Customer Reviews

Legacy of the Drow: Collector's Edition

5 star:		(48)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This four book series continues the adventures of R.A. Salvatore's best known characters: Drizzt, Catti-Brie, Wulfgar, Bruenor, and Regis. It picks up where Icewind Dale left off, but it does help to have read the Dark Elf Trilogy, which predates Icewind despite its later publishing date. As the title of this collection suggests, the Drow are up to their usual nasty tricks, which does not bode well for our heroes.

Mr. Salvatore is well known for his light humor, thrilling pace, and detailed descriptions. These qualities shine in the Legacy series, which represents some of his best work. For those who can't get enough of Drizzt, this leads directly into the Paths of Darkness novels, which in turn lead into the new Hunter's Blades books. Out of all the Forgotten Realms novels published, it can't be denied that these are the most popular and well known. If you haven't read any of them, you're seriously missing out.

For those that have read the Cleric Quintet and wondered what the heck happens after the ending, you'll see some form of conclusion in this series as Drizzt & Co. make a brief stop-over in the Snowflake Mountains. Without revealing too much of the plot, it spans a vast portion of Faerun's surface, but largely centers on Drizzt's most favored places- Mithril Hall and Icewind Dale. It is a pleasure for the reader (if not the hero) to once again see such villainous villains as Artemis Entreri, Jarlaxle, and the remnants of Drizzt's evil heritage coming back to haunt him. The pace doesn't slacken throughout the series, and you'll find it hard to set this collection down.

RA Salvatore, my favorite author of all time, is back to the basics. The basics = Drizzt Do'Urden. Along with his friends Catti-brie, Wulfgar, Bruenor, Regis, and Guenhwvwar. Enemies and friends from the past and present play key roles in the adventures of the warriors of Mithril Hall. From fighting drows, to being at sea for 6 years, to stopping a ta'nari from the Abyss who has control of one of the most powerful atricfacts in the world, Drizzt and his friends embark on an exciting adventure.

With the cameo of Cadderly, Danica, Ivan, and Pikel (characters from RA Salvatore's "The Cleric Quintet") and the Crystal Shard, The Legacy of the Drow is truly unstoppable.
The battles bring action. The villains bring suspense. The loss of a friend brings drama. The strange relationship between the friends brings some comedy. Together you get RA Salvatore's best work.

After finishing the Icewind Dale series I wanted to jump to the next series. I wanted to go with the flow of the story line so I didn't read the Dark Elf Trilogy, and instead went to this one (Legacy of the Drow). I was very pleased after reading this series. Salvatore's descriptions during fight/battle sequences are what I noticed first when reading his writing. You feel like you don't miss a single move when reading one of these scenes. Another thing I liked about this series in particular is the characters really start to come alive. Drizzt and friends have very interesting backgrounds, most of the time their pasts coming back to haunt each character. You start to understand each characters traits and you see how it effects their actions throughout the story.
I've been a fan of the fantasy genre for a while now. Whether it's movies, video games or books. Salvatore is a good author to look into if you want to start reading some fantasy fiction. I would start with the Dark Elf Trilogy or the Icewind Dale Trilogy if you are starting out. This is a definite recommendation to those that finished and enjoyed reading the Icewind Dale Trilogy.

3.5 stars.

As always, getting all 4 volumes in one book is a nice price savings. My individual reviews below.

The Legacy
4 Stars
The Drow Strike Back

Following up on the heels of the Dark Elf trilogy(published order) or The Crystal Shard Trilogy(chronological order) we have a return to what made the first two books of the Dark Elf Trilogy a success. The Underdark and the drow society. We also finally have a terminal change in the status of one of the formerly untouchable compadres.

What makes the book is the delightful convoluted intrigues of the drow society as Matron Baenre and a surviving daughter of Drizz't's house engage in an offensive against the dwarves of Mithril Hall. On top of that treachery add in the new character of Jarlaxle, a conniving drow mercenary owing no allegiance to any but himself and his band of merry men.

There are some weaknesses, character wise many of the drow suffer from inexplicable monomania which blinds them fatally to other goings on. The battle-rager Pwent, probably meant for comic relief proved to be only annoying, not funny.

The battle scenes as always are superb, and after the weak Sojourn it is a welcome return to the Underdark and some solid light entertainment. Unforunately, tragedy isn't necessarily permanent in epic fantasy which reduces the emotional impact as the reader wonders "Really?".

Starless Night
3 stars
The Unlikely Emancipation of Cattie-Brie

3.5 stars I round down.

To start the book our main viewpoint characters are all mopy and depressed over the death of Wulfgar. Bruenor is now in need of some therapy as he has allowed himself to become listless and unengaged to the point he is not leading his people. Cattie-Brie is depressed but no more so than you would expect and the noble Drizz't is so depressed he decides to go on what is more or less a suicide walkabout to say goodbye to his underdark friends and sacrifice himself in the hope this will keep his friends safe. Or at least the text strongly points to that subconscious belief.

So Drizz't sneaks off to the underdark which of course sets Cattie Brie in motion to follow him and causes much mayhem amongst the drow when he encounters them. We also have the return of Artemis Entreri and Jarlaxle to heighten the tension and the treachery of the plot as Cattie and Artemis work together to save Drizz't. Jarlaxle as always waits and plays each side for his own gain.

At this point we have some wonderful fight scenes and it is a lot of fun, however we have the not unbelievable, but certainly hurried, metamorphosis of Cattie-Brie from strong but minor supporting character to major hero as she blasts legions of drow away with her heat-seeking bow of infinite ammunition. To be honest, her real courage was in facing Bruenor and following Drizz't.

We also have the incredibly intelligent drow acting like stormtroopers from Star Wars. Despite their massive numbers they can't stop the recently tortured to near death Drizz't, Cattie-Brie, Artemis and that poor cat Guenhyvar, summoned to take damage while they escape.

However despite those glaring problems, the book really actually is a fun read. Lightweight, but fun, and the battle scenes are engaging while you read them. Our heroes are just way too overpowered with trinkets now. Still though, the underdark and its evil machinations always provide for an enjoyable visit.

Siege of Darkness
4 stars
Siege Mentality

There are really two sections to this book, one is the sub-par inclusion of the TSR mandated, and ill-conceived in my opinion, Time of Troubles where the avatars of the gods walk the earth and magic stops functioning. This really does nothing but include the effects of the Time of Troubles from the Avatar series in this series and set up the unfortunate happenings in the next book.

The other part of the story is the siege of Mithril Hall. Though uncomfortably similar to Helm's Deep it is very well written. Salvatore does do battles well and here he writes a non-stop battle focusing on small squad tactics of several different groups on several parts of the battlefield.

He even manages to make the Harpell's, and Pwent the battle-rager, previously annoying comic relief, become less annoying and almost useful characters that contribute to the plot, the readers emotions and the battle.

Though having the siege basically undone by the internecine drow politics causing several houses to retreat may be unsatisfying, it is at least logically consistent with their culture, and not without real historical precedent. I believe on of the Khans turned his army back on the eve of victory in order to take care of problems back at home.

No real development of anyone here, but the long battle scenes make for an exciting bit of mind-candy storytelling.

Passage to Dawn
3 stars
The Untouchables

Despite some nice touches, such as some more pirate chasing fun with Captain Duedermont it is really average, and the good parts negated by the ridiculous return from the dead plot.

Not only is it disturbing for death to be impermanent, as I feel this violates a compact with the readers, in this case it is poorly done. Drizz't is quite intelligent and would have figured out quite quickly that there was no way the one being held captive was who he was led to believe.

It has become clear through this quartet that the companions are untouchable, over-powered and not to be threatened and any harm is only transient.

Due to this invulnerability the reader's interest is considerably lessened if not removed. Also, those who have not read the cleric quintet, as I had not are going to be a little confused by Cadderly and his wife and the dim-witted dwarves.

This gets 3 stars because of the pirate battles, which I like, and because the last battle does get the pulse pounding. Without those inclusions the book would have been 2 stars at best. It does have the feel of a book that the author did not have his heart in. Having a character return from the dead, particularly such a boring character, was unnecessary and frankly stupid.

If indeed TSR mandated it, I feel bad for Salvatore.

Authors seldom maintain the same quality of writing throughout their entire career. They either splash onto the scene with an outstanding work that proves to be their best, or they creep out, honing their skill as time goes on.

Salvatore isn't a literary genius, but the more he writes, the better he gets. Unlike Robert Jordan, who can't seem to sustain the energy or interest level in his plodding, soap-opera like epics, Salvatore keeps things simple, fast, and enjoyable. Yet, at the same time, his flagship character, Drizzt Do'Urden, only seems to become deeper and more interesting as he matures.

In "Legacy of the Drow", Salvatore takes the characters and plot threads introduced in "Icewind Dale" and the "Dark Elf Trilogy" and runs them through a thousand-page wringer. Starting with "The Legacy", we are re-introduced to Drizzt's sinister family. In the books that follow, Salvatore seemingly puts the characters through every close call and near defeat he can, finally wrapping up the books in a touching rescue/showdown where Drizzt is forced to face defeat, only to see victory ripped from it's jaws at the last moment. The author pulls off the necessary dramatic tension and pacing to keep the reader hanging on his every word and glued to the book through the whole wild ride. "Legacy of the Drow" is far darker than the merry romp of "Icewind Dale", and the reintroduction of the Drow was every bit as scary as the foreshadowing in "The Dark Elf Trilogy" promised.

Of course, the books have some weaknesses. Drizzt's family members are under-used and quickly disposed of, much like the villains in Salvatore's plodding, overly-derivative "Cleric Quintet". Characters from the Quintet were introduced to the series in a relatively heavy-handed fashion, and some characters felt under-utilized (Gromph Baenre, Gandalug Battlehammer, and Berkthgar the Bold, especially). Salvatore's writing, while better than his previous works, still lacks the detail that characterizes the works of the best fantasy authors.

All in all, however, if you liked the first six books in Drizzt's saga, you'll love these four. Throw on a nice dark soundtrack, grab a drink, and enjoy the ride.

A couple of years ago, i was at an AD&D getogether with some friends. It was my first time, and i absolutely loved it, so the host took out a book. It was an old, grey book, battered and well-read - The Icewind Dale Trilogy. I borrowed it, but unfortunately, i didn't get to read it right away. Some time later, i saw the book on my bookshelf (and no, i have yet to return it) and didn't have anything else to read, so i turned the first few pages, just reading through fast. When i got to page 20, i had alread moved into a comfortable position, and at page 30, i didn't register what happened around me. That book was probably the best book i had read at that point, and i so wanted more.

A year passed or so, without reading any other in the series, since my local bookstore didn't have any of them. But then, when walking in Copenhagen just a two weeks ago, i saw a bookstore, and thought i would take a look inside. After a bit of searching i found Salvatore's books, and there i saw it. A heaven of Forgotten Realms books. Seeing i was low on money, i chose just one, and this was the Legacy of the Drow, which i found to be the next in the series after the Icewind Dale Trilogy. All the way home (on the train) i read, and when i layed down in bed to go to sleep that night, i had covered the first 200 pages.

Once again, you are taken into the great fantasy world. Once again, you find yourself imagining the glorious sights and fights, and a sligh, foolish wish to be inside the story, right next to the companions, passes through your mind.

These books invites you to learn even more about the ways of the Drow, of love, of friendship and of loss. Never have i been so much taken away by a book than this, and i will always be a true fan of the series.

If you liked the other books, you will love this one. Forget that -- if you haven't read the other books, and you read this one, you WILL love it, period. The book leaves such a big impact on me. So big, in fact, that i actually cried in the very end of the last book, because of my attatchment to the characters, and i was truly overwhelmed by their happiness. Over what, you ask? Read, and you will know, and you will surely be just as touched as i.

"Or i'm a bearded gnome!"

The newest collector's edition in the R.A. Salvatore Dark Elf Series is simply put...awesome. And for those of you who got the collector's edition of The Icewind Dale Trilogy let it be said there are no typos like last time. For those of you who have not read any Drizzt novels, I would not recommend starting with this set, but even if you do you should still be able to understand what's going on, especially the way Salvatore rehashes everything that has gone on before (something that I have gotten tired of however).

The common theme in these books is Drizzt's past coming back to haunt him. He has made quite a few enemies in his days on the face of Faerun and under it. Revenge is the name of the game and it appears that every one of his enemies wants a piece of the action even if they have to team up to get it. There are lots of twists and intrigue along the way and of course Salvatore's battle sequences have only gotten better. The character development that has been improving since the Dark Elf Trilogy continues here as the heroes struggle with tragic losses and their inner demons.

The only reason I did not give this book 5 stars is because of the last story Passage to Dawn. This portion of the series was poorly written with a predictable plot and little of the great characterization that makes the others so good. The final book does tie up loose ends, but I think it also undermines some of the development in the other books. Despite this weakness, the rest of the series is great and promises to draw you into the world of the drow and the surface dwellers that give them such big headaches. Buy this book you won't regret it.

When I started this book, everybody seemed to be against each other. This made me very angry because one of the most important aspects of the previous books was the progression of friendship between Drizzt and company. It seemed a cheap attempt at instilling conflict into the central plot. However, after about 100 pages or so the reasons behind this anger and confusion became apparent, and I realized the brilliance behind this tactic. Salvatore weaved one of his, thought lost, more interesting characters into the story with a fresh flair that was much appreciated. From this point on, the books began exhibiting the compelling aspects of their predecessors, eclipsing their seeming insurmountable set levels at points. I became, again, intimately involved with these unforgettable characters and realized coercion only after I had finished the whole collection in a mere week or two.

This story is incredibly well-written and serves as a perfect example of truly unique world-creating fantasy. If you crave beautiful character development, intense moral codes (Drizzt sticks to his like a bee to a flower), or a clean and exciting fantasy adventure, this book, its predecessors included, is a very good choice.

R.A. Salvatore knows what makes a good story. He designs characters that flow and are easy to follow. He is not writing to make an artistic impression but only to entertain and challenge your left brain.
A good author is one who, as you read, you forget that it is a book at all, but a nice complex dream. This book, as well as his other forgotten realms books, have done that for me.

4 books in one, and all great! The battles in the Underedark are breathtaking, and many old enemies come into play agin. The characters are anything but flat and change a lot. Many spectacular fights, and with salvatore's colorful writing, they're that much better. Also, humor sprinkled throught the book for a little comic releif (tactic vs. mind flayers: polymorph to switch brain and rear). Also, it spreads a bit from Mithril Hall and Icewind Dale, since they go on the sea voyage which leads to some awesome battles, but why am I writing this, just buy it, it's well worth it!!