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The Legend of Drizzt: The Graphic Novel #4
The Crystal Shard: The Graphic Novel
Adapting the fourth novel in R.A. Salvatore's acclaimed Legend of Drizzt series! At long last, Drizzt Do'urden has found a home in the secluded Icewind Dale. But his hard-fought peace is threatened by the awakening of the fabled Crystal Shard - an occult device of unimaginable destructive power...
160 pages, Paperback
First published February 21, 2007
6 people are currently reading
675 people want to read
About the author
R.A. Salvatore
607 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 - 29 of 29 reviews
November 25, 2022
Suffers from the same general lack of focus as the novel, but plenty of Fight! Fight! Fight! to make up for it.
November 29, 2010
This series of adaptations of the popular Drizzt series continues to be entertaining. I think the first three so far are still the best, which I wonder if that is the case with the novels as well. As a note of disclosure, I have not read the novels, but I have enjoyed these graphic novels so far. In this particular story, Drizzt has found some sense of peace in the faraway outpost of Icewind Dale. Sure, he is still not trusted by most of the humans there, but he has made a friend or two. A failed wizard finds an artifact of immense power, and he decides to try to conquer the region. It's up to Drizzt and his friends to get the people of the land united.
This made a good adventure and fantasy story. Fans of the series will certainly like it, but they may feel it was a bit short. It was a pretty quick reading, and it was pretty light. The art is colorful, and I think it brings the tales to life well, a reason I like the series. The end does set up for the next story in the series. Overall, a nice entertaining read.
This made a good adventure and fantasy story. Fans of the series will certainly like it, but they may feel it was a bit short. It was a pretty quick reading, and it was pretty light. The art is colorful, and I think it brings the tales to life well, a reason I like the series. The end does set up for the next story in the series. Overall, a nice entertaining read.
July 9, 2016
Mi primer amor de Reinos Olvidados fue "La piedra de cristal". No fue el primero que leía, pero sí el que más me emocionó. Así que del guion no tengo queja alguna.
Es una buena adaptación, aunque echo de menos al dibujante anterior. Este dibujante es perfecto para bárbaros y gente ruda, pero joder... Drizzt parece Conan de viejo con una patata en la barbilla. Los delicados rasgos de elfo no están conseguidos.
Es una buena adaptación, aunque echo de menos al dibujante anterior. Este dibujante es perfecto para bárbaros y gente ruda, pero joder... Drizzt parece Conan de viejo con una patata en la barbilla. Los delicados rasgos de elfo no están conseguidos.
August 15, 2011
J'ai plusieurs des livres de la légende de Drizzt et c'est un personne que j'adore. Par contre, je n'ai pas particulièrement aimé les dessins de ce livre. L'image que j'ai de Drizzt ne correspond pas à celui représenté ici alors j'ai éprouvé de la difficulté à m'identifier au personnage.
October 10, 2014
This is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel adaptation of the first of the Drizzt novels, "The Crystal Shard". I found it to be a good refresher prior to starting on the next book in the series.
January 4, 2023
⭐3.5/4⭐
My rating system.
1 Did not like it
2 It was okay
3 I liked/enjoyed it
4 I Loved it
5 It was amazing!
My rating system.
1 Did not like it
2 It was okay
3 I liked/enjoyed it
4 I Loved it
5 It was amazing!
February 6, 2020
The fourth volume of the Legend of Drizzt graphic novel series goes back to the prose novel where Drizzt was originally introduced. The barbarian Wulfgar was the lead character of that novel, but here the emphasis has been shifted slightly to focus more on Drizzt, although the story is, so some extent, an ensemble cast.
The lack of female characters (there is one, and she only appears in two minor scenes), was a bit disappointing, particularly after this had not been an issue in other books in the series, but again, this feels like a product of this graphic novel being based on an earlier piece of Salvatore's writing.
As for the story, there's an evil artifact, a weak-willed but power-hungry wizard who uses his newfound power to set himself up with a horde of monsters, and the heroes determined to save Icewind Dale in spite of the struggles of the locals to unite.
This volume tells a complete story. I had forgotten that the Icewind Dale books were more standalone than the Dark Elf Trilogy.
Wulfgar gets a lot of the spotlight, as does the halfling rogue Regis, who ends up having one of the best scenes in the story in a mind-control battle with the villain. Drizzt does all of his usual Drizzt things, but seeing him as a mentor-figure to Wulfgar is a nice turnaroud after all of his times in the student role in the first three graphic novels.
The battle scenes are bloody and intense, and all of the artwork on the action scenes is great.
This novel had a lot of plot, and the graphic novel struggled a bit to give everything the space it deserved, with a scene involving a dragon getting sold a bit short in the crunch for space.
The climactic battle does get the space it needs, and the pacing on that final battle is great.
The lack of female characters (there is one, and she only appears in two minor scenes), was a bit disappointing, particularly after this had not been an issue in other books in the series, but again, this feels like a product of this graphic novel being based on an earlier piece of Salvatore's writing.
As for the story, there's an evil artifact, a weak-willed but power-hungry wizard who uses his newfound power to set himself up with a horde of monsters, and the heroes determined to save Icewind Dale in spite of the struggles of the locals to unite.
This volume tells a complete story. I had forgotten that the Icewind Dale books were more standalone than the Dark Elf Trilogy.
Wulfgar gets a lot of the spotlight, as does the halfling rogue Regis, who ends up having one of the best scenes in the story in a mind-control battle with the villain. Drizzt does all of his usual Drizzt things, but seeing him as a mentor-figure to Wulfgar is a nice turnaroud after all of his times in the student role in the first three graphic novels.
The battle scenes are bloody and intense, and all of the artwork on the action scenes is great.
This novel had a lot of plot, and the graphic novel struggled a bit to give everything the space it deserved, with a scene involving a dragon getting sold a bit short in the crunch for space.
The climactic battle does get the space it needs, and the pacing on that final battle is great.
July 24, 2020
The Crystal Shard Graphic Novel by R.A. Salvatore brings his original novel to life. I read the original novel as a kid and I wanted to get something that my son could relate to and enjoy while hi is still in the comicbook/ graphic novel phase. The story line follows true and the city of Ten Towns and all of the characters come to life in the illistrations, caracters like Akar Kessell and the demon Errtu.
March 6, 2021
This is probably the first in the long list of DnD comic books I've already read that can be truly attributed with having a very good art. Story is formulaic (as it should be, really, all things considered), but not at all bad. Follows the tropes and is predictable, but does this competently, and, in concert with great art manages, to be engaging.
Recommended.
Recommended.
January 15, 2018
Once again, Salvatore's original story comes through in the art of a graphic novel. I have no memory of reading this novel in book form, yet I found it delightful as it introduced Wulgar and Aegis-hammer. I will reread the novel versions one day.
December 16, 2012
The artwork seemed to change here. Some pages are wonderful and others look almost rudimentary. Great story as always though. Loved seeing this in graphic novel form.
April 24, 2025
This novel reads like the work of an amateur still finding their stride. The plot is cluttered with disjointed threads—quarreling politics, land claims, and shifting character focus—but none of it truly comes together. Drizzt, the supposed star of the series, is reduced to a background presence, sidelined in favor of a lukewarm conflict over territory.
The central villain, meant to be the Big Bad Evil Guy, is neither intimidating nor memorable. The only real threat—Errtu, the demon—is banished rather anticlimactically. Drizzt tricks him, the crystal gets bagged, the tower crumbles, and that's it. No tension. No real payoff.
Ultimately, this installment felt more like a clumsy setup than a cohesive story. The stakes are undercut, the ending is abrupt, and I'm left wondering: what was the point?
The central villain, meant to be the Big Bad Evil Guy, is neither intimidating nor memorable. The only real threat—Errtu, the demon—is banished rather anticlimactically. Drizzt tricks him, the crystal gets bagged, the tower crumbles, and that's it. No tension. No real payoff.
Ultimately, this installment felt more like a clumsy setup than a cohesive story. The stakes are undercut, the ending is abrupt, and I'm left wondering: what was the point?
June 5, 2024
Nearly a quarter century ago, the novel version of this story was one of my first swords and sorcery fantasy books, which ended up sparking a lifelong love affair with the genre. So I fully admit that maybe nostalgia coloured how much I enjoyed this graphic novel. Though conversely, some of the illustrations were the only thing lacking for me, and I have to acknowledge that could just be because I've been living with my own images of these characters and places inside my head that the imagery didn't quite jive with. But if for no better reason that it is nice to revisit the old stories in a fresh format, I'll definitely be picking up the rest of the trilogy.
January 13, 2023
One of my favorite novels. I first read the trilogy for Christmas 2004 my freshman year. At the time, I did not appreciate the depth of experience, and, for lack of a better word, life wisdom conveyed through Salvatore's writing. Both a terrific writer and practically an empath, in terms of getting the right emotions for his characters, I'm often brought to shame by mentally mocking plot elements for his novels that, in retrospect, don't seem to fit, only to be entranced by his storytelling talents once I'm back into his books.
September 17, 2024
I am a huge fan of the Legend of Drizzt and the characters involved. The Crystal Shard was never the best of the series, though. It's a very simple plot of an evil wizard, a magical artifact, and an attack on a bunch of villages. However, this is a fairly well done comic adaptation that manages to preserve most of the plot despite the fact it is only three issues. Normally, a story adaptation is at least six issues, but the Crystal Shard is a simple plot. I love the character designs and action beats with Cattie Brie being my favorite.
December 27, 2022
(This comic is based on the novel that started R.A. Salvatore’s career as a successful fantasy author.)
There happens a lot, but because of that, the story lacks a bit of focus and is not as interesting as the three previous ones in the series. The art is maybe a bit lacking in detail and naive, but is reasonably okay. But still: This classic deserves four stars.
And I should really read again the original The Crystal Shard novel and see how it works now…
There happens a lot, but because of that, the story lacks a bit of focus and is not as interesting as the three previous ones in the series. The art is maybe a bit lacking in detail and naive, but is reasonably okay. But still: This classic deserves four stars.
And I should really read again the original The Crystal Shard novel and see how it works now…
May 13, 2022
Though it's forward in time, it's back in publishing order from Drizzt's origin stories, so it's a bit funny to see him go a bit backward (or at least simplified) in character development, but the essence is still there. And it's great to finally have the rest of the eventual party entering the scene...
May 4, 2022
with Drizzt out of Menzoberranzan, the reader need to be ready to meet all the other folks and classes of the DND world. I sure am most curious about how and when Drizzt will meet them all!
I sure took a real liking to Belwar and I hope he will stick around for longer.
I sure took a real liking to Belwar and I hope he will stick around for longer.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 2, 2022
Really enjoyed getting to explore icewind dale and the fun character development of Wulfgar, a barbarian youth raised by a dwarf. The concept itself is hilarious and the way the author forms their relationship works well with the story!
July 25, 2019
Amazing story and great characters. The story just keeps getting better and better.
October 4, 2019
Funny how a GN can be made or broken by how closely the characters resemble your headcanon - and this one wasn’t even close, which is kind of a shame.
February 4, 2023
I think this one is my favourite so far.
February 13, 2025
Really fun adaptation of the first book published in the Drizzt series. The art manages to capture the vibe of the story so well and this was a great time.
January 18, 2008
This graphic novel has a hard job to try to convey the characters and plot of the original novel in 120 pages, and not surprisingly it fails to do this successfully. There just is not enough time to build the character interactions between Bruenor, Wulfgar, Drizzt and Regis. Because of this lack of characterization the important emotional scenes that are included fall flat. Catti-brie is almost completely left out of the book and only has about one line.
I recently read the Homeland adaption and thought that it did a much better job of telling the story, and I even liked it more than the original book. But the plot of Homeland is fairly simple so it lends itself better to being summarized in a graphic novel. The dense plot of the Crystal Shard either needed more pages to work as a graphic novel, or they needed to edit better and tell a couple of plot threads well rather than tell all of them poorly.
I recently read the Homeland adaption and thought that it did a much better job of telling the story, and I even liked it more than the original book. But the plot of Homeland is fairly simple so it lends itself better to being summarized in a graphic novel. The dense plot of the Crystal Shard either needed more pages to work as a graphic novel, or they needed to edit better and tell a couple of plot threads well rather than tell all of them poorly.
April 24, 2011
Read it because Chuck liked it when he was a kid and encouraged me to listen to the audio while I was doing yard work. I resisted at first, not sure I'd get into a story about elves, dwarves, barbarians, halflings, wizards, and goblins. But I was wrong. Totally enjoyed Drizzt, Brunor, Wolfgar, Catie-Brie, and even good ol' Rumble Belly Regis. (I'm sure these are spelled horrendously. I only heard the names, so... those are my best phonetic versions). I really liked them and their fantastic world. I'd read and enjoyed the Eragon books as well as Artemis Fowl, but those were targeted more for children, and I don't know, that helped me with my willing suspension of disbelief somehow maybe. I didn't know if I'd be able to buy in to the same kind of fantasy aimed at adults. Would I be able to to take seriously a fantasy book that took itself more seriously. But I think I did, and I enjoyed it. Thanks Chuck!
May 6, 2015
There's a lot to cram in here from the first book and I give them an A for effort! I'm biased though cause I'm a big fan of Salvatore and these books! The art was good, though a bit rough at times, the cover collection in the back was excellent though and those would make great posters! The story is a bit abbreviated but what can you expect?
November 15, 2008
Awesome. The did a fantastic job turning my favorite books into graphic novels.
August 8, 2019
very beautiful adaptation
the halflings were a little weird for me
the halflings were a little weird for me
August 26, 2013
I really enjoyed this visual adaptation of R.A. Salvatore's The Crystal Shard.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews