The Pirate King (Forgotten Realms: Transitions, Book 2) (Hardcover)

by R.A. Salvatore (Author)
Key Phrases: young pirate captain, orc king, dark elf, Arklem Greeth, Sea Sprite, Icewind Dale (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Drizzt returns to Luskan, and the Realms will never be the same!

The Arcane Brotherhood has long held the city of Luskan in their power, but when corruption eats away at their ranks, Captain Deudermont comes to the rescue of a city that has become a safe haven for the Sword Coast's most dangerous pirates. But rescuing a city from itself may not be as easy as Deudermont thinks, and when Drizzt can't talk him out of it, he'll be forced to help.

Drizzt is back in action again, and bringing more changes to the Forgotten Realms setting. This all new hardcover adventure will keep Drizzt fans guessing the whole way, with edge-of-your-seat action and plot twists that even the most casual reader of the Forgotten Realms novel line can't afford to miss!

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.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Wizards of the Coast (October 7, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786949643
• ISBN-13: 978-0786949649
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #9,377 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Transitions, aptly named, October 14, 2008

By	Andrew Gray "Beezer Review" (Minnesota) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

The Pirate King by R.A. Salvatore is the second book in the Transitions Trilogy set in the Forgotten Realms. The first book in the trilogy is titled The Orc King: Transitions, Book I (Transitions) with the third book being titled The Ghost King (scheduled for release in October, 2009). 2008 marks the 20th Anniversary of the iconic character, Drizzt Do'Urden, on top of that the title of the latest trilogy - Transitions - is just that. A transition from the current rule set of the Forgotten Realms to the new 4th Edition. There are many differences in the new 4th Edition, some positive and some I will wait to make a definite opinion on. As an aside, if you have not read The Stowaway: Stone of Tymora, Book I (Stone of Tymora) by R.A. and Geno Salvatore you may want to do so before reading this book. One of the characters from that book plays a prominent role in this novel. This trilogy appears to be a way to get Drizzt to the `new' Realms and tell how he came to where he is. Here are my thoughts on the novel.

The plot of this book is, for all intended purposes, dived up into three distinct sections. The first focusing on Captain Deudermont and a mission he agrees to be apart of. This mission is unlike anything he has ever done before and will certainly tax him to his limits. As always, he surrounds himself with powerful friends, but there are equally as powerful (if not more powerful) enemies as well. The second section of the novel focuses on a journey Drizzt undertakes to finally, after four years, find out the fate of one of his dear friends. The third section focuses on the consequences of the choices that Captain Deudermont made previously and how that affects not only him but the city of Luskan as well. This book is a little different from past Drizzt novels, in that it focuses on other characters than just the Companions of the Hall. Also, the reader is able to get a really good sense of the conditions of Luskan. I really feel that Mr. Salvatore really shined in this book in his ability to allow the reader to see Luskan. Drizzt is not as introspective in this book as in previous books, but that does not diminish the plot in anyway. It is a gritty novel with much suffering and death. The overall feel of the book is one that I would anticipate fourth edition novels to be like.

Many of the characters in this novel and old hat for many readers. Characters such as Drizzt, Regis, Deudermont, and Robillard. However, there is the addition of several new characters as well such as; the five Luskan captains, the Crow, and Arklem Greeth to name a few. While there are certainly a lot of characters in this book, it never feels like there are too many. Each characters seems to serve a purpose, and none are written in merely as fluff. One thing I lightly complained about in The Orc King was that there is only so much that can be written about certain characters before they become stagnant. I would be remiss if I did not say that the characterization in this novel is very well done. We get to see new sides of several characters. Some characters make choices that I would not have guessed they would have made, but the circumstances they are under force those decisions. The character development is also some of the best of the recent novels as well. I would love to say more about it, but I do not want to spoil anything for anyone. I will say that I was able to connect with each and every character and rarely can I say that about any novel.

A couple minor criticisms about this novel:

1 - It seems pretty evident, that Mr. Salvatore is being forced to do some things with the story that he otherwise would not have done. This appears to be coming from the push to the 4th edition and making everything congruent. While I think Mr. Salvatore did the best he could, it does, at times, create moments of the story feeling forced.

2 - The, for lack of a better way to describe it, middle `section' of the book didn't seem to flow with the rest of the story. It seemed really out of context and almost as though it was a short story put into the middle of a novel. With how the rest of the novel felt, and flowed, the middle just seemed out of place.

Some things I liked about this novel:

1 - The overall grittiness of the novel. It felt much like some of Mr. Salvatore's Demon Wars work. It didn't have that happy-go-lucky, everything will be okay in the end, type feel. I rather enjoyed not knowing until the end how each character would fare.

2 - As I mentioned above, the characterization and character development was really done well. None of the characters followed the traditional lines that we would expect them to follow. When characters begin to make decisions that are unexpected, it creates a sense of newness and makes you want to keep reading. That is how I felt with this novel.

Overall I enjoyed this novel quite a bit. The middle section seemed to bog down a little bit, but once everything worked itself out and the story was back in Luskan it really picked up and flowed smoothly. The ending leaves me clamoring for the next book to see how things play out. Fans of Salvatore and the Forgotten Realms will certainly want to pick this book up and see the changes that are happening. Some of those changes surprised me quite a bit, so I can really only guess what will happen in the next book. Transitions is an apt title to call this trilogy, I can not think of a more appropriate word. This is a book that I whole-heartedly recommend to those who are this far along in the series. Only time will tell what is in store for Drizzt and the Forgotten Realms.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pirate King review - no spoilers!, October 28, 2008

By	Joseph Morris "Joe Morris" (Elmwood Park, NJ) - See all my reviews

Well, its great. The previous trilogy I wasn't knocked out by, but this..

A very good book. In a very good series (Transitions)

Yes, it has the introductory bits by Drizzt directly addressing the reader

The only quibble is that there are no maps. Luskan features prominently in the book, and a map would really be useful just for understanding where the action is in the city

I believe this is book 20 of Drizzts tales, which began way back when (the early 90s!) with the Crystal Shard

You do have to wonder though, when will the series come to a stop. Characters here reflect on where they'll end up. Regis even addresses Drizzt on the issue of aging here (Elves are long lived compared with the other races - this was touched on in the earlier Hunters Blade Trilogy when Drizzt was talking with another Elf about being involved with humans)

The series is blowing on all cylinders. As other reviewers have noted, you don't get a sole focus on Drizzt here; indeed, much of the book concerns the Pirate King, and to reveal who that is would be a sin. A lot of the story is told through the perspective of Regis, and how he feels, and touching on his bond with Drizzt, and Ten Towns.

Deudermont also features strongly, and although events from the Stowaway book are touched on, you don't really need to read that I feel

The Orc King does need to be read before, as there is no synopsis and the reader may be puzzled by alliances between races that are supposed to hate one another!

But then Drizzt is a drow, and hes the hero of the book, for, despite the reputation of his kin, hes a very noble spirit

Salvatore is NEVER going to stop writing stories about Drizzt. He may take a break and write of other Companions of the Hall from time to time (all of whom feature in The Pirate King) but theres no question his heart is with Drizzt

I do feel that Regis is the hero of the story however, as hes the emotional core. Again, try to find a map of Luskan while you're reading this, cos you might get lost where certain islands are in relation to the Hosttower

Excellent book regardless. The Ghost King to complete the Transitions trilogy in October 2009. Thankfully there is no cliffhanger (a la Streams of Silver!)

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Salvatore continues to twist the overly-simple fantasy genre, February 5, 2009

By	booksforabuck "BooksForABuck.com" (Dallas) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Dark Elf Drizzt Do'Urden and his halfling friend Regis leave the dwarf kingdom and its evolving, uncomfortable, alliance with the new Orc kingdom behind them to visit friends in the north. First, they come across a family of wizards who are using magic to convert troublemakers to rabbits. The morality of this harsh judgment bothers both Regis and Drizzt. Yet, the new bunnies were real troublemakers. Would the world be better off if Drizzt fought the wizards and freed them?

In the trade city of Luskan, the Arcane Brotherhood, led by the undead wizard Arklem Greeth, has taken unofficial control, sanctioning pirates, and taxing the captains in official control of that city. Drizzt's pirate-hunter friend Captain Deudermont, decides to confront piracy it it's head rather than simply hunt individiual pirates. He invades, gathering the citizens of Luskan as well as Drizzt and Regis to help him. Still, with the result a bloodbath, hundreds killed, and hunder stalking the 'freed' city, Drizzt again has to wonder about the ethics of his involvement. Do actions to right a wrong always lead to a better world? The facts don't seem to support that theory.

In the far north, Regis and Drizzt attempt to track down Wulfgar--their friend and also the who loved Drizzt's wife, Catti-brie. Wulfgar returned to his homeland in the north, but seems to have vanished.

Author R. A. Salvatore often plays with fantasy conventions. His decision to make an Orc a major protagonist and create a situation where an alliance between Orcs and dwarves is essential represents a thoughtful and intriguing turn in a genre where Orcs seem designed to be killed without any moral qualms because they aren't fully human. In THE PIRATE KING, Salvatore continues his moral/ethical quest, putting Drizzt, his central character in a number of his fantasies, into situations where no clear path to victory can be seen.

Salvatore combines intriguing ethical considerations with wonderful descriptions of battles and individual combat, drawing the reader into the story.

I would have liked to spend more time in the character of Kensidad, the Luskan captain who seeks to turn the disruption to his own advantage. Certainly he is the change agent in this story, always one step ahead of the others, both creating events and responding to them. Like Obould, Kensidad is far from noble, but he is interesting. Unlike Obould, however, Kensidad doesn't seem especially concerned about anyone besides himself (and maybe his father). Also unlike Obould, Kensidad doesn't seem to be his own man.

THE PIRATE KING is engaging and offers some interesting ethical issues that are relevant to today's world situation as well as to the world of Dark Elves, Dwarves and wizards. I would have preferred that Salvatore be a bit more subtle in his approach, but THE PIRATE KING still is an enjoyable read.