Dragonslayer's Return [Mass Market Paperback]

R. A. Salvatore (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1995

The 3-Volume Series. "Gary Leger thought life after college would bring great things. Instead, he's stuck in a dead-end job and finding that the real world isn't all it's cracked up to be. But when he walks into the woods behind his house one day, Gary finds a world beyond the 'real world' - a realm of elfs and dwarfs and witches and dragons. There he discovers that he is the only one who can wear the armor of the land's lost hero - and wield a magical spear. And if he doesn't, he can never go home again....

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Ace (1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0441002285
• ISBN-13: 978-0441002283
• ASIN: B000MU3LYU
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,448,542 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

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great lighter read from Salvatore, January 21, 2005

By 

Realist - See all my reviews

This review is from: Spearwielder's Tale: The Woods out Back / The Dragon's Dagger / Dragonslayer's Return) (Paperback)

If you've read Salvatore, you probably expect a lot of over-the-top acrobatics in the fight scenes, characters whom are developed through hundreds of pages, and a world that draws you in and never lets go. Spearwielder's Tale has all of these but not to the point of over-doing it so younger readers won't feel overwhelmed by the atmosphere or the depth at the beginning. However, by the end, there may just be another fantasy lover in the world!

If you're expecting a hero as complex as Drizzt, then you're in for a surprise! Gary Ledger, the "Spearwielder," is an unintentional hero who is taken to the land of Faerie from a "gate" outside his home. There, he learns about his role in the world and learns about himself all while "saving the world!" His development is not nearly as deep as Drizzt but then again, he spends most of the books in a land he is unfamiliar with and has little time to develop his past, his full value structure, nor his plans for the future. But, throughout the story, there is enough development for any avid reader to not be asking themselves "why?" certain things are done by the character; a welcome departure from the Drizzt series, I must say.

There is light humor throughout and it isn't distracting in the least as it comes at points in the story when there needs to be a bit of humor. Like Salvatore's Drizzt series, the book is not a laugh a minute by any means but it will keep you in good spirits and repeating the phrase "heeland coos" for a while!

One small note of caution on language: There is a single word that some parents of younger children may not want them reading. It begins with an "S" and is only said twice if memory serves. Other than that, there are a few points that the characters start to curse but are stopped by various means (nothing overly vulgar). If any of these things bother you, you may want to preview the book for your children. But let me say that the context of these are all in a humorous fashion and do not detract in the least from the overall story and any child age 12 and up should have no problems reading this. And almost every "PG" movie has worse language and situations than Spearwielder!

Overall, this is a great read. The Trilogy books each end at a great point but you will always want to keep reading so the "easy pace" you impose on yourself may not be able to be kept! A book per day is the pace I read it at and I could see having read it much faster if I'd had the time. Light? Yes. Worth the read? Very much so!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A mixed bag, December 25, 2007

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Spearwielder's Tale: The Woods out Back / The Dragon's Dagger / Dragonslayer's Return) (Paperback)

This book is the three books of R.A. Salvatore's Spearwielder trilogy, combined into one package. The three books follow Gary Leger as he makes three trips to the land of Faerie. There he joins the elfin lord Kelsenellenelvial Gil-Favadry (call him Kelsey, everyone else does), the mischievous leprechaun Mickey McMickey, the dwarf Geno Hammerthrower, and other interesting characters. Wrapped in the armor of Cedric Donigarten, Gary must see to the reforging of Cedric magical spear, and defeat the powerful and wicked people who would bring Faerie under their control.

Overall, I found this trilogy to be a bit of a mixed bag. First of all, each of the books starts out excruciatingly slow. Also, within the story, Faerie is drawn rather narrowly, not giving the reader the feel of a real world, but seeming more like a stage for the character to perform on. And, to add insult, the author tries to use the story as a soapbox to preach from, but even that stays rather unfocused never connects.

So, after pouring out that abuse, why do I give the book four stars? Well, in spite of its many flaws, I did enjoy this book's take on dwarves and leprechauns. Also, I found the storyline to be interesting, and I really enjoyed the action. So, if you are looking for another Lord of the Rings, you will be disappointed. But, if you want a highly-entertaining swords-and-sorcery, elves and dwarves type story, then this is the book for you. I highly recommend it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Epic trilogy, August 13, 2011

By 

Jerry - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Spearwielder's Tale: The Woods out Back / The Dragon's Dagger / Dragonslayer's Return) (Paperback)

I love R.A. I love Drizt. But, I get sort of bored when it's the same old song and dance for 15 books in a row. This trilogy is one of the better ones from Salvatore that actually ENDS!

Without giving too much away, the main character is thrown from the "real world" into the fantasy land. Some of the characters he meets are very cliche, like the leprachan named Mickey and, yes, he has an Irish accent. But this includes a lot of R.A.'s signature pieces: great fight scenes, situations where the good guy doesn't always win, some underlying lessons about good vs. evil, prejudice, love, revenge. All that good stuff.

The only R.A. trilogy that tops this one is the Crimson Shadow. But, if you can pick this one up for a fair price, I'm sure you'll enjoy it if you like other Salvatore stuff.