The Stowaway: Stone of Tymora, Book I (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Geno Salvatore (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Adult fantasy writer R. A. Salvatore—popular for novelizing the Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting of the Forgotten Realms—teams up with his son, Geno, to offer this first entry in the Stone of Tymora series, the first Forgotten Realms fantasy to be aimed specifically at young readers. Of course, many of those readers will be well versed in the adventure-ready world and appreciate the cameo from the much-beloved character Drizzt Do’Urden. The focus of this tale is on Maimum, a young orphan boy who has been bequeathed a stone imbued with mysterious powers. Most of the book takes place on various ships at sea, as the boy and his protector fend off pirates, beasties, and a maniacal demon. A few slightly moralistic messages pop up, but are light enough to blow away when the swords start swinging. This will be a hit with readers more concerned with character classes (dark elves, pirate trolls) than character developmet; the lucidly described action and swift pace will keep the pages turning and anticipation of further adventures simmering. Grades 5-8. --Ian Chipman

Product Description

From the author of more than a dozen New York Times best sellers and his son, comes the first installment of a brand-new fantasy trilogy written just for young readers...

Barely a teen and already guarding a secret that could jeopardize his young life, Maimun is marked for death. With the help of a mysterious stranger, the boy escapes his village and flees out to sea, stowing away on the pirate hunting ship, Sea Sprite, where he comes across a most unlikely ally: the dark elf Drizzt Do'Urden. With a half-demon determined to destroy him, and a crew of sailors resentful of the trouble he's caused, Maimun must find the courage to prove his worth, both to his friends and to himself.

Nearly two decades ago, R.A. Salvatore introduced the world to Drizzt D'Urden in a series that has since become a fantasy classic and a consistent presence on best seller lists. Now, for the first time, Salvatore partners with his son Geno to craft a brand-new story just for young readers, featuring a cameo of the most beloved fantasy character of all time.

For young readers seeking the next great fantasy saga or for long-time fans who can't miss any installment in the Drizzt saga, this book delivers all the action, intrigue, and magic you've come to expect from the Salvatore name.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 287 pages
• Publisher: Mirrorstone (September 9, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786950943
• ISBN-13: 978-0786950942
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #277,478 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 New Youth Fantasy Series, Based on Salvatore's Drizzt Saga, September 23, 2008

By	SciFiChick "www.SciFiChick.com" (Fishers, IN USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

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.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good enough for younger readers, September 25, 2008

By	N. Corrieri (USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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This quality of writing is good for younger readers, however it lacks the pop that successful artists targeting the youth sector have. For instance lets look at the character depthness:

Main character: Inquisitive and bland
Main characters father: Quiet and Bland
Main villain: Typical bad guy. Overcocky, and ultra powerful.


There is no character development really. You read it almost devoid of emotion that RA has been able to put through even the shorted pieces of work.

The cameos by Cattie Brie and Drizzt seem forced. The dialoge between the main character and Drizzt seems bland. Drizzt during the era was going through profound emotions about his heritage, etc. It seems bizarre that hes seemingly a copy of the main characters father. A robot that parrots a few phrases.

The introduction of Robillard seems to be a completely different person. Robillard was supremely cocky. I was sure surprised to see him working as a guard in memmon. The attempt at cocky demeanor was there, but it was without Robillards typical spark. I am also confused as to how he and Dudermont forged a strong relationship that is seen later in the various Drizzt series. I will have to reread to see when he was brought on, but him being a dock worker/guard seemed out of place.

As stated by another reviewer, the book is an extremely quick read.

And what I am not used to seeing is the generic cliff hanger that sounds like it came from a saturday morning cartoon "Find out what happens next"


However, regardless of its flaws, the story is based in a world with some of the best fantasy characters ever penned. It is worth reading.

Perfect for a plane ride :)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A start... Where's the middle?, October 13, 2008

By	E. Ambrose "Fellshot" (CA, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

For the first part of the book, I'll be both brutal and frank: it read like fan fiction. Don't get me wrong, I like fan fiction, particularly the well written variety. But whether from a desire to gear things down for a younger reader or difficulties in adapting prior characters back into their prior attitudes, I was left with the feeling that I'd seen something like this before and could we please hurry up to something new.

Fortunately, the scene does shift from something I'd expect on a fansite and we are left with Maimun and the parent figures in his life, which wasn't a bad thing and provided a welcome bit of background to the narrator. Unfortunately, just when I was getting interested in the characters, particularly the villainous Asbeel, the book ends. I had the mental equivalent of walking into a glass door. It left me with the feeling that this was exactly half a book and makes me wonder why it isn't longer.

Overall the pacing was good. The original characters, while a bit under-explored, were interesting enough to keep me reading throughout. It was a decent read even if it does feel somewhat unfinished.