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Transitions #1
The Orc King,Transitions, Book I (text only) Reprint edition by R.A. Salvatore
Drizzt is back, and facing a world changed forever!An uneasy peace between the dwarves of Mithral Hall and the orcs of the newly established Kingdom of Many-Arrows can’t last long. The orc tribes united under Obould begin to fight each other, and Bruenor is determined to finish the war that nearly killed him and almost destroyed everything he’s worked to build. But it will take more than swords and axes to bring a lasting peace to the Spine of the World. Powerful individuals on both sides may have to change the way they see each other. They may have to start to talk. And it won’t be easy.
Mass Market Paperback
First published September 25, 2007
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About the author
R.A. Salvatore
606 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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September 22, 2015
An orc walks into the bar with a parrot on his shoulder and the bartender says "Wow, that's really neat. Where'd you get it?"
"In a cave." the parrot replies.
R.A. Salvatore’s 2007 novel The Orc King is a continuation of the ongoing Chaotic Good Drow Elf Drizzt saga.
(pronounced Drizzt)
I picked up The Orc King because it was supposed to begin a new trilogy, and I suppose it does, but the backstory was such a predominant aspect of this book that I felt somewhat lost and it took a while (and a couple trips to Wikipedia) to find my way.
I had read one of his shorter works before and told myself I needed to spend some more time with him and so I was still entertained by his high fantasy musings. Being a veteran D&Der myself, I am hooked by Salvatore’s use of the Gygax model to provide a thoroughly escapist pleasure.
Drizzt as a character has been wildly popular and I can tell why, and the story is cool too. Dwarves, an evil magic gnome, a 7-foot tall barbarian, a telepathic magic sword and a host of scheming backstabbing Orcs.
Good fun.
"In a cave." the parrot replies.
R.A. Salvatore’s 2007 novel The Orc King is a continuation of the ongoing Chaotic Good Drow Elf Drizzt saga.
(pronounced Drizzt)
I picked up The Orc King because it was supposed to begin a new trilogy, and I suppose it does, but the backstory was such a predominant aspect of this book that I felt somewhat lost and it took a while (and a couple trips to Wikipedia) to find my way.
I had read one of his shorter works before and told myself I needed to spend some more time with him and so I was still entertained by his high fantasy musings. Being a veteran D&Der myself, I am hooked by Salvatore’s use of the Gygax model to provide a thoroughly escapist pleasure.
Drizzt as a character has been wildly popular and I can tell why, and the story is cool too. Dwarves, an evil magic gnome, a 7-foot tall barbarian, a telepathic magic sword and a host of scheming backstabbing Orcs.
Good fun.
July 3, 2020
I was inspired to jump back into this series by running into Drizzt himself (twice) while playing the Baldur's Gate series for the first time. Those games have certainly aged like a fine wine, especially the second one.
The book itself is not bad either. In this day and age (including the recent statements by Wizards of the Coast on attempting to rectify accidental inclusions of racist stereotypes in their published works), I found the introductory scenes depicting aggressive racial rhetoric and violence against orcs to be quite interesting, and a much deeper level of social commentary than I'm used to from both Drizzt, Salvatore and the Realms in general.
The star of the show, as the title might imply, is Obould. Orcish king Obould Many-Arrows is by far one of the best antagonists in a series where I've previously complained about the generally low quality of villains. Complex, intelligent and calculating rather than evil, this orc is much more interesting than most of his predecessors.
The book itself is not bad either. In this day and age (including the recent statements by Wizards of the Coast on attempting to rectify accidental inclusions of racist stereotypes in their published works), I found the introductory scenes depicting aggressive racial rhetoric and violence against orcs to be quite interesting, and a much deeper level of social commentary than I'm used to from both Drizzt, Salvatore and the Realms in general.
The star of the show, as the title might imply, is Obould. Orcish king Obould Many-Arrows is by far one of the best antagonists in a series where I've previously complained about the generally low quality of villains. Complex, intelligent and calculating rather than evil, this orc is much more interesting than most of his predecessors.
September 2, 2015
I'm a little torn on this book, but in the end I'll give it 4-stars.
First of all, I did not like the opening, which is set about 100 years in the future. I will say that I liked it more when I read the closing.
The confusion started out as you see the name “Obould VI.” So you know time has passed, but there's no explanation way. I mean, we just saw Obould I (I guess that’s his #) in the last book! Not a good opener.
Then you go back to the present, but there are lots of loose ends not tied up from the last volume. Mainly, you have to realize that in 2008 Forgotten Realms jumped ahead from about 1379 DR to 1479 DR...or about those dates. This book was written in 2007, and it has to lead up to that. Cattie-Brie is sure out of commission. Wulfgar seems ready to head back to Icewind Dale...for good. And what's with Elifain...is she some kind of deity now? Lots of confusion.
Wulfar and Cattie-Brie chasing after baby Colson was an angle I could have done without. Still suspense was building, something's coming. Then there was a cool and weird battle with unknown creatures. You couldn't give me a name for them? Still, it was exciting. Then we have a Pegasus down, as well as an Elven friend. The plot thickens.
Lots of chasing after a baby, though, which was wearing me down. Still, I was gaining hope…could the Colson storyline finally be over? It wasn’t the story I’d wanted, after all, not in any books.
What redeems this book are the fights. There was a cool fight scene with extra-dimensional beings of some sort, some portals getting pulled in. There’s a good, misty-eyed wrap-up with the Colson storyline. Looks like Wulfgar has gone north...maybe for good.
A nice sword fight with Drizzt and Tos'sun comes next. I'd like to see Kazid’hea the sword meet a fine end, maybe in a fiery dwarven pit.
As the book goes on, I have a hard time keeping the orc storyline straight. I'm not a big fan of this worm thing that crawls into people's heads, either.
Still, all of this is swept aside with the monumental battle scene at the end. Lots of carnage, lots of scene-jumping and multiple point of views. Fun stuff. I liked it, liked how it ended, and am looking forward to the next in this Transitions Series.
All in all, opens slow, gets bogged down in tying up loose ends, but then redeems itself late in the last act. Check it out!
First of all, I did not like the opening, which is set about 100 years in the future. I will say that I liked it more when I read the closing.
The confusion started out as you see the name “Obould VI.” So you know time has passed, but there's no explanation way. I mean, we just saw Obould I (I guess that’s his #) in the last book! Not a good opener.
Then you go back to the present, but there are lots of loose ends not tied up from the last volume. Mainly, you have to realize that in 2008 Forgotten Realms jumped ahead from about 1379 DR to 1479 DR...or about those dates. This book was written in 2007, and it has to lead up to that. Cattie-Brie is sure out of commission. Wulfgar seems ready to head back to Icewind Dale...for good. And what's with Elifain...is she some kind of deity now? Lots of confusion.
Wulfar and Cattie-Brie chasing after baby Colson was an angle I could have done without. Still suspense was building, something's coming. Then there was a cool and weird battle with unknown creatures. You couldn't give me a name for them? Still, it was exciting. Then we have a Pegasus down, as well as an Elven friend. The plot thickens.
Lots of chasing after a baby, though, which was wearing me down. Still, I was gaining hope…could the Colson storyline finally be over? It wasn’t the story I’d wanted, after all, not in any books.
What redeems this book are the fights. There was a cool fight scene with extra-dimensional beings of some sort, some portals getting pulled in. There’s a good, misty-eyed wrap-up with the Colson storyline. Looks like Wulfgar has gone north...maybe for good.
A nice sword fight with Drizzt and Tos'sun comes next. I'd like to see Kazid’hea the sword meet a fine end, maybe in a fiery dwarven pit.
As the book goes on, I have a hard time keeping the orc storyline straight. I'm not a big fan of this worm thing that crawls into people's heads, either.
Still, all of this is swept aside with the monumental battle scene at the end. Lots of carnage, lots of scene-jumping and multiple point of views. Fun stuff. I liked it, liked how it ended, and am looking forward to the next in this Transitions Series.
All in all, opens slow, gets bogged down in tying up loose ends, but then redeems itself late in the last act. Check it out!
June 18, 2023
***100 Days of Summer 2023***
Reading prompt: Book between 250 and 500 pages in length
Virtual 12 sided dice roll: 2
Salvatore is maturing as a writer. This book still has an overabundance of fight scenes, described in more detail than I personally needed. At least the morality has become much more nuanced, with many shades of grey instead of strict black and white. The commitment to more realistic characters began in The Spine of the World, when the author admitted that even good guys could have libidos, make dreadful choices, and wander from the path of nobility. Despite a bit of backsliding in previous books, the author seems to have realized that adult readers need more than just sword fights to keep them entertained.
We get a schooling in Drizzt philosophy at the beginning of each section. If you are accustomed to thinking of your adversary as evil, can you bring yourself to forge a peace treaty with them? Are you letting down the unavenged dead? Is the preservation of many lives going to outweigh the past? If it might save people shouldn't peace at least be attempted? King Bruenor struggles with all these questions. Can an extremely conservative Dwarf change his beliefs about his world?
We get an up-close view of orc society in this installment. It’s maybe more like the other races than we are comfortable with in an enemy. We've been dragged through several volumes of the war with the orcs at this point and I must say that I hope we get a new kind of adventure in the next book of the series. As I have said before, I grow tired of the preponderance of warfare in fantasy literature and I would love to see Drizzt and Cattie-Brie do something different.
Book number 489 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project
Reading prompt: Book between 250 and 500 pages in length
Virtual 12 sided dice roll: 2
Salvatore is maturing as a writer. This book still has an overabundance of fight scenes, described in more detail than I personally needed. At least the morality has become much more nuanced, with many shades of grey instead of strict black and white. The commitment to more realistic characters began in The Spine of the World, when the author admitted that even good guys could have libidos, make dreadful choices, and wander from the path of nobility. Despite a bit of backsliding in previous books, the author seems to have realized that adult readers need more than just sword fights to keep them entertained.
We get a schooling in Drizzt philosophy at the beginning of each section. If you are accustomed to thinking of your adversary as evil, can you bring yourself to forge a peace treaty with them? Are you letting down the unavenged dead? Is the preservation of many lives going to outweigh the past? If it might save people shouldn't peace at least be attempted? King Bruenor struggles with all these questions. Can an extremely conservative Dwarf change his beliefs about his world?
We get an up-close view of orc society in this installment. It’s maybe more like the other races than we are comfortable with in an enemy. We've been dragged through several volumes of the war with the orcs at this point and I must say that I hope we get a new kind of adventure in the next book of the series. As I have said before, I grow tired of the preponderance of warfare in fantasy literature and I would love to see Drizzt and Cattie-Brie do something different.
Book number 489 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project
January 26, 2022
Oh, Ra, what do I do with this rating? Seriously, man, you're killing me.
On one hand, this was one of the best slow-burn character arcs ever and about half-way through the book my eyes popped when I figured out a massive shift had slowly happened with a very cool character. I do mean just about the coolest ever.
On the other hand, it took me almost half the month to get through this. It got boggy in the middle. Swampy. Needed some Gold Bond.
I like this series. I want to know what happens next. But also, every twist and turn becomes a trilogy when it could have likely been combined in one book. Finding out the next trail our hero(s) take turns into a looooong road trip.
But what do I know. One book wouldn't have likely given us that slow burn arc, and I'm not an internationally best-selling author. I just know I took way too long to read this.
I'd rate this a PG-13 for mild swearing, gore and violence, mild torture, some adult themes, and action/adventure.
On one hand, this was one of the best slow-burn character arcs ever and about half-way through the book my eyes popped when I figured out a massive shift had slowly happened with a very cool character. I do mean just about the coolest ever.
On the other hand, it took me almost half the month to get through this. It got boggy in the middle. Swampy. Needed some Gold Bond.
I like this series. I want to know what happens next. But also, every twist and turn becomes a trilogy when it could have likely been combined in one book. Finding out the next trail our hero(s) take turns into a looooong road trip.
But what do I know. One book wouldn't have likely given us that slow burn arc, and I'm not an internationally best-selling author. I just know I took way too long to read this.
I'd rate this a PG-13 for mild swearing, gore and violence, mild torture, some adult themes, and action/adventure.
February 13, 2020
I finished reading this book a few days ago but I have this nagging feeling in my head that I still need to finish reading it. In the middle of completely random tasks it'll strike me and I'll say "oh yeah, I need to finish reading that" and then realize a few seconds later that I did. The book is over and done with but it just doesn't feel that way. After a little bit of pondering, I think I'm just... kind of unsatisfied with how this book ended.
The war with the Orcs has been raging for FOUR books now. Four books of unimaginable struggles, high stakes, and battles that will decide the fate of everything. And after FOUR BOOKS of a raging war, I wanted it to end with a bang. For all my ups and downs and my love/hate relationship with this series, I've come to expect a certain amount of cheesiness in that the good guys ALWAYS win. Faced with unimaginable odds they always find some kickass and clever way to prevail. Drow, wizards, trolls, dragons, assassins, and monsters ALL eventually succumb to the Companions of the Hall. And when this book started winding down and they hatched their plan to put an end to it all I was psyched! And instead, after FOUR BOOKS (Yes, I'm going to keep saying it) we get .
So yeah, I'm a little bitter because on top of ALL that... I still kind of feel like some of these characters need to get their shit together. So on top of a war that's slogged on for FOUR FRICKEN BOOKS, I have to listen to a group of supposed heroes whine and complain. Cattie-Brie suffered injuries that keep her from battle and she's upset about it. She wants to fight and help her friends. She finds a new love for magic, something she can still do despite her injuries, but she's STILL going to whine and cry and make ridiculous demands like POSTPONING AN END TO THE WAR until she's healed and can participate. Wulfgar, despite being married and having a kid, is longing for Cattie and it suddenly bitter about living with the dwarves and fighting this war despite the fact that he CHOSE TO BE THERE so he's also going to complain and then take off on another magical adventure of self discovery all by himself while his best friends in the world may be dying to Orcs. Cool. Bruenor too is going to gnash his teeth and stomp his feet at every turn because he doesn't like things. Regis, who grew so much in the last book, is also going to just lose it here. Everyone keeps building him up saying he's more than he seems and he can handle himself. And Regis gets upset when he realizes that people are leaving him out of things trying to "protect" him. So I was expecting something big here, but nope . And then there's Drizzt. I mean, you'd think for a Drow who's faced racism his entire life and knows the struggles of trying to overcome that, he'd be a little more accepting, but he's actually racist as hell. Against Drow. Orcs? No problem. He's seen them butcher his friends and comrades, but they get a pass in his book because they're trying. But Drow? Oh no. There's no redemption there. He'll spit and hiss all day about how terrible they are and how untrustworthy and unreliable they all are and HE KNOWS because he lived with them. Except... just off the top of my head, in HIS OWN FAMILY, there were at least FOUR drow (out of eight) who questioned their morals and what was expected of them in the Drow society. And he only sort of changes his tune in the final chapters.
But I did enjoy this book. As always, the battles scenes are fantastic and there were so many interesting situations going on like a lost city and rifts in the plane. I wanted to keep reading in spite of the fact that I wanted to slap half the people involved at any given time. And despite how many times I've told myself that I want to take a breather after this GODSFORSAKEN FOUR BOOK WAR, I still kind of want to immediately get the next one and keep reading...
The war with the Orcs has been raging for FOUR books now. Four books of unimaginable struggles, high stakes, and battles that will decide the fate of everything. And after FOUR BOOKS of a raging war, I wanted it to end with a bang. For all my ups and downs and my love/hate relationship with this series, I've come to expect a certain amount of cheesiness in that the good guys ALWAYS win. Faced with unimaginable odds they always find some kickass and clever way to prevail. Drow, wizards, trolls, dragons, assassins, and monsters ALL eventually succumb to the Companions of the Hall. And when this book started winding down and they hatched their plan to put an end to it all I was psyched! And instead, after FOUR BOOKS (Yes, I'm going to keep saying it) we get .
So yeah, I'm a little bitter because on top of ALL that... I still kind of feel like some of these characters need to get their shit together. So on top of a war that's slogged on for FOUR FRICKEN BOOKS, I have to listen to a group of supposed heroes whine and complain. Cattie-Brie suffered injuries that keep her from battle and she's upset about it. She wants to fight and help her friends. She finds a new love for magic, something she can still do despite her injuries, but she's STILL going to whine and cry and make ridiculous demands like POSTPONING AN END TO THE WAR until she's healed and can participate. Wulfgar, despite being married and having a kid, is longing for Cattie and it suddenly bitter about living with the dwarves and fighting this war despite the fact that he CHOSE TO BE THERE so he's also going to complain and then take off on another magical adventure of self discovery all by himself while his best friends in the world may be dying to Orcs. Cool. Bruenor too is going to gnash his teeth and stomp his feet at every turn because he doesn't like things. Regis, who grew so much in the last book, is also going to just lose it here. Everyone keeps building him up saying he's more than he seems and he can handle himself. And Regis gets upset when he realizes that people are leaving him out of things trying to "protect" him. So I was expecting something big here, but nope . And then there's Drizzt. I mean, you'd think for a Drow who's faced racism his entire life and knows the struggles of trying to overcome that, he'd be a little more accepting, but he's actually racist as hell. Against Drow. Orcs? No problem. He's seen them butcher his friends and comrades, but they get a pass in his book because they're trying. But Drow? Oh no. There's no redemption there. He'll spit and hiss all day about how terrible they are and how untrustworthy and unreliable they all are and HE KNOWS because he lived with them. Except... just off the top of my head, in HIS OWN FAMILY, there were at least FOUR drow (out of eight) who questioned their morals and what was expected of them in the Drow society. And he only sort of changes his tune in the final chapters.
But I did enjoy this book. As always, the battles scenes are fantastic and there were so many interesting situations going on like a lost city and rifts in the plane. I wanted to keep reading in spite of the fact that I wanted to slap half the people involved at any given time. And despite how many times I've told myself that I want to take a breather after this GODSFORSAKEN FOUR BOOK WAR, I still kind of want to immediately get the next one and keep reading...
January 20, 2018
I had to laugh out loud when I found an exact duplicate of my experience with this book:
Lyn's review of The Orc King
Similarities:
I also picked up this book because it's supposedly the start of a new series; it'd been a long time since I'd delved into the D&D worlds and this seemed like a good place to pick it up again.
I also felt lost because so much of this story depends on your knowing the history of these characters and past events.
I was also known to throw the polyhedral dice in my teen years, determining the fate of my avatar in the Dragonlance universe (as old school as it gets, baby). I read at least 6 volumes (that I can recall) in the Dragonlance worlds back then. #teamRaistlin #donthatemeforlovingthebadguy
Generally, I still agree with my initial update. These books are the junk food of the fantasy genre: no nutritional value, but it sure does taste good. The fight scenes are ridiculously detailed and plentiful - any time my mind would drift, I would re-engage a short time later and there would be another fight raging. Because I could never keep straight who all was fighting from scene to scene, I never felt like I missed a thing!
I would've liked this a lot more if I'd started with the earlier books and I recommend others start with the first Forgotten Realms novels, too.
Lyn's review of The Orc King
Similarities:
I also picked up this book because it's supposedly the start of a new series; it'd been a long time since I'd delved into the D&D worlds and this seemed like a good place to pick it up again.
I also felt lost because so much of this story depends on your knowing the history of these characters and past events.
I was also known to throw the polyhedral dice in my teen years, determining the fate of my avatar in the Dragonlance universe (as old school as it gets, baby). I read at least 6 volumes (that I can recall) in the Dragonlance worlds back then. #teamRaistlin #donthatemeforlovingthebadguy
Generally, I still agree with my initial update. These books are the junk food of the fantasy genre: no nutritional value, but it sure does taste good. The fight scenes are ridiculously detailed and plentiful - any time my mind would drift, I would re-engage a short time later and there would be another fight raging. Because I could never keep straight who all was fighting from scene to scene, I never felt like I missed a thing!
I would've liked this a lot more if I'd started with the earlier books and I recommend others start with the first Forgotten Realms novels, too.
May 23, 2017
Drizzt.
That is all.
...not really. I have to talk about the audiobook. So when the book first started, I didn't think I could listen to 15 hours of this voice. It reminded me of a not so favourite high school teacher I had. Booorinnggg. But THEN!! -- a few minutes passed and I realised that this narrator was excellent! His voice range is phenomenal. And he could pronounce ALL the names. So. There's that.
That is all.
...not really. I have to talk about the audiobook. So when the book first started, I didn't think I could listen to 15 hours of this voice. It reminded me of a not so favourite high school teacher I had. Booorinnggg. But THEN!! -- a few minutes passed and I realised that this narrator was excellent! His voice range is phenomenal. And he could pronounce ALL the names. So. There's that.
November 18, 2014
I started playing Dungeons & Dragons back in 1978. Back then (and for some time) the best known D&D world was "The World of Greyhawk". In that world finding magic (a magic item such as a magic sword or a simple magic spell for example)was an unusual occurrence. To find even a minor magic item was a cause for celebration.
This book and the other Drizzt books take place in "The Forgotten Realms". Magic is....a bit more common in the realms. As a matter of fact I suspect that dairy farmers probably have "magic milking stools", chefs possibly have "magic paring knives", and quite possibly tailors and seamstresses have "enchanted needles and threads"...you get the idea. In the Realms it sometimes seems possible to "trip over" magic items. Drizzt himself carries 2 magic scimitars and wears magic "anklets" that allow him to move blindingly. The story is full of magic bows, war hammers...and every other magic item one can imagine.
Now, writing a story or novel with all this magic everywhere (it seems to me) must be much different and more difficult than using it in a game. I mean how hard must it be to write "over and over again" about Drizzt drawing his magic blades and spinning away using his magic "anklets" while still sounding original and not sounding hokey? I love fantasy, enjoy Sword and Sorcery, and as noted enjoy D&D, so I always think I should enjoy these books more than I do.
This one simply failed to hold my interest. I kept finding my mind wandering off. Even with Drizzt's lady love (who's name sounds like a house pet that won't stay out of the cheese "Catti-brie") crippled and the Orcs becoming more sympathetic (or potentially sympathetic) characters, I kept losing interest. Even during battle scenes. So, I'd say that this will appeal to hard core Forgotten Realms fans and hard core Drizzt fans. It might also serve if you're just craving an "infusion" of S&S. I wanted to like it more than I did but just didn't really get into it. Will I follow it up with the rest of the Orc trilogy? I don't know yet. I'm not planning to now, maybe later. I had a bad cold for a couple of weeks and wanted an audio book to listen to (bad headache, couldn't really read a print book) when I started this...given a situation like that or something similar, maybe. But no plans to start it now. I really wish I'd like it better.
This book and the other Drizzt books take place in "The Forgotten Realms". Magic is....a bit more common in the realms. As a matter of fact I suspect that dairy farmers probably have "magic milking stools", chefs possibly have "magic paring knives", and quite possibly tailors and seamstresses have "enchanted needles and threads"...you get the idea. In the Realms it sometimes seems possible to "trip over" magic items. Drizzt himself carries 2 magic scimitars and wears magic "anklets" that allow him to move blindingly. The story is full of magic bows, war hammers...and every other magic item one can imagine.
Now, writing a story or novel with all this magic everywhere (it seems to me) must be much different and more difficult than using it in a game. I mean how hard must it be to write "over and over again" about Drizzt drawing his magic blades and spinning away using his magic "anklets" while still sounding original and not sounding hokey? I love fantasy, enjoy Sword and Sorcery, and as noted enjoy D&D, so I always think I should enjoy these books more than I do.
This one simply failed to hold my interest. I kept finding my mind wandering off. Even with Drizzt's lady love (who's name sounds like a house pet that won't stay out of the cheese "Catti-brie") crippled and the Orcs becoming more sympathetic (or potentially sympathetic) characters, I kept losing interest. Even during battle scenes. So, I'd say that this will appeal to hard core Forgotten Realms fans and hard core Drizzt fans. It might also serve if you're just craving an "infusion" of S&S. I wanted to like it more than I did but just didn't really get into it. Will I follow it up with the rest of the Orc trilogy? I don't know yet. I'm not planning to now, maybe later. I had a bad cold for a couple of weeks and wanted an audio book to listen to (bad headache, couldn't really read a print book) when I started this...given a situation like that or something similar, maybe. But no plans to start it now. I really wish I'd like it better.
July 25, 2012
Hmm. I guess I'm not feeling the Drizzt books like I used to (it was one of my first fantasy series I've read for an extended length of time). I didnt really care about anything from the Orc's point of view if it was not Obould b/c of the way the book begins.
At the beginning of the book, you see Drizzt 100 years in the future, which actually surprised me. I had forgotten a friend told me that later books are WAY later, after most of the characters are long dead I assume. Anyway, since it tells you how this (mostly) plays out, I couldn't seem to care about some of the characters like I used to. Orcs? Don't care. Bruenor? I was pretty sure he couldn't die until he fulfilled some stuff that future Drizzt says. I did care a bit for other characters, and the book did pick up quite a bit at the end and a few other parts. This book seems to wrap up a LOT of the Orc attacks of the previous Trilogy. I'm not sure where the next 2 books will go, so I am interested. Can't wait to actually get to the future too :)
At the beginning of the book, you see Drizzt 100 years in the future, which actually surprised me. I had forgotten a friend told me that later books are WAY later, after most of the characters are long dead I assume. Anyway, since it tells you how this (mostly) plays out, I couldn't seem to care about some of the characters like I used to. Orcs? Don't care. Bruenor? I was pretty sure he couldn't die until he fulfilled some stuff that future Drizzt says. I did care a bit for other characters, and the book did pick up quite a bit at the end and a few other parts. This book seems to wrap up a LOT of the Orc attacks of the previous Trilogy. I'm not sure where the next 2 books will go, so I am interested. Can't wait to actually get to the future too :)
May 20, 2010
The latest Drizzt book I have come across. It is worthy of the saga. A good read that I consumed and felt a moment of sorrow when I turned the last page. It started a little slow but more than made up for it in grand style. =)
February 11, 2021
My brother reads these books. I never tried before. Mostly hearing the number of volumes this series has. But seeing the covers on every book he has, I just couldn't help but try at least one. It's an amazing world. I might try reading the next ones someday.
July 15, 2014
The Orc King by R.A. Salvatore picks up a few months after the events from The Two Swords in the Hunter's Blades trilogy. Winter is waning and the stand-off between Mithril Hall and King Obould Many Arrows is about to come to a head...the main plot, to me, was split into a couple of different ones. There is the continued guessing of what is to happen between the two Kingdoms and then there is another dealing with some of King Obould's followers looking to create an alliance with another tribe of half-orcs/half-ogres. A couple of subplots are dropped here and there, such as, Wulfgar's search and then his final decision which wraps up a couple of previous subplots from books long ago and the creation of a new subplot I can see developing in the future. Then there's Catti-brie, who may have to look into some changes to help her continue fighting against the enemy. Also, King Bruenor's search for an ancient city turns up more than he can possibly come to grips with.
While the story is typical Salvatore fare, you can expect pretty much the same thing as previous books. Great storytelling, flow, and multiple points of view from different characters. He continues to have great characters that help to draw the reader into the story. His descriptions of landscapes, action, and everything is top notch. The drawback to being typical Salvatore fare is that the majority of the book was predictable. I would like to go into detail, however, it would result in spoilers, so I will refrain. Now, not everything was predictable, but the vast majority was. The good thing about it being predictable is if you are a die hard Salvatore fan and I like things remaining as they are, then you will not be disappointed. This book does jump around a lot, but in short enough bursts that the reader doesn't get lost of forget what is going on in the other parts. Everything comes together nicely in the end and flows to a good conclusion.
Some criticisms:
1. While it is nice to get acquainted with old characters and look to reading a favorite author's works, this book was a bit off on keeping me mesmerized and turning the pages. Usually I can sit down with a whole Drizzt trilogy and move right through all three. This book just didn't have that appeal to me. I did enjoy it, no doubt, but the novel felt slightly lacking.
2. Sometimes I like being able to guess what may happen and seeing a writer choose that path. The predictability with this one, however, was too much and caused the story to miss out on being great.
Some positives:
1. Usually when a writer continues long sagas with the same characters over and over, the characters, though well loved, become just the same old hat. While there is a lot of sameness to the original cast, Drizzt, King Bruenor, Catti-brie, Wulfgar, and Regis there is also some new character developments going on that is starting to refresh them and give them new life.
2. The caveat to the predictability criticism is that I was able to get the same level out of the book that I have come to expect with reading Salvatore. I'm talking about great fight scenes and detailed depictions of the battles. Also the way he paints the landscape in the background without over detailing and bagging the story down.
3. Salvatore seems to be taking away the characters immortality. In the other books, most of the time it just seemed that no matter the danger, the companions will always triumph; no need to worry about them. This book has taken a bit of that away and now the danger feels more real.
Overall, this was an excellent novel, and a solid continuation to the Drizzt saga. Fans of the realms and Salvatore will no doubt enjoy this one. I recommend this to fans of the Forgotten Realms and fans of fantasy as well if you've just started this series, I would recommend going back and treating yourself the The Legend of Drizzt series and then continue through the rest of the books.
While the story is typical Salvatore fare, you can expect pretty much the same thing as previous books. Great storytelling, flow, and multiple points of view from different characters. He continues to have great characters that help to draw the reader into the story. His descriptions of landscapes, action, and everything is top notch. The drawback to being typical Salvatore fare is that the majority of the book was predictable. I would like to go into detail, however, it would result in spoilers, so I will refrain. Now, not everything was predictable, but the vast majority was. The good thing about it being predictable is if you are a die hard Salvatore fan and I like things remaining as they are, then you will not be disappointed. This book does jump around a lot, but in short enough bursts that the reader doesn't get lost of forget what is going on in the other parts. Everything comes together nicely in the end and flows to a good conclusion.
Some criticisms:
1. While it is nice to get acquainted with old characters and look to reading a favorite author's works, this book was a bit off on keeping me mesmerized and turning the pages. Usually I can sit down with a whole Drizzt trilogy and move right through all three. This book just didn't have that appeal to me. I did enjoy it, no doubt, but the novel felt slightly lacking.
2. Sometimes I like being able to guess what may happen and seeing a writer choose that path. The predictability with this one, however, was too much and caused the story to miss out on being great.
Some positives:
1. Usually when a writer continues long sagas with the same characters over and over, the characters, though well loved, become just the same old hat. While there is a lot of sameness to the original cast, Drizzt, King Bruenor, Catti-brie, Wulfgar, and Regis there is also some new character developments going on that is starting to refresh them and give them new life.
2. The caveat to the predictability criticism is that I was able to get the same level out of the book that I have come to expect with reading Salvatore. I'm talking about great fight scenes and detailed depictions of the battles. Also the way he paints the landscape in the background without over detailing and bagging the story down.
3. Salvatore seems to be taking away the characters immortality. In the other books, most of the time it just seemed that no matter the danger, the companions will always triumph; no need to worry about them. This book has taken a bit of that away and now the danger feels more real.
Overall, this was an excellent novel, and a solid continuation to the Drizzt saga. Fans of the realms and Salvatore will no doubt enjoy this one. I recommend this to fans of the Forgotten Realms and fans of fantasy as well if you've just started this series, I would recommend going back and treating yourself the The Legend of Drizzt series and then continue through the rest of the books.
June 21, 2017
Finally Drizzt returns to the centre stage of the novel. I described the other previous 2 trilogies as fillers this is the main course the main characters face a huge change and dramatic shift in their core beliefs. Each has to evolve. The battle scenes are great, gritty, and most of all believable in a fantasy setting of course. The introduction and epilogue of this book is written 100 years after the rest of the book, which if the other book in the trilogy follow the same format what happened to Drizzt's other companions. This first book is more of a proper ending to The Hunter's Blades (Forgotten Realms (Hardcover)). I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to any fan of Dizzit.
May 14, 2010
This book is a perfectly fine example of mind candy. The story continues the whole saga created earlier by Salvatore. Unfortunately, like most Dungeons and Dragons type books you will be out in the cold if you haven't read the others. Because it's one of THOSE series. And it doesn't really go anywhere even though it threatens to. Sigh.
I am not sure whether these books should be read by someone who has played Dungeons and Dragons. The first issue is that it is really, really, faithful to the game. Each round of melee is described, with each player/monster taking their turn. Even every item of equipment used can be found on the second edition players handbook. When the author talks about characters walking in low, soft books (4 gp if I remember correctly) or using their fifty-foot rope, it's going to ellicit giggles. Someone who is well-versed with the rules of the game will also tsk when the clerics heal in the middle of a melee round.
And it is impossible to see the characters as people that can exist. You see them as teens holding character sheets. Whenever Drizzt pulls out Twinkle the scimitar, the urge is to scoff: "Twinkle? Sheesh, your DM has got to hate you." Because Drizzt is never going to be a real adult with the weight of the kingdom on him. He is a 15-year-old who really wants to be epic and does not yet realize that Twinkle is a stupid name for a weapon.
On the other hand, there are instances when the characters use psionic attacks. If you have never played Dungeons and Dragons or if you were one of the players that skipped that appendix, you will have a rough time figuring that scene out.
So in all it is an entertaining book. But the fact that it is based on a game keeps me from being able to evaluate properly.
I am not sure whether these books should be read by someone who has played Dungeons and Dragons. The first issue is that it is really, really, faithful to the game. Each round of melee is described, with each player/monster taking their turn. Even every item of equipment used can be found on the second edition players handbook. When the author talks about characters walking in low, soft books (4 gp if I remember correctly) or using their fifty-foot rope, it's going to ellicit giggles. Someone who is well-versed with the rules of the game will also tsk when the clerics heal in the middle of a melee round.
And it is impossible to see the characters as people that can exist. You see them as teens holding character sheets. Whenever Drizzt pulls out Twinkle the scimitar, the urge is to scoff: "Twinkle? Sheesh, your DM has got to hate you." Because Drizzt is never going to be a real adult with the weight of the kingdom on him. He is a 15-year-old who really wants to be epic and does not yet realize that Twinkle is a stupid name for a weapon.
On the other hand, there are instances when the characters use psionic attacks. If you have never played Dungeons and Dragons or if you were one of the players that skipped that appendix, you will have a rough time figuring that scene out.
So in all it is an entertaining book. But the fact that it is based on a game keeps me from being able to evaluate properly.
June 25, 2024
This is the first new Drizzt novel I have read in probably 20 years. I recently reread the Hunters Blade series to refresh my memory of what was happening in the world prior to this story. Salvatore did something a little interesting with the prologue actually taking place in the future...it was interesting, but also a gave some pretty serious foreshadowing when the rest of the book takes place in the "past"; right after the events of the previous book.
The story is good. It felt like he wanted to continue the theme he introduced in the short story "Dark Mirror", and even expanded on a bit in "Bones and Stones"; that while dwarves and orcs have 'always' been enemies, they have similarities...both grieve their lost companions, both want to feast and celebrate in their manor, both want to settle and expand. These themes are timely in the world we live in today.
The main plot is segmented by several other storylines that Salvatore weaves throughout. It felt like there were some loose-ends that needed to be tied before the series moves on...and the prologue taking place decades in the future, explains why we need to see some of the short-lived human companions move on or onto the next phase of their lives.
The novel both seems like a closing chapter to the stories that have come before, and a gateway into what is to come. It is satisfying seeing some characters step down and get their just rewards, others hint at growing into completely new characters, and still others leave us with a bit of a cliff-hanger! It's actually pretty impressive to get all of that into one story.
...my only regret is that in the Forgotten Realms Timeline, there are 21 novels I need to read before I get to the next Drizzt book.
The story is good. It felt like he wanted to continue the theme he introduced in the short story "Dark Mirror", and even expanded on a bit in "Bones and Stones"; that while dwarves and orcs have 'always' been enemies, they have similarities...both grieve their lost companions, both want to feast and celebrate in their manor, both want to settle and expand. These themes are timely in the world we live in today.
The main plot is segmented by several other storylines that Salvatore weaves throughout. It felt like there were some loose-ends that needed to be tied before the series moves on...and the prologue taking place decades in the future, explains why we need to see some of the short-lived human companions move on or onto the next phase of their lives.
The novel both seems like a closing chapter to the stories that have come before, and a gateway into what is to come. It is satisfying seeing some characters step down and get their just rewards, others hint at growing into completely new characters, and still others leave us with a bit of a cliff-hanger! It's actually pretty impressive to get all of that into one story.
...my only regret is that in the Forgotten Realms Timeline, there are 21 novels I need to read before I get to the next Drizzt book.
January 18, 2008
I'm a Drizzt fan, as long as he keeps pumping out the books, I'll keep reading them. Pretty standard Salvatore, with a slight twist. The Prologue is set a hundred years or so in the future, with the "good" races living near an orc kingdom presided over by King Obould the 6th - letting us know immediately how the book is going to end. Interesting idea, not sure I like it since it takes away some of the mystery and removes and chance that Drizzt dies any time soon. Not that that's a huge surprise, no chance Salvatore gets rid of proven money-making character, I suppose.
One annoying bit about this book is that the Orc King, Obould, seems to have changed quite a bit from the last book. I don't remember him being so focused on establishing a small Kingdom, and being so willing to make peace. Maybe the "winter" in the book gave him some perspective. But that seems like a lot of growth, no? Convenient!
I gave it 3-stars, though it could be 2-stars, or less. I don't think he's a particularly good writer, he seems to over-write emotions, eliminating any possible nuance. Whatever the character is feeling, or fearful of, or thinking about, Salvatore likes to beat us over the head to make sure we're aware. Annoying. But I think that a series now in it's 16th or 17th volume (which surprised me), should probably be graded a little differently than a standalone novel would. Going into this book, the one important question is: "Does it make me want to read the next one." Yes. So it succeeds.
One annoying bit about this book is that the Orc King, Obould, seems to have changed quite a bit from the last book. I don't remember him being so focused on establishing a small Kingdom, and being so willing to make peace. Maybe the "winter" in the book gave him some perspective. But that seems like a lot of growth, no? Convenient!
I gave it 3-stars, though it could be 2-stars, or less. I don't think he's a particularly good writer, he seems to over-write emotions, eliminating any possible nuance. Whatever the character is feeling, or fearful of, or thinking about, Salvatore likes to beat us over the head to make sure we're aware. Annoying. But I think that a series now in it's 16th or 17th volume (which surprised me), should probably be graded a little differently than a standalone novel would. Going into this book, the one important question is: "Does it make me want to read the next one." Yes. So it succeeds.
August 28, 2011
Another mediocre effort in the Drizz't saga. I'm afraid I'm not at the point where I'm enjoying these books, so much as I'm reading them out of a sense of closure.
Nothing in here is particularly original or even exciting, but if you need to set the stage for the Spell Plague, a lot of the (now older) lore leading up to this point for the Silver Marches region will be in here. That would be the only reason I'd recommend reading it. At least it was a good companion on the treadmill for a few weeks.
Nothing in here is particularly original or even exciting, but if you need to set the stage for the Spell Plague, a lot of the (now older) lore leading up to this point for the Silver Marches region will be in here. That would be the only reason I'd recommend reading it. At least it was a good companion on the treadmill for a few weeks.
December 30, 2016
The Orc King is a classic fantasy novel about the search for peace amid the struggle for power.
The Bad Stuff: There are some over technical explanations within the fight scenes that detract from the story. Some long and clunky sentences.
The good stuff: The characters are well rounded and interesting. I also liked the magical weapons, the creatures and locations. The story is set in a well established world.
In my opinion, this is a great fantasy novel with Orcs, Elves, Dwarves, magic and magical weapons. What more could you ask for? This one gets 4 out of 5 golden bookmarks from me.
The Bad Stuff: There are some over technical explanations within the fight scenes that detract from the story. Some long and clunky sentences.
The good stuff: The characters are well rounded and interesting. I also liked the magical weapons, the creatures and locations. The story is set in a well established world.
In my opinion, this is a great fantasy novel with Orcs, Elves, Dwarves, magic and magical weapons. What more could you ask for? This one gets 4 out of 5 golden bookmarks from me.
February 12, 2011
This earned a fourth star through the gift of nostalgia. I haven't read Salvatore or any other fantasy novel in roughly twenty years and I got a kick out of revisiting these characters in the Forgotten Realms. I enjoyed Salvatore's first two trilogies starting with The Crystal Shard back in 1988 and I was a die hard fan but I soon moved on to other genres. I plan to finish this current trilogy and perhaps revisit The Crystal Shard. Salvatore is very good at what he does.
January 5, 2017
Ajattelin että tämän lukeminen olisi silkkaa tuskaa, mutta sehän oli vain hetkittäin kivuliasta. (Pääasiassa silloin kun Wulfgar oli taas mukana kuvioissa. Uskomattoman rasittava hahmo.)
Lopetin saagan lukemisen aikoinaan Tuhanteen örkkiin ja ajattelin tämän olevan identtistä roskaa, mutta tässä oli hetkittäisiä valonpilkahduksia FR:lle niin tyypillisten ylipitkien ja turhien filleritaisteluiden välillä.
Lopetin saagan lukemisen aikoinaan Tuhanteen örkkiin ja ajattelin tämän olevan identtistä roskaa, mutta tässä oli hetkittäisiä valonpilkahduksia FR:lle niin tyypillisten ylipitkien ja turhien filleritaisteluiden välillä.
August 12, 2017
I haven't read any traditionally published fiction books in a few years. Mostly I've been reading indie books, but I saw this trilogy in a used book store and snapped it up. It's been so long since I read 1000 Orcs and the other books that a lot of the details are foggy. But it was comforting coming back to read about Drizzt and the gang. The action was excellent, as always. Can't wait to start the next one!
September 25, 2015
I like the series. I started on number 13, I really need to find number 1. I do spend a lot of time wishing they'd get back to Drizzt though. I love all the characters but he's the best
December 15, 2017
I listened to this book as an audio book while recovering from cataract surgery. The voices as done Mark Bramhall make the book very engaging. I will admit that since I did not start at the beginning of the stories in the Legend of Drizzt, I was quite lost at first when it came to who, what, where and when. My library's Overdrive collection only had this Forgotten Realms series of three books by R. A. Salvatore and I wanted to listen to his stories. However, I came to a point where I just accepted that there were some things I didn't know and it was o.k. I got caught up in the adventure of the story and its characters. I am planning on continuing to listen to the Forgotten Realms: Transitions series. I am moving on to the Pirate King now.
April 12, 2010
The Orc King by R.A. Salvatore is the first book in the Transitions trilogy. The second book is The Pirate King followed by The Ghost King. Other works in the Forgotten Realms by R.A. Salvatore include: The Legend of Drizzt series, The Sellswords trilogy, The Hunter's Blades trilogy, and The Cleric Quintet.
The Orc King (TOK) picks up a few months after the events from The Two Swords in The Hunter's Blades trilogy. Winter is waning and the stand-off between Mithril Hall and King Obould Manyarrows is about to come to a head... The main plot, to me, was split into a couple of different ones. There is the continued guessing of what is to happen between the two kingdoms and then there is another dealing with some of King Obould's followers looking to create an alliance with another tribe of half orcs/half ogres. A couple of subplots are dropped here and there, such as, Wulfgar's search and then his final decision which wraps up a couple of previous subplots from books long ago and the creation of a new subplot I can see happening in the near future. Then there's Catti-brie, who may have to look into some changes to help her continue fighting against the enemy. Also, King Bruenor's search for an ancient city turns up more than he can possible come to grips with.
While the story is typical Salvatore fare, you can expect pretty much the same thing as previous books. Great story telling, flow, and multiple points of view from different characters. He continues to have great characters that help to draw the reader into the story. His descriptions of landscapes, action, and everything is top notch. The drawback to being typical Salvatore fare is that the majority of the book was predictable. I would like to go into detail, however, it would result in spoilers, so I will refrain. Now, not everything was predictable, but the vast majority was. The good thing about it being predictable is if you are a die hard Salvatore fan and like things remaining that way, then you will not be disappointed. This book does jump around a lot, but in short enough bursts that the reader doesn't get lost or forget what is going on in the other parts. Everything comes together nicely in the end and flows to a good conclusion.
Some Criticisms:
1. While it is nice to get acquainted with old characters and look to reading a favorite author's works, this book was a bit off on keeping me mesmerized and turning the pages. Usually i can sit down with a whole Drizzt trilogy and move right through all three. This book just didn't have that appeal to me. I did enjoy it, no doubt, but the novel felt slightly lacking.
2. Sometimes I like being able to guess what may happen and seeing a writer choose that path. The predictability with this one was too much and caused the story to miss out on being great.
Some Positives:
1. Usually when writer continues long sagas with the same characters over and over, the characters, though well loved, become just the same old hat. While there are a lot of sameness to the original cast, Drizzt, King Bruenor, Catti-brie, Wulfgar, and Regis, there is also some new character developments going on that is starting to refresh them and give them new life.
2. The caveat to the predictability criticism is I was able to get the same level out of the book that I have come to expect with reading Mr. Salvatore. I'm talking about great fight scenes and detailed depictions of the battles. Also the way he paints the landscape in the background without over detailing and bogging the story down.
3. Mr. Salvatore seems to have taking away the characters immortality. In the other books, most of the time it just seemed that no matter the danger, the companions will always triumph. no need to worry about them. This book has taken a bit of that away and now the danger feel more real.
Overall, this was an excellent novel and a solid continuation to the Drizzt saga. Fans of the realms and Mr. Salvatore will no doubt enjoy this one. I recommend this to fans of the Forgotten Realms and fans of fantasy as well. If you've just started this series, I would recommend going back and treating yourself to The Legend of Drizzt series and continue through the series. The only series not directly connected to Drizzt is The Cleric's Quintet, but you may also want to read that one as well. More great characters and great fun to be had there.
Happy Reading.
-Dimndbangr
The Orc King (TOK) picks up a few months after the events from The Two Swords in The Hunter's Blades trilogy. Winter is waning and the stand-off between Mithril Hall and King Obould Manyarrows is about to come to a head... The main plot, to me, was split into a couple of different ones. There is the continued guessing of what is to happen between the two kingdoms and then there is another dealing with some of King Obould's followers looking to create an alliance with another tribe of half orcs/half ogres. A couple of subplots are dropped here and there, such as, Wulfgar's search and then his final decision which wraps up a couple of previous subplots from books long ago and the creation of a new subplot I can see happening in the near future. Then there's Catti-brie, who may have to look into some changes to help her continue fighting against the enemy. Also, King Bruenor's search for an ancient city turns up more than he can possible come to grips with.
While the story is typical Salvatore fare, you can expect pretty much the same thing as previous books. Great story telling, flow, and multiple points of view from different characters. He continues to have great characters that help to draw the reader into the story. His descriptions of landscapes, action, and everything is top notch. The drawback to being typical Salvatore fare is that the majority of the book was predictable. I would like to go into detail, however, it would result in spoilers, so I will refrain. Now, not everything was predictable, but the vast majority was. The good thing about it being predictable is if you are a die hard Salvatore fan and like things remaining that way, then you will not be disappointed. This book does jump around a lot, but in short enough bursts that the reader doesn't get lost or forget what is going on in the other parts. Everything comes together nicely in the end and flows to a good conclusion.
Some Criticisms:
1. While it is nice to get acquainted with old characters and look to reading a favorite author's works, this book was a bit off on keeping me mesmerized and turning the pages. Usually i can sit down with a whole Drizzt trilogy and move right through all three. This book just didn't have that appeal to me. I did enjoy it, no doubt, but the novel felt slightly lacking.
2. Sometimes I like being able to guess what may happen and seeing a writer choose that path. The predictability with this one was too much and caused the story to miss out on being great.
Some Positives:
1. Usually when writer continues long sagas with the same characters over and over, the characters, though well loved, become just the same old hat. While there are a lot of sameness to the original cast, Drizzt, King Bruenor, Catti-brie, Wulfgar, and Regis, there is also some new character developments going on that is starting to refresh them and give them new life.
2. The caveat to the predictability criticism is I was able to get the same level out of the book that I have come to expect with reading Mr. Salvatore. I'm talking about great fight scenes and detailed depictions of the battles. Also the way he paints the landscape in the background without over detailing and bogging the story down.
3. Mr. Salvatore seems to have taking away the characters immortality. In the other books, most of the time it just seemed that no matter the danger, the companions will always triumph. no need to worry about them. This book has taken a bit of that away and now the danger feel more real.
Overall, this was an excellent novel and a solid continuation to the Drizzt saga. Fans of the realms and Mr. Salvatore will no doubt enjoy this one. I recommend this to fans of the Forgotten Realms and fans of fantasy as well. If you've just started this series, I would recommend going back and treating yourself to The Legend of Drizzt series and continue through the series. The only series not directly connected to Drizzt is The Cleric's Quintet, but you may also want to read that one as well. More great characters and great fun to be had there.
Happy Reading.
-Dimndbangr
August 30, 2016
Remarkable plot similarities to the latest Warcraft movie…
Review at The Pluviophile Reader: http://bit.ly/2bWVQH3
3/5 stars.
Hardcover, 346 pages.
Read from June 18 to 26, 2016.
Thanks to the Hong Kong public library system I can still get my Drizzt-fix. According to Goodreads, Salvatore is one of my most read authors. I’m not sure how I feel about that but it doesn’t help that that this is 17th book in a series that now has 30 books in it and that the characters are kind of addicting. What’s peculiar about this book is that the latest Warcraft movie seems to have picked up on some it’s plot lines. I will explain.
The book strangely opens up 100 years into the future, so you already in a way know how the book is going to end. Interesting style switch for Salvatore. The plot picks up from the last book where Drizzt has been reunited with his friends and Obould and the band of orcs he has united is still a major threat to everyone in the realm .Bruenor is also determined to put a stop to it, even if it means putting him near death again. Wulfgar is mourning the death of his wife Dellie but he now needs to find Cottie, the adoptive child that they had together and make things right. Drizzt is torn on where to assist his friends and Cattibrie is still injured and may never fight again. Wulfgar is facing more of his demons and is looking to find peace but can Bruenor and Obould do the same?
If you’ve seen the latest Warcraft movie you may already understand the plot similarities. In the movie the Alliance and Horde start a war (no surprises there) but one of the leaders of the Orc groups tries to bring the tribes together to broker peace so that they can work together. That all goes horribly wrong and but the cliffhanger at the end leaves it on one Orc to hopefully bring about peace. While in this book peace is successfully brokered and because the book opens 100 years in the future you already know it’s successful. As Salvatore wrote this novel in 2007 I think he had one up on the movie in terms of who had the plot idea first but it was interesting to see the similarities. I mean, it’s not uncommon for fantasy themes to carry over in all sorts of mediums but what made this plot unique is that it showed that Orcs are more than just blood thirsty savages.
Drizzt and Cattibrie are also hella cute. Still looking forward to how things are going to continue to progress with them.
Overall, a good solid read that provided me with a fantasy -fix. It’s been one of best fantasy series I’ve ever picked up so far so I would recommend it to anyone interested in the genre.
Review at The Pluviophile Reader: http://bit.ly/2bWVQH3
3/5 stars.
Hardcover, 346 pages.
Read from June 18 to 26, 2016.
Thanks to the Hong Kong public library system I can still get my Drizzt-fix. According to Goodreads, Salvatore is one of my most read authors. I’m not sure how I feel about that but it doesn’t help that that this is 17th book in a series that now has 30 books in it and that the characters are kind of addicting. What’s peculiar about this book is that the latest Warcraft movie seems to have picked up on some it’s plot lines. I will explain.
The book strangely opens up 100 years into the future, so you already in a way know how the book is going to end. Interesting style switch for Salvatore. The plot picks up from the last book where Drizzt has been reunited with his friends and Obould and the band of orcs he has united is still a major threat to everyone in the realm .Bruenor is also determined to put a stop to it, even if it means putting him near death again. Wulfgar is mourning the death of his wife Dellie but he now needs to find Cottie, the adoptive child that they had together and make things right. Drizzt is torn on where to assist his friends and Cattibrie is still injured and may never fight again. Wulfgar is facing more of his demons and is looking to find peace but can Bruenor and Obould do the same?
If you’ve seen the latest Warcraft movie you may already understand the plot similarities. In the movie the Alliance and Horde start a war (no surprises there) but one of the leaders of the Orc groups tries to bring the tribes together to broker peace so that they can work together. That all goes horribly wrong and but the cliffhanger at the end leaves it on one Orc to hopefully bring about peace. While in this book peace is successfully brokered and because the book opens 100 years in the future you already know it’s successful. As Salvatore wrote this novel in 2007 I think he had one up on the movie in terms of who had the plot idea first but it was interesting to see the similarities. I mean, it’s not uncommon for fantasy themes to carry over in all sorts of mediums but what made this plot unique is that it showed that Orcs are more than just blood thirsty savages.
Drizzt and Cattibrie are also hella cute. Still looking forward to how things are going to continue to progress with them.
Overall, a good solid read that provided me with a fantasy -fix. It’s been one of best fantasy series I’ve ever picked up so far so I would recommend it to anyone interested in the genre.
March 4, 2014
After doing a marathon read on The legend of Drizzt, I stopped reading the series and started playing some games on the PS4 for a few weeks. When I saw the cover for the Orc King though, it started to pull me in little by little, day by day. Since my bookcase is right next to my computer, after a few more stares, I gave in and picked up the book. I was not disappointed. On the contrary, it made me purchase my missing books "The Ghost King" and "Gauntlgrym". After reading 16+ books in the same series, THAT says something.
Synopsis:
Despite the end of the last book, The Orcs are still stirring with activity. The brief period of silence feels more like the eye of the storm. The companions needs to put a stop to the looming threat from the orcs once and for all.
Wulfgar with Catti-Brie went on a journey to get Delly Courtey's remains and find his missing child.
Review:
cover:
Todd Lockwood's cover is the reason I picked up this book. The cover (that stretches from the front to the back of the book) drawing is simply beautifully portrayed. It does not show of any relevance to the content of the books really but pulls you in and makes you go "hmmnn, It looks like Drizzt and Guen will be having another grand fight" *starts to read*
story content:
The main story is a continuation to the war between Mithril Hall and the Orc King Obould's host of thousands of orcs. The hard headed king Bruenor has a choice to make. One that will define how the lands will be for the next decades maybe centuries to come.
There are a couple of "side stories" (if you will) that ties in to the main story... These are really nice diversions since they gave the characters(good and bad) the chance to grow. Characters such as Tos'un Armgo and even one of the companions, Wulfgar, to name a few will have their personal stories inched forward. This makes their characters more believable and less one dimensional if not likable.
Storytelling:
I like R.A. Salvatore's storytelling hands down. combat wise, I have never seen an author give such an accurately detailed portrayal of the fight that is in his mind. That for me is the meatball to this pasta. Reading every slice, thrust, dodge, block, parry and stab is the biggest reason why I read his books and continue to do so. The pace is also at its best as well. I have never found myself skip a sentence because it is repetitive or bland. I wanted every explanation, every description, every retort, every sarcasm.
gripe:
none, atleast for this book. By now, you would think.. I want to stop reading about these characters.. But no, they grow with you. They move forward, keeping me interested in their development. I want more.
Synopsis:
Despite the end of the last book, The Orcs are still stirring with activity. The brief period of silence feels more like the eye of the storm. The companions needs to put a stop to the looming threat from the orcs once and for all.
Wulfgar with Catti-Brie went on a journey to get Delly Courtey's remains and find his missing child.
Review:
cover:
Todd Lockwood's cover is the reason I picked up this book. The cover (that stretches from the front to the back of the book) drawing is simply beautifully portrayed. It does not show of any relevance to the content of the books really but pulls you in and makes you go "hmmnn, It looks like Drizzt and Guen will be having another grand fight" *starts to read*
story content:
The main story is a continuation to the war between Mithril Hall and the Orc King Obould's host of thousands of orcs. The hard headed king Bruenor has a choice to make. One that will define how the lands will be for the next decades maybe centuries to come.
There are a couple of "side stories" (if you will) that ties in to the main story... These are really nice diversions since they gave the characters(good and bad) the chance to grow. Characters such as Tos'un Armgo and even one of the companions, Wulfgar, to name a few will have their personal stories inched forward. This makes their characters more believable and less one dimensional if not likable.
Storytelling:
I like R.A. Salvatore's storytelling hands down. combat wise, I have never seen an author give such an accurately detailed portrayal of the fight that is in his mind. That for me is the meatball to this pasta. Reading every slice, thrust, dodge, block, parry and stab is the biggest reason why I read his books and continue to do so. The pace is also at its best as well. I have never found myself skip a sentence because it is repetitive or bland. I wanted every explanation, every description, every retort, every sarcasm.
gripe:
none, atleast for this book. By now, you would think.. I want to stop reading about these characters.. But no, they grow with you. They move forward, keeping me interested in their development. I want more.
September 22, 2013
Via Book Reviews by Niki Hawkes at www.nikihawkes.com
As the first book in the Transitions trilogy, "The Orc King" is actually around book #20 for the series as a whole. Because I've already highlighted the overall qualities of the series in a post for book #1, "Homeland," I wont go into too many details here.
Having so many books under his belt, it always amazes me when Salvatore continues to produce quality, page-turning novels. This was no exception, containing a great story, strong characters, and an awesome plot advance that boded for more great novels in the future. My favorite element to this book is its examination of motives within a inherently "evil" race. It highlighted that mortal enemies just might have more in common than they first thought. Salvatore did such a good job expanding on the orcs that at times they almost felt... human.
I once watched an interview with the author, in which he made the claim that everything book within a series he tries to write well enough to become a stand-alone. While he definitely succeeds as far as plot structure and overall craft, I don’t think this would be NEAR as enjoyable without the significant back-history behind it. In fact, I'm not even sure it would make sense. There were a lot of events that eluded to prior events, and the whole series summarized in a few pages sounds convoluted and confusing. If he truly wanted a stand-alone book, his books would be twice as thick filled with all the extensive back-history.
Recommendations: If this is your first introduction to Salvatore's Drizzt books, I highly recommend you start with "The Dark Elf" trilogy.
by Niki Hawkes
Other books you might like:
"Dragons of Autumn Twilight" by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
"Way of Shadows" by Brent Weeks
"Sword of Shannara" by Terry Brooks
"Sword Dancer/Sword Singer" by Jennifer Roberson
"Mistborn" by Brandon Sanderson
As the first book in the Transitions trilogy, "The Orc King" is actually around book #20 for the series as a whole. Because I've already highlighted the overall qualities of the series in a post for book #1, "Homeland," I wont go into too many details here.
Having so many books under his belt, it always amazes me when Salvatore continues to produce quality, page-turning novels. This was no exception, containing a great story, strong characters, and an awesome plot advance that boded for more great novels in the future. My favorite element to this book is its examination of motives within a inherently "evil" race. It highlighted that mortal enemies just might have more in common than they first thought. Salvatore did such a good job expanding on the orcs that at times they almost felt... human.
I once watched an interview with the author, in which he made the claim that everything book within a series he tries to write well enough to become a stand-alone. While he definitely succeeds as far as plot structure and overall craft, I don’t think this would be NEAR as enjoyable without the significant back-history behind it. In fact, I'm not even sure it would make sense. There were a lot of events that eluded to prior events, and the whole series summarized in a few pages sounds convoluted and confusing. If he truly wanted a stand-alone book, his books would be twice as thick filled with all the extensive back-history.
Recommendations: If this is your first introduction to Salvatore's Drizzt books, I highly recommend you start with "The Dark Elf" trilogy.
by Niki Hawkes
Other books you might like:
"Dragons of Autumn Twilight" by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
"Way of Shadows" by Brent Weeks
"Sword of Shannara" by Terry Brooks
"Sword Dancer/Sword Singer" by Jennifer Roberson
"Mistborn" by Brandon Sanderson
January 8, 2017
I am a loyal, undying fan to few authors. And despite the fact that I freely admit his series can be considered fluff, (quick and relatively easy to read) R.A. Salvatore is one of them. Mostly because of the fact that his Drizzt series introduced me to the world of the Forgotten Realms, Dungeons and Dragons and thusly into my current role playing game passion.
We are introduced to Drizzt Do'Urdern, an elf of a very dark, chaotic, malicious, and evil race called the Drow within Homeland. Set apart from his race because he is good and benevolent, Drizzt is forced to leave his home deep underground and live instead on the surface of Faerun. The series follows the young drow elf as he travels the world, makes friends, and tries to find his place among them.
Salvatore's latest installment of the Drizzt Do'Urden series, The Orc King continues along the lines that Slavatore has already set within this world, but instigates a few surprises as well. To the point where despite the series being 17 books long and still going, I want to reread it from book one.
I have to wonder though, how much of Slavatore's writing for this book has been influenced by world news. Two factions, enemies from time immemorial, duke it out within this novel, only to put their grievances aside for the greater good. New friends are made, old ones are lost, decisions are made that breaks hearts and the world of the Realms itself is forever turned on its head.
This installment also offers various insights to the characters as Drizzt interjects what seems to be journal entries and reveals to the reader his thoughts on the world and the events taking place.
All in all, R.A. Slavatore has really surprised me with his latest novel, and has prompted me to revisit some old and dear friends.
We are introduced to Drizzt Do'Urdern, an elf of a very dark, chaotic, malicious, and evil race called the Drow within Homeland. Set apart from his race because he is good and benevolent, Drizzt is forced to leave his home deep underground and live instead on the surface of Faerun. The series follows the young drow elf as he travels the world, makes friends, and tries to find his place among them.
Salvatore's latest installment of the Drizzt Do'Urden series, The Orc King continues along the lines that Slavatore has already set within this world, but instigates a few surprises as well. To the point where despite the series being 17 books long and still going, I want to reread it from book one.
I have to wonder though, how much of Slavatore's writing for this book has been influenced by world news. Two factions, enemies from time immemorial, duke it out within this novel, only to put their grievances aside for the greater good. New friends are made, old ones are lost, decisions are made that breaks hearts and the world of the Realms itself is forever turned on its head.
This installment also offers various insights to the characters as Drizzt interjects what seems to be journal entries and reveals to the reader his thoughts on the world and the events taking place.
All in all, R.A. Slavatore has really surprised me with his latest novel, and has prompted me to revisit some old and dear friends.
April 8, 2015
Okay so it took me forever to read this book because uncharacteristically, I actually read the book and didn't listen to the audiobook. It started out as my lunch book I kept in my car, but then got transferred to the bathroom book because lunch time is for textbooks now.
I'll have to admit, I didn't really get into this book at first, it actually took me a long time. I even thought to myself, I'll probably give up on Drizzt after this one (having read all the previous Drizzt novels). But I actually started to read and imagine the fight scenes which I always just sort of glossed over before. Not really caring about the details, just the outcome. Mr. Salvatore does an amazing job in his fight scenes. And now that I've actually paid attention to them, I like them that much more.
The plot was a bit predictable, the ending was basically outlined on the dust jacket, but I feel that the Transitions series title is appropriate. This book sets the stage for very large transitions in the Forgotten Realms, specifically in the Spine of the World, but it also marks large transitions for individual characters. Wulfgar, Tos'Un, Cattie Brie, and Bruenor all go through some pretty large transitions, and I'm excited to see where they lead in the later books.
I wasn't really sure about the purpose of the Jack the Gnome character. He intrigued me, and I really would have liked to learn more about his story, but *spoiler" he dies and nothing he really did seems that important to me. I didn't feel like his influence on Hakuun really had much effect on the outcome of the events of the book at all.
I'll have to admit, I didn't really get into this book at first, it actually took me a long time. I even thought to myself, I'll probably give up on Drizzt after this one (having read all the previous Drizzt novels). But I actually started to read and imagine the fight scenes which I always just sort of glossed over before. Not really caring about the details, just the outcome. Mr. Salvatore does an amazing job in his fight scenes. And now that I've actually paid attention to them, I like them that much more.
The plot was a bit predictable, the ending was basically outlined on the dust jacket, but I feel that the Transitions series title is appropriate. This book sets the stage for very large transitions in the Forgotten Realms, specifically in the Spine of the World, but it also marks large transitions for individual characters. Wulfgar, Tos'Un, Cattie Brie, and Bruenor all go through some pretty large transitions, and I'm excited to see where they lead in the later books.
I wasn't really sure about the purpose of the Jack the Gnome character. He intrigued me, and I really would have liked to learn more about his story, but *spoiler" he dies and nothing he really did seems that important to me. I didn't feel like his influence on Hakuun really had much effect on the outcome of the events of the book at all.
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