Passage to Dawn (Forgotten Realms: Legacy of the Drow, Book 4) (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Drizzt Do'Urden stood on the very edge of the beam, as far forward as he could go, one hand grasping tight the guide rope of..." (more)
Key Phrases: dwarven priestess, mighty balor, great balor, Sea Sprite, Icewind Dale, Mithril Hall (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Passage to Dawn

Six years. Not so long in the lifespan of a drow. And yet -- in counting the months, the weeks, the days, the hours -- it seemed to me as if I had been away from Mithral Hall a hundred times that number. The place was another lifetime, another way of life, a mere stepping stone to. . .

To what? To where?

I ride the waves along the Sword Coast now, the wind and spray in my face. My ceiling is the rush of clouds and the canopy of stars; my floor, the creaking boards of a swift, well-weathered ship. Beyond that lies the azure blanket, flat and still, heaving and rolling, hissing in the rain and exploding under the fall of a breaching whale.

Is this, then, my home?

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 the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 347 pages
• Publisher: Wizards of the Coast; 1st THUS edition (August 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786907509
• ISBN-13: 978-0786907502
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (113 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #147,622 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Probably the worst Drizzt book to date, November 16, 1998

By	Ernest D. DiMicco, Jr. ([e-mail]) (Worcester, MA) - See all my reviews

As a whole, the Drizzt saga is extremely good. Salvatore has an excellent way of tying the personal and fantastic elements in a fantasy story together in order to create the feeling of real people living in a real (though fantastic) world. Unfortunately, this book does not do the series justice. It is weak. While the stories of Drizzt and Catti-brie fighting pirates on the sword coast are excellent, the book takes a downhill turn from there. The single worst thing that ever happened to this book was Harkle Harpell and the "Fog of Fate", which is a silly spell meant to move adventures forward without all the tedious waiting for them involved. The spell sounds like a contrivance, which is exactly what it is, as demonstrated by where it ultimately takes the main characters (could Salvatore have found a way for them to arrive there on their own without the aid of this silly spell?). This book, unlike many of the previous Drizzt books, likes to be cozy and safe, with everyone friends at the end and no sacrifices made. None of the character development that had been seen throughout previous books is evident here- again, Salvatore flourishes in depicting personal relationships that, in this book, either do not exist or fall flat. Even the "unexpected surprise" at the end as to the "prisoner"'s identity is really no surprise at all. Unfortunately, this book has the same kinds of problems that infest "The Demon Awakens"- often Salvatore uses many words to describe that which requires few words. Subtlety is not a strength of this book. On the other hand, the book contains many good parts, as well. The customary fight scenes are quite impressive, as are the parts that include old friends revisited from this series and from other Forgotten Realms adventures. In short, I recommend this book because it is a book in the Dark Elf tradition. However, this is certainly not the best this series has to offer.

17 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not quite the Dark Elf Trilogy, but still worthy of Drizzt, March 11, 1999

By	[e-mail] (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

The first time I was introduced to the Forgotten Realms was with a young girl named Shandril and a cranky old wizard named Elminster. I immediately fell in love with the world of Toril and began searching for more about it. I found Drizzt. I have since read every novel about the dark elf up to The Silent Blade. Unlike many others, I found Passage to Dawn to be an excellent addition to the collection. Of the complaints that I have seen about the book... 1-The characters are too powerful. --Actually, when viewing the entire scope of the world of Toril, all of the characters from Regis to Lolth are small players. There are countless beings and situations that could destroy Drizzt. 2-Drizzt has become all-knowing, i.e. too smart. --First of all, he does still make mistakes and errors in judgement, showing that he is not perfect. Second of all, there are people who have found an inner peace and simply have answers for themselves. This does not mean that they are perfect. 3-The ending was a letdown. --This I can partially agree with. Salvatore did end the book rather abruptly, but I still enjoyed the reunion. Also, most people who said they could see the ending coming a mile away are saying that in hindsight, which is always biased. 4-Nothing bad ever happens; the endings are always too happy. --Good conquers evil. I believe it. Salvatore has created a series that contains characters I have genuinely grown to care about. Passage to Dawn, though not perfect, is a fine addition to the stories of Drizzt and his companions. Salvatore's books are inspiring, and they show the level to which the human, pardon me--drow, spirit can rise.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but not as good as other Drizzt books, April 6, 1998

By A Customer

My comment is the same as everyone else's. Too predictable. Also I think that instead of resurrecting old characters, Salvatore should invent some new ones. That, as well as his excellent 'action writing' was always his strength.

That being said, I would like to see some old plot lines tied up, or at least followed up on: namely, that elf-girl Drizzt saved who turned up again in Starless Night, and Jarlaxle, who was a complex character with strange motives (why help a rebel drow who can't reward you when your highest priorities are causing chaos, turning a profit, and looking out for number 1?)

I agree with previous reviewers in that I'd like to see a solitary Drizzt again (or at least more Drizzt-focused novels). Over all, I felt that this book was nothing more than a long epilogue to The Legacy, and while it wasn't bad, it wasn't great either.