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Legacy of the Drow #4
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 Mithril 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?
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?
339 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
About the author
R.A. Salvatore
722 books10.6k followersAs one of the fantasy genre’s most successful authors, R.A. Salvatore enjoys an ever-expanding and tremendously loyal following. His books regularly appear on The New York Times best-seller lists and have sold more than 10,000,000 copies. Salvatore’s original hardcover, The Two Swords, Book III of The Hunter’s Blade Trilogy (October 2004) debuted at # 1 on The Wall Street Journal best-seller list and at # 4 on The New York Times best-seller list. His books have been translated into numerous foreign languages including German, Italian, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Turkish, Croatian, Bulgarian, Yiddish, Spanish, Russian, Polish, Portuguese, Czech, and French.
Salvatore’s first published novel, The Crystal Shard from TSR in 1988, became the first volume of the acclaimed Icewind Dale Trilogy and introduced an enormously popular character, the dark elf Drizzt Do’Urden. Since that time, Salvatore has published numerous novels for each of his signature multi-volume series including The Dark Elf Trilogy, Paths of Darkness, The Hunter’s Blades Trilogy, and The Cleric Quintet.
His love affair with fantasy, and with literature in general, began during his sophomore year of college when he was given a copy of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings as a Christmas gift. He promptly changed his major from computerscience to journalism. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications from Fitchburg State College in 1981, then returned for the degree he always cherished, the Bachelor of Arts in English. He began writing seriously in 1982, penning the manuscript that would become Echoes of the Fourth Magic. Salvatore held many jobs during those first years as a writer, finally settling in (much to our delight) to write full time in 1990.
The R.A. Salvatore Collection has been established at his alma mater, Fitchburg State College in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, containing the writer’s letters, manuscripts, and other professional papers. He is in good company, as The Salvatore Collection is situated alongside The Robert Cormier Library, which celebrates the writing career of the co-alum and esteemed author of young adult books.
Salvatore is an active member of his community and is on the board of trustees at the local library in Leominster, Massachusetts. He has participated in several American Library Association regional conferences, giving talks on themes including “Adventure fantasy” and “Why young adults read fantasy.” Salvatore himself enjoys a broad range of literary writers including James Joyce, Mark Twain, Geoffrey Chaucer, Shakespeare, Dante, and Sartre. He counts among his favorite genre literary influences Ian Fleming, Arthur Conan Doyle, Fritz Leiber, and of course, J.R.R. Tolkien.
Born in 1959, Salvatore is a native of Massachusetts and resides there with his wife Diane, and their three children, Bryan, Geno, and Caitlin. The family pets include three Japanese Chins, Oliver, Artemis and Ivan, and four cats including Guenhwyvar.
When he isn't writing, Salvatore chases after his three Japanese Chins, takes long walks, hits the gym, and coaches/plays on a fun-league softball team that includes most of his family. His gaming group still meets on Sundays to play.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/rasalv...
Salvatore’s first published novel, The Crystal Shard from TSR in 1988, became the first volume of the acclaimed Icewind Dale Trilogy and introduced an enormously popular character, the dark elf Drizzt Do’Urden. Since that time, Salvatore has published numerous novels for each of his signature multi-volume series including The Dark Elf Trilogy, Paths of Darkness, The Hunter’s Blades Trilogy, and The Cleric Quintet.
His love affair with fantasy, and with literature in general, began during his sophomore year of college when he was given a copy of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings as a Christmas gift. He promptly changed his major from computerscience to journalism. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications from Fitchburg State College in 1981, then returned for the degree he always cherished, the Bachelor of Arts in English. He began writing seriously in 1982, penning the manuscript that would become Echoes of the Fourth Magic. Salvatore held many jobs during those first years as a writer, finally settling in (much to our delight) to write full time in 1990.
The R.A. Salvatore Collection has been established at his alma mater, Fitchburg State College in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, containing the writer’s letters, manuscripts, and other professional papers. He is in good company, as The Salvatore Collection is situated alongside The Robert Cormier Library, which celebrates the writing career of the co-alum and esteemed author of young adult books.
Salvatore is an active member of his community and is on the board of trustees at the local library in Leominster, Massachusetts. He has participated in several American Library Association regional conferences, giving talks on themes including “Adventure fantasy” and “Why young adults read fantasy.” Salvatore himself enjoys a broad range of literary writers including James Joyce, Mark Twain, Geoffrey Chaucer, Shakespeare, Dante, and Sartre. He counts among his favorite genre literary influences Ian Fleming, Arthur Conan Doyle, Fritz Leiber, and of course, J.R.R. Tolkien.
Born in 1959, Salvatore is a native of Massachusetts and resides there with his wife Diane, and their three children, Bryan, Geno, and Caitlin. The family pets include three Japanese Chins, Oliver, Artemis and Ivan, and four cats including Guenhwyvar.
When he isn't writing, Salvatore chases after his three Japanese Chins, takes long walks, hits the gym, and coaches/plays on a fun-league softball team that includes most of his family. His gaming group still meets on Sundays to play.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/rasalv...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 310 reviews
October 20, 2019
Ah, Drizzt. A complete change of pace from the steady flow of mysteries that I’ve been consuming lately. Also very useful as a “sleeping pill” during a night of insomnia recently. No complicated plot to keep track of, no subtle details that I might lose sight of during my sleep-impaired state.
I know that a lot of folks love these books. I find them a bit simple for my taste. I like a few more grey areas, not such black-or-white morality. I can appreciate the value of friendship that Salvatore dramatizes in these adventures, and they are entertaining enough that I don’t hate reading them. This is a very good thing, as Salvatore has written a ton of them and I’ll be reading a fair few more if I continue on with my reading project!
Sometimes I find the cover art more entertaining than the actual story. I was disappointed that the six-armed snake lady didn’t appear until the final pages of the novel. What an uncluttered closet she must have--only requiring gauntlets, a multi-weapon sword belt, and various bras! (I trust she has more luck that I do getting the straps to stay up!)
Book number 328 in my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project.
I know that a lot of folks love these books. I find them a bit simple for my taste. I like a few more grey areas, not such black-or-white morality. I can appreciate the value of friendship that Salvatore dramatizes in these adventures, and they are entertaining enough that I don’t hate reading them. This is a very good thing, as Salvatore has written a ton of them and I’ll be reading a fair few more if I continue on with my reading project!
Sometimes I find the cover art more entertaining than the actual story. I was disappointed that the six-armed snake lady didn’t appear until the final pages of the novel. What an uncluttered closet she must have--only requiring gauntlets, a multi-weapon sword belt, and various bras! (I trust she has more luck that I do getting the straps to stay up!)
Book number 328 in my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project.
September 9, 2013
This review contains spoilers.
You're probably familiar with the phrase "jumping the shark."� It refers to an episode of Happy Days when the Fonz does a water ski jump over a shark. The phrase is meant to pinpoint the exact moment when a TV series starts to go downhill.
Passage To Dawn inspired me to come up with a similar phrase:"Training the seal."� It's meant to pinpoint the exact moment when a fantasy book series starts to go downhill.
"Training the seal"� refers to an incident in this book when Drizzt trains a seal to dive under water and find a magical statuette. Sound ridiculous? It is, even for a fantasy book. The seal incident is one of the many scenes that make Passage To Dawn the low point in the Drizzt saga. I nearly quit the series after reading it. Fortunately, I gave the dark elf another chance, and the later books sparked my interest again.
Still, I've never been able to forgive Salvatore for the atrocities he committed in Passage To Dawn. Let's take the scene where Drizzt meets Cadderly, for example. Never mind that Salvatore indulged in his worst instincts by allowing them to meet -- the scene is so cloyingly sentimental it's sickening. Not only does the author nearly ruin the Drizzt series in one swift stroke, he nearly ruins Cadderly's story as well. The ending to the Cleric Quintet was appropriately bittersweet, with Cadderly sacrificing his love for his wife to his love for his god. But wait! He lived after all! And he and Drizzt automatically became best friends! And so did Danica and Catti-brie! Yay!
Puke.
One last thought: Salvatore must have been sleepwriting through the "climactic"� final scene where Wulfgar makes his reappearance. That's the only explanation for his straightforward approach to what should have been a moment of high drama.
You weren't trying as hard on this one, Bob -- and it shows.
You're probably familiar with the phrase "jumping the shark."� It refers to an episode of Happy Days when the Fonz does a water ski jump over a shark. The phrase is meant to pinpoint the exact moment when a TV series starts to go downhill.
Passage To Dawn inspired me to come up with a similar phrase:"Training the seal."� It's meant to pinpoint the exact moment when a fantasy book series starts to go downhill.
"Training the seal"� refers to an incident in this book when Drizzt trains a seal to dive under water and find a magical statuette. Sound ridiculous? It is, even for a fantasy book. The seal incident is one of the many scenes that make Passage To Dawn the low point in the Drizzt saga. I nearly quit the series after reading it. Fortunately, I gave the dark elf another chance, and the later books sparked my interest again.
Still, I've never been able to forgive Salvatore for the atrocities he committed in Passage To Dawn. Let's take the scene where Drizzt meets Cadderly, for example. Never mind that Salvatore indulged in his worst instincts by allowing them to meet -- the scene is so cloyingly sentimental it's sickening. Not only does the author nearly ruin the Drizzt series in one swift stroke, he nearly ruins Cadderly's story as well. The ending to the Cleric Quintet was appropriately bittersweet, with Cadderly sacrificing his love for his wife to his love for his god. But wait! He lived after all! And he and Drizzt automatically became best friends! And so did Danica and Catti-brie! Yay!
Puke.
One last thought: Salvatore must have been sleepwriting through the "climactic"� final scene where Wulfgar makes his reappearance. That's the only explanation for his straightforward approach to what should have been a moment of high drama.
You weren't trying as hard on this one, Bob -- and it shows.
April 26, 2015
Another great volume in the ongoing Drizzt series. I read this for the first time back in 1998 or so, when I was in high school. I've since read it about 3 times, and it's worth it.
This is the book where they're on the ship, going around the ocean for the first time. It's a fun book, quite a departure from what's come before. We do find ourselves back in the cold north later on, however. If you've come this far...keep going!
This is the book where they're on the ship, going around the ocean for the first time. It's a fun book, quite a departure from what's come before. We do find ourselves back in the cold north later on, however. If you've come this far...keep going!
July 31, 2024
Seis años después de los acontecimientos de "Cerco de oscuridad", Drizzt y Cattie-Brie se encuentran lejos de Mithril Hall viviendo aventuras al lado de un viejo conocido. Todo está relativamente tranquilo hasta que Drizzt y su grupo siguen varias pistas que parecen de alguna forma relacionadas de nuevo con nuestro protagonista... Que deberá enfrentarse a un viejo enemigo para salvar a una persona muy importante para él.
Y ahora que conseguí dejar por aquí una sinopsis esquivando de forma muy eficiente los spoilers, debo decir... Podemos cerrar esta tetralogía con un maravilloso sabor de boca. Es cierto que este último libro se siente un poco ajeno a los tres anteriores, ya que cambia totalmente de arco y de localización... Pero lo he disfrutando tanto como sus predecesores. Con estos cuatro libros he vuelto a sentir un poquito lo que sentía de adolescente cuando leí la trilogía de "El elfo oscuro" por primera vez. Me ha transportado a esos veranos leyendo historias de aventuras, cuando tenía horas y horas para leer. Ha sido un poco como volver atrás en el tiempo.
Y si bien el girito final me lo veía venir (un poco por lógica, un poco por spoilers que me hicieron...), no me impidió disfrutar muchísimo de la aventura de todas formas. Me lo estoy pasando genial leyendo esta saga. Y por supuesto seguiremos 🔥
Y ahora que conseguí dejar por aquí una sinopsis esquivando de forma muy eficiente los spoilers, debo decir... Podemos cerrar esta tetralogía con un maravilloso sabor de boca. Es cierto que este último libro se siente un poco ajeno a los tres anteriores, ya que cambia totalmente de arco y de localización... Pero lo he disfrutando tanto como sus predecesores. Con estos cuatro libros he vuelto a sentir un poquito lo que sentía de adolescente cuando leí la trilogía de "El elfo oscuro" por primera vez. Me ha transportado a esos veranos leyendo historias de aventuras, cuando tenía horas y horas para leer. Ha sido un poco como volver atrás en el tiempo.
Y si bien el girito final me lo veía venir (un poco por lógica, un poco por spoilers que me hicieron...), no me impidió disfrutar muchísimo de la aventura de todas formas. Me lo estoy pasando genial leyendo esta saga. Y por supuesto seguiremos 🔥
January 27, 2012
This has been my favorite of the Drizzt saga.. so far!! Can't wait till I can buy book XI!!
July 15, 2014
In an odd departure, this book picks up 6 years after the end of the last one - Siege of Darkness. Drizzt Do'Urden, the dark elven ranger, and Catti-brie, the human adopted daughter of the dwarven king Bruenor Battlehammer, have spent the years chasing pirates aboard the ship Sea Sprite with their friend Captain Deudermont. After Duedermont is attacked by a doppleganger, they embark on a quest to locate a mythical island. Once there, Drizzt and Catti-brie are given a poem by an old witch, which hints that someone dear to Drizzt is held captive by a creature of the Abyss. Despite the 16 or so years that have passed, and knowing that his father's spirit was released from the evil deity Lloth's grasp when he destroyed his reanimated body, Drizzt nevertheless assumes that it is his father who is held captive. This struck me as odd for one as wise as Drizzt.
Errtu, the balor demon, is an old nemisis of Drizzt, and has arranged this message to lure Drizzt in, in the hopes of being released from his banishment, killing the drow and regaining Crenshinibon, the crystal shard.
In many respects, the book is an odd reunion of many of Salvatore's characters, such as Cadderly, Danica and the Bouldershoulder brothers from the Cleric Quintet. Considering the convoluted journey, I'm surprised Salvatore didn't try throwing Artemis Entreri and Jarlaxle in there for good measure.
If the reasoning behind the plot seems a little hazy, and the reader feels a little disappointment at Salvatore's desire to resurrect a dead character, Salvatore does redeem it with some excellent battles - namely the pirate chases and the final showdown in the last section of the book.
While not his best, it is always good to follow the adventures of Salvatore's characters, in particular Drizzt, so I recommend this book.
Errtu, the balor demon, is an old nemisis of Drizzt, and has arranged this message to lure Drizzt in, in the hopes of being released from his banishment, killing the drow and regaining Crenshinibon, the crystal shard.
In many respects, the book is an odd reunion of many of Salvatore's characters, such as Cadderly, Danica and the Bouldershoulder brothers from the Cleric Quintet. Considering the convoluted journey, I'm surprised Salvatore didn't try throwing Artemis Entreri and Jarlaxle in there for good measure.
If the reasoning behind the plot seems a little hazy, and the reader feels a little disappointment at Salvatore's desire to resurrect a dead character, Salvatore does redeem it with some excellent battles - namely the pirate chases and the final showdown in the last section of the book.
While not his best, it is always good to follow the adventures of Salvatore's characters, in particular Drizzt, so I recommend this book.
November 30, 2009
THIS is what I'm talkin' 'bout. This is the Salvatore that got me hooked on Drizzt. The whole story was fun and new, despite the fact that it slightly mirrored some of the earlier Drizzt adventures.
Again, Salvatore's humor, wit, twists and tales of adventure, loyalty, friendship and good triumphing over evil truly drew me in. I love that Harkell had an even larger and much more important role in this story, and I enjoyed the introductions of both Cadderly and Danica, and Ivan and Pikel.
But the thing that really made this novel for me was the twist. See, the thing is, I knew who Errtu's prisoner was from the beginning - actually, I knew it from the end of the last book. I knew it, see? But, I allowed myself to get caught up in the story as Drizzt saw it, allowed myself to believe Drizzt's interpretation of Errtu's riddle, and thus allowed myself to be "tricked" by the "twist".
Huh - that hardly makes any sense, unless you read the book. Oh well.
Anyway, I blew through this book as I have others in the Drizzt saga, and fully expect to hit the "Drizzt Wall" again soon. That's fine, though, because I know that Salvatore is a literary divine one, and I know that, even if I do decide to take another hiatus from Drizzt, that hiatus will allow the subsequent novels to fully enthrall and thrill me all over again.
And, I want to say "Yay, Regis!" Yay, for growing and not annoying the bloody hell out of me anymore!
Again, Salvatore's humor, wit, twists and tales of adventure, loyalty, friendship and good triumphing over evil truly drew me in. I love that Harkell had an even larger and much more important role in this story, and I enjoyed the introductions of both Cadderly and Danica, and Ivan and Pikel.
But the thing that really made this novel for me was the twist. See, the thing is, I knew who Errtu's prisoner was from the beginning - actually, I knew it from the end of the last book. I knew it, see? But, I allowed myself to get caught up in the story as Drizzt saw it, allowed myself to believe Drizzt's interpretation of Errtu's riddle, and thus allowed myself to be "tricked" by the "twist".
Huh - that hardly makes any sense, unless you read the book. Oh well.
Anyway, I blew through this book as I have others in the Drizzt saga, and fully expect to hit the "Drizzt Wall" again soon. That's fine, though, because I know that Salvatore is a literary divine one, and I know that, even if I do decide to take another hiatus from Drizzt, that hiatus will allow the subsequent novels to fully enthrall and thrill me all over again.
And, I want to say "Yay, Regis!" Yay, for growing and not annoying the bloody hell out of me anymore!
June 14, 2021
Salah satu novel dari siri Forgotten Realms (juga siri game Dungeons & Dragons), antara siri novel fantasi yg terkenal dan banyak peminatnya. Merupakan buku terakhir dalam quadrilogy 'Legacy of the Drow' - menyambung kisah pengembaraan Drizzt Do'Urden dan rakan-rakannya (Bruenor Battlehammer, Wufgar, Cattie-Brie, dan Regis). Juga merupakan buku ke-10 (dari 34) dalam siri 'The legend of Drizzt'. Plot novel kali ni lebih tertumpu pada aksi pengembaraan dan ada sedikit elemen misteri. Scene2 pertarungan pula lebih banyak di pengakhiran novel.
Plot novel kali ni mengambil masa 6 tahun selepas plot novel ketiga. Drizzt dan Cattie-Brie meninggalkan Mithral Hall dan menjadi krew kapal pemburu lanun, Sea Sprite di bawah arahan Captain Deudermont. Pengembaraan bermula selepas mereka bertekad untuk membebaskan seorang tawanan misteri yg ditawan oleh Errtu, makhluk kejahatan dari Abyss...
Plot novel kali ni mengambil masa 6 tahun selepas plot novel ketiga. Drizzt dan Cattie-Brie meninggalkan Mithral Hall dan menjadi krew kapal pemburu lanun, Sea Sprite di bawah arahan Captain Deudermont. Pengembaraan bermula selepas mereka bertekad untuk membebaskan seorang tawanan misteri yg ditawan oleh Errtu, makhluk kejahatan dari Abyss...
June 12, 2017
I love this series. I have been reading these books nonstop for the past year. Drizzt Do'Urden is a drow (dark elf) who has forsaken his ruthlessly sadistic kin for the sake of his conscience, and in his sixty years of life (which is not long in the life of a dark elf) known more adventure than most who have lived can say.
Together he, and Catti-Brie, one of the fairest women Drizzt had ever met, her adopted dwarven father, Bruenor Battlehammer, and their halfing friend Regis, the formidable team has fought Demons, evil wizards, a never ending horde of trolls, won a Drow war, killed a few dragons, on their adventures. Drizzt, in favor of his good-natured ranger god, Mielliki, had come in contact and was even able to touch (which was unbelievable given his heritage) a live Unicorn!!! For anyone to even see this purification of nature was umheard of, escpecially among drow, but for Drizzt to touch it!..... I just can't put into words how much, after reading the other books, I support the ideal that he deserves to have that encounter.
They all had personal baggage that accompanied them along the way, especially Drizzt, who came from a world of torture, intrigue, and self preservation. They all wanted a place to rest, to settle down and enjoy life, but even after a huge battle, when they finally have that sense of completion, they're not satisfied. Catti-Brie is still only in her twenties, Bruenor and Regis would live for at least another century and Drizzt would live way longer than that! For now, they bury that feeling that they are done, and are up and ready to go at the first notice of excitement.
The complex pasts and feeling of these characters are awesome,and the way they handle different situations are tactful, smart, and cool-headed, unless Catti-Brie or Bruenor are trying to throttle the guy talking to Drizzt.
I highly recommend this book to absolutely anyone who wants to see some hope at all. There are sections of the book where Drizzt will speak directly to the reader, and these sections gave me a new look on a lot of virtues, one of which was respect. he speak with an even mind and a clear conscience, and to see the sides of good and evil face off and, against all odds, good cut in through the side with a fine, blue-glowing scimitar, and deliver the killing blow, just makes me smile.
Together he, and Catti-Brie, one of the fairest women Drizzt had ever met, her adopted dwarven father, Bruenor Battlehammer, and their halfing friend Regis, the formidable team has fought Demons, evil wizards, a never ending horde of trolls, won a Drow war, killed a few dragons, on their adventures. Drizzt, in favor of his good-natured ranger god, Mielliki, had come in contact and was even able to touch (which was unbelievable given his heritage) a live Unicorn!!! For anyone to even see this purification of nature was umheard of, escpecially among drow, but for Drizzt to touch it!..... I just can't put into words how much, after reading the other books, I support the ideal that he deserves to have that encounter.
They all had personal baggage that accompanied them along the way, especially Drizzt, who came from a world of torture, intrigue, and self preservation. They all wanted a place to rest, to settle down and enjoy life, but even after a huge battle, when they finally have that sense of completion, they're not satisfied. Catti-Brie is still only in her twenties, Bruenor and Regis would live for at least another century and Drizzt would live way longer than that! For now, they bury that feeling that they are done, and are up and ready to go at the first notice of excitement.
The complex pasts and feeling of these characters are awesome,and the way they handle different situations are tactful, smart, and cool-headed, unless Catti-Brie or Bruenor are trying to throttle the guy talking to Drizzt.
I highly recommend this book to absolutely anyone who wants to see some hope at all. There are sections of the book where Drizzt will speak directly to the reader, and these sections gave me a new look on a lot of virtues, one of which was respect. he speak with an even mind and a clear conscience, and to see the sides of good and evil face off and, against all odds, good cut in through the side with a fine, blue-glowing scimitar, and deliver the killing blow, just makes me smile.
December 2, 2013
This Drizzt book felt out of place somehow. It didn't really fit in the series, I quite liked the ending of the last book and it could have been a nice ending to a trilogy, but Salvatore went on to tell what happened after the battle. The first part was entertaining, but the identity of the prisoner was too obvious, I even feared who it was in the epilog of book three. Dead characters should stay dead. I believe to have heard that later on in the series R.A. Salvatore goes on to thin the ranks of Drizzt friends again, I'm looking forward to this :)
One of the weakest Drizzt books I have read till now, but it certainly won't stop me to read on.
One of the weakest Drizzt books I have read till now, but it certainly won't stop me to read on.
September 15, 2022
Κατρακύλα. Ο Σαλβατόρε πλέον κάνει τον θλιβερό Goodkind να μοιάζει δαφνοστεφής ομοτράπεζος των Joyce και Mann...
September 10, 2019
Αν αυτό το βιβλίο ήταν Κωνσταντινοπολίτης, θα τον έλεγαν Οτινάναι Οτινάνογλου. Μέχρι κι ο φάκιν Γούλφγκαρ ανασταίνεται. Για να μην αναφέρω τον special guest star Κάντερλι, που επίσης έχει αρχίσει και ξανανιώνει, ο τζόβενος. Η δε τελική μάχη με τα άπειρα τέρατα ήταν τόσο βαρετή και προβλεπόμενη, που τη διάβασα μόνο και μόνο για να δω τι είναι τελικά το μάριλιθ.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2011
My new years resolution this year is to finish the Drizzt series (up to 13 since that's all I own and I will not buy more) and the Fire of Heaven Series by Russell Kirkpatrick (forgive me if I spell the name wrong). Boring books that I have given up on, but I decided that this year I will finish.
I'm only 50 pages into Passage to Dawn and I can tell I'm in for a struggle. I hate Drizzt. Hate. Hate. Hate. A doppleganger takes over Captain Deudermont's body and before the doppleganger is with Drizzt for 20minutes Drizzt has already "figured out the truth of things" as always.
I wonder sometimes if Salvatore ever stops to think "Hmm good plot device," And then think "No Drizzt's too awesomesauce to fall for that. Better make him figure it out, win 50 gold metals in the olympics and then kill all the bad guys on Earth right before he's crowned king of everything. Wow Salvatore, You're brilliant!"
Ugh how much I do not want to read these books x_x
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Not much to say. My opinion on his writing and character hasn't changed. His book is just as bad as I thought it would be. Also Catti-Brie is 27 in this book and she still acts like an ignorant teenage.
Just like his character Salvatore hasn't grown at all. Only three more to go, thank God.
I'm only 50 pages into Passage to Dawn and I can tell I'm in for a struggle. I hate Drizzt. Hate. Hate. Hate. A doppleganger takes over Captain Deudermont's body and before the doppleganger is with Drizzt for 20minutes Drizzt has already "figured out the truth of things" as always.
I wonder sometimes if Salvatore ever stops to think "Hmm good plot device," And then think "No Drizzt's too awesomesauce to fall for that. Better make him figure it out, win 50 gold metals in the olympics and then kill all the bad guys on Earth right before he's crowned king of everything. Wow Salvatore, You're brilliant!"
Ugh how much I do not want to read these books x_x
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Not much to say. My opinion on his writing and character hasn't changed. His book is just as bad as I thought it would be. Also Catti-Brie is 27 in this book and she still acts like an ignorant teenage.
Just like his character Salvatore hasn't grown at all. Only three more to go, thank God.
July 5, 2011
So this is my least favorite Drizzt book so far. I don't really know why this series needed a 4th book. Some it was fun but some of it carried on for me. I am on my way though to catching up with the series!!
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http://angelasanxiouslife.blogspot.co...
February 23, 2017
Was anyone actually surprised that it was Wulfgar? I mean it would have been a much bigger shock if it had been Drizzt's father. Even without the barbarian subplot. I enjoyed most of the book except that part.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2023
3.75/5 - Listened on audiobook. I enjoy the Drizzt tales. Good to listen to in the car. Not complicated and the characters can be fun.
November 21, 2020
all reviews in one place:
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu
About the Book: A strange prophecy spoken by a blind seer gives Drizzt a glimmer of hope to see his father once again. But, of course, nothing’s simple. First he must release that who hates him most and return to his first home… Where he’ll likely have to survive a ruse of some kind. But any price is worth paying for this.
My Opinion: These are truly good and captivating stories, very unique in the way characters and their relationships are written, how they understand and interact with one another. There’s plenty of adventures and action to keep you reading. But bloody hell, I’m so tired of the damned names. I need a little break from Drizzt, before another letter-jumble pops up.
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu
About the Book: A strange prophecy spoken by a blind seer gives Drizzt a glimmer of hope to see his father once again. But, of course, nothing’s simple. First he must release that who hates him most and return to his first home… Where he’ll likely have to survive a ruse of some kind. But any price is worth paying for this.
My Opinion: These are truly good and captivating stories, very unique in the way characters and their relationships are written, how they understand and interact with one another. There’s plenty of adventures and action to keep you reading. But bloody hell, I’m so tired of the damned names. I need a little break from Drizzt, before another letter-jumble pops up.
February 22, 2021
Je prends toujours plaisir à retrouver Drizzt et ses amis dans leurs aventures. Cette fois, même si le roman souffre de longueurs inutiles et de personnages caricaturaux (Cattie-Brie est toujours à la limite du supportable), j'ai encore apprécié mon voyage sur la Côte des Epées avec eux.
On sent tout de même que Salvatore commence à tourner en rond sur les thèmes qu'il a abordé dans les précédents romans de la série et j'espère qu'il réussira à renouveler les personnages dans la trilogie qui suit (et ça à l'air bien parti pour l'un d'entre eux).
Au final, ce n'est pas de la grande littérature, mais ça se lit toujours avec plaisir, donc j'ai hâte de continuer !
On sent tout de même que Salvatore commence à tourner en rond sur les thèmes qu'il a abordé dans les précédents romans de la série et j'espère qu'il réussira à renouveler les personnages dans la trilogie qui suit (et ça à l'air bien parti pour l'un d'entre eux).
Au final, ce n'est pas de la grande littérature, mais ça se lit toujours avec plaisir, donc j'ai hâte de continuer !
July 21, 2024
Kad piedzīvojumu un dažādu cīņu pieredzējušam tā teikt kaujiniekam, kāds ir Drizzd Do’Urden, jāaprod ar dzīvi miera apstākļos starp draugiem un bez lieliem uztraukumiem, nav nemaz tik viegli, un prāts jau apsver ideju, vai nebūtu labāk sākt dzīvot interesantākos laikos. Vienīgi, kad citu ietekmē šie mierīgie apstākļi mainās, var saprast, cik muļķīga šāda ideja bijusi, jo situācijas maiņa apdraud nevien paša, bet iegūto draugu un kompanjonu dzīvības.
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November 22, 2019
This !
This book is the reason I love the series and the author's writing.
Wrought with intrigue and despair throughout, in yet another welcomed environment we haven't seen our heroes before - this books had me hanging on the edges up until the end. Splitting storylines here and there, a bit of foreshadowing, but the payoff was worth it ! Looking forward to the next one.
This book is the reason I love the series and the author's writing.
Wrought with intrigue and despair throughout, in yet another welcomed environment we haven't seen our heroes before - this books had me hanging on the edges up until the end. Splitting storylines here and there, a bit of foreshadowing, but the payoff was worth it ! Looking forward to the next one.
December 4, 2023
It was a good read but found i could put down the book more often than not. Perhaps i may have felt like a 4 star if i was already acquainted to the "cleric quartet" as i usually do love where characters from the same world converge...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 17, 2018
Il finale é uno dei più emozionanti che abbia mai letto.
Stupendo.
Stupendo.
July 5, 2019
2.5
This was an alright read.
This was an alright read.
March 17, 2021
Great read. I'm moving on to book 11 and that says enough.
June 20, 2024
Probably the best since the Crystal Shard.
August 22, 2024
I felt like this particular installment owed a lot to the great Terry Pratchett. There was so much that bordered slapstick and it was brilliant for it.
March 18, 2024
World's best 11th hour twist
June 16, 2022
Spoilers ahead!
When I was a younger reader I stumbled upon The Canticle and followed the release of the rest of the Cleric Quintet very closely. My junior high self loved these books and each subsequent release I devoured instantly. At the time, I was not aware of Drizzt Do’Urden and his adventuring pals. After reading through the first 15 books of Mr. Salvatore’s Forgotten Realms books more than 25 years later, how I would love to have seen junior high me reacting to Cadderly and Drizzt crossing paths in Passage to Dawn.
In general, I enjoy reading the Drizzt books. They are light, fun and perfect to breeze through - solidly three star reads. You know what you are going to get with them - Drizzt and his invincible pals, some great fight scenes, no heavy plot or deep thinking, etc. Solid three stars, good fun, little thinking.
Passage to Dawn, falls just a bit higher in my ratings than the rest of the series thus far; it’s the first Drizzt book that I rated as four stars. I’ve spent some time trying to pinpoint why this one would be higher than the others and the simple conclusion I’ve come to is that Passage to Dawn is just different. Maybe it is the whole sailing the seas and searching for the Sea Witch McGuffin or maybe, it’s the lack of Entreri and Jarlaxle, which was a welcome break. Either way, Passage to Dawn was enjoyable.
Drizzt is still invincible and the center of the universe, but having the first half of the novel revolve around the idea that the main players believe Deudermont to be the reason for the plot was a nice break.
A great strength of Mr. Salvatore’s writing is in the way he describes the battles and Passage to Dawn is no exception, as all the battle sequences are as entertaining as ever.
Again more Spoilers ahead!
Just to touch on the “Big Reveal” of the prisoner. While it was pretty obvious who this was going to be, I thought the way it was done was actually quite good and better than I had anticipated. None of the Forgotten Realms books are ever going to be accused of being a masterpiece of literature, but I thoroughly enjoyed how Errtu’s prisoner was revealed and the aftermath. I actually had no knowledge ahead of time that this was going to be Wulfgar and while very obvious, it was still very entertaining to watch it play out.
Catti-brie’s “I never forgot you” was very well written and powerful. In fact it might be one of the few lines of her dialogue in the first ten Drizzt novels that I liked.
The one downside to Wulfgar’s return is what, I am assuming, is the inevitable will they/won’t they love triangle shenanigan’s between Wulfgar, Catti-Brie and Drizzt. I haven’t found those relationship pairing inspiring or all that believable. I’d much prefer each of these characters to find their one true pairings outside of the friend group or just not explore that at all.
Passage to Dawn was also a very strong novel for Regis. Icewind Dale suits him the best of all the settings the gang have traveled to and there seems to be some actual character development with Ol’ Rumble Belly.
I was hoping for a bit more of the Carradoon crew by the end of the novel, but having no idea these paths would cross to begin with, I will take what little crossover there was.
One thing that I cannot leave uncommented on is the ridiculous seal training montage. I’m no writer and Mr. Salvatore is clearly very successful, but holy cow, come on. I’m not sure how you put that on paper and not laugh out loud. Maybe he did and that was the whole point. I never doubted that Guenhwyvar would return, but having a seal fetch the statue from the bottom of the sea after being Pavlov-dogged on fish was bonkers.
By the end, Team Invincible is all together again, back in Icewind Dale where it all started, so there is a strong reset feel to the Drizzt series and I’ll happily pick up the next books in line when I’m ready for some nice fantasy fun reading.
When I was a younger reader I stumbled upon The Canticle and followed the release of the rest of the Cleric Quintet very closely. My junior high self loved these books and each subsequent release I devoured instantly. At the time, I was not aware of Drizzt Do’Urden and his adventuring pals. After reading through the first 15 books of Mr. Salvatore’s Forgotten Realms books more than 25 years later, how I would love to have seen junior high me reacting to Cadderly and Drizzt crossing paths in Passage to Dawn.
In general, I enjoy reading the Drizzt books. They are light, fun and perfect to breeze through - solidly three star reads. You know what you are going to get with them - Drizzt and his invincible pals, some great fight scenes, no heavy plot or deep thinking, etc. Solid three stars, good fun, little thinking.
Passage to Dawn, falls just a bit higher in my ratings than the rest of the series thus far; it’s the first Drizzt book that I rated as four stars. I’ve spent some time trying to pinpoint why this one would be higher than the others and the simple conclusion I’ve come to is that Passage to Dawn is just different. Maybe it is the whole sailing the seas and searching for the Sea Witch McGuffin or maybe, it’s the lack of Entreri and Jarlaxle, which was a welcome break. Either way, Passage to Dawn was enjoyable.
Drizzt is still invincible and the center of the universe, but having the first half of the novel revolve around the idea that the main players believe Deudermont to be the reason for the plot was a nice break.
A great strength of Mr. Salvatore’s writing is in the way he describes the battles and Passage to Dawn is no exception, as all the battle sequences are as entertaining as ever.
Again more Spoilers ahead!
Just to touch on the “Big Reveal” of the prisoner. While it was pretty obvious who this was going to be, I thought the way it was done was actually quite good and better than I had anticipated. None of the Forgotten Realms books are ever going to be accused of being a masterpiece of literature, but I thoroughly enjoyed how Errtu’s prisoner was revealed and the aftermath. I actually had no knowledge ahead of time that this was going to be Wulfgar and while very obvious, it was still very entertaining to watch it play out.
Catti-brie’s “I never forgot you” was very well written and powerful. In fact it might be one of the few lines of her dialogue in the first ten Drizzt novels that I liked.
The one downside to Wulfgar’s return is what, I am assuming, is the inevitable will they/won’t they love triangle shenanigan’s between Wulfgar, Catti-Brie and Drizzt. I haven’t found those relationship pairing inspiring or all that believable. I’d much prefer each of these characters to find their one true pairings outside of the friend group or just not explore that at all.
Passage to Dawn was also a very strong novel for Regis. Icewind Dale suits him the best of all the settings the gang have traveled to and there seems to be some actual character development with Ol’ Rumble Belly.
I was hoping for a bit more of the Carradoon crew by the end of the novel, but having no idea these paths would cross to begin with, I will take what little crossover there was.
One thing that I cannot leave uncommented on is the ridiculous seal training montage. I’m no writer and Mr. Salvatore is clearly very successful, but holy cow, come on. I’m not sure how you put that on paper and not laugh out loud. Maybe he did and that was the whole point. I never doubted that Guenhwyvar would return, but having a seal fetch the statue from the bottom of the sea after being Pavlov-dogged on fish was bonkers.
By the end, Team Invincible is all together again, back in Icewind Dale where it all started, so there is a strong reset feel to the Drizzt series and I’ll happily pick up the next books in line when I’m ready for some nice fantasy fun reading.
May 31, 2014
I really really really hate bad plot lines. Especially when an alternate plot line is both obvious and much easier to write than the bad one that was used instead.
For those of you who havent read the series up to this point, here is a short summary:
Drizzt defeated a demon named Errtu in the first book, the Crystal Shard. In the world of Forgotten Realms, a demon who is defeated and sent back to the Abyss by a mortal is banished for 100 years and cant come back until that time is up. Think of it as an unbreakable prison term. The only way for a demon to return sooner than 100 years is for the one who defeated the demon (Drizzt, in this case) to call them back personally. After that, their banishment is ended until they're defeated again.
Six years before the current storyline in this book, one of Drizzt's friends named Wulfgar was killed and had his soul dragged to the Abyss after his death. Drizzt didn't know it, but Wulfgar was in Errtu's captivity during those six years.
So, here's the general plan that Errtu came up with: Use Wulfgar as a bargaining chip to force Drizzt to call him back into the world and end his banishment. Knowing how much Drizzt cares about his friends, the demon had a pretty reasonable chance of succeeding.
So how does he tell Drizzt that he has his friend and wants to be released? Does he send him a messenger? Write him a letter? Psychic link? Visit him in his dreams? Have another un-banished demon tell Drizzt in his stead? Nope.
He leaves the most vague trail of breadcrumbs imaginable leading Drizzt on a 3-month journey across the open ocean, surviving TWO hurricanes, possible starvation, pirate attacks, and various other dangers on his way to a remote island that NO ONE KNOWS THE LOCATION OF. After Drizzt finally makes it there, he meets an old witch who tells him a two-page long riddle that is so vague and indecipherable that Drizzt gets the completely wrong idea from it and nearly goes charging headlong into a hostile city of evil Elves after he 'figures out the riddle'.
The only thing that prevented Drizzt from walking right into enemy territory without a clue was a conversation that essentially went like this:
"I dont really understand this riddle. Lets summon Errtu and ask him about it."
"Yeah sure, I dont see a problem with summoning an Archdemon who wants to kill you."
So they get a Priest to summon Errtu, who personally tells Drizzt exactly what the riddle means.
It's at this point that I had to put the book down for about a week to get the sheer "what the fuck am I reading" thought out of my head. WHY in the world would Errtu send Drizzt on a wild goose chase across the entire freakin' world when he could have literally sent Drizzt a message through any number of ways to tell him "Hey bro, I have your friend, release me or I'll keep him as my prisoner and torture him forever".
Instead, Drizzt nearly dies like 30 times. Errtu's ONLY TICKET out of his banishment was nearly killed because Errtu wanted to mess with him for a couple months.
After Drizzt talks to Errtu the book actually reaches the point where the plot makes sense, and it ends fairly well. But literally 2/3rds of the book is a neverending flow of undescribable 'Wat' coming from RA Salvatore's typewriter.
I didn't know it was possible to make such a mountain out of a molehill as tiny as delivering a simple note. Easily one of the worst books I've read in a long time.
For those of you who havent read the series up to this point, here is a short summary:
Drizzt defeated a demon named Errtu in the first book, the Crystal Shard. In the world of Forgotten Realms, a demon who is defeated and sent back to the Abyss by a mortal is banished for 100 years and cant come back until that time is up. Think of it as an unbreakable prison term. The only way for a demon to return sooner than 100 years is for the one who defeated the demon (Drizzt, in this case) to call them back personally. After that, their banishment is ended until they're defeated again.
Six years before the current storyline in this book, one of Drizzt's friends named Wulfgar was killed and had his soul dragged to the Abyss after his death. Drizzt didn't know it, but Wulfgar was in Errtu's captivity during those six years.
So, here's the general plan that Errtu came up with: Use Wulfgar as a bargaining chip to force Drizzt to call him back into the world and end his banishment. Knowing how much Drizzt cares about his friends, the demon had a pretty reasonable chance of succeeding.
So how does he tell Drizzt that he has his friend and wants to be released? Does he send him a messenger? Write him a letter? Psychic link? Visit him in his dreams? Have another un-banished demon tell Drizzt in his stead? Nope.
He leaves the most vague trail of breadcrumbs imaginable leading Drizzt on a 3-month journey across the open ocean, surviving TWO hurricanes, possible starvation, pirate attacks, and various other dangers on his way to a remote island that NO ONE KNOWS THE LOCATION OF. After Drizzt finally makes it there, he meets an old witch who tells him a two-page long riddle that is so vague and indecipherable that Drizzt gets the completely wrong idea from it and nearly goes charging headlong into a hostile city of evil Elves after he 'figures out the riddle'.
The only thing that prevented Drizzt from walking right into enemy territory without a clue was a conversation that essentially went like this:
"I dont really understand this riddle. Lets summon Errtu and ask him about it."
"Yeah sure, I dont see a problem with summoning an Archdemon who wants to kill you."
So they get a Priest to summon Errtu, who personally tells Drizzt exactly what the riddle means.
It's at this point that I had to put the book down for about a week to get the sheer "what the fuck am I reading" thought out of my head. WHY in the world would Errtu send Drizzt on a wild goose chase across the entire freakin' world when he could have literally sent Drizzt a message through any number of ways to tell him "Hey bro, I have your friend, release me or I'll keep him as my prisoner and torture him forever".
Instead, Drizzt nearly dies like 30 times. Errtu's ONLY TICKET out of his banishment was nearly killed because Errtu wanted to mess with him for a couple months.
After Drizzt talks to Errtu the book actually reaches the point where the plot makes sense, and it ends fairly well. But literally 2/3rds of the book is a neverending flow of undescribable 'Wat' coming from RA Salvatore's typewriter.
I didn't know it was possible to make such a mountain out of a molehill as tiny as delivering a simple note. Easily one of the worst books I've read in a long time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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