Order from a Major Online Bookstore
Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine
Save Your Time And Money
| AnyBook4Less.com | Order from a Major Online Bookstore |
|
| Home | Store List | FAQ | Contact Us | | ||
| Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine Save Your Time And Money |
||
 |
Title: Starless Night (Forgotten Realms: Legacy of the Drow, Book 2) by R. A. Salvatore ISBN: 1-56076-880-0 Publisher: Wizards of the Coast Pub. Date: 01 August, 1994 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.28 (43 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Drizzt Goes Back to Menzoberranzan
Comment: I really enjoyed this book. I think it is one of best books in the Drizzt series rating closely with Homeland and Exile. This novel details Drizzt's return to Menzoberranzan to end the perceived threat that the city has for his friends. The book has many twists and lots of intrigue along with the awesome battle scenes that Salvatore is known for. There was a lot of discussion in the other reviews about this book just following the same old plotlines. I think for the most part this is mostly false. Some of the things that happen in this book are the direct result of great character development. I thought the whole idea of Drizzt returning to Menzoberranzan was ludicrous probably the dumbest thing that Drizzt has ever done. However, I could understand where he was coming from; he was driven by his guilt he carried for the death of his friend Wulfgar.
What I liked best...beyond the great battle scenes was probably the development of the villains in this book. Artemis Entreri is definitely only a shadow of his former self. He is for the first time is in his life lost. He has lost his confidence and in the presence of the drow feels true fear and even pities himself, not what you expect from the wily assassin. But, beyond Entreri is the new power behind the scenes, Jarlaxle. He is truly the most cunning and intelligent villain I have ever read about. Watching Jarlaxle manipulate the other characters in the book like pawns really gives me chills. I love these characters and can't wait for more.
The only thing, other than the obviously inaccurate cover art, that I disliked about this book was the actions of Catti-brie. For a character that Salvatore always described as wise beyond her years and always able to look inside people and tell them about their biggest flaws, Catti-brie really does some dumb stuff. Yeah she had a part in the ending of the book, but she should have never made the trip. She is always yelling about people for putting themselves in danger for her and not thinking clearly then she goes off and chases after Drizzt. Someone needs to slap the stupid witch to give her a taste of reality or at least quit helping her (meaning Alustriel). Oh well just my point of view.
Anyways, if you have enjoyed the Drizzt series so far this one will not disappoint you. If you haven't read the books before this one...you can probably get by just fine, but you won't truly enjoy it. At least read the Dark Elf Trilogy and The Legacy before this novel.
Rating: 4
Summary: A good sequel.
Comment: It is very unlikely that a sequel is better than the first. Starless Night is one of those few books that are better than the first one. In this Drizzt book, Drizzt decides to go to Menzoberranzan to see what has happened to his long lost tribe. I really liked what happened to Artemis. He seems to be losing his evil touch. Catti-brie really shines in this book. I really feel sorry for her. Her loss of Wulfgar is just too much. Silverymoon is a great place to go in the Forgotten Realms, even if it doesn't put in with the story (which it did). Drizzt is kind of losing his fighting skills. I really wished Rwgis was in the Underdark too. Oh well. I hope the sequel will be good.
Rating: 3
Summary: Good but Overshadowed by Flaws
Comment: 3.5 stars
Spoiler Alert:
When Bruenor supposedly died and then came back in the Icewind Dale Trilogy, I held my silence. While his survival stretched the imagination, it made enough sense to at least seem plausible. But this Artemis Entreri business is getting ridiculous. Let's see: He fell down a straight drop unconscious, but his cloak somehow managed to catch onto the rock enough so that IT HELD HIS WHOLE BODY WEIGHT AND DIDN'T TEAR, and then when he did fall, there just happened to be a spiderweb underneath him, STRONG ENOUGH TO CATCH HIM AND NOT BREAK, and then Jarlaxle just happened to be waiting for him. Mr. Salvatore, stop being a wuss and allow your characters to die when they need to, instead of just writing about the same old enemies over and over. This is my biggest gripe. I can only imagine what George Martin would say. Artemis Entreri should have stayed dead, and maybe even Bruenor should have stayed dead as well. I get the impression that you just couldn't figure out something interesting to put in the plot and so instead reincarnated a dead villain to spice things up. At least he was different this time around, and I'll have to give you credit for that. But it's still very cheap. And then Dritzz just lets him go at the end?! That's a little far-fetched too. I think you might just be setting things up for an eternal battle between these two, and I wouldn't be surprised if Artemis Entreri shows up later with some bracelets of his own. If that turns out to be the case, I quit. There's no point in reading if there's no change.
Now, as to the book itself. It was good, though not as good as The Legacy. It took a little longer to rev up, and in a book this short, that means something. By the way, is that ever going to change? I'd like to see a book a little more lengthy. Anyway, once things got moving, it was high class entertainment, as all Salvatore books so far have turned out to be, with the sole exception of Sojourn, which had a more subdued ending. And, though I don't like the idea of Entreri being alive, I must admit that, especially toward the end, he certainly made the book a lot more interesting. This was also the darkest book so far, and I like that. It shows maturation. But, what I don't like is the fact that Dritzz's torture seemed to have no effect on him. It's impossible to walk away from something like that unchanged. Of course, after Dritzz was rescued things moved so fast that it makes sense that there wouldn't be any time to dwell on such things. So, I guess I'll have to wait for the next book to see if this seed bears any fruit. Hopefully so.
This book is classic Salvatore with some new developments thrown in as well. But, I also see a noxious thread woven through all that that gives me pause. It is a cancer, Mr. Salvatore, that will consume all aspects of your writing. Destroy it now while you still can! I remember in one review I said you don't write game novelizations. Please don't end up proving me wrong.
 |
Title: The Legacy (Forgotten Realms: Legacy of the Drow, Book 1) by R. A. Salvatore ISBN: 1560766409 Publisher: Wizards of the Coast Pub. Date: 01 September, 1993 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
 |
Title: The Silent Blade (Forgotten Realms: Paths of Darkness, Book 1) by R. A. Salvatore ISBN: 0786913886 Publisher: Wizards of the Coast Pub. Date: 01 June, 1999 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
 |
Title: The Spine of the World (Forgotten Realms: Paths of Darkness, Book 2) by R. A. Salvatore ISBN: 0786914041 Publisher: Wizards of the Coast Pub. Date: 15 June, 2000 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
 |
Title: Sea of Swords by R. A. Salvatore ISBN: 0786927720 Publisher: Wizards of the Coast Pub. Date: 19 August, 2002 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
 |
Title: Servant of the Shard (Paths of Darkness) by R. A. Salvatore ISBN: 0786918780 Publisher: Wizards of the Coast Pub. Date: July, 2001 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
Thank you for visiting www.AnyBook4Less.com and enjoy your savings!
Copyright� 2001-2021 Send your comments
