I absolutely love every novel of Salvatore's concerning Drizzt. I've read the entire Dark Elf Trilogy, Icewind Dale Trilogy, and I have only 100 pages left to finish off the Legacy of the Drow series. I would give all those books 5 stars.

However, Exile happens to be my least favorite Drizzt novel. I just wasn't too thrilled with the boring setting of the Underdark or the characters (especially the stupid pech, Clacker!). I thought the whole Illithid (telepathic octupus-like creatures) thing was pretty silly, too! And the telephathic mushrooms?--what the hell was that?! :) Anyway, I also didn't sense that good of a bond between Drizzt and Belwar as compared to Drizzt and Zak'nafein/Bruenor/Wulfgar/Catti-brie in other volumes. Don't get me wrong, though--it is still a fantastic book compared to other authors. It took me only 2 days to read it... but I don't know whether that was because it was a fast read or because I just wanted to get it over with so I could get to Sojourn. :)

"Exile" is the second book in "The Dark Elf Trilogy" and is even better than book one of the series. This novel is more riveting than book one as there is much more action; many more characters, likeable ones and villains; and Drizzt only gets better as a character here. The pages just fly by in this remarkable novel and before you know it you'll be done with it. "Exile" happily kept me turning pages due to many things. Here are some of the reasons why.

The plot of this book picks up right where book one ended. As the title of this book suggests, Drizzt Do'Urden is in exile from his home of Menzoberranzan. He is now a drifter in the underworld and is living a life of adventure. Meanwhile, back in Menzoberranzan, his mother, Matron Malice, is being told that the Spider Queen Lloth wants Drizzt sacrificed. She sends out a ghost (I won't tell you who) to hunt him down. Back in the wild of the Underworld Drizzt befriends the gnome race and becomes a good friend of the gnome Belwar. Belwar and Drizzt travel through the Underworld through many adventures to get from the Spider Queen. This action packed and fast moving plot make this novel one to be savored.

In book one Drizzt Do'Urden is established as one of fantasy's best characters. Through Drizzt's many adventures here we see Drizzt grow and grow to be a mature, well rounded Drow, unlike his kin. Belwar makes a great companion to Drizzt in this novel, and while not as good of a character as someone like Sam Gamgee of "The Lord of the Rings,"he is still well developed on very likeable.

In "Homeland," the first book of this sensational trilogy, the gnomes are depicted as evil and vile creatures because they are seen from the point of view of the majority of the Drow. Since Drizzt is different from the other Drow we see the true side of the gnomes because he takes the chance to get to know them, leaving out all stereotypical thoughts. Drizzt's actions in this book are ones to learn from and how many people should behave. People don't need to be put down because of ethnicity or what not, but how they are as people. That is what Drizzt does here. Because of this R.A. Salvatore puts in this little tid bi on life, among many others which are too many to account here.

People who have read book one of the trilogy should definitely read "Exile." I have found Exile to be a better read than book one due to the reasons above, which are just a few of the great things in this book. After you have read this book make sure that you have the third and final book of the trilogy on hand.

Happy Reading!

This novel is, by far, one of my all time favorites. It's packed with one thing, in particular, many fantasy books do not offer - emotion. The action sequences are excellent, the setting is very fascinating, and the characters are wonderfully done. There is Belwar, the crippled Deep Gnome and Clacker, the tragic case of a Pech turned into a monster known as a Hook Horror. And, of course, we have Drizzt Do'Urden, renegade Drow - my favorite character EVER. This book is just one I'll read over and over and over...!

This book was great. The juxtaposition of the avatar series with this book (The Time of Troubles) was brilliant. The idea that a fighter wins with his whole body, not just his hands shows actual thought, not just an assumtion that Dantrag's bracers would improve Drizzt's skill. Jarlaxle is fantastic as usual. He is Salvatore's 3rd best character (behind Cadderly and Drizzt) with all his mysteriousness and the intrigue and power surrounding him making me wish i could have been part of Bregan D'aerthe. I would love to see more of him, maybe a short story in one of the "Realms of..." books. Errtu's anti-magic stone didn't dispell his summoning though in Passage to Dawn as it did to his minion in Seige...Odd. Must be the Best Salvatore Ever, in my mind.

Siege of Darkness is an excellent conclusion to the events that started in the two novels that preceeded it. Once again, Salvatore's most famous protagonist, Drizzt Do'urden must battle the evil drow of his homeland. This time, he and his companions, Cattie-Brie, Bruenor Battlehammer, Regis and others must defend Mithril Hall from an invasion by the drow and their allies.

This novel brings together aspects and characters from the eight previous novels in the series rather nicely. Matron Baerne and the House of Baerne from the Drow city of Menzoberanzzan, the Burrow Warden Belwar Dissengulp of the Deep Gnomes, Lady Allustriel, and the Harkles amongst other all appear in the novel and blend fantasticaly.

Another of the novel's strengths is the battle scenes. Salvatore has a knack for writing battles that are successful in outlining both the fight's scope and the details of particular combatants. The climatic war between the Drow with their minotaur, goblin, and illithid allies and the Dwarves with the Silver Knigts, Barbarians, and Deep Gnomes is fantastic. The descriptions are vivid and the scenes flow smoothly.

For a change, the heros don't have to deal with Artemis Entreri. Thats not a knack on the spectacular assassin, but it is nice to see that the one character isn't at the heart of all the battles that Drizzt is destined to face.

The characters don't "grow" or change as much in this novel as they did in the past. The majority of the emotions and internal monologue deal with recovering from the major loss of the last two novels, which I won't reveal so as not to spoil it for those that haven't read the Legacy or Starless Night.

The novel is a real adventure, and reminiscent of the first novel in the Drizzt Do'Urden series, The Crystal Shard. Salvatore fans will not be disappointed.

God I loved this book. Excellent battle scenes, great characters, and good Forgotten Realms world tie-ins. For instance, the Time of Troubles. Lloth's avatar waas cool. The tanar'ri? Mean. And you just have to love Harkle Harpell. Anyway, it's good to see Bruenor take down a major enemy without nearly dying and being saved by Drizzt's scimitar. I mean, Drizzt killed or defeated Ertuu, Vierna, Dantrag, Akar Kessel, and everyone's favoeite villain - Artemis Entreri. Wulfgar pounded Biggrin and Icingdeath. And Catti-Brie took down Sydney. So how about it? Bruenor killing Matron Baenre. Real open-ended book, too. And i like all the characters, Stumpet Rakingclaw, Besnell, Berkthgar, Berg'inyon, etc. And of course, it's impossible to forget Jarlaxle. What a drow. I hear that Passage to Dawn and Silent Blade our great. We love you, Bob. Never stop writing.

I read 6 of Mr. Salvatore's Drizzt-centric books and I found them all great reads. However I was always dissapointed that he couldn't delve more into the world of the drow. Ever since I played the Dunegons and Dragons "D1-2-3" modules back in the late 70's/early 80's, I've been fascinated with the drow and their society (which was created by Gary Gygax, by the way). Mr. Byers does a GREAT job of making this book not a "good vs. evil" epic, with predicatble outcomes, but rather it's an "evil vs. not-so-evil" story with an unpredictability that mirrors the chaotic nature of the drow themselves. Mr. Byers is also a fencer, and his knowledge of the sport comes across at every turn. I am a fencer myself, and I really appreciated his depth of his martial vocabulary. If you liked Salvatore's Drizzt books, and you found yourself occasionally cheering for the various Underdark denizens within, you will LOVE this book. I wish I could give it 6 stars.

I will admit that I know Mr. Byers personally and don't want to abuse AMAZON's policies in reviewing his book but I don't write reviews of ANYONE's books unless I truly do think they merit my endorsement. I was a speech and English major in college and I had to read way too much boring stuff and now I never waste my time on anything that does not truly grab me.

That being said, I really enjoyed DISSOLUTION. What I'd like to stress is that you don't have to be familiar with R.A. Salvatore's world of the Drow elves to know what's going on in this book. It is the introductory book of a six book series and it will leave you wanting to know what happens next when you get to its end but you won't be lost if you never read any of Mr. Salvatore's books.

The main character and his swordmaster sidekick are very well defined. Even though nobody in this tale is actually a nice person, you find yourself being on Phauron's side and wanting to see this rogue come out on top, which, at least some of the time, he does. He has a personality that I've been told is uncharacteristic of most Drow in that he has a wit and humor not usually associated with them. That does much to set him apart and to make him an engaging anit-hero.

The world is well depicted and you can easily visualize it's dark eeriness from the writing. It's a world that is rife with deception and intrigue. It made me think of some of the Elizabethan age books I've read or of some of the more sinister plots that abound in the history of the Italian Renaissance.

It's a fun book and now I am anxious to see what the other authors who are writing books in this series do with Phauron and "friends."

This was truly a great book! I'm a huge fan of Salvatore and the drow so I decided to give this book a try. Ever since I picked it up I couldn't put it down, it is a very addicting book. Byers did a great job in depicting the drow and all of their sinister ways. There was essentially two stories going on throughout the book, and they both tied in nicely together at the end. Byers probably uses more unique and uncommon words than what was necessary, I wouldn't recommend to people with a small vocabulary, but most people will have no trouble with it. I can't really complain about anything in the book, all in all it was a great book. Would it have been better if R.A. Salvatore wrote it himself? I don't know. The way I see it is that Salvatore was probably busy writing more great books for us avid fans. If you want to save money, waiting for it to come out on paperback in August wouldn't be a half bad idea, but it is definitely worth the money either way. If your a fan of the drow, Forgotten Realms, Fantasy, or R.A. Salvatore I would recommend giving this book a try.

Drizzt Do'Urden the dark elf, Bruenor the dwarf, Wulfgar the barbarian, Regis the halfling, and Cattie-brie the human, go on a grand adventure to help Bruenor reclaim the ancient underground home of his ancestors, Mithral Hall. But, Artemis Entreri pursues Regis because of a magical pendant Regis once "borrowed" from his boss, and Dendybar the Mottled (a powerful and ruthless wizard) seeks Drizzt for the magical crystal shard Dendybar mistakenly believes Drizzt has. They all converge in Mithral Hall, which is now occupied by ... druegar (gray dwarves) and ruled by an ancient but powerful black dragon.

This one has more intrigue, more plot complexity, more character depth, and more machinations than the first book of the trilogy. The dialogue occasionally slips into comic strip mode, and there is a surprisingly large number of printing errors (e.g., missing quotation marks, extra commas, "m" being replaced by "rn"). It's still a good, fast-paced, rousing adventure.

First, I will give you a little background on the story. Streams of Silver is the second book in the Icewind Dale Trilogy. The heroes are Drizzt Do'Urden, a dark elf ranger, Bruenor Battlehammer, a dwarven king, Wulfgar, a barbarian, Regis, a halfling rogue, and Cattie-brie, human foster daughter of Bruenor. This story takes the heroes on a journey to rediscover Bruenor's lost homeland, Mithral Hall. The journey is ripe with challenges, not the least being the appearance of Artemis Entreri, an assassin sent to catch Regis.

I found this book much less fast paced than its predecessor The Crystal Shard. I didn't find the search for the hall as compelling as some of the other reviewers, but it had some redeeming factors. There was a sense of mystery that veiled the story and made you wander what was going to happen next. However some of the conflicts during the trip seemed a little haphazardly put together. Overall the quality of Salvatore's writing increases in this book and I like how the characters are developed. However, there are lots of grammatical errors that tend to get annoying. Artemis Entreri and his attempt to catch the heores saves the early part of the book.

The part I enjoyed the most was the events in Mithral Hall. I don't want to give away too much. So, all I will say is that its exciting and action packed. Just remember when reading this book that even though it starts off slow the story enthralls you by the end. If you like Forgotten Realms, then you will like this book.

This time the Companions of the Hall venture into Mithril Hall... long lost home of Clan Battlehammer. On there trail, however, are a mage, a golem, and an assassin (the only one of the three that is known to any of the Companions). Regis has not told the true reason for his joining of this quest, for it is the assassin that seeks him and his pendant.
Unlike the first novel, this seems to be more...patient/perhaps thought out... for lack of better terms. In the first, everything seemed rushed, here though everything is paced. The battles are drawn out more vividly, the obstacles seem tougher to endure, even the jokes and sarcasm seem 'real'. Salvatore has either matured in his writing, or gained the respect of his editors/publishers ( a little of both to be sure), and both show in this 'Chapter' of the Icewind Dale trilogy. A must read for fans of Salvatore, and any of the characters in the book... I still don't know what the big deal is with all the Drizzt fans, though. I've started to grow fond of Bruenor and Wulfgar as characters. Oh well, enjoy!

I found Mortalis to be a reasonably good Salvatore book, and defintely not a deterrent for reading the next Demon Wars saga. My complaint is that the entire thing seemed awfully predictable. Plot lines were creative and exciting, but ultimately far from the mysterious "what will happen next" story-lines we're used to seeing from Salvatore. I get the feeling that he is setting up his world of Honce-the-Bear for a great series of books in his second Demon Wars saga, which makes Mortalis more of a transistion than a heart-thumping thriller. However, the amount of hate Salvatore inspires for his evil (and not so evil) characters as well as the love he inspires for the good ones will keep me reading as he churns out the next few books. My recommendation of the Demon Wars saga as a whole is 5 big stars!

Salvatore continues on from where he left off in more than one way with "Mortalis." From a basic storyline standpoint, "Mortalis" continues the saga of Honce the Bear and its reluctant hero Jilseponie. However, from a standpoint of Salvatore's development and maturation as a writer, this book could be considered a continuation of "Spine of the World." The book was harshly criticized by some as being slow and without direction, but that was because it dared to break the fantasy mold of seek and destroy the evil villain. There is not obvious villain in "Mortalis."

It isn't easy to read a book about hopelessness and despair caused by plague, but Salvatore attempts it and succeeds. This book is a bridge that will be followed by the rest of the Demon Wars Saga and it succeeds in allowing his characters to develop in to real people.

Drizzt made him famous, but the characters in this serious are what Salavatore should hope to be remembered for. Not just the big characters like Jilseponie and Elbryan, but the secondary characters as well. Start from the beginning of the series and pay extra attention to Francis and De'Unnero. They are true masterpieces.

This, in my opinion, is R. A. Salvatore's best work. I will grant that it is not his best-written work, and that I did notice the overuse of the word pragmatic, however; all of this aside, the story is simply amazing. RAS takes the world of Corona into a new, and more mature realm. We are done with the cut-and-clear battles between good and evil and have moved to the realms of morality and inner-struggle. Of character development, and new beginnings. Mr. Salvatore has put his heart and soul into this work (having written it during a very harsh time in his life) This is why there is a grainy, choppy, and unfinished feel to this book (as some reviewers have pointed out) If anything, these qualities enhance the true meaning of the book, but only if one looks into the story. Gone is the heroic world of Elbryan- Nightbird, and left is the new threat from the seeds of the Demon Dactyl. Corona is a larger world by far by the end of Mortalis, and a much more interesting place. I thank Mr. Salvatore for sharing his pain through this masterful work of fantasy.

Salvatore spent the first several chapters laying the groundwork for a great book and a terrific series. Although I found the book slow at first, I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly it picked up. Before long, the pages were flying by and I found myself reaching for In Sylvan Shadows. Salvatore is the only author I've ever read that has made me feel true empathy towards his characters, and this book is no exception. An excellent read for anyone who is ready for a great story (even if it doesn't involve Drizzt).

I absolutely love all of the previous R.A. Salvatore's books that I have read, and this book definitely did NOT disappoint me. I love how you really get to know the characters in all of his books, and you learn to either love them or despise them. But, even if you despise the characters, you still want them around because they're such great enemies for the heroes of the books. I've read reviews about Salvatore's other books, and I read people saying that it's so predictable and all that, and I sincerely believe that that is false. Half the things in this book kept me guessing (especially the relationship Aballister reveals at the end of the book, that blew me away, I don't want to ruin it for you all though), and the other half was so exciting and intriguing that I really didn't care if it was predictable or not. I admire R.A. Salvatore and all the books that he's written, and I plan to read them all and am about half done. I recommend this book for everyone, because if you don't love R.A. Salvatore and the books that he's written, you will after you read even part of one of them.

This is one of the most unique books I have ever seen! There are so few books about clerics themselves and even less with an actual monk in them, especially portrayed so wonderfully! The characters are interesting and hilarious. The plot keeps you off balance and the evil people are very, very evil. Another unexpected element - a character who fights with his curiosity and knowledge. How many characters DON'T go charging in first chance they get? It makes for a very different, very good book. It's a must read for all fantasy fans with a sense of humor. My favorite part, however, has to be this certain quote: "Oo oi!" If you don't know what I mean, you need to read it, see? I promise you won't be disappointed with any of it!

My hats of to you R.A., for this excellent sequel to "The Legacy". The mood of the book was quite different from some of Salvatore's previous books, completely imersing the reader in the characters' minds, showing the dispair that they feel from previous events. I would almost venture to say that this book is *too* depressing in the tone it takes. But then again, it only makes it all the more real. As Drizzt ventures back to his homeland, Salvatore shows that he still has the eye for writing evil, portraying the drow to the utmost perfection. Salvatore's character development, as it has been shown in some of his later books(this included), is arguably some of the best in fantasy(possibly contemporary literature, dare I say?). Not just because of the depth he takes his characters into, but the twists he puts on them to make them unique to his stories. The fact that he also shows the development of his characters more often than telling of it truly amazes me. The equal development of his secondary characters such as Jarlaxle and Entreri, portraying them as not so much the antagonists puts an interesting plot twist on this book. Overall, "Starless Night" is a must for any Salvatore fan's library.

After reading a lot of the reviews for this book, i thought i would add my own opinion of it. So far i have been a loyal fan of salvatore's. i have, in fact read every book of the drizzt series from the first to the most recent several times, and starless night, i think, is one of the best ones. salvatore places some of our favorite, non-drow characters into the drow's infamous home city. it was a nice change of setting for the reader as well as the characters, especially since i love reading about the extraordinary city of menzoberanzan. i think that drittz acted completely in character in his actions when you consider all that he has been through that led him up to this point. i see no problem with him wanting to sacrifice himself to save his loved ones, when he believs that all he has ever done was brought harm to everyone he cared for. I liked this book because it brought back some old characters from drizzt's childhood, as well as some new ones from the city. and it also put his dearest friend and greatest enemy in a dangerous, yet intriguing situation. as always, salvatore was excellent in his battle scenes and small exepected twists that turn the whole storyline around. I think this is one of the better books to the series,but will always belive that Homeland is the best yet. I agree with most people that the cover art is the worst i have seen, although the most recent books haven't been much better. You would think that someone would know how to draw an elf by now! And as to drittz's age, if you follow his age throughout all of the books, as i have done many times, you will find that he is somewhere between 60 and 70.

I really enjoyed this book. I think it is one of best books in the Drizzt series rating closely with Homeland and Exile. This novel details Drizzt's return to Menzoberranzan to end the perceived threat that the city has for his friends. The book has many twists and lots of intrigue along with the awesome battle scenes that Salvatore is known for. There was a lot of discussion in the other reviews about this book just following the same old plotlines. I think for the most part this is mostly false. Some of the things that happen in this book are the direct result of great character development. I thought the whole idea of Drizzt returning to Menzoberranzan was ludicrous probably the dumbest thing that Drizzt has ever done. However, I could understand where he was coming from; he was driven by his guilt he carried for the death of his friend Wulfgar.

What I liked best...beyond the great battle scenes was probably the development of the villains in this book. Artemis Entreri is definitely only a shadow of his former self. He is for the first time is in his life lost. He has lost his confidence and in the presence of the drow feels true fear and even pities himself, not what you expect from the wily assassin. But, beyond Entreri is the new power behind the scenes, Jarlaxle. He is truly the most cunning and intelligent villain I have ever read about. Watching Jarlaxle manipulate the other characters in the book like pawns really gives me chills. I love these characters and can't wait for more.

The only thing, other than the obviously inaccurate cover art, that I disliked about this book was the actions of Catti-brie. For a character that Salvatore always described as wise beyond her years and always able to look inside people and tell them about their biggest flaws, Catti-brie really does some dumb stuff. Yeah she had a part in the ending of the book, but she should have never made the trip. She is always yelling about people for putting themselves in danger for her and not thinking clearly then she goes off and chases after Drizzt. Someone needs to slap the stupid witch to give her a taste of reality or at least quit helping her (meaning Alustriel). Oh well just my point of view.

Anyways, if you have enjoyed the Drizzt series so far this one will not disappoint you. If you haven't read the books before this one...you can probably get by just fine, but you won't truly enjoy it. At least read the Dark Elf Trilogy and The Legacy before this novel.

This book marked my first excursion into R.A. Salvatore's literature, and I must say that I liked what I saw. While I am only passingly familiar with the Drizzt stories, Salvatore provided enough backstory in certain places for me to at least get the picture.

For those of you expecting an epic battle between Drizzt and an army of humanoids, you'll be a little disappointed. Although the thousand orcs do appear, for the most part Drizzt has the benefit of his companions and doesn't really face a whole army until very late in the book.

However, this book stands on its own very well despite not giving the action that the title and cover art promised. This is a story about change, and how each of Drizzt's company deals with it. Each of the characters are going through their own trials: Bruenor is returning to Mithral Hall as king and is desperately searching for one last adventure, Wulfgar must balance his warrior spirit with a newfound family, Regis is striving to become a more useful and essential part of the company after a brush with death, and Cattie-Brie and Drizzt are encountering several snares in their relationship. Salvatore's characters are very well done and come across as very human, with their own strengths and failings.

As an added bonus, I discovered that Salvatore was a superb writer when it comes to non-human races. His story features orcs, drow, giants, dwarves, halflings, and elves, and they all come off as a part of their own race. A typical fantasy novel usually treats dwarves as small bearded humans, elves as pointy-eared and arrogant but woodsy people, and so on. The differences between the various Forgotten Realms races really come out here.

The writing occasionally stumbles and the plot becomes a bit predictable near the end of the story, but overall R.A. Salvatore did a wonderful job here in detailing very interesting characters and putting them into a very good starting story for this trilogy.

This is the best in long while for the Icewind Dale crew. If you are a true fan of the series you can appreciate the excellent read this book will provide. It is quick to the action, fast with the plot and all around a page turner. If you enjoyed the Icewind Dale trilogy you will enjoy this book. All of the gang are back together and in full force and of course your favorite Drow is leading the charge.

Many people say that the characters lack depth and Believability but to them I say.....uh why read fantasy if you want real life. Too many authors today feel that in order to represent their characters in a "real" way they have to kill off a few of the major characters, Salvatore realizes that it is these unbelievable characters that keep us coming back for more. I for one will only stop reading the Drizzt books when he stops writing them.

I am drooling for the next book. If he can suck me back in to the story with his patented fight scenes and plot twists he can bring in the newest of fans. The only thing that I feel was missing in this book was an enemy worthy of our Hero's skill. Really since Artiemis there have been few who demand the attention and scorn of the readers. I give it a thumbs up and will continue to wait impatiently for the next installment.

To those of you who want reality........watch the news!!

I was somewhat disapointed after reading Sea of Swords (the books predocessor). Yet The 1000 Orcs returned my faith in Drizzt Do'Urden books. The book did well in setting the stage for the upcomming trilogy, and made me want to read the approaching books even more. My one comment is that I would have liked to see Drizzt in a little more combat with his blades, the book set me up for far more combat then it delivered. Salvatore keeps one very special quality in mind with his characters, they are mortal and it is possible for them to die! Catti-brie wrestles with her own mortality throughout a good portion of the book (yet it isn't a dominating theme). All in all this was a great book, and once I started it I didn't put it down (read it in just about 2 days).

As far as general fantasy goes, the Cleric Quintet is pretty decent. However, in comparison to R.A. Salvatore's other work (Icewind Dale, Dark Elf Trilogy, Legacy of the Drow, Paths of Darkness) this collection of five novels is decidedly lackluster.

I must say that, taken in parts, some of the books are great. Salvatore introduces a pair of fantastically sinister villains in Aballister Bonaduce and Ghost. For some reason, however, neither of these characters last more than one encounter with the hero, Cadderly. It is a major disappointment that the 'big bad final boss' ends up being Kierkan Rufo (apologies if I 'spoiled' it here, but trust me, you're not missing much). This guy is a villain straight from a B-movie script, and amounts to nothing against the likes of, say, Artemis Entreri.

With the probable exception of Ivan and Pikel Bouldershoulder, the characters lack the level of depth that Salvatore is known for. Even main ones like Cadderly and Danica are appallingly devoid of significant traits. Pretty much all you get is that Cadderly has a problem picking occupations and Danica is obsessed with some dead martial artist. Oh yes- and they've got it out for each other as well, which must be an orphan thing.

The overall plot of the novels lacks the intricacy of any of Salvatore's other series. While this can partly be attributed to the lack of scheming drow, it is nevertheless disturbingly predictable. Each of the books has clearly defined sides (the Talonites vs. the priests, the elves vs. the orcs, etc.) which, after a reasonable amount of probing and dallying, go at each other head-on. The outcome is, in every single case, Cadderly and Co. winning handily. Of course, this is a very common formula for a story, and one that Salvatore has used successfully time and again. This time, however, it is so shallow that your feet don't even get wet.

If these counts against the Quintet seem trivial, also consider the startling lack of humor and wit that normally makes Salvatore's novels truly FUN. The Cleric Quintet looks to be the author's attempt at taking a darker, more sinister approach with a noticeably ambiguous (dare I say, unhappy?) ending. This is a perfectly reasonable thing to try, provided that the plot is engrossing. Sadly, this is just not the case. Perhaps the biggest single count against this series is that I got the impression Salvatore was sick and tired of writing it, and decided to cut it short.

Don't get me wrong- the Cleric Quintet is good enough that you'll still enjoy reading it despite its flaws. However, in the light of Salvatore's other work, it just doesn't stand up to the mark.

Having never before read a book categorized within this genre I came upon R.A. Salvatore's The Cleric Quintet as I became engrossed in a Computer RPG named Baldurs Gate. Baldurs Gate introduced me into the world of the Forgotten Realms and when I happened upon The Cleric Quintet at my local book store I felt a want to know more about the stories and characters that have been developed around The Forgotten Realms. What I found within the Cleric Quintet were five books that offered very deep character development, fascinating plot and story lines centering around friendship, loyalty, love and conflicts from many an angle whose resolutions for the most part were far from predictable. Though not for every one ( I don't think my 70 yr old father-in-law would enjoy it), I would have to recommend The Cleric Quintet to anyone that would like to escape the day to day nuisances of real world events and pressures and absorb themselves into a world of heroes, magic and fantasy. As I read The Cleric Quintet I found myself so absorbed in Mr. Salvatore's narrative that the world around me became one of priests, dwares, elves, fortresses and forests while I read. I could not give this book 5 stars however because at times I felt that some of battle sequences were unnecessarily elongated in some places and too redundant in others as if the author was writing to fill pages. But on the whole I felt that The Cleric Quintet was certainly worth my time. I have indeed become an R.A. Salvatore fan and have ordered The Icewind Dale and Dark Elf triolgies as I write this. My favorite of the books was Night Masks as I found the concept around which the plot was built to be brillantly conceived and and brilliantly resolved. My favorite of the charaters was amazingly enough not the main character Cadderly, but his loyal "weapons" the Bouldershoulder brothers, two dwarves that anyone would want to take home with them. I was so "enchanted" with their exploits that during my many commuter bus rides while reading I found it very difficult to not laugh out loud, and just sat in my seat with a HUGE smile on my face. Besides its humorous elements though, The Cleric Quintet does take you on many an emotional roller coaster and in the end I found myself wanting more. In the end The Cleric Quintet is far from "Tuanta Quiro Miancay". An excellent read.

I've read the Dark Elf and Icewind Dale trilogies and a couple of other Drizzt books, so I'm acquainted with Salvatore's work. My son who is a bigger fan of the author than me loves this series and I agree. The romance between Danni and Cadderly is well-handled and not inappropriate for younger readers (as is often the case in modern fantasy) and is a bit more satisfying than the romances in his other novels. The action is enthralling and the villains are appropriately evil. The conclusion was understandable if a bit sad, but it was very exciting to see Cadderly and his friends use a variety of talents to defeat them.
Highly recommended.

RA Salvatore, my favorite author of all time, is back to the basics. The basics = Drizzt Do'Urden. Along with his friends Catti-brie, Wulfgar, Bruenor, Regis, and Guenhwvwar. Enemies and friends from the past and present play key roles in the adventures of the warriors of Mithril Hall. From fighting drows, to being at sea for 6 years, to stopping a ta'nari from the Abyss who has control of one of the most powerful atricfacts in the world, Drizzt and his friends embark on an exciting adventure.

With the cameo of Cadderly, Danica, Ivan, and Pikel (characters from RA Salvatore's "The Cleric Quintet") and the Crystal Shard, The Legacy of the Drow is truly unstoppable.
The battles bring action. The villains bring suspense. The loss of a friend brings drama. The strange relationship between the friends brings some comedy. Together you get RA Salvatore's best work.

After finishing the Icewind Dale series I wanted to jump to the next series. I wanted to go with the flow of the story line so I didn't read the Dark Elf Trilogy, and instead went to this one (Legacy of the Drow). I was very pleased after reading this series. Salvatore's descriptions during fight/battle sequences are what I noticed first when reading his writing. You feel like you don't miss a single move when reading one of these scenes. Another thing I liked about this series in particular is the characters really start to come alive. Drizzt and friends have very interesting backgrounds, most of the time their pasts coming back to haunt each character. You start to understand each characters traits and you see how it effects their actions throughout the story.
I've been a fan of the fantasy genre for a while now. Whether it's movies, video games or books. Salvatore is a good author to look into if you want to start reading some fantasy fiction. I would start with the Dark Elf Trilogy or the Icewind Dale Trilogy if you are starting out. This is a definite recommendation to those that finished and enjoyed reading the Icewind Dale Trilogy.

This four book series continues the adventures of R.A. Salvatore's best known characters: Drizzt, Catti-Brie, Wulfgar, Bruenor, and Regis. It picks up where Icewind Dale left off, but it does help to have read the Dark Elf Trilogy, which predates Icewind despite its later publishing date. As the title of this collection suggests, the Drow are up to their usual nasty tricks, which does not bode well for our heroes.

Mr. Salvatore is well known for his light humor, thrilling pace, and detailed descriptions. These qualities shine in the Legacy series, which represents some of his best work. For those who can't get enough of Drizzt, this leads directly into the Paths of Darkness novels, which in turn lead into the new Hunter's Blades books. Out of all the Forgotten Realms novels published, it can't be denied that these are the most popular and well known. If you haven't read any of them, you're seriously missing out.

For those that have read the Cleric Quintet and wondered what the heck happens after the ending, you'll see some form of conclusion in this series as Drizzt & Co. make a brief stop-over in the Snowflake Mountains. Without revealing too much of the plot, it spans a vast portion of Faerun's surface, but largely centers on Drizzt's most favored places- Mithril Hall and Icewind Dale. It is a pleasure for the reader (if not the hero) to once again see such villainous villains as Artemis Entreri, Jarlaxle, and the remnants of Drizzt's evil heritage coming back to haunt him. The pace doesn't slacken throughout the series, and you'll find it hard to set this collection down.