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Saga of the First King #1
The Highwayman
Long ago, in a distant land, a lonely young man struggles to discover who he is and where he belongs. He carries the blood and magic of two people, a sword of unimaginable power, and the staggering potential for great good, or greater evil.
405 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
127 people are currently reading
2603 people want to read
About the author
R.A. Salvatore
607 books11.3k 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 151 reviews
March 25, 2010
When Salvatore was pitching this book idea, I imagine his brainstorm chart began with the following question: what would happen if I took a dash of Robin Hood, a pinch of the Lone Ranger and more than a couple of helpings of Zorro, and threw it all in a blender with all the classic fantasy cliches?
To be fair, in the end, all of this wasn't really all that bad of a mix. Yeah, I'll admit that the whole premise behind the Bransen character might seem a bit overcooked and juvenile--even for a fantasy character-- but I've always had a soft spot for romantic heroes and the epic, far-fetched nature of fantasy fiction, so consider my review a lot more lenient in this assessment.
Mind, less patient readers will find that the first half of the book is rather slow moving. Establishing the background and the setting is always the tricky bit with fantasy novels. The main characters get a bit of a backseat as the panorama expands to include as much of the main ideas and points that will potentially be built up on as the series progresses. Salvatore is a bit clumsy in his pacing here, and it's clear he must have been frustrated with this part of the story, because as soon as all the players and key events are set in place, the narrative takes on a whole new character... and in the last hundred pages or so, you can't put the book down.
Especially if you're a bit of a swashbuckling adventure freak like me.
Salvatore isn't a very talented writer, but he is good at what he does and that is commercial science fiction and fantasy. His style is like one of grandma's no-name brand digestive sugar-cookies. It's a homely staple you wouldn't particularly go out of your way to buy on your own, but if it's right in front of you, it's flavorful enough that you won't really say "no" to second helpings... or the next chapter, as is the case here.
I can't say I was entirely overwhelmed by the originality in the ideas here, but "The Highwayman" was at the very least an entertaining read and I haven't the heart to give it any less than three stars.
To be fair, in the end, all of this wasn't really all that bad of a mix. Yeah, I'll admit that the whole premise behind the Bransen character might seem a bit overcooked and juvenile--even for a fantasy character-- but I've always had a soft spot for romantic heroes and the epic, far-fetched nature of fantasy fiction, so consider my review a lot more lenient in this assessment.
Mind, less patient readers will find that the first half of the book is rather slow moving. Establishing the background and the setting is always the tricky bit with fantasy novels. The main characters get a bit of a backseat as the panorama expands to include as much of the main ideas and points that will potentially be built up on as the series progresses. Salvatore is a bit clumsy in his pacing here, and it's clear he must have been frustrated with this part of the story, because as soon as all the players and key events are set in place, the narrative takes on a whole new character... and in the last hundred pages or so, you can't put the book down.
Especially if you're a bit of a swashbuckling adventure freak like me.
Salvatore isn't a very talented writer, but he is good at what he does and that is commercial science fiction and fantasy. His style is like one of grandma's no-name brand digestive sugar-cookies. It's a homely staple you wouldn't particularly go out of your way to buy on your own, but if it's right in front of you, it's flavorful enough that you won't really say "no" to second helpings... or the next chapter, as is the case here.
I can't say I was entirely overwhelmed by the originality in the ideas here, but "The Highwayman" was at the very least an entertaining read and I haven't the heart to give it any less than three stars.
November 15, 2010
One of the best fantasy books I've read in a while. I actually started reading this series with the second book, The Ancient, and was interested enough in the main character, Bransen Garibond, aka The Highwayman, that I went back and bought this book. This book is dedicated solely to describing Bransen, starting with his parents' meeting and marriage, through his becoming the dashing Robin Hood-like Highwayman. It establishes the character that is then featured in next three books, The Ancient, The Dame, and The Bear. As I finished this book, the thought occurred to me that this story would make a great movie.
Anyway, I strongly recommend The Highwayman.
Anyway, I strongly recommend The Highwayman.
June 28, 2020
RA Salvatore is always readable: quick and easy. However, while to a degree the simplified racism-plot and protagonist with disabilities are earnest attempts at representation, the latter is terribly problematic even as the former is (relatively) forgivable in a light fantasy novel. There are too many issues with the protagonist to cover in a quick review: constant descriptions of his disabilities making him imperfect and broken, magic “solving” the disabilities, his inability to be a hero of any stripe while still disabled, etc. Add to that gross, but again ignorantly earnest, misogyny, and the easily engaging prose becomes almost altogether distasteful.
July 23, 2019
Although it's easy to think, judging by the title, the book cover and some of the reviews, that The Highwayman by R.A. Salvatore is a retelling of Robin Hood. I can assure you it is not.
The tale begins with a Robin Hood-esque scene in God's Year 74.
Prince Yeslnik's coach, carrying him, his wife and taxes, is set upon by blood-thirsty dwarves called powries. When all seems lost, the adventurous masked man sweeps in and dispatches the dwarves. When the Prince offers his thanks and a reward, the Highwayman decides he'll just take the gold and jewels they are carrying. The Highwayman mysteriously heals one of the injured coachmen before leaving.
The story then goes back to God's Year 54, before the Highwayman is born.
The beginning of the book tells the story of his parents.
Young Brother Bran Dynard of Chapel Pryd, a follower of Blessed Abelle, is sent to preach to the heathens living in the wilderness of Behr.
Bran soon discovers that the people of Behr are neither beasts nor uncivilized. The monks of Blessed Abelle already use gemstones for certain tricks and healing but the abilities of the mystics in Behr, the Jhesta Tu, are far superior, and peaceful.
Smitten by Sen Wi, one of the dark-skinned mystic, Bran devotes his life to learning their language and mysticism, deciding that these teachings don't go against his beliefs but rather, enhance them.
Bran spends years meticulously copying a beautiful manuscript that relates the ways of Jhesta Tu.
He weds Sen Wi, and the two of them travel back to his land with the copy of the book to offer this knowledge.
What Bran cannot fathom or anticipate is how closed minded the brothers of Blessed Abelle will be to these new teachings.
As they get nearer to home, Bran discovers that people might not be tolerant of his dark-skinned bride because the people of Behr are truly considered to be beasts.
We learn that there is also another religious sect vying for influence with the Court.
The Samhaist are more focused on the vanity of life, and accepting of death, not concerned with healing but rather sacrifice, human sacrifice, especially the criminal, the weak and the frail. They are an order that inflicts punishment without mercy and are much loved in certain circles.
At one point, we read of a young woman accused of adultery, taken up before the priest of the Samhaist. She is placed in a body bag with a serpent After the serpent bites her, poisoning her, she is taken out of the bag and staked to a post on the open road to die a slow, painful death.
Pryd is a rather small, proud House in the land of Honce and the larger Houses are pressuring them to align with their Houses. No choice has on whom they will serve has to be decided yet because the land of Honce is currently at war with an invading army of powries. There is plenty of violence and mayhem as humans battle the red-capped dwarves.
Young Prince Prydae makes a name for himself in this war, alongside his large, indomitable friend, Bannagran,
There is some interesting political plot points thrown in to the mix giving the war and decisions of the Court in regards to the religions more purpose.
As Bran and Sen Wi come back into the land, they happen upon the woman dying on the stake. Some powries are about to make off with her body. Sen Wi surprises her husband as she unsheathes a beautiful sword and using the ways of Jhesta Tu, effortlessly defeats them. She then heals the dying woman and they take her to Garibond, a reclusive old man Bran knows of. He agrees to safeguard her until she is healthy enough to leave the area.
What we don't know at the time is, when Sen Wi heals the woman, she takes the snake poison into her body knowing her mystical training can fend off the negative effects. This is not so, however, for the child she is carrying in her womb.
After a series of contentious disagreements with his order at Chapel Pryd, and with the royals at Castle Pryd concerning this new mysticism and mysterious beast of Behr he married, Bran insists Sen Wi go to live with Garibond.
It was a wise decision for the Court decides they want Bran and the woman arrested. Bran is taken prisoner by his own brothers in the chapel of Blessed Abelle who believe he has been tainted, and with a firm hand, they can cure him of this foreign woman's influence.
Bran assures them Sen Wi went back to Behr.
After a series of events to help her husband, unsuccessfully, Sen Wi is badly injured. When she gives birth, the child is stillborn. Dying, employing what little magic is left in her, Sen Wi, give the child life.
The old recluse, Garibond is left to raise the infant on his own.
I've probably related more of the story than I should but it should be known that the child lives but is not at all healthy. In fact, he can hardly walk and talk, always drooling. Everyone, especially the other children, tease and harass him unmercifully, calling him 'The Stork' because of the awkward manner in which he walks.
The Highwayman surprisingly covers a lot of ground, touching upon a host of evils and virtues, prejudices and religious shortcomings. The story ends with several important battles, one of which leads us to believe there is more to be known about the mystical realm the Highwayman is only beginning to learn about.
R.A. Salvatore has created another classic character, a boy that learns to overcome his handicaps and deficiencies to be the scourge of the rich and powerful, and the hope of the poor and starving.
It's not Robin Hood. It does contain some elements of Zorro, as in the masked man actually lives right under their noses while tormenting them. But then again, who would think a frail, word-slurring, cripple living in a tiny cell in Chapel Pryd would be the swift and talented Highwayman. 5 stars.
The tale begins with a Robin Hood-esque scene in God's Year 74.
Prince Yeslnik's coach, carrying him, his wife and taxes, is set upon by blood-thirsty dwarves called powries. When all seems lost, the adventurous masked man sweeps in and dispatches the dwarves. When the Prince offers his thanks and a reward, the Highwayman decides he'll just take the gold and jewels they are carrying. The Highwayman mysteriously heals one of the injured coachmen before leaving.
The story then goes back to God's Year 54, before the Highwayman is born.
The beginning of the book tells the story of his parents.
Young Brother Bran Dynard of Chapel Pryd, a follower of Blessed Abelle, is sent to preach to the heathens living in the wilderness of Behr.
Bran soon discovers that the people of Behr are neither beasts nor uncivilized. The monks of Blessed Abelle already use gemstones for certain tricks and healing but the abilities of the mystics in Behr, the Jhesta Tu, are far superior, and peaceful.
Smitten by Sen Wi, one of the dark-skinned mystic, Bran devotes his life to learning their language and mysticism, deciding that these teachings don't go against his beliefs but rather, enhance them.
Bran spends years meticulously copying a beautiful manuscript that relates the ways of Jhesta Tu.
He weds Sen Wi, and the two of them travel back to his land with the copy of the book to offer this knowledge.
What Bran cannot fathom or anticipate is how closed minded the brothers of Blessed Abelle will be to these new teachings.
As they get nearer to home, Bran discovers that people might not be tolerant of his dark-skinned bride because the people of Behr are truly considered to be beasts.
We learn that there is also another religious sect vying for influence with the Court.
The Samhaist are more focused on the vanity of life, and accepting of death, not concerned with healing but rather sacrifice, human sacrifice, especially the criminal, the weak and the frail. They are an order that inflicts punishment without mercy and are much loved in certain circles.
At one point, we read of a young woman accused of adultery, taken up before the priest of the Samhaist. She is placed in a body bag with a serpent After the serpent bites her, poisoning her, she is taken out of the bag and staked to a post on the open road to die a slow, painful death.
Pryd is a rather small, proud House in the land of Honce and the larger Houses are pressuring them to align with their Houses. No choice has on whom they will serve has to be decided yet because the land of Honce is currently at war with an invading army of powries. There is plenty of violence and mayhem as humans battle the red-capped dwarves.
Young Prince Prydae makes a name for himself in this war, alongside his large, indomitable friend, Bannagran,
There is some interesting political plot points thrown in to the mix giving the war and decisions of the Court in regards to the religions more purpose.
As Bran and Sen Wi come back into the land, they happen upon the woman dying on the stake. Some powries are about to make off with her body. Sen Wi surprises her husband as she unsheathes a beautiful sword and using the ways of Jhesta Tu, effortlessly defeats them. She then heals the dying woman and they take her to Garibond, a reclusive old man Bran knows of. He agrees to safeguard her until she is healthy enough to leave the area.
What we don't know at the time is, when Sen Wi heals the woman, she takes the snake poison into her body knowing her mystical training can fend off the negative effects. This is not so, however, for the child she is carrying in her womb.
After a series of contentious disagreements with his order at Chapel Pryd, and with the royals at Castle Pryd concerning this new mysticism and mysterious beast of Behr he married, Bran insists Sen Wi go to live with Garibond.
It was a wise decision for the Court decides they want Bran and the woman arrested. Bran is taken prisoner by his own brothers in the chapel of Blessed Abelle who believe he has been tainted, and with a firm hand, they can cure him of this foreign woman's influence.
Bran assures them Sen Wi went back to Behr.
After a series of events to help her husband, unsuccessfully, Sen Wi is badly injured. When she gives birth, the child is stillborn. Dying, employing what little magic is left in her, Sen Wi, give the child life.
The old recluse, Garibond is left to raise the infant on his own.
I've probably related more of the story than I should but it should be known that the child lives but is not at all healthy. In fact, he can hardly walk and talk, always drooling. Everyone, especially the other children, tease and harass him unmercifully, calling him 'The Stork' because of the awkward manner in which he walks.
The Highwayman surprisingly covers a lot of ground, touching upon a host of evils and virtues, prejudices and religious shortcomings. The story ends with several important battles, one of which leads us to believe there is more to be known about the mystical realm the Highwayman is only beginning to learn about.
R.A. Salvatore has created another classic character, a boy that learns to overcome his handicaps and deficiencies to be the scourge of the rich and powerful, and the hope of the poor and starving.
It's not Robin Hood. It does contain some elements of Zorro, as in the masked man actually lives right under their noses while tormenting them. But then again, who would think a frail, word-slurring, cripple living in a tiny cell in Chapel Pryd would be the swift and talented Highwayman. 5 stars.
July 30, 2017
If you take Zorro & Robin Hood put them in a classic fantasy setting - mix it all together and serve over ice then you get the cocktail that Salvatore calls The Highwayman.
If you add in all the things that Salvatore does great, characters and fight scenes then you've got a nice serving of good times.
I really like this book.
Take it for what it is - an adventure book where the good guys take on the bad guys and of course there's a beautiful young maiden to be rescued as well.
Good stuff.
If you add in all the things that Salvatore does great, characters and fight scenes then you've got a nice serving of good times.
I really like this book.
Take it for what it is - an adventure book where the good guys take on the bad guys and of course there's a beautiful young maiden to be rescued as well.
Good stuff.
June 13, 2011
Liked this book very much... need to read the next.
One complaint, and a small one, was that I spent the whole book going "okay, I know what's coming next, just get on with it", still very enjoyable but drove me nuts... I mean there's a difference between "foreshadowing" and "giving the game away early"... or better yet "making me thing one things going to happen and then having it happen in a way or context that is entirely unexpected"... none of that in this book.
That said, action, adventure, an excellent treatment of "rare and costly magic", a compelling story line that kept me interested to the end... and a resolution of the story with a brief epilogue setting up the next book in the series instead of being left hanging and needing to "tune in next week" like some books (.Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean)
One complaint, and a small one, was that I spent the whole book going "okay, I know what's coming next, just get on with it", still very enjoyable but drove me nuts... I mean there's a difference between "foreshadowing" and "giving the game away early"... or better yet "making me thing one things going to happen and then having it happen in a way or context that is entirely unexpected"... none of that in this book.
That said, action, adventure, an excellent treatment of "rare and costly magic", a compelling story line that kept me interested to the end... and a resolution of the story with a brief epilogue setting up the next book in the series instead of being left hanging and needing to "tune in next week" like some books (.Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean)
September 25, 2009
The story of The Highwayman was a brilliant read. It was hard to put the book down. Salvatore accomplished another wonderful story about the land of Corona.
It started out with Bran, an Abellican monk, going as a missionary to the land of Behr where he fell in-love with Sen Wi, a Jhesta Tu mystic. Bran being from Honce had light skin, while Sen Wi from Behr was dark. They realized how their religions worked together to be one amazing and true religion. Bran saw how wonderful the teachings of Jhest were and wanted to share what he learned about them with his fellow monks. Him and his new wife took off for the land of Honce and Bran's home to find out the monks and Laird were not that accepting.
Things went on from there about a boy who went from being this messed up kid that could barely walk and was always made fun of to a type of hero to the peasants. You could say the Highwayman was a type of Robin Hood, but he had many more trials to overcome.
I would only recommend it to adults though. There were some pretty horrible scenes in the book. Still worth the read though.
It started out with Bran, an Abellican monk, going as a missionary to the land of Behr where he fell in-love with Sen Wi, a Jhesta Tu mystic. Bran being from Honce had light skin, while Sen Wi from Behr was dark. They realized how their religions worked together to be one amazing and true religion. Bran saw how wonderful the teachings of Jhest were and wanted to share what he learned about them with his fellow monks. Him and his new wife took off for the land of Honce and Bran's home to find out the monks and Laird were not that accepting.
Things went on from there about a boy who went from being this messed up kid that could barely walk and was always made fun of to a type of hero to the peasants. You could say the Highwayman was a type of Robin Hood, but he had many more trials to overcome.
I would only recommend it to adults though. There were some pretty horrible scenes in the book. Still worth the read though.
April 11, 2016
THE HIGHWAYMAN - R.A. Salvatore (First King #1) | Fantasia Medieval de um Super-Herói! | Tor Fantasy, 2007, 420pgs.
De volta a literatura de fantasia, e anos depois de ler a fantástica saga DEMON WARS do R.A. Salvatore, retorno ao mundo de Corona com a Saga of the First King, a trilogia de romances que contam a história do primeiro rei de Honce. E Salvatore é sempre diversão na certa!
SINOPSE
RA Salvatore leva seus leitores de volta a Corona, o mundo de sua criação, introduzindo um novo herói.
É ano de Deus 54, muitos anos antes que da saga das DEMON WARS, na terra de Corona. As estradas não são seguras para viajar; goblins e powries sanguinários guerreiam contra os humanos. Duas religiões lutam ferozmente para o controle. Bran Dynard, um monge da religião incipiente de Abelle, retorna de sua missão em uma terra distante com um livro de conhecimento místico e uma bela e misteriosa esposa.
Mas ele logo percebe que o mundo que deixou para trás mudou, e seu sonho de difundir a sabedoria que ele aprendeu a seus companheiros monges é esmagado. Forçado a esconder sua esposa e seu precioso livro, Bran deve decidir quem ele pode confiar e onde ele deve agora colocar a sua fé.
Vinte anos depois, o mundo beira o apocalipse. Somente o misterioso Highwayman viaja livremente, sua espada atacando tanto os temíveis Powries e os corruptos exércitos do tirano Lorde Pridey. O povo precisa de um salvador, mas o Highwayman está em uma missão de misericórdia ... ou de vingança?
RESENHA
Uma das coisas mais interessantes dentro da literatura de fantasia medieval é observar o seu desenvolvimento, o modo como novos escritores trabalham os tropos (estruturas narrativas) mais tradicionais do gênero, introduzindo novas variações e lidando com questões mais atualizadas.
Acredito que a literatura de fantasia atual é um dos recursos e um dos estilos mais acessíveis para escritores exporem suas idéias e discutirem temas espinhentos com o maior número de pessoas, sem que a leitura seja prejudicada por diferenças culturais.
A vantagem da literatura de fantasia, e principalmente a de fantasia medieval ou de mundo alternativo, é fazer o leitor esquecer por alguns momentos seus conceitos e até mesmo "pré-conceitos" e se arriscar a ver pontos de vista e visões de mundo diferentes da sua.
E eis que vem o grande R.A. Salvatore, um dos meus escritores favoritos de fantasia, o "Stephen King" da fantasia medieval (pela quantidade de livros, por sua acessibilidade de leitura e pela popularidade do autor), cria uma variação interessante do tradicional tropo do herói de capa e espada.
THE HIGHWAYMAN (ou "O BANDOLEIRO", se alguma editora quiser me contratar para traduzir esse romance fantásico!) é uma espécie de recriação do mito de Robin Hood, porém com um protagonista que nasceu com sérios defeitos físicos de nascença. Isso mesmo, um protagonista de um romance de aventura que é um deficiente físico, com problemas de paralisia cerebral graves, semelhantes (porém mais sérios do que os problemas do Walter White Júnior, o filho do Walter White da série Breaking Bad).
Salvatore segue a narrativa, contando a história desse jovem, desde seu nascimento dramático e seu crescimento e superação dentro do mundo de fantasia de Corona, que fora o cenário da saga Demon Wars, que eu já resenhei inteira aqui no NITROBLOG, há vários anos atrás.
Como de sempre, a história é narrada de maneira muito competente pelo Salvatore, misturando drama, humor, suspense e o mundo detalhado e fantástico de Corona (apesar do nome do mundo sempre me lembrar aquela musiquinha trash anos 90, "this is the rhythm of the night", da lendária musa euro-trash-dance Corona, check it out here - https://youtu.be/g3GmC1HDx08 !)
O livro é dividido em três partes, a primeira contando a história dos pais do Bandoleiro, de maneira sensível e sem cair no melodrama, o que permite uma conecção emocional genuína do leitor com os personagens, apesar dos eventos trágicos.
A segunda parte mostra o crescimento do Bandoleiro, suas dificuldades até algumas revelações de seu passado e uma mudança de seu destino.
E na terceira parte o romance se revela como uma mistura de fantasia medieval e narrativa de super-herói.
E muito divertida e dramática, com muita ação e pancadaria (que aliás ocorre no livro inteiro). O final é emocionante e satisfatório, e me fez pular logo para o próximo livro da série, THE ANCIENT (FIRST KING #2).
O mundo de Corona é muito interessante, com uma pegada mais realista e brutal, e um sistema de magia original e fascinante, baseado em pedras mágicas, cada uma contendo um encantamento diferente.
O segredo do uso dessas pedras mágicas é limiado aos monges abelicanos, uma religião monoteísta semelhante ao cristianismo que, na saga do FIRST KING, está em ascenção e entrando em conflito com os Samhaimianos, uma religião antiga baseada em sacrifícios e no culto de deuses cósmicos no melhor estilo Lovecraftiano.
Isso somado a um mundo feudal, sem um governo unificado e em estado de perpétua guerra, forma o cenário perfeito para uma aventura de fantasia com muito drama, romance, pancadaria e ação!
O pessoal costuma repetir o clichê de que o Bernard Cornwell é o cara que melhor descreve batalhas na literatura.
Apesar de concordar, sou fã do Cornwell, confesso que ele é apenas um dos escritores que melhor descrevem batalhas (tem trocentos outros muito bons também, e todo mundo esquece do grande mestre Tolstoi e suas batalhas no GUERRA E PAZ até hoje inigualáveis ou até mesmo nosso maravilhoso Érico Veríssimo, que não só descreve batalhas como poucos como pinta quadros com sangue, violência e poesia, no primeiro volume da saga O TEMPO E O VENTO).
Bem, no campo da literatura de fantasia, o Salvatore é um dos mestres na descrição de combate corporal, o cara é uma aula de como descrever combates corpo a corpo, que sempre são interessantes de se ler.
Sem brincadeira, as cenas de combate do Bandoleiro me lembraram as cenas dos filmes do Bruce Lee, com a mesma energia! Muito massavéio!
Recomendo para quem quer escrever fantasia medieval ESTUDAR as cenas de combate do Salvatore!
Pena que saíram muito poucos de seus livros aqui no Brasil, e só os primeiros livros de sua carreira. THE HIGHWAYMEN é de 2004, ou seja, um livro da maturidade do escritor, e, se as cenas de combate do lendário Drízzit, o elfo negro mais doidimais de todos os tempos, já eram emocionantes, o velho Salvatore só melhorou com o tempo.
RECOMENDAÇÃO
Recomendo THE HIGHWAYMEN para quem curte fantasia medieval com ação, romance, drama sem cair no melodrama. Quem já é fã do Salvatore vai curtir muito esse livro também.
THE HIGHWAYMAN - R.A. Salvatore (First King #1) | Fantasia Medieval de um Super-Herói! | Tor Fantasy, 2004, 420 pgs.
Onde Comprar:
Amazon
http://amzn.com/B004E9T0J0
PRÓXIMA LEITURA
THE ANCIENT - R.A. Salvatore (First King #2) | Tor Fantasy, 2008, 436 pgs.
Seguindo na leitura da Saga do Primeiro Rei, parto para THE ANCIENT, mais um livro Salvatoriano do mundo de Corona! E esse promete, olha a sinopse!
SINOPSE
Procurando pelo seu pai desaparecido, o Bandoleiro Bransen Garibond é enganado e acaba cruzando o Golfo de Corona até as terras selvagens de Vanguard, onde ele é obrigado a servir uma Senhora Feudal e a se unir às forças que se reúnem contra um brutal e poderoso clérigo Samhaist, o Ancião Badden.
Em um lago dos bárbaros Alpinadorianos, abaixo do castelo de gelo do Ancião Badden, várias sociedades, presas na teia de seus próprios conflitos, desconhecem a ameaça do Ancião e de suas ordas de trolls do gelo.
O ANCIÃO é parte da SAGA DO PRIMEIRO REI, uma série de quatro livros que narra os primeiros dias de Corona, o mesmo mundo da saga A GUERRA DOS DEMÔNIOS, de R.A. Salvatore.
De volta a literatura de fantasia, e anos depois de ler a fantástica saga DEMON WARS do R.A. Salvatore, retorno ao mundo de Corona com a Saga of the First King, a trilogia de romances que contam a história do primeiro rei de Honce. E Salvatore é sempre diversão na certa!
SINOPSE
RA Salvatore leva seus leitores de volta a Corona, o mundo de sua criação, introduzindo um novo herói.
É ano de Deus 54, muitos anos antes que da saga das DEMON WARS, na terra de Corona. As estradas não são seguras para viajar; goblins e powries sanguinários guerreiam contra os humanos. Duas religiões lutam ferozmente para o controle. Bran Dynard, um monge da religião incipiente de Abelle, retorna de sua missão em uma terra distante com um livro de conhecimento místico e uma bela e misteriosa esposa.
Mas ele logo percebe que o mundo que deixou para trás mudou, e seu sonho de difundir a sabedoria que ele aprendeu a seus companheiros monges é esmagado. Forçado a esconder sua esposa e seu precioso livro, Bran deve decidir quem ele pode confiar e onde ele deve agora colocar a sua fé.
Vinte anos depois, o mundo beira o apocalipse. Somente o misterioso Highwayman viaja livremente, sua espada atacando tanto os temíveis Powries e os corruptos exércitos do tirano Lorde Pridey. O povo precisa de um salvador, mas o Highwayman está em uma missão de misericórdia ... ou de vingança?
RESENHA
Uma das coisas mais interessantes dentro da literatura de fantasia medieval é observar o seu desenvolvimento, o modo como novos escritores trabalham os tropos (estruturas narrativas) mais tradicionais do gênero, introduzindo novas variações e lidando com questões mais atualizadas.
Acredito que a literatura de fantasia atual é um dos recursos e um dos estilos mais acessíveis para escritores exporem suas idéias e discutirem temas espinhentos com o maior número de pessoas, sem que a leitura seja prejudicada por diferenças culturais.
A vantagem da literatura de fantasia, e principalmente a de fantasia medieval ou de mundo alternativo, é fazer o leitor esquecer por alguns momentos seus conceitos e até mesmo "pré-conceitos" e se arriscar a ver pontos de vista e visões de mundo diferentes da sua.
E eis que vem o grande R.A. Salvatore, um dos meus escritores favoritos de fantasia, o "Stephen King" da fantasia medieval (pela quantidade de livros, por sua acessibilidade de leitura e pela popularidade do autor), cria uma variação interessante do tradicional tropo do herói de capa e espada.
THE HIGHWAYMAN (ou "O BANDOLEIRO", se alguma editora quiser me contratar para traduzir esse romance fantásico!) é uma espécie de recriação do mito de Robin Hood, porém com um protagonista que nasceu com sérios defeitos físicos de nascença. Isso mesmo, um protagonista de um romance de aventura que é um deficiente físico, com problemas de paralisia cerebral graves, semelhantes (porém mais sérios do que os problemas do Walter White Júnior, o filho do Walter White da série Breaking Bad).
Salvatore segue a narrativa, contando a história desse jovem, desde seu nascimento dramático e seu crescimento e superação dentro do mundo de fantasia de Corona, que fora o cenário da saga Demon Wars, que eu já resenhei inteira aqui no NITROBLOG, há vários anos atrás.
Como de sempre, a história é narrada de maneira muito competente pelo Salvatore, misturando drama, humor, suspense e o mundo detalhado e fantástico de Corona (apesar do nome do mundo sempre me lembrar aquela musiquinha trash anos 90, "this is the rhythm of the night", da lendária musa euro-trash-dance Corona, check it out here - https://youtu.be/g3GmC1HDx08 !)
O livro é dividido em três partes, a primeira contando a história dos pais do Bandoleiro, de maneira sensível e sem cair no melodrama, o que permite uma conecção emocional genuína do leitor com os personagens, apesar dos eventos trágicos.
A segunda parte mostra o crescimento do Bandoleiro, suas dificuldades até algumas revelações de seu passado e uma mudança de seu destino.
E na terceira parte o romance se revela como uma mistura de fantasia medieval e narrativa de super-herói.
E muito divertida e dramática, com muita ação e pancadaria (que aliás ocorre no livro inteiro). O final é emocionante e satisfatório, e me fez pular logo para o próximo livro da série, THE ANCIENT (FIRST KING #2).
O mundo de Corona é muito interessante, com uma pegada mais realista e brutal, e um sistema de magia original e fascinante, baseado em pedras mágicas, cada uma contendo um encantamento diferente.
O segredo do uso dessas pedras mágicas é limiado aos monges abelicanos, uma religião monoteísta semelhante ao cristianismo que, na saga do FIRST KING, está em ascenção e entrando em conflito com os Samhaimianos, uma religião antiga baseada em sacrifícios e no culto de deuses cósmicos no melhor estilo Lovecraftiano.
Isso somado a um mundo feudal, sem um governo unificado e em estado de perpétua guerra, forma o cenário perfeito para uma aventura de fantasia com muito drama, romance, pancadaria e ação!
O pessoal costuma repetir o clichê de que o Bernard Cornwell é o cara que melhor descreve batalhas na literatura.
Apesar de concordar, sou fã do Cornwell, confesso que ele é apenas um dos escritores que melhor descrevem batalhas (tem trocentos outros muito bons também, e todo mundo esquece do grande mestre Tolstoi e suas batalhas no GUERRA E PAZ até hoje inigualáveis ou até mesmo nosso maravilhoso Érico Veríssimo, que não só descreve batalhas como poucos como pinta quadros com sangue, violência e poesia, no primeiro volume da saga O TEMPO E O VENTO).
Bem, no campo da literatura de fantasia, o Salvatore é um dos mestres na descrição de combate corporal, o cara é uma aula de como descrever combates corpo a corpo, que sempre são interessantes de se ler.
Sem brincadeira, as cenas de combate do Bandoleiro me lembraram as cenas dos filmes do Bruce Lee, com a mesma energia! Muito massavéio!
Recomendo para quem quer escrever fantasia medieval ESTUDAR as cenas de combate do Salvatore!
Pena que saíram muito poucos de seus livros aqui no Brasil, e só os primeiros livros de sua carreira. THE HIGHWAYMEN é de 2004, ou seja, um livro da maturidade do escritor, e, se as cenas de combate do lendário Drízzit, o elfo negro mais doidimais de todos os tempos, já eram emocionantes, o velho Salvatore só melhorou com o tempo.
RECOMENDAÇÃO
Recomendo THE HIGHWAYMEN para quem curte fantasia medieval com ação, romance, drama sem cair no melodrama. Quem já é fã do Salvatore vai curtir muito esse livro também.
THE HIGHWAYMAN - R.A. Salvatore (First King #1) | Fantasia Medieval de um Super-Herói! | Tor Fantasy, 2004, 420 pgs.
Onde Comprar:
Amazon
http://amzn.com/B004E9T0J0
PRÓXIMA LEITURA
THE ANCIENT - R.A. Salvatore (First King #2) | Tor Fantasy, 2008, 436 pgs.
Seguindo na leitura da Saga do Primeiro Rei, parto para THE ANCIENT, mais um livro Salvatoriano do mundo de Corona! E esse promete, olha a sinopse!
SINOPSE
Procurando pelo seu pai desaparecido, o Bandoleiro Bransen Garibond é enganado e acaba cruzando o Golfo de Corona até as terras selvagens de Vanguard, onde ele é obrigado a servir uma Senhora Feudal e a se unir às forças que se reúnem contra um brutal e poderoso clérigo Samhaist, o Ancião Badden.
Em um lago dos bárbaros Alpinadorianos, abaixo do castelo de gelo do Ancião Badden, várias sociedades, presas na teia de seus próprios conflitos, desconhecem a ameaça do Ancião e de suas ordas de trolls do gelo.
O ANCIÃO é parte da SAGA DO PRIMEIRO REI, uma série de quatro livros que narra os primeiros dias de Corona, o mesmo mundo da saga A GUERRA DOS DEMÔNIOS, de R.A. Salvatore.
April 13, 2025
The story feels slow because there's so much detail going into character background stories and world-building, but I like world-building so I don't mind. Definitely not action packed like I thought it would be, but I do wanna see how the saga progresses.
April 18, 2017
8/10
The Highwayman is another entertaning book from Salvatore and this time he takes at very beginning of the world of Corona, long before the creation of its first great kingdom.
The story focuses mostly around a very special hero, Bransen, where fate hasn't been kind on him, and his family, as it has trapped him in a place where he can not escape: his own body. However, this will not prevent Bransen from finding his own path, in the search of not only hope, friendship and love but also revenge, for himself and for the cruel injustice to the "lower" people by the Lairds; meanwhile he will try to keep a secret hidden that is only known by himself.
The book, although it doesn’t have the same epic scale story that the DemonWars books have as, I would say, it has a much "simpler" story compared; but personally I like it just the same, and perhaps a little more than the other series, as Salvatore has brough again a very entertaining story.
Of course, that is due to the fact that the story here feels a bit more personal (which, I think, I’m starting to like him more in that kind of style); as also reminding sometimes and the classic Robin Hood. But besides that, Salvatore has written a good story and, perhaps, a little more cruel than usual, and also managing to bring an entertaining story and holding the interest until the very end.
As for the story itself, Salvatore takes his time in the begging for things to start moving, as he builds the characters, but after that the story, I believe, continues even better with lots action, fun and, most of all, enjoyable entertainment.
Overall, The Highwayman is a good, and a very entertaining, book and, although it's certainly not a perfect one, I would recommend to anyone who loves Salvatore's style and wants to see something different, in a more “classic” heroic story. It has also a more standalone feel, so it can be read in its own even if someone hasn't read the DemonWars series, and without really forcing you to continue to next book.
The Highwayman is another entertaning book from Salvatore and this time he takes at very beginning of the world of Corona, long before the creation of its first great kingdom.
The story focuses mostly around a very special hero, Bransen, where fate hasn't been kind on him, and his family, as it has trapped him in a place where he can not escape: his own body. However, this will not prevent Bransen from finding his own path, in the search of not only hope, friendship and love but also revenge, for himself and for the cruel injustice to the "lower" people by the Lairds; meanwhile he will try to keep a secret hidden that is only known by himself.
The book, although it doesn’t have the same epic scale story that the DemonWars books have as, I would say, it has a much "simpler" story compared; but personally I like it just the same, and perhaps a little more than the other series, as Salvatore has brough again a very entertaining story.
Of course, that is due to the fact that the story here feels a bit more personal (which, I think, I’m starting to like him more in that kind of style); as also reminding sometimes and the classic Robin Hood. But besides that, Salvatore has written a good story and, perhaps, a little more cruel than usual, and also managing to bring an entertaining story and holding the interest until the very end.
As for the story itself, Salvatore takes his time in the begging for things to start moving, as he builds the characters, but after that the story, I believe, continues even better with lots action, fun and, most of all, enjoyable entertainment.
Overall, The Highwayman is a good, and a very entertaining, book and, although it's certainly not a perfect one, I would recommend to anyone who loves Salvatore's style and wants to see something different, in a more “classic” heroic story. It has also a more standalone feel, so it can be read in its own even if someone hasn't read the DemonWars series, and without really forcing you to continue to next book.
November 15, 2011
Reread because there's four in the series and I've never read the last two. Mike pointed this out the other day, and in my frustration on waiting for new books to come in, I picked these back up. Now, all my new books are in, but I gotta finish this series so I don't forget all the damn characters.
That says something, right there; that Mike warned too long a wait means forgetting who some of the people are and what they really did before.
This one's a twist on Robin Hood, in culmination. I enjoy the story. I enjoy the Highwayman, which was my folly the first time because I expected him to be the "real" main character of the second book, but I'll go on about that in a bit.
That says something, right there; that Mike warned too long a wait means forgetting who some of the people are and what they really did before.
This one's a twist on Robin Hood, in culmination. I enjoy the story. I enjoy the Highwayman, which was my folly the first time because I expected him to be the "real" main character of the second book, but I'll go on about that in a bit.
July 30, 2010
This was like a super hero origin tale set in a fantasy world of orcs and magic. The Highwayman is an intriguing character, a disabled man who becomes something almost superhuman when he comes in contact with a precious stone. I picked the book up because I already had nabbed The Ancient (the second in the saga) off the bargain shelf at Borders. So naturally I had to make sure I had the first one read.
Salvatore is a great world-builder. Here he excels in the creation of the three religions prevalent in the Highwayman's world -- the two that influence his actions, and the other that stands firmly on the other side of his beliefs.
Good book. Will continue the saga.
Salvatore is a great world-builder. Here he excels in the creation of the three religions prevalent in the Highwayman's world -- the two that influence his actions, and the other that stands firmly on the other side of his beliefs.
Good book. Will continue the saga.
January 18, 2017
This was a re-read for me...or rather a "listen" as opposed to a "read". I wanted a guinea pig book to try for my first Graphic Audio book. And since I had read this first book in the series many years ago but never picked up the rest of them, I believed it would be a good option in case I didn't enjoy the experience.
But quite the contrary! The large cast of voice actors and sound effects really made this an absorbing experience. Mark me down for more of these! It sure does make my long work commute a much better experience.
But quite the contrary! The large cast of voice actors and sound effects really made this an absorbing experience. Mark me down for more of these! It sure does make my long work commute a much better experience.
November 26, 2011
The Highwayman is by far R.A. Salvatore's best work. Drizzt annoyed me to death as the worst Gary Stu I've seen in print. Bransen, however, is beautifully sympathetic in his heroism despite his weaknesses. He spends most of the book struggling with actual physical disabilities before he finds the means to overcome them (even then, the magic solution has limits). Very well worth the read. (Unfortunately, the "sequels" die; Bransen feels almost like an incidental character, and the quality of writing drops as well.)
February 11, 2012
R A Salvatore does it again in this first of a different series to Demon Wars or Drizzt.
Without giving away spoilers, this series is a departure from Salvatore's others but contains some exceptional writing and some very memorable characters - including our main hero, who is heroic for more than his fighting prowess or self-sacrifice but because of dealing with some 'disabilities'.
A different take on the fantasy genre, R A Salvatore takes us down a road travelled less often - and the journey is worth it. Highly recommended.
Without giving away spoilers, this series is a departure from Salvatore's others but contains some exceptional writing and some very memorable characters - including our main hero, who is heroic for more than his fighting prowess or self-sacrifice but because of dealing with some 'disabilities'.
A different take on the fantasy genre, R A Salvatore takes us down a road travelled less often - and the journey is worth it. Highly recommended.
February 2, 2016
There's more to Corona?!
Why, why did I not know about this?! It's awesome, and if you've been putting it off you need to read it. There are so many life lessons, and morals that The Stork teaches.
Why, why did I not know about this?! It's awesome, and if you've been putting it off you need to read it. There are so many life lessons, and morals that The Stork teaches.
December 15, 2010
Surprised that I enjoyed this Carona book so much. I mistakenly thought this was related to the Crimson Shadow series. Very unlike the forgotten realms books that we all know and love, but very Salvatoreish. Great character development is embedded in a rich plot. A low scale good vs evil book that makes the reader smile. No spoilers here, but a good book all the same. Yes, I plan the read the entire series now!
February 28, 2013
This was a typical traditional fantasy- alternate history, with a new religion trying to supplant an old one, sending missionaries to the "beasts" to convert them. Unfortunately, one missionary gets converted instead and tries to go back and spread the good word among his former monks. You can guess how well that worked out. The rest sort of seems like a Robin Hood tale. Anyway, I was not impressed and won't be reading any more Salvatore.
July 24, 2011
I enjoyed this book; it was a nice and easy read. This is the first book in a four books series, I've read the second book in the series already and wanted to continue to explore. Onward to The Dame the third book in the series, I may look into reading the Demon War Saga later since they're based in the same world.
September 28, 2011
Yet another disappointing book from Salvatore. I heard the main character described as a combination of Zoro and Robin Hood, unfortunately that's all he was. I enjoyed the initial section of the book, and the contrast between the paganish ways and the new church of Honce was interesting. Overall, not a very gripping story, and foregetable characters.
May 7, 2017
Whew. Let's see if I can count all the recycled ideas: Superman's Dead Sacrificial Parents, Spider-Man's Problems with Women, Captain America's Scrawny Turned Meaty, Robin Hood's General Outlook, Dread Pirate Roberts's Getup. I'm sure I'm missing some.
I enjoyed it, but I wouldn't call it good or groundbreaking. Took awhile to get into interesting stuff, which _mostly_ paid off.
I enjoyed it, but I wouldn't call it good or groundbreaking. Took awhile to get into interesting stuff, which _mostly_ paid off.
April 12, 2012
Read the dead tree version. The plot was kind of dumb and predictable, but the book was still entertaining thanks to Salvatore's expertise in writing pulp fantasy action. Still, it wasn't one of his better novels and I doubt I'll read the next in the series.
April 28, 2012
I like the action and the magical parts of it, but there were a few sexual references that I found a little disturbing. The story of a boy with an awful defect using magical stones to walk, talk, and fight with much strength to find out about his parents and all the other lies he lived in.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 30, 2009
this book begins at a slow pace but it gradually draws you in so that you cannot turn away. i would deffinently recommend this book to anyone that likes a good book
March 25, 2011
Bransen Garibond is the best character, the best hero R.A. Salvatore has written, and he created Drizzt Do-Urden.
March 14, 2021
This was a riviting story. One of Salvatore's best.
May 16, 2017
Zorro of Corona!
I generally enjoy R.A. Salvatore’s books. As an author, Salvatore consistently delivers quality stories that are fun reads with engaging plots. More importantly, his characters are always well-developed and the hero (or heroine) is usually someone you can’t help but root for as they pick their way through Salvatore’s rich, fantasy worlds. And, while this is my first visit to Corona, Salvatore hits pretty much all his signature notes with The Highwayman, which ends up being an enjoyable read, if not exactly wholly original.
The grist of the story is pretty much all the staple grains of the fantasy genre – namely an orphan child reclaiming a magical birthright against rotten king – and, if you’ve read a single super-hero comic, it’s probably not too terribly hard to figure out which characters aren’t going to make it past the hero’s origin story. The main character is an unabashed mix of Zorro and Jet Lee – and while the beginning of the book gets a little long in tooth as prologue to the main story – Salvatore weaves enough nuance to keep things interesting. He’s particularly good at giving us bad guys who aren’t wholly unsympathetic and goodly priests who are alarmingly flawed. The final third of the book certainly ratchets up the tension and kept me page-turning until the very end.
Since most of my experience with Salvatore has been through either his Drizzt Do’Urden books or his single Star Wars novel, I was surprised that this one was so much more …. adult? There’s quite a bit of bodice ripping, hints of rape, and three castrations … so not so much one for the kids.
As mature fantasy goes, though, I did like this one, and the next two books in the series are already in my ‘read pile.’
P.S. Speaking of Drizzt Do’Urden, the drow does have a back-up story in this edition of The Highwayman. Unfortunately, it was a disappointment. The short story hinged far too heavily on a few minor characters that are barely remembered from original trilogies and the gist of the plot boils down to a bunch of folks not liking Drizzt ‘cause he’s a drow. Which is nothing new from what we’ve seen ad infinitum in the regular Drizzt books and it’s not anywhere near enough of a surprise to pivot a short story around. Milquetoast content at best.
February 20, 2025
This is the first book by Salvatore I’ve read and it’s very okay.
The titular main character, who is in the prologue but doesn’t properly show up until halfway through the book, is an interesting blend of other heroes. He acts like Robin Hood, he disguises himself like Zorro, and he uses a magic crystal to transform like Billy Batson (Shazam). He’s crippled in the womb by poison like Miles Vorkosigan and juggles his two lives like Peter Parker. He goes from bullied boy to badass, and this is the essential key to this power fantasy.
All of that is fine, actually. By seamlessly blending all of these iconic characters into one Salvatore has created an interesting melange, and the kid earns his leveled up abilities by suffering mockery, unfair treatment and bullying for years. My only issue is that he’s too good once he unlocks his true potential. That’s the part which goes from Fantasy tale to power fantasy and is less satisfying than the stuff that had gone before. It would’ve been better to see him struggle with his new-found abilities more. It doesn’t ruin the book but it does lessen my enjoyment of it.
I have a cousin who has cerebral palsy and I kept picturing him in the role of Bransen. Like Bransen, my cousin has trouble coordinating his walking, he can’t really speak, and in his younger years drooled constantly because of the lack of muscle control. If you really tune in to him and listen, you can understand him but, like Bransen, few people have the patience to do so. My cousin doesn’t come to family reunions because my brother and I are the only ones who’ve learned to communicate with him over the years. His brain is fully functional - again like Bransen - and you can see how frustrated he is by his body betraying him. Over email or text you’d never know he was impaired. I mean, he doesn’t use proper punctuation, but that’s not because of the cerebral palsy, it’s because he’s a Millennial. :p
So that aspect intrigued me, because I wondered how my cousin would react to not only being healed but actually becoming an athlete of near superhero levels, only to become trapped in a malfunctioning body once he powers down.
This story has a solid arc and moves right along. I listened to the full cast performance audiobook by GraphicAudio which was really good.
The titular main character, who is in the prologue but doesn’t properly show up until halfway through the book, is an interesting blend of other heroes. He acts like Robin Hood, he disguises himself like Zorro, and he uses a magic crystal to transform like Billy Batson (Shazam). He’s crippled in the womb by poison like Miles Vorkosigan and juggles his two lives like Peter Parker. He goes from bullied boy to badass, and this is the essential key to this power fantasy.
All of that is fine, actually. By seamlessly blending all of these iconic characters into one Salvatore has created an interesting melange, and the kid earns his leveled up abilities by suffering mockery, unfair treatment and bullying for years. My only issue is that he’s too good once he unlocks his true potential. That’s the part which goes from Fantasy tale to power fantasy and is less satisfying than the stuff that had gone before. It would’ve been better to see him struggle with his new-found abilities more. It doesn’t ruin the book but it does lessen my enjoyment of it.
I have a cousin who has cerebral palsy and I kept picturing him in the role of Bransen. Like Bransen, my cousin has trouble coordinating his walking, he can’t really speak, and in his younger years drooled constantly because of the lack of muscle control. If you really tune in to him and listen, you can understand him but, like Bransen, few people have the patience to do so. My cousin doesn’t come to family reunions because my brother and I are the only ones who’ve learned to communicate with him over the years. His brain is fully functional - again like Bransen - and you can see how frustrated he is by his body betraying him. Over email or text you’d never know he was impaired. I mean, he doesn’t use proper punctuation, but that’s not because of the cerebral palsy, it’s because he’s a Millennial. :p
So that aspect intrigued me, because I wondered how my cousin would react to not only being healed but actually becoming an athlete of near superhero levels, only to become trapped in a malfunctioning body once he powers down.
This story has a solid arc and moves right along. I listened to the full cast performance audiobook by GraphicAudio which was really good.
December 5, 2023
Incredibly mature and grim dark. Totally unexpected too as I always associated this author with books aimed at a younger audience or flashy and immature. This however is far from YA and honestly some of the subject matters were even incredibly mature and disturbing even for me. My stomach turned a few times with how dark this got and how little relief there is from this bleak world.
This book totally took me off guard as I went into it thinking it was going to be a lot lighter then what it was. I'm not disappointed though as I found the experience to be incredible and surprising in the most positive of ways. I'm glad this was a mature and adult oriented fantasy novel.
Initially I was a bit lost. The first half doesn't hold your hand very well. It sort of gives you the story all jumbled up and out of order. Somewhere around the midway point there is a scene that put a lot of it together finally and made it make sense on who was associated to who. From that midway point I really started to enjoy myself as the plot really felt like it was gaining steam. Also the delivery from that point on is easier to follow with the time line.
I grew to love this style of writing as the world and character building was all about showing instead of telling, which is my favorite style of world building. We get to see the world fleshed out naturally and shown intimate scenes that speak on the personality of important characters instead of clumps of exposition. The writing for example would display passage of time even by showing, like telling you about a child character now with a beard to explain a jump forward in time. So many great examples of showing instead of info dumps, love the style this author leaned into so much.
Overall this book was depressing though. If you're in the right book and prepared for that I'd recommend this. The writing was so enjoyable with great built up characters, world building that is spread out in a easy way and a slowish plot but still enjoyable way to start a series.
This book totally took me off guard as I went into it thinking it was going to be a lot lighter then what it was. I'm not disappointed though as I found the experience to be incredible and surprising in the most positive of ways. I'm glad this was a mature and adult oriented fantasy novel.
Initially I was a bit lost. The first half doesn't hold your hand very well. It sort of gives you the story all jumbled up and out of order. Somewhere around the midway point there is a scene that put a lot of it together finally and made it make sense on who was associated to who. From that midway point I really started to enjoy myself as the plot really felt like it was gaining steam. Also the delivery from that point on is easier to follow with the time line.
I grew to love this style of writing as the world and character building was all about showing instead of telling, which is my favorite style of world building. We get to see the world fleshed out naturally and shown intimate scenes that speak on the personality of important characters instead of clumps of exposition. The writing for example would display passage of time even by showing, like telling you about a child character now with a beard to explain a jump forward in time. So many great examples of showing instead of info dumps, love the style this author leaned into so much.
Overall this book was depressing though. If you're in the right book and prepared for that I'd recommend this. The writing was so enjoyable with great built up characters, world building that is spread out in a easy way and a slowish plot but still enjoyable way to start a series.
October 20, 2024
This book was a lot of fun! I found myself pleasantly surprised by the story that began to unfold after I had finished the prologue. It wasn't what I was expecting at all after the setup I got, and I must say I was glad to see my expectations subverted in this case. The prologue, I would guess intentionally, sets you up with a lot of questions about how it's events tie into the oddly mysterious story you quickly find yourself engrossed in. Sure there are plenty of commonly used fantasy tropes here (religious conflict, elitism and war, clashing cultures) but they're well done. There is an underlying message about a search for truth, and I believe an allegory for how the wisdoms of Western and Eastern culture can strengthen each other in that search that I found satisfying and well done. This is my first time reading R.A. Salvatore. The writing here is competent, though it never reaches for any profound depths. It serves the story very well by not getting in it's own way by trying to be more than what the story needs. However, during the third act a lot of the mystery of the story has gone, and by my estimation some of it's charm with it. What started as a story that felt familiar yet unique ended up just feeling familiar. Ultimately this was still really good and I enjoyed it quite a bit, but just fell short of being a story I could have loved. Definitely good enough still that I will likely press on in with the series and see where things go!
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