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The Legend of Drizzt #5
Streams of Silver
"Yer eyes'll shine when ye see the rivers runnin' silver in Mithril Hall!"
Bruenor the dwarf, Wulfgar the barbarian, Regis the halfling, and Drizzt the dark elf fight monsters and magic on their way to Mithril Hall, centuries-old birthplace of Bruenor and his dwarven ancestors.
Faced with racism, Drizzt contemplates returning to the lightless underworld city and murderous lifestyle he abandoned. Wulfgar begins to overcome his tribes's aversion for magic. And Regis runs from a deadly assassin, who, allied with evil wizards, is bent on the companions' destruction. all fo Bruenor's dreams, and the survival of his party, hinge upon the actions of one brave young woman.
Streams of Silver is R.A. Salvatore's second book in the Icewind Dale Trilogy, based on the FORGOTTEN REALMS fantasy setting.
Bruenor the dwarf, Wulfgar the barbarian, Regis the halfling, and Drizzt the dark elf fight monsters and magic on their way to Mithril Hall, centuries-old birthplace of Bruenor and his dwarven ancestors.
Faced with racism, Drizzt contemplates returning to the lightless underworld city and murderous lifestyle he abandoned. Wulfgar begins to overcome his tribes's aversion for magic. And Regis runs from a deadly assassin, who, allied with evil wizards, is bent on the companions' destruction. all fo Bruenor's dreams, and the survival of his party, hinge upon the actions of one brave young woman.
Streams of Silver is R.A. Salvatore's second book in the Icewind Dale Trilogy, based on the FORGOTTEN REALMS fantasy setting.
342 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
About the author
R.A. Salvatore
690 books10.8k 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 815 reviews
February 12, 2018
All of Drizzt books are probably going to be 5 stars, maybe a 4 star. Just sayin' ♥
My babies ❤️
Fantastic just as I knew it would be.
But . . .
I had a feeling someone would die 🙁
The very ending though has given me some hope that not all is lost. I surely hope so!
Happy Reading!
Mel ❤️
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
AMAZON: REVIEW
My babies ❤️
"Come on," Regis offered. "Sit with Drizzt and me. No one will bother a tough old dwarf, but a tiny halfling and a skinny elf might look like good sporty the brutes in here. We need your size and strength to deter such unwanted attention."
Wulfgar's chin firmed up at the compliment and he strode boldly toward the table. Regis shot Drizzt a knowing wink and turned to follow.
"Many lessons you will learn on this journey, young friend," Drizzt mumbled to Wulfgar, too softly for the barbarian to hear. "So far from your home."
Bruenar came back from the bar bearing four flagons of mead and grumbling under his breath. "We're to get out business finished soon," he said to Drizzt," and get back on the road. The cost of a room in this orc-hole is open thievery!"
*****
"Guenhwyvar," he called softly. "Come, my shadow."
His beckon reached out across the fabric of the planes, to the astral home of the entity of the panther. The great cat stirred from her sleep. Many months had passed since her master had called, and the cat was anxious to serve.
Guenhwyvar leap out across the fabric of the planes, following a flicker of light that could only be the calling of the drow. Then the cat was in the alley with Drizzt, alert at once in the unfamiliar surroundings.
Fantastic just as I knew it would be.
But . . .
I had a feeling someone would die 🙁
The very ending though has given me some hope that not all is lost. I surely hope so!
Happy Reading!
Mel ❤️
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
AMAZON: REVIEW
June 13, 2019
The Streams of Silver are just one of many treasures to be found in this fantastic adventure!
For over a century, Bruenor Battlehammer has been haunted by his past. In his nightmares, he still feels the horrors from the day he and his dwarven clan were chased out of their home at Mithral Hall. But when he and his friends defeated the evil wizard Akar Kessell and saved the people of Icewind Dale, Bruenor realized he now has a fighting unit strong enough to help him reclaim his lost home. Joined by drow-elf warrior Drizzt Do'Urden and barbarian fighter Wulfgar, Bruenor embarks on a dangerous quest to find the lost city of Mithral Hall...but they are surprised when their cowardly friend, Regis the Halfling, insists on coming with them. What they don't know is that Regis isn't merely haunted by his own past...he's being hunted by it! Regis stole a magical ruby pendant from thief guild leader Pasha Pook. Now Pook wants it back, so he has sent the Realms' deadliest assassin to retrieve both the pendant and the halfling himself! Master assassin Artemis Entreri has never failed a mission before...of course, he's also never faced Drizzt Do'Urden before!
"The Crystal Shard" was R.A. Salvatore's first book, and while I found it very enjoyable, there were elements of it that led me to believe Salvatore hadn't quite perfected his craft. The villains were bland, the complete lack of female characters was disappointing, and the overall story felt like it wasn't so much written as it was simply copy/pasted from the "Lord of The Rings" series. I'm happy to report that Salvatore's follow-up novel, "Streams of Silver", is an improvement in just about every way! For one thing, there is far more originality to be found. While the main storyline involving our heroes embarking on a quest is hardly anything new (spoiler alert for any new reader...pick up just about ANY book on the fantasy shelf, and chances are the story revolves around some kind of "quest"), Salvatore did stretch his creative muscles coming up with new threats for Drizzt and company to face. I knew I was in for a wild ride early on when the heroes faced off against a wild pack of barbarians... although I do wish Salvatore had given them a more intimidating name than "The Sky Ponies". A pony doesn't exactly sound like a fierce warrior... unless you're talking about this one...
While a band of barbarian fighters may not seem so original, Salvatore really ups the ante when ! From then on, things get refreshingly original. One chapter that takes place entirely in a magical city where streams flow upward and people cross bridges from underneath would feel right at home in a Terry Pratchett novel. By the time the heroes were forced to fight tree-like "bog blokes" and zombie-like trolls, I had come to recognize that R.A. Salvatore's imagination was far more magical than any of the spells that are cast throughout the book!
In addition to a more satisfying story, the characters are more fleshed out this time as well. While Drizzt was easily the stand-out character in the last book, Bruenor, Wulfgar, and even craven Regis are given more emotional depth this time around. Some particularly poignant moments include Bruenor's sense of loss from remembering his people's exile from Mithral Hall, and Regis's pangs of guilt from endangering his friends by bringing them into Artemis's crosshairs. Also, Bruenor's adoptive human daughter Catti-brie is along for the ride this time around, and while at first she seems to serve little more purpose than "damsel-in-distress", it is truly marvelous to watch Catti-brie take control of her situation as the story goes on and outsmart some of the book's most dangerous villains. And speaking of villains...
Artemis says, "I'm such an expert marksman, I can hit any target with a knife...even myself! Wait, that...that didn't sound nearly as impressive as I thought it would!"
While Akar Kessell in "The Crystal Shard" never really amounted to anything more than a fantasy villain trope, the antagonists in "Streams of Silver are far more fun to rootfor against! Artemis Entreri has some genuinely chilling moments, and he is the first adversary in The Icewind Dale trilogy who feels like he could truly be a match for even Drizzt. Another fun evildoer is Sydney, an apprentice mage who assists Artemis in order to further her own ambitions. Rather than giving us villains who are evil merely for the sake of being evil, Artemis and Sydney have their own individual desires and values, and that gives them some much-needed depth. Even the lesser-villains in this story are more interesting that the main villain from the last book. Sydney's mentor Dendybar the Mottled, who was largely responsible for Akar Kessell's corruption in the previous novel, returns to find himself being manipulated by the ghost of one of his past victims. And no adversary who has appeared in Icewind Dale trilogy so far manages to be more terrifying that what waits for our band of heroes in the book's final battle!
With deeper characters, more imaginative twists, and greater villains, "Streams of Silver" is even more impressive than its predecessor. I was enthralled right up to the very last sentence. In fact, the ending was actually the only part I didn't like, as it sets up such a brilliant cliffhanger, now the wait until I get to the next book will be that much more excruciating...
For over a century, Bruenor Battlehammer has been haunted by his past. In his nightmares, he still feels the horrors from the day he and his dwarven clan were chased out of their home at Mithral Hall. But when he and his friends defeated the evil wizard Akar Kessell and saved the people of Icewind Dale, Bruenor realized he now has a fighting unit strong enough to help him reclaim his lost home. Joined by drow-elf warrior Drizzt Do'Urden and barbarian fighter Wulfgar, Bruenor embarks on a dangerous quest to find the lost city of Mithral Hall...but they are surprised when their cowardly friend, Regis the Halfling, insists on coming with them. What they don't know is that Regis isn't merely haunted by his own past...he's being hunted by it! Regis stole a magical ruby pendant from thief guild leader Pasha Pook. Now Pook wants it back, so he has sent the Realms' deadliest assassin to retrieve both the pendant and the halfling himself! Master assassin Artemis Entreri has never failed a mission before...of course, he's also never faced Drizzt Do'Urden before!
"The Crystal Shard" was R.A. Salvatore's first book, and while I found it very enjoyable, there were elements of it that led me to believe Salvatore hadn't quite perfected his craft. The villains were bland, the complete lack of female characters was disappointing, and the overall story felt like it wasn't so much written as it was simply copy/pasted from the "Lord of The Rings" series. I'm happy to report that Salvatore's follow-up novel, "Streams of Silver", is an improvement in just about every way! For one thing, there is far more originality to be found. While the main storyline involving our heroes embarking on a quest is hardly anything new (spoiler alert for any new reader...pick up just about ANY book on the fantasy shelf, and chances are the story revolves around some kind of "quest"), Salvatore did stretch his creative muscles coming up with new threats for Drizzt and company to face. I knew I was in for a wild ride early on when the heroes faced off against a wild pack of barbarians... although I do wish Salvatore had given them a more intimidating name than "The Sky Ponies". A pony doesn't exactly sound like a fierce warrior... unless you're talking about this one...
While a band of barbarian fighters may not seem so original, Salvatore really ups the ante when ! From then on, things get refreshingly original. One chapter that takes place entirely in a magical city where streams flow upward and people cross bridges from underneath would feel right at home in a Terry Pratchett novel. By the time the heroes were forced to fight tree-like "bog blokes" and zombie-like trolls, I had come to recognize that R.A. Salvatore's imagination was far more magical than any of the spells that are cast throughout the book!
In addition to a more satisfying story, the characters are more fleshed out this time as well. While Drizzt was easily the stand-out character in the last book, Bruenor, Wulfgar, and even craven Regis are given more emotional depth this time around. Some particularly poignant moments include Bruenor's sense of loss from remembering his people's exile from Mithral Hall, and Regis's pangs of guilt from endangering his friends by bringing them into Artemis's crosshairs. Also, Bruenor's adoptive human daughter Catti-brie is along for the ride this time around, and while at first she seems to serve little more purpose than "damsel-in-distress", it is truly marvelous to watch Catti-brie take control of her situation as the story goes on and outsmart some of the book's most dangerous villains. And speaking of villains...
Artemis says, "I'm such an expert marksman, I can hit any target with a knife...even myself! Wait, that...that didn't sound nearly as impressive as I thought it would!"
While Akar Kessell in "The Crystal Shard" never really amounted to anything more than a fantasy villain trope, the antagonists in "Streams of Silver are far more fun to root
With deeper characters, more imaginative twists, and greater villains, "Streams of Silver" is even more impressive than its predecessor. I was enthralled right up to the very last sentence. In fact, the ending was actually the only part I didn't like, as it sets up such a brilliant cliffhanger, now the wait until I get to the next book will be that much more excruciating...
April 29, 2018
*** 4 ***
"...“How many people long for that "past, simpler, and better world," I wonder, without ever recognizing the truth that perhaps it was they who were simpler and better, and not the world about them?”..."
"...“How many people long for that "past, simpler, and better world," I wonder, without ever recognizing the truth that perhaps it was they who were simpler and better, and not the world about them?”..."
January 20, 2012
Of the five Drizzt Do'Urden books I have read so far (I am taking them in order of timeline) Streams of Silver: The Legend of Drizzt Book V is by far the worst. Granted, none of them have been any better than questionable brain candy, but Streams of Silver goes beyond them all for sheer crapness.
It's not at all difficult to pinpoint Salvatore's biggest problem: his elementary views of good and evil. I have pointed out in previous reviews of his work that the way he structures good and evil is inherently racist, but I don't think I have yet talked about how his views undermine the "goodness" of Drizzt. We are told over and over that Drizzt is internally good, maybe even the best, regardless of springing from the Realms' most evil race. We are told and told and told again, as though Salvatore believes that that will be enough to make it so. We are also faced with the never ending stream of moral debates Drizzt has with himself, which offer an illusion of character depth, but Salvatore undermines Drizzt's potential depth over and over by allowing Drizzt to commit questionable acts without any reflection upon what he's done -- particularly when it comes to killing. Sure, Drizzt reflects on some of his acts, but if the being he is fighting is a "monster" -- thus inherently evil -- Drizzt rarely gives his actions a second thought.
Consider the scene in Streams of Silver when the companions wade into a battle between some "riders" and some "creatures" along the Surbrin river. All the companions hear is the sounds of battle. They then see the Riders doing poorly in a battle against creatures that "resembled little trees, though undeniably animated, running about wildly, whacking with their clublike arms." That's enough for Wulfgar and Drizzt and Breunor. The trio wade in and save the poor Riders, decimating the ranks of the "little trees" without even a second thought. And even when the battle is complete no one even hints at remorse; instead, they are all indignant that the Riders they saved demand Drizzt, the scary "black elf," leave their lands and never return.
Poor Drizzt is being judged by his appearance rather than by his actions. Oh how terrible for him. How terrible the world is. How unfair. And all of this is implied to be proof that Drizzt is good. He saved the riders from death and that "kindness" meant nothing to those he saved. But boy is he ever good.
Yet isn't that precisely what the companions did with the "little trees"? The trees were not "human" or humanoid. They were "monsters," "creatures," so they were evil and deserved death. Not only is that what Salvatore wants us to believe, but it is what he himself believes in direct opposition to his own writing. He preaches and preaches that one cannot judge a being by his skin, and then Drizzt does that very thing without missing a beat. Has Drizzt learned nothing? His actions within the books suggest he has learned very little, although his philosophical interjections and Salvatore's narrative commentary would lead us to believe something else entirely.
Even if the trees were "monsters," even if they were completely evil, the action of the moment should have given at least Drizzt pause. To begin with, the companions slept within running distance of these "monsters" all night without being molested. Moreover, these "little trees...weren't unthinking beasts," and they were making this area their home. They had even built "a ramshackle bridge of logs" over the river. Which means that the Riders were the aggressors. It was the riders who came into the territory of the "little trees" and attacked them, and it was the more mobile riders who could have fled the scene had they chose. But somehow Drizzt has no pangs of guilt for helping slaughter these "little trees." Not even a moment to consider what he had done. Clearly, Salvatore falls short when it comes to the message he is trying to deliver. Very short indeed.
If this weren't enough to lower The Legend of Drizzt in one's estimation, then the crappy plot devices and blatant stupidity of supposedly intelligent characters should be. Why on earth would Sydney stop Bok from digging through the rubble to reach Drizzt? Because of the aforementioned reasons and both are unacceptable. First, Sydney stops Bok because Salvatore needs to leave Drizzt to Entreri; it is a plot device and a poor one at that. With a little imagination and work, Salvatore surely could have found another way to avoid Bok digging through the rocks that didn’t include the second answer to my question: Sydney becoming an idiot. She had shown herself to be the intellectual equal of Entreri throughout the novel, but suddenly her brain ceases to work. If Drizzt is actually dead under the pile and Sydney’ s master, Dendybar, has told her he is looking for the Crystal Shard, the wisest course of action is to let Bok dig up the body so she can claim the Shard and take it home. And if he doesn’t have the shard she can hunt down Drizzt’s companions later. Her decision to stop Bok is unsupportable; and the fact that he did stop is too. Salvatore tells us time and again that the golem is mindless, that it is programmed to do one thing -- find Drizzt -- and that it will not always listen to Sydney’s commands. With Drizzt only feet away through a pile of rocks, Bok would not have stopped digging. This is just one example of Salvatore’s sloppiness, but it is a hallmark of his writing. In fact, in all five of the first books something like this has occurred.
Finally, as a veteran D&D man, I have to say I loathe the Monty Hall feeling of Salvatore’s books. For those unfamiliar with this usage of “Monty Hall,”* it is the way gamers often describe heroes or campaigns that go beyond the ability to suspend one’s disbelief. It is a derogatory term gamers will often use against other gamers whose characters haven’t earned their experience and are somehow capable of impossible things. Impossible things like, say, running for four days and nights while being hunted by trolls in a nasty, endless, bogland and finally killing upwards of a hundred trolls in battle after battle with no serious wounds. Quite simply, Breunor, Drizzt and Wulfgar are too tough. And that makes the books absolutely laughable on top of their already serious flaws.
It makes me wonder how anyone likes Salvatore. Seriously? I don't get it. And the fact that there are people out there who actually believe the Drizzt books are better than installments of Dragonlance rocks my opinion of the general intelligence of readers to the core.
Drizzt sucks. It’s not even debatable.
But, yes, despite that, I will finish the series -- if only so I can point to everything that is wrong with the series when its lovers puke their emotional overstatements of its greatness all over my shirt.
*see comments for a discussion of this term.
It's not at all difficult to pinpoint Salvatore's biggest problem: his elementary views of good and evil. I have pointed out in previous reviews of his work that the way he structures good and evil is inherently racist, but I don't think I have yet talked about how his views undermine the "goodness" of Drizzt. We are told over and over that Drizzt is internally good, maybe even the best, regardless of springing from the Realms' most evil race. We are told and told and told again, as though Salvatore believes that that will be enough to make it so. We are also faced with the never ending stream of moral debates Drizzt has with himself, which offer an illusion of character depth, but Salvatore undermines Drizzt's potential depth over and over by allowing Drizzt to commit questionable acts without any reflection upon what he's done -- particularly when it comes to killing. Sure, Drizzt reflects on some of his acts, but if the being he is fighting is a "monster" -- thus inherently evil -- Drizzt rarely gives his actions a second thought.
Consider the scene in Streams of Silver when the companions wade into a battle between some "riders" and some "creatures" along the Surbrin river. All the companions hear is the sounds of battle. They then see the Riders doing poorly in a battle against creatures that "resembled little trees, though undeniably animated, running about wildly, whacking with their clublike arms." That's enough for Wulfgar and Drizzt and Breunor. The trio wade in and save the poor Riders, decimating the ranks of the "little trees" without even a second thought. And even when the battle is complete no one even hints at remorse; instead, they are all indignant that the Riders they saved demand Drizzt, the scary "black elf," leave their lands and never return.
Poor Drizzt is being judged by his appearance rather than by his actions. Oh how terrible for him. How terrible the world is. How unfair. And all of this is implied to be proof that Drizzt is good. He saved the riders from death and that "kindness" meant nothing to those he saved. But boy is he ever good.
Yet isn't that precisely what the companions did with the "little trees"? The trees were not "human" or humanoid. They were "monsters," "creatures," so they were evil and deserved death. Not only is that what Salvatore wants us to believe, but it is what he himself believes in direct opposition to his own writing. He preaches and preaches that one cannot judge a being by his skin, and then Drizzt does that very thing without missing a beat. Has Drizzt learned nothing? His actions within the books suggest he has learned very little, although his philosophical interjections and Salvatore's narrative commentary would lead us to believe something else entirely.
Even if the trees were "monsters," even if they were completely evil, the action of the moment should have given at least Drizzt pause. To begin with, the companions slept within running distance of these "monsters" all night without being molested. Moreover, these "little trees...weren't unthinking beasts," and they were making this area their home. They had even built "a ramshackle bridge of logs" over the river. Which means that the Riders were the aggressors. It was the riders who came into the territory of the "little trees" and attacked them, and it was the more mobile riders who could have fled the scene had they chose. But somehow Drizzt has no pangs of guilt for helping slaughter these "little trees." Not even a moment to consider what he had done. Clearly, Salvatore falls short when it comes to the message he is trying to deliver. Very short indeed.
If this weren't enough to lower The Legend of Drizzt in one's estimation, then the crappy plot devices and blatant stupidity of supposedly intelligent characters should be. Why on earth would Sydney stop Bok from digging through the rubble to reach Drizzt? Because of the aforementioned reasons and both are unacceptable. First, Sydney stops Bok because Salvatore needs to leave Drizzt to Entreri; it is a plot device and a poor one at that. With a little imagination and work, Salvatore surely could have found another way to avoid Bok digging through the rocks that didn’t include the second answer to my question: Sydney becoming an idiot. She had shown herself to be the intellectual equal of Entreri throughout the novel, but suddenly her brain ceases to work. If Drizzt is actually dead under the pile and Sydney’ s master, Dendybar, has told her he is looking for the Crystal Shard, the wisest course of action is to let Bok dig up the body so she can claim the Shard and take it home. And if he doesn’t have the shard she can hunt down Drizzt’s companions later. Her decision to stop Bok is unsupportable; and the fact that he did stop is too. Salvatore tells us time and again that the golem is mindless, that it is programmed to do one thing -- find Drizzt -- and that it will not always listen to Sydney’s commands. With Drizzt only feet away through a pile of rocks, Bok would not have stopped digging. This is just one example of Salvatore’s sloppiness, but it is a hallmark of his writing. In fact, in all five of the first books something like this has occurred.
Finally, as a veteran D&D man, I have to say I loathe the Monty Hall feeling of Salvatore’s books. For those unfamiliar with this usage of “Monty Hall,”* it is the way gamers often describe heroes or campaigns that go beyond the ability to suspend one’s disbelief. It is a derogatory term gamers will often use against other gamers whose characters haven’t earned their experience and are somehow capable of impossible things. Impossible things like, say, running for four days and nights while being hunted by trolls in a nasty, endless, bogland and finally killing upwards of a hundred trolls in battle after battle with no serious wounds. Quite simply, Breunor, Drizzt and Wulfgar are too tough. And that makes the books absolutely laughable on top of their already serious flaws.
It makes me wonder how anyone likes Salvatore. Seriously? I don't get it. And the fact that there are people out there who actually believe the Drizzt books are better than installments of Dragonlance rocks my opinion of the general intelligence of readers to the core.
Drizzt sucks. It’s not even debatable.
But, yes, despite that, I will finish the series -- if only so I can point to everything that is wrong with the series when its lovers puke their emotional overstatements of its greatness all over my shirt.
*see comments for a discussion of this term.
August 7, 2018
Popcorn fantasy is popcorn fantasy. Sometimes it's resoundingly enjoyable, sometimes it's not.
In this second book of the Icewind Dale trilogy, Drizzt, Bruenor, Regis and Wulfgar run off on a quest to find Bruenor's ancestral homeland of Mithral Hall. They spend some time doing very little in a city, before spending some time doing very little in a forest. Meanwhile, Catti-Brie is kidnapped by an assassin, and spends some time doing nothing with him.
I've taken a liking to R.A. Salvatore, and I absolutely love the world of the Forgotten Realms. Streams of Silver is not really problematic in any way, but it unfortunately did not provide me with anything that would keep my interest. I found the story to be exceedingly dull, completely unoriginal, and left completely without suspense. Not that the previous four books were masterpieces in that regard, but they at least supplied enough excitement to make for enjoyable reads.
Sadly, finding nothing of interest inevitably means that I will start nitpicking at all the other aspects, that I have neatly ignored up until now. One example being that the writing (aside from the utterly spectacular prelude to Homeland) is, to put it very politely, mediocre. Another being the fact that every single character (et tu, Drizzt?) is a shallow, one-dimensional, trope-ridden, archetypal cardboard cutout. I found this to be the worst of all for Artemis Entreri; a character I have heard a lot of good things about. I suppose it must have been this hype that caused such immense disappointment. I remain hopeful that the immense room for improvement gets taken advantage of.
Ah, well. All these things I'm fine with, as long as the stories are overall enjoyable. Streams of Silver was just not.
In this second book of the Icewind Dale trilogy, Drizzt, Bruenor, Regis and Wulfgar run off on a quest to find Bruenor's ancestral homeland of Mithral Hall. They spend some time doing very little in a city, before spending some time doing very little in a forest. Meanwhile, Catti-Brie is kidnapped by an assassin, and spends some time doing nothing with him.
I've taken a liking to R.A. Salvatore, and I absolutely love the world of the Forgotten Realms. Streams of Silver is not really problematic in any way, but it unfortunately did not provide me with anything that would keep my interest. I found the story to be exceedingly dull, completely unoriginal, and left completely without suspense. Not that the previous four books were masterpieces in that regard, but they at least supplied enough excitement to make for enjoyable reads.
Sadly, finding nothing of interest inevitably means that I will start nitpicking at all the other aspects, that I have neatly ignored up until now. One example being that the writing (aside from the utterly spectacular prelude to Homeland) is, to put it very politely, mediocre. Another being the fact that every single character (et tu, Drizzt?) is a shallow, one-dimensional, trope-ridden, archetypal cardboard cutout. I found this to be the worst of all for Artemis Entreri; a character I have heard a lot of good things about. I suppose it must have been this hype that caused such immense disappointment. I remain hopeful that the immense room for improvement gets taken advantage of.
Ah, well. All these things I'm fine with, as long as the stories are overall enjoyable. Streams of Silver was just not.
April 18, 2017
To “Ποτάμια από ασήμι” είναι από τα βιβλία εκείνα που από τη χαρά σου που τα διάβασες, θες να χορέψεις κλακέτες, τραγουδώντας ταυτόχρονα το “Kalinka Malinka”.
Πόσο μα πόσο αγαπώ Salvatore. To καλύτερο βιβλίο της σειράς έως τώρα.
Ο Ντριτζτ με την παρέα του, ψάχνουν τη χαμένη πατρίδα του Μπρουένορ και όπως πάντα, μπλέκονται σε περισσότερες περιπέτειες απ΄ότι ο Mario και ο Luigi.
«Η νοσταλγία είναι ίσως το μεγαλύτερο από τα ψέματα που λέμε όλοι μας στους εαυτούς μας. Είναι η ωραιοποίηση του παρελθόντος ώστε να ανταποκρίνεται στις δυσκολίες του παρόντος. Για κάποιους, αυτό φέρνει ένα μέτρο γαλήνης, μια αίσθηση αυτογνωσίας και προέλευσης, αλλά άλλοι, φοβάμαι, αλλοιώνουν τις αναμνήσεις πάρα πολύ και, εξαιτίας αυτού, τυφλώνονται ως προς την πραγματικότητα.
Πόσοι νοσταλγούν «τον παλιό, απλούστερο και καλύτερο κόσμο», αναρωτιέμαι, χωρίς να αναγνωρίζουν ποτέ την αλήθεια ότι ίσως να ήταν αυτοί που ήταν απλούστεροι και καλύτεροι, και όχι ο κόσμος γύρω τους;»
Ντριτζτ Ντο Έρντεν (σελ 142)
Πόσο μα πόσο αγαπώ Salvatore. To καλύτερο βιβλίο της σειράς έως τώρα.
Ο Ντριτζτ με την παρέα του, ψάχνουν τη χαμένη πατρίδα του Μπρουένορ και όπως πάντα, μπλέκονται σε περισσότερες περιπέτειες απ΄ότι ο Mario και ο Luigi.
«Η νοσταλγία είναι ίσως το μεγαλύτερο από τα ψέματα που λέμε όλοι μας στους εαυτούς μας. Είναι η ωραιοποίηση του παρελθόντος ώστε να ανταποκρίνεται στις δυσκολίες του παρόντος. Για κάποιους, αυτό φέρνει ένα μέτρο γαλήνης, μια αίσθηση αυτογνωσίας και προέλευσης, αλλά άλλοι, φοβάμαι, αλλοιώνουν τις αναμνήσεις πάρα πολύ και, εξαιτίας αυτού, τυφλώνονται ως προς την πραγματικότητα.
Πόσοι νοσταλγούν «τον παλιό, απλούστερο και καλύτερο κόσμο», αναρωτιέμαι, χωρίς να αναγνωρίζουν ποτέ την αλήθεια ότι ίσως να ήταν αυτοί που ήταν απλούστεροι και καλύτεροι, και όχι ο κόσμος γύρω τους;»
Ντριτζτ Ντο Έρντεν (σελ 142)
December 21, 2016
Rating: 2.5 stars
Reading this series is more fun that doing housework. So that’s what I’ve been doing—reading this book, and not doing housework (which actually needs to be done quite badly at the moment).
Now, I never played Dungeons & Dragons, so I don’t really understand how these Forgotten Realms books fit into that whole scene, but I did obsessively read and re-read Tolkien as a teen (and I still re-read him on occasion, when I need comfort). So it’s pretty difficult for me to overlook how much of this whole plot is lifted directly from The Hobbit and LOTR. Specifically,Thorin Oakenshield Bruenor Battlehammer and the Mines of Moria Mithril Hall. I would have felt better about it had Salvatore tried to change things up a bit, but by and large he used many, many of Tolkien’s details. It had been done before (The Sword of Shannara anyone?), but I still find it strange that an editor would let it pass.
I get the impression that Salvatore was one of the first writers to cash in on the cultural phenomenon of D&D and fantasy literature. It seems that publishers in the 1980s figured out that these fantasy quest tales would sell, whether they were well written or not, and flooded the market with a ton of such material. Perhaps Salvatore was one of the better ones? Is that why he made it on the NPR’s list of notable science fiction & fantasy? I note on Wikipedia that there is a listing of D&D writers—of the 60ish listed, I recognize only 5 names (and only Salvatore for the D&D writing). His writing is very florid and everything, even eating, is very dramatic.
If you enjoy these books, read them. Far be it from me to discourage your enjoyment. But if you, like me, find them a bit lackluster, let me make some recommendations: if you really enjoy Bruenor the dwarf or Regis the halfling, read Tolkien (if you haven’t already). If Wulfgar the barbarian is your favourite character, try Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Barbarian books. If you enjoy the magic and the adventure, look for Fritz Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser series. All three of these authors can really write—the plots flow, there are shades of gray in their heroes and villains, and their vocabulary is excellent, and they write beautifully.
Since I’m certainly at risk here of sounding like a cranky old woman, let me also note that I think these books would be excellent for young readers—the violence isn’t excessive or described in too much detail, the romance is very chaste, good & evil are very obvious, and the vocabulary shouldn’t be too taxing. (But do try to encourage them to read the good stuff like the books listed above once you have them hooked on reading—you’re never too young to read the good writing).
This is book number 235 in my Science Fiction & Fantasy reading project.
Reading this series is more fun that doing housework. So that’s what I’ve been doing—reading this book, and not doing housework (which actually needs to be done quite badly at the moment).
Now, I never played Dungeons & Dragons, so I don’t really understand how these Forgotten Realms books fit into that whole scene, but I did obsessively read and re-read Tolkien as a teen (and I still re-read him on occasion, when I need comfort). So it’s pretty difficult for me to overlook how much of this whole plot is lifted directly from The Hobbit and LOTR. Specifically,
I get the impression that Salvatore was one of the first writers to cash in on the cultural phenomenon of D&D and fantasy literature. It seems that publishers in the 1980s figured out that these fantasy quest tales would sell, whether they were well written or not, and flooded the market with a ton of such material. Perhaps Salvatore was one of the better ones? Is that why he made it on the NPR’s list of notable science fiction & fantasy? I note on Wikipedia that there is a listing of D&D writers—of the 60ish listed, I recognize only 5 names (and only Salvatore for the D&D writing). His writing is very florid and everything, even eating, is very dramatic.
If you enjoy these books, read them. Far be it from me to discourage your enjoyment. But if you, like me, find them a bit lackluster, let me make some recommendations: if you really enjoy Bruenor the dwarf or Regis the halfling, read Tolkien (if you haven’t already). If Wulfgar the barbarian is your favourite character, try Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Barbarian books. If you enjoy the magic and the adventure, look for Fritz Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser series. All three of these authors can really write—the plots flow, there are shades of gray in their heroes and villains, and their vocabulary is excellent, and they write beautifully.
Since I’m certainly at risk here of sounding like a cranky old woman, let me also note that I think these books would be excellent for young readers—the violence isn’t excessive or described in too much detail, the romance is very chaste, good & evil are very obvious, and the vocabulary shouldn’t be too taxing. (But do try to encourage them to read the good stuff like the books listed above once you have them hooked on reading—you’re never too young to read the good writing).
This is book number 235 in my Science Fiction & Fantasy reading project.
November 5, 2021
Segunda entrega de la trilogía de El Valle del Viento Helado que, a diferencia de la primera, no necesita introducir personajes y descripciones de lugares, por lo que la acción y las aventuras no se hacen esperar y ya en el primer capítulo encontramos uno de los enfrentamientos de primer nivel de la novela.
Sin embargo, a medida que avanza el relato y a pesar de las excelentes descripciones, por momentos algunas partes se hacen bastante lentas y el interés decae un poco. Creo que influye el hilo conductor que, en este caso, es bastante más básico: encontrar la ciudad natal de Bruenor, el enano, por lo que toda la trama gira en torno al viaje de este grupo de amigos y los obstáculos que deben enfrentar.
De todas maneras, estamos frente a una novela del género fantástico correctísima, emocionante y en que el autor deja muy patente su calidad narrativa (destaco el paso por los Páramos Eternos, realmente angustiante). Buen final, aunque llegamos a él con pérdidas importantes y abierto a la tercera y última entrega.
Por supuesto, también destaca mi personaje favorito, Drizzt Do'Urden, el elfo oscuro.
Sin embargo, a medida que avanza el relato y a pesar de las excelentes descripciones, por momentos algunas partes se hacen bastante lentas y el interés decae un poco. Creo que influye el hilo conductor que, en este caso, es bastante más básico: encontrar la ciudad natal de Bruenor, el enano, por lo que toda la trama gira en torno al viaje de este grupo de amigos y los obstáculos que deben enfrentar.
De todas maneras, estamos frente a una novela del género fantástico correctísima, emocionante y en que el autor deja muy patente su calidad narrativa (destaco el paso por los Páramos Eternos, realmente angustiante). Buen final, aunque llegamos a él con pérdidas importantes y abierto a la tercera y última entrega.
Por supuesto, también destaca mi personaje favorito, Drizzt Do'Urden, el elfo oscuro.
March 27, 2020
Another great adventure by RA Salvatore.
December 23, 2017
3.5-3.75/5
August 13, 2021
This book was a lot of fun. It gave me very nostalgic Hobbit vibes. It was a bit of non stop action but the rise of the friendships and making Cattie more of a main character was great.
June 29, 2018
Bruenor the dwarf and his companions Wulfgar the barbarian, Regis the halfling and Drizzt the renegade dark elf set forth from Icewind Dale on the most ambitious of quests: to rediscover the lost dwarven stronghold of Mithral Hall, birthplace of Bruenor and his clan. The road will be long and full of peril, for the Savage Frontier is a harsh place - and hot on their trail is the assassin Artemis Entreri, one of the most infamous killers in the Realms.
The sequel to 1988's The Crystal Shard is a fast-faced, action-packed entry into the Forgotten Realms canon that swaps the politicking and warfare of Icewind Dale for a classic quest story. The Companions of the Hall make for an unlikely but effective group as they hack, slash and occasionally talk their way through the many dangers of the North. The relationships between the characters continue to develop, while this time around we get an insight into the mind of the hunter as well as the hunted, with Artemis Entreri's chapters representing some of the most engrossing in the novel.
At least for me, the writing didn't quite flow as smoothly as in The Crystal Shard, though this could be attributed to the cumulative edits and tweaks that have been made to the first book over the years. While it's fun to visit numerous locales such as the City of Sails, Luskan, and Longsaddle, home of the eccentric Harpell wizard clan, the travelogue-like nature of much of the story's first two acts naturally prohibits the sense of isolation and desperation that made the previous book so memorable.
As mentioned, the introduction of a highly competent nemesis for the Companions - more specifically, Drizzt - provides an overarching air of impending threat, and the anticipation this builds for the eventual showdown is what really drives the story until the third act. An ill-advised jaunt through the Evermoors is perhaps a tad too long and clumsily plotted to really work, while Drizzt's constant optimism and subsequent disappointment when faced with the surface world's prejudice towards his kind does an excellent job of building his character and complementing the seesawing elation and despair of the third act and its gut-punch ending - which fakes the death of one character only to (apparently!) kill off another.
The third act is the book's strongest by far, paying solid tribute to the Mines of Moria while introducing a deadly new foe in Shimmergloom, the great shadow dragon. The inevitable confrontation between Drizzt and Entreri is as memorizing in its psychology as in its swordplay. Once again, Salvatore describes combat in a highly personal, visceral way that sets him apart from most of his contemporaries. Bruenor's adopted daughter Cattie-Brie gets a little more page time, though she's largely passive. In fairness, this actually works in the story's favour - it helps build the legend of Entreri, a man so dangerous and terribly in-control that even the feisty daughter of a dwarven clan-leader struggles to find the courage to act against him. Elsewhere we get more female representation in the form of Sydney, an ambitious apprentice in the Host Tower of the Arcane, and a cameo from Alustriel Silverhand. Interestingly, Alustriel refers to her sister Dove being "much younger" - even though both are well into their seventh century of life. At this point, the power (and prestige) creep that eventually made the Chosen of Mystra so problematic hadn't yet taken root.
Streams of Silver is a fine sequel, laying the groundwork for a rivalry that would go on to become one of fantasy's finest, and fleshing out one of the more iconic regions of the Forgotten Realms. It's quite remarkable that R.A. Salvatore was able to put out a follow-up to The Crystal Shard (and indeed, a third and final part) so quickly while avoiding any missteps. You get the sense he loves this world and these characters, and ultimately this shines through on every page.
The sequel to 1988's The Crystal Shard is a fast-faced, action-packed entry into the Forgotten Realms canon that swaps the politicking and warfare of Icewind Dale for a classic quest story. The Companions of the Hall make for an unlikely but effective group as they hack, slash and occasionally talk their way through the many dangers of the North. The relationships between the characters continue to develop, while this time around we get an insight into the mind of the hunter as well as the hunted, with Artemis Entreri's chapters representing some of the most engrossing in the novel.
At least for me, the writing didn't quite flow as smoothly as in The Crystal Shard, though this could be attributed to the cumulative edits and tweaks that have been made to the first book over the years. While it's fun to visit numerous locales such as the City of Sails, Luskan, and Longsaddle, home of the eccentric Harpell wizard clan, the travelogue-like nature of much of the story's first two acts naturally prohibits the sense of isolation and desperation that made the previous book so memorable.
As mentioned, the introduction of a highly competent nemesis for the Companions - more specifically, Drizzt - provides an overarching air of impending threat, and the anticipation this builds for the eventual showdown is what really drives the story until the third act. An ill-advised jaunt through the Evermoors is perhaps a tad too long and clumsily plotted to really work, while Drizzt's constant optimism and subsequent disappointment when faced with the surface world's prejudice towards his kind does an excellent job of building his character and complementing the seesawing elation and despair of the third act and its gut-punch ending - which fakes the death of one character only to (apparently!) kill off another.
The third act is the book's strongest by far, paying solid tribute to the Mines of Moria while introducing a deadly new foe in Shimmergloom, the great shadow dragon. The inevitable confrontation between Drizzt and Entreri is as memorizing in its psychology as in its swordplay. Once again, Salvatore describes combat in a highly personal, visceral way that sets him apart from most of his contemporaries. Bruenor's adopted daughter Cattie-Brie gets a little more page time, though she's largely passive. In fairness, this actually works in the story's favour - it helps build the legend of Entreri, a man so dangerous and terribly in-control that even the feisty daughter of a dwarven clan-leader struggles to find the courage to act against him. Elsewhere we get more female representation in the form of Sydney, an ambitious apprentice in the Host Tower of the Arcane, and a cameo from Alustriel Silverhand. Interestingly, Alustriel refers to her sister Dove being "much younger" - even though both are well into their seventh century of life. At this point, the power (and prestige) creep that eventually made the Chosen of Mystra so problematic hadn't yet taken root.
Streams of Silver is a fine sequel, laying the groundwork for a rivalry that would go on to become one of fantasy's finest, and fleshing out one of the more iconic regions of the Forgotten Realms. It's quite remarkable that R.A. Salvatore was able to put out a follow-up to The Crystal Shard (and indeed, a third and final part) so quickly while avoiding any missteps. You get the sense he loves this world and these characters, and ultimately this shines through on every page.
February 1, 2021
5/10. Bah!
Nada nuevo y además poco interesante la trama. La parte del deambular por las cavernas ancestrales del enano es aburrida de narices.
Aparco la saga.
Nada nuevo y además poco interesante la trama. La parte del deambular por las cavernas ancestrales del enano es aburrida de narices.
Aparco la saga.
May 28, 2017
3.5-4/5
February 11, 2013
See my review for The Crystal Shard, as I have about the exact same things to say here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
A few differences--
-Monsters are more detailed this time. I could tell the difference between different types of bad guys. Not the case in The Crystal Shard.
-To my point made in my review of The Crystal Shard about women playing a crappy role. Here we see Cat develop some as a character. She gets involved in the adventure as more than just a love interest (although she is still that)--but she is the only adventurer who constantly feels and struggles with fear. Still, a step up from book one. (I know it is not realistic for a woman to be as much of a fighter as a man, but it was hard for me to ignore that the only female adventurer constantly struggled with 'oh boy this is scary' while all the men were hacking away. It annoyed me that Salvatore took the time to call it out).
-We get to see more places, and meet some new people along the road. The places introduced were all interesting and handled quickly enough to not lose my attention (since nothing here has a ton of depth). I enjoy that we are also still dealing with some consequences from book one.
Overall 3.5 stars.
A few differences--
-Monsters are more detailed this time. I could tell the difference between different types of bad guys. Not the case in The Crystal Shard.
-To my point made in my review of The Crystal Shard about women playing a crappy role. Here we see Cat develop some as a character. She gets involved in the adventure as more than just a love interest (although she is still that)--but she is the only adventurer who constantly feels and struggles with fear. Still, a step up from book one. (I know it is not realistic for a woman to be as much of a fighter as a man, but it was hard for me to ignore that the only female adventurer constantly struggled with 'oh boy this is scary' while all the men were hacking away. It annoyed me that Salvatore took the time to call it out).
-We get to see more places, and meet some new people along the road. The places introduced were all interesting and handled quickly enough to not lose my attention (since nothing here has a ton of depth). I enjoy that we are also still dealing with some consequences from book one.
Overall 3.5 stars.
June 1, 2021
This is a tough review to write. I loved these books as a kid. I thought these Drizzt books were full of fun and adventure. As an adult, I see that the writing is average at best and the adventure I remember is not well developed or describe. Adult me thinks that Streams of Silver is a shallow, disjointed, and predictable young adult novel and not the serious fantasy fare I once thought. The series as a whole presents a series of encounters for the book's protagonists as if they were happening right in a D&D game. Like its predecessor, The Crystal Shard, this book is more about showcasing elements of the D&D game in novel form, and less about developing any people, places, or things on their own for an original purpose. That is the common challenge for writers-for-hire when they are writing in someone else's universe.
That said, I like the idea of Bruenor, Drizzt and Wulfgar as characters, though they are not developed well in Salvatore's writing. The casual reader may think we have fleshed out characters here, but we really do not. We have named characters with basic trappings like race, equipment and their expected behaviors based on class right of the Player's Handbook. I truly believe that Drizzt is more fully developed in the minds of readers because of their prosody, not because of the author. The reader gleans the most from Drizzt's sophomoric pontifications between the books' parts, wherein the famous dark elf waxes philosophically about life, the cosmos and everything else. The problem is, those moments of pseudo-reflection are used as an excuse by the author to provide little development in the rest of the books' pages.
Look at 'conversations' in the books. Most of them are short and vapid. The dialogue is a lot of, "You sorcerous dog!" or “Up the high run and into Keeper’s Dale!” It is like the characters are always yelling and everything they say is a grand declaration that needs emphasis. It is so unrealistic and hints at a poor ability to write dialogue. The proof of this is the constant use of exclamation points: the sure sign of bad dialogue writing. 'Conversations' are jarring, short, and stilted, almost unreadable. This dearth of dialogue is another element of the books that tells me they are not about the characters, as much as we like to think, but more about advertising the Forgotten Realms and the D&D brand.
The most disappointing 'conversation' is between Alustriel and Drizzt. The legendary leader of Silverymoon rambles on for page after page without making any point beyond, "You cannot come into the city." Her actual reasons are poorly conceived and badly conveyed. This may be because the author is either not allowed to write about it or has chosen not to or was running out of word space (thousands of words were wasted on TWO chapters of Troll murdering - it was ridiculous and exhausting).
I hate to dump on these books, but they are not great. I loved them as a young reader because they scratched my fantasy itch and brought my tabletop D&D experiences to the page. Now, I see the flaws in the these venerated fantasy novels from Salvatore.
Vapid, stilted dialogue; inconsistencies in the story; exceedingly powerful protagonists that have no fear of harm and therefore no stakes or tension; terribly underserved and shockingly stupid bad guys (Shimmergloom is an utter disappointment - there is no excuse for botching what should be a climatic ending); underrepresented and often poorly conceived of female characters; predictability; and unoriginal (a dwarf looking for his lost home? Really?).
I give this book 2.5 stars rounded down to two. I hate doing that because I was hoping for better and I liked this series when I was younger. I must admit that this series has moments of good writing. Regrettably, there is not enough of it to put the books into the same arena as some of our modern fantasy masterpieces like Sapkowski's "The Withcer," Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire," and Sanderson's "Cosmere." The early Drizzt books did not age well, and they are the best of the lot. I do not recommend them.
That said, I like the idea of Bruenor, Drizzt and Wulfgar as characters, though they are not developed well in Salvatore's writing. The casual reader may think we have fleshed out characters here, but we really do not. We have named characters with basic trappings like race, equipment and their expected behaviors based on class right of the Player's Handbook. I truly believe that Drizzt is more fully developed in the minds of readers because of their prosody, not because of the author. The reader gleans the most from Drizzt's sophomoric pontifications between the books' parts, wherein the famous dark elf waxes philosophically about life, the cosmos and everything else. The problem is, those moments of pseudo-reflection are used as an excuse by the author to provide little development in the rest of the books' pages.
Look at 'conversations' in the books. Most of them are short and vapid. The dialogue is a lot of, "You sorcerous dog!" or “Up the high run and into Keeper’s Dale!” It is like the characters are always yelling and everything they say is a grand declaration that needs emphasis. It is so unrealistic and hints at a poor ability to write dialogue. The proof of this is the constant use of exclamation points: the sure sign of bad dialogue writing. 'Conversations' are jarring, short, and stilted, almost unreadable. This dearth of dialogue is another element of the books that tells me they are not about the characters, as much as we like to think, but more about advertising the Forgotten Realms and the D&D brand.
The most disappointing 'conversation' is between Alustriel and Drizzt. The legendary leader of Silverymoon rambles on for page after page without making any point beyond, "You cannot come into the city." Her actual reasons are poorly conceived and badly conveyed. This may be because the author is either not allowed to write about it or has chosen not to or was running out of word space (thousands of words were wasted on TWO chapters of Troll murdering - it was ridiculous and exhausting).
I hate to dump on these books, but they are not great. I loved them as a young reader because they scratched my fantasy itch and brought my tabletop D&D experiences to the page. Now, I see the flaws in the these venerated fantasy novels from Salvatore.
Vapid, stilted dialogue; inconsistencies in the story; exceedingly powerful protagonists that have no fear of harm and therefore no stakes or tension; terribly underserved and shockingly stupid bad guys (Shimmergloom is an utter disappointment - there is no excuse for botching what should be a climatic ending); underrepresented and often poorly conceived of female characters; predictability; and unoriginal (a dwarf looking for his lost home? Really?).
I give this book 2.5 stars rounded down to two. I hate doing that because I was hoping for better and I liked this series when I was younger. I must admit that this series has moments of good writing. Regrettably, there is not enough of it to put the books into the same arena as some of our modern fantasy masterpieces like Sapkowski's "The Withcer," Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire," and Sanderson's "Cosmere." The early Drizzt books did not age well, and they are the best of the lot. I do not recommend them.
November 8, 2010
I have to say the more I read these books the more I find myself cheering for the baddies. Artemis was my main interest in this book. Don't get me wrong I enjoy reading these books but.. they aren't very good books. I also find the reviews quoted on the back about how deep Salvatore's characters are a little laughable. Drizzt wants to prove that he is better than Artemis by chasing him down, battling him, and ultimately murdering him. Murdering a human being. Murder. Something that I'm sure he will have no interpersonal battle with because hey "Artemis deserved it" (Or in the eyes of Drizzt he did and that is all that matters). Its just an interesting way to prove to himself that he isn't a heartless, passionless killer... by killing someone passionless and mercilessly.
I also find the "death" scenes to be somewhat boring. I find myself thinking: Please, you really expect me to believe that Drizzt/Battlehammer is dead. Really? Its like the main characters cannot/will not die. It takes the surprise out of things. In some books a few main characters get killed off and the story still goes on which means I'm sitting on the edge of my seat every battle thinking: PLEASE DON'T DIE !! Because that author really might just kill them off. With Salvatore its more of an eye rolling experience.
I just find the good guys to be hypocritical and annoying. They have their values, morals, etc and yet nothing seems to get in the way for them. They have no personal conflicts to overcome. And Drizzt's biggest problem is that he isn't accepted. Oh no! Life may as well end since no one loves him except his closest friends! The horror!! The bad guys on the other hand seem to have more depth and motivation and I was seriously sad to see Sydney go.
The more he writes these books the more I find the fun being sucked out of them. I enjoyed the first 3 (in which I found Drizzt's character to be different than these ones) but the more I read them the less I like and connect with them.
Also I hate Regis. Hate. Hate. Hate! He steals. He lies. He's a coward. And yet since he's of one of the "good races" its okay to be friends with him and over look all the faults that would normally make Drizzt and the others hate someone of the human race. Oh the Hypocrisy!
I also find the "death" scenes to be somewhat boring. I find myself thinking: Please, you really expect me to believe that Drizzt/Battlehammer is dead. Really? Its like the main characters cannot/will not die. It takes the surprise out of things. In some books a few main characters get killed off and the story still goes on which means I'm sitting on the edge of my seat every battle thinking: PLEASE DON'T DIE !! Because that author really might just kill them off. With Salvatore its more of an eye rolling experience.
I just find the good guys to be hypocritical and annoying. They have their values, morals, etc and yet nothing seems to get in the way for them. They have no personal conflicts to overcome. And Drizzt's biggest problem is that he isn't accepted. Oh no! Life may as well end since no one loves him except his closest friends! The horror!! The bad guys on the other hand seem to have more depth and motivation and I was seriously sad to see Sydney go.
The more he writes these books the more I find the fun being sucked out of them. I enjoyed the first 3 (in which I found Drizzt's character to be different than these ones) but the more I read them the less I like and connect with them.
Also I hate Regis. Hate. Hate. Hate! He steals. He lies. He's a coward. And yet since he's of one of the "good races" its okay to be friends with him and over look all the faults that would normally make Drizzt and the others hate someone of the human race. Oh the Hypocrisy!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 27, 2011
Blatant rip-off of Moria down to a character falling down a crevice to his "death" on the back of a gigantic burning beast. Extremely lame and unoriginal plotline.
October 2, 2018
RTC maybe.
Read
April 16, 20243.5
"Creamos dragones del mismo modo que creamos dioses, porque los necesitamos, porque en algún lugar profundo de nuestro corazón reconocemos que no merecería la pena vivir en un mundo sin ellos."
Después de que "La piedra de cristal" me dejase un poquito desencantada, llegaba a esta segunda parte con un poquito de miedo de que la tónica habitual de esta trilogía fuese la acción continuada sin demasiado espacio para nada más. Finalmente puedo decir que "Ríos de plata" me ha gustado bastante más que su predecesor, y creo que se arrima un poquito más a lo que yo venía buscando en esta aventura.
En esta novela seguimos a nuestro grupo de protagonistas en la búsqueda de Mithril Hall, antiguo hogar de Bruenor dirigido por sus ascendientes del clan Battlehammer, y perdido hace años por un poderoso enemigo. De nuevo nos encontramos con una historia llena de aventuras y de acción, pero esta vez considero un poquito más equilibradas, variadas y que nos permiten explorar un poquito más de las tierras de los Reinos Olvidados, aunque solo sea de pasada. También tenemos un poquito más de protagonismo de Catti-Brie, cosa que yo pedía y deseaba, y un par de subtramas con nuevos personajes que confluyen al final, y que dejan cosas abiertas para proseguir en la siguiente novela.
Esta novela se me ha hecho más amena y divertida que la anterior, y me sienta unas buenas buenas bases para seguir con "La gema del halfling", libro con el cual voy a continuar del tirón.
"Creamos dragones del mismo modo que creamos dioses, porque los necesitamos, porque en algún lugar profundo de nuestro corazón reconocemos que no merecería la pena vivir en un mundo sin ellos."
Después de que "La piedra de cristal" me dejase un poquito desencantada, llegaba a esta segunda parte con un poquito de miedo de que la tónica habitual de esta trilogía fuese la acción continuada sin demasiado espacio para nada más. Finalmente puedo decir que "Ríos de plata" me ha gustado bastante más que su predecesor, y creo que se arrima un poquito más a lo que yo venía buscando en esta aventura.
En esta novela seguimos a nuestro grupo de protagonistas en la búsqueda de Mithril Hall, antiguo hogar de Bruenor dirigido por sus ascendientes del clan Battlehammer, y perdido hace años por un poderoso enemigo. De nuevo nos encontramos con una historia llena de aventuras y de acción, pero esta vez considero un poquito más equilibradas, variadas y que nos permiten explorar un poquito más de las tierras de los Reinos Olvidados, aunque solo sea de pasada. También tenemos un poquito más de protagonismo de Catti-Brie, cosa que yo pedía y deseaba, y un par de subtramas con nuevos personajes que confluyen al final, y que dejan cosas abiertas para proseguir en la siguiente novela.
Esta novela se me ha hecho más amena y divertida que la anterior, y me sienta unas buenas buenas bases para seguir con "La gema del halfling", libro con el cual voy a continuar del tirón.
June 8, 2012
I started this series with The Dark Elf Trilogy, which was pretty good, but this book proved to be a difficult read for me. I found it slow moving and frequently uninteresting. I really enjoy the characters, but I really feel like the story just plodded along. Things picked up for an adventurous ending, which has me almost excited about reading the last book in this trilogy. I hope that it is more in line with the kind of adventure I found in the first series I read.
February 17, 2010
I tried. I really did. I read the first book in this series, The Crystal Shard, and my husband promised me that as the series progressed the author's writing got less and less clunky. Well, my husband is a liar. Every single page was full of incredibly annoying cliches from beginning writer's classes. It was awful.
March 2, 2019
Love the way this one ended. Makes me want to immediately read the 3rd book. While I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first book I am still pretty hype to be revisiting these childhood favorites.
January 22, 2023
Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars
It would have been a solid 4 stars had I not zoned out during the most significant battle scene toward the end. I missed a major character death and had to go back and reread a few sections, that's how much I completely blanked.
“To learn how to use a sword, one must first master when to use a sword.”
I was a bit hesitant picking up this novel after The Crystal Shard let me down with it's lazy writing style, weird narrative structuring, and surface-level content. I had to continuously remind myself that it was R.A. Salvatore's first book and that I already knew for a fact that his stories would get better. The follow-up Streams of Silver confirmed that it didn't take long for Salvatore to find his way.
Streams of Silver was an improvement all-around; the writing style was more engaging, the pacing was more consistent, the characters were fleshed out, the narrative held more depth to it, and the structuring was solid. Obviously, there were components that read similar to his other novels in terms of battles and obstacles within the main quest, but it read as more as a homage to the foundation of classic fantasy novels, as opposed to a 'copy and paste' drag to read.
I was also genuinely impressed by the world-building and scene descriptions; they were clear and straightforward with no room to question what had occurred plot-wise (unless you momentarily blanked out like I did, toward the end lol). However, my favorite part of Streams of Silver had to be the villain assassin Artemis Entreri, who proved to be quite the match for Drizzt and will continue to be the antagonist in the follow up novel The Halfling's Gem. Salvatore did an excellent job introducing a villain that, for all intents and purposes, could have been what Drizzt developed into had he remained in Menzoberranzan and chosen the darker path in life. Their scenes and dialogue with one another were incredibly engaging for me to read; low-key there was even a part were I briefly shipped them (what was I supposed to think with all that tension on page 645 in the 25th Anniversary Edition??? Sample: They were closer now, though neither of them knew which one had moved, as if unseen forces were acting upon them... Each wanting the other to be the first to yield to their common desire, the ultimate challenge of the teners of their existence. Hello, like??? I've read these exact lines in many a crotch novels c'mon now.)
Anyways, a few points were deducted due to the novel's various similarities to The Hobbit, which ultimately led me to get distracted a few times and begin thinking about The Company and Thorin Oakenshield. If you've read both novels, then you understand that the similarities are kinda blatant and impossible to ignore. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but it did take away from some credits for originality and creativity.
It would have been a solid 4 stars had I not zoned out during the most significant battle scene toward the end. I missed a major character death and had to go back and reread a few sections, that's how much I completely blanked.
“To learn how to use a sword, one must first master when to use a sword.”
I was a bit hesitant picking up this novel after The Crystal Shard let me down with it's lazy writing style, weird narrative structuring, and surface-level content. I had to continuously remind myself that it was R.A. Salvatore's first book and that I already knew for a fact that his stories would get better. The follow-up Streams of Silver confirmed that it didn't take long for Salvatore to find his way.
Streams of Silver was an improvement all-around; the writing style was more engaging, the pacing was more consistent, the characters were fleshed out, the narrative held more depth to it, and the structuring was solid. Obviously, there were components that read similar to his other novels in terms of battles and obstacles within the main quest, but it read as more as a homage to the foundation of classic fantasy novels, as opposed to a 'copy and paste' drag to read.
I was also genuinely impressed by the world-building and scene descriptions; they were clear and straightforward with no room to question what had occurred plot-wise (unless you momentarily blanked out like I did, toward the end lol). However, my favorite part of Streams of Silver had to be the villain assassin Artemis Entreri, who proved to be quite the match for Drizzt and will continue to be the antagonist in the follow up novel The Halfling's Gem. Salvatore did an excellent job introducing a villain that, for all intents and purposes, could have been what Drizzt developed into had he remained in Menzoberranzan and chosen the darker path in life. Their scenes and dialogue with one another were incredibly engaging for me to read; low-key there was even a part were I briefly shipped them (what was I supposed to think with all that tension on page 645 in the 25th Anniversary Edition??? Sample: They were closer now, though neither of them knew which one had moved, as if unseen forces were acting upon them... Each wanting the other to be the first to yield to their common desire, the ultimate challenge of the teners of their existence. Hello, like??? I've read these exact lines in many a crotch novels c'mon now.)
Anyways, a few points were deducted due to the novel's various similarities to The Hobbit, which ultimately led me to get distracted a few times and begin thinking about The Company and Thorin Oakenshield. If you've read both novels, then you understand that the similarities are kinda blatant and impossible to ignore. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but it did take away from some credits for originality and creativity.
April 2, 2022
As much as I love THE CRYSTAL SHARD, I think of Streams of Silver as really where the actual story of THE LEGEND OF DRIZZT begins because it's when the author seems to have realized that Drizzt is the actual star. There's plenty of Wulfgar and I like Wulfgar just fine but I have to admit the reason I love this book is the introduction of Drizzt's amazing archenemy: Artemis Entreri. The perfect contrast to Drizzt's idealism and brooding is a lethal pragmatic mercenary who cares nothing but for the job.
The quest for Mithril Hall, a dwarven stronghold taken over by a dragon, may be a bit too reminiscent of The Hobbit but if you're going to borrow then borrow from the best. Also, it's not like they rely on Bard to pull things off this time around. Overall, this is an excellent bit of popcorn fantasy and one that I strongly recommend.
Personally, my favorite moment is Drizzt's failed attempt to enter Silverymoon. It was an interesting idea of how progressive groups might fail in the face of pragmatism and how moderation can sting worse than outright hatred.
The quest for Mithril Hall, a dwarven stronghold taken over by a dragon, may be a bit too reminiscent of The Hobbit but if you're going to borrow then borrow from the best. Also, it's not like they rely on Bard to pull things off this time around. Overall, this is an excellent bit of popcorn fantasy and one that I strongly recommend.
Personally, my favorite moment is Drizzt's failed attempt to enter Silverymoon. It was an interesting idea of how progressive groups might fail in the face of pragmatism and how moderation can sting worse than outright hatred.
May 12, 2021
What a fun continuation of the Drizzt story!
Drizzt and co are on a quest to find the fabled Mithril Hall of Bruenor's childhood. Unknown to most of the group, an assassin is on their trail to find Regis.
There's not much I feel like I can say about this book. It's another fun D&D adventure. I feel like it meanders a fair bit in the first third, like the DM is having trouble getting the party to follow the quest hook. Also in the first half of the book, I wasn't a fan of Catti-Brie, but I liked her development in the second half. It feels like Salvatore realized she needed to be more than just a Sexy Lamp.
There is still some 'D&D Is For Teenage Boys' issues... the only named women are Catti-Brie (a sexy innocent), Whisper (a sexy double-crossing rogue), and Sydney (a non-sexy evil mage). Any other women mentioned are: an aggressive prostitute (which Regis ), the women that Wulfar's tribe rape (and Drizzt hopes Wulfgar's people will someday realize Women Are People Too), and... oh, a magic elf lady who is there to be Sexy and Helpful and flirt with Drizzt. Hey, maybe we'll see better progress in the next book?
I like how the end of each book leads into the main quest for the next one. And I think it's really funny that there's been a in each book. Is that going to be a theme?
Besides the pointless first third of the book, I felt like the action scenes in this were very weird. Either the action is brushed over very quickly, so much so that a fight is just summarized in a couple sentences... or the action is described in such a weird way I honestly couldn't understand what exactly was happening. I'm going to assume Salvatore gets better at these as he continues to write dozens more Drizzt novels.
I will still read the next book in this series, this is pretty predictable early D&D adventure. Someone gets a magic weapon. They solve some ancient mystery (that's actually only 200 years old which honestly doesn't seem old AT ALL considering the lifetime of some races), and there's a plot hook for the next quest.
Drizzt and co are on a quest to find the fabled Mithril Hall of Bruenor's childhood. Unknown to most of the group, an assassin is on their trail to find Regis.
There's not much I feel like I can say about this book. It's another fun D&D adventure. I feel like it meanders a fair bit in the first third, like the DM is having trouble getting the party to follow the quest hook. Also in the first half of the book, I wasn't a fan of Catti-Brie, but I liked her development in the second half. It feels like Salvatore realized she needed to be more than just a Sexy Lamp.
There is still some 'D&D Is For Teenage Boys' issues... the only named women are Catti-Brie (a sexy innocent), Whisper (a sexy double-crossing rogue), and Sydney (a non-sexy evil mage). Any other women mentioned are: an aggressive prostitute (which Regis ), the women that Wulfar's tribe rape (and Drizzt hopes Wulfgar's people will someday realize Women Are People Too), and... oh, a magic elf lady who is there to be Sexy and Helpful and flirt with Drizzt. Hey, maybe we'll see better progress in the next book?
I like how the end of each book leads into the main quest for the next one. And I think it's really funny that there's been a in each book. Is that going to be a theme?
Besides the pointless first third of the book, I felt like the action scenes in this were very weird. Either the action is brushed over very quickly, so much so that a fight is just summarized in a couple sentences... or the action is described in such a weird way I honestly couldn't understand what exactly was happening. I'm going to assume Salvatore gets better at these as he continues to write dozens more Drizzt novels.
I will still read the next book in this series, this is pretty predictable early D&D adventure. Someone gets a magic weapon. They solve some ancient mystery (that's actually only 200 years old which honestly doesn't seem old AT ALL considering the lifetime of some races), and there's a plot hook for the next quest.
October 16, 2019
La Dama del Bosco - per RFS
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Eccoci al libro che ha dimostrato perché questa serie abbia affascinato un numero elevatissimo di lettori. Un piccolo capolavoro inaspettato, che ricorda sotto alcuni aspetti il famoso “Lo Hobbit” di Tolkien, ma che se ne diversifica per la psicologia dei personaggi già rodati nel libro precedente.
La trama, a grandi linee, potrebbe assomigliare a quella del libro più famoso, infatti i nostri eroi partono alla ricerca di una città dei nani perduta (la loro Moria per intenderci), ma il viaggio e la psiche dei protagonisti risultano molto diversi e tipici di questa serie.
Le difficoltà non mancheranno di certo, così come spunterà un nuovo nemico, capace di mettere in seria difficoltà sia l’abilità con le armi di Drittz, sia tutta la missione.
Quello che questo racconto ha di bello sono i colpi di scena, che si susseguono incessanti, tenendo attaccato il lettore alle pagine, sorprendendolo e lasciandolo in alcuni momenti con il fiato sospeso. Nulla è dato per scontato e, anzi, in alcuni punti mi sono sorpresa della piega presa dal racconto.
Scritto in maniera più scorrevole, finalmente ho sentito quell’empatia che cerco nei libri e quelle sensazioni che solo una storia ben descritta riesce a dare. Coinvolgente, finalmente troviamo ben bilanciate le descrizioni con i sentimenti che sono più delineati e incisivi. Magistrali le descrizioni dei combattimenti, che appaiono così chiare da sembrare spezzoni di film. Probabilmente serviva un nemico degno di questo nome per far decollare la serie e qui, infatti, faremo la conoscenza di Artemis Entreri, l’Assassino, a cui va il merito di aver alzato il livello dello scontro.
Anche in questo libro la lettura va fatta lenta e attenta, perché troviamo buttate quasi per caso delle frasi che sono vere e proprie chicche. Asciutto e scarno come al solito, Salvatore ci fa immergere in questa nuova avventura, che sono sicura non vi deluderà, poiché ha iniziato a tirare fuori il meglio di sé e dei suoi personaggi… soprattutto Dritzz, coi suoi dilemmi interni e le sue peculiarità di Drow.
.
Eccoci al libro che ha dimostrato perché questa serie abbia affascinato un numero elevatissimo di lettori. Un piccolo capolavoro inaspettato, che ricorda sotto alcuni aspetti il famoso “Lo Hobbit” di Tolkien, ma che se ne diversifica per la psicologia dei personaggi già rodati nel libro precedente.
La trama, a grandi linee, potrebbe assomigliare a quella del libro più famoso, infatti i nostri eroi partono alla ricerca di una città dei nani perduta (la loro Moria per intenderci), ma il viaggio e la psiche dei protagonisti risultano molto diversi e tipici di questa serie.
Le difficoltà non mancheranno di certo, così come spunterà un nuovo nemico, capace di mettere in seria difficoltà sia l’abilità con le armi di Drittz, sia tutta la missione.
Quello che questo racconto ha di bello sono i colpi di scena, che si susseguono incessanti, tenendo attaccato il lettore alle pagine, sorprendendolo e lasciandolo in alcuni momenti con il fiato sospeso. Nulla è dato per scontato e, anzi, in alcuni punti mi sono sorpresa della piega presa dal racconto.
Scritto in maniera più scorrevole, finalmente ho sentito quell’empatia che cerco nei libri e quelle sensazioni che solo una storia ben descritta riesce a dare. Coinvolgente, finalmente troviamo ben bilanciate le descrizioni con i sentimenti che sono più delineati e incisivi. Magistrali le descrizioni dei combattimenti, che appaiono così chiare da sembrare spezzoni di film. Probabilmente serviva un nemico degno di questo nome per far decollare la serie e qui, infatti, faremo la conoscenza di Artemis Entreri, l’Assassino, a cui va il merito di aver alzato il livello dello scontro.
Anche in questo libro la lettura va fatta lenta e attenta, perché troviamo buttate quasi per caso delle frasi che sono vere e proprie chicche. Asciutto e scarno come al solito, Salvatore ci fa immergere in questa nuova avventura, che sono sicura non vi deluderà, poiché ha iniziato a tirare fuori il meglio di sé e dei suoi personaggi… soprattutto Dritzz, coi suoi dilemmi interni e le sue peculiarità di Drow.
January 9, 2012
R. A. Salvatore. Huge name in the fantasy business of writing, and I think I know why.
This book, his second in the Icewind Dale Trilogy, features Drizzt (his most popular character creation I believe), a drow elf. These books are set in the popular "Forgotten Realms" fantasy world.
If you are into, or have ever played, Dungeons and Dragons, the backdrop of this novel will be as familiar to you as your own campaign. And even if you make the sign of the devil at anything related to D & D, you can’t help liking this novel for the pure epic fantasy elements present.
We have four friends of different backgrounds working together to fulfill a quest by one, the dwarf named Bruenor. He is questing (a major staple of epic fantasy) to reclaim his lost home in the Mountains where the "Streams of Silver" abound.
Long ago, a powerful evil drove the dwarves out of their ancestral homes and Bruenor the dwarf means to go back and right the wrong which was done to his people and reclaim the mountain stronghold.
But, one other in their party, a halfling (hobbit for you LOTR-ers) named Regis, is being pursued for a theft he committed years ago. He stole a jewel of great power, and its owner wants it back. And so the Halfling is being pursued by a hired, deadly assassin, the equal of any fighter in the Forgotten Realms.
The book follows the adventures of the four on their quest, and ends in a huge climactic showdown between powerful forces and archetypal characters. Truly epic.
Very good fantasy book related to the D & D universe and well worth a read if you are into such things or not. Reminds me a great deal of Terry Brooks "Shannara" books.
Looking forward to the last of this trilogy by Salvatore - The Halfling’s Gem.
The complete Icewind Dale trilogy is comprised of:
1) The Crystal Shard
2) Streams of Silver
3) The Halfling’s Gem
This book, his second in the Icewind Dale Trilogy, features Drizzt (his most popular character creation I believe), a drow elf. These books are set in the popular "Forgotten Realms" fantasy world.
If you are into, or have ever played, Dungeons and Dragons, the backdrop of this novel will be as familiar to you as your own campaign. And even if you make the sign of the devil at anything related to D & D, you can’t help liking this novel for the pure epic fantasy elements present.
We have four friends of different backgrounds working together to fulfill a quest by one, the dwarf named Bruenor. He is questing (a major staple of epic fantasy) to reclaim his lost home in the Mountains where the "Streams of Silver" abound.
Long ago, a powerful evil drove the dwarves out of their ancestral homes and Bruenor the dwarf means to go back and right the wrong which was done to his people and reclaim the mountain stronghold.
But, one other in their party, a halfling (hobbit for you LOTR-ers) named Regis, is being pursued for a theft he committed years ago. He stole a jewel of great power, and its owner wants it back. And so the Halfling is being pursued by a hired, deadly assassin, the equal of any fighter in the Forgotten Realms.
The book follows the adventures of the four on their quest, and ends in a huge climactic showdown between powerful forces and archetypal characters. Truly epic.
Very good fantasy book related to the D & D universe and well worth a read if you are into such things or not. Reminds me a great deal of Terry Brooks "Shannara" books.
Looking forward to the last of this trilogy by Salvatore - The Halfling’s Gem.
The complete Icewind Dale trilogy is comprised of:
1) The Crystal Shard
2) Streams of Silver
3) The Halfling’s Gem
July 24, 2022
Can a sequel be worse than the first book? Yes it can! Salvatore continues Drizzt's adventures with even more cringey dialogue, a plot lifted from The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, an assassin villain who thinks he's in a James Bond movie, and protagonists who behave like video game characters.
Drizzt encounters racism and that's bad, but he has no problem slaughtering bog blokes who are defending their land from intruders or killing lots of trolls in THEIR OWN country that they are just passing through.
Regis swindles farmers of their horses, but somehow, it's wrong for an information broker to increase her price and she gets beaten up for it.
This is a straight up comic book disguised as a novel, or a transcript of a Dungeons and Dragons game.
Drizzt encounters racism and that's bad, but he has no problem slaughtering bog blokes who are defending their land from intruders or killing lots of trolls in THEIR OWN country that they are just passing through.
Regis swindles farmers of their horses, but somehow, it's wrong for an information broker to increase her price and she gets beaten up for it.
This is a straight up comic book disguised as a novel, or a transcript of a Dungeons and Dragons game.
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