In the last few months I have started and stopped a handful of books. Not that any of them were bad. For one reason or another, nothing grabbed me enough to continue past the first few pages, or sometimes chapters.
Then last month I made the conscious decision that I was going to step away from the older paperback books I have been amassing, and try to read something new and fresh. I had a few options that I really wanted to read, so I started looking around. Right now money is kinda tight, so shelling out $15-20 for a brand new hard back (or even $8-10 for a paperback) is not really an option. Which, of course, takes me to the public library.

Anyways, the book is really good. It’s an exciting juvenile adventure without being condescending or overly “kiddy.” The characters are all pretty real, and the adventure they have keeps you guessing. The action is exciting, the dangers feel real. One thing I noted was that, even though some of the story elements were kind of predicable, that was not a bad thing. I found that when I knew something was going to happen, it made me more excited to see when and how it did. For a YA fantasy novel, I give it 5 stars, and eagerly await the next one.

This book is interesting because it involves Drizzt’s companions that he adventured with in the early books (and throughout his long-running series), but at a time long after they have each passed away in the timeline of the story. How this is accomplished is pretty cool, and totally not what I expected when I started reading it. As always, Salvatore’s action and details are great, and the characters are very familiar, yet refreshed. You have to read the story to understand.
One thing this Drizzt book reminds me of is that I have a special place in my heart for RPG-based fiction. Admittedly, it’s not all good. But a lot of it certainly is. And it’s always interesting to see how the various authors work the tropes of the game into a fictitious narrative, without it sounding like gamer fanfiction. Salvatore has been doing it for years. And even though a couple of his outings have not been so good, overall, he has mastered the art of blending gaming and fiction.
Once I’m done with this one, I plan to tackle Jon Sprunk’s Shadow’s Son (the first in a trilogy). I wanted to read his latest, Blood and Iron, but the library didn’t have any copies available yet. Eventually, though.
2 comments:
I've got several of Salvatore's books around here but haven't read 'em. Some day.
I'd be interested in hyour takle on his book, Charles. As a D&D player, it seems pretty natural to me. And I'd be curious to see how it comes across to a non-gamer.
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