10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Pirates and demons, February 5, 2009
RA Salvatore has made a distinguished career with his Forgotten Realms stories, particularly those centering on the drow elf Drizzt Do'Urden.
And with his son Geno Salvatore, he makes a decent effort at a young adult novel in "The Stowaway: Stone of Tymora Book 1." It's a resolutely middle-of-the-road story that doesn't really have a conclusion, despite a few moments of lyricism in its descriptions. And it really helps to be a longtime reader of Salvatore's prior works.
A young orphan is captured by pirates, and tells the captain his story: pursued by a malevolent demon, he stowed away on a ship and encountered the drow elf Drizzt Do'Urden and his companions.
Then the narrative takes a backward leap, exploring the boy's formative years -- he was raised by a forest witch, and passed on to the mysterious wandering warrior Perrault. Perrault was determined to keep the boy -- whom he named Maimun -- safe from all harm, and to give him a magical stone that was his by right.
Unfortunately, with the stone comes an old enemy -- the evil demon Asbeel, a shapeshifting creature who is after both Maimun and his magical stone. And when Perrault is badly injured in battle, Maimun flees into the world of the high seas, unsure where to go or what to do. And wherever he goes, there are enemies pursuing him.
Most young-adult spinoffs of a series try to serve as an introduction in themselves, letting new readers understand what this universe is and what's going on. Unfortunately, the two Salvatores sort of let this slide -- the entire book is full of people and places that seem very significant, but whose lives and roles are never really explained.
And Geno Salvatore spin up a straightforward yarn with some chilling moments (the scaly troll who talks like Gollum), lots of chases and fights, and lyrical language ("All I could see was two point of burning lavender flame"). Unfortunately there's little actual plot in "The Stowaway," since most of it involves Maimun racing frantically from A to B, hanging out for awhile and then having to rush to C and D. And it ends on a big fat "To Be Continued."
Maimun himself is a rather typical fantasy boy-hero -- he has no idea what's going on, and he struggles to merely keep himself alive and to hold onto his despised Item of Power. But he becomes somewhat less sympathetic at the midway point, when he abandons a dying father-figure to save himself, and only feels remorse a few days after.
And despite Drizzt's appearance on the cover, his presence is completely disposable -- he merely travels on the same ship as Maimun for a few days, and dispenses some Yodalike wisdom. That's all. He and his companions don't really play any part in the story.
"The Stowaway: Stone of Tymora Volume 1" is only a warmup with a Drizzt cameo -- it has potential, but little more. Here's hoping the rest of the story is a bit more gripping.
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9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
New Youth Fantasy Series, Based on Salvatore's Drizzt Saga, September 23, 2008
Captured by pirates, Maimun begins telling his story to the captain. Orphaned as a baby, Maimun has constantly been on the run for his life. A demon is after the boy and the stone that must carry. With the help of some friends along the way, Maimun is thrust into one adventure after another. All to protect a stone that he knows little about.
Written mostly as a first person narrative from Maimun's point of view, the style is easy to read and fast-paced. Maimun is an easily sympathetic character who is brave and loyal. Tragedy befalls anyone close to him, so he thinks of the stone as a burden and curse. And yet his given name means "twice lucky," which is ironic considering the danger he is constantly in.
The supporting characters and villains are eccentric and fun. The story is action-packed and suspenseful. A certainly quick read (I read the 300-some pages in less than 2 hours), young fantasy fans are sure to enjoy this exciting new series full of mystery and magic. And with a cliffhanger ending, I'm already impatient for the next installment.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
As only [a] Salvatore can deliver, November 1, 2008
I was very curious on this book being that R.A. Salvatore's son wrote it along with R.A. Salvatore.
You can easily discern what each of them wrote as they have different writing styles. Nonetheless, they are both exquisite writing styles. It surprised me as young Salvatore has the same writing gift as Salvatore Sr.
A must read for Realms Fans!
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