Customer Reviews

The Dragon's Dagger (The Spearwielder's Tale)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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...

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

.. 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.

Every author has something that they are best at, maybe not the best in the world, but the best work they do. R.A. Salvatore finds this niche with his mix of serious fantasy and humor. While the series is not a parody, ala Split Heirs, it does not take itself too seriously. While author's like Glenn Cook and Steven Erikson have mastered the darker, more serious side of fantastic fiction, Salvatore shows a similar master of the light, fun, and humorous. The second book in this series The Dragon's Dagger gives the reader his first taste of the difference in the flow of time between the real world and Fairie. This is a technique often seen in stories of the Fae, and Salvatore demonstrates a strong understanding of it.

Overall: 8.5/10

The Dragon's Dagger brings with it the same humorous take on cliche that made The Woods Out Back such a wonderful book. While much of Salvatore's more serious work falls victim to overly cliched storylines, or immortal characters (Drizzt!), this series uses those cliches to its advantage. Salvatore masterfully works in elven archers, dwarven craftsman, and evil kings, all with a rampaging dragon running rampant across the land. The familiar characters, combined with a truly fresh story, make this book a little bit better than its predecessor. While you loved meeting Gary, Kelsey, Mickey, and Geno in the first book, now you will feel like you are coming home to famliar friends.

Writing: 8.0/10

Salvatore's writing doesn't change much between the two books. He still writes great actions scenes, and still provides a lot of wit and clever use of cliches and tropes.

Characters: 10/10

Like I said, Gary, Kelsey, Mickey, and Geno were great to meet. In The Woods Out Back we watch these standard fantasy cliches grow into real, vibrant people. In The Dragon's Dagger you will feel like you are coming home to a roomful of good friends. The characters continue to grow and change, especially Gary, but there is a comfortable familiarity in them that allows the reader to relax into the book, instead of feeling constantly on edge, as is the case with some of Salvatore's other work. There are good things to be said for both of these styles, but a relaxing book is a wonderful thing now and again.

World: 7.0/10
The Dragon's Dagger provides us with more details about the realm of Fairie. While the story revisits many of the same locations as the last book, most of them are given more detail and background. While the humor and freshness of The Woods Out Back was enough to distract the reader from the lack of detail, The Dragon's Dagger retains the same level of humor, without needing to provide a distraction. While many questions about the world are left unanswered, enough world detail is given to satisfy most readers.

Plot: 9.5/10

What can I say, an evil king sits on the throne; a wicked, angry dragon has been released to terrorize the land; and Ceridwyn is trapped on her island. Like The Woods Out Back this book takes a load of cliches and turns them into a fun, fascinating, meaningful story. This shows Salvatore's mastery of the style.

Pacing: 10/10

The story has a pleasant back and forth flow that keeps the action going at a reasonable speed. There are some parts that are faster than others, but nowhere does the book become slow or boring.

Commentary: 4.5/10

While there is some commentary in The Dragon's Dagger it focuses more on entertainment. However, one major theme that I thoroughly enjoyed is the nature of friendship. Similar to Tolkien's characters in The Lord of the Rings, Salvatore explores the dynamic of friendship in the face of racial tensions.

Conclusion:

This is a great book, a must read if you are looking for something light and fun. If you liked The Woods Out Back then don't miss The Dragon's Dagger.

In this sequel to The Woods Out Back, Gary Leger is brought back to the land of Faerie. Trouble is loose in the land, Trouble with a capital "T." It seems that when Gary Leger took a jeweled dagger from the fortress of the dragon Robert the Wretched, he lifted the ban that had him imprisoned. And now it is up to the heroes of the last adventure to put things right. But, are even they up to the task?

Overall, I found this book a bit of a mixed bag. The first chapter, with the author's ruminating on the 1991 Persian Gulf War got too heavy and boring, forcing me to skip on to the point where Gary Leger is taken to Faerie. But, after that, the story picks up a bit. With the Tinker Gnomes along to add some interesting variety to the normal elves and dwarves type story, the story got more interesting, with lots of interesting action.

Not a perfect book, by any stretch, but nonetheless, The Dragon's Dagger is an interesting read, with lots of that great swords and magic type action.

R. A. Salvatore continues the tale of Gary Leger by once again yanking him from his world and putting him on another trail to adventure. Gary's life has improved since we've last seen him. He has a better car, a better job, and a girlfriend, Diane. But even with life on the upswing for him, he's still stuck in the corporate rat race.

When Gary last saw the world of Faerie, the witch had been defeated, Robert the Dragon had re-forged the spear, and all was right with the world. But not for long. Robert has left his hole and is now wreaking havoc on the world.

So Gary, Kelsey, Geno, Mickey, and Gerbil the Gnome (a new character) all set out to defeat Robert. Along the way we see how much Gary has grown emotionally and physically.

Salvatore has done a wonderful job in bringing another Gary Leger story to print. If you have read any of his works, this series is the best. Start with The Woods Out Back, continue with this novel, then finish with The Dragonslayer's Return. You won't be disappointed.

I would like to start by saying that Salvatore is a genius. With this trilogy, he not only keeps your interest, but gives you a genuine feeling of really being in the Land of Faerie. He brings in someone from our time and place, puts them in faerie, and then the true magic begins. The Dragon's Dagger is a wonderful story of honor, excitement, and brilliant battle scenes along with some good wit and humor. It's funny, yet it keeps you holding your breath. Definately a can't-put-it-down book.

"The Dragon's Dagger" continues Drizzt Do'Urden creator R.A. Salvatore's fantasy saga began in "The Woods Out Back." Like the previous novel, it is clearly a labor of love for its creator, as the main character, Gary, is named after none other than Salvatore's brother, while Gary's wife, Diane, is named after the author's own wife, and so on and so forth. Given Salvatore's connection to this tale, it's certainly difficult not to find the work a little endearing, but at the same time it lacks the punch and pacing of his far superior Drizzt Do'Urden stories (the early ones, and not some of his dawdling later efforts).

The premise is certainly a good one, and carries on that which began in the previous tome. Gary Leger, resident of the mundane Real-earth (or our world) is summoned to return to the magical realm of Faerie (think Middle-earth but less compelling) to slay Robert the Wretched, an evil dragon wreaking havoc in the land. Salvatore keeps things colorful and generally amusing in a somewhat light-hearted fashion, but manages to keep a whole lot from happening during the course of the novel. It has always seemed that all three books in the Spearweilder series could have been condensed into one excellent read, but were instead expanded into a trilogy, very much at the cost of pace.

Again Salvatore's tone is also a little unnerving. One moment Gary is lamenting killing his first human being, while the next he feels like he's taking a vacation from the grim realities of Real-earth. To top of it off, Gary's slaying of this human foe, and his guilt, play no real role in the events of the story, and make one wonder why they were ever included in the first place, since it seems so out of touch with the rest of the novel's good cheer. Salvatore also makes the mistake of becoming a little heavy-handed at times when he expresses his own viewpoints through the main character. It's a little preachy, to be sure.

In the end, though, "The Dragon's Dagger" is a lightweight read (only 300 or so pages) full of interesting characters and a decent helping of adventure that, like its predecessor, is worth checking out.

mr. salvatore if you read this i would like to say thank you for many hours of reading pleasure. i think that this book is one of your best ever and i have been reading your books for 8 years i am up to date so far with all of your releases that i can get in my area. thanks william d melton