| Title | : | The Halflings Gem (Forgotten Realms: Icewind Dale, #3; Legend of Drizzt, #6) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0786938250 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780786938254 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 336 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 1990 |
The Halflings Gem (Forgotten Realms: Icewind Dale, #3; Legend of Drizzt, #6) Reviews
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I can't even begin to explain how much I love these books and characters ❤️
My wonderful Wulfgar ❤️
The sharp tounged and awesome Bruenor Battleaxe ❤️
The lovely and bad to the bone Cattie-Brie ❤️
I didn't add Regis but I love him too. 😊
These friends do everything for each other, even die if they have to and I never want to see that day come 😫
The ending was so sweet. Wulfgar and Cattie-Brie. Bruenor ruling over his home again. And we shall see with Drittz, he's never sits long and he has his own thoughts and worries of the world. And Guenhwyvar is by his side once again ❤️
I want to leave it with a funny little excerpt. Bruenor and Cattie-Brie are riding a fiery chariot through the sky to quickly get to their friends and help.
The silver dragon rolled over onto its back lazily, riding the morning winds with its legs-all four- crossed over it and its sleepy eyes half closed. The good dragon loved its morning glide, leaving the bustle of the world far below and catching the sun's untainted rays above the cloud level
But the dragon's marvelous orbs popped open wide when it saw the fiery streak rushing at it from the east. Thinking the flames to be the forerunning fires of an evil red dragon, the silver swooped around into a high cloud and poised to ambush the thing. But the fury left the dragon's eyes when it recognized the strange craft, a fiery chariot, with just the helm of the driver, a one-horned contraption, sticking above the front of the carriage and a young human woman standing behind, her auburn locks flying back over her shoulders.
Its huge mouth agape, the silver dragon watched as the chariot sped past. Few things piqued the curiosity of this ancient creature, who had lived so very many years, but it seriously considered following this unlikely scene.
A cool breeze wafted in then and washed all other thoughts from the silver dragon's mind. "Peoples," it muttered, rolling again onto its back and shaking its head in disbelief.
Happy Reading!
Mel ❤️
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REVIEW -
A 300-page chase with some solid parts and a lot of not so solid parts.
Drizzt's journey continues, and the original trilogy, the Icewind Dale trilogy, ends. This one was definitely worth reading for its influential position in fantasy and published D&D literature, but it was definitely very weak overall, and reads like exactly what it is: a fantasy fan's first attempt at publishing some adventures himself.
The contrast is huge to the Dark Elf trilogy, written later but taking place earlier in the chronology, in which Salvatore has already grown his skills. I will definitely keep following the series and am excited to follow these characters around the world, especially now that I've gotten the low point out of the way. -
Probably the worst one in the series so far. I actually didn't enjoy this one in the least.
Here's what this book reminded me of: I work a job where I scan a document into the computer as a picture then convert that picture into text using a "smart read" program. This program often messes up: interchanging I's, 1's and l's. It also mistakes O's and 0's and changes other things like t's to i's and ect. It even goes so far as to turn D's into I) or d's into cl. My job is to read through and correct these errors. A job which I don't need to bring home and do to a published book that should have gone through this editing process.
A lot of the time I found myself editing the book more than enjoying it. Guenhwyvar once again keeps changing sex throughout the book and the names of most main characters are places are spelled wrong like the indications above, eg: Drizzi.
I dislike all of the characters at this point and I wonder if Salvatore really knows how to create interpersonal conflict or realistic relationships between the characters. It's like most of these things happen behind the scenes and are brought out to parade before the reader as though Salvatore is saying "See they're in love." Then he reaches his maximum ability at writing emotionally and switches to another battle scene.
Nothing was believable. There was no romance in previous books between Drizzt and Catti-brie but here it is as though we are expected to believe it could've happened. The romance between Catti-brie and Wulfgar also comes out of nowhere. Of course we saw it coming but there was no build up. No sweet moments. No little fights. Nothing. Just a passionate kiss here and there and the worry they have for each other. Another relationship that's touched on but never explored is the one between Drizzt and Alustriel. It's high school writing at best in my opinion, I would expect much more from someone who changed their major so they could write for a living.
The characters are too overpowered. Catti-brie is never before mentioned having the ability to shoot a bow and arrow with unerring accuracy. Legolas, I mean Catti-brie, literally picks up a bow and suddenly is the world's greatest archer. Drizzt cannot be beat and Wulfgar has unending stores of "adrenalin" that get him through anything no matter how tired he is. The dwarf is stronger than an ox and apparently has no trouble leaping through the air to bash people in the face whereby they immediately die or pass out.
Character Development: Or lack there of. Or how can a character develop when there's nothing there? Flat. All of them. They were increasingly hypocritical, judgmental, and self-righteous. Bruenor says that the dwarves deal with Theives by cutting off their hands and that is it a fitting punishment because he so loathes them. And yet there is little Regis. Drizzt's morals seem only to apply when he isn't in battle and nothing seems to deter him from killing everything in sight when much more peaceful solutions can be reached. Wulfgar seems like he is nothing but a roaring, killing god. Nothing can stop him and he has no personality. It seems his role in the story is for action filler. And the biggest one of all. . . That's right, oh yes, it's: Catti-brie. The woman screams hypocrite every move she makes.
She's gets her own paragraph for this one: In one battle scene Catti-brie and Bruenor rush to the aid of Drizzt and Wulfgar while they battle pirates. Since Pirates are human Catti-brie refuses to kill them and instead takes a different approach, not killing them directly but making sure they can't hurt her friends. Then in the next fight scene she's involved in Catti-brie picks off bandits with her little bow like she's shooting cans in the backyard. She doesn't care. She has no lament about killing these humans or how she hates to murder them so she finds another way. No nothing like that. Without a single thought about how much she hates killing people she shoots them down. Made even worse by a line later in the book stated by Bruenor: "But it was Catti-brie, his beautiful daughter, who truly abhorred killing with all of her heart,". Yes and she really, truly shows it too.
The characters also never have to make any tough decisions that will effect one of the outcomes in the book. Bruenor, as king, should have to stay with his incoming troops and help with battle plans to reclaim his home. It's the sacrifice of a king, putting the needs of the many against the needs of ... Regis. In my opinion he really doesn't deserve to be a king since he can't be there when needed. He can't put the personal away and act as a leader.
I expect a lot more from an author and series people are saying is the best in the fantasy world. It seems his only concern is how awesome his characters have to be and how they must be able to defeat everything. How they can do whatever they want no matter what people think or believe (stealing a mask from an innocent ghost) as long as it justifies their actions to Salvatore so he can keep them happily killing. Anything to move that darn plot along. Anything to keep his precioussssssss Drizzt alive. -
This is a good example of sword and sorcery by way of the Forgotten Realms D&D settings. In a way, I'm just reminded of old Fritz Leiber, but in another, I'm just here for the settings.
Drizzt and Wulfgar take up most of the adventure, and it's a decent adventure spanning a lot of distance, and if all you want is a standard D&D adventure that gives you a big taste of the old worldbuilding (not to mention so many great video games, Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale), then I'm sure you're going to have a pretty good time here.
So what's my problem?
I guess I'm spoiled with great Fantasy literature. This only reads as fairly average. It's good for what it is and if you don't expect high literature (or even fantastic fantasy) then you'll be fine.
Perhaps I just want more. Almost every modern fantasy delivers more. But props where props are due: this one has been extremely popular and its effects are everywhere. -
I had forgotten how many truly epic moments occur in this book and, as I was re-reading it, I completely understood why younger me was so taken by this series.
Terry Brooks, Tolkien, R.A. Salvatore, Tad Williams, Weis & Hickman, Raymond Feist...these authors were the cornerstone of my reading as a kid and are responsible for why I am so in love with the fantasy genre to this day.
The Halfling's Gem is, without a doubt, my favorite out of the Icewind trilogy. It's rapid-fire awesomeness from start to finish. -
I'll write a full review when I have the time, but for now, here's...
DAVE'S FINAL JUDGMENT -
THE DEFENSE
- Salvatore once again proves that he's one of the best at describing action sequences
- Lightning quick pace and non-stop action ensures Salvatore has many opportunities to prove the above claim
- While Drizzt may be the star of the show, Bruenor, Wulfgar, Regis, and especially Cattie-Brie are all given their moments to shine
- Features more originality than the previous books of The Icewind Dale Trilogy
- Artemis constantly reminds us why he's one of the most popular villains in the Forgotten Realms
THE PROSECUTION
- While many interesting things happen, the overall story is disappointingly shallow and amounts to little more than a 300-page chase sequence
THE VERDICT
This book has much in common with a really good action movie. It doesn't reinvent the genre or challenge you cerebrally. Rather, it simply takes you on a wild ride and ensures you're enjoying it every step of the way! -
For the first time in six books, I can see why people like R.A. Salvatore's Dark Elf series. I still don't like them myself, but
The Halfling's Gem isn't completely without merit.
I see that the series' greatest appeal must come from the obligatory and breathless battle sequences -- and those can be kind of entertaining.
The Halfling's Gem contains the best of the series so far (taken in chronological order). From Rogues Circle to the Sewers of Calimport to Tarterus to victory, Salvatore rolls an utterly ridiculous ball of bloodshed, mayhem, and so-called honour. If it sounds like I am unimpressed by Salvatore's display it because I AM unimpressed by his display, but that can't change the fact that it is still, on some juvenile, simplistic, good vs. evil level, fun to read.
Unfortunately, the book is not just an asinine battle that spans 100 pages. If it were only the battle I would like it better. No, Salvatore wastes 200 pages leading us to the battle with more of his usual, ham-fisted attempts at creating depth of character and meaning.
Once again, we are reminded of the dangers of "judging a book by its cover." And this time Salvatore finally uses those very words. Meanwhile, Drizzt himself kills "evil" beings, or steals indiscriminately from "evil" beings (in this case a Banshee who provides safety to an entire village of "good" farmers), without ever taking the time to get to know the depth of their souls, nor the reasons for their badness. Nope. He just knows they're evil and that's enough.
Or then there is Breunor and his disgust with thieves, and his thoughts about the chest in Mithral Hall that is reserved for the hands of thieves, all the while ignoring the fact that Regis, the halfling he has slaughtered countless victims to "save," is a master thief. Breunor, apparently, has a different standard for non-evil races or, at least, his friends, because he completely ignores that Regis is willing to become the new guildmaster of thieves. Regis isn't just part of the mob. He makes himself the godfather, and Breunor doesn't blink an eye.
These contradictions wouldn't be so bad if the characters actually struggled with them internally. These problems, these obvious lapses of logic, would actually enhance the story if they weren't simply ignored or blithely dismissed.
But they are ignored and dismissed without engagement, and that weakens Salvatore's work beyond repair. His work is, at its core, some of the most poorly conceived and insidiously propagandist fantasy drivel I have ever read.
Before the huge silly battle began I had decided to not read any more of these books. Six was enough, I thought. But now I don't know. I may need to read them all to fully appreciate how bad Salvatore's series really is. Then again, if I finally saw why people like the series at Book VI, I may actually come to love the series myself when I reach Book XII. -
I feel like this didnt age well and i hate how the characters that "died" were never really dead. It also was too drawn out.
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Drizzt always has me wanting more.
I write crap reviews because I don't want to give anything away. I prefer to go into books fairly blind; as long as I know people that I tend to trust like a book, I'm game. So I'm still not going to give anything away, but just do your inner nerd a favour and read this series. -
Debo reconocer que no abordé la lectura con muchas expectativas; si bien la primera entrega de la trilogía me gustó mucho, la segunda flaqueó bastante. Pero en estos libros descubrí al que se convertiría en uno de mis personajes favoritos, Drizzt Do’Urden, por lo que quiero comenzar la trilogía de El Elfo Oscuro, pero no sin terminar la del Valle del Viento Helado (si, si, soy un poco estructurada para estas cosas).
La Gema del Halfling es una novela muy entretenida, con mucha acción, buenos personajes y excelentes descripciones; es un cierre perfecto que deja algunos frentes abiertos para poder continuar con otras sagas que involucren a los personajes principales y, en efecto, así ha sido.
Entonces, ¿dónde está el pero? En el riesgo que se corre al leer una novela del género fantástico escrita hace tanto tiempo, en que aún se nota una fuertísima influencia del universo de Tolkien y, por ende, a pesar de ser una lectura que se disfruta mucho, no ofrece nada nuevo y la línea argumental es absolutamente previsible. En los más de veinticinco años desde la primera edición de este libro, el género fantástico ha evolucionado mucho, con historias más oscuras y giros argumentales impactantes, por lo que las novelas de Salvatore se sienten casi como lectura para niños. -
I really enjoyed this one the first time I read it many years ago but now it is one of my very favorite in the Drizzt Do'Urden series.
This one has the whole gang, Drizzt, Bruenor, Cattie-brie, Wulfgar, Regis, and Guenhwyvar, some more than others but they're all here. And some of their greatest enemies too.
Some books in the series you can detail a little bit about and be okay doing so but not this one. To say too much would just spoil the whole thing for y'all.
If you like D&D, fast-paced storytelling, characters you want to hug, fistbump, and laugh with, and you like Fantasy with actual magic in it, and swordplay, and heroes fighting monstrous creatures, all in a world that is so fully realized you want to live in it, or at the least, visit it for an extended time, than this is for you. Plus, for those that haven't yet it would be a good time to do so. There's a lot of D&D projects either hot right now (Magic the Gathering: Forgotten Realms card game, PS5 Dark Alliance video game) or coming soon to the movies and to Netflix in the form of a tv series that the D&D realm is going to expand right into your living room soon so you might have fun getting into this series now rather than waiting for everybody else to.
Looking forward to the next re-read in the series which is
The Legacy. -
More of a 2.5-2.75* I think, but let's just round it up to 3.
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4-4.25/5
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Great ending to this trilogy! I look forward to reading more Drizzt books when I get back home!
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“only with the honest knowledge that one day I will die can I ever truly begin to live.”
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This series is such a roller coaster for me. I absolutely loved the last book and then this one just kind of went downhill again. Most of the book was an extended trip going from point a to point b without any real conflict. The only source of tension was whether they’d catch Artemis in time, and even then, the only reason they DID manage to come out on top, was because the primary villain, Pasha Pook, an evil criminal mastermind leading an entire guild of thieves, is surprisingly dumb…
And after Streams of Silver, I could feel the tension mounting for a face-off between Drizzt and Artemis and I was so looking forward to it, but even THAT was completely lackluster. First, Cattie-Brie has an intervention with Drizzt and tells him that he’s bigger than Artemis and should let go of this stupid rivalry. It would have been a great moment, but Drizzt just kind of immediately gives in. He didn’t have an internal struggle to come to terms with it and get over the rivalry, it was all just instantly fixed by the magical Cattie-Brie. So now, if and when they do face off, the outcome doesn’t really matter to Drizzt. And that’s exactly what happened.
Artemis and Drizzt face off, but all that tension is just gone. We all know Drizzt is going to come out on top somehow, because he’s the protagonist and this isn’t the end of the series. But now, he just doesn’t even care about Artemis on top of it. There’s no good versus evil mentality, no rush knowing that Drizzt is fighting everything he could have been, everything he stopped himself from becoming, because who cares? Even if he loses it doesn’t matter to him anymore. So he starts to come out on top and Artemis finds a clever way to get away- oh, nope sorry. He ran away shrieking like a girl. WHAT!? -
The ruthless assassin Artemis Entreri has kidnapped the halfling Regis and is taking him to Calimport to deliver him to his erstwhile master, Pasha Pook - kingpin of Calimshan's criminal underworld. Fortunately for Regis, his friends Drizzt the drow elf and Wulfgar the barbarian are hot on their heels. Meanwhile, another friend thought lost struggles to survive a perilous situation. It is a case of out of frying pan and into the fire for the Companions of the Hall as they make their way to sprawling Calimport, the largest city in the Realms deep in the heart of the desert nation of Calimshan.
Regis, or Rumblebelly to his friends - or at least his friend, the dwarf Bruenor - has a lot to answer for. Not content with a life as the Pasha's most prized thief, he made the foolish error of stealing his master's most valued possession, a ruby Pendant of Beguiling able to charm any creature within sight of the gem. Taken at face value, one could argue he deserves whatever dire fate Pasha Pook has in store for him. Look a little deeper, however, and... well, he still kind of deserves the fate the Pasha has in store for him. I mean, Bruenor himself has a chest in Mithral Hall in which the severed hands of thieves are kept.
Hmm.
Muddy morals aside, honour demands that Drizzt and Wulfgar rescue their friend from the clutches of the wicked Artemis Entreri. What follows is a somewhat abbreviated journey south, aided by some rather convenient magic and punctuated by scenes that range from memorable to rather silly.
Firstly, the memorable: the tavern scene in which Wulfgar chooses restraint in talking down the hilariously-named Bungo shows some nice character growth. The scenes between Pook and his minions are frequently amusing and, as with Salvatore's earlier efforts, paint villains with greater nuance than some of his contemporaries. There is an exciting sea battle between the heroes and a small pirate fleet that rewards Drizzt with a heart-warming moment of acceptance as his race-altering mask slips and the crew choose to embrace him despite his heritage. The showdown between Drizzt and Entreri, when it eventually happens, is a blood-pumping confrontation that will have readers on the edge of their seats. As always, Salvatore writes combat with an energy and level of detail that highlights every thrust, slash, parry and wound dealt.
As mentioned, though, the justness of our heroes' cause is less sure in this novel. For all Drizzt's introspection regarding respect and honour, he allows his hunger to prove himself better than Entreri to occasionally cloud his thoughts. For his part, Entreri massacres an entire ship's crew in perhaps his most villainous act of his career. There's a certain twisted logic behind his doing so - but it feels gratuitous and jars with what we know of his character.
The novel's biggest misstep is the journey into Tarterus, an Outer Plane crawling with native fiends known as demodands. Here the action crosses over into the absurd, with the heroes surviving hordes of fiends (mostly) unscathed and constantly making million-to-one odds seem a sure thing. Drizzt's obvious attraction to Catti-Brie becomes a tad uncomfortable given she and Wulfgar are clearly an item - there's a stolen kiss from an unconscious Cattie-Brie that is certainly eyebrow-raising - and Drizzt claims highest-level hero privilege to shunt both Bruenor and Wulfgar to the side and become the star of the show in decidedly dickish fashion near the end. There's the feeling that here was where R.A. Salvatore decided a certain drow elf was absolutely the main event and plotted accordingly.
(Of course, the Dark Elf Trilogy remains the jewel in the crown of the roughly 400 subsequent Realms novels, so in that he was absolutely correct!)
One thing that grated that I must mention is the dialect used for some of the characters, particularly the Calishite Sali Dalib, whose broken English (or Common) is embarrassingly denoted using "de" instead of "the," among other abominations. Maybe it read better in 1990 - but, as with the stolen kiss, it makes for slightly uncomfortable reading in 2019.
All in all, The Halfling's Gem is the weakest of the original Icewind Dale Trilogy. It lacks the rough charm of the first novel and the charming character growth of the second. Nonetheless, it presents a memorable cast of secondary villains and henchmen which it delights in knocking down, and features an iconic showdown between two iconic characters. An uneven plot and some questionable character choices don't detract too much from the book serving as a satisfying conclusion to a story that brought to life some of the most prominent locales and colourful characters in the Forgotten Realms. For that achievement, the Icewind Dale Trilogy was crucial to the runaway success of the setting. -
THE HALFLINGS GEM is the third of the original Legend of Drizzt Trilogy and the culmination of a large number of plots leading up to it. The halfling Regis Rumblebelly has been led to the land of Calisham where he is subject to the Thieves Guild that he was formerly slave to. Drizzt and company try to rescue him.
Artemis Entreri, who was nothing more than a villain before, doesn't find the heroes' welcome he expects and the guild is now overrun with wererats. It's an interesting twist, especially given Artemis' increasing obsession with defeating Drizzt in single combat. I think this is a sign of the book's increasing complexity and the fact that it will only get better from here in terms of characterization, writing, and action.
Still, we're not quite there to peak Salvatore yet. Calisham is rather unfortunately stereotypical even if it's nice to get out of generic European Western fantasy for a bit. Regis is also just not that deep of a character and it's hard to care much for his fate. On the other hand, it's clear that RA Salvatore has a great grasp of who these people are. -
https://poseidons99.wordpress.com/202... -
Definitely the best of the he trilogy.
A decent read with some interesting character development. Still a full on D&D novel and good fun.
3.5 Stars. -
Once again the intrepid, unusual friends of R.A. Salvatore's imagination ride out on another exciting adventure, leaving the familiar world of Icewind Dale behind for the Sword Coast, from Waterdeep to Baulder's Gate, to Calimport to save the lovable but thieving halfling, Regis. Regis was taken away by the assassin Artemis Entereri in the last book for a debt owed to a powerful guildmaster, Pasha Pook.
There are host of battles, as always, sea battles, spider creatures, wererats, demodand's from another astral plane.
Drizzt leads the way but can't do it alone. His friends, Wulfgar, Catti-brie and the still breathing king of Mithral Hall, Bruenor, are instrumental on every step of the journey.
Being a fan of R.A. Salvatore's work, especially the drow elf Drizzt, I felt this edition lived up to all the intrigue and adventure of the other volumes. Highly recommended. -
2.5 stars, rounded down for being wincingly problematic.
As with
Streams of Silver I don't understand why this is part of the Icewind Dale trilogy when it doesn't take place in Icewind Dale. Instead, we visit Longsaddle, Waterdeed, sail the sea, and stop in Calimshan on a hunt to rescue Regis and Guenhwyvar (we all know who Drizzt loves more). Also we see more of Artemis, the assassin that Salvator decided halfway through writing would be some sort of inverse of Drizzt through both looks and deeds.
There's a lot of this kind of ret-conning that the author doesn't properly hint at: Catti-Brie and Wulfgar's romance is rarely shown, Drizzt and Aretmis deciding to be obsessed with each other, Drizzt and Catti-Brie's blossoming romance.
This book is mostly just a big chase scene dragged out for 300+ pages. There's some good action but also too much of it. There's also some really bad 90s fantasy racism that you see depicted in Calimshan through both the way the people are described and how one sleezy merchant speaks.
Unfortunately this problematic writing gets worse at about the 90% mark when the heroes pop into Tartarus. Throughout this book and the last Drizzt has seen CB and Wulfgar are in a relationship, even though CB has been making a few hints to Drizzt that he's Too Pure to understand. Then, Drizzt sends Wulfgar off to hold a portal open which he can do "if he loves CB"--and Drizzt runs off to save an unconscious CB... only to kiss her on the mouth while she's still unconscious. This is never referenced again. I guess Drizzt forgot to drink his Respect Women Juice.
We see some serious hypocrisy with Bruenor, who apparently HATES thieves and is happy to see their hands lopped off... but it cool with Regis, who was trained and lived as a thief, become the new head of the thieves guild in Calimshan.
There's a lot of scenes like this that show the author didn't put a lot of thought into character motivation of what they would actually think or what their actions really mean. I've heard Salvatore is a great writer so I hope this is just some weak early writing, but... yikes. -
I love this series.
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This, the third in the Icewind Dale trilogy, is better than the previous two entries, mostly for the change in scenery. Characters, major and minor, are still characterized with a heavy handedness to be found in bad fanfic, characters act outside their "good alignments," and this book manages to bring a little racial fun into play with the profoundly idiotic character Salib whatever his name is. Also, I am sick of the way Bruenor talks! I had to reread sentences a few times to figure out what the hell he was saying.
However, there are redeeming points. There is some humor, finally, though I am not sure if it's intentional.Drizzt shows some depth beyond being badass, and it was interesting to see Cattie-Brie touch on the source of his tension and hound-like obsession with Artemis. She reminds the reader of what "good" means (in a D&D sense) when she asks if Drizzt wants to kill him to protect the innocent, or simply to prove himself. Drizzt himself isn't sure.
On the other hand, this message would have been much, much more effective if Cattie-Brie didn't slaughter swathes of humans all the damn time. Each character demonstrates hypocrisy in this way. The supposedly good Drizzt and Wulfgar gleefully sack the treasure trove of a harmless ghost, Bruenor hates all thieves, except Regis, and Cattie-Brie, who suddenly becomes the world's best archer, hates killing but does it anyway.
I shall persevere onwards towards Passage To Dawn.... -
I think I've reached the end of my adventure in D&D literature (outside of the instruction manuals). As some of my D&D buddies would describe R.A. Salvatore's work, it's just fan fiction, nothing great, but nothing particularly terrible either.
After getting through six of these books, I would have to say my vocabulary concerning the Forgotten Realms has increased somewhat and I've been able to follow some of our adventures a little bit better since I have some more familiarity with the setting and context. However, the stories are nothing spectacular to read. It just feels like the main characters are going through the motions of their adventure in a sparsely painted backdrop. R.A. Salvatore's stories don't feel like they are placed in a vibrant society or backdrop. Instead, I get the impression that all the characters that Drizzt and friends interact with are hastily assembled actors.
Reading the first six (of thirty-three) Drizzt book was an experience and gives me a bit more insight into the world of D&D and a connection with some of the other people in D&D groups. However, there is a giant world of literature and history books out there drawing my attention instead. If I was still in Middle School and avidly rolling a D20, I think my continuation into the saga of Drizzt would be a much different story. -
I will never be a super-fan of this series, but I can still certainly appreciate its appeal. I will try very hard not to complain about character names—many of them, I find completely ridiculous and sometimes even distracting. I mean, who wants an imaginary Halfling in their head who looks like Regis Philbin with furry feet?
There’s plenty of good action in this installment, several lost-and-found characters, plus incredible imaginary beasts. Positive from my point of view is Cattie-Brie getting a bit more page-time (although I still get hungry for cheese when I read about her).
Essentially one long chase scene, this book isn’t too complex. This is good, as there are commas sprinkled throughout the novel, like iron filings in a contaminated loaf of bread, making sentences very unclear. This requires the reader to back up and to try again to wrest the sense from them, not just once or twice, but repeatedly.
The obvious “be who you are and don’t mind other people’s opinions” message of Drizzt is a positive one for the age group that this series seems to be aimed at, namely the high school/young adult crowd.
Book 253 in my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project. -
now, I've a weak spot in my heart for fantasy novels. I know that they don't have to be masterful works of modern literature. I know what they do and totally digg it.
This book ( and the entire drizzt series/ stories) is one of the worst books I've read since "bridge to teribithia 3". The characters are horribly cliched...even in a cliched world. They have almost no flaws save for their brooding, whining 'woe as me' thought process. Reading ( later skipping) excerpts of a protagonists diary that are self serving, pretentious as a 15 year old's blog is horrendously painful.
It's hard to get attached for anyone in the book, when you know that they will always be ok. Not just surviving, but defeating the trite bad guys in a fashion that makes even the most nerdy of us roll our eyes.
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What stands in the final tome of the Icewind Dale trilogy, is the lengths and strengths the main characters endure to help and avenge their loved ones. A mother lifting a wagon to save her baby would not be out of a place in this book.
The action scenes and the escalating tension are top-notch. Because the book is one action scene after another, it's hard to stop, after you start.
From sea to desert to urban environment to Hell itself, and back from the dead! The companions tackle everything and everyone to save Regis. Entreri continues to impersonate the ultimate cool bad guy. A perfect yang mirror for Drizzt.
Faerûn keeps getting richer and richer as these books develop. -
I don't like Regis. He's a thief and lazy.
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The Companions of the Hall have successfully located Mithril Hall, the ancestral home of Bruenor Battlehammer and his clansmen. Unfortunately, the quest was completed only at great cost: Bruenor was lost in combat with the shadow dragon Shimmergloom and the halfling Regis was captured by the assassin Artemis Entreri. Entreri is now taking his prisoner back to the great southern metropolis of Calimport, leaving Drizzt Do'Urden and Wulfgar with no choice but to pursue them, whilst Catti-brie organises the armies coming together to retake Mithril Hall. The pursuit is long and dangerous, and Drizzt must decide whether the recovery of his friend is true motivation, or the knowledge that Entreri is the first warrior to have ever matched him blade to blade, and how eagerly he seeks a rematch.
The Halfling's Gem (1990) wraps up R.A. Salvatore's first fantasy series, The Icewind Dale Trilogy. The Crystal Shard had introduced the world to the dark elven ranger Drizzt Do'Urden and his companions and Streams of Silver had given them an epic, Tolkienesque quest to undertake. This concluding book sees them divided and hot on the heels of one of their kidnapped fellows, a scenario ripe for pulp fantasy adventure, and that's what we get. Drizzt and company visit the grand cities of Waterdeep, Baldur's Gate, Memnon and Calimport; engage in all manner of hijinks on the high seas; and are then pitched into battle with a shadowy thieves' guild and its allies, a mixture of wizards, giants and wererats. It's mostly splendid fun.
By this third book, Salvatore has become a reasonable writer of straightforward action adventure and delivers an entertaining book in that mode. It does feel like he has larger aspirations to write an engaging travelogue of the Sword Coast (the west coast of the main Forgotten Realms continent of Faerun and the focus for many of the works in the setting), and in that respect falters; 320 pages isn't really enough time to do that and both Waterdeep and Baldur's Gate get decidedly short shrift in this book. Calimport is more fully fleshed out, but it's questionable to what extent Salvatore consulted the source material: the city's distinction of being divided into many dozen drudachs or subdistricts, each walled off from its neighbours, is not mentioned at all. As a result the unique character and flavour of Calimport is lost (Salvatore is also smarter than to rely on Arabian stereotypes for the city or Calimshan as a whole, although one hapless Memnon merchant does start leaning in that direction).
Characterisation remains reasonable and Salvatore explores some interesting ideas, such as Drizzt using a magical mask to pass as a surface elf and avoid the racist appraisals of his character stemming from his skin colour alone, and facing a crisis of identity as a result. Drizzt also has to face his motives for dealing with Entreri, and whether these stem from a desire for revenge, a desire for a rematch with a worthy foe or a genuine desire to save his friend Regis. Wulfgar also gets a fish-out-of-water storyline as he finds himself trying to survive in civilised surrounds for prolonged periods for the first time, and we meet a few more characters who will become important in future volumes of the wider Legend of Drizzt series, such as Captain Deudermont and the crew of the Sea Sprite.
On the minus side, there isn't much. This very much remains an action-focused, fast food meal of a fantasy novel and is enjoyable on that level, but those looking for a deeper, richer experience best look elsewhere.
Otherwise, The Halfling's Gem (***½) wraps up this trilogy reasonably well. From this book readers can go back to experience Drizzt's backstory in The Dark Elf Trilogy or press on to find out what happens to the Companions of the Hall and Mithril Hall next in the Legacy of the Drow Quartet (I'd strongly recommend the former).
