Unlike the other reviewers, I found this particular collection to range from truly awful to good; there is nothing spectacular here, though. Troy Denning, an FR author I usually enjoy quite a bit (and whose first two books in this particular series are excellent), delivers a plodding, predictable story that degenerates into standard fantasy fiction stereotypes without any significant characterisation. This is atypical for Denning, and for this reason I am likely more disappointed than I might have been had another author penned the tale. Salvatore and Cunningham, as usual, deliver satisfying tales with memorable characters. Jessica Beaven is, to me at least, a new contributor. In my opinion, this should be her last attempt. Her tale was disjointed, stylistically pretentious and without any storytelling merit whatsoever. While this may tide one over between "The Siege" and the forthcoming "The Sorcerer," it would be best to not bring too much hope for an overall satisfying FR experience with this particular anthology.

This book provides an entertaining read even with the occasional poor story thrown in. The Theme of the book is interesting and several of the stories more than do it justice. The story by Paul Kemp was exceptionally entertaining, and the Lisa Smedman story was also very good. Salvatore's characters are always interesting and, although short, his story was a fun read. There are several others that make the book worth purchasing also, just accept that there will be some stories that will leave you shaking your head in disbelief. This book does prime the pump of interest in the return of the Shadovar adequately to make this an anticipated FR event.

From Lisa Smedman's Netherese mystery tale to Peter Archer's Indiana Jones-esque reprise of a character from Realms of Mystery, Realms of Shadow offers a nifty tie-in which stands effectively apart from the polarizing Return of the Archwizards trilogy (personally I like the trilogy a lot, but plenty of you don't -- do not let that discourage you from buying this anthology). I particularly like Paul Kemp's story (watching this guy. He's going to be Salvatore-big some day), Elaine Cunningham's comedy and Richard Lee Byers' adventure tale set in the ruins of Tilverton. Ed Greenwood's story sets some kind of "sets of villains in one story" record with four - phaerimm, malaugrym, shades and Bleth/Cormaeril renegade Cormyrians.

R.A. Salvatore, creator of the beloved drow warrior, Drizzt Do'Urden, from the D&D Forgotten Realms universe, is at once a fantasy powerhouse and a symbol of what is wrong with the genre. When he gets it right, it's remarkable stuff that combines elements of Tolkien and Robert E. Howard. When he gets it wrong... well, it's just boring, predictable, and trite. "The Woods Out Back," part I of the Spearweilder series, is somewhat remarkable in that it is a Salvatore effort that is neither wondrous nor dull.

One immediately gets the sense that this is a very personal endeavor for Salvatore (the lead character is named Gary, after the author's brother; his girlfriend, who appears later in the series, is named Diane after Salvatore's wife; the dwarf, Geno, shares his name with Salvatore's son, etc.). The premise is certainly a winner. A disenchanted fantasy addict from 'Real-earth' (aka, our world) happens into a fairy tale world (or, in other words, a generic Middle-earth clone), and winds up embroiled in a Hobbit-like quest to slay an evil dragon. Unfortunately, for everything "The Woods Out Back" gets right, it gets something else quite wrong.

On the positive side of the coin, Salvatore delivers some vivid characterizations (all save Gary, the somewhat bland everyman of the trilogy). His action sequences, while overused, are up to his usual standards. And, as per Salvatore usual, the writing is colorful, even if his prose is sometimes awkward. It's also clear that Salvatore was passionate about this work, and it shows. "The Woods Out Back" is definitely endearing, and fantasy buffs should find it instantly relatable.

However, it is a flawed novel. For starters, Salvatore often has his characters dispute J.R.R. Tolkien's classic, "The Hobbit." "If your Mr. Tolkien knew anything about trolls, he'd know that sunlight doesn't turn them to stone!" says one of the leads (though not in those exact words). I find this unsavory, for it seems, despite his obvious respect for Tolkien, that the author is trying to convince the audience that his world is the TRUE Middle-earth. Forget that "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" are far more believable and enchanting than "The Woods Out Back." On top of this, despite being a fairly brief read, "The Woods Out Back" seems overstuffed with useless segments - the action scenes, while superbly well-crafted, are repetitive, for instance. Salvatore is often in the habbit of repeating himself as well, and he does so here as per usual.

"The Woods Out Back," like others in the series, suffers from an unbalanced tone. For example, one moment the death of an enemy goblin may be intentionally comical - but the next moment finds Gary lamenting such a kill. I also feel Salvatore missed a golden opportunty to insert some underlying message, given the premise of the tome - and while one feels that Salvatore is attempting such a message, it's muddled at best. To top it off, there are small annoyances such as Gary's manner of speaking, which is completely unrealistic for a 22-year-old American. And what of Faerie (or the generic Middle-earth, so to speak)? Is it truly a place of fantasy, as Salvatore implies one moment, or a place of brutal reality that rivals our own, as he also implies?

In the end, though, "The Woods Out Back" is Salvatore's finest work outside the Drizzt Do'Urden novels (which will forever be his magnum opus). It's a good, solid read, although not without its glaring flaws. Still, I recommend it to fans of the writer, and fans of the genre in general. It's no ground-shaker, but it's good for a vibration or two.

'the woods out back' by drizzt do'urden creator r.a. salvatore is a light-hearted adventure with salvatore's custimarily colorful characters. the storyline is every fantasist's dream: discover a fantasy realm similar to tolkien's middle-earth, and it's up to you to save the day. this is what happens to gary leger, the story's disillusioned main character from 'real-earth.' it's good stuff, but not great - which is no surprise, really, as salvatore hasn't been great since 'the dark elf' and 'icewind dale' trilogies. it's all standard fare for the most part, and salvatore's trademark action sequences are annoying now rather than riveting, as they offer nothing that hasn't been done before - wow, more goblin attacks. oh my, let me contain my joy. still, there's a certain appeal to the novel's concept, despite some cheesy dialogue and bland action segments. it's a good diversion, but little else.

Unfortunately for books like this, they are always compared to Salvatore's Drizzt novels. In my mind, it's tough to compare to the Drizzt novels, this book is not that good, but I still liked it. This book was very original and very different from the rest of his novels. It still had a lot of action like most of Salvatore's book, and it still had Salvatore's unique and fun characters. The story starts out with a normal guy being taken to a fantasy world. He meets a leprechaun and an elf and they try to reforge a famous spear. They go through many trials through a creative world with many references to "The Hobbit." The leprechaun was my favorite character, the rest of the characters were enjoyable too. This book reminded me a lot of "Magical Kingdom for Sale: Sold!" by Terry Brooks, I don't know which one was better. This is not the most advanced of books, but what do you expect from a 290 page first book. There are a lot of better series out there (LOTR, A Song of Fire and Ice, the Drizzt series, act.) but if you are looking for a simple and enjoyable book to read, this would not be a bad choice. I liked it, but it has too tough of competition to compete against. Hardcore Salvatore fans might want to give it a try, it's definitely better than "The Sword of Bedwyr."

This provides different kinds of examples as well as theories. It no doubt helps students learn about the real world. Particularly,the chapter on tariff policy is good enough to have a good grasp of the field.

I've found this book easy to follow, even if I'm not very good at Economics. Simple, with many examples and graphs. Case studies and good bibliography at the end of each chapter.

The book really brings an in depth analysis of the modern financial world, through a very simple and easy to access method of presentation. Good for students, interesting for any other reader...

Very engaging new fantasy world, with tribes of humans locked in generations of combat with lizard-like beings. The best stories in this anthology, written by many Forgotten Realms veterans, focus on the complicated relationships between the humans and the saurans. They have more in common that each race thinks, of course. Once again, Salvatore's story, the keystone of the book, is very entertaining, along with Golden's exploration of sauran identity in "The Ultimate Weapon." The other stories, sadly, leave little lasting impact, although they are worth reading to pass the time.

I was impressed by how well I seemed to "know" and "feel" the world of Tethedril after 294 pages; this book evokes a vivid and memorable picture of a unique planet, and for that reason alone it is worth reading. The individual stories are good too! My favorite's were the stories by Christie Golden, Elaine Cunningham, and R.A. Salvatore. The three seemed to be linked, thematically, really exploring the relative nature of morality, good and evil, and really giving some beautiful insight into the life of the saurans. "Family Tree" by Dan Parkinson has a wonderful idea, with the animated forest and its unique inhabitants. And "The Lazy Man" by Dan Parkinson shows that being lazy isn't necessarily a "bad" thing. I loved it! Douglas Niles gives us an interesting new form of magic, Mary H. Herbert tells a fine story of sacrifice that invokes Christianity with its title, and Mary Kirchoff presents us with a gift that appreciates and grows in value as time goes on. Finally, there's Ed Greenwood's tale, which won me back to Ed. I was quite disappointed with his novel SPELLFIRE, and hadn't read anything by Mr. Greenwood since that book, but "The Sword of Dreams" was an enjoyable read. This book is good from cover to cover, and I hope these writers (or others) do more with the world of Tethedril.

Tales from Tethedril is a wonderful creative idea by one of my favorite authors: R.A. Salvatore. The other authors in this book take something simple and full of imagination to a new and exciting level that is a pleasure to read and a page turner. Although most of the stories concentrate on the humans, their brutality and ignorance, their strength of mind and power of heart, all of the stories left me with wanting more. My first experience of Christie Golden, "The Ultimate Weapon," became my favorite story of the book. I urge everyone who knows of, or even doesn't know, these authors to pick it up and have a good read. I have a feeling that everyone will enjoy it.

Publisher Weekly once said about this book that it's "Salvatore at his best" No way. "Streams of Silver" is his best. This book...I don't know, there was something missing. We had everyone you know? Regis, Drizzt, Bruneor, Catti-brie, Artemis, Jarlaxle, Wulfgar, etc. So why is it so mediocre? Well, for starters, it was too slow. That chapter with Wulfgar and Drizzt fighting giants? 31 pages. Also, Drizzt is not questionable and not finding more about him. Also, the Artemis in Calimport was a pain to read. Personally, that was of little importance and should've been put in another book. 10 new charecters in one place, 8 of them die. Also, the endless talk of Regis's love of food. Somewhere i'm screaming CHARECTER DEVOLPMENT. The only thing from saving it was the giant battle at the end. But then Drizzt fakes a death. Why is our hereos invincible? None of the Drizzt gang has REALLY died. Just, near fatal wounding. And let's not forget the battles. It seems now that they can take whole armies. But the greatest thing about this book was Wulfgar. That saved the book from disaster. I loved hearing about Wulfgar and his leaving the group. I feel sorry for him. I'll be glad to hear more from him in the next book. For now, however, this is parring with Legacy.

"The Silent Blade", the first book in fourth series of Drizzt the Dark Elf novels by Bob Salvatore, is essentially a continuation of the overall story that began more than ten years ago with "The Crystal Shard". All the major characters return for this novel, including Wulfgar after his return from the Abyss. While the fight scenes are still entertaining, they have started to become a bit repetitive.

As another reviewer mentioned, over the course of the previous ten novels, the characters and their mannerisms/characterizations have been fairly static. With this novel, Salvatore attempted to breathe new life into some of these characters. Wulfgar journeys on his own to fight his inner demons. Entreri sees himself for who he truly is and what the driving factor is in his life. Jarlaxle is also developed more and has become an even more sinister and deadly foe.

This book is broken into three main sections: Wulfgar's journey, the Entreri/Jarlaxle teaming, and the travels of the remaining members of the Companions of the Hall. This was obviously written in such a manner to lead into the following two novels: "Spine of the World" to further Wulfgar's story and "Servant of the Shard" to further the Jarlaxle/Entreri story.

While still a good read, it's not up to the standards set in the earlier novels, especially the first two trilogies. Maybe Salvatore thought his characters were becoming too static and in order to continue the series, changes had to be made. The first part of the book dealing with the encounter with the giants was classic Salvatore. However, the middle third of the book tended to drag a bit as the book was split into the three sections. However, the ending, while predictable, was action-packed and entertaining, even though the fight scene was essentially a rehashing of prior encounters.

-"...Salvatore at his best..." - Publisher Weekly

R.A Salvatore, one of the most talented and amazing authors for the Forgotten Realms series, leaves us utterly astonished once again in this spellbinding novel.

The book is so detailed, the combats, the scenarios, the characters, everything can be pictured so clearly in your mind that you unroll your own movie as you read along!

The captivating novelist, R.A Salvatore, is especially known for his great writing abilities during battles, however that is not his only great attribute in this novel. The readers are magnetized and enchanted by the book, and that I believe, is the work of the persuasive author.

Salavatore's signature character, Drizzt Do'Urden, is included in "The Silent Blade" and so are his riveting companions: Wulfgar the mighty barbarian, Cattie-Brie with her remarkable bow, Regis the hypnotizer, Breunor the dwarf and Drizzt's powerful cat, Gwenhwyvar. Powerful enemies also lurk about the Forgotten Realms, and these include the deadly assassin Artemis Entreri, the cunning drow, Jarlaxle, and his apprentices, Kimmuriel Oblodra, the psionist and Rai-Guy the wizard-cleric. However the most manipulative and powerful enemy lies in a simple artifact, the Crystal Shard, Crenshinibon!

The theme of the book is very interesting and keeps readers in the book. The motif of the novel concerns dilemmas. The characters have many problems that they try to rid and resolve, however, doing so is no simple task.

This is one of Salvatore's greatest books and I highly recommend this book to anybody who enjoys fantasy and dungeons & dragons novels. If you ever have read a book from J.R.R Tolkien, such as the Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, then this is also a book for you.

The cruel demon, Errtu, is also featured in the stimulating novel, but only as a character from the past that still, emotionally, torments Wulfgar. Drizzt and his companions are worried for their friend, and at the same time, must keep an eye on the demoniac artifact, Crenshinibon. All of these dangerous and difficult obstacles occur while Artemis Entreri, the deadly assassin, allies with cunning drows to form an army in the streets of Calimport, and wishes revenge on his superior. It is up to you to help Wulfgar and Drizzt in an amazing battle!

Hurry and purchase this gripping novel, and pick up your blade and enter the fascinating Forgotten Realms dimension!

I'm not a big fantasy reader, but I really enjoyed this book. Totally loved the characters. Drizzt is an awesome hero. Loved the inner turmoil as he tries to remain true to his noble beliefs despite being connected to a race of evil elves. The assassin Entreri was a great opponent. Totally obsessed with killing Drizzt. Very good job with Drizzt's fighting companions, who have to save him from being sacrificed by his evil sister to the spider queen. Cattie-brie is one self-assured, determined woman who's deadly with a bow. King Bruenor was great. Very tough, loyal dwarf. And Pwent the battlerager ruled!! The guy was nuts! Salvatore does an excellent job with his fight scenes. Very vivid and action packed. Also loved the fact the evil elf foot soldiers were all good fighters and not just cannon fodder as is usually the case with henchmen/bodyguards, etc. Gave Drizzt & company a lot of headaches and a lot of bruises. I like to see the good guys have a hard time in situations like this. Definately makes me want to read more in this series.

With this book, Salvatore returns to one of his most popular creations: the drow ranger, Drizzt Do'Urden. THE LEGACY takes place several months after the end of THE ICEWIND DALE TRILOGY (THE CRYSTAL SHARD, STREAMS OF SILVER, and THE HALFING'S GEM). While it's not necessary, I highly recommend that you read that, as well as its prequel DARK ELF TRILOGY (HOMELAND, EXILE, and SOUJOURN), before you pick this book up. These two trilogies introduce the characters and places that THE LEGACY focuses on. If you haven't read them, you will still be able to enjoy the story, but you won't be able to pick up on a lot of the nuances and references to past history that makes the story so rich in detail.

Two things that Salvatore is brilliant at: characterization and battle scenes. Drizzt has got to be one of the most interesting, three dimensional characters in all of fantasy. He is passionate, caring, and introspective. It is a joy just to read his philosophizing on how he lives his life. The supporting characters are all individualized with their own quirks and passions. The interactions among them are at times a joy to read and, at other times, very frustrating, mainly because we come to care for them.

Salvatore's fight scenes are probably the best I've ever read. His description, though detailed, his very fast paced. Every time I read one, my heart races and my hands shake. It is pure brilliance and this book is no different, except for the fact that there are more battles in this book than in any two of the previous books.

If you are a Salvatore or a Drizzt fan, you're going to love this book. If you haven't read any of the Drizzt books I mentioned above, I suggest you start there so you can get the full appreciation for this one.

This book picks up where the Icewind Dale Trilogy left off. To truly enjoy the enormity of what is going on it is helpful to read the Dark Elf Trilogy. Catti-brie and Wulfgar are getting married and all of the heroes of Icewind Dale have returned to see the momentous occasion. Even Regis has returned from Caliport. But Drizzt's enemies are many and they have a tendency to turn up when you least expect it. Drizzt's surviving brother and sister, Vierna and Dinin, are back to slay Drizzt in the name of the spider queen, Lloth. And they have many allies. Will Catti-brie and Wulfgar get married? Why has Regis returned from Caliport? And more importantly what role does Artemis Entreri play in this sinister plot? Well I guess you'll just have to read the book to find out. Here's another hook that might get your attention. The Legacy does not have a happy ending......one of heroes of Icewind Dale will not make it out of the Undercity of Mithril Hall.

The Demon Spirit surprised me when I first read it. I expected it to be spectacular, but it was spectacular in a way I had not anticipated. While the usual Salvatorian fight scenes, action descriptions, and dead-on characterizations are present, Mr. Salvatore begins to more deeply explore religious issues in this book, a larger theme that has not been particularly prevalent in his past works. This is what sets The Demon Spirit apart from the previous incredible works by Salvatore: the ambiguity of the morality and ethics practiced by the monks of the Abellican church. While the majority of readers will side with Jojonah, a strong case can be made on behalf of Father Abbott Markwart. This makes for an interesting moral conflict that draws the reader deeper and deeper into the book, forcing one to examine one's own thoughts and feelings on the subject. The Demon Awakens was a fine book as well, but The Demon Spirit truly shows how brilliant the DemonWars series can be. In addition to the aforementioned religious conflict, Mr. Salvatore has introduced a great new character in Roger Lockless, one that I think many readers can identify with. In all, this is a marvelous second book and I look forward with eager anticipation for the third (don't forget everybody--I believe March is the release date for The Demon Apostle). A word of warning for those who have not read the book yet, however: it is much darker than RAS's previous works. A sense of hopelessness and futility are present, and it really makes you think and examine your own stance on the world. However, if you are prepared for that, then treat yourself to a great read.

This book and its predecessor, The Demon Awakens, are two of the finest novels I have read in a long time. They are rich with everything that makes a good fantasy novel and the fact that Salvatore has created his own world makes it all the better. I loved this book and the way that it dealt with Elbyran and Pony's growing relationship, as well as the fact that they didn't want it to go too far until after all the fighting was over. That gave it a sense of realism that I haven't seen in a fantasy novel in a long time, unless it is written by R.A. Salvatore. If you have not yet read The Demon Awakens or The Demon Spirit, you need to run out and buy them now and get started. The third installment in the series is sure to be just as good, if not better and is slated to come out March of next year I think. You might want to check on that just to be sure. I can't wait to see how everything will end, especially the fight with the church! Father Abbot Markwart is a formidable foe and will be one hard to defeat.

RA Salvatore has shown again with The Demon Spirit that he hasn't lost the storytelling ability that served him so well in the forgotten realms. His current series is well written and entertaining, though I found it to be somewhat difficult to get into the storyline at first. This book continues Salvatore's penchant to speak about 'real life' despite the fantastic setting. His discourse on the church and by extension religion in general is more in depth and interesting than in any other fantasy novel I have read. He also uses essays to get his points across, which is very similar to those in the Drizzt novels from TSR. I, personally, enjoy the commentary on the church and it's corruption but I do not think that the essays are necessary. Elbryan should not become just like Drizzt, and now he seems to be close. One criticism I have is that, like in most fantasy works, the characters are either good or evil, with few examples of gray areas or inner struggle. There are exceptions to this rule, for example Pony's former lover and Roger Lockless. The main characters here, Elbryan and Pony, are too perfect and, to me, directly reflect Drizzt and Cattie-brie in their perfection. This can be seen as one of the strengths of fantasy, i suppose: the clear cut separation of good and evil, right and wrong, which is not present in our world. This perhaps provides an escape from the uncertainty of modern society, but I think that it hinders the acceptance of fantasy literature by the 'mainstream.' This book by RA Salvatore is entertaining and well written, and the problems that I see in it are indicative of and indeed fewer in number than the problems in other members of the fantasy genre. It is only the fact that Salvatore has set the expectations so high for himself that makes me ask for more. Saying all that, read this book, it may not change you, but it will entertain.

Don't get me wrong, I am a big fan of Salvatore's work. I have all his books and think they're all well worth a read.

This is a good book for a lightweight read.
The plot is fairly thin and there is absolutely no character development. There is nothing in-depth or challenging about this book at all. It's also a shade shorter than a normal Dark Elf novel (barely reaching 300 pages).
However, having said that, the writing syle is good (usual Salvatore) and it is fast paced and easy to read.

The book seems a little rushed (which would explain the solitary plotline and limited descriptions). It's almost as if Salvatore has too much work on his hands at present! He's writing his second Demon Wars trilogy (releasing a novel a year), he wrote the Star Wars II novelisation during this period - as *well* as his contracted 'novel per year' in the Dark Elf saga.
In addition, he is busily writing a TV treatment for a possible 'Forgotten Realms' series.

With all this work it isn't suprising that one or more areas are left a tad thin.

I gave this book 3 stars - and it's mainly for the standard characters and writing style. It's far from his best work. Hopefull the next installment will be back up there with the earlier novels.

Salvatore brings back everyone's favorite Dark Elf for another installment of the Paths of Darkness series. The book itself was a fast read, as are most of Salvatore's works, but it left me wanting a bit.

To his credit, the author resolved and wrapped up many hanging treads left throughout the series.
The characterization of the pirates was wonderful, but the opponent Salvatore lined up for Drizzt came of as a shadow of Entrari. I felt that he could have completely left this character out or developed someone within the pirate crew to cover the need for a dramatic closing fight (Salvatore's greatest strength).

If Salvatore continues to write books with the Heroes of Mithiril Hall (which I pray he does), I look forward to seeing who or what he comes up with to challenge the party.

Bottom Line: A good book, and worth the wait. Even Salvatore's B work is better than 90% of the rambling epics on the fantasy market.

Salvatore brings back everyone's favorite Dark Elf for another installment of the Paths of Darkness series. The book itself was a fast read, as are most of Salvatore's works, but it left me wanting a bit.

To his credit, the author resolved and wrapped up many hanging treads left throughout the series.
The characterization of the pirates was wonderful, but the opponent Salvatore lined up for Drizzt came of as a shadow of Entrari. I felt that he could have completely left this character out or developed someone within the pirate crew to cover the need for a dramatic closing fight (Salvatore's greatest strength).

If Salvatore continues to write books with the Heroes of Mithiril Hall (which I pray he does), I look forward to seeing who or what he comes up with to challenge the party.

Bottom Line: A good book, and worth the wait. Even Salvatore's B work is better than 90% of the rambling epics on the fantasy market.

I actually read the Demon Apostle quite some time ago, but never got around to reviewing it until now. So... To start with, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and consider it to be the best of the series. There are a number of reasons but my main one is this; for once, the fight scenes were not in excess. I like them, don't get me wrong. But sometimes I wonder if I would miss anything if I skipped over most of them. (Well, I would miss about 1/4 of each of the previous books, but little in the way of plot) Now, all that said. This book changed all of this. The fights were there, but only when necessary. This book concentrated a lot more on the parts that I felt made the previous books good. Specifically, the politics and intrigue of the Abellican Church. There's nothing quite like a crisis of faith to make one appreciate that faith even more. One of the biggest changes in this series as opposed to earlier ones is the fact that characters aren't invincible. Even main ones. Though I won't get into any more detail than that, I will say that I really appreciate it. A part of good storytelling is making your characters mortal. Over all, this was an excellent book. I would give it 4.5 stars if I could. (Thus far, only Tolkien gets 5) Cheers,

R. A. Salvatore continues to rock the world of fantasy. Demon Apostle, the latest in the Demon Wars Series is the best work Mr. Salvatore has done. It has tremendous character development, a plot that keeps you guessing, and of course, Salvatore's amazing fighting scenes. Follow Elbryan, Pony, Juraviel, Bardwarden, Roger, and all the others in the final battle against the misguided Abellican Church. The end is a battle to remember. This book is well worth the read, and more than worth the price. Applause to Del Ray for giving Mr. Salvatore the freedom to create his own world. This book should be in any fantasy fan's library. I look forward to the up coming books in Corona. And if you haven't already, pick up The Demon Awakens, and The Demon Spirit; the first two books in this series. All masterfully crafted works of fantasy.

Once again the fertile imagination of R.A. Salvatore pushes the boundaries of fantasy to the breaking point. With characters that are so alive and a world that is so vivid, RAS grabs the reader by the imagination and takes them on a wonderous ride. The Demon Apostle finishes off the first Demon Wars Trilogy in grand fashion. Action, Love, Philosopy, and Political Intrigue make up what I believe to be RAS's best yet. The Demon Apostle caps off this first Demon Wars Series beatifully and opens a door to many more books set in the mystical world of gemstone magic. What struck me most about The Demon Apostle was RAS's ability to explore the human condition. He takes the reader on a such rollercoaster ride of Love, Hate, Rage and Sadness that this reader just can't wait to see what he has in store for us next! Also in the end there isn't the clear cut winner that is so often found in fantasy books today, which makes the book even more intriguing. It makes you sit back and decide...Who made out better in the end? Did the means justify the end? Who was right? RAS's portrayl of a fanatical Church is just too scary in the fact that it could (and has) happened. This aspect just adds a new dimension to RAS's writing and makes Corona an even more exciting place to visit. So if you are in the mood for true epic fantasy, grab onto R.A. Salvatore's coat-tails and hold on, because who knows where he's gonna stop!

First, let me say that I'm in the process of reading the novel following this one, "The Silent Blade." It seems good so far, so hopefully Salvatore has realized what a dud "Passage to Dawn" was and is now trying to amend his ways. Out of the ten Drizzt books I've read, this is unquestionably the worst. The characters seem lacking in depth and don't hold my interest at all. The entertaining characters like Jarlaxle are absent, as are the fascinating details of the drow city of Menzoberranzan. Instead, we get extensive stories surrounding clerics and sea captains that are extremely hard to care about. The entrance of Cadderly and Danica seemed more like a promo for his less successful series, "The Cleric Quintet," than a useful plot device. Finally, everyone I know who has read the Drizzt books has known that Wulfgar wasn't dead. It was just so incredibly obvious; if you can't find the body, the character's probably still around! Salvatore seems to think we don't realize this, though, trying to make us believe that it is Zaknafein, instead of Wulfgar, trapped in the Abyss. He seems to think this "surprise" will enthrall us in the end, when in actuality we've all seen it coming for the last three books or so of the series. And, of course, as always, certain characters, like Drizzt especially, sound a bit too unrealistically polished in their dialogue... even in medieval times it's hard to imagine anyone speaking polished prose at all times. Overall, a big disappointment... but worth getting through to reach "The Silent Blade." Besides, after reading nine Drizzt books already, who's willing to stop now?

The first time I was introduced to the Forgotten Realms was with a young girl named Shandril and a cranky old wizard named Elminster. I immediately fell in love with the world of Toril and began searching for more about it. I found Drizzt. I have since read every novel about the dark elf up to The Silent Blade. Unlike many others, I found Passage to Dawn to be an excellent addition to the collection. Of the complaints that I have seen about the book... 1-The characters are too powerful. --Actually, when viewing the entire scope of the world of Toril, all of the characters from Regis to Lolth are small players. There are countless beings and situations that could destroy Drizzt. 2-Drizzt has become all-knowing, i.e. too smart. --First of all, he does still make mistakes and errors in judgement, showing that he is not perfect. Second of all, there are people who have found an inner peace and simply have answers for themselves. This does not mean that they are perfect. 3-The ending was a letdown. --This I can partially agree with. Salvatore did end the book rather abruptly, but I still enjoyed the reunion. Also, most people who said they could see the ending coming a mile away are saying that in hindsight, which is always biased. 4-Nothing bad ever happens; the endings are always too happy. --Good conquers evil. I believe it. Salvatore has created a series that contains characters I have genuinely grown to care about. Passage to Dawn, though not perfect, is a fine addition to the stories of Drizzt and his companions. Salvatore's books are inspiring, and they show the level to which the human, pardon me--drow, spirit can rise.

Unlike the rest of the reviews I believed that Passage To Dawn was one of the best Drizzt novels written by Salvatore. With exciting battles and a fantastic plot, there are few things that are lacking in this book. I also believe that the ending to this book was NOT AT ALL PREDICTABLE. IT ONLY BECOMES PREDICTABLE IF YOU READ THE OLD WITCHES' RIDDLE MORE THAN ONCE. SO READ THE RIDDLE ONCE AND ONLY ONCE AND THERE WILL BE NO LACK OF SUSPENSE AT THE END. The ending to this book is, in my opinion, one of the best endings to any of his books. Passage to Dawn is not predictable or lacking of suspense at all. I couldn't put the book down. Passage To Dawn Is a must-read for all of us Drizzt fans.