Siege of Darkness (Forgotten Realms: Legacy of the Drow, Book 3) (Mass Market Paperback)

~ (Author) "I watched the preparations unfolding at Mithril Hall, preparations for war, for, though we, especially Catti-brie, had dealt House Baenre a stinging defeat back in..." (more)
Key Phrases: gnomish priests, most honored burrow warden, drow march, Matron Baenre, Mithril Hall, House Baenre (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

"Let the damned drow come!"

All about me I saw excitement, in the dwarves, in Catti-brie, even in Regis, the halfling known more for preparing lunch and nap than for war. I felt it, too. That tingling anticipation, that camaraderie that had me and all the others patting each other on the back, offering praises for the simplest of additions to the common defense, and raising our voices together in cheer whenever good news was announced. What was it? It was more than shared fear, more than giving thanks for what we had while realizing that it might soon be stolen away. I didn't understand it then, in that time of frenzy, in that euphoria of frantic preparations. Now, looking back, it is an easy thing to recognize.

It was hope.

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. --This text refers to an alternate Mass Market Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 346 pages
• Publisher: Wizards of the Coast; 4th printing edition (August 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786901640
• ISBN-13: 978-0786901647
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (56 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #403,386 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book, December 13, 1997

By	Teri Tada ([e-mail]) (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

After 5 books, RA Salvatore can still give us a fresh angle into the complex world of the drow. I loved the idea of telling the Time of Troubles(a period when the gods were cast down from the heavens and magic went awry) from the drow perspective-- since they are creatures weaned on magic it made the situation all the more difficult for them(and interesting for the reader). We also got our first close-up look at the drow goddess Lloth, and she was as every bit as cunning as I hoped she would be. Salvatore handled the intrigue swirling around the Time of Troubles really well. The epic battle scenes of the second half of the book weren't quite as interesting, but still vividly rendered. I would rank Siege of Darkness as my second-favorite Salvatore novel behind Homeland.
--Teri Tada

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An epic battle for Mithril Hall., September 29, 2006

By	C. T. Hunter "chips_books" (Gainesville, FL United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As Drizzt and Co. excape Menzoberanzan in dramatic fashion, and the drow prepare for an invasion of the surface world, the Time of Troubles (when the avatars of the gods come to the material plane and magic falters) hits and the drow establishment is thrown into uncertainty. Baenre ends up reestablishing dominance with the return of magic (and the favor of Lloth) and continues the plans for invasion. Catie-Brie and Drizzt have some kind of strange love relationship going on and Catie-Brie battles within herself for mastery. The siege of Mithril Hall is an epic battle with lots of heroes and groups of allies coming together to fight off the dark elves and their slaves. It actually might be my favorite major battle scene thus far in the Drizzt series, ending with surprising finality.

The only thing about this book that didnt' really fit in very well was the inclusion of the Time of Troubles. I guess that this theme had been thought up before and needed to be meshed with the Forgotten Realms story as a whole. Salvatore obviously wasn't too interested in it, never really explaining why or how it happened, only conforming his story to include it. It seemed forced and took away from the usual clarity found in the Drizzt books. Still, this is really another great book in the series, you won't be dissapointed.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Siege of the Drow, July 3, 2002

By	JH "hobbs_tx" (Houston, TX United States) - See all my reviews

Another gem in Salvatore's collection. This time the stakes are higher as Bruenor and his friends face complete annihilation. Drizzt returns to the surface from his trek to Menzoberranzan successful only so far as slowing down the big bad drow war machine. However, the biggest stumbling block that must be overcome is fate. Fate, which rears its ugly head as the Time of Troubles, adds a twist to the story that makes this novel truly enjoyable. You will love the scheming that this stirs up in the drow with their magic heavy culture as well as the bizarre happenings on the surface.

The ensuing battle when the drow do arrive is just spectacular. Fighting on all fronts with the defenders on the edge of destruction right up until the end. However, I too share the opinion of many of the other reviewers...this is one battle the heroes should have lost. I think the power of the attacking army was under played. While goblins, orcs, and minotaurs maybe fodder for drow, these creatures alone have massed attacks against the dwarves and won. But, add in the extra firepower created by the drow and you have an unbeatable force. The heroes should not have stood a chance. And what's more, I think the book would have turned out better if the heroes had lost giving it that tragic edge. Drizzt, Cattie-brie, and Bruenor could have still knocked out Matron Baenre and stopped the drow from occupying the dwarven homeland. But to let the dwarves and their allies run off an army of drow completely victorious is a step beyond even "fantasy reality". Regardless of the outcome of the battle...the melee was still very compelling and exciting with tons of detail and not ridiculous like the climatic battle in "Descent into the Depths of the Earth". I am anxious to see what new troubles and intrigues will develop from the ashes of this latest conflict.