| Title | : | The Dao of Drizzt |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 426 |
| Publication | : | Published September 20, 2022 |
Growing up in the chaos of Menzoberranzan, one young drow elf tries to make sense of the conflict between the traditions he must serve and the protestations of his own conscience. To lay bare the injustices he sees and to strengthen his own resolve to follow the ethical call of his heart, Drizzt Do'Urden is both an agent of action and self-reflection.
These, his writings, become critical to his salvation, the way in which he makes sense of a world that to him makes little sense at all. The impact of his words, of his meditation, of his inward determination will carry him forward, forcing upon him decisions that others would consider noble, perhaps, but surely foolhardy...impossible even.
But to Drizzt, the only choice is to do what is true and right.
These journal entries, then, show the struggle between what has always been and what should be, where the courage to transcend the many obstacles of societal expectations and entrenched power--if nowhere else, then in the soul of an idealist. They were written to help Drizzt understand himself. But the universal truths will resonate with readers throughout the Realms.
The Dao of Drizzt Reviews
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Taking all the narrative parts from all the Drizzt novels published & combined into one book was a great idea. Listening to this book rekindled my love for these characters & want to go back thru the books as there were characters or plots I no longer remember. Victor Bevine does his usual perfect performance narrating this book & the majority of the other Drizzt novels. This book is definitely worth your time.
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Nice little surprise at the end of the book.
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I read this book because Drizzt Do'Urden is my favorite fictional character. Ever. And I am soon going to be sitting in on a panel with, and meeting, legendary author R.A. Salvatore during his appearance at New York Comic Con this year. It's been a solid 20 years since I have read these books though! When I was younger, all I read was epic fantasy, I was not the genre-diverse reader that I am now. Drizzt and his world were a major obsession during my teen years and cemented my love of epic fantasy. Throughout the many books Drizzt is featured in, he writes down his thoughts on life, love, good versus evil, motivations, etc. The Dao of Drizzt compiles all of these writings and gives the reader an overview of his heart and soul and mind, and how he learns and grows. It also provided a little refresher on what happened over the course of the books. I wanted this refresher before this meeting with Salvatore. I enjoyed it! But if you haven't read the books, you probably wouldn't. I feel like it's more of a collector's piece for Drizzt fans.
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The Legacy of Drizzt Do'Urden began 34 years ago. I first discovered the books in high school and have been following the series for the past 25 years. The Drizzt's reflections in his essays are consistant throughout the series. I wouldn't say they helped shape my worldview as an adolescent, but they did reinforce it. As we witness Drizzt's journey from the Underdark, we also witness him shape his own worldview. Drizzt reflects on morality, mortality, life, death, and grief throughout his experiences. Drizzt comes to form his thoughts on friendship, community, and family.
This compilation of Drizzt's essays is exactly what fans of Drizzt needed. I was very excited to see this anthology was being released. If you have not read any of the Drizzt Do'Urden books, then this book may not be for you. I highly recommend reading the series if you're a fan of adult fantasy and Dungeons and Dragons. I haven't read some of the Drizzt books in years, but reading through the essays was kind of like getting a summary of all the books from Drizzt directly. My only complaint is that I felt the essays could get emotionally heavy, or repetitive at times, which I believe is the consequence of reading them all in order, rather than spaced out through the books. "How many hours have I spent penning these essays, clearing my thoughts in lines of words, winding and weaving until I know what I know?" The repetitive nature of these entries shows Drizzt's conscience at its core; that part of ourselves that fixates on a problem until we work it out.
Drizzt will always remind me that family is chosen, community is built, and one should always be open to love, even in the face of loss.
I received an advanced copy of this book for an honest review. -
Quick impressions: The book is clearly for fans of the series. Readers who have read most or all of the series may appreciate this the most if they wish to have the dark elf's writings in one place. For more casual readers, this book may be a mixed bag. Some material is not that interesting, but your mileage may vary.
(A full review of this will be available on my blog the week this book is released.) -
I really didn't like this one, so I'm just going to say that even though I did not enjoy this and found it fell flat for me, that you just might like it... thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
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What a wonderful way to rewalk the paths that this series has carried me down. I have read most of these "sorts" while reading the original series, but having them all together like a journal gives an easier walk through the mind and heart of one of my most beloved characters. It also is a good look into my own self. Love it!
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Review The Dao of Drizzit by R A Salvatore
I firstly want to thank Harper365ya for sending me an E-Arc this book to review. My review is left voluntarily and is completely honest.
Drizzit was one of the first fantasy novels I read after The Lord of the Rings. Being tied to the world of Dungeons and Dragons it has been dear to my heart for a long time despite some of the criticisms of the world of Dungeons and Dragons and its politics. To say I have a grown up in the world Drizzit inhabits is not an understatement, I am really that nerdy and proud. So when I learned there was a new book coming out that deals with Drizzit’s journal entries I was more than excited, I was ecstatic.
R.A. Salvatore provides a deeper insight into the psyche of arguably one of the most famous and popular characters from the worlds of Dungeons and Dragons and the Forgotten Realms. Perfect for fans new and old alike. I couldn’t help but smile with references to previous books, adventures and hardships and deep insight Drizzit shares and how it moulded him into the hero he has become.
Written in a style that makes you feel as you are almost having a conversation with the hero himself we get a deeper understanding than we could have ever hoped with some themes easily applicable to the real world. While different from previous novels this is a joy to read and will definitely be something I return to time and time again.
I firstly want to thank Harper365ya for sending me an E-Arc this book to review. My review is left voluntarily and is completely honest.
Drizzt was one of the first fantasy novels I read after The Lord of the Rings. Being tied to the world of Dungeons and Dragons it has been dear to my heart for a long time despite some of the criticisms of the world of Dungeons and Dragons and its politics. To say I have a grown up in the world Drizzt inhabits is not an understatement, I am really that nerdy and proud. So when I learned there was a new book coming out that deals with Drizzt's journal entries I was more than excited, I was ecstatic.
R.A. Salvatore provides a deeper insight into the psyche of arguably one of the most famous and popular characters from the worlds of Dungeons and Dragons and the Forgotten Realms. Perfect for fans new and old alike. I couldn’t help but smile with references to previous books, adventures and hardships and deep insight Drizzt shares and how it moulded him into the hero he has become.
Written in a style that makes you feel as you are almost having a conversation with the hero himself we get a deeper understanding than we could have ever hoped with some themes easily applicable to the real world. While different from previous novels this is a joy to read and will definitely be something I return to time and time again. -
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Drizzt Do’Urden, drow ranger, has lived an interesting life. Born in the corrupt, hedonistic, violent city of Menzoberranzan, he fled to the surface to find a life philosophy he could follow. He has lived a life that focused on protecting others and fighting evil. His life has been filled with adventure, friends, loss, and victories. He has to deal with racism and seek acceptance. We have read his story, but now for the first time, we get to read his reflections.
What a fascinating book. With a name like “The Dao of Drizzt” I was expecting a bizarre pop-philosophical text, sort of in the vein of “The Tao of Pooh.” Instead, I found a well-thought-out reflection of a character that helped introduce me to the fantasy genre. It was great to read Drizzt’s thoughts about what happened in the novels and see how his views grew and changed over time. It goes to show that he is not a static character. I liked his insights and see what the character took away from these tales. I also liked that you felt like you were seeing it all through his eyes. Salvatore emphasizes things that would be important to the character, but not to the reader.
I also appreciated that this book served as a sort of summary for the series thus far. At times it almost felt like a season's recap clip episode from a television show. I mean that in a good way because the Drizzt series is massive and I personally have fallen away from it from time to time. Yet thanks to this book I feel caught up as if I could jump into the series again and not be confused or lost. That makes this book an invaluable tool for new and old fans alike.
This book is rather niche though. It definitely is written for fans of the series. I would not suggest this to a new reader or as an entry point. However, I am so glad I got a chance to read it because it was such a well-written journey through the life of a fascinating character.
I definitely recommend it to any fan of The Legend of Drizzt series. I feel it might also prove useful for any fans of Dungeons and Dragons that want to learn more about the Forbidden Realms. -
Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book!
Look, I'm not the biggest fan of RA Salvatore in the world but he can write some pretty good philosophy when he tries. I am a huge fan of Drizzt and his explorations, however, and the ways in which he thinks. This book collects his thoughts from every book he's been in and puts them all in one place, so it's a bit spoilery for people like me who have only read the first two trilogies. Still, it's a nice gift to anyone who loves the dark elf as much as I do.
There is nothing new here except for some bits from Glacier's Edge and "Book Three" of the new trilogy, which were both fun. The fact that we get to see a bit of how Drizzt grows and changes as well as how RA Salvatore himself grew and changed is great research for the inspired writer.
Like I said, this is a great gift idea for anyone who loves Drizzt, DnD, or just fantasy writing. A rousingly good four stars. -
Years ago, I told my brother… Ah, if only Salvatore would write a book with only Drizzt's thoughts in it. At this point in time, the compilation of Drizzt's essays, his thoughts, “sorts” as he calls them, is exactly what I needed. I haven't read all the books and I was aware of the spoilers for the next books in series. And to be fair, the book is quite repetitive. It’s for fans of The Legend of Drizzt, even those who have only read a few books in the series. But reading it, I reminded myself of my own worldview. You don't have to be a believer, you don't have to be a saint - to be a good person. And you can be an outcast and still - be a good person. A person who makes mistakes, cause we all do, but ultimately a good person. And in this world of ours, Drizzt can teach us all what kindness is.
3.5 -
Firstly I’d like the thank Harper and the author for the eARC ❤️❤️
I don’t really feel like I’m the best person to be reviewing this book 😅😅 As the author says in the dedication, it’s for readers who have been reading for 4 decades and, well I’ve not 😅😅 I think it’s a great read for anyone who loves the character and what’s a book that holds all of this thoughts. I did, however, DNF the book. Not because I didn’t enjoy or appreciate the writing but rather because I didn’t feel I understood the history of anything (it felt super spoilery) and it was a bit confusing.
For any fan this would be an amazing read and, when the book comes out, a perfect present!! I feel a bit weird giving it a rating so I’m doing with ⭐️⭐️.5 - Half way as it’s written amazingly ❤️❤️ -
This book takes all of Drizzt's journal entries across all of R.A. Salvatore's Drizzt books and combines them in one place. There is nothing new in this book (other than the journal entries from an unreleased Drizzt book).
I don't feel like this really needed to exist. The journal entries that bring context to the stories they're part of really don't stand on their own. Put together they're repetitive. Long time fans would have already read all of these things and new readers are just going to be confused and spoiled.
Nothing wrong with these at all, I always love R.A. Salvatore's writing I just don't understand the purpose of this particular collection.
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley. I was not required to leave this review. -
As a huge fan of this character- Drizzt Do’Urden (rolls right off the tongue, doesn’t it?) - for the past 33 years, a book such as this one gives the proper amount of homage. Drizzt’s character has become one of the most prolific, popular characters of the D&D realm. (Lest we not forget his sidekick - never say pet -Guenhwyvar-Guen-the unique animate panther who comes and goes as needed.) Not to sound vapid, but I wasn’t aware he was part of the D&D universe until around 10 years ago. My only explanation is that during that time I was enjoying not just HIS books & stories but all the others which he was included. But the books about Drizzt alone are too many to include in this review. However, the Dao of Drizzt covers all of them, it’s really cool. This is for Drizzt fans only.
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Reading the philosophy and ethical reasoning behind this beloved character’s actions is exactly what I wanted when I grabbed this book off the shelf. He always presented himself as a deep and thoughtful character, so I knew I’d enjoy it immensely. Reading some of the reviews made me question my sanity, honestly. It is clearly written for fans who have read the majority of Drizzt’s adventures, so jumping in randomly would be a difficult thing. I feel bad for those who didn’t read the summary lol. They probably expected a huge adventure with Drizzt and not a collection of internal monologues and moral pondering.
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This book is very well written with a rich world of characters. I think fans of the main character will love this. There are many relevant life lessons in its pages. That being said, I don’t think I am the audience this book is meant for - I had heard of this character and thought the book looked interesting, but have not been a long-term follower.
*I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. -
I always wondered what it would be like to compile all of the journal entries from Drizzt. I really enjoyed reading them all over again. It provided interesting perspective into the evolution of the character.
It must be noted, this book isn’t for people that haven’t read the series, it has a more finite audience, but a worthy entry into the legend.
Not a must read book individually, but certainly for fans of the series. It’s 100% worth it. -
Well, since I read the blurb of what the book was about, there were no surprises for me. I've been a fan of Drizzt since my teens and his philosophy was very important to confirming my own ethics and beliefs. This book is perfect for my shelf of books that are important to my story, since the Drizzt philosophy spans dozens of novels.
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A collection of Drizzt's journal entries from the beginning (in order the books happen, not published). So 34 years and counting. Interesting to go back and remember where these stories have taken Drizzt and ourselves.
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I've been reading Drizzt for 16 years now and it was wonderful to go through all the books again with drizzt POV. Highly recommend to long time fans
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4.5 Stars
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾 -
If you ever wanted to know Drizzt Do'Urden super duper deep thoughts than this book is for you! Immerse yourself into Drizzt’s personal journey by reading his journal. 4.0 bookworms.
