Customer Reviews

Streams of Silver - Book Two: The Icewind Dale Trilogy

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

RA Salvatore has created his own cult following in the world of D&D with his culture of the drow and Icewind Dale, the glacier community in the Forgotten Realms. This book picks up right where "Crystal Shard" left off, with Drizzt Do'Urden and pals fulfilling their promise to help dwarf Bruenor Battlehammer find his lost homeland, Mithral Hall. But! Regis the Halfling, always in trouble, is in the worst of his life, and an evil assassin is on his trail. Salvatore treats us to a new hateful-but-seductive villain in Artemis Entreri. My only complaint about this book is Salvatore's persistent use of the Irish brogue for his characters, which gets a bit annoying to read, and his seeming attempt to make a PC statement by focusing so heavily on racism. Written at the beginning of the PC 1990s, Salvatore repeatedly refers to the drow as "black elves" in this book rather than Drow, which he doesn't do in any of the other books in this series. Seemed a bit pandering to me, although Drizzt is definitely a victim of prejudice in the drow-hating Realms. Highly recommend as this is a fabulous adventure series!

The fantastic sequel to The Crystal Shard is this book, Streams of Silver. Not only is this an engrossing read but it opens a few more paths for the main characters: Drizzt Do'Urden, Wulfgar, Regis, and Bruenor. The second book is probably the most important book because it brings two things into the story: the relentless and sadistic Artemis Entreri, an assassin out to capture and murder Regis the halfling, and the problems Drizzt faces with the predjudices associated with his dark heritage. These two don't seem that they would go together but as you delve farther into the book you see that they in short do.

Not only has Salvatore out done himslef but he as added a couple new variables into this equation, variables which reoccur quite often in his other book series.

Streams of Silver is sure to be a classic and doesn't dissapoint in anyway. A riveting story which can only be described as fantastic is ever present in all of Mr. Salvatore's books but this one takes high honor.

It could be said that Streams of Silver is the threshold to a number of more thrilling and powerful tales. It is the true starting point of Mr. Salvatore's work.

Definitely a great fantasy epic and one of my personal favorites, The Icewind Dale Trilogy- The Crystal Shard, Streams of Silver, and The Halfling's Gem, brings to life the story of a good hearted dark elf ranger named Drizzt Do'Urden and his adventures in the northwestern reaches of the World of Faerun. The books are so incredibly well written that the reader feels that they have been transported to another universe and are actually present among the characters, seeing what they see, feeling what they feel, sensing what they sense. RA Salvatore has truly outdone himself and has presented us with a masterpiece of literature the likes of which we have seen only in JRR Tolkien's work and in authors Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's Dragonlance Chronicles and Legends trilogies. Duty, honor, bravery, magic, dragons and heroes are all about. An amazing trilogy indeed and a "must read" along with RA Salvatore's Dark Elf Trilogy! . In conclusion, it's what Fantasy reading SHOULD be. A GREAT book indeed if you love Fantasy and especially if you love the Forgotten Realms! DON'T MISS IT!!!

First, I will give you a little background on the story. Streams of Silver is the second book in the Icewind Dale Trilogy. The heroes are Drizzt Do'Urden, a dark elf ranger, Bruenor Battlehammer, a dwarven king, Wulfgar, a barbarian, Regis, a halfling rogue, and Cattie-brie, human foster daughter of Bruenor. This story takes the heroes on a journey to rediscover Bruenor's lost homeland, Mithral Hall. The journey is ripe with challenges, not the least being the appearance of Artemis Entreri, an assassin sent to catch Regis.

I found this book much less fast paced than its predecessor The Crystal Shard. I didn't find the search for the hall as compelling as some of the other reviewers, but it had some redeeming factors. There was a sense of mystery that veiled the story and made you wander what was going to happen next. However some of the conflicts during the trip seemed a little haphazardly put together. Overall the quality of Salvatore's writing increases in this book and I like how the characters are developed. However, there are lots of grammatical errors that tend to get annoying. Artemis Entreri and his attempt to catch the heores saves the early part of the book.

The part I enjoyed the most was the events in Mithral Hall. I don't want to give away too much. So, all I will say is that its exciting and action packed. Just remember when reading this book that even though it starts off slow the story enthralls you by the end. If you like Forgotten Realms, then you will like this book.

I read the last half of the book in one sitting! I couldn't pull myself away. It was, of course, the first time we had been introduced to Artemis Entreri, after the brief mention in "The Crystal Shard". Entreri MADE this book. Salvatore's ability to write engaging, well-thought-out, deep characters is what makes this such a great book. The fact that the tension just mounts & mounts as the story goes along is a direct result of the great character development. The ending leaves you hanging because of events leading up to the next book in the series, "The Halfling's Gem". I'm glad I was able to get it immediately after finishing this book. I would hate to have read it as a new release & wait months & months on the next book. I don't think I could have stood it! GREAT BOOK!

R.A. Salvatore mentions that he first got into fantasy after reading J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, and the parallels between Salvatore's Mithril Hall and Tolkien's Moria are blatantly obvious. To his credit, Salvatore doesn't go whole hog and try to copy Tolkien's style, adding a different cast of characters with the likes of Drizzt, Regis, Artemis Entreri, etc. But the likes of Bruenor Battlehammer (and his ridiculous mug of ale standard) are a such a poor substitute for the dark, awesome majesty of Tolkien's world, it's almost blasphemous. Still, Salvatore's work is a good book for a lazy summer afternoon.

This has to be one of my favorite books in the series. While I can see where some people are coming from when they say that it does reflect the Hobbit in some places, it does not detract from the story. If you have ever read any of Salvatore's notes you will find that the Hobbit is one of his favorite books. It seems to me that he is paying homage to another great writer, not copying. Streams of Silver, in my opinion, is a far superior example of fantasy anyway. Drizzt Do'Urden has always remainded one of my favorite characters and will continue to be. Also, for those of you who complain about Salvatore's writing style, I have two questions, if you did not like the book why take the time to look it up and write a nasty (and often harsh) review, and could you, given the chance do any better?

After saving Icewind Dale from and evil wizard, you would think that Drizzt Do'Urden, a simple drow who had forsaken his people, would be tolerated, right? . . . . . . .Wrong. Everybody still keeps him out of the towns or he has to fight, and Drizzt, with his moral values, just stalks away usually. His friend Bruenor Battlehammer, a battle-hardened dwarf, and Wulfgar, a fierce barbarian, have a plan to take his mind off of the blizzards and people of Icewind Dale. They go on a wild chase after Bruenor's lost homeland, Mithral Hall. Will they make it to Mithral Hall? Is there a surprise there that just might make them wish they never came? Will the price be too high?

One positive point about this book is that if you like action, fantasy, and adventure,you will really like this book. It has a lot of suspense in it. The characters are very informative, you don't get thrown in the middle of something that the writer hasn't explained, and the writer explains a little about what happened in the last book.

One negative point is that it leaves you hanging at the end. Like I said, it is very suspenseful. It doesn't explain a whole lot at the beggining, just a nutshell of what happened.

In conclusion I leave you some things to think about. I gave you a huge positive point, and a tiny negative point (if you can call it a negative point).

Good things come in trilogies and, in most cases, the second of the series is the best...Streams of Silver is perhaps the zenith of the Icewind Dale trilogy. There are plenty of exciting adventures, desperate battles, horrifying monsters, devious sorcerers, dark dungeons, but most importantly, there is an element of the unknown. In the first novel, we all know the identity of the villain and what his nefarious plans are. Here, the companions, and the readers, have no idea what to expect, what horrible discovery they will make once they reach their destination. However, this book is more than just swashbuckling and dungeon exploring. We gain an insight into the mind of Drizzt, the mental conflicts and emotional sacrifices he must endure to uphold his principles. Even though there isn't a neatly wrapped conclusion by the end, this book is proof that sometimes the road is better than the destination!

The series continues with Bruenor, Wulfgar, Drizzt and Regis embarking on a quest to discover the doom that befell Bruenor's ancestral home, Mithral Hall. Many difficulties face the companions, not the least of which is the dwarf's inability to recollect even the approximate location of this underground kingdom, where precious mithril is so abundant that it flows in streams along the walls. Regis, on the other hand, is pursued by a deadly bounty-hunter intent on collecting his gem, and his head. The companions also attract the attention of a devious wizard of the Hosttower of the Arcane Brotherhood for their previous involvement with the crystal Crenshinibon. Along the way, the companions must deal with hordes of monsters, including trolls, ghostly unicorn, giant worm, bog monsters, even a banshee, but yet the assassin and his cohorts are ever their greatest threat. Once they rediscover Mithral Hall, they must be prepared to face its terrifying secret.

Of course, the essence and the main attraction of Dungeons & Dragons are the dungeons themselves, where rich treasures await discovery and monsters may lurk around every corner. For me, the most exciting part of the Lord of the Rings, indeed of any fantasy, is Moria. There is much of Moria here. There is the central plot that the dwarves had delved too deep and unwittingly released a dormant horror. Then there is the companions' effort to solve a puzzle to open a hidden door and gain the entrance to the underground passage, and the climactic confrontation at a bridge over a chasm which leads to the exit from the mines. This is perhaps RA Salvatore's nod to his inspiration (he admitted that reading Tolkien had led to his interest in the genre). Nevertheless, there are much that are original here, and the plot is seldom predictable.

Of interest is the exploration of Drizzt's emotional depths. That he has refuted the ways of his people is clear, but here we also get to appreciate the emotional cost of his decision. There would come a time when the pain of his rejection by the surface world because of his dark elf heritage becomes unbearable. As Drizzt struggles to reconcile with his decision, he will need to draw on the support of his friends and on an unlikely source. Bruenor's conflict is also highlighted. All his life he has longed to return to the home of his childhood, of which he is the rightful king, yet he may need to realize that his true home belongs with the friends he has made.

Overall, this is an exciting buddy road adventure with strong character development that makes it much more well-rounded than it otherwise would be.

This time the Companions of the Hall venture into Mithril Hall... long lost home of Clan Battlehammer. On there trail, however, are a mage, a golem, and an assassin (the only one of the three that is known to any of the Companions). Regis has not told the true reason for his joining of this quest, for it is the assassin that seeks him and his pendant.
Unlike the first novel, this seems to be more...patient/perhaps thought out... for lack of better terms. In the first, everything seemed rushed, here though everything is paced. The battles are drawn out more vividly, the obstacles seem tougher to endure, even the jokes and sarcasm seem 'real'. Salvatore has either matured in his writing, or gained the respect of his editors/publishers ( a little of both to be sure), and both show in this 'Chapter' of the Icewind Dale trilogy. A must read for fans of Salvatore, and any of the characters in the book... I still don't know what the big deal is with all the Drizzt fans, though. I've started to grow fond of Bruenor and Wulfgar as characters. Oh well, enjoy!