Homeland (Forgotten Realms: The Dark Elf Trilogy, #1; Legend of Drizzt, #1) by R.A. Salvatore

Homeland (Forgotten Realms: The Dark Elf Trilogy, #1; Legend of Drizzt, #1) Reviews

• 
  Forrest

  Oh, Mr. Salvatore. Methinks thou hast bitten off more than thou canst chew.
  
  Intentionally or not, R.A. Salvatore has created a potential monster here. Not in the Underdark denizens or in the drow society that provides the backdrop for the story. Not even in Lloth, queen of the demonweb pits and diety to the drow. I'm talking about the themes of race, gender, and, most of all, the nature versus nurture debate. If I were a smarter man with more time, I'd delve into each of these, but suffice it to say that, for all its hacking, slaying, nobility, and heroics, Homeland is a sociologists dream-come-true. I would not be surprised if this book was picked apart in some obscure Master's thesis and the story's themes vetted against the author's background and the general social, racial, and economic background of the book's target audience. Salvatore has really opened a can of worms here.
  
  That said, let's take a quick look at the book itself, regardless of its (probably unintentional) implications.
  
  I love the setting. At times I felt a bit of tunnel vision while reading, like the room around me was getting darker and the only thing illuminating my eyes were the words on the page. Salvatore does an outstanding job of painting a picture.
  
  As far as plot goes - it's interesting, but not earth-shattering. The many intrigues of the book seem a little obvious, on the face of it. Once one understands the Drow modus operandi, nothing seems too surprising.
  
  What is surprising is the characterization. And this, I think, is where Salvatore is going to or has already gotten himself into trouble with modern readers. Or maybe not. The action focuses, of course, on Drizzt, the young dark elf born at the height of a battle in which his "house" is in the process of destroying another "house". Honestly, I found Drizzt to be unconvincing. He's pretty whiny, to be frank, and the altruism within him that Salvatore makes too obvious is not terribly believable, given the circumstances of his up-bringing - essentially being brainwashed and beat into submission at a young age to learn his place in Drow society. Problem is, who are Drizzt's role models for his resistance to the cultural programming he undergoes? Color me jaded, but the survival instinct often causes humans to bend to societal pressures to one degree or another. "But Drow are different!" you say. Really? Then why is Drizzt the only Drow to fully keep his own culture at bay? You might argue that Drizzt's weaponmaster, Zaknafein, successfully maneuvers his way around Drow culture while keeping his own moral code intact, but this is easily refuted by examining Zak and Drizzt's familial relationship itself (don't want to spoil, just keep in mind that their relationship is critical to the story). Besides, Zak, in the end, proves submissive to the matriarchal power of the Drow social structure.
  
  The character I find most believable is Vierna, one of Drizzt's sisters. Again, I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but it pays to read Vierna carefully, to see where and why she has resisted Drow society in some ways and succumbed in others. I find her the most compelling character of the book, though she is only a minor player in the grand scheme (and there is a grand scheme in this book - several, actually). I'd love to see a book or two focused solely on Vierna. There's fantasy gold there!
  
  Now, all that said, I really did enjoy the book. The nurture vs nature theme could and should have been handled with much more subtlety, but I was able to shrug off my annoyance and move on. Homeland sets the stage for something bigger, I am hoping. I will be reading the other two books in the Dark Elf Trilogy in the future. I can see the potential in Drizzt as a character and I'm thinking that we haven't seen the last of his clan or of a certain deep gnome. I look forward to seeing how Salvatore handles Drizzt's emotions as an outcast from among his own people and am especially excited to see where Drizzt's wanderings take him. The world building here is excellent, with a well-fleshed-out culture that could provide great cognizant dissonance in the main character as he strikes out to escape and explore the Underdark and maybe even the surface(???).
  
  So, I give it a 3.5, rounded up to a four. It has it's zits and scars, but with the right makeup this book could have been beautiful. I'm hoping it ages well in the next two volumes and leaves behind childish things as Drizzt leaves behind his childhood and his childhood home. It's time to grow up. I hope that Salvatore was a good parent.
  
  Oh, and if you do a Master's thesis on the sociological implications of the text, as I've outlined above, my consultant fees are reasonable . . . I take pay in blue cheese, expensive dark chocolate, good ginger ale, honest reviews of my own work and, of course, books.
• 
  Choko

  *** 4.44 ***
  
  I enjoyed it better the second time around... Maybe it is emotional judgement, but today, this book is as close to 4.5 as I can get (✿ ♡‿♡)
  
  *** 3.65 ***
  
  A buddy read with the wonderful folks at FBR Group!
  
  Now this is a series which I have been planning on reading for decades and even I have no idea why I kept putting it off until now... I own most of the books and kept buying them every time I ran across one or another in used book shops or Amazon sales, so I am very prepared to read all of them, as long as there is time and it is in G-d's plans... This is the beginning of the Legend of Drizzt, but I think it is sixth or seventh in the order of Forgotten Realms. Hopefully by the time I am done I will be able to have read every one of the books in this vast Universe. Since the books came after the Role Playing Game, I did not expect too much in the way of "literature" in this book, but I actually was pleasantly surprised. No, not that this is in any way high prose and immense literally value, but it was well enough written to allow us to grasp the nature of the world, begin caring about what happens with Drizzt and convey some intense action sequences on several occasions, so yeah, it was very entertaining.
  
  
  "... “They live with the belief that anything is acceptable if you can get away with it, that self-gratification is the most important aspect of existence, and that power comes only to she or he who is strong enough and cunning enough to snatch it from the failing hands of those who no longer deserve it. Compassion has no place in Menzoberranzan, and yet it is compassion, not fear, that brings harmony to most races. It is harmony, working toward shared goals, that precedes greatness.” ..."
  
  
  In the Underdark, "the secret world beneath the bustling surface of the Forgotten Realms", morals are everything that we see as immoral, and smart means cunning, while dog-eats-dog is the way of everyday life. In one of the Underdark caverns is the settlement of Menzoberranzan, where Dark Elves calling themselves Drow, have lived for generations. In their lore, the surface walking Light Elves had committed atrocities against the Drow and run them under the ground, where they have lived and worshiped the Spider Queen, their deity of chaos Lolth. Their society is matriarchal and family ties only matter as long as one can bring something of value to the family, which is closer to the meaning of the way the Mafia interprets it.
  
  
  "... “Ascension to power in drow society is a simple process of assassination. The Spider Queen is a deity of chaos, and she and her high priestesses, the true rulers of the drow world, do not look with ill favor upon ambitious individuals wielding poisoned daggers.” ..."
  
  
  In this dark and vicious world is born our hero, a drow named Drizzt Do'Urden, the third son of a matriarch who was very willing to sacrifice him to the goddess for taking down successfully a rival house and advancing in the overall hierarchy. From the first there is something odd about him, being born with violet eyes and thought blind by his relatives, which would have been a good enough reason to kill him right then and there. However, his first brother gets conveniently killed and this spares his life, putting him in the care of one of his sisters for the first 10 years. The boy shows smarts and eagerness, which are not necessarily good features in a male, the way this community is set up. So he gets as much or more beatings and "discipline" by the older sisters before being given under the tutelage of Zaknafei, the weapon master of house Do'Urden and Drizzt biological father. He turns out to be a very gifted sward master and from the age of 15 to about 30 is given into the military Academy, where he proves to be as good as his promise. But this is the place where he is finally introduced to the truth of his people and discovers that he doesn't really belong in this bloodthirsty lot.
  
  
  "... ““What place is this,” Drizzt asked the cat quietly, “that I call home? These are my people, by skin and by heritage, but I am no kin to them. They are lost and ever will be. “How many others are like me, I wonder?” Drizzt whispered, taking one final look. “Doomed souls, as was Zaknafein, poor Zak. I do this for him, Guenhwyvar; I leave as he could not, His life has been my lesion, a dark scroll etched by the heavy price exacted by Matron Malice’s evil promises. “Goodbye, Zack!” he cried, his voice rising in final defiance. “My father. Take heart, as do I, that when we meet again, in a life after this, it will surely not be in the hellfire our kin are doomed to endure.” ..."
  
  
  So, the book does tend to tell us more than show us as far as characters and emotions are concerned, but when it comes to the action, it does a really good job, kept me on the edge of my seat during every battle and duel. It is the story of the odd man out and it would have probably been much more impactful if I had read it at the time it was published, but I am glad I finally dived into this world. A fast and easy read, appropriate for all ages and good for those just coming into Fantasy. I am looking forward to the next adventure...
  
  Now I wish you all Happy Reading and may you always find what you need in the pages of a Good Book!!!
• 
  Markus

  I started this series long ago, but put it down as I wanted to save it for the right occasion. A few weeks of occasionally playing D&D whilst vacationing at home this summer made me absolutely long for it. Spending the remainder of the summer in the middle of the Norwegian mountains with very little I needed to get done, it seemed like the ideal time to go on some adventures with Drizzt.
  
  Homeland proved to be exactly what you'd expect from a tie-in novel written by a skilled author. It is well-written and well-constructed, with long streaks of completely unnecessary and uninteresting scenes.
  
  Full review to come after I read some more Drizzt books.
• 
  Charlotte Kersten

  Do I have a giant crush on Drizzt because I am simply trash for emotionally-fraught elf boys? YES.
• 
  Rick

  Maybe it's the deliberate hack-and-slash approach. Maybe it's that this book is intended for teenagers. Or maybe it's that George R. R. Martin's A Dance With Dragons hits stores in two days and I can't think of anything else. But after ignoring the pleas of online fans and personal friends for years upon years, my eventual reading of Homeland was one of utter disappointment. This is as hollow a book as you're bound to find.
  
  I feel for R.A. Salvatore. I really do. I truly believe that behind the obligatory fight scenes and overabundance of magic there is a good writer somewhere in him. Between the obvious evil and hit-you-on-the-head darkness of Homeland there are some genuinely well-written passages. But when he's in Forgotten Realms mode Salvatore knows his audience (and kudos to him for that ... he's been very successful with it), meaning he forces himself to move inside the tight constrictions of the genre — the often generic, bland, straightforward campaign setting of a role-playing game. 
  
  This is a world of very clear dichotomies, where on one side you have the good and on the other the bad. There are more shades of grey on Drizzt's armor than there are in all of Menzoberranzan. This results in a world that presents very few surprises, where victories are assured from the very beginning, and the choice between good and evil couldn't be less interesting.
  
  Homeland was released in 1990, right at the tail edge of the Dungeons and Dragons boom. At the time these books were a revelation in genre circles, but since, they've become antiquated and anachronistic. For a certain readership — one looking for the literary equivalent of a Michael Bay movie — Salvatore will give you exactly what you're looking for. Have at it. They're just not for me. Not anymore. 
  
  I wish ... I just wish he would have went for it, you know? There are the makings of a terrific story here, of a boy who escapes the trappings of a society bent on indoctrination and lawlessness to become a beacon of hope for a world wholly different than himself. There's power in this story, there's meaning here. But, due to the nature of the genre, Salvatore never had a chance. 
  
  Homeland won't challenge you, or provide you with amusement. But, ultimately it succeeds in its purpose: to entertain in a harmless, mindless fashion for a few hundred pages. But if you're tired of escapist, simplistic worlds where the only sell-points are sword-wielding and magic-dueling, move on. And if you were thinking of exploring the rest of The Forgotten Realms, well, Salvatore's the best you've got. So shudder at that thought.  
• 
  Laura

  5 dark stars
  
  I picked this one up out of sheer curiosity because everyone I know was gushing about it. And now I'll be the one doing the gushing because - and I just have to say it - this book is amazing!
  
  
  Drizzt by Rheann on DeviantArt
  
  Homeland is a dark cruel place where kindness and compassion are weak and disgracefull traits that need to be eradicated. Love and honour have no place on Homeland, where hate, cruelty and violence rule, burried deep within the bowels of the earth under the strict supervision of the malevolent Spider Queen.
  
  
  Drizzt the art of Todd Lockwood
  
  This world where new born male babies are sacrificed by their own mothers for the favour of the Queen and where children are brought up under the constant bite of snake-headed whips is the home of the young dark elf Drizzt, the hero of this series.
  Here we get to see how Drizzt grows up and how this dark world shapes the little boy he was into the exceptional young warrior he will become.
  
  
  Drizzt DoÚrden by -Akizhao on Deviant art
  
  There are so many great things I could tell you about this book but, as you may have neither enough time nor proper mood to go through it all, I'll just wrap it up and make it short by saying:
  
  I loved loved loved it! And I highly recommend it.
  Both young Drizzt and his fierce and loyal four-footed companion have found a place in my heart and I'll make sure I'll follow their adventures to the end.
  
  Find this review and more on my book review and cover art blog
  The Magic Book Corner
  
• 
  Traci

  I read this years ago, maybe ten, and wondered how it would measure up to my memory. Not bad.
  
  Salvatore is good at delivering what he promises. These are just fun action packed fantasy reads. With interesting places, memorable characters, exotic creatures and exciting battles. Although there are moments when he takes himself too seriously. When reading Forgotten Realms I'm not looking for philosophy you know?
  
  This is my favorite trilogy of the Drizzt books (a quick aside I enjoy Salvatore's writing but some of his names are just terrible). I like how each book has a theme and represents the journey of his youth.
  
  In Homeland we read about the drow and their homeworld. The family, religion, academic, and political aspects of their race. And although in this book they come across a little one dimensional (they get better) it's an interestingly different read.
  
  One of my favorite things about the character of Drizzt (and why I'm disappointed in later books) is his inherent goodness. He's not a flawed anti hero. He doesn't struggle with doing the right thing. He doesn't do the right thing because it's "right" (and actually in his world it's the wrong thing) but because it's instinct. But he also isn't a saint, savior, or paragon.
  
  My favorite sections in this one are those between Drizzt and his father Zaknafein (these names are like bad scramble hands-thanks mst3k) Zak like his son is cursed with morals in an immoral society. He is stuck in a life he hates. Lashing out the only way he can. In many ways reading this today ten years, or so, older I found his plight more interesting than young Drizzt's.
  
  So yes, I still loved it. It won't stack up well against your Martin, Erikson, Abercrombie, Kay...but they aren't meant to.
  
  I recommend to any open minded fan of fantasy who wants a fun quick book.
• 
  Elena Rodríguez

  “Ojalá tuviese el coraje de dejar este lugar o esta vida, o de enfrentarme abiertamente contra la maldad que es mi mundo, el de mi gente. El coraje de buscar una existencia que no esté en contra de mis creencias, sino regida por aquello que tengo por verdadero”.
  
  Maldita la hora que no he leído antes este autor y las aventuras del Elfo Oscuro. Maldita la hora que hice caso y empecé con los relatos, pero bendita la hora que decidí darle otra oportunidad al primer libro de Drizzt Do’Urden. Ha sido todo un descubrimiento y no puedo estar más contenta con lo que he me encontrado.
  
  “Jamás una estrella acaricia esta tierra con su poética luz cargada de misterios, ni tampoco el sol envía aquí sus cálidos rayos de vida. Esto es la Antípoda Oscura, el mundo secreto debajo de la resplandeciente superficie de los Reinos Olvidados, cuyo cielo es un techo de fría piedra, y cuyas paredes muestran la tumefacción de la muerte a la luz de las antorchas de los insensatos habitantes de la superficie que bajan hasta aquí. Este no es su mundo, el mundo de la luz. La mayoría de los que vienen sin ser invitados nunca regresan”.
  
  He de admitir que tenía una idea preconcebida de estos libros. Pensé que serían unos libros difíciles de leer y bastantes densos por no hablar de la cantidad ingentes de novelas que hay sobre este mundo. Sin embargo, fue leer las primeras paginas y embelesarme con lo que me he encontré. R.A Salvatore nos sumerge en un mundo oscuro tanto físicamente como psicológico donde la única luz que entra es la de las pocas antorchas o fuegos fatuos. A mí me recordó a los cuadros del período Barroco
  
  “Todavía no lo sabes…aunque lo aprenderás con el tiempo, mi joven estudiante…pero no hay nada más que dé sentido a la vida que el deseo de venganza”.
  
  En cuanto a los personajes debo admitir que me gustaron muchísimo, tanto el protagonista como los secundarios. Además, lo que más me gustaría destacar es como como el autor juega con la moral y nos da el punto de vista de los “villanos” y el porqué de sus acciones. También me encanta que al leer sientas el odio y la maldad que pueblan sus corazones y no son capaces de ver otra cosa.
  
  “La compasión no tiene cabida en Menzoberranzan, y no obstante es la compasión, no el miedo, lo que crea armonía en la mayoría de las razas, y es la armonía-la unión de conseguir metas compartidas-lo que precede a la grandeza”.
  
  Siento que no he leído sino la punta del iceberg y quiero seguir leyéndolos cueste lo que cueste. Sin prisa, pero sin pausa. R.A Salvatore ha encontrado otra fan.
  
  “¿Es que no puedes ver la maldad que te rodea?”
• 
  ✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans)

  😈 Wickedly Viciously Evil Elves Will Be Wickedly Viciously Evil And Stuff Buddy Read (WVEEWBWVEASBR™) with the MacHalos and stuff 😈
  
  Be glad and rejoice, my Little Barnacles, for today the crap shall be cut! (Hopefully.) ← a message from Sarah from the Future: it wasn’t. Cut, I mean. The crap, I mean. Surprise, surprise.
  
  Sooooo, this is a revoltingly disgusting coming of age story supposedly intended for male teenagers, aka the type of stuff that usually triggers this kind of reaction from me:
  
  
  
  But. My Half-Barnacled Son Mark read the book when he was naught but a wee little arthropod and thought it was slightly very good at the time. I should know better than to trust him (he is, after all, my son), but decided to throw caution to the wind Gulf Stream, be bold and brave and audacious as always, and said “What the fish! Let’s do this!”
  
  Well colour me shrimpy, Mark was not totally entirely wrong for once! (Shocking, I know. I can hardly believe it myself.) And so I ended up liking this book a tiny little bit, too. “And why is that?” you quickly kindly ask before I come up with a sort-of-neverending-kind-of-useless digression. Because this:
  
  ① The Deliciously Dark World:
  Where has Menzoberranzan—gesundheit!—been all my life?! Right there, you nitwit! If I’d known the city existed, I would have moved there with my murderous troops 250,000 cycles of Narbondel eons ago! Granted, it doesn’t have the oceanic charm of the Mariana Trench, but it’s got built-in treachery and cruelty and malevolence oh my!, aka a dream come true and stuff. I swear, the level of scheming and utter villainy in this book is quite unprecedented. I mean, these friendly little guys of the pointy ears here promote backstabbing as a way of life! Isn’t that wonderfully wonderful?! And what a bunch of beautifully gifted little weasels they are, too! As I may or may not have mentioned in my captivating pre-review of this book, I’m pretty sure every single one of them graduated with honors from the Glen Cook School of Wickedly Nefarious Backstabbing (GCSoWNB™). And I suspect a few of them might even have PhDs and stuff.
  
  
  
  ② The Ever So Charming Leading Ladies (ESCLL™):
  Ah, what joyous array of vicious, evil bitches charismatic, compassionate, kind, generous women we have here! This here is a matriarchal society, and I have to say that our ESCLL™ rule over it with an iron fist honesty, dignity, honor, altruism and grace. And also sometimes with snake-headed whips. Oooh, kinky! 🤗 The lowly males of Menzoberranzan—gesundheit!—really are quite lucky to live in a world governed by such remarkably thoughtful beings. And they know it, too. That’s probably why they spend their stabby blissy days singing
  Lurve Is All Around at the top of their little elvish lungs.
  
  ③ The Super Fluffy Extra Cuddly Petting Zoo:
  Simply put, the fabulously cute pets in this book are just as lovely as the previously mentioned Ever So Charming Leading Ladies. (I have it on good authority that all of them have been shortlisted for the Nobel Peace Prize this year. So many remarkably pacifistic candidates to choose from. Not sure how the jury is going to decide who to give the dough prize to.) They are as beautifully diverse as the soothing colors of a pastel-colored rainbow, too. And ever so playful, which makes them quite the delight to be around, to be honest.
  
  
  
  Gertrude the Illithid is a masquerade ball fan, as you can see.
  
  They usually are playful, anyway. Poor Bart the Yochlol (no relation to LOL, but
  Lumière’s cousin twice removed) ate something that didn’t sit very well with him, I’m afraid, and is feeling a little yellowish around the candle sticks as a result. So you could say he isn’t in the most whimsical mood at the moment (quite understandably so).
  
  
  
  Such fragile little creatures, these Yochlols. And such a shame that is. A good thing one can always count on Hook Horrors (a delightfully playful name, is it not?). They have wonderfully resistant digestive systems (much like my murderous children, from what I hear), and are always ready to partay and stuff. They come in pretty handy when it’s time to let the booze flow and there are no bottle openers or corkscrews on the premises, too.
  
  
  
  Look at Giddy Gustav here, always on the lookout for some uncorking action!
  
  ④ My new boyfriend Zak Drizzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt:
  Yeah yeah yeah, I know, this should have been my ① instead of my ④, and it would have been, had Zak been the MC for this book, not Drizzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt, but he isn’t and is, so there. Don’t get me wrong, Drizzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt isn’t so bad for a lowly kid. He’s a 30-year-old one for starters (don’t ask, it’s an elvish thing). And his favorite toys are two scimitars (he’s a Prince of Persia fan, you see), which is bloody shrimping cool, if you ask me. I mean, scimitars are like the Swiss Army Knife of the Underdark. You can use them either to chop chop chop the enemy into tiny little pieces or to carve the Christmas turkey. If that isn’t bloody shrimping cool, I don’t know what is. But I ever so slightly digress. So yeah, Drizzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt isn’t too allergy-inducing despite being so revoltingly youthful. He’s got a lot of Live and Learn Young Padawan (LaLYP™) to do before he gets all harem-worthy, but I have to admit he has potential. Besides, he’s got my Yummy Zak to train him, and be the Mr. Miyagi to his Karate Kid, so yay and stuff. The basics Zak shall teach him, and all grown-up and experienced and wise he shall instantly become and stuff.
  
  
  
  In a nutshell, yes.
  
  ➽ Nefarious Last Words (NLW™): Between the most delicious backstabbing, Glorious Fast Forwarding (GFF™), and, Forkalava-like pets—yeah, I guess I forgot to mention that (Guenhwyvar FTW!)—I’m beginning to think R.A. Salvatore might be Glen Cook’s long lost step-nephew thrice removed. Or something.
  
  👋 To be continued and stuff.
  
  · Book 2:
  Exile ★★★
  · Book 3:
  Sojourn ★★★
  
  
  
  Pre-review nonsense
  
  If I'd known that the characters in this deliciously evil world had all graduated with honors from the Glen Cook School of Wickedly Nefarious Backstabbing (GCSoWNB™), I'd have read this series centuries ago! Some of them even have PhDs, for shrimp's sake! It's gloriously glorious and stuff!
  
  
  
  Full review to come and stuff.
• 
  Niki Hawkes - The Obsessive Bookseller

  Via Book Reviews by Niki Hawkes at
  www.nikihawkes.com
  
  “Homeland’ is not just the first of an amazing trilogy, but is also the beginning of the brilliant “Legend of Drizzt” saga. A well-rounded prequel, it takes you deep into the kingdom of Menzoberranzan where dark elves rule with unabashed cruelty. Among them dwells Drizzt, an anomaly with honor and compassion who yearns for a different life. A tad slow to start, the story soon launches to become one of the most epic fantasy adventures in the genre.
  
  There are a lot of positives to this series: Highly, and I mean HIGHLY memorable characters – I swear they’re practically a religion at this point, some of the most stylized and intricate sword-fighting scenes you’ll ever read, epic world-building, and a unique, mold-shattering storyline – I’ve never read such a fantastic tribute to the dark elf culture.
  
  As good as the characterization is, I find it somewhat lacking in one regard: While there are a plethora of beautiful women, there is a distinct lack of relatable feminine characters, as most of them express male personalities and tendencies. While that works for some women (I realize we’re all wonderfully different creatures), it should not be the standard for all. I believe women warriors can be both feminine and dangerous, just examine Kahlan in the Sword of Truth series, and you’ll know what I mean. In any case, I don’t think that distinction bothered many people, and despite my opinion on it, I still loved ALL the characters and Salvatore remains solidly in my top 10.
  
  Overall, if you want a long-term sustaining series that will take you on epic adventures, involve you in fantastic fight-scenes, and make you fall in love with some of the most brilliant fantasy characters in the genre’s history, then these are the books for you! Still going strong, there are over 25 titles that continue the story, and each one is honestly as good as the last.
  
  Recommendations: Although the “Icewind Dale” trilogy was written first, I strongly recommend you start with “Homeland” in the “Dark Elf” trilogy, as it is first chronologically. Not only will that give the story more of a solid flow, but is also a much stronger representation of Salvatore’s works as the series continues, so if you like it, you’ll probably like the entire saga.
  
  by Niki Hawkes
  
  Other books you might like:
  
  “Dragons of Autumn Twilight” by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
  “The Cleric Quintet” by R.A. Salvatore (a spinoff worth reading after book 10 or so)
  “Magician: Apprentice” by Raymond E. Feist
  “Wayfarer Redemption” by Sara Douglass
  “Wizard’s First Rule” by Terry Goodkind
• 
  Kaora

  I'll admit it.
  
  I went into this expecting a book like Dragons of Autumn Twilight. An interesting world, flat characters and cheesy dialogue.
  
  I was not expecting how dark it was.
  
  The drow are the survivors, and this is the Under-dark, the valley of death - the land of nameless nightmares.
  
  In Menzoberranzan anything goes as long as you aren't caught. Into this society, Drizzt Do'Urden is born, a drow with rare violet eyes and a conscience. He must struggle to come to terms with a society that will do anything to appease a violent and bloodthirsty Spider Queen, and hopefully keep his integrity.
  
  I think the thing that I enjoyed the most was the world building. Salvatore paints a bleak picture but a lot of the settings were painted much better than was done in Dragons. I also did enjoy getting to know Zak and Drizzt two of my favorite characters.
  
  Some of the dialogue was a bit cheesy, but I think the world building more than made up for that.
  
  I am definitely a fan.
• 
  Xabi1990

  Por Dios, qué noble y bueno es el protagonista, Drizzt. Este tío –este elfo- por no tener no ha debido de de tener ni un solo pensamiento de Lujuria, y eso que al final del libro ya debe de tener 40 años (es que viven 700 u 800 los elfos oscuros estos).
  
  Os cuento: el argumento va de unos “elfos” que viven en las profundidades de la tierra, que está llena de cavernas, cuevas, grutas, pasadizos, galerías, lagos y de todo. Que les podéis llamar elfos como si les queréis llamar de cualquier otra manera, por cierto, que a los elfos típicos de ESDLA no se parecen.
  Bueno, pues son todos mas malos que “arrancaos”. Son malos malísimos: traidores, crueles, bestiales, siempre dispuestos a lo que sea por aumentar su poder o el prestigio de su Casa, las cuales están regidas por rígidos matriarcados. Y las mujeres que aparecen son todas hechiceras y mas malas que el Covid.
  
  Pues bueno, nuestro joven héroe es más bueno que el pan. Sin medias tintas ni ostias, bueno que te pasas. Y, claro, choca con la sociedad esa pero a la vez se hace un maestro espadachín de la repera. El mejor, sin duda (¡oh!, sorpresa, un héroe que es Lo Más con la espada OMG). O sea, el héroe de toda la vida de espada y brujería.
  
  ¿No suena ni muy bien ni muy original? Los matices son los que cuentan en este caso.
  
  Porque la sociedad matriarcal de Casas, con intrigas políticas y rivalidades feroces está muy bien traída y esa dicotomía absoluta “Todos malos/héroe bueno” tiene su puntito. Y en mi caso ha sido empezar el libro y no dejar de leer.
  
  Que sí, que el camino iniciático del Drizzt este ya está muy visto, pero qué queréis que os diga, yo me lo he pasado bien. Tanto que ya he empezado el segundo. Y es que quién se resiste al protagonista guapo, listo, bueno, super-hábil, noblote, generoso, etc, etc, etc. ¡Joder, si parece el Richard Gere de Pretty Woman trasladado a una novela de elfos!
  
  Acabo repitiendo que no os engañe la palabra “elfo”, que ya he dicho que no es lo de siempre. Y añado que es mi primer “R.A.Salvatore” y el autor escribe muy fluido y, al menos en este libro, engancha cosa mala.
  
  La quinta estrella la pierde porque no hay quien se crea eso de “todos malos/yo bueno” y porque sigue el arquetipo del héroe de espada y brujería. Pero si no os molesta eso le podéis ver como un 5 estrellas.
  
• 
  Mike Mueller

  The only way I can explain the love for this book is that people read it when they were 13 and are remembering it fondly. The writing style holds the reader's hand a lot: we're told the motives behind every character's action, instead of having to derive intent from their actions, the narration stops to explain how things work rather than immersing us in the world and letting us figure it out. It's also a binary world: everyone is either evil or good, even entire races are described as "evil" by the narrator.
  
  Overall Drizzt is the embodiment of geek wish-fulfillment: an incredibly talented swordsman, who also happens to be amazingly talented in sorcery (so much so that they had a tough time determining which school he should go to). He's the only person with a morality we would recognize in a world of people who see no problem with killing, who worship a spider god, and who only understand violence as a way of life. Oh, he also has a super cool pet panther.
  
  One example of how little sense Drizzt makes: the first time he, or any of his underground-dwelling friends, encounter life on the surface, he is somehow the only person who automatically recognizes the sights, sounds, and smells as beautiful. Also, the narrator doesn't try to show us the surface world as it would be experienced by someone who had spent his whole life underground, instead just talks about squirrels, birds, and trees as though Drizzt would know what these things are. Granted it would be hard to write that scene from Drizzt's perspective, but that challenge is the heart of fiction: showing us the world from another's point of view.
  
  I think there's a decent story in here and did manage to finish the book, but I think the morality problems in this book need to be handled with a bit more sophistication in order to feel at all real.
• 
  Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin

  I love this fantasy series of Drizzt! I'm slowly getting all of them and as I have been searching there are a lot of them. I'm glad one of my best friends who loves fantasy told me about this series.
  
  I don't have the good mind or words to write a big review. You can read what it's about and if you love these kinds of books then this is one for you!
  
  All I can say is Drizzt is a dark elf with a good heart!
• 
  David - proud Gleeman in Branwen's adventuring party

  The first R. A. Salvatore book I read was “Sword of Bedwyr”, and I would liken it to an action-packed summer blockbuster movie. It was filled with exciting fight scenes, and the characters got off a lot of funny one-liners, but the plot itself was pretty basic and generic. I went into “Homeland” expecting something similar, but as it turns out, if “Sword of Bedwyr” was a breezy popcorn movie, then “Homeland” is an Academy-Award winning epic!
  
  While “Homeland” does feature some of Salvatore’s signature detailed action sequences and humor, the focus this time is the story and character development. Salvatore creates a world and mythology for the dark elves that is incredibly deep and compelling. It truly is an amazing journey watching the young Drizzt Do’Urden become more and more aware of the evils of his homeland and his refusal to be a part of it. Drizzt’s moral dilemma would have been interesting enough to carry the book, but Salvatore also gives us many other captivating characters in Drizzt’s family as well, from middle sister Vierna, who is not totally infected by the evil of her homeland but lacks the backbone to fight it, to mother Matron Malice and oldest sister Briza, who are all too eager to embrace the malevolence and cruelty that permeates Menzoberranzen.
  
  The only problem I had with this book was, since it was my first time reading about Drizzt (or any book from the Forgotten Realms universe), I did have a little trouble keeping up with everything at first. However, it didn’t take me long at all to become completely immersed in the world of the dark elves. If anyone starts reading this book and finds it a little hard to get into at first, I would definitely recommend you stick with it, as you will be greatly rewarded.
  
  If this had been simply a good book, it would have just made me want to read more of the legend of Drizzt. But this book is so incredible, it actually made me want to read more about the entire Forgotten Realms universe!
  
• 
  Beatriz

  ¡Qué diferencia respecto de los libros del Valle del Viento Helado! Se nota que la trilogía de El Elfo Oscuro fue escrita después, a pesar de ser la precuela de la anterior, porque es mucho más oscura y más profunda.
  
  La Morada es la primera entrega, que nos muestra la vida de Drizzt Do’Urden en Menzoberranzan, desde su nacimiento hasta que finalmente decide rebelarse a su familia y su destino. Podemos conocer y comprender todo su proceso de autoconocimiento en esta sociedad de antivalores regida por el culto a la Reina Araña. Todo lo anterior, por supuesto, junto a una emocionante trama de intrigas y traiciones.
  
  Rob Salvatore, se supera aún más en sus descripciones y mientras se leen las escenas de acción, es imposible no imaginar a Drizzt luchando/bailando con sus cimitarras. Punto adicional se lo lleva también por las descripciones de Menzoberranzan, su política, sus habitantes y su cultura matriarcal.
  
  Muy recomendable y yo ya tengo en la mira el segundo libro:
  El exilio.
  
• 
  Connor

  I didn't really know what to expect from this book going in, but I was pleasantly surprised. I really loved learning about the world and the culture of the drow elves. Drizzt is awesome, and I thought the characters were all pretty interesting. The writing style took me a while to get used to. I think sometimes it made me feel disconnected from the novel, but I'm thinking I'll just like the books more and more as I read them and I won't have those disconnection problems going forward.
• 
  Mario the lone bookwolf

  An old school, cool dark fantasy original, unleashing the full sadomasochistic, hierarchical dominatrix style tradition while conjuring around.
  
  How important was it?
  As so often, I am just not, in this case, dark fantasy, prone enough to really know the long term impact, scale, and importance of this work. Or whatever came before or after, but I deem it interesting in the context of evolving real life societies, especially male and female role models, emancipation, and sexism.
  
  BDSM Domina(tion)
  Depending on how one is into certain practices, one can find immense pleasure or confusion and disinclination in this dark fantasy matriarchy turned dominatrix madness. I liked it for the just logical reason of very well written character dynamics and worldbuilding. No, honestly, I´m more the sadistic kind of guy, that´s just not my carrot and stick role allocation.
  
  Quick, fast, and easy to read.
  I´m especially mentioning this because fantasy sadly tends to do endless, confusing exposition until something really substantial happens. Here, one is immediately in the dark grid and gore of the universe without much time to relax while exploring the wackiness. That´s also a reason why it´s a perfect read in between, a satisfying trilogy that doesn´t take too much time to complete it.
  
  Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
  
  https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
  
• 
  Eon ♒Windrunner♒

  I should not be surprised that I really loved this book. I have heard the name of Drizzt mentioned many times in conversations regarding awesome characters, but somehow managed to avoid reading this book until now. I'm not sure if I should be sad that I have only discovered this series now, or happy that I have so many wonderful books to look forward to.
  
  Upon starting this book I struggled a bit getting to know the world of the drow (why is everyone so evil? Ah, villain POV) and kept wondering what was happening. Luckily this only lasted up until the birth of the main character Drizzt Do'Urden. The story really took off from there and kept me in it up to the ending which I thought could have been a bit more climatic, but is more of a setup/intro for the next book in the series. Luckily I don't have to wait to get my hands on the next one.
  
  All in all a very enjoyable read that ticked almost all of the boxes. Loved Drizzt and Guenhwyvar and looking forward to the next book in this series. 4.5 stars!
  
  
  
  
• 
  Lore Kapo

  Cuando leí por primera vez el Señor de los Anillos, fui invadida por una voracidad que no me daba tregua. Soñaba incluso con la historia y los personajes.
  
  Pasaron muchos años hasta que volví a sentir la misma avidez lectora.Y eso ocurrió cuando me encontré con la primera trilogía de El Elfo Oscuro, de R. A. Salvatore.
  
  Una podría pensar que estamos ante una emulación de Tolkien y, si bien los ingredientes de ese tipo de fantasía están presentes, la historia da algunos giros magistales que la hacen única.
  
  Por un lado, nos enfrentamos a la existencia de una Antípoda Oscura, donde lo cruel se impone como forma de organización social y el odio es la base de los vínculos. Eso ya permite deconstruir ciertas idealizaciones del mundo élfico.
  
  Por el otro, las cavilaciones de un elfo oscuro en relación a esa vida y sus relaciones tienen un toque tan magistral en términos narrativos, que dan ganas de copiar frases a granel.
  
  A los tres libros que componen la Trilogía del El Elfo Oscuro no los leí, los devoré y se ganaron un lugar privilegiado en mi lista de favoritos. Así como Drizzt Do' Urden es definitivamente uno de los personajes más amados de mi panteón fantástico.
  
  Si hubiera diez estrellas, se las doy ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• 
  Michael Sorbello

  Brings me back to my childhood days of playing various jrpgs like Final Fantasy 7 and Tales of Symphonia (I still play them, but the childhood nostalgia was worth mentioning.) The plot and setting is as simplistic as fantasy can get, and that's not a bad thing by any means as it takes pride in its simplicity and utilizes it to the best of its ability. The plot is predictable but the action, character exchanges and little bits of philosophy and politics are entertaining enough to continue reading through to the end.
  
  I appreciated Drizzt as the underdog protagonist, the guy that sees things differently than everyone else and wants to make some serious changes to his depraved and crooked society. I also enjoyed his master-student bond with his teacher Zaknafein, the ending to their relationship was definitely tragic but it served in fleshing out the young dark elf and hardening him up for the dangerous journey ahead. A very fun book and I look forward to delving deep into the long list of Forgotten Realms books.
  
  ***
  
  If you're looking for dark ambient music that's perfect for reading horror, thrillers, dark fantasy and other books like this one, then be sure to check out my YouTube Channel called Nightmarish Compositions:
  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPs...
• 
  Pat the Book Goblin

  Homeland is the first book in the Dark Elf Trilogy written by R. A. Salvatore in 1990. The Dark Elf Trilogy is a prequel trilogy before the Icewind Dale Trilogy which Salvatore actually wrote first. When Salvatore wrote the Icewind Dale Trilogy Drizzt Do’Urden was a side character, but fans wanted to know more about the dual sword fighting dark elf. So, Salvatore wrote the origins of Drizzt and boy what a tale!
  
  Here’s the chronological order for the first few books (but not all):
  
  The Dark Elf Trilogy
  Homeland
  Exile
  Sojourn
  
  The Icewind Dale Trilogy
  The Crystal Shard
  Streams of Silver
  The Halfling’s Gem
  
  Legacy of the Drow Series
  The Legacy
  Starless Night
  Siege of Darkness
  Passage to Dawn
  
  Homeland takes place in the Underdark in the city of Menzoberranzan (say that ten times fast). Drizzt is born into an evil society of the drow, or dark elves. It is a matriarchal society but with a dictatorship-like rule. Drizzt was born on the same night his patron mother attacked another drow family in order to increase her power and standing in the ranks of society.
  
  Drizzt Do’Urden is not like the other drow who are vicious, double-crossing, demon worshippers. He’s compassionate, loving, and strong with a true sense of right and wrong. Drizzt feels out of place in his own land and craves to find a place to belong.
  
  This was a great book and I can’t wait to read the other books in the series! I will get as far in the series as my wallet takes me! I’m hooked! Drizzt is one of my favorite characters in the Fantasy genre. I really love his mix of the “every man” and “superman” traits. He is unbeatable in melee combat, but his tender heart and longing for a place to belong is something we all can relate to. Oh, and Drizzt gets a pet panther! Say WHAT?!?! Yup, its name is Guenhwyvar (if you figure out how to say it let me know).
  
  In closing, Homeland is extremely dark and in some places I actually winced because some of the scenes were just plain evil. I guess that comes with the dark fantasy territory right? Putting that aside, the story was exceptional and I really love Drizzt. I hope you will too! Off to book two I go!!!
• 
  Kristen

  3.5/5ish stars
  
  The Skinny:
  
  Drizzt Do’Urden, is born into the vicious society of the drow elves. Raised primarily by his sister, Vierna, and later Zak, Drizzt learns the ways of the dark elves. Something is different about Drizzt though; in many ways he is unlike his evil drow kin. While those around him give themselves over to pleasing the Spider Queen, Drizzt finds it exceedingly more difficult to function in a world that goes against his inner morals.
  
  The review:
  
  There were several things about this novel that made it unique from a lot of other fantasy novels I have read.
  
  One of the most distinctive aspects of this novel is the role that women play in the drow world. I have read about strong women in fantasy in the past, but this book takes the cake. In the drow society, the women are the total rulers; they dictate the entire society, and treat men as if they are beneath them. The women have no problem demonstrating their authority over the men through the use of their snake headed whips. P.S. The snake headed whips are about as awful as they sound. The men are basically there to support and aid the women in gaining higher and higher positions in both the drow households and the larger society. The women have no qualms about demanding respect, and beating or killing off those who hold them back.
  
  *The woman in me loves the fact that the drow female are so powerful, yet at the same time I see them for what they are: evil.*
  
  Another distinguishing aspect of this novel is the total and complete evilness of the drow society. There is absolutely no mercy; the drow (except for our beloved Dizzt of course) are wholly obsessed with power and title will do whatever it takes to get more of it.
  
  While I appreciated this book for its uniqueness, it still felt a little lacking. When I read some fantasy books I am frantically highlighting beautiful descriptions, epic battle scenes, etc. While reading this book I highlighted a grand total of about four lines. It is not because I didn’t enjoy this book, but rather the writing just wasn’t as captivating as some other books I have read (SANDERSON!).
  
  Overall:
  
  I am extremely happy to have finally read about the famous Drizzt! I will be continuing with the series, because even though the book lacked in the beautiful writing department, the plot was still pretty kickass ;)
  
• 
  Arghavan

  الآن که این نظر رو مینویسم، هر سه جلد رو خوندم و ممکنه کمی رو نظرم تاثیرگذار بوده باشه که اینقدر ازش خوشم اومد ولی موقع خوندن درباره اش حرف زدم و میتونم با اطمینان بگم که این کتاب چه در جلد اول چه در طول سه گانه سیر صعودی خودش رو حفظ کرد و دست از غافلگیری بر نداشت.
  از جلد اول پر بود از شخصیت های جذاب که گذرا میومدن و میرفتن و تشنه رهات میکردن و با بازگشتشون چیزی جز شادی برات نمیاوردن😍😍😍
  چقدر موجودات این دنیا جذاب بودن
  دارک الف
  نوم
  دورف
  ایلیتید
  و...
  چه روایتی
  چه کششی
  چه رشد شخصیتی
  چقدر خوب داستان به شخصیت های مختلف نگاهی مینداخت و تک شخصیتی جلو نمیرفت
  Magga Cammara
  دیگه چی میخوام از این کتاب؟
  اولش خیلی با دقت و سنگین رنگین خوندم اومدم جلو که یکم شخصیت ها دستم بیان ولی مگه میشد برای زک و بلوار و گونوار ذوق نکرد😋😍
  بهترین شخصیت های جلد اول برام اینا بودن
  شاید باید این نظر رو برای همه جلدهاش بنویسم🧐
  ولی یه ضعف بزرگ داشت و اونم دنیاپردازیش بود. توضیح خاصی در این باره نداد و واقعا دلم میخواست بیشتر درباره اش بدونم و از طرفی واقعا دنیاش جذابه 🥲 همه که بازی نکردن بدونن🥲
  شخصیت های تاریک و خبیث با نیات شیطانی هم که پر بود تو این جلد خصوصا تو شهر بزرگمون یعنی منزوبرنزن😌
  و اتفاقی که آخر جلد یک میوفته واقعا نویسنده به شایستگی این مجموعه رو شروع کرد و این کشش و حس کنجکاوی و خواستن بیشتر رو در من به وجود آورد.
  من واقعا از این کتاب لذت بردم حالا دلم نمیاد بخاطر دنیا پردازیش ستاره کم کنم🥲 ته دلم میخوام 5 ستاره بدم ولی دنیاسازیش یا توضیح درباره ی هر نژاد خیلی محدود و اندک بود و من بیشتر میخواستم پس 4 ستاره میدم🤗
• 
  Wanda Pedersen

  This novel relates the first installment of Drizzt Do’Urden’s back story, namely his birth into Drow Elf society. As I have come to expect from Salvatore, it is melodramatic in the extreme. Drow society is over-the-top evil, bad in every way. Despite the fact that Drow females don’t produce many offspring comparative to their extra-long lifespans, Drizzt was conceived as a sacrifice to the horrible spider goddess Lloth and he is spared this fate when one of his brothers murders the other. Lloth’s supremacy as spider goddess has yielded a matriarchal society, where women are dominant and, like female spiders, are quite willing to dispense with a male once his purpose has been served. There is nothing resembling honour in Drow circles—not even between family members. So Drizzt’s violet eyes and moral sense set him apart from his own society.
  
  We also learn how he became involved with his side-kick, Guenhwyvar the black panther and how he became the fighting machine that we are familiar with from previous books.
  
  I can see where in a gaming situation, OTT characters such as these would be fun to play. It’s often more fun to be a villain than a hero because you get to do the awful things.
  
  Book number 273 in my Science Fiction and Fantasy reading project.
  
• 
  Stephen

  4.5 stars. I have not read a lot of "Forgotten Realms" novels and did not go into this book with overly high expectations. Well, those expectations were greatly exceeded and I found myself loving it. The character of Drizzt is fascinating and the politcal/social/environmental structure of the drow, or dark elves, was very well thought out and incredibly interesting. I will certainly read the remaining books in this series. Highly recommended.
• 
  Maurice Africh

  I haven't fallen seriously behind on my reviews, so I wanted to take some time to catch up.
  
  Homeland was a fun book and a great introduction to Drizzt and the dark world he inhabits. I think the narrative felt a little dated, but that's probably because it is. Even still, I like Drizzt a lot. I loved his complex relationship with Zaknafein, and I *hated* their inability to communicate effectively. I've never been a fan of the miscommunication trope, but it worked here.
  
  I was told time and time again to give R A Salvatore a chance, and I was not disappointed. I look forward to continuing the series (albeit at a leisurely pace).
• 
  Anna

  Κάθε fan του fantasy που σέβεται τον εαυτό του θα πρέπει να γνωρίζει (τουλάχιστον) τον Salvatore (όχι μόνο τους αδερφούς Salvatore στο VD κορίτσια!) και ως αρχή να διαβάσει την πρώτη τριλογία με ήρωα τον Ντριτζ, το dark elf που ζει στη μητριαρχική κοινωνία, στα έγκατα της γης και ονειρεύεται έναν καλύτερο και δικαιότερο κόσμο. Κοινωνικά μηνύματα και εσωτερικές αναζητήσεις ταυτόχρονα με μάχες και συνωμοσίες πολιτικής, aka pure fantasy!!!
  
  Στα ελληνικά από τις εκδόσεις anubis, η έκδοση είναι pocket size (και σε μένα έφυγε όλη η πρώτη τριλογία κατά τα φοιτητικά μου χρόνια στις μετακινήσεις μου μέσα στο λεωφορείο)
• 
  Marcos Castro roqueñi

  Cumple con su objetivo; una lectura sencilla y entretenida. El comienzo de una gran saga, por la cantidad de libros, más que nada. Hace años leí El Valle del Viento Helado, y me encandiló, fué mi incursión en la fantasía y con este libro vuelvo a mis orígenes. Comienza una epopeya.