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Legacy of the Drow #1
L'Eredità
Life is good for Drizzt Do'Urden, better than it ever has been for the beleaguered dark elf. His dearest friend, the dwarf Bruenor, has reclaimed his throne, and his adventuring companions, Wulfgar and Catti-brie, are to be wed in the spring. Even the halfling Regis has returned. All the friends are united in the safety and prosperity of Mithril Hall, where streams of silver mithril run deep and dwarven hammers bang out the solemn rhythms of ancient and unending songs.
But Drizzt did not achieve this state of peace without leaving powerful enemies in his wake. Lloth, the dreaded Spider Queen deity of the evil dark elves, counts herself among them and has vowed to end the drow's days of pleasant security.
But Drizzt did not achieve this state of peace without leaving powerful enemies in his wake. Lloth, the dreaded Spider Queen deity of the evil dark elves, counts herself among them and has vowed to end the drow's days of pleasant security.
317 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
933 people are currently reading
9692 people want to read
About the author
R.A. Salvatore
606 books11.4k followersAs one of the fantasy genre’s most successful authors, R.A. Salvatore enjoys an ever-expanding and tremendously loyal following. His books regularly appear on The New York Times best-seller lists and have sold more than 10,000,000 copies. Salvatore’s original hardcover, The Two Swords, Book III of The Hunter’s Blade Trilogy (October 2004) debuted at # 1 on The Wall Street Journal best-seller list and at # 4 on The New York Times best-seller list. His books have been translated into numerous foreign languages including German, Italian, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Turkish, Croatian, Bulgarian, Yiddish, Spanish, Russian, Polish, Portuguese, Czech, and French.
Salvatore’s first published novel, The Crystal Shard from TSR in 1988, became the first volume of the acclaimed Icewind Dale Trilogy and introduced an enormously popular character, the dark elf Drizzt Do’Urden. Since that time, Salvatore has published numerous novels for each of his signature multi-volume series including The Dark Elf Trilogy, Paths of Darkness, The Hunter’s Blades Trilogy, and The Cleric Quintet.
His love affair with fantasy, and with literature in general, began during his sophomore year of college when he was given a copy of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings as a Christmas gift. He promptly changed his major from computerscience to journalism. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications from Fitchburg State College in 1981, then returned for the degree he always cherished, the Bachelor of Arts in English. He began writing seriously in 1982, penning the manuscript that would become Echoes of the Fourth Magic. Salvatore held many jobs during those first years as a writer, finally settling in (much to our delight) to write full time in 1990.
The R.A. Salvatore Collection has been established at his alma mater, Fitchburg State College in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, containing the writer’s letters, manuscripts, and other professional papers. He is in good company, as The Salvatore Collection is situated alongside The Robert Cormier Library, which celebrates the writing career of the co-alum and esteemed author of young adult books.
Salvatore is an active member of his community and is on the board of trustees at the local library in Leominster, Massachusetts. He has participated in several American Library Association regional conferences, giving talks on themes including “Adventure fantasy” and “Why young adults read fantasy.” Salvatore himself enjoys a broad range of literary writers including James Joyce, Mark Twain, Geoffrey Chaucer, Shakespeare, Dante, and Sartre. He counts among his favorite genre literary influences Ian Fleming, Arthur Conan Doyle, Fritz Leiber, and of course, J.R.R. Tolkien.
Born in 1959, Salvatore is a native of Massachusetts and resides there with his wife Diane, and their three children, Bryan, Geno, and Caitlin. The family pets include three Japanese Chins, Oliver, Artemis and Ivan, and four cats including Guenhwyvar.
When he isn't writing, Salvatore chases after his three Japanese Chins, takes long walks, hits the gym, and coaches/plays on a fun-league softball team that includes most of his family. His gaming group still meets on Sundays to play.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/rasalv...
Salvatore’s first published novel, The Crystal Shard from TSR in 1988, became the first volume of the acclaimed Icewind Dale Trilogy and introduced an enormously popular character, the dark elf Drizzt Do’Urden. Since that time, Salvatore has published numerous novels for each of his signature multi-volume series including The Dark Elf Trilogy, Paths of Darkness, The Hunter’s Blades Trilogy, and The Cleric Quintet.
His love affair with fantasy, and with literature in general, began during his sophomore year of college when he was given a copy of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings as a Christmas gift. He promptly changed his major from computerscience to journalism. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications from Fitchburg State College in 1981, then returned for the degree he always cherished, the Bachelor of Arts in English. He began writing seriously in 1982, penning the manuscript that would become Echoes of the Fourth Magic. Salvatore held many jobs during those first years as a writer, finally settling in (much to our delight) to write full time in 1990.
The R.A. Salvatore Collection has been established at his alma mater, Fitchburg State College in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, containing the writer’s letters, manuscripts, and other professional papers. He is in good company, as The Salvatore Collection is situated alongside The Robert Cormier Library, which celebrates the writing career of the co-alum and esteemed author of young adult books.
Salvatore is an active member of his community and is on the board of trustees at the local library in Leominster, Massachusetts. He has participated in several American Library Association regional conferences, giving talks on themes including “Adventure fantasy” and “Why young adults read fantasy.” Salvatore himself enjoys a broad range of literary writers including James Joyce, Mark Twain, Geoffrey Chaucer, Shakespeare, Dante, and Sartre. He counts among his favorite genre literary influences Ian Fleming, Arthur Conan Doyle, Fritz Leiber, and of course, J.R.R. Tolkien.
Born in 1959, Salvatore is a native of Massachusetts and resides there with his wife Diane, and their three children, Bryan, Geno, and Caitlin. The family pets include three Japanese Chins, Oliver, Artemis and Ivan, and four cats including Guenhwyvar.
When he isn't writing, Salvatore chases after his three Japanese Chins, takes long walks, hits the gym, and coaches/plays on a fun-league softball team that includes most of his family. His gaming group still meets on Sundays to play.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/rasalv...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 562 reviews
August 5, 2019
This is such an incredible step up from the Icewind Dale trilogy, and a return to the rather more impressive Salvatore storytelling of the books on Drizzt's origin.
The drow are awesome villains, whereas Artemis Entreri is arguably one of the most one-dimensional, horribly boring fantasy characters I have ever encountered. The guy is completely shallow, his only purpose is being the Anti-Drizzt, and the series would be much better off without him.
That being said, this is all wonderfully enjoyable and this quartet of books actually gets better with each instalment.
The drow are awesome villains, whereas Artemis Entreri is arguably one of the most one-dimensional, horribly boring fantasy characters I have ever encountered. The guy is completely shallow, his only purpose is being the Anti-Drizzt, and the series would be much better off without him.
That being said, this is all wonderfully enjoyable and this quartet of books actually gets better with each instalment.
February 13, 2019
In which Drizzt learns that family is forever. They may be evil psychotic bitches, but you’re still tethered to them unless you’re willing to do something drastic about it. Readers who have had a change in religion from their families and find it coming back to bite them will also feel right at home in this adventure!
The Spider goddess, Lloth, does her best to re-capture Drizzt and get what she considers her due. Possibly because friendship is an unknown quality in Drow Elf society, she under-estimates the number and quality of Drizzt’s friends and allies.
Obviously, the author is setting the stage for Drizzt to return to his society of origin and settle everyone’s hash with his amazing blade work. The biggest question for the next book is who will be accompanying him, especially after the losses in this book. I guess it says something about character development when one of the major characters can be wiped out completely and everyone else just keeps on keeping on.
Book Number 307 in my Science Fiction & Fantasy Reading Project.
The Spider goddess, Lloth, does her best to re-capture Drizzt and get what she considers her due. Possibly because friendship is an unknown quality in Drow Elf society, she under-estimates the number and quality of Drizzt’s friends and allies.
Obviously, the author is setting the stage for Drizzt to return to his society of origin and settle everyone’s hash with his amazing blade work. The biggest question for the next book is who will be accompanying him, especially after the losses in this book. I guess it says something about character development when one of the major characters can be wiped out completely and everyone else just keeps on keeping on.
Book Number 307 in my Science Fiction & Fantasy Reading Project.
January 12, 2023
This is the third Forgotten Realms book authored by R.A. Salvatore released in 1992 and the second in a row during that year's publishing schedule (after Night Masks), and the first book in this line to come out in hardcover. I had no idea how essential Salvatore and Driz'zt were to TSR publishing right from the start. The reason is clear; it is easy to see how appealing his works were (and still are) to eager fantasy readers.
This thing is action-packed from start to finish. Salvatore's strong characterization is a hallmark of his writing, and his characters are larger than life. I am not a big fan of the comedic turns he tries to insert, in this case involving a new character, the dwarf battlerager Thibbledorf Pwent, whose sole mode of attack is to throw himself at enemies in his ridiculously spiky armor and thrash around, but others might be tickled by this more than I. Salvatore’s plots are full of turns, heroic saves, back-from-the-dead surprises, betrayals, and friendship. Despite the hokiness, Salvatore writes with heart, and the reader can feel affection for the characters. I appreciate his willingness to scar his characters, both physically and emotionally.
Personally, I find the constant play-by-play description of each battle quickly tiresome, in the way that each sword stroke is described, every counter, every maneuver. Save it for the key battles, athough in this book I would hard pressed to say which battles were not key. Also, at times the constant soul-searching that is Drizzt's hallmark gets weary. Like, how many times in the course of a single fight does he have to rationalize his actions and not give in to despair? Also, every emotional shift just gives him more power. His rage at thinking his friends dead drives him to new heights, then discovering that they are not dead further ups his game again. Pick a driving emotion, dude; at least Wulfgar knew that rage was where it was at.
The paperback version, according to the back cover, includes a final chapter not included in the original hardcover publication. I think this would be chapter 25: In the Palm of Her Hand, a scene in Menzoberranzen which provides background for a future book (which I have not read yet), presumably the next part in this series. The epilogue which follows also hints at what is to come, although much more obliquely. I am curious as to why this chapter was added in this way. I don't think it was a ploy to sell more paperbacks to readers who had already read the hardcover, because if this were the case I expect there would be a splash on the front cover about it. Perhaps the rapid publication schedule did not allow Salvatore time to include this chapter for the earlier hardcover release; he was clearly writing like a fiend at the time, with two different Forgotten Realms series and the non-D&D Spearwielder's Tale series in the works. One might now call this writing schedule 'Sanderson-esque'.
This thing is action-packed from start to finish. Salvatore's strong characterization is a hallmark of his writing, and his characters are larger than life. I am not a big fan of the comedic turns he tries to insert, in this case involving a new character, the dwarf battlerager Thibbledorf Pwent, whose sole mode of attack is to throw himself at enemies in his ridiculously spiky armor and thrash around, but others might be tickled by this more than I. Salvatore’s plots are full of turns, heroic saves, back-from-the-dead surprises, betrayals, and friendship. Despite the hokiness, Salvatore writes with heart, and the reader can feel affection for the characters. I appreciate his willingness to scar his characters, both physically and emotionally.
Personally, I find the constant play-by-play description of each battle quickly tiresome, in the way that each sword stroke is described, every counter, every maneuver. Save it for the key battles, athough in this book I would hard pressed to say which battles were not key. Also, at times the constant soul-searching that is Drizzt's hallmark gets weary. Like, how many times in the course of a single fight does he have to rationalize his actions and not give in to despair? Also, every emotional shift just gives him more power. His rage at thinking his friends dead drives him to new heights, then discovering that they are not dead further ups his game again. Pick a driving emotion, dude; at least Wulfgar knew that rage was where it was at.
The paperback version, according to the back cover, includes a final chapter not included in the original hardcover publication. I think this would be chapter 25: In the Palm of Her Hand, a scene in Menzoberranzen which provides background for a future book (which I have not read yet), presumably the next part in this series. The epilogue which follows also hints at what is to come, although much more obliquely. I am curious as to why this chapter was added in this way. I don't think it was a ploy to sell more paperbacks to readers who had already read the hardcover, because if this were the case I expect there would be a splash on the front cover about it. Perhaps the rapid publication schedule did not allow Salvatore time to include this chapter for the earlier hardcover release; he was clearly writing like a fiend at the time, with two different Forgotten Realms series and the non-D&D Spearwielder's Tale series in the works. One might now call this writing schedule 'Sanderson-esque'.
May 30, 2008
This book was better than the last one that I read in this series (Sojourn) but it still lacked this undefinable... something, in my opinion.
I had some real troubles with this book. To name just two?
1. Wulfgar - a noble warrior suddenly turned into a male chauvinist. That was so out of character! It was an obvious ploy to get rid of him and make Catti-brie and Drizzt a couple. That was a really bad move and I hated it!
2. Entreri - that guy kept popping up and disappearing so often that by the end, I didn't care at all how it ended only just that it did finally end somehow. I don't know if the author needed to add more pages or something but the whole duelus interruptus was idiotic.
Also, it felt like too much fighting, too much gore, too little actual plot.
I had some real troubles with this book. To name just two?
1. Wulfgar - a noble warrior suddenly turned into a male chauvinist. That was so out of character! It was an obvious ploy to get rid of him and make Catti-brie and Drizzt a couple. That was a really bad move and I hated it!
2. Entreri - that guy kept popping up and disappearing so often that by the end, I didn't care at all how it ended only just that it did finally end somehow. I don't know if the author needed to add more pages or something but the whole duelus interruptus was idiotic.
Also, it felt like too much fighting, too much gore, too little actual plot.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 22, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Legacy by R.A. Salvatore
The dark elves are back—and they’re bringing drama, blades, and spider-goddess nightmares.
Book 7 of the Legend of Drizzt pulls no punches. With loss, grief, and a whole lot of drow scheming, this one hit harder than Wulfgar’s warhammer. I laughed, I winced, I raised a Talisker to fallen friends.
Drizzt’s brooding is top-notch, Jarlaxle’s chaos is pure gold, and Lloth... seriously needs therapy.
4 out of 5 stars—nostalgia, action, and soul. I’m definitely continuing the series.
Bring on the next adventure! 🕷️⚔️
The dark elves are back—and they’re bringing drama, blades, and spider-goddess nightmares.
Book 7 of the Legend of Drizzt pulls no punches. With loss, grief, and a whole lot of drow scheming, this one hit harder than Wulfgar’s warhammer. I laughed, I winced, I raised a Talisker to fallen friends.
Drizzt’s brooding is top-notch, Jarlaxle’s chaos is pure gold, and Lloth... seriously needs therapy.
4 out of 5 stars—nostalgia, action, and soul. I’m definitely continuing the series.
Bring on the next adventure! 🕷️⚔️
December 22, 2024
For the review in Italian, please scroll down.
Although the writing has improved over the previous trilogy, it does not stand out. The battle scenes and Drizzt's reflections are the only well-written scenes. The dialogue and characterisation, on the other hand, are flat, monotonous and as stereotypical as it gets. The story is skimpy, repetitive and there are too many fights to fill the book, which are well done but not that interesting. For all these reasons, I found it difficult to finish the book and I am not sure if I will continue the series, since the characters are the same until the 34th book.
What I enjoyed in the first trilogy was the setting of the Underdark and Menzoberranzan, full of power intrigues between the various dark elf houses, a matriarchal society, gods and bigotry in abundance. I also loved the character of Drizzt, his philosophical thoughts and his relationship with his father and mentor Zaknafein. The reason I'm trying to continue is exactly that: I want to see those Dark Elf power struggles again, villains well rendered, but I'd also like to see something new and not the same stale story and characters.
My biggest complaint is the characters that accompany Drizzt: Bruenor, Catti-Brie, Wulfgar and Regis, but also the worst villain I have ever read in a fantasy book: Entreri. They are stereotyped and even badly drawn, with really cringe-worthy dialogue, no development and trapped in a story that repeats itself book after book.
For now, I can only recommend reading the first trilogy if you are curious about D&D lore, and especially if you are drawn to the drow, then stop there. If you want something well written, I have yet to find a book that reaches a decent level that I can recommend, BUT there are recent TV series and video games that are really well done, such as Vox Machina on Amazon and its prequel comics, and the video game Baldur's Gate 3, which has won a slew of awards, all well deserved!
Recensione in italiano:
Seppur la scrittura sia migliorata rispetto alla trilogia precedente, non riesce a spiccare. Le scene di battaglia e le riflessioni di Drizzt sono le uniche scene scritte molto bene. I dialoghi e la caratterizzazione dei personaggi sono invece piatti, monotoni e cosi stereotipati che più di così non si può. La storia è striminzita, ripetitiva e ci sono troppi combattimenti a riempire il libro, che seppur resi bene, non mi interessano più di tanto. Per questo motivo ho fatto molta fatica a finire il libro e sono incerta se continuare la serie dato che i personaggi, gira e rigira, sono sempre gli stessi fino al 34° libro.
Ciò che apprezzato nella prima trilogia è stata l'ambientazione dell'Underdark e di Menzoberranzan piena di intrighi di potere tra le diverse casate degli elfi scuri, una società matriarcale, divinità e bigottismo a go-go. In più ho adorato il personaggio di Drizzt, le sue riflessioni filosofeggianti, e il suo rapporto con il padre e mentore Zaknafein. Il motivo per cui sto cercando di proseguire è proprio: voglio ritrovare queste lotte di potere degli elfi scuri, cattivi resi bene, ma vorrei vedere anche qualcosa di nuovo e non la stessa storia e stessi personaggi triti e ritriti.
La mia più grande lamentela sono appunto i personaggi che accompagnano Drizzt: Bruenor, Catti-Brie, Wulfgar e Regis, ma anche il cattivo peggiore che abbia mai letto in un libro fantasy: Entreri. Sono inscatolati in uno stereotipo e pure resi male, con dialoghi davvero cringe, senza sviluppo, e intrappolati in una storia che si ripete libro dopo libro.
Per ora posso solo consigliare la lettura della prima trilogia se siete curiosi sulla lore di D&D e in particolare se vi attirano i drow, poi basta, fermatevi lì. Se volete qualcosa di scritto bene, purtroppo non ho ancora trovato un libro che arrivi a un livello decente da consigliare, MA ci sono serie TV e videogiochi recenti davvero fatti bene, come Vox Machina su amazon e i relativi fumetti prequel e il videogioco Baldur's Gate 3 che ha vinto una marea di premi per la miglior narrativa et similia, tutti meritati!
Although the writing has improved over the previous trilogy, it does not stand out. The battle scenes and Drizzt's reflections are the only well-written scenes. The dialogue and characterisation, on the other hand, are flat, monotonous and as stereotypical as it gets. The story is skimpy, repetitive and there are too many fights to fill the book, which are well done but not that interesting. For all these reasons, I found it difficult to finish the book and I am not sure if I will continue the series, since the characters are the same until the 34th book.
What I enjoyed in the first trilogy was the setting of the Underdark and Menzoberranzan, full of power intrigues between the various dark elf houses, a matriarchal society, gods and bigotry in abundance. I also loved the character of Drizzt, his philosophical thoughts and his relationship with his father and mentor Zaknafein. The reason I'm trying to continue is exactly that: I want to see those Dark Elf power struggles again, villains well rendered, but I'd also like to see something new and not the same stale story and characters.
My biggest complaint is the characters that accompany Drizzt: Bruenor, Catti-Brie, Wulfgar and Regis, but also the worst villain I have ever read in a fantasy book: Entreri. They are stereotyped and even badly drawn, with really cringe-worthy dialogue, no development and trapped in a story that repeats itself book after book.
For now, I can only recommend reading the first trilogy if you are curious about D&D lore, and especially if you are drawn to the drow, then stop there. If you want something well written, I have yet to find a book that reaches a decent level that I can recommend, BUT there are recent TV series and video games that are really well done, such as Vox Machina on Amazon and its prequel comics, and the video game Baldur's Gate 3, which has won a slew of awards, all well deserved!
Recensione in italiano:
Seppur la scrittura sia migliorata rispetto alla trilogia precedente, non riesce a spiccare. Le scene di battaglia e le riflessioni di Drizzt sono le uniche scene scritte molto bene. I dialoghi e la caratterizzazione dei personaggi sono invece piatti, monotoni e cosi stereotipati che più di così non si può. La storia è striminzita, ripetitiva e ci sono troppi combattimenti a riempire il libro, che seppur resi bene, non mi interessano più di tanto. Per questo motivo ho fatto molta fatica a finire il libro e sono incerta se continuare la serie dato che i personaggi, gira e rigira, sono sempre gli stessi fino al 34° libro.
Ciò che apprezzato nella prima trilogia è stata l'ambientazione dell'Underdark e di Menzoberranzan piena di intrighi di potere tra le diverse casate degli elfi scuri, una società matriarcale, divinità e bigottismo a go-go. In più ho adorato il personaggio di Drizzt, le sue riflessioni filosofeggianti, e il suo rapporto con il padre e mentore Zaknafein. Il motivo per cui sto cercando di proseguire è proprio: voglio ritrovare queste lotte di potere degli elfi scuri, cattivi resi bene, ma vorrei vedere anche qualcosa di nuovo e non la stessa storia e stessi personaggi triti e ritriti.
La mia più grande lamentela sono appunto i personaggi che accompagnano Drizzt: Bruenor, Catti-Brie, Wulfgar e Regis, ma anche il cattivo peggiore che abbia mai letto in un libro fantasy: Entreri. Sono inscatolati in uno stereotipo e pure resi male, con dialoghi davvero cringe, senza sviluppo, e intrappolati in una storia che si ripete libro dopo libro.
Per ora posso solo consigliare la lettura della prima trilogia se siete curiosi sulla lore di D&D e in particolare se vi attirano i drow, poi basta, fermatevi lì. Se volete qualcosa di scritto bene, purtroppo non ho ancora trovato un libro che arrivi a un livello decente da consigliare, MA ci sono serie TV e videogiochi recenti davvero fatti bene, come Vox Machina su amazon e i relativi fumetti prequel e il videogioco Baldur's Gate 3 che ha vinto una marea di premi per la miglior narrativa et similia, tutti meritati!
November 15, 2024
3.5/5 It’s been a little while since I did my 11 book RA Salvatore Forgotten Realms binge. Picking up where I left off I jumped into The Legacy of the Drow Tetralogy. Picking up after the events of the Icewind Dale Trilogy. Drizzt is living with the dwarves of Mithrall Hall and everyone is preparing for the wedding of Cattie-brie and Wulfgar.
The Legacy brings together the casts of Icewind Dale and The Dark Elf series. Drizzt’s family returns as his sister Vierna and the agents of Menzoberranzan are out to bring Drizzt back and sacrifice him to the Spider Queen Lolth. We also see more of Artemis Entreri who I don’t particularly like. He reminds me of Team Rocket.
It’s all still easy fantasy but it’s fun. Good characters and Salvatore writes excellent action scenes. Like usual it’s nothing deep or amazing but fun to read fantasy.
The Legacy brings together the casts of Icewind Dale and The Dark Elf series. Drizzt’s family returns as his sister Vierna and the agents of Menzoberranzan are out to bring Drizzt back and sacrifice him to the Spider Queen Lolth. We also see more of Artemis Entreri who I don’t particularly like. He reminds me of Team Rocket.
It’s all still easy fantasy but it’s fun. Good characters and Salvatore writes excellent action scenes. Like usual it’s nothing deep or amazing but fun to read fantasy.
November 27, 2019
The Legacy follows the story of Drizzt, the Drow Ranger, as he prepares for the wedding of his friends Wulfgar and Cattie-Brie. All the former companions have assembled at Bruenor's hall to celebrate. But, the Drow have not forgotten Drizzt's defection and the master assassin, Artemis Entreri, is working in cooperation with the Drow. This does not bode well for Drizzt or his friends.
The Legacy stands out for two things: (1) It has a very dark tone, considering two important characters do die. (2) It helps to explain what happened in the aftermath of Drizzt's actions for House Do'Urden.
Salvatore's Drizzt is likely one of his finest creations (though I am a fan of Entreri as well) and the fight scenes are well done. A fun read, though one that is slightly darker than the usual. If you are not familiar with Drizzt, I would suggest you go and read the "Dark Elf Trilogy" which is a superb series detailing the back story of Drizzt and his escape from the clutches of his kinfolk.
The Legacy stands out for two things: (1) It has a very dark tone, considering two important characters do die. (2) It helps to explain what happened in the aftermath of Drizzt's actions for House Do'Urden.
Salvatore's Drizzt is likely one of his finest creations (though I am a fan of Entreri as well) and the fight scenes are well done. A fun read, though one that is slightly darker than the usual. If you are not familiar with Drizzt, I would suggest you go and read the "Dark Elf Trilogy" which is a superb series detailing the back story of Drizzt and his escape from the clutches of his kinfolk.
February 6, 2019
I was really excited about this book, but ultimately I felt a little let down. I was so excited to have Drizzt’s crazy family returning as villains, but so much just seemed to be lacking here. Vierna and Dinin were Drizzt’s last two remaining family members, the family that was cunning enough to survive with the rest of their family gone… but it turns out they didn’t really survive at all. Vierna went completely mental and lost all of the shrewd intelligence that set her above her sisters and turned into a screaming mess, and Dinin, who figured out how to rise in the ranks, fearless against the odds- was just missing.
But even above that, it was really disappointing how Drizzt reacted to facing them again.
One other thing that really bothered me about this book was Wulfgar. It’s stated hundreds of times that Wulfgar is nothing like the other barbarians. He took all the good he learned from the dwarves and took that with him. He became the leader of the barbarians and turned the nomadic brutal tribes into a civilization and formed alliances with other towns and other races to help strengthen them. And you want me to believe that he’s suddenly having trouble letting go of the barbarian ways and wants to treat Cattie-Brie as property? This girl that he spent years growing up with, learning from, and admiring… he suddenly thinks she’s nothing above cattle because they’re getting married? Bull. This felt like a very shoe-horned way of clearing the path for Cattie and Drizzt to get together.
And Artemis is back again, but every encounter between him and Drizzt is once again devoid of tension because Drizzt just doesn’t care about him. Awesome. It was still a fun read, and I still enjoy it and want to continue with the series, but I need a break after this one.
But even above that, it was really disappointing how Drizzt reacted to facing them again.
One other thing that really bothered me about this book was Wulfgar. It’s stated hundreds of times that Wulfgar is nothing like the other barbarians. He took all the good he learned from the dwarves and took that with him. He became the leader of the barbarians and turned the nomadic brutal tribes into a civilization and formed alliances with other towns and other races to help strengthen them. And you want me to believe that he’s suddenly having trouble letting go of the barbarian ways and wants to treat Cattie-Brie as property? This girl that he spent years growing up with, learning from, and admiring… he suddenly thinks she’s nothing above cattle because they’re getting married? Bull. This felt like a very shoe-horned way of clearing the path for Cattie and Drizzt to get together.
And Artemis is back again, but every encounter between him and Drizzt is once again devoid of tension because Drizzt just doesn’t care about him. Awesome. It was still a fun read, and I still enjoy it and want to continue with the series, but I need a break after this one.
October 5, 2022
My second attempt at the Forgotten Realms series. I have a few of them, bought cheaply through Humble Bundle. My first book of the series was The Crystal Shard, which was his first published novel. That one felt a bit like LOTR fanfiction and was not a success for me. I fully expected to dislike Legacy and dump it after the first chapter, plus all of the remaining Forgotten Reals books on my shelf. But lo and behold, I liked it! The writing is a lot better. It is entertaining, low brainpower sword-and-sorcery with dark elves and a fast plot.
We start off with a lot of dwarves. And some bad guys planning to assassinate Drizzt, dark elf and titular main character. There is a lot of tunnels, darkness, sword fights, intrigue and light humour. Some of the battle scenes were surprisingly graphic and gory for this light read. And there is a lot of battle scenes. Pretty much the second half of the book. This felt a bit like a dungeon crawler, all that was missing was a plan of the tunnels and a few dice for the table-top version.
Drizzt gets to review his past decisions and his psychotic relations. And the baddies underestimate the bonds he has forged with his found family and friends. We are left with a nice plot bunny for the next books. I actually wonder how that will play out, so I plan do continue reading the sequels to this eventually.
My review for The Crystal Shard: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
We start off with a lot of dwarves. And some bad guys planning to assassinate Drizzt, dark elf and titular main character. There is a lot of tunnels, darkness, sword fights, intrigue and light humour. Some of the battle scenes were surprisingly graphic and gory for this light read. And there is a lot of battle scenes. Pretty much the second half of the book. This felt a bit like a dungeon crawler, all that was missing was a plan of the tunnels and a few dice for the table-top version.
Drizzt gets to review his past decisions and his psychotic relations. And the baddies underestimate the bonds he has forged with his found family and friends. We are left with a nice plot bunny for the next books. I actually wonder how that will play out, so I plan do continue reading the sequels to this eventually.
My review for The Crystal Shard: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
December 9, 2015
Esta saga comienza de manera esplendida. Es todo lo que esperamos, y queremos, leer sobre fantasia. Es la base para todo lo demas, como juegos de mesa, videojuegos, peliculas, o hasta otros libros.
Pero con el tiempo se va estancando, deja de fluir la originalidad, los momentos de calma o tension dejan de afectarnos. Pasa a ser un paramo llano sin ninguna emocion.
Las conversaciones pasan a ser absurdamente repetitivas y predecibles. Ya sabemos que un barbaro va a hablar como barbaro. Un enano como enano, y asi. Pero los personajes pasaron de ser eso, personajes, a ser simples estereotipos.
La originalidad tambien abandono la linea de la historia. Regresan personajes antiguos y reciclados de las sub sagas anteriores.
Pero con el tiempo se va estancando, deja de fluir la originalidad, los momentos de calma o tension dejan de afectarnos. Pasa a ser un paramo llano sin ninguna emocion.
Las conversaciones pasan a ser absurdamente repetitivas y predecibles. Ya sabemos que un barbaro va a hablar como barbaro. Un enano como enano, y asi. Pero los personajes pasaron de ser eso, personajes, a ser simples estereotipos.
La originalidad tambien abandono la linea de la historia. Regresan personajes antiguos y reciclados de las sub sagas anteriores.
June 13, 2014
Simply amazing! I've read this about 3 times now since first reading it in high school. I love these characters and this book starts out on a long stretch that goes...oh, I'd say a good 4 books or so.
There's a lot of good humor and cheer and then things get bloody. But that's the way we like it, right? Hey, who the hell am I writing this to, anyways? You know this is 5-star!
There's a lot of good humor and cheer and then things get bloody. But that's the way we like it, right? Hey, who the hell am I writing this to, anyways? You know this is 5-star!
July 7, 2024
Vuelvo con Drizzt, esta vez con la séptima parte en su larguísima saga, y no puedo evitar tener una sensación un poquito agridulce.
Por una parte, sigo encontrándome con un libro muy ágil y muy entretenido, centrado principalmente en la aventura y en la acción, y con una historia muy palomitera y fácil de leer y de disfrutar. Por otro lado, y después de tantos libros, empiezo a echar en falta de verdad un mayor desarrollo de personajes, algo más de profundidad, y un poquito de reposo entre tanto combate y tanto frenetismo.
Si algo tiene esta saga es que, a pesar de sus carencias, es extremadamente disfrutona. Te pones a leer y te pasan las páginas sin que te des cuenta entre aventura y aventura. Y sin embargo, a pesar de esa innegable diversión, en este libro he sentido más que en ningún otro que me faltaban cosas y me sobraban otras. Para mi gusto le sobra acción y le falta explorar un poquito más la psicología de ciertos personajes. Lo sé, no es el tipo de saga que se presta a esto, pero yo no puedo evitar echarlo en falta. También creo que el tratamiento que tiene uno de los personajes en este libro es bastante injusto, poco coherente con su desarrollo hasta el momento (aunque te lo intente luego justificar con un giro de la trama) y me hizo enfadar un poquito, porque me temo el motivo por el que ocurre y hacia dónde van los tiros...
Y a pesar de todo esto... Y pensando que es un libro más bien flojito, que me da la sensación de que ya a estas alturas el autor se empieza a quedar sin inspiración, y que demasiado peso de esta saga recae en los hombros de Drizzt exclusivamente (y no es porque otros personajes no tengan potencial, es que creo que no los deja brillar del todo)... No puedo negar que lo he disfrutado. Se me pasó en un suspiro y me lo pasé bien leyéndolo. Y mientras siga siendo así, seguiré con la saga.
Por una parte, sigo encontrándome con un libro muy ágil y muy entretenido, centrado principalmente en la aventura y en la acción, y con una historia muy palomitera y fácil de leer y de disfrutar. Por otro lado, y después de tantos libros, empiezo a echar en falta de verdad un mayor desarrollo de personajes, algo más de profundidad, y un poquito de reposo entre tanto combate y tanto frenetismo.
Si algo tiene esta saga es que, a pesar de sus carencias, es extremadamente disfrutona. Te pones a leer y te pasan las páginas sin que te des cuenta entre aventura y aventura. Y sin embargo, a pesar de esa innegable diversión, en este libro he sentido más que en ningún otro que me faltaban cosas y me sobraban otras. Para mi gusto le sobra acción y le falta explorar un poquito más la psicología de ciertos personajes. Lo sé, no es el tipo de saga que se presta a esto, pero yo no puedo evitar echarlo en falta. También creo que el tratamiento que tiene uno de los personajes en este libro es bastante injusto, poco coherente con su desarrollo hasta el momento (aunque te lo intente luego justificar con un giro de la trama) y me hizo enfadar un poquito, porque me temo el motivo por el que ocurre y hacia dónde van los tiros...
Y a pesar de todo esto... Y pensando que es un libro más bien flojito, que me da la sensación de que ya a estas alturas el autor se empieza a quedar sin inspiración, y que demasiado peso de esta saga recae en los hombros de Drizzt exclusivamente (y no es porque otros personajes no tengan potencial, es que creo que no los deja brillar del todo)... No puedo negar que lo he disfrutado. Se me pasó en un suspiro y me lo pasé bien leyéndolo. Y mientras siga siendo así, seguiré con la saga.
August 3, 2016
What a mess.
My college roommate will remember this book, not because he read it, but because I ranted about it so much while I read it. So dumb.
There's a scene in this book that will go down as one of the stupidest things to ever happen in any book ever -
The sad thing is that Salvatore was highly recommended to me by a friend; she said Salvatore was her very favorite author.
My college roommate will remember this book, not because he read it, but because I ranted about it so much while I read it. So dumb.
There's a scene in this book that will go down as one of the stupidest things to ever happen in any book ever -
The sad thing is that Salvatore was highly recommended to me by a friend; she said Salvatore was her very favorite author.
July 28, 2013
Guilty pleasure of course, cruised through half of it in a couple hours on a nice saturday afternoon. Same ol same ol concept. Drizzit and his allies set out on a quest after old resurfaces nemesis however their quest ends up taking them deep into Drizzts homeland that he vowed never to return to again. Lots of fight scenes...probably too much which would have shorted the book by about 25% if some of the over done portions were taken out, but again I wasnt looking for the perfect novel just something alot of fun in the fantasy genre which is what I got. Action, adventure, and some heartbreak. Good times again from Mr. Salvatore.
February 10, 2025
Not much better or worse than the others but definitely sadder. 4 stars
March 5, 2012
It's really hard to rate this series on a five star scale. There are definitely deeper philosophical books, but these books are entertaining. Each one further develops the characters, while adding something to the overall mythos of the fantasy universe being presented. There are clear good guys and bad guys.
Of this book in particular, I would say that the beginning and middle were just so-so. The ending was really pretty good. The return of old adversaries and the revelation of an ancient grudge at the very end really let this volume end on a high note. It leads heavily into the next book, like an old cinema serial. Stay tuned for the next book, where Drizzt and the dwarves of clan Battlehammer face off against...
Of this book in particular, I would say that the beginning and middle were just so-so. The ending was really pretty good. The return of old adversaries and the revelation of an ancient grudge at the very end really let this volume end on a high note. It leads heavily into the next book, like an old cinema serial. Stay tuned for the next book, where Drizzt and the dwarves of clan Battlehammer face off against...
December 23, 2024
While I did enjoy this, I feel like the entire book was just one fight after another, the characters didn’t really get a chance to chill and screw around like in Icewind Dale. Wulfgar made me very angry and I hope he develops when he inevitably comes back from the dead
December 11, 2020
Oh I knew something was up when Guenhwyvar growled at "Regis" and the fact that "he" didn't want to summon the great cat!!!
Poor Drizzt, having to kill Vierna and (unknowingly) Dinnin, but on the brighter side, looks like Drizzt is finally free of Menzoberranzan?
Here's hoping Catti-brie isn't sad for too long either and Wulfgar makes his return.
Lots to digested here! But, on to the next!!
Poor Drizzt, having to kill Vierna and (unknowingly) Dinnin, but on the brighter side, looks like Drizzt is finally free of Menzoberranzan?
Here's hoping Catti-brie isn't sad for too long either and Wulfgar makes his return.
Lots to digested here! But, on to the next!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2017
R.A. Salvatore is the nicest guy you'll ever meet or talk to online. Seriously. It is impossible to not like the guy. His writing is adequate, though. The Crystal Shard was his first novel. Like Pat Rothfuss, Salvatore has an English/Writing degree, and I compare the two because their writing skill is similar. Rothfuss is full of @*#$, while Salvatore is not--he tries very hard, succeeds and fails in equal measure, and is not full of himself like Rothfuss.
So, while I can follow along with Salvatore, yawning occasionally, and NEVER, EVER, EVER being surprised by any plot twist--they are more like plot curves in a very broad road--the presumption of Rothfuss just starts to anger me after a while. His second novel is absolute rubbish but try to convince the stupid rabid fans. Look, if there are 5 million people willing to pay for Twilight and 50 Shades, that just proves there are a LOT of stupid people in the world. Don't talk to me about preferences and tastes. Someone says to me, "Hey, I like it, shove your opinion" and I say, "You're a moron, enjoy the book." And anyone who actually understands what I'm saying will not disagree. There's rubbish that fails and rubbish that succeeds because twits read it.
Why am I saying this in a Salvatore review? Because, were it not for TSR and D&D, he would have had no outlet. Or maybe he would have done better with his own fresh world instead of profiting on Ed Greenwood's world. Don't misunderstand, I am *NOT* hating on Salvatore. Nicest guy in the world and all that. What I am saying is, his Drizzt novels (has he done anything else?) are like Pocket Books' Star Trek novels. You know what you're gonna get and shouldn't be surprised when the same old stuff keeps getting repeated in EVERY. SINGLE. BOOK.: McCoy and Spock bickering. Kirk making dramatic entrances. Etc, etc...
Such it is with Drizzt. He's a Drow Elf from the Underdark. We seem to be reminded of that every other page. That's dull. That's the broad highway, with the only entertainment to be had is occasionally changing lanes. The problem is, Drizzt was never very interesting in the first place--way back in The Crystal Shard and Homeworld, his origin story. This is "good" "Star Trek" stuff but nothing more. He never takes any chances and the writing never surprises me in the least. All the heroes always vanquish anyone they go up against, with an occasional sacrifice (e.g. Wolfgar) to keep it somewhat interesting.
I enjoy the books nonetheless but am never challenged by them as a reader.
So, while I can follow along with Salvatore, yawning occasionally, and NEVER, EVER, EVER being surprised by any plot twist--they are more like plot curves in a very broad road--the presumption of Rothfuss just starts to anger me after a while. His second novel is absolute rubbish but try to convince the stupid rabid fans. Look, if there are 5 million people willing to pay for Twilight and 50 Shades, that just proves there are a LOT of stupid people in the world. Don't talk to me about preferences and tastes. Someone says to me, "Hey, I like it, shove your opinion" and I say, "You're a moron, enjoy the book." And anyone who actually understands what I'm saying will not disagree. There's rubbish that fails and rubbish that succeeds because twits read it.
Why am I saying this in a Salvatore review? Because, were it not for TSR and D&D, he would have had no outlet. Or maybe he would have done better with his own fresh world instead of profiting on Ed Greenwood's world. Don't misunderstand, I am *NOT* hating on Salvatore. Nicest guy in the world and all that. What I am saying is, his Drizzt novels (has he done anything else?) are like Pocket Books' Star Trek novels. You know what you're gonna get and shouldn't be surprised when the same old stuff keeps getting repeated in EVERY. SINGLE. BOOK.: McCoy and Spock bickering. Kirk making dramatic entrances. Etc, etc...
Such it is with Drizzt. He's a Drow Elf from the Underdark. We seem to be reminded of that every other page. That's dull. That's the broad highway, with the only entertainment to be had is occasionally changing lanes. The problem is, Drizzt was never very interesting in the first place--way back in The Crystal Shard and Homeworld, his origin story. This is "good" "Star Trek" stuff but nothing more. He never takes any chances and the writing never surprises me in the least. All the heroes always vanquish anyone they go up against, with an occasional sacrifice (e.g. Wolfgar) to keep it somewhat interesting.
I enjoy the books nonetheless but am never challenged by them as a reader.
October 1, 2011
This book is quite possibly the best pure action book I've ever read. It helps that after six books, RAS doesn't have to spend too much time explaining characters and their motives. So while the heart strings were plucked a couple of times, it was the action strings that were strummed. All this action makes this book one incredibly fast read especially if you are vested in the story and characters. One heart string is plucked very hard and I'm man enough to admit that it choked me up (just briefly). A very fine outing for Drizzt and his band of friends.
June 10, 2013
Typical Salvatore/Drizzt book. I guess you can turn a blind eye on the obvious flaws if you are a fan of the Drizzt series. A quick and action packed read, lot of fun!
November 24, 2025
I felt the urge to return to this world and The Legacy reminded me why I love Drizzt so much. The tension hits right away, and I was completely pulled into the mix of character conflicts, drow intrigue, and nonstop danger. The Companions each get great moments, and the action scenes are some of Salvatore’s best. It’s fast, sharp, and filled with emotional weight.
My only minor drawback is the focus on action over worldbuilding because I wanted more Menzoberranzan scenes like in the first two books. Either way, it satisfied my craving for a popcorn classic and now I cannot wait to pick up the next one.
My only minor drawback is the focus on action over worldbuilding because I wanted more Menzoberranzan scenes like in the first two books. Either way, it satisfied my craving for a popcorn classic and now I cannot wait to pick up the next one.
December 10, 2025
I just love Drizzt and everything about it.
October 25, 2015
The Legacy by R.A. Salvatore is the 7th book in his Drizzt series and the first R.A. Salvatore book I’ve read in probably 15 years. I read The Icewind Dale and Dark Elf Trilogy when I was a teenager and absolutely loved them. Drizzt is still one of my favorite characters in fantasy. I wanted to read some of the later books, because Salvatore’s work is comfort fantasy for me, and that is what I was in the mood for.
The Legacy features the Drow coming after Drizzt. The entire story takes place under Mithral Hall, in the winding corridors of the Underdark. Drizzt’s sister Vierna, and his most hated foe Artemis Entreri, have joined with mercenary Jarlaxle, to take Drizzt back to Menzoberrazan, to sacrifice Drizzt to Lolth, the Spider Queen, the goddess of the Dark Elves.
These books are from the Forgotten Realms books that are published by Wizards of the Coast, who owns Dungeons and Dragons. Because of that, these books are highly based upon the classes and world building that DnD operates under. This is the type of fantasy that has things like clerics, rogues, halflings, dwarves, elves, and magic items, and mostly focuses on the adventures of a party of characters that are friends. There are a lot of fantasy readers that consider this type of fantasy to be very trope heavy and a less quality of fantasy than other writers but I have always loved it.
The main reason I love this type of fantasy is because you know what you are going to get. You are going to get an adventuring party that is a mix of different races and classes that have become close friends. Because these individuals come from varying backgrounds, their friendships mean even more, because they look past the racial, and social barriers to who the real person is. That is why I enjoy Drizzt because he is a Dark Elf, a race that is considered to be evil, but he has turned his back on his own race, and decided to be good. There are so many instances of not judging others based off of their background/race in these books and I just appreciate that aspect so much.
The next reason I enjoy these books and this book in particular is because R.A. Salvatore writes some of the best combat scenes in fantasy. The scenes are described simply but the maneuvers that the characters take are complex. This creates fighting scenes where characters are jumping around, flipping swords, doing backflips, that all remind me of martial arts movies I grew up watching as a kid. The majority of The Legacy is fight scenes. In fact, more than any other Drizzt book I’ve read, this book might actually have too many fight scenes. Fights between Drizzt and Entreri will never get old though.
These books are written to be entertaining and fun. They aren’t going to change your life and they aren’t the best fantasy books ever written but I still enjoy them, even as an adult. The Legacy is one of the weaker Drizzt books, but it feels a lot like a book that is required to get Drizzt back into the Drow world ,because the next books has Drizzt returning home, and I am especially excited for that.
If you want to try a R.A. Salvatore book, start with The Dark Elf trilogy and see what you think. You can’t go wrong with an easy to read book, with a lot of fighting, and lovable characters.
2/5 10/25 Possible Score
Plot – 1(Weak)
Characters – 2(O.K.)
Setting/World Building – 2(O.K.)
Writing Style – 3(Good)
Heart & Mind Aspect – 2(O.K.)
The Legacy features the Drow coming after Drizzt. The entire story takes place under Mithral Hall, in the winding corridors of the Underdark. Drizzt’s sister Vierna, and his most hated foe Artemis Entreri, have joined with mercenary Jarlaxle, to take Drizzt back to Menzoberrazan, to sacrifice Drizzt to Lolth, the Spider Queen, the goddess of the Dark Elves.
These books are from the Forgotten Realms books that are published by Wizards of the Coast, who owns Dungeons and Dragons. Because of that, these books are highly based upon the classes and world building that DnD operates under. This is the type of fantasy that has things like clerics, rogues, halflings, dwarves, elves, and magic items, and mostly focuses on the adventures of a party of characters that are friends. There are a lot of fantasy readers that consider this type of fantasy to be very trope heavy and a less quality of fantasy than other writers but I have always loved it.
The main reason I love this type of fantasy is because you know what you are going to get. You are going to get an adventuring party that is a mix of different races and classes that have become close friends. Because these individuals come from varying backgrounds, their friendships mean even more, because they look past the racial, and social barriers to who the real person is. That is why I enjoy Drizzt because he is a Dark Elf, a race that is considered to be evil, but he has turned his back on his own race, and decided to be good. There are so many instances of not judging others based off of their background/race in these books and I just appreciate that aspect so much.
The next reason I enjoy these books and this book in particular is because R.A. Salvatore writes some of the best combat scenes in fantasy. The scenes are described simply but the maneuvers that the characters take are complex. This creates fighting scenes where characters are jumping around, flipping swords, doing backflips, that all remind me of martial arts movies I grew up watching as a kid. The majority of The Legacy is fight scenes. In fact, more than any other Drizzt book I’ve read, this book might actually have too many fight scenes. Fights between Drizzt and Entreri will never get old though.
These books are written to be entertaining and fun. They aren’t going to change your life and they aren’t the best fantasy books ever written but I still enjoy them, even as an adult. The Legacy is one of the weaker Drizzt books, but it feels a lot like a book that is required to get Drizzt back into the Drow world ,because the next books has Drizzt returning home, and I am especially excited for that.
If you want to try a R.A. Salvatore book, start with The Dark Elf trilogy and see what you think. You can’t go wrong with an easy to read book, with a lot of fighting, and lovable characters.
2/5 10/25 Possible Score
Plot – 1(Weak)
Characters – 2(O.K.)
Setting/World Building – 2(O.K.)
Writing Style – 3(Good)
Heart & Mind Aspect – 2(O.K.)
August 13, 2024
Phew, that was a lot of intricate detail about fight scenes! I'm surprised at how surprised I am, because Drizzt books are often like that, just this one especially so. Real good continuation of the story though!
April 27, 2022
An almost terminally dull action-adventure, with only a few moments in the middle of the book that I found myself enjoying, as well as Drizzt's first-person diary entries, which were well-written.
The characters have a lot of promise, but about three-quarters of the book are just action scenes. Action scene after action scene after action scene - it becomes even more painful when it is just Drizzt facing off against his ultra-mega archnemesis, his Dark Reflection™, the Joker to his Batman, Artemis Entreri. They have predictable arguments about how "compassion makes you weak" and how "you could leave and save yourself - but leave your friends behind to do so! Muahahaha!"
They are so evenly matched that their fight scenes go on for pages and pages, and there's only so many times you can read that their swords are whizzing around at five hundred miles a minute and "narrowly missing". You also know that Salvatore can't bear to actually have Enteri die "on-screen", just so he can "shockingly" reappear in a later book! Because the "good guys" declare him dead like three times in this book alone. I hope I'm wrong, and that he makes no further appearance in the next three books, but man, I hate that guy's character. He's overused really badly in this book.
At least the ending sets up the actual scale for the larger conflict that continues in the next books - but this opening book in this quadrilogy really feels like the first adventure of a D&D campaign, which doesn't really work as a book. I'm sure the reoccuring Entreri boss fights would be great round the table with some friends, but reading about them is pretty boring, unfortunately.
The characters have a lot of promise, but about three-quarters of the book are just action scenes. Action scene after action scene after action scene - it becomes even more painful when it is just Drizzt facing off against his ultra-mega archnemesis, his Dark Reflection™, the Joker to his Batman, Artemis Entreri. They have predictable arguments about how "compassion makes you weak" and how "you could leave and save yourself - but leave your friends behind to do so! Muahahaha!"
They are so evenly matched that their fight scenes go on for pages and pages, and there's only so many times you can read that their swords are whizzing around at five hundred miles a minute and "narrowly missing". You also know that Salvatore can't bear to actually have Enteri die "on-screen", just so he can "shockingly" reappear in a later book! Because the "good guys" declare him dead like three times in this book alone. I hope I'm wrong, and that he makes no further appearance in the next three books, but man, I hate that guy's character. He's overused really badly in this book.
At least the ending sets up the actual scale for the larger conflict that continues in the next books - but this opening book in this quadrilogy really feels like the first adventure of a D&D campaign, which doesn't really work as a book. I'm sure the reoccuring Entreri boss fights would be great round the table with some friends, but reading about them is pretty boring, unfortunately.
October 10, 2025
This novel is where I began my journey with Drizzt & the other Companions of the Hall on my 2nd deployment in 1994. I bought a copy of Siege of Darkness at the small PX as I'd already gone thru all the books I'd brought with me. One of the guys in the platoon told me I couldn't start with that book as I wouldn't understand what was going on & loaned me The Legacy & Starless Night to read. I wasn't a huge fan of Wulfgar or Regis. Since I hadn't yet read Icewind Dale I didn't understand the significance of Wulgar's loss to the other characters & the emotional impact didn't reasonate with me. Regis just seemed more of a liability of a character who gets his ass beat a lot. I found the dichotomy between Drizzt & Artemis Entreri fascinating with their fight scenes beautifully described. My only serious complaint was how "needy" Entreri seemed in desire to see which of them was the better fighter.
Back in the late '90s audiobooks weren't quite as common as they are now, but I managed to stumble onto a 2 cassette audiobook of The Legacy abridged & narrated by Peter MacNicol (Ghostbusters 2, Dragonslayer). The most annoying thing about the narration was how the word Drow (rhymes with grow) was pronounced. Was so annoying.
Back in the late '90s audiobooks weren't quite as common as they are now, but I managed to stumble onto a 2 cassette audiobook of The Legacy abridged & narrated by Peter MacNicol (Ghostbusters 2, Dragonslayer). The most annoying thing about the narration was how the word Drow (rhymes with grow) was pronounced. Was so annoying.
April 13, 2025
Popcorn book, in the true sense of the world - you won’t need your brain. Salvatore obviously knew what his readers wanted, as he took the best bits of the first trilogy and the best bits of the second trilogy and just… wrote them down again. Could have done with less blow-by-blow fight descriptions and an AWFUL waste of Dinin as a character, but hey. Does exactly what it says on the spider.
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