Paths of Darkness, Collector's Edition (Forgotten Realms) [Hardcover]

R.A. Salvatore (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2, 2004

This collection of four New York Times best-selling novels from premiere fantasy author
R.A. Salvatore includes The Silent Blade, The Spine of the World, Servant of the Shard, and Sea of Swords. These titles continue the tale of Salvatore's signature character Drizzt Do'Urden, one of the most well-known figures in the Forgotten Realms setting.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

R.A. Salvatore was born in Massachusetts in 1959 and still makes his home there. He has published numerous Forgotten Realms novels with Wizards of the Coast, Inc., most
of which have been New York Times best-sellers. He is also known as the best-selling author of the Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones novelization from Del Rey.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1166 pages
• Publisher: Wizards of the Coast; 1st edition (February 2, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786931558
• ISBN-13: 978-0786931552
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 2.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #541,004 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

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The conclusion to the 'Legend of Drizzt' (finally), July 17, 2007

By 

C. T. Hunter "chips_books" (Gainesville, FL United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Paths of Darkness, Collector's Edition (Forgotten Realms) (Paperback)

The Paths of Darkness compendium includes R.A. Salvatore's Forgotten Realms novels published from 1998 to 2001. The principle storyline for this series is the return of Wulfgar from imprisonment by the demon Erttu, and his stuggle to come to grips with his new life. Three of the books included in this one make up the final part of the 'Legend of Drizzt'. One book, Servant of the Shard, seems to have been included in this volume only because of publication order. It is actually the first book of the separate 'Sellswords' trilogy and doesn't really have anything to do with Drizzt and Co.

In The Silent Blade (Forgotten Realms: Paths of Darkness, Book 1), a fresh new adventure for the Companions of the Hall is began. As Drizzt and Co. head out to Spirit Soaring to have Cadderly destroy the (same old) Crystal Shard, monsters hound them at every turn. Wulfgar struggles with inner demons until he finds a place as a bouncer for a rough tavern in Luskan, where he has a great time bashing heads and drinking booze. Artemis Entreri travels back to his roots in Calimport to begin reestablishing his name and fortune. Jarlaxle has ventured out of Menzoberanzan in the search for power and wealth and coaxes Entreri to join his plans. Character development is the primary thing that stands out in this book. Wulfgar, Entreri, and Jarlaxle especially grow as characters. [4-star rating].

The Spine of the World (Forgotten Realms: Paths of Darkness, Book 2) is completely devoted to the continuing struggle of Wulfgar, who cannot seem to overcome his inner demons and allows himself to fall into a rather shameful existence. The story consists of two separate plot-lines that briefly come together near the end of the book. Wulfgar and Morik (who develops nicely here) fight, are framed, get beat, leave Luskan, fight, are framed, get beat, and so on. The other story was actually the more intriguing to me. It involves characters that we've never met before and their emotional wrangling. A hi-bred lord courts a lowly peasant (Meralda), who goes along with it for her family's sake but makes a big mistake in getting knocked up by another man. The two stories come together in an unpredictable way that results in a hugely surprising and satisfying ending. [3-star rating]

The third book in the Paths of Darkness, Servant of the Shard (Forgotten Realms: Paths of Darkness, Book 3), probably shouldn't have been included in this collection. It is really somewhat of a duplicate book, released two different times with different looking covers, the second time as book one of The Sellswords. It is also one of the most enjoyable Salvatore books to date. The Sellswords series follows the adventures of Artemis Enreri and Jarlaxle. This perfect couple is extremely well-developed and are fun to read about. In book 1, the Crystal Shard occupies center stage as the story began in The Silent Blade is continued. The annoyingly pious Cadderly plays a part in the latter parts of the book, but doesn't do too much harm to the story. Excellent fighting scenes and plenty of action make for a fun and exciting read. [5-star rating].

In Sea of Swords (Forgotten Realms: Paths of Darkness), the story of Wulfgar is rejoined for the final book of the Legend of Drizzt. As the Companions of the Hall set out to retrieve Aegis-Fang from the pirate Sheila Kree, it seems nothing could stand in their way. Wulfgar finally comes to terms with his new place in life, and is reunited with his old friends before the final battle. A mysterious elf from Drizzt's past has plotted to slay Drizzt for years and the two meet in an epic clash. Overall, this was a bit disappointing for a Drizzt novel, particularly because of its being the last in the series. [3-star rating].

Overall, these books really start to lose interest as the reader becomes inundated with Drizzt and his friends. The heroes (except Wulfgar ironically) become practically invincible and the stories become predictable. I'm just glad that I'm finally through the Legend of Drizzt (although I probably will read The Hunter's Blades trilogy).

50 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Great item for collection..., February 28, 2004

By 

B. Andico (Manila Philippines) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Paths of Darkness, Collector's Edition (Forgotten Realms) (Hardcover)

The Paths of Darkness Collectors' Edition is a very good deal to all avid readers who want to have all the enchilada in one. I for one, waited for this collected edition before I read it rather than read the individual books as they got released.

While it is nice reading, and it did deliver to the standards as R.A. Salvatore can give, it must not be compared to its predecesors, The Dark Elf and Icewind Dale Trilogies, or suffer a less than generous review.

It has the usual elements in Salvatore's previous books: the detailed action sequences, the way the villains are introduced (usually at the epilogues or the first chapters), and the believably slow and gradual development of each characters and how they relate to each other. Its selling point is probably the reintroduction of Drizzt's archenemy, Entreri, with a twist. And a focus on the Drow mercenary chief, Jarlaxle, seems to give promise to the excitement of this epic.

As a whole, this book is recommended for those who vigilantly follow Drizzt Do'Urden's adventures. But to those who haven't read the Previous Trilogies and the Legacy of the Drow series, I suggest you read those first to fully appreciate this book. While it did not give the same level of excitement the previous books gave, it's still good reading for another piece of Drizzt, our friendly neighborhood drow.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Story, March 21, 2007

By 

Kent Harris "Kent Harris" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Paths of Darkness, Collector's Edition (Forgotten Realms) (Paperback)

This collection continues the excellent tradition of Dnd based Fantasy writing established by R.A. Salvatore, Gary Gygax, and many others!

This collection continues an epic saga focused on R.A. Salvatore's most popular characters: Drizz't, Cattie-Brie, etc. It reads fine stand-alone, but I would highly recommend reading the other collector's editions from the beginning just to get the full character backgrounds and history.

In many cases, series that run so long based on the same characters get stale, but surprisingly, each new series of books in this series is as fresh as the first!

Can't wait to read the next one!

*Laugh* Just read the fine print on reviews. THIS PRODUCT IS UNSAFE! YOU WILL LOSE SLEEP AFTER PURCHASING IT!