Customer Reviews

Exile: Part 2 (Forgotten Realms: The Legend of Drizzt, Book II)

5 star:		(67)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Exile is a superb sequel that follows the story of Drizzt Do'Urden, the most non-typical drow who meets friends where he least expects them and encounters enemies he thought long gone. Normally, I wouldn't think that a sequel could be equally good as its predecessor, but RA Salvatore, the author who inspired me to write my first book - The Final Crusade, proved me wrong. Our hero escapes from Menzoberranzan from his unforgiving kinsmen, preferring to live in solitude rather than enmesh himself in the trap of his evil society. Drizzt uses stoicism to heal away his pains but later realizes that leading a life of survival ultimately leads to an empty existence and makes him bottled-up emotionally.

Thus, when I read the book, I ask: "What is the purpose of life when one has nothing to hold on?" Reading further, I answered that question. The answer was to find someone you love and hold on to them dearly. Drizzt redeems himself by making friends with enemies his people hated most (the svirfneblin gnomes) and discovers communal strength he had never saw. Hence, this novel had taught me to never follow the prejudice someone placed on a particular society. By holding on to his values and showing mercy, he defeats his deadliest enemy - solitude.

Salvatore's novels again succeed to inspire people in a different way. Homeland focuses on the society but Exile concentrates on the individual. There are a lot of in-depth characters along the quest in this action-packed masterpiece, each with different personalities that are all likeable in some way. Fantasy readers can ask themselves which character they should emulate when they face a certain dilemma. Exile had brought tremendous learning values for me and shaped me to be stronger emotionally.

In "Exile", the second installation of the Dark Elf Trilogy, R.A. Salvatore picks up with Drizzt Do'Urden after he flees his ancestral homeland of Menzobberanzan. Alone in the savage Underdark, Drizzt faces monsters, and even more the weight of a crushing loneliness, with his only companionship coming from the summoned panther Guenhwyvar. In his wanderings he finally seeks out the company of the Svirfneblin, a race of subterranean gnomes and the blood enemies of the Drow. There, an old kindness is repaid in full, and he experiences life in a society completely alien to that from which he escaped....but the wrath of the drow and his cursed fate pursues him, and he must leave his new friends, lest he bring ruin to them as well.

"Exile" is a great read, and continues the excellent storyline that was begun in "Homeland". Drizzt continues to mature, both in his martial skills and his convictions. As always, Salvatore describes incredibly detailed combat scenes and swordplay, but the most fascinating struggle by far is the turmoil of Drizzt's soul. After finishing this novel, the first thing the reader will want to do is reach for "Sojourn", to see how the story will end, and begin again.

I recently read this book and I loved it! Continuous excitement and it got even more interesting when Zin-Carla came around! If you want to know how dangerous the underdark is, THIS is the book to show you.

... Don't get me wrong, I enjoy fantasy and Salvatore's work has been agreeable. But, do keep this work in perspective. This is the seventh novel I've read by him, so I think I have some idea what his style is like by now.

The novel does have some interesting parts though the interesting setting of Drizzt's (the protagonist) home city is no longer featured. Drizzt struggles to maintain his identity and this theme is also seen in the character of Clacker. Clacker, I admit, is a fairly shallow character. Yet, he does serve a useful function in battle and helps the reader explore identity. The setting of this novel is predominantly in the "wilds" of the Underdark, outside of the cities. This isolation from one's family, even an evil family like Drizzt's, and one's society are different ways to look at the theme of identity in this novel. Indeed, Drizzy almost loses his identity. He regains it, but I wouldn't want to spoil the story for you by revealing how.

For those readers who may think that I am reading too much in this novel, you may have a point. Yet, much contemporary fantasy is at least loosely based on or inspired by ancient European mythology (most notably German, English and Scandinavian) which tell us interesting things about humanity. Tales of power, evil, temptations are but some of the themes that fantasy touches upon. The first "contemporary" fantasy novel, "The Lord of the Rings," is a great example of this. The book "Tolkien's Ring" looks at some of the inspiration behind the Tolkien's most famous work.

Finally, for those readers who must know, this novel still has all the trademark elements of a Salvatore novel. There are plenty of monsters, spells, battles and sword play. Unlike the Cleric Quintet by Salvatore, there is little in the way of epic battles. Mostly, battles involve small groups or even single duels. While I do find such battles of some interest, it is the internal struggles of the characters that makes these novels interesting to me.

...

Just what the title sais, this is an incredible book, like every other one by Salvatore. That's really all there is to say.

Though this book was not the best in the DE Trilogy, the end sure made up for the rest. The fight against Zaknafein and Drizzt was briliant. If you want to read 5 star books by Salvatore try Homeland or Sojourn also in the DE Trilogy.

After having my breath taken away reading Homeland I was quite excited to get started on the second novel in this brilliant series.

Accepting the loss of his father Drizzt decides to leave his home. Stuck in the vast darkness of the wild Underdark Drizzt learns about himself, and learns to become the hunter.

Drizzt spends ten years alone in the Underdark. Which is a great foreshadowing for the books after this. Drizzt learns to hone his skills as a fighter, and as a hunter. He becomes very primal, but it educates you on his character and you grow a strong bond with him.

After many long years of being alone he discovers a group of Svirneblin (another race of the Underdark) and reunites with Belwar, whom you meet in the first book. Belwar tentitavely accepts Drizzt and they form quite a bond.

You also meet Clacker, who was originally a pech (a humanoid creature that could converse with stone) and was transformed into a Hook Horror (a very large beetle looking creature with large pinchers) by a human wizard, and is forced to fight the pull of the evil creatures predatory instincts.

The characters that Drizzt encounters in this book bring you to understand his psyche, and his development. It shows that Drizzt has outgrown much of his naitivity.

This book is a delight to read, with many in-depth characters and wonderful fight scenes. I highly recommend this book.

I have been blasting through this series, the first one blew me away, now this. This was the first book times 1000.

Things that are badass:

- Drizzt turns crazy ass survivalist who can't figure out how to *not* beat the crap out of something.
- Drizzt goes retard-rage on every creature to cross his path.
- Drizzt blacks out, destroys a statue, all while scaring watching children.
- Belwar has a magical mining pickaxe and hammer for hands. I want that.
- Guenhwyvar even disses Drizzt for being such a mindless badass.
- Guenhwyvar becomes a "Resident Evil" dog.
- Mushroom people are awesome.
- THIS BOOK HAS A ZOMBIE!
- THIS BOOK HAS A GIANT WORM!

Things that are weak:

- Clacker reminds me of a special needs child.
- Drizzt massages giant blobs for a great deal of time.
- The zombie seems to have feelings. who didn't see that coming?
- I kept hearing the wizards voice as "The Monarch" from the "Adventure Brothers" cartoon, that guy was a douche.
- I really didn't get a feeling for the vastness of the Underdark. I just visualized little tunnels in caves. Brown in color. Maybe best described as the second level in "Super Mario Brothers".

Things that confused me:
- I'm not quite sure if drow elves have to go to the bathroom. He seemed to often retrace his steps, did Drizzt have to make sure he didn't step in his own trails? And in that respect, wouldn't it have been easier for the AWESOME ZOMBIE to sniff him down via the droppings?
- So Guenhwyvar spends her free time in the other world just hunting the same thing over and over again?
- Drizzt couldn't distinguish a statue from the real thing?

Read this book, for the love of all that is holy and uhh... cool.

The book picks up where Homeland finished. Drizzt Do'Urden has fled his birth city of Menzoberranzan, home to many drow elves in the Underdark, hoping to escape the clutches of his wrathful mother, Matron Malice.

For ten years, Drizzt survives the dangerous wilds of the Underdark, with only Guenhwyvar (a magical black panther) as his companion. However, as he is constantly on edge, and has no social interaction, his sense of self, of identity, slowly regresses into "the hunter" - a primitive being who, while deadly, reacts out of survival instincts only. Recognizing the dangers to his sanity, Drizzt seeks out some svirneblin (deep gnomes) and throws himself at their mercy, in the hopes of finding sanctuary within their city. It is here that his attempts at releasing a deep gnome from a drow patrol many years ago will hopefully pay dividends.

In the meantime, his mother Malice, ruling matron of his house/family, seeks the dark Spider Queen Lloth's aid in granting a powerful spell, called zincarla. The spell animates a corpse, and is wholly controlled by the priestess who casts it. For this, Matron Malice animates the corpse of Zaknafein, Drizzt's father, and former Weapon Master of House Do'Urden, probably the only one with the skill to defeat Drizzt.

So begins the game of cat and mouse, as Drizzt sets out from the svirneblin city of Blingdenstone with Belwar, a deep gnome, in an effort to draw away the attention of the dark elves from the svirneblin city.

Their journey brings them to encounters with a range of Underdark creatures, from hook horrors, to flying birdmen, to the powerful illithids, as the undead Zaknafein is urged closer by magical tracking spells.

I admire the job Salvatore has done in bringing many Underdark denizens to life, helping us to understand better the environment and the trials Drizzt faces. The only frustrating part is that the book does almost a complete circle, ending almost where it began. However, the book is less about the physical journey, and more about the spiritual/emotional journey that Drizzt takes. This is NOT a boring book dealing with long-winded questions of existentialism - quite the opposite, in fact. There is much action to keep the reader hooked throughout. Yet nevertheless, we find ourselves pulled irresistably along with Drizzt, and come to question the substance of a creature's spirit/soul.

Of importance is the development of Jarlaxle, the leader of a renegade drow mercenary band. He is one of my favourite characters, and will feature in quite a few books to come!

I highly recommend this book.

An excellent book. As good as the first, I should say.
If you purchase the hardcover, please realize there are mispelling errors in the text: Lloth, the evil spider-queen is, throughout the entire book, spelled Lolth. At least the edition I had did.