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Legacy of the Drow #3
Cerco de Oscuridad
Mientras se prepara el ataque contra Drizzt Do`Urden y Mithril Hall, surge el tiempo de los conflictos, y Lloth, la reina araña en persona, camina por las calles de Menzoberranzan. Las leyes de la magia se tornan horriblemente inciertas y la ciudad Drow se ve inmersa en un caos tan espantoso que resulta insoportable para todos. Entre tanto, en Mithril Hall, Bruenor Battlehammer hace los preparativos para resistir el asedio de los elfos oscuros y Drizzt descubre que Guenhwyvar está atrapada en el plano astral y que Catti-brie es acosada por horribles pesadillas.
384 pages, Paperback
First published December 30, 1993
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6549 people want to read
About the author
R.A. Salvatore
606 books11.4k 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 383 reviews
August 10, 2019
Aaand with an immense step up from the previous volume, Siege of Darkness is the best Drizzt book I have read so far. Conspiracies thrive in the dark depths of the Realms and the dark elf focus is strong.
The reader experiences the following amazing sights:
- exquisitely tasteful dark elf intrigue, including being dragged along the wily schemes of the delightful House Baenre (I'm a fan!), learning the story behind its abnormally powerful Matron Mother Yvonnel Baenre (I'm definitely a fan!), and watching the ambitious aspirations of the wonderfully evil younger daughter Quenthel Baenre (I'm an ever bigger fan!)
- the avatar of the Spider Queen herself wandering amidst the vile creatures of the Abyss, and basically telling them to shut up and do as she wants!
- a distinct lack of Artemis Entreri!
- mind flayers mind flaying!
- a large-scale pitched battle in the corridors of the Underdark!
- oh, and Drizzt and his friends are also here.
What more could one want?
The reader experiences the following amazing sights:
- exquisitely tasteful dark elf intrigue, including being dragged along the wily schemes of the delightful House Baenre (I'm a fan!), learning the story behind its abnormally powerful Matron Mother Yvonnel Baenre (I'm definitely a fan!), and watching the ambitious aspirations of the wonderfully evil younger daughter Quenthel Baenre (I'm an ever bigger fan!)
- the avatar of the Spider Queen herself wandering amidst the vile creatures of the Abyss, and basically telling them to shut up and do as she wants!
- a distinct lack of Artemis Entreri!
- mind flayers mind flaying!
- a large-scale pitched battle in the corridors of the Underdark!
- oh, and Drizzt and his friends are also here.
What more could one want?
November 28, 2025
A Siege of Darkness – R.A. Salvatore
⭐⭐⭐⭐
I always come back to the Drizzt books.
Always.
For me, these stories are more than fantasy, they’re a place where I can breathe, unwind, and step into a world where good and evil are still clear, where loyalty matters, where courage is something you feel, and where darkness can be beaten back if you stand together.
That is my comfort zone.
Not the learning zone, not the heavy zone, just the place where stories make me feel alive.
A Siege of Darkness is exactly that kind of book.
I loved every part of it:
the unstoppable dwarves of Mithral Hall, Bruenor’s stubborn strength, the clash of armies deep underground, the tension that rattles the Realms when magic goes haywire, and of course, Lloth’s terrifying presence.
She is, without exaggeration, one of the scariest antagonists in all of fantasy.
And seeing her plans fail?
YES. That’s the kind of satisfaction that only a well-written villain can give you.
The drow vs dwarf conflict is classic fantasy at its best:
shadows against steel, deceit against honor, web against hammer.
And somewhere in the middle stands Drizzt, always trying to walk the path of the light, even when the world around him seems determined to drag him back into darkness.
His reflections, his inner struggle, his loyalty, that’s why these books work for me.
They have heart, even in the middle of chaos.
And I have to mention this:
Salvatore writes dwarves like no other.
Every chapter in Mithral Hall feels like walking through a living fortress with real history and soul.
It’s warm, loud, stubborn, and full of life, just like dwarves should be.
This entire book felt like coming home after a long working day.
Turning on the audiobook, hearing the tunnels shake, following Drizzt and his friends while the drow army marches.
It’s the perfect way to end an evening.
Do these stories teach me something?
Not really.
They remind me of something:
that even in dark places, light matters.
That friendship matters.
That fighting for the right thing (even when you’re tired) is still worth it.
And maybe that’s the kind of lesson that counts most.
Loved it.
On to the next adventure.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
I always come back to the Drizzt books.
Always.
For me, these stories are more than fantasy, they’re a place where I can breathe, unwind, and step into a world where good and evil are still clear, where loyalty matters, where courage is something you feel, and where darkness can be beaten back if you stand together.
That is my comfort zone.
Not the learning zone, not the heavy zone, just the place where stories make me feel alive.
A Siege of Darkness is exactly that kind of book.
I loved every part of it:
the unstoppable dwarves of Mithral Hall, Bruenor’s stubborn strength, the clash of armies deep underground, the tension that rattles the Realms when magic goes haywire, and of course, Lloth’s terrifying presence.
She is, without exaggeration, one of the scariest antagonists in all of fantasy.
And seeing her plans fail?
YES. That’s the kind of satisfaction that only a well-written villain can give you.
The drow vs dwarf conflict is classic fantasy at its best:
shadows against steel, deceit against honor, web against hammer.
And somewhere in the middle stands Drizzt, always trying to walk the path of the light, even when the world around him seems determined to drag him back into darkness.
His reflections, his inner struggle, his loyalty, that’s why these books work for me.
They have heart, even in the middle of chaos.
And I have to mention this:
Salvatore writes dwarves like no other.
Every chapter in Mithral Hall feels like walking through a living fortress with real history and soul.
It’s warm, loud, stubborn, and full of life, just like dwarves should be.
This entire book felt like coming home after a long working day.
Turning on the audiobook, hearing the tunnels shake, following Drizzt and his friends while the drow army marches.
It’s the perfect way to end an evening.
Do these stories teach me something?
Not really.
They remind me of something:
that even in dark places, light matters.
That friendship matters.
That fighting for the right thing (even when you’re tired) is still worth it.
And maybe that’s the kind of lesson that counts most.
Loved it.
On to the next adventure.
August 8, 2019
Call it 2.5 stars.
I notice that I neglected to review the last volume of Drizzt, but really I think I could write the same review for every single book. The names are either tongue twisters or pretty silly. I mean really, how does one even pronounce Drizzt? The other dark elf names tend to have apostrophes in them and impossible consonant combinations. Doing these as audio books must be difficult. And consider names such as King Schnicktick. How can one take him seriously with a name like this?
All of Drizzt’s adventures are melodramatic--he is pushed to his limits, but suddenly finds new reserves within himself or is saved by a friend, who he vows to cherish even more. It’s a very black and white world of good & evil with very few nuances. I presume that Salvatore is writing for a young audience, as the man-woman relationships are basic at best. This book comes the closest to giving Drizzt a romantic partner, his old friend Cattie-Brie (that’s right, cheese girl, as I think of her). Fresh off of losing her fiance, Wulfgar, Cattie-Brie comes in contact with a sentient sword which flings her into Drizzt’s arms. Of course, Drizzt is a gentleman (gentledrow?) so Cattie-Brie’s virtue is uncompromised. Nevertheless, they set out together at the end of this book, leading me for the first time to be actually intrigued as to where the author intends to take them in the next volume.
Somehow, the last volume (Starless Night) seems to have been quite pointless--Drizzt didn’t accomplish much and the planning of an invasion of Mithril Hall by the denizens of Menzoberranzan continues apace. Readers may be intrigued to see how the dark elves of the Underdark are defeated by the noble alliance of friendly races (and their own frailties). Enough of the known characters remain that there is potential for more dark elf mischief in the future. For the time being, I am glad that Salvatore plans to move the next volume into the daylight of his world.
Book number 326 in my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project.
I notice that I neglected to review the last volume of Drizzt, but really I think I could write the same review for every single book. The names are either tongue twisters or pretty silly. I mean really, how does one even pronounce Drizzt? The other dark elf names tend to have apostrophes in them and impossible consonant combinations. Doing these as audio books must be difficult. And consider names such as King Schnicktick. How can one take him seriously with a name like this?
All of Drizzt’s adventures are melodramatic--he is pushed to his limits, but suddenly finds new reserves within himself or is saved by a friend, who he vows to cherish even more. It’s a very black and white world of good & evil with very few nuances. I presume that Salvatore is writing for a young audience, as the man-woman relationships are basic at best. This book comes the closest to giving Drizzt a romantic partner, his old friend Cattie-Brie (that’s right, cheese girl, as I think of her). Fresh off of losing her fiance, Wulfgar, Cattie-Brie comes in contact with a sentient sword which flings her into Drizzt’s arms. Of course, Drizzt is a gentleman (gentledrow?) so Cattie-Brie’s virtue is uncompromised. Nevertheless, they set out together at the end of this book, leading me for the first time to be actually intrigued as to where the author intends to take them in the next volume.
Somehow, the last volume (Starless Night) seems to have been quite pointless--Drizzt didn’t accomplish much and the planning of an invasion of Mithril Hall by the denizens of Menzoberranzan continues apace. Readers may be intrigued to see how the dark elves of the Underdark are defeated by the noble alliance of friendly races (and their own frailties). Enough of the known characters remain that there is potential for more dark elf mischief in the future. For the time being, I am glad that Salvatore plans to move the next volume into the daylight of his world.
Book number 326 in my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project.
November 9, 2013
Maybe the best Drizzt book in the whole series until now. Everything that build up over the last few books comes to its epic conclusion, with a more than 100+ page battle around Mithril Hall.
And I must say the best parts in these books are the short interludes by Drizzt. Truly fantastically written!
And I must say the best parts in these books are the short interludes by Drizzt. Truly fantastically written!
October 7, 2019
In relation to the rest of the Drizzt series to date (9 books including this one, out of a total of 31 so far... oh Salvatore, what have you done and what have I done by starting to read these...), it was pretty good. It generally ties up the storylines of the Icewind Dale, Dark Elf and Legacy of the Drow trilogies, perhaps a little too well in places by re-introducing characters and factions that I have long forgotten about. These books' fine details don't quite stick in the mind. For example, a bunch of goofy wizards showed up from, I dunno, Streams of Silver? For once, Drizzt DOESN't spend the book moping and reproving himself. This was a refreshing change, as was the relative lack of drawn-out move-by-move combat accounts.
Although it was meant to show an epic battle between the evil forces of Menzobarranzan and Mithril Hall and its allies, the overall tone was light and I never felt that epic intent. In places, it felt like it was written in a hurry. At least one key scene seems to be missing (). The end was overly abrupt with everyone rapidly going on their happy ways; I would have liked to see Bruenor reacting to directly since it's a big freakin' deal, and more denouement of a lot of the survivors of the war. As usual for Salvatore's Forgotten Realms books, the attempts at humor fall into the "mildly amusing" category at best.
I can see the writing process at work in the incorporation of the Time of Troubles into this novel. Some people have built an in-world chronology of the Forgotten Realms books, and this detail helps place Drizzt's adventures in that timeline. I don't think this is why it was included. While the loss of or unpredictability of magic created some temporary problems and stresses for both the heroes and villains, given that these were fully resolved before the Drow determined to march on Mithril Hall, it is clearly not part of the major thrust of the book. I figured it out, though. The Time of Troubles was necessary to produce a certain MacGuffin-like solution to the final problem faced by our heroes. I can see Salvatore's thinking at work here (for real end-of-book spoiler here, don't look unless you've read the book or if you just don't care): and the rest of the story was back-written from there.
So, the book is OK purely from a plot-driven perspective, it's light and fluffy for a book about a massive race war, and if nothing else allows Drizzt to move on to the next stage of his legend. You know, for the next 22 books...
Although it was meant to show an epic battle between the evil forces of Menzobarranzan and Mithril Hall and its allies, the overall tone was light and I never felt that epic intent. In places, it felt like it was written in a hurry. At least one key scene seems to be missing (). The end was overly abrupt with everyone rapidly going on their happy ways; I would have liked to see Bruenor reacting to directly since it's a big freakin' deal, and more denouement of a lot of the survivors of the war. As usual for Salvatore's Forgotten Realms books, the attempts at humor fall into the "mildly amusing" category at best.
I can see the writing process at work in the incorporation of the Time of Troubles into this novel. Some people have built an in-world chronology of the Forgotten Realms books, and this detail helps place Drizzt's adventures in that timeline. I don't think this is why it was included. While the loss of or unpredictability of magic created some temporary problems and stresses for both the heroes and villains, given that these were fully resolved before the Drow determined to march on Mithril Hall, it is clearly not part of the major thrust of the book. I figured it out, though. The Time of Troubles was necessary to produce a certain MacGuffin-like solution to the final problem faced by our heroes. I can see Salvatore's thinking at work here (for real end-of-book spoiler here, don't look unless you've read the book or if you just don't care): and the rest of the story was back-written from there.
So, the book is OK purely from a plot-driven perspective, it's light and fluffy for a book about a massive race war, and if nothing else allows Drizzt to move on to the next stage of his legend. You know, for the next 22 books...
July 27, 2024
Empieza a serme difícil reseñar estos libros sin mencionar absolutamente nada que se pueda considerar spoiler, y este es el noveno. No sé lo que va a pasar cuando vaya por la mitad de la saga, si es que llego algún día.
Sigue en la tónica del anterior, con conflictos que involucran a cierta casa muy importante de Menzoberranzan, un "Tiempo de conflictos" que cambia las reglas de la magia y que altera totalmente las capacidades de los individuos que son capaces de utilizarla (y del que quiero saber MUCHO más, ya que aquí solo se menciona de pasada para explicar ciertos eventos que se ven afectados por él), y un Drizzt que cede bastante protagonismo a otros personajes que al fin empiezan a lucirse un poquito más.
Me ha gustado tanto como el anterior, e insisto en que quizá esta saga esté casi a la altura de la primera trilogía. Por lo menos a mi me está gustando bastante más que la de "El valle del viento helado". Y el cierre es bastante épico, con una batalla que me ha resultado muy palomitera y muy entretenida de leer.
Qué voy a decir, esta saga quizá no sea la más profunda, ni la que tiene los personajes mejor construidos... Pero es TAN disfrutona y se lee TAN bien. Que yo al menos voy a seguir hasta que me canse y me abrume la cantidad ingente de libros que la conforman.
Sigue en la tónica del anterior, con conflictos que involucran a cierta casa muy importante de Menzoberranzan, un "Tiempo de conflictos" que cambia las reglas de la magia y que altera totalmente las capacidades de los individuos que son capaces de utilizarla (y del que quiero saber MUCHO más, ya que aquí solo se menciona de pasada para explicar ciertos eventos que se ven afectados por él), y un Drizzt que cede bastante protagonismo a otros personajes que al fin empiezan a lucirse un poquito más.
Me ha gustado tanto como el anterior, e insisto en que quizá esta saga esté casi a la altura de la primera trilogía. Por lo menos a mi me está gustando bastante más que la de "El valle del viento helado". Y el cierre es bastante épico, con una batalla que me ha resultado muy palomitera y muy entretenida de leer.
Qué voy a decir, esta saga quizá no sea la más profunda, ni la que tiene los personajes mejor construidos... Pero es TAN disfrutona y se lee TAN bien. Que yo al menos voy a seguir hasta que me canse y me abrume la cantidad ingente de libros que la conforman.
May 29, 2010
I've already commented on this series as a whole, but this book marks a turning point.
By the time the reader has reached this book, the formula is set in stone. Drizzt fights and wins, then fights and wins again. The villain never dies, the supporting characters make brief quips, and nobody but nobody gets one single hint of development as a human character (except for Drizzt, who stopped developing several books ago).
Appropriate for young children, and possibly as a guilty pleasure. Don't get me wrong: I have fond memories of cuddling up with this book and a mug of hot chocolate. It's just... I wouldn't read it again.
By the time the reader has reached this book, the formula is set in stone. Drizzt fights and wins, then fights and wins again. The villain never dies, the supporting characters make brief quips, and nobody but nobody gets one single hint of development as a human character (except for Drizzt, who stopped developing several books ago).
Appropriate for young children, and possibly as a guilty pleasure. Don't get me wrong: I have fond memories of cuddling up with this book and a mug of hot chocolate. It's just... I wouldn't read it again.
November 25, 2010
I need to take a break from this series for awhile. It's just wearing me thin with the pointlessness of it all.
This book seemed more like two books crammed into one. I really enjoyed the part where magic failed but there was no explanation why. The author also skimmed over things that sort of made me raise an eyebrow like "well that was an easy way out." but I had no answers. Like Catti-brie and her sword. It was just too easy with no explanation behind it.
The second half of the book was a war and a pretty boring one at that. 100 pages are dedicated to the fighting but its mostly characters thoughts. I just wasn't interested because I just didn't care. I really, really just hate the main characters in these books.
The sad thing is I Love reading about the Drow. They are just so much more interesting and I think that's why I enjoyed the first half, because Drizzt was no where to be found and it mostly took place in the Drow city. I find their politics interesting, their characters interesting. Especially that when they die they stay dead. If there was a book just about them then I would probably read it and enjoy it a lot more. Now if it was 13+ books I'd probably end up hating them all.
It will be awhile before I pick these up again and finish the ones I have. They are slow and pointless to me and I don't want to read them anymore.
This book seemed more like two books crammed into one. I really enjoyed the part where magic failed but there was no explanation why. The author also skimmed over things that sort of made me raise an eyebrow like "well that was an easy way out." but I had no answers. Like Catti-brie and her sword. It was just too easy with no explanation behind it.
The second half of the book was a war and a pretty boring one at that. 100 pages are dedicated to the fighting but its mostly characters thoughts. I just wasn't interested because I just didn't care. I really, really just hate the main characters in these books.
The sad thing is I Love reading about the Drow. They are just so much more interesting and I think that's why I enjoyed the first half, because Drizzt was no where to be found and it mostly took place in the Drow city. I find their politics interesting, their characters interesting. Especially that when they die they stay dead. If there was a book just about them then I would probably read it and enjoy it a lot more. Now if it was 13+ books I'd probably end up hating them all.
It will be awhile before I pick these up again and finish the ones I have. They are slow and pointless to me and I don't want to read them anymore.
July 25, 2022
Five months. It took me five months to finish this book. To be precise, it took me that long to read almost two thirds with many, many days without giving it a glance. This evening I finished the last third. And it was all about battle.
I don’t know what to say. Drizzt stopped developing as a character long time ago and to be fair, we almost see more of Jarlaxle (I kind of like the flamboyant drow) than Drizzt. And one more thing lacking are the thoughts of Drizzt Do’Urden in between chapters. Because of them, I always gave one star more for every Salvatore’s book. Not this time.
In the end, I liked this bit:
"The days are short," she remarked, "and the road is long. "
"Only as long as you make it," Drizzt said to her, drawing her gaze back to him. "And the days are only as short as you allow them to be. "
Maybe I should take his advice. Maybe I should read some other books instead. For my days are not getting longer.
I don’t know what to say. Drizzt stopped developing as a character long time ago and to be fair, we almost see more of Jarlaxle (I kind of like the flamboyant drow) than Drizzt. And one more thing lacking are the thoughts of Drizzt Do’Urden in between chapters. Because of them, I always gave one star more for every Salvatore’s book. Not this time.
In the end, I liked this bit:
"The days are short," she remarked, "and the road is long. "
"Only as long as you make it," Drizzt said to her, drawing her gaze back to him. "And the days are only as short as you allow them to be. "
Maybe I should take his advice. Maybe I should read some other books instead. For my days are not getting longer.
April 27, 2025
Normally enjoy these, but this was absolute chaos. Likewise normally enjoy big ol' battles, but this was - y'know - absolute chaos.
Unnecessarily tangled set up, which looked very like it had had some Major Timeline shenanigans shoe-horned in at the last minute, significantly skewing narrative threads and messing everything up.
And then, too many of those threads. Too many jumps, too many pov characters, too many mini plot threads, too many mini skirmishes. Could REALLY have done with an overarching battle-plan (not just the map), and the clear and organised generalissimo pov to go with.
The death of (redacted) was a sorry anticlimax, and I was a bit thrown by Guenhwyvar suddenly being a she and not an it... though I'm sure big cats are allowed to choose their pronouns, just as much as anyone else.
Unnecessarily tangled set up, which looked very like it had had some Major Timeline shenanigans shoe-horned in at the last minute, significantly skewing narrative threads and messing everything up.
And then, too many of those threads. Too many jumps, too many pov characters, too many mini plot threads, too many mini skirmishes. Could REALLY have done with an overarching battle-plan (not just the map), and the clear and organised generalissimo pov to go with.
The death of (redacted) was a sorry anticlimax, and I was a bit thrown by Guenhwyvar suddenly being a she and not an it... though I'm sure big cats are allowed to choose their pronouns, just as much as anyone else.
July 21, 2024
Kad piedzīvojumu un dažādu cīņu pieredzējušam tā teikt kaujiniekam, kāds ir Drizzd Do’Urden, jāaprod ar dzīvi miera apstākļos starp draugiem un bez lieliem uztraukumiem, nav nemaz tik viegli, un prāts jau apsver ideju, vai nebūtu labāk sākt dzīvot interesantākos laikos. Vienīgi, kad citu ietekmē šie mierīgie apstākļi mainās, var saprast, cik muļķīga šāda ideja bijusi, jo situācijas maiņa apdraud nevien paša, bet iegūto draugu un kompanjonu dzīvības.
https://poseidons99.com/2024/07/21/r-...
https://poseidons99.com/2024/07/21/r-...
December 7, 2025
Pues como siempre esto es volver a casa… cada libro avanzamos un poquito más y conocemos el desarrollo del mundo de la antípoda oscura, no es que hablemos de obras maestras pero son súper disfrutables (al menos para mí) y me dan lo que pido… volveremos a vernos pronto Drizzt
January 3, 2026
This is definitely one of the better books in the series. 4.4 stars
August 11, 2025
La cosa pinta bien para iniciar la lectura del último tomo, sólo pido que haya más aventura que romance.
February 6, 2019
This book was MUCH BETTER than the last one. I was psyched for the war between the Drow and the surface world.
However, there's a few things that have become apparent to me:
1. Salvatore seems to have a lot of trouble with solving problems. He creates these massive problems like The Times of Trouble where gods were warring with each other and magic wasn't working properly. Spells would backfire or just fizzle, magical artifacts were inconsistent at best, and devastating at worst. And then the problem just... fizzles away and gets resolved with no explanation. Dantrag's demonic sword is picked up by Cattie-Brie and it messes with her head, encouraging her to go for more lethal hits when she's training with Drizzt, pulling at her consciousness until it possesses her completely... but it's nothing a three week camping trip in the mountains can't solve because Cattie comes back completely in control of the sword and the demon artifact no longer cares it isn't being wielded by the best swordsman around.
2. Salvatore has no idea how to write women. Cattie-Brie is still insufferable here. She's literally the only girl in a group of guy friends who constantly says "I hate drama" and then goes out of her way to create drama. Her fiance just died, but she's already getting ready to jump on Drizzt. But wait, she still loves Wulfgar, but wait, she likes Drizzt too, and- stop please stop. Every man in these books seems to dote on her. Drizzt, Wulfgar, Regis, Bruenor, Jarlaxle, even the DEMONIC SWORD. It's exhausting. And the only other woman, Alustriel, who's supposed to be an amazingly intelligent and strong minded leader, does a a really good job of painting herself to be an incompetent dumbass. She struggles to lead her city this entire book, because she's actually NOT a strong-minded leader. She just has a council sitting behind her pulling her strings. But at least she's still an accomplished mage- oh no, she picked up Elfhain's broken record syndrome, and then kamikazes into the middle of the battlefield never to seen or heard from again until the epilogue.
However, there's a few things that have become apparent to me:
1. Salvatore seems to have a lot of trouble with solving problems. He creates these massive problems like The Times of Trouble where gods were warring with each other and magic wasn't working properly. Spells would backfire or just fizzle, magical artifacts were inconsistent at best, and devastating at worst. And then the problem just... fizzles away and gets resolved with no explanation. Dantrag's demonic sword is picked up by Cattie-Brie and it messes with her head, encouraging her to go for more lethal hits when she's training with Drizzt, pulling at her consciousness until it possesses her completely... but it's nothing a three week camping trip in the mountains can't solve because Cattie comes back completely in control of the sword and the demon artifact no longer cares it isn't being wielded by the best swordsman around.
2. Salvatore has no idea how to write women. Cattie-Brie is still insufferable here. She's literally the only girl in a group of guy friends who constantly says "I hate drama" and then goes out of her way to create drama. Her fiance just died, but she's already getting ready to jump on Drizzt. But wait, she still loves Wulfgar, but wait, she likes Drizzt too, and- stop please stop. Every man in these books seems to dote on her. Drizzt, Wulfgar, Regis, Bruenor, Jarlaxle, even the DEMONIC SWORD. It's exhausting. And the only other woman, Alustriel, who's supposed to be an amazingly intelligent and strong minded leader, does a a really good job of painting herself to be an incompetent dumbass. She struggles to lead her city this entire book, because she's actually NOT a strong-minded leader. She just has a council sitting behind her pulling her strings. But at least she's still an accomplished mage- oh no, she picked up Elfhain's broken record syndrome, and then kamikazes into the middle of the battlefield never to seen or heard from again until the epilogue.
October 16, 2025
This was the first Drizzt book I bought while on my 3rd deployment in 1994. I’d been playing D&D for years & only heard of Drizzt in passing. So when I saw this book for sale at the base PX I decided to give the character a try, but when I started reading & battle buddy told me I couldn’t start with this book because it was the end (at that time) of the series. He then loaned me the other 2 books (Legacy & Starless Night).
There wasn’t a lot of Drizzt fighting in this book as the dwarves are getting ready for the Drow to come & try to concur Mithral Hall. There wasn’t a part of the novel that covered the “Time of Troubles” which is a decent series that was written in the early to mid ‘90s. The actual name of the series is called “The Avatar Trilogy”. Not sure how well it ages. Anyway I’ve digressed, At the time there were rumours of only getting one more book from all the hints Lloth dropped about her prisoner that she gave to Ertu. The Drow invasion felt rushed by the time we get to it.
Am moving on to Passage to Dawn. At the rate I’m going through these books I’ll have them reread before the New Year gets here.
There wasn’t a lot of Drizzt fighting in this book as the dwarves are getting ready for the Drow to come & try to concur Mithral Hall. There wasn’t a part of the novel that covered the “Time of Troubles” which is a decent series that was written in the early to mid ‘90s. The actual name of the series is called “The Avatar Trilogy”. Not sure how well it ages. Anyway I’ve digressed, At the time there were rumours of only getting one more book from all the hints Lloth dropped about her prisoner that she gave to Ertu. The Drow invasion felt rushed by the time we get to it.
Am moving on to Passage to Dawn. At the rate I’m going through these books I’ll have them reread before the New Year gets here.
March 17, 2017
This is where in Salvatore's books that he starts to move to many, MANY, MANY scenes of fighting. The focus seems to be on fighting technique... okay... but YAWN. I agree has its place, but although I am rereading his books... Too many fight scenes BORE me. I prefer properly placed fight scenes and more focus on the characters and story. He has some very good points that are now Drittz commentary between chapters and not as interwoven with the characters and story as before. The substance (for me) comes in small sporatic packages instead of interwoven in the storyline.... I am still going to continue to read this series until I can not take it any more. But I prefer his earlier works best
June 14, 2021
Salah satu novel dari siri Forgotten Realms (juga siri game Dungeons & Dragons), antara siri novel fantasi yg terkenal dan banyak peminatnya. Merupakan buku ke-3 dalam quadrilogy 'Legacy of the Drow' - menyambung kisah pengembaraan Drizzt Do'Urden dan rakan-rakannya (Bruenor Battlehammer, Wufgar, Cattie-Brie, dan Regis). Juga merupakan buku ke-9 (dari 34) dalam siri The legend of Drizzt. Buku ketiga ni lebih best berbanding dua buku sebelumnya. Plotnya penuh dengan aksi2 pertarungan dan peperangan yg detail.
Novel kali ni menyambung kisah dari buku kedua quadrilogy ni. Dark elves dari Menzoberranzan mengambil keputusan untuk menyerang dwarf di Mithral Hall. Bruenor Battlehammer, Drizzt, dan sekutu2 mereka yg lain mula membuat persediaan untuk mempertahankan Mithral Hall...
Novel kali ni menyambung kisah dari buku kedua quadrilogy ni. Dark elves dari Menzoberranzan mengambil keputusan untuk menyerang dwarf di Mithral Hall. Bruenor Battlehammer, Drizzt, dan sekutu2 mereka yg lain mula membuat persediaan untuk mempertahankan Mithral Hall...
February 6, 2011
Not my favorite of the Drizzt Do'Urden books so far. Some of the scenes/passages didn't make sense. For exampe:
1. Errtu only shows up at the beginning and end of the novel. What is he doing in the meantime?
2. What the heck was the "Time of Troubles"? It suddenly appeared, then left without any explanation.
3. Who killed Matron Baenre?
4. Why the longevity of the battle scenes with no explanation of why they're there?
5. Where did this whole fight with Catti-brie's sword come from?
I definately would've liked more explanations and more coherence. It was a good fluff novel though, if you can say that at all.
1. Errtu only shows up at the beginning and end of the novel. What is he doing in the meantime?
2. What the heck was the "Time of Troubles"? It suddenly appeared, then left without any explanation.
3. Who killed Matron Baenre?
4. Why the longevity of the battle scenes with no explanation of why they're there?
5. Where did this whole fight with Catti-brie's sword come from?
I definately would've liked more explanations and more coherence. It was a good fluff novel though, if you can say that at all.
February 26, 2009
I would say that this was the best book in the Drizzt Do'Urden series so far. I liked all the intrigue and house-wars in Menzoberranzan, especially since Jarlaxle is my favorite character in Salvatore's books. Though in some places, it did feel like the author needed to amass pages, so there were scenes where the characters' thoughts basically ran in circles to add a paragraph here and there. On the other hand, some of the scenes and characters were hilarious, especially the Harpells! Harkle's eyeballs popping up in the Mithral Hall left me in tears, I laughed so hard!
September 15, 2022
Παρά τον pulp χαρακτήρα αυτών των βιβλίων και τα πρώτα 4-5 που ψιλοδιαβάζονται (μη φανταστείτε τίποτε λογοτεχνικές δάφνες, μιλάμε για απλώς αναγνώσιμα), δεν υπάρχει προφανώς όριο στο πόσο σκουπίδι μπορεί να γίνει μια μέτρια προς... το άθλιο σειρά που την τραβάνε επ' άπειρον γι�� χάρη σπυριάρηδων σπασικλών που παίζουν AD&D (ή όπως αλλιώς λέγονται αυτά τα επιτραπέζια για εφήβους με ΠΟΛΛΗ ΑΚΜΗ στις μέρες μας).
March 14, 2011
Well... I am giving this book 2 stars only because it was all about battle. I didn't like the battles in Lord of the Rings either. Plus we don't get to spend too much time with the main characters... there were just different battles going on with the minor characters. And I am tired of the Underdark! Let's get into other plots!
November 16, 2019
Drizzt books are practically guaranteed to be a great read for me, but these novels don't stand-alone. As such, the plot is relatively slow moving at times. A lot of action takes up the book.
Being the conclusion of the Legacy of the Drow, the war is finally resolved on the Mithril Hall. I rather liked the ending, suggesting a new adventure ahead.
Being the conclusion of the Legacy of the Drow, the war is finally resolved on the Mithril Hall. I rather liked the ending, suggesting a new adventure ahead.
August 13, 2020
I can never find anything negative to say about Drizzt novels. When the story seems simple and predictable, it's almost like that was exactly the fun-to-read break I was needing. When it's complex and difficult to follow, I appreciate the challenge. I think I'm just predisposed to love them, so take my review with a grain of salt.
July 8, 2011
I found it a little uneven and disjointed, but the Time of Troubles part is pretty cool.
April 10, 2023
4.25/5 — Listened on audiobook. Reliably good as ever. Salvatore is a good writer and a good storyteller. Another installment in the Drizzt legend.
February 6, 2020
My least favorite Drizzt book so far. 200 pages of filler followed by 100 pages of tensionless action that barely focuses on the main characters.
March 9, 2022
Loved everything about this book except the war scenes (well written, just not my taste). I also would have loved to see a lot more of Jarlaxle... all in all, a great read!
June 13, 2021
Read this review (and others) at: https://literatureislife.com/2021/06/...
Ok, so, some background information on D&D that gives this book some extra context. There have been a few different editions of D&D. When the game updates to a new edition, there’s some big calamity in-universe to explain the game’s new rules and mechanical changes. Siege of Darkness came out around the time the game switched from Advanced D&D, the original, to D&D 2e. The calamity here was called The Time of Troubles. In a nutshell, a pair of gods get up to some shenanigans, tick off the head god, and the head god believes in collective punishment, so he banishes all the gods but one to the mortal world in mortal form.
Now, Siege of Darkness doesn’t really touch on this topic too deeply. Everything else you’ll need to know for this story gets explained in the book. But I find the added context helps. Aside from all that, Siege of Darkness picks up where Starless Night left off. Drizzt and co. know the drow are coming for them. So, the first part of the book deals with them contacting allies and shoring up defenses. Then the Time of Troubles kick in which, among other things, makes magic somewhat unreliable. Which itself drives a lot of the plot.
The Time of Troubles don’t last this whole book, they’re wrapped up by the time Part III starts. The rest of Siege of Darkness is the actual siege and it lives up to the name. Huge fight sequences, armies battling for survival, it’s all very epic. And it really wraps up this story arc. I know there’s another book in this arc, but really 90% of the plot is wrapped up by the end of this one. So, it’ll be kind of interesting to see how the cliffhanger we’re left with here resolves.
Ok, so, some background information on D&D that gives this book some extra context. There have been a few different editions of D&D. When the game updates to a new edition, there’s some big calamity in-universe to explain the game’s new rules and mechanical changes. Siege of Darkness came out around the time the game switched from Advanced D&D, the original, to D&D 2e. The calamity here was called The Time of Troubles. In a nutshell, a pair of gods get up to some shenanigans, tick off the head god, and the head god believes in collective punishment, so he banishes all the gods but one to the mortal world in mortal form.
Now, Siege of Darkness doesn’t really touch on this topic too deeply. Everything else you’ll need to know for this story gets explained in the book. But I find the added context helps. Aside from all that, Siege of Darkness picks up where Starless Night left off. Drizzt and co. know the drow are coming for them. So, the first part of the book deals with them contacting allies and shoring up defenses. Then the Time of Troubles kick in which, among other things, makes magic somewhat unreliable. Which itself drives a lot of the plot.
The Time of Troubles don’t last this whole book, they’re wrapped up by the time Part III starts. The rest of Siege of Darkness is the actual siege and it lives up to the name. Huge fight sequences, armies battling for survival, it’s all very epic. And it really wraps up this story arc. I know there’s another book in this arc, but really 90% of the plot is wrapped up by the end of this one. So, it’ll be kind of interesting to see how the cliffhanger we’re left with here resolves.
August 20, 2019
Αγαπημένα μου φου-ρου,
(μην παίρνετε θάρρος, σας αγαπώ γιατί μου καίτε τον εγκέφαλο κάθε καλοκαίρι και μπορώ μετά να εκτιμώ καλύτερα τα μέτρια βιβλία)
Σας αγαπώ, σας εκτιμώ, αλλά κάθε φορά παλεύετε με νύχια και με δόντια να μου δείξετε και ένα comic relief πιο ελεεινό από τα προηγούμενα. Αδυνατώ να πιστέψω ότι θα βρεθεί κάτι γελοιοδέστερο από έναν dwarf battlerager δεμένο από το πόδι, που τον σβουρίζουν πάνω από κεφάλι τους οι υπόλοιποι της ταξιαρχίας του για να φτάσει έναν drow που αιωρείται στο ταβάνι της σπηλιάς μέσα σε μια σφαίρα σκοτεινιάς. Αλλά ειλικρινά, δεν θα ήθελα να τα πάρετε για challenge - όχι, μη, παρακαλώ γονυπετής, δηλαδή.
Με την ευχή να μην ξαναεμφανιστεί μπροστά μου ο συγκεκριμένος,
Ευθυμία
(μην παίρνετε θάρρος, σας αγαπώ γιατί μου καίτε τον εγκέφαλο κάθε καλοκαίρι και μπορώ μετά να εκτιμώ καλύτερα τα μέτρια βιβλία)
Σας αγαπώ, σας εκτιμώ, αλλά κάθε φορά παλεύετε με νύχια και με δόντια να μου δείξετε και ένα comic relief πιο ελεεινό από τα προηγούμενα. Αδυνατώ να πιστέψω ότι θα βρεθεί κάτι γελοιοδέστερο από έναν dwarf battlerager δεμένο από το πόδι, που τον σβουρίζουν πάνω από κεφάλι τους οι υπόλοιποι της ταξιαρχίας του για να φτάσει έναν drow που αιωρείται στο ταβάνι της σπηλιάς μέσα σε μια σφαίρα σκοτεινιάς. Αλλά ειλικρινά, δεν θα ήθελα να τα πάρετε για challenge - όχι, μη, παρακαλώ γονυπετής, δηλαδή.
Με την ευχή να μην ξαναεμφανιστεί μπροστά μου ο συγκεκριμένος,
Ευθυμία
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