
I miss the Companions of the Hall but this is a necessary turn for the Drizzt series.
Review at The Pluviophile Writer: https://bit.ly/2o0Gcio
3/5 stars.
Hardcover, 346 pages.
Read from June 14, 2018 to June 20, 2018.
This series is my reliable go-to when I am in a book slump and this saga has, in general, been a good surprise and turn from Salvatore's standard fare.
Drizzt has begun a new life. One remiss of his old companions. He is burdened by grief and anger but also a guilty sense of freedom that he was not expecting. This newfound feeling scares him as he feels himself becoming more primal, more dark-elf-like. He agrees to help his new companion and lover Dahlia on her quest for revenge, a prospect that he would never have agreed to before. Dahila intrigues Drizzt as she is a warrior and a woman that he has never known before. Their ventures bring them face to face with old frenemies that make Drizzy nostalgic and confused about his path and his moral choices.
After a solid start to this saga with Gauntlgrym , this novel was a little lacklustre. However, there is a great spoiler in the novel that confirmed my suspicions about Barrabus' real identity that was exciting. I do have to admit though, I miss Drizzt's regular companions and his old life but Salvatore had to make this move. When you are this far into a series you need to keep your characters dynamic and adaptable and this saga of novels delves deep into the core of Drizzt's moral compass.
What works with this saga is that it is dark and that Drizzt needs to get in touch with his inner self again which mirrors what made the first books in this series so memorable. This book, however, does seem weighted down with a lot of side plots and not-so-memorable characters making for a plot that isn't as concise or fluid as others.
While I miss the old companions and mourn them I can see the necessity of this change. However, it doesn't stop me from hoping that they will all magically make a come back at some point.
Review at The Pluviophile Writer: https://bit.ly/2o0Gcio
3/5 stars.
Hardcover, 346 pages.
Read from June 14, 2018 to June 20, 2018.
This series is my reliable go-to when I am in a book slump and this saga has, in general, been a good surprise and turn from Salvatore's standard fare.
Drizzt has begun a new life. One remiss of his old companions. He is burdened by grief and anger but also a guilty sense of freedom that he was not expecting. This newfound feeling scares him as he feels himself becoming more primal, more dark-elf-like. He agrees to help his new companion and lover Dahlia on her quest for revenge, a prospect that he would never have agreed to before. Dahila intrigues Drizzt as she is a warrior and a woman that he has never known before. Their ventures bring them face to face with old frenemies that make Drizzy nostalgic and confused about his path and his moral choices.
After a solid start to this saga with Gauntlgrym , this novel was a little lacklustre. However, there is a great spoiler in the novel that confirmed my suspicions about Barrabus' real identity that was exciting. I do have to admit though, I miss Drizzt's regular companions and his old life but Salvatore had to make this move. When you are this far into a series you need to keep your characters dynamic and adaptable and this saga of novels delves deep into the core of Drizzt's moral compass.
What works with this saga is that it is dark and that Drizzt needs to get in touch with his inner self again which mirrors what made the first books in this series so memorable. This book, however, does seem weighted down with a lot of side plots and not-so-memorable characters making for a plot that isn't as concise or fluid as others.
While I miss the old companions and mourn them I can see the necessity of this change. However, it doesn't stop me from hoping that they will all magically make a come back at some point.
April 29, 2012
I have read every single book that R.A. Salvatore has penned for the Forgotten Realms setting. Like many others, I was hooked by the character Drizzt Do'Urden many years ago. Having read all twenty-five novels, plus short stories, that Drizzt has starred or appeared in, I had thought that maybe the character had no surprises left for me. "Neverwinter" dispelled that notion.
**WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD**
Having lost almost everything and everyone that he held dear, Drizzt is left to ponder his place in the world and the path he should take. It is refreshing to see this uncertainty. This hearkens back to the young Drizzt Do'Urden that readers fell in love with. His ideals and convictions coming into question as his worldview collides with those around him. To see the great ranger not so sure of himself is at once saddening and exhilarating. When Drizzt feels the sting of losing his friends Bruenor and Wulgar, or the longing for his wife Catti-brie, I feel that sting too. After years of regaling in their adventures and exploits they were my family as much as his, but it is the way this loss forces Drizzt to examine himself and the world around him in new ways that makes this new tale so wonderful.
R.A. Salvatore has shown new facets of his signature drow character in this latest trilogy. The ever steady, ever certain warrior is left confused by the emotions he feels for the elf Dahlia and her very grey morality. Salvatore's willingness to allow Drizzt to move on to another lover might sting some readers but I round it realistic and engaging. Also, his willingness to force Drizzt into situations where his own moral code does not so easily mesh with the maturing drow's pragmatism is also a treat. That Drizzt's wide-eyed idealism is being tempered by his years of experience among surface-dwellers, his years of introspection and his recent losses is only to be expected. I for one do not wish to Drizzt become a hardened cynic in his later years but if Mr. Salvatore sees the character going that way I will still be along for the ride. I'm sure it will just as enthralling as the journey thus far.
**WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD**
Having lost almost everything and everyone that he held dear, Drizzt is left to ponder his place in the world and the path he should take. It is refreshing to see this uncertainty. This hearkens back to the young Drizzt Do'Urden that readers fell in love with. His ideals and convictions coming into question as his worldview collides with those around him. To see the great ranger not so sure of himself is at once saddening and exhilarating. When Drizzt feels the sting of losing his friends Bruenor and Wulgar, or the longing for his wife Catti-brie, I feel that sting too. After years of regaling in their adventures and exploits they were my family as much as his, but it is the way this loss forces Drizzt to examine himself and the world around him in new ways that makes this new tale so wonderful.
R.A. Salvatore has shown new facets of his signature drow character in this latest trilogy. The ever steady, ever certain warrior is left confused by the emotions he feels for the elf Dahlia and her very grey morality. Salvatore's willingness to allow Drizzt to move on to another lover might sting some readers but I round it realistic and engaging. Also, his willingness to force Drizzt into situations where his own moral code does not so easily mesh with the maturing drow's pragmatism is also a treat. That Drizzt's wide-eyed idealism is being tempered by his years of experience among surface-dwellers, his years of introspection and his recent losses is only to be expected. I for one do not wish to Drizzt become a hardened cynic in his later years but if Mr. Salvatore sees the character going that way I will still be along for the ride. I'm sure it will just as enthralling as the journey thus far.
February 16, 2012
First and foremost I would like to say, I miss the companions of the hall! Yes, I know Salvatore has been writing the Drizzt books for over 10 years and yes I know that new directions must be made but.. why Bruenor? Why?!
Ahem. Back to the review.
Neverwinter starts off a bit after Gauntlgrym. The town of Neverwinter has been demolished and is in the midst of rebuilding, the ashen zombies brought forth by the Lich Valindra are however hindering that notion. Herzgo Alegni is still plotting his schemes and Barrabus is still his slave. Sylora still is trying to complete her dread ring while harboring hatred for Dahlia who is now traveling with Drizzt in order to stop Sylora once and for all.
Enough plots for you? Indeed, the twists and turns in this book are many and can become cumbersome, however not to the point of making you want to stop reading, truly Salvatore shines in his action packed battles and there are plenty abound! I love the usage of swordplay and sorcery in this series and Neverwinter delivers on both while still making you think.
The characters themselves are complex and you know who you should and should not like. However, I still feel distanced from Dahlia. She is still much an enigma and the way she makes Drizzt question his ‘goodly’ nature is not endearing. I like my lavender eyed drow to be good, not undecided. We are also introduced to a few more new characters that add spice and intrigue into the story.
Do NOT think you will find romance in this story, there is none. The few encounters that could possibly be romantic are few, short and only hinted at. That’s how I like it though, I do not enjoy a book that focuses on lovey dovey drama, give me blood and gore and fighting any day and you have a happy fangirl.
While the companions are not in tow anymore and while the series is taking new directions, I like where it is going. There is still fighting, mystery and of course Drizzt and that is what I always keep coming back to Salvatore for.
Ahem. Back to the review.
Neverwinter starts off a bit after Gauntlgrym. The town of Neverwinter has been demolished and is in the midst of rebuilding, the ashen zombies brought forth by the Lich Valindra are however hindering that notion. Herzgo Alegni is still plotting his schemes and Barrabus is still his slave. Sylora still is trying to complete her dread ring while harboring hatred for Dahlia who is now traveling with Drizzt in order to stop Sylora once and for all.
Enough plots for you? Indeed, the twists and turns in this book are many and can become cumbersome, however not to the point of making you want to stop reading, truly Salvatore shines in his action packed battles and there are plenty abound! I love the usage of swordplay and sorcery in this series and Neverwinter delivers on both while still making you think.
The characters themselves are complex and you know who you should and should not like. However, I still feel distanced from Dahlia. She is still much an enigma and the way she makes Drizzt question his ‘goodly’ nature is not endearing. I like my lavender eyed drow to be good, not undecided. We are also introduced to a few more new characters that add spice and intrigue into the story.
Do NOT think you will find romance in this story, there is none. The few encounters that could possibly be romantic are few, short and only hinted at. That’s how I like it though, I do not enjoy a book that focuses on lovey dovey drama, give me blood and gore and fighting any day and you have a happy fangirl.
While the companions are not in tow anymore and while the series is taking new directions, I like where it is going. There is still fighting, mystery and of course Drizzt and that is what I always keep coming back to Salvatore for.
April 24, 2012
It’s best if you read Gauntlgrym before diving into this one. Lots of events are referenced to the previous book and the story is continuous.
Again, this book does not disappoint the typical Drizzt fan. I really like how his character is developing so far. There are moments throughout the book where I too, feel the loss of his previous closest friends but yet these new experiences Dahlia is introducing to him is also welcoming.
I really am liking Dahlia as a character. In a sense, it’s nice to read how both her and Drizzt are bringing out these changes within each other as they’re both different in personality and very different on their views and opinions. I also have to admit I also like the romantic tension between them, it was inevitable and although she’s definitely not as fun loving as Cattie-Brie, but there’s something very likable in Dahlia. The way she fights, her sly sneaky ways, and who can not comment about her sultry vampy qualities as well?
The plot in this book was well done. There’s a lot of intrigue and backroom planning and plotting. I really enjoyed the story with Barrabus the Gray. I wasn’t expecting that little twist but it was really fun to read! The other story arc, with Sylora Salm was also really good and the ending as usual with R A Salvatore, is fantastic and makes you want to read the next book in the series.
The action scenes in this book is the same, but as always, it’s wonderful to read and can be easily pictured. Salvatore’s writing doesn’t change but his characters do - and that’s a great thing. I loved the ending it does leave room for more questions but now it seems Drizzt will be on another adventure to help an ‘old friend’ out.
Definitely recommended for Drizzt fans. The plot in this series just keeps getting better and better. Everything is changing, but I think it’s for the better in this series. Let’s hope it never stops!
Again, this book does not disappoint the typical Drizzt fan. I really like how his character is developing so far. There are moments throughout the book where I too, feel the loss of his previous closest friends but yet these new experiences Dahlia is introducing to him is also welcoming.
I really am liking Dahlia as a character. In a sense, it’s nice to read how both her and Drizzt are bringing out these changes within each other as they’re both different in personality and very different on their views and opinions. I also have to admit I also like the romantic tension between them, it was inevitable and although she’s definitely not as fun loving as Cattie-Brie, but there’s something very likable in Dahlia. The way she fights, her sly sneaky ways, and who can not comment about her sultry vampy qualities as well?
The plot in this book was well done. There’s a lot of intrigue and backroom planning and plotting. I really enjoyed the story with Barrabus the Gray. I wasn’t expecting that little twist but it was really fun to read! The other story arc, with Sylora Salm was also really good and the ending as usual with R A Salvatore, is fantastic and makes you want to read the next book in the series.
The action scenes in this book is the same, but as always, it’s wonderful to read and can be easily pictured. Salvatore’s writing doesn’t change but his characters do - and that’s a great thing. I loved the ending it does leave room for more questions but now it seems Drizzt will be on another adventure to help an ‘old friend’ out.
Definitely recommended for Drizzt fans. The plot in this series just keeps getting better and better. Everything is changing, but I think it’s for the better in this series. Let’s hope it never stops!
October 10, 2011
I love Drizzt. And yes, I totally mean that in a creepy fan girl type of way ;) Ok, maybe not really, but I do always love books about Drizzt. I even created Drizzt and Catti-Brie costumes for my brother and I, possibly the most kick-ass cosplay ever. Salvatore delivers, over and over, quickly, and with the same quality every time. He has to be one of the best fighting scene writers ever.
I wish I'd re-read the first book in this new series first, as I was a little lost if I'm gonna be honest. I haven't really assimilated all these new characters yet, and I'm still struggling with the light speed time warp that preceded this most current set, so I'm a little fuzzy on the time line. Even so, I remembered a lot as I read, and enjoyed it immensely as always.
As I'm sure many people were, I was sad to see the companions of the hall fade into the ether, but at the same time, excited about the new possibilities. I was almost sure of a certain characters return in the first book, but my mind was silently screaming say it ain't so! I thought it would upset me greatly, but now I find it doesn't bother me at all. It's nice to have a familiar, yet different, face in the story. I'm impressed with the new characters too, it's gotta be hard to follow the great group he had through so many books, but he's managed to come up with new and vibrant characters without feeling like the old ones are being replaced, and continuing the legacy. I already am feeling apprehensive on behalf of Dahlia, as she obviously has some horrible surprises to live through in the next book, but I look forward to reading it!
I wish I'd re-read the first book in this new series first, as I was a little lost if I'm gonna be honest. I haven't really assimilated all these new characters yet, and I'm still struggling with the light speed time warp that preceded this most current set, so I'm a little fuzzy on the time line. Even so, I remembered a lot as I read, and enjoyed it immensely as always.
As I'm sure many people were, I was sad to see the companions of the hall fade into the ether, but at the same time, excited about the new possibilities. I was almost sure of a certain characters return in the first book, but my mind was silently screaming say it ain't so! I thought it would upset me greatly, but now I find it doesn't bother me at all. It's nice to have a familiar, yet different, face in the story. I'm impressed with the new characters too, it's gotta be hard to follow the great group he had through so many books, but he's managed to come up with new and vibrant characters without feeling like the old ones are being replaced, and continuing the legacy. I already am feeling apprehensive on behalf of Dahlia, as she obviously has some horrible surprises to live through in the next book, but I look forward to reading it!
December 22, 2011
Like the first book in this trilogy, "Neverwinter" suffers under its reliance on combat. Salvatore lingers too long in fight scenes instead of investing more serious effort in making the reader care about what's at stake.
Some really interesting things happen to Drizzt, as far as developing his character, thanks to his interactions with the starkly opposite Dahlia. At first I was hoping Drizzt wouldn't fall for her charms, but I enjoyed the contrast between them - and the irony that the dark elf is the "good" one, the normal elf the "bad" one. This was some development that he needed badly for his new life post-Mithral Hall, but sadly, this entire plot thread practically vanished in Part II.
The entire excursion to Luskan felt a little useless - perhaps this will change in the light of the third book. Like the first book, though, the setting continued to stray far from Neverwinter itself, a strange move in a trilogy (and a book!) named for the city. Herzgo Alegni's scenes are almost exclusively set there, but they are few. This isn't necessarily a flaw, but it's a poor decision to name a trilogy after a setting where at least 2/3 of the story doesn't take place. It smacks of a poor attempt to market the new D&D 4E campaign setting.
Drizzt fans will be satisfied, but probably won't adore this entry in the series. There's some tantalizing developments, but they fall by the wayside in favour of chapter-spanning battles. Here's hoping the third book redeems the trilogy!
Some really interesting things happen to Drizzt, as far as developing his character, thanks to his interactions with the starkly opposite Dahlia. At first I was hoping Drizzt wouldn't fall for her charms, but I enjoyed the contrast between them - and the irony that the dark elf is the "good" one, the normal elf the "bad" one. This was some development that he needed badly for his new life post-Mithral Hall, but sadly, this entire plot thread practically vanished in Part II.
The entire excursion to Luskan felt a little useless - perhaps this will change in the light of the third book. Like the first book, though, the setting continued to stray far from Neverwinter itself, a strange move in a trilogy (and a book!) named for the city. Herzgo Alegni's scenes are almost exclusively set there, but they are few. This isn't necessarily a flaw, but it's a poor decision to name a trilogy after a setting where at least 2/3 of the story doesn't take place. It smacks of a poor attempt to market the new D&D 4E campaign setting.
Drizzt fans will be satisfied, but probably won't adore this entry in the series. There's some tantalizing developments, but they fall by the wayside in favour of chapter-spanning battles. Here's hoping the third book redeems the trilogy!
December 17, 2012
Since Catti died, it has not been the same. I really hate Dahlia, she's arrogant, rash and just seems to teach Drizzt to be bad. When he wants to help people, she mocks him. Reminds me of the seeker's Dahlia too, and that one was also a villain. I pick it up because i like the dark elf and feel his loss keenly.
Also Jar is gone! that's so sad. Understand author has to comply with the game's plot. These new volumes aren't as powerful and resonant with me as Homeland-sojourn and icewind dale. Those were the best moments of the journey by far!
Also Jar is gone! that's so sad. Understand author has to comply with the game's plot. These new volumes aren't as powerful and resonant with me as Homeland-sojourn and icewind dale. Those were the best moments of the journey by far!
December 31, 2011
Mon. Dec. 26, 2011
Been waiting on this one for about a year or so now
xoDaleB.xo
Sat. Dec. 31, 2011
Took a bit to get into as i hadn't read the 1st book for over a year and then i got sick for two days and didn't even feel like reading even, but i did get finished today...I luv the Dri'zzt books since they came out and now i want to go back and read some others again. Dang i can't wait for the last one to come out so i can finish this trilogy.
xoDaleB.xo
Been waiting on this one for about a year or so now
xoDaleB.xo
Sat. Dec. 31, 2011
Took a bit to get into as i hadn't read the 1st book for over a year and then i got sick for two days and didn't even feel like reading even, but i did get finished today...I luv the Dri'zzt books since they came out and now i want to go back and read some others again. Dang i can't wait for the last one to come out so i can finish this trilogy.
xoDaleB.xo
June 19, 2016
This series used to be heroic fantasy. Now everybody is a villain and they try to outdo each other in graphic displays of senseless cruelty. I really don't need to read about how they boil someone's skin off or how Barrabus almost cuts his own genitalia off. And even Drizzt himself is turning into a shady character influenced by the repulsive Dahlia.
Honestly, if reading this book weren't a part of my actual job, I would've dropped the series 10 books ago.
Honestly, if reading this book weren't a part of my actual job, I would've dropped the series 10 books ago.
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