The Dragon's Dagger (The Spearwielder's Tale) [Paperback]

R. A. Salvatore (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Spearwielder's Tale | Publication Date: August 1, 1994

In the sequel to The Woods Out Back, Gary returns to the realm of Faerie to find a changed world and journeys through the enchanted land on a quest to find an ancient hero's sacred armor and magic spear and battle the dark shadows of evil.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Salvatore continues the saga of Gary Leger, the reluctant, mundane hero of the battles of Faerie begun in The Woods Out Back. Gary now has a career and a girlfriend, but the wars call him back. Robert the Dragon is roaming the land, seeking whom he might broil; the wicked witch seeks freedom from her imprisonment; and if that weren't enough, the human intrigues that Salvatore offers up would keep a half dozen heroes busy. So Gary has a lively time of it in Faerie, which Salvatore recaptures with verve and wit and many nice touches, such as the constant arguments between the humane Gary and his bloodthirsty, magical lance. A classic tale of humans caught in the toils of Faerie, certain to retain its predecessor's audience. Roland Green

About the Author

R. A. Salvatore is the acclaimed author of the DemonWars trilogy---The Demon Awakens, The Demon Spirit, and The Demon Apostle---as well as Mortalis, Bastion of Darkness, Ascendance, and the New York Times bestseller Vector Prime, an entry in the Star Wars: The New Jedi Order series. He lives in Massachusetts with his wife, Diane, and their three children. Paul Boehmer appeared for two seasons at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, California, where he played Oberon/Theseus in A Midsummer Night's Dream and Lucius in Titus Andronicus. He also appeared in The Constant Wife, played Banquo in Macbeth, and was Antipholus of Syracuse in The Comedy of Errors in the 2005 Summer Rep Season at the Globe. He has appeared in Sir Peter Halls's acclaimed Broadway production of Oscar Wilde's An Ideal Husband, Off-Broadway in the New York premiere of Miss Evers' Boys, and Off-Off-Broadway in New Yorrick, New Yorrick and End of the Day. He has appeared regionally at the Pioneer Theatre Company, Arena Stage, Seattle Rep, Huntington Theatre Company, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Cleveland Playhouse, Missouri Repertory Theatre, Walnut Street Theatre, Syracuse Stage, Berkshire Theatre Festival, and Theatre Works Palo Alto. His film and television appearances include The Good German, The Thomas Crown Affair, Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Frasier, Judging Amy, Guiding Light, and All My Children. Paul is most proud of his award-winning unabridged recording of Moby Dick. He holds a BFA in acting from Southern Methodist University and an MFA in acting from the Professional Theatre Training Program at the University of Delaware.

--This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 313 pages
• Publisher: Ace; First Edition edition (August 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0441000789
• ISBN-13: 978-0441000784
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,740,229 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

R.A. Salvatore has spent so many years winding himself into fantasy worlds that he's still trying to figure out how to unwind. He is the author of more than forty novels and more than a dozen New York Times best sellers, including The Two Swords, which debuted at or near the top of many best seller lists.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Dragon's Dagger (2000), February 29, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Dragon's Dagger (The Spearwielder's Tale) (Paperback)

Back in the day (1994), this was the first novel I read after The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings. Even for the VERY best contemporary author that's one helluva tough act to follow (impossible to top or even break even with). Take that and the fact that I obliviously started in the middle of the trilogy, and you would think I would have several complaints. I find it hard to come up with any, however. Aside from The Dark Elf series, this is book 2 in Salvatore's best series. Forget about those Demonwars and that Crimson Shadow (both series are highly trite and uninteresting). Pick this up instead - but DO start with The Woods Out Back and avoid those initial hints of confusion I suffered.

I think one of the reasons this series makes it where so many other Salvatore ventures have failed is because he embraces its wackiness and all its cliches (like Elven archers and Dwarven craftsmen, gentle Giants and wicked witches), and he does so in a comic yet adventurous fashion. I also liked the references to Tolkien which seem a respectable homage to the man who started it all and made this novel possible. Good work, Salvatore. Now if only all your other stuff could be like this and those Drizzt books...

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another great book by Salvatore!!, June 15, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Dragon's Dagger (The Spearwielder's Tale) (Paperback)

He has done it again! R.A. (Bob) Salvatore has written another great fantasy book. When Gary returnes to the land called Faerie he finds the whole place in great peril. Although you would have to read the first book of the Spearwielders Trillogy (The Woods Out Back) to truely understand what is going on. It is still a great book even if you can not get your hands on the first book. The cleverley thought out storyling gives you the feeling that you know the friends (Gary, a human, Geno a rugged dwarf from the clan Battlehammer, Kelsey, a elf from the Tylwyth Teg, and Mickey, a leprechaun) and their foes. Salvatore wrote the book in such a way that you can see everything that goes on in the story in your minds eye

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Better .., July 13, 2005

By 

Leslie A Munday "deny everything baldrick" (Bellevue, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dragon's Dagger (The Spearwielder's Tale) (Paperback)

.. than the woods out back. More thought went into the plot. Less unbelievable fight scenes, and I think I am starting to understand RAS's audience.

I guess that I do not fit the profile that he is writing for, because after reading one and a half novels in the series, it was clearly explained that the spear is talking to Gary telepathically. So why does the author feel the need to explain that other characters cannot hear what the spear is saying?

Waste of space as far as I was concerned, but maybe if you are 12 yeas old you need the concept of telepathy explained more than once. Or maybe if you are senile you have forgotten.

Still an improvement .. thankyou for not transporting the girlfriend.