Extinction (Forgotten Realms: R.A. Salvatore's War of the Spider Queen, Book 4) [Hardcover]

Lisa Smedman (Author)

Book Description

Series: War of the Spider Queen | Publication Date: January 1, 2004

This latest title expands the civil upheaval among the drow, one of the most popular races in the Forgotten Realms setting. Best-selling author R.A. Salvatore wrote the prologue to Extinction and continues to consult on the series, lending his expertise as the author who brought drow society to the forefront of the Forgotten Realms setting.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Formerly a magazine editor, Lisa Smedman splits her week between working as a reporter/editor at a weekly newspaper and writing fiction. Her most recent credits include authoring Heirs of Prophecy and contributing a short story to The Halls of Stormweather.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Wizards of the Coast (January 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786929898
• ISBN-13: 978-0786929894
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #867,540 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, January 31, 2004

By 

Ben (Colorado Springs, CO United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Extinction (Forgotten Realms: R.A. Salvatore's War of the Spider Queen, Book 4) (Hardcover)

Sheesh, if all you want is action and cool locations, play a game -- if you enjoy true character development and depth of story and plot, then "Extinction" is a breath of fresh air for this series. I'll agree that "Insurrection" was amazing, and Thomas Reid must be half Drow, as his understanding of them is incredible. "Condemnation" is by far the weakest of the series thus far, as the author completely let the characters become as shallow as parking lot puddles, much like his understanding of Drow behavior and inner-workings. "Extinction" is captivating, and Smedman has not only returned depth to the characters, but expanded it significantly. For writing the challenging and pivotal middle book, Smedman has proved her skill and made an already excellent series just that much better.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great so far, March 1, 2004

By 

Jianping Chen (Scarsdale, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Extinction (Forgotten Realms: R.A. Salvatore's War of the Spider Queen, Book 4) (Hardcover)

So far, the series has been great. If you love twists and turns and revelations that turn events in a completely new direction, Extinction is a must-read. Honestly, I love fantasy novels, and one that revolves around one of my favorite fictional races- the drow. Finally it is revealed how Quenthel managed to return form the grave after being killed by Drizzt. However, there are some discrepancies, which rather confused me. First and foremost, WTF happened to Bregan D'aerthe? What, did they sit on their royal bottoms while the duergar attacked? Jarlaxle is nowhere to be seen, nor Kimmuriel either. Very, very strange, considering their mercenary group is comprised of elite warriors. 2. It seems strange to me that Halistra could begin to deceive Quenthel as she was planning to. Quenthel has her snake whip, which can detect emanations of power- The Crescent Blade, the emblem of Eilistrae. Which would give her away completely. However, these hitches are minor, and anyone who truly enjoys fantasy should not shy away from buying this series simply because it is an amazing work, considering it is written by 6 authors who have doubtfully even met each other more than once. They all have their own approaches, which makes each book unique and different in its approaches to certain situations.

Book #1- Dissolution: *****
Book #2- Insurrection: ****1/2
Book #3- Condemnation ****
Book #4- Extinction ****1/2

My opinions on the books.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Overall Good Development, May 21, 2005

By 

A. Reid (NC, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Extinction (Forgotten Realms: R.A. Salvatore's War of the Spider Queen, Book 4) (Hardcover)

Opinion on this entry into the War of the Spider Queen series seems divided. I come down on the side of those who much enjoyed Lisa Smedman's contribution. Richard Baker's Condemnation was not much to my taste (though obviously necessary to follow the plot), but this one amped up my interest again.

As with the other books in this series, I had to deal first with the jarring alteration of character presentation. Each author obviously has his or her own perception of characters, and it can make them seem extremely different from book to book. I'm starting to put this down to Drow chaos. :) On the plus side, Ryld is more interesting here than in any novel since the first, and Quenthel becomes more complex and intriguing. I have less interest personally in the Menzoberranzan part of the story, much preferring to follow the transitions of Ryld and Halistra.

My biggest problem with the character development in this book deals with the growing conflict between Pharaun and Quenthel. Pharaun generally seems highly sensible through most of the story, but his antagonism of Quenthel (though nothing new) crosses the line of self-preservation by a mile and a half in this story. And Quenthel, though often irrational, does seem smart enough to understand her own best interests too well to retaliate as she does. These two do seem to be heading towards open confrontation, but their actions here smack very much of "cutting off your nose to spite your face."

There's no real big pay-off in this novel. As others have noted, it is transitional, making necessary set-up for the conclusion.