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Neverwinter #3
Charon's Claw
In the 3rd book of the #4 New York Times best-selling Neverwinter Saga, Drizzt draws his swords once more to aid his friends. His lover, Dahlia Sin’felle, can speak of nothing but the moment she will face the Netherese lord Herzgo Alegni once again. Drizzt has already followed a trail of vengeance beside Dahlia. Can he justify one more battle to settle a grudge he does not understand? Artemis Entreri too seeks vengeance. He offers to aid Dahlia in her mission to destroy Alegni. But Charon’s Claw, Alegni’s sentient sword, dominates Entreri’s movements—if not his mind. And then there’s the way Entreri looks at Dahlia. Can Drizzt trust his old foe?
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First published January 1, 2012
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About the author
R.A. Salvatore
607 books11.3k 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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January 2, 2025
I kind of hated this book. And have kind of hated this entire set.
Hated.
I’ve read over twenty books with Drizzt so far and seriously – everything through Ghost King has been superb (assuming we’re giving Icewind Dale a pass). Neverwinter has felt directionless. Aimless. Lacking in any sort of purpose… boring? Which granted is in line with the transitional state of the main character and is probably partially intentional, but that does not mean that I have to enjoy reading about it. Thank goodness for those Drizzt interludes, is all I’m saying.
That leads well into the most prominent problem: not enough Drizzt. Only 20% Drizzt and a whole mess of dozens and dozens of villains with limited shelf lives. What little there was of Drizzt progressed the plot in a meaningful way, but did I really need to slog through 300+ pages for such a small amount of actual story?
What’s left felt like filler plot. Within the prologue and the first couple of chapters, Salvatore introduced over a dozen villains I needed to keep track of if I had any hope of following the plot. Problem is, it’s a Drizzt book. The 25th fricken Drizzt book. And you know most of those villains are going to wind up cannon fodder. So ultimately, having to commit to memory all of those characters felt like a colossal waste of my reading time.
On top of all of that, there’s a new character in this set whom I don’t like even a little.
Those are very specific reasons why Neverwinter has been less than successful for me. I’m really hoping to like the final book more. I was averaging a book or two per year in the Drizzt world until I hit Neverwinter, and it has taken me half a decade just to read the first three. And I still have one more to go!
Recommendations: as I mentioned, everything up to and including Ghost King has been superb – highly recommended (starting with the Dark Elf Trilogy)! It’s only in this Neverwinter set that I’ve personally become grouchy and dissatisfied. Here’s hoping the next set is a better return to form on all of the Salvatore/Drizzt greatness I’m used to. EDIT: I’ve started book #4, the Last Threshold, and it’s SO MUCH BETTER. Finally.
Other books you might like:
Hated.
I’ve read over twenty books with Drizzt so far and seriously – everything through Ghost King has been superb (assuming we’re giving Icewind Dale a pass). Neverwinter has felt directionless. Aimless. Lacking in any sort of purpose… boring? Which granted is in line with the transitional state of the main character and is probably partially intentional, but that does not mean that I have to enjoy reading about it. Thank goodness for those Drizzt interludes, is all I’m saying.
That leads well into the most prominent problem: not enough Drizzt. Only 20% Drizzt and a whole mess of dozens and dozens of villains with limited shelf lives. What little there was of Drizzt progressed the plot in a meaningful way, but did I really need to slog through 300+ pages for such a small amount of actual story?
What’s left felt like filler plot. Within the prologue and the first couple of chapters, Salvatore introduced over a dozen villains I needed to keep track of if I had any hope of following the plot. Problem is, it’s a Drizzt book. The 25th fricken Drizzt book. And you know most of those villains are going to wind up cannon fodder. So ultimately, having to commit to memory all of those characters felt like a colossal waste of my reading time.
On top of all of that, there’s a new character in this set whom I don’t like even a little.
Those are very specific reasons why Neverwinter has been less than successful for me. I’m really hoping to like the final book more. I was averaging a book or two per year in the Drizzt world until I hit Neverwinter, and it has taken me half a decade just to read the first three. And I still have one more to go!
Recommendations: as I mentioned, everything up to and including Ghost King has been superb – highly recommended (starting with the Dark Elf Trilogy)! It’s only in this Neverwinter set that I’ve personally become grouchy and dissatisfied. Here’s hoping the next set is a better return to form on all of the Salvatore/Drizzt greatness I’m used to. EDIT: I’ve started book #4, the Last Threshold, and it’s SO MUCH BETTER. Finally.
Other books you might like:
November 19, 2012
Was it fun, Bob?
I sure hope it was. I hope it was fun for you, trying to ride the current fad for darker, grittier fantasy. I hope it was fun, following the edicts of the editors at WotC who told you that the world wanted one of the most beloved fantasy series of all time to jump genres into survival horror. Was it fun, Bob, killing all those characters? Did you watch the rising star of George R. R. Martin, and did you fret, did it bother you that this man was reaping the fame and money and adulation of untold millions while you toiled away for dozens and dozens of books and remained known only to those inside the genre? Did it bother you, Bob? Did you cry?
I think you did. And I think I should tell you: it was for nothing.
This is not your strength, Mr. Salvatore. This is not where you excel. You tried grim, you tried the 'Points of Light' scenario, you tried Whedoning your best-beloved characters...and you know what? You blew it. That's not what we wanted from you at all. We don't turn to your writing because we want grim, gritty "realistic" fantasy in which every character is under the threat of the knife. We want pure escapism from you. We want fun and hijinks and inside jokes. We want the panther to sit on the dwarf's head, again and again. We want to make fun of the halfling's appetite. We want happy endings.
Grim does not suit you, Mr. Salvatore. You have one character, one, in which you have successfully embodied that sub-impulse in your writing, and Entreri already has his own books. This is not the place for it.
Come back, won't you?
I sure hope it was. I hope it was fun for you, trying to ride the current fad for darker, grittier fantasy. I hope it was fun, following the edicts of the editors at WotC who told you that the world wanted one of the most beloved fantasy series of all time to jump genres into survival horror. Was it fun, Bob, killing all those characters? Did you watch the rising star of George R. R. Martin, and did you fret, did it bother you that this man was reaping the fame and money and adulation of untold millions while you toiled away for dozens and dozens of books and remained known only to those inside the genre? Did it bother you, Bob? Did you cry?
I think you did. And I think I should tell you: it was for nothing.
This is not your strength, Mr. Salvatore. This is not where you excel. You tried grim, you tried the 'Points of Light' scenario, you tried Whedoning your best-beloved characters...and you know what? You blew it. That's not what we wanted from you at all. We don't turn to your writing because we want grim, gritty "realistic" fantasy in which every character is under the threat of the knife. We want pure escapism from you. We want fun and hijinks and inside jokes. We want the panther to sit on the dwarf's head, again and again. We want to make fun of the halfling's appetite. We want happy endings.
Grim does not suit you, Mr. Salvatore. You have one character, one, in which you have successfully embodied that sub-impulse in your writing, and Entreri already has his own books. This is not the place for it.
Come back, won't you?
July 31, 2015
This one was fun, but ultimately Salvatore's inability to keep a secret made me deduct a star from the rating ... with abandon.
Currently reading
August 7, 2012I'm always up for some Salvatore, his characters have such depth and more than a pinch of subtlety. I'll admit that this trilogy has been the most difficult to get through, which is understandable, considering the massive changes brought about by the 100 year jump that Forgotten Realms decided to take. But Salvatore has managed to turn this shattering of his usual cast of characters into a learning experience for the survivors, and therefore the readers. Whenever I read one of Drizzt's journal entries I find myself thinking deeply on subjects I would otherwise take for granted, and it's changed my outlook more than once. But more than that, this trilogy has let new characters stretch their boundaries, pulling the old ones along to learn that change isn't bad, it's just an adjustment. You can adapt or get left behind.
April 5, 2022
CHARON'S CLAW is the fourth book of the NEVERWINTER SAGA that follows Drizzt Do'Urden trying to make sense of the post-Spellplague Forgotten Realms. Everyone is awful, the world is darker than ever, and attempts to do the right thing frequentlu make things worse. He's also in a relationship with a Neutral Evil Thayan elf. They've managed to acquire Artemis Entreri, still alive after a century of hell, and are going to help him die by chucking his evil magical sword into the belly of a fire god. Needless to say, Dhalia's former slave owner and Artemis' current one, Herzgo Allengi doesn't want that to happen. We also get some always-welcome drow politics and infighting as they want to build a second city outside Menzoberrazan.
August 18, 2016
This book has just about a little of everything. There's drow, elementals, shades, dimensional beings, creatures from the abyss, and lots of other ne'er-do-wells.
I like the driders in this book but had a hard time keeping track of all the Menzoberranzan drow. The idea of going after the sword is interesting and compelling. I got a little tired of the love angles between Entreri and Dahlia and Drizzt.
There was some good fighting in the sewers. I liked the giant snake scene. I like the primoridal scenes and the last two chapters are pretty good.
I look forward to reading the final book in this series.
I like the driders in this book but had a hard time keeping track of all the Menzoberranzan drow. The idea of going after the sword is interesting and compelling. I got a little tired of the love angles between Entreri and Dahlia and Drizzt.
There was some good fighting in the sewers. I liked the giant snake scene. I like the primoridal scenes and the last two chapters are pretty good.
I look forward to reading the final book in this series.
March 12, 2016
Again, after Barrabus'secret Effron's too was too easy to guess, but the Walk of Barrabus part was really epic, the characters are great and Salvatore is a good storyteller.
August 14, 2012
I had really mixed feelings about this book. I loved it as much as I hated it!I LOVE the Drizzt books. But the change is some what difficult to deal with. In this book Drizzt is faced with moral decisions as well as challenges of the sword. He meets up with someone who he thought lost to the ages to him. And as the times change so does Drizzt have to change with them. There are no more companions of the hall, sadly. And the new romantic interest is someone so radically different from Catti-bre. And she is who had me throwing the book not once but TWICE!! But this book brought out so many different emotions in myself just reading it and to that Mr. Salvatore did an amazing job! For all the changes I did love the story, and I am happy that he chose to keep this person from Drizzt's past alive! But no matter what, Drizzt is sadly alone in this book when it comes to having someone at his back he can trust. I can't wait for the next book of course..lol! And like Drizzt I am finding myself hoping that Jaraxle has found a way to escape his fate. But we still do not know for sure. Thank God for writers like R.A. Salvatore, his work is absolutely brilliant!
March 24, 2023
I'm really struggling with my goal to get caught up on this series.
Salvatore's just never been good at writing compelling villains*, and it seems like as the series has gone on he's devoted more of the book to their perspectives, which unfortunately compounds the problem rather than adding any nuance to them.
In what should be a pretty fun story featuring Drizzt, Dahlia (I have issues with Dahlia but whatever), and (I consider this a spoiler though it's right there in the book's description) on their quest into Gauntlgrym to destroy an evil sentient sword, we keep getting diverted with chapters following Herzo Alegni, one of those aforementioned villains I just did not care about, as well as Effron, whose origin was so obvious I don't know why Salvatore didn't just reveal it initially, instead of saving it for the dramatic conclusion. There's also some mage guy named Draygo Quick. Shrug. I'll read the last of this 4-part series and decide if I'm continuing on to the next after.
* He is good at writing compelling anti-heroes (Entreri, Jarlaxle, etc.). Not the same thing as a villain.
Salvatore's just never been good at writing compelling villains*, and it seems like as the series has gone on he's devoted more of the book to their perspectives, which unfortunately compounds the problem rather than adding any nuance to them.
In what should be a pretty fun story featuring Drizzt, Dahlia (I have issues with Dahlia but whatever), and (I consider this a spoiler though it's right there in the book's description) on their quest into Gauntlgrym to destroy an evil sentient sword, we keep getting diverted with chapters following Herzo Alegni, one of those aforementioned villains I just did not care about, as well as Effron, whose origin was so obvious I don't know why Salvatore didn't just reveal it initially, instead of saving it for the dramatic conclusion. There's also some mage guy named Draygo Quick. Shrug. I'll read the last of this 4-part series and decide if I'm continuing on to the next after.
* He is good at writing compelling anti-heroes (Entreri, Jarlaxle, etc.). Not the same thing as a villain.
August 15, 2012
Salvatore has produced an excellent conclusion to the Neverwinter trilogy. The character intrigue and development really carries this book, as they do in Salvatore's best work. The drama between Drizzt, Dahlia, Entreri, Alegni, and Effron resolves itself very well (though some loose ends do promise further plots). Salvatore does his usual good work with action and adventure, although, thankfully, he doesn't go on and on and on with excessive melee details (yes, too much action really does slow down some of Salvatore's books). All in all, this was one of R.A.S.'s better works. Drizzt fans shouldn't be disappointed.
August 21, 2023
Relecture
December 20, 2012
I’m torn on my feelings towards this book. It was an improvement on Neverwinter I think. It was fast paced and pulled me through, basically one adventure to another. But what I am really torn about is Salvatore’s change in Drizzt and the stories in general to a blurring of the lines or morality and becoming more mature in his themes. In the older books of the series it was obvious who was good and who was evil, and where right and wrong fell. Simplistic maybe, but I enjoyed the books for that reason. But in this trilogy it has all gotten hazy. The icon of goodness, Cattie-brie, has been replaced by Dahlia, a deeply scarred female with major issues. And now Salvatore is hinting at a love triangle…..On one hand I applaud Salvatore for exploring more complex issues, but at the same time I miss his older style.
Salvatore’s fighting sequences are as tight as ever. It has always been great strength of his. Even if I can’t always follow the move by move descriptions, they always sound great. This book is chalk full of them, and they are all well done.
I was disappointed that Drizzt had to again come to realize how important Guenhwyvar was to him. This is the 3rd time Drizzt has been separated from Gwen by my count, and Salvatore wrote it like it was the first. I assume the Gwen subplot is a setup for further books, but honestly I thought it distracted from the story and added nothing.
I am sure I will continue to read Salvatore, and I will continue to call him one of my favorite authors, but overall this trilogy has been a disappointment. In the end I settle on a 2.5 for this book.
Salvatore’s fighting sequences are as tight as ever. It has always been great strength of his. Even if I can’t always follow the move by move descriptions, they always sound great. This book is chalk full of them, and they are all well done.
I was disappointed that Drizzt had to again come to realize how important Guenhwyvar was to him. This is the 3rd time Drizzt has been separated from Gwen by my count, and Salvatore wrote it like it was the first. I assume the Gwen subplot is a setup for further books, but honestly I thought it distracted from the story and added nothing.
I am sure I will continue to read Salvatore, and I will continue to call him one of my favorite authors, but overall this trilogy has been a disappointment. In the end I settle on a 2.5 for this book.
August 14, 2012
This book is, as expected, a straightforward, fast-paced adventure story with lots of action, and should be a fun read for any fan of this genre. But what I liked most about it is the unusual character development. The Drizzt-Entreri like-hate relationship is back. As usual, these two manage to bring out both the best and the worst in each other in fascinating ways. Then there are the added irritants of an evil mind-controlling sword and a potential sex triangle with an elf chick who likes to kill her boyfriends. So the boys are in for some fun times... But seriously, it's great how practically every single character in this book breaks the mold of the typical action fantasy novel. From the main hero down to minor villains, they all manage to become more morally ambiguous instead of less, while bringing out both the best and the worst in each other's personalities as they interact.
My only complaint for this book is that there is so little memorable dialogue. Yes, Artemis was in fine form with his usual understated snark, and the new character Ambergris was great, but many of the others sounded a little stilted. I guess it makes sense for someone like Aleigni to sound like the pompous moron he essentially is, but I expected the drow to be much more clever then they sounded here. Also, there are two parallel, unrelated plot lines in this book, and they are never fully brought together in a satisfying way. However, I assume this will be done in future novels of this series.
My only complaint for this book is that there is so little memorable dialogue. Yes, Artemis was in fine form with his usual understated snark, and the new character Ambergris was great, but many of the others sounded a little stilted. I guess it makes sense for someone like Aleigni to sound like the pompous moron he essentially is, but I expected the drow to be much more clever then they sounded here. Also, there are two parallel, unrelated plot lines in this book, and they are never fully brought together in a satisfying way. However, I assume this will be done in future novels of this series.
December 16, 2025
As I finish the 3rd book in the Neverwinter series, as we follow Drizzt, Dalhia & Artemis as the latter two seek vengeance against Herzgo Alegni. As a subplot we have a drow party that is leaving Menzoberrazan for Gauntlgrym to establish another drow city.
This grimdark fantasy that is being created here is so much different than what we are used to reading from Drizzt. As Drizzt, Dalhia & Artemis travel to Gauntlgrym to destroy Charon's Claw which will release Artemis from its hold of him. Drizzt is the one that carrying the sword which begins to manipulate him into jealously of Artemis' & Dalhia's interactions. While I'm not a huge fan of Dalhia & all her trauma, she's a poor substitute for Catti-Brie. This took up a good bit of time in the scenes with Drizzt, Dalhia & Artemis I found myself caring less each time it was brought up. We get introduced to 2 more characters a dwarven cleric & a human monk.
This grimdark fantasy that is being created here is so much different than what we are used to reading from Drizzt. As Drizzt, Dalhia & Artemis travel to Gauntlgrym to destroy Charon's Claw which will release Artemis from its hold of him. Drizzt is the one that carrying the sword which begins to manipulate him into jealously of Artemis' & Dalhia's interactions. While I'm not a huge fan of Dalhia & all her trauma, she's a poor substitute for Catti-Brie. This took up a good bit of time in the scenes with Drizzt, Dalhia & Artemis I found myself caring less each time it was brought up. We get introduced to 2 more characters a dwarven cleric & a human monk.
March 10, 2025
Woof. This one was SO BAD. I actually first checked it out of the library nearly a year ago, but read it at such a slow pace I had to return it then wait for my turn to come round again. Uuuuuugh.
So at the end of the last book we have the reveal that Barrabus is Entreri, kept alive by Charon's Claw. In this one, here, I'll break down the things that happen (I'm not bothering to hide the review, but there will be some spoilers):
Drizzt & his co fight Alegni & his company. Shockingly (/sarcasm), everybody gets away. Drizzt wrests Charon's Claw from Alegni. Gwen (not even gonna try to spell her name correctly) leaps into the Shadow Realm attacking Alegni, and she's severed from Drizzt's figurine.
OMG IS GWEN GONE FOREVER?!?! Of course not. We see her, held captive, like two chapters later.
Everybody licks their wounds. Drizzt & co decide they're gonna throw Claw into the primordial's lava pit and destroy it, even though it will ABSOLUTELY AND FOREVER DESTROY ENTRERI. Entreri buys an 'I Welcome Death!' t-shirt and they head out.
In Gauntlegrym, Drizzt & co meet up w/Alegni & co, but only AFTER they meet up with OMG SOME DROW BECAUSE THERE'S A WHOLE DROW EXPLORATION SUBPLOT GOING ON HERE, TOO. They all fight!
Everybody gets away and nothing means anything. Finally Drizzt throws Claw into the lava, aaaaaaand -- come on. You can guess what happens, right?
Here's what I hate: As you can probably tell from that brief but really overly detailed plot synopsis, NOTHING HAPPENS HERE. We have an adventure with a final goal, and that final goal is reached, and (shockingly) nothing happens.
So ... the ONLY thing that happened the whole damn book is that Gwen got detached from her figurine (and taken prisoner).
I sort of enjoyed the opening (the prologue is largely focused on the drow exploration team). It was a different view of drow society, not so focused on Drizzt's family (though they come up a lot and are tangentially involved). Watching their machinations be a bit more varied was fun. But then ... nothing much came of it.
I'll put one other positive on here I liked: Entreri & Dahlia bond quickly because they were both abused so young. Possibly a bit improbable, but I at least found it interesting, and it was nice that something from Entreri's past that hasn't really come up since Road of the Patriarch hasn't been forgotten.
But what caused me the most grief is that Drizzt just turns into the same mopey bastard he used to be pre-Spellplague. I totally get him being upset about Gwen, but what the hell is up with him acting insecure with Dahlia all the time, and going back to his old morality? Like, there's literally a scene in Gauntlegrym where either Jarlaxle or Dahlia kills somebody & Drizzt basically shrugs, and Jarlaxle gets mad at him. I didn't care for the scene at the time because I felt it lacked subtlety, but when has Salvatore ever been subtle? But now, just two books later, where very little has changed, there's a similar scene where Entreri is about to kill someone and Drizzt is like NO! IT'S BAD!
Look, I'm not saying I NEED Drizzt to be an amoral bastard (though I do), but if you had him be one in Gauntlegrym, what happened to make him suddenly be the character he used to be in this book? Did I miss something? I might have. I skimmed a lot because most of the chapters were characters explaining things that just happened to each other (or thinking about it), rather than anything happening.
Even worse, Drizzt is CONSTANTLY thinking about how 'Cattie-Brie wouldn't be cold and distant like that' or whatever about Dahlia, and it's like, no shit, Drizzt. That's what you like about Dahlia, right? That she's nothing like Cattie-Brie? And after Bruenor's death you're so dead inside you'll take anyone who gives you attention....right? Right? Isn't that what we spent like 400 pages setting up back in Gauntlegrym?
I don't know what happened. I feel like with Gauntlegrym, Salvatore really went all in on 4E and tried doing some fun stuff. I don't know if WotC made him turn a planned trilogy into four books, or if they asked for other editorial changes that made books 2 & 3 so dismal, or what, but my god.
So at the end of the last book we have the reveal that Barrabus is Entreri, kept alive by Charon's Claw. In this one, here, I'll break down the things that happen (I'm not bothering to hide the review, but there will be some spoilers):
Drizzt & his co fight Alegni & his company. Shockingly (/sarcasm), everybody gets away. Drizzt wrests Charon's Claw from Alegni. Gwen (not even gonna try to spell her name correctly) leaps into the Shadow Realm attacking Alegni, and she's severed from Drizzt's figurine.
OMG IS GWEN GONE FOREVER?!?! Of course not. We see her, held captive, like two chapters later.
Everybody licks their wounds. Drizzt & co decide they're gonna throw Claw into the primordial's lava pit and destroy it, even though it will ABSOLUTELY AND FOREVER DESTROY ENTRERI. Entreri buys an 'I Welcome Death!' t-shirt and they head out.
In Gauntlegrym, Drizzt & co meet up w/Alegni & co, but only AFTER they meet up with OMG SOME DROW BECAUSE THERE'S A WHOLE DROW EXPLORATION SUBPLOT GOING ON HERE, TOO. They all fight!
Everybody gets away and nothing means anything. Finally Drizzt throws Claw into the lava, aaaaaaand -- come on. You can guess what happens, right?
Here's what I hate: As you can probably tell from that brief but really overly detailed plot synopsis, NOTHING HAPPENS HERE. We have an adventure with a final goal, and that final goal is reached, and (shockingly) nothing happens.
So ... the ONLY thing that happened the whole damn book is that Gwen got detached from her figurine (and taken prisoner).
I sort of enjoyed the opening (the prologue is largely focused on the drow exploration team). It was a different view of drow society, not so focused on Drizzt's family (though they come up a lot and are tangentially involved). Watching their machinations be a bit more varied was fun. But then ... nothing much came of it.
I'll put one other positive on here I liked: Entreri & Dahlia bond quickly because they were both abused so young. Possibly a bit improbable, but I at least found it interesting, and it was nice that something from Entreri's past that hasn't really come up since Road of the Patriarch hasn't been forgotten.
But what caused me the most grief is that Drizzt just turns into the same mopey bastard he used to be pre-Spellplague. I totally get him being upset about Gwen, but what the hell is up with him acting insecure with Dahlia all the time, and going back to his old morality? Like, there's literally a scene in Gauntlegrym where either Jarlaxle or Dahlia kills somebody & Drizzt basically shrugs, and Jarlaxle gets mad at him. I didn't care for the scene at the time because I felt it lacked subtlety, but when has Salvatore ever been subtle? But now, just two books later, where very little has changed, there's a similar scene where Entreri is about to kill someone and Drizzt is like NO! IT'S BAD!
Look, I'm not saying I NEED Drizzt to be an amoral bastard (though I do), but if you had him be one in Gauntlegrym, what happened to make him suddenly be the character he used to be in this book? Did I miss something? I might have. I skimmed a lot because most of the chapters were characters explaining things that just happened to each other (or thinking about it), rather than anything happening.
Even worse, Drizzt is CONSTANTLY thinking about how 'Cattie-Brie wouldn't be cold and distant like that' or whatever about Dahlia, and it's like, no shit, Drizzt. That's what you like about Dahlia, right? That she's nothing like Cattie-Brie? And after Bruenor's death you're so dead inside you'll take anyone who gives you attention....right? Right? Isn't that what we spent like 400 pages setting up back in Gauntlegrym?
I don't know what happened. I feel like with Gauntlegrym, Salvatore really went all in on 4E and tried doing some fun stuff. I don't know if WotC made him turn a planned trilogy into four books, or if they asked for other editorial changes that made books 2 & 3 so dismal, or what, but my god.
September 2, 2019
At some point I lost count as to what number in the Drizzt series these books were (mid 20s maybe) but it is the 3rd book in the 4 book Neverwinter series.
Essentially we've got Drizzt, Dahlia, Artemis Entreri suiting up to take on the Shadovar commander and Netherese lord Herzgo Alegni. They need to exact revenge and end Entreri's servitude to Charon's Claw.
Oh but it's not just that - we have the Drow (specifically, House Xorlarrin) trying to take Gauntylgrym and a special twist with a favorite character.
Of course there are numerous twists at the end to setup the next book.
If none of that made sense then go back and read the previous 20+ books.
Great characters, good pacing, decent plot (I was sick when I read this so it could be me or it could be the plotting wasn't as good as usual) and of course the usual stellar fight/battle scenes.
You don't need me to recommend or not recommend at this point. Drizzt has been around since the late 80's - you either are a fan or you're not. If you're a fan then this is a good one. If you're not a fan then don't read this (but really? why aren't you a fan?)
Essentially we've got Drizzt, Dahlia, Artemis Entreri suiting up to take on the Shadovar commander and Netherese lord Herzgo Alegni. They need to exact revenge and end Entreri's servitude to Charon's Claw.
Oh but it's not just that - we have the Drow (specifically, House Xorlarrin) trying to take Gauntylgrym and a special twist with a favorite character.
Of course there are numerous twists at the end to setup the next book.
If none of that made sense then go back and read the previous 20+ books.
Great characters, good pacing, decent plot (I was sick when I read this so it could be me or it could be the plotting wasn't as good as usual) and of course the usual stellar fight/battle scenes.
You don't need me to recommend or not recommend at this point. Drizzt has been around since the late 80's - you either are a fan or you're not. If you're a fan then this is a good one. If you're not a fan then don't read this (but really? why aren't you a fan?)
July 21, 2021
Salah satu novel dari universe Forgotten Realms (juga siri game Dungeons & Dragons), antara siri novel fantasi yg terkenal dan banyak peminatnya. Merupakan buku ke-3 dalam quadrilogy 'The Neverwinter Saga' - menyambung kisah pengembaraan Drizzt Do'Urden dan rakan-rakannya. Juga merupakan buku ke-22 (dari 34) dalam siri 'The legend of Drizzt'. Buku kali ni dibahagikan kepada 2 sub-plot. Jalan ceritanya perlahan sedikit, lama jugak ambil masa untuk habiskan pembacaan.
Plot novel kali ni mengisahkan tentang misi Drizzt, Dahlia, dan Artemis Entreri untuk menghentikan penguasaan Herzgo Alegni, ketua shadovar dari Netheril Empire di kawasan sekitar Neverwinter. Sub-plot kedua pula mengisahkan tentang misi mereka untuk memusnahkan Charon's Claw (senjata milik Alegni) di Gauntlgrym...
Plot novel kali ni mengisahkan tentang misi Drizzt, Dahlia, dan Artemis Entreri untuk menghentikan penguasaan Herzgo Alegni, ketua shadovar dari Netheril Empire di kawasan sekitar Neverwinter. Sub-plot kedua pula mengisahkan tentang misi mereka untuk memusnahkan Charon's Claw (senjata milik Alegni) di Gauntlgrym...
January 27, 2021
Prosegue l'avventura di questo strano gruppo di avventurieri. Ma stavolta ritornano i drow e quando ci sono di mezzo loro, Salvatore dà sempre il meglio!
Trama comunque un po' piatta per poter dare più di 3 stelle. Ci sono dei colpi di scena finali, alcuni banalissimi fin dal primo o secondo libro, mentre quello nell'epilogo mi ha ucciso!
Trovo comunque che Salvatore sia troppo incollato ai suoi personaggi, e lasciali andare stì disgraziati!
Trama comunque un po' piatta per poter dare più di 3 stelle. Ci sono dei colpi di scena finali, alcuni banalissimi fin dal primo o secondo libro, mentre quello nell'epilogo mi ha ucciso!
Trovo comunque che Salvatore sia troppo incollato ai suoi personaggi, e lasciali andare stì disgraziati!
August 27, 2012
I have to say that either there are some incongruencies with this trilogy, or someone made a big mistake in the jacket indicating this is the conclusion of the Neverwinter Saga. The Last Threshold is scheduled to come out on March 2013 toegther with the PC game Neverwinter, this series serving as a backstory for the PC game.
"Charon's Claw" is able to present different storylines and reconcile every aspect into a fantastic and thrilling conclusion. I venture to say that the story follows the same formula from Salvatore's The Crystal Shard but it adds another dimension to the character of Drizzt seldom explored by his many adventures. Salvatore, who is usually very forward with details he wishes to conceal leaves no clue, no hint of what the story will come to in the end and that helps raise the intrigue found within the book.
Another important element to discuss is Drizzt's character evolution. Whereas in the first two books he was challenged by the different outlook from Dahlia, and trying to abde by his mighty principles, Drizzt is at a lost for most of this book, dwelling in conflicted emotions and questioning his values. This is not from views forced upon himself, but rather, by the circumstances and events from the book. In all this, Drizzt is trying to reconcile his own justification and his code of morals.
Drizzt's relationships with his companions also evolve profoundly in this book. Readers may like or dislike Dahlia Sin'Felle, but on the first two books, she was an essential character to the foundation of the story. I may argue that this is really her story, and Drizzt just happens to tag along. This book is no different, and we can finally see through Dahlia's mask and see the vulnerable and insecure character within her. Never had I feel so close to her and I was surprised to see how my appreciation for her grew.
The same can be said of Artemis Entreri. He is the same cool, calculating and ruthless assasin, yet his backstory is also essential to the way Drizzt see his archnemesis and the way in which both will interact as the story continues.
Problems with this book lies with the villain. Antagonist in this series have felt flat and uninteresting, boring and useless. I got the feeling that Salvatore was shielding his antagonists for future installments of this series, as some of the most interesting simply vanished of disappeared quickly. Alegni, was again, an unworthy villain that shielded behind his powerful masters and the story took a toll from it.
This is the best book of the Neverwinter saga. It left me with a sense of accomplishment and at the same time, with many questions. What I admired most is that Salvatore was able to produce, out of thin air, a complicated twist into the story; an unpredictible event that will change Drizzt's life forever.
"Charon's Claw" is able to present different storylines and reconcile every aspect into a fantastic and thrilling conclusion. I venture to say that the story follows the same formula from Salvatore's The Crystal Shard but it adds another dimension to the character of Drizzt seldom explored by his many adventures. Salvatore, who is usually very forward with details he wishes to conceal leaves no clue, no hint of what the story will come to in the end and that helps raise the intrigue found within the book.
Another important element to discuss is Drizzt's character evolution. Whereas in the first two books he was challenged by the different outlook from Dahlia, and trying to abde by his mighty principles, Drizzt is at a lost for most of this book, dwelling in conflicted emotions and questioning his values. This is not from views forced upon himself, but rather, by the circumstances and events from the book. In all this, Drizzt is trying to reconcile his own justification and his code of morals.
Drizzt's relationships with his companions also evolve profoundly in this book. Readers may like or dislike Dahlia Sin'Felle, but on the first two books, she was an essential character to the foundation of the story. I may argue that this is really her story, and Drizzt just happens to tag along. This book is no different, and we can finally see through Dahlia's mask and see the vulnerable and insecure character within her. Never had I feel so close to her and I was surprised to see how my appreciation for her grew.
The same can be said of Artemis Entreri. He is the same cool, calculating and ruthless assasin, yet his backstory is also essential to the way Drizzt see his archnemesis and the way in which both will interact as the story continues.
Problems with this book lies with the villain. Antagonist in this series have felt flat and uninteresting, boring and useless. I got the feeling that Salvatore was shielding his antagonists for future installments of this series, as some of the most interesting simply vanished of disappeared quickly. Alegni, was again, an unworthy villain that shielded behind his powerful masters and the story took a toll from it.
This is the best book of the Neverwinter saga. It left me with a sense of accomplishment and at the same time, with many questions. What I admired most is that Salvatore was able to produce, out of thin air, a complicated twist into the story; an unpredictible event that will change Drizzt's life forever.
January 10, 2015
Have you ever been reading a series and find yourself continuing more out of obligation than desire?
Yeah. Kinda there with this series. I've been reading Salvatore's tales of Drizzt since the very beginning...and I want to know how it ends. But getting there has turned into such a slog! Part of it is the evolution of the character from a bold adventurer, finding his place in a world that (rightfully) fears and hates his Drow race to a tragic hero wallowing in misery and endlessly moaning about his lot in life and his inner turmoil. Sorry, he's just lost any sense of fun and become a complete whiner.
Salvatore's changes in writing style are also to blame for the decline of this series. He spends much more time detailing the machinations of the villains of his books now than ever before, climbing inside the heads of people who just aren't that interesting and certainly aren't very pleasant. Feels like half this book is spent showing what the other Drow are up to or the Shadovar invaders. Even worse is how much more time Salvatore spends inside Drizzt's own head. Every page with him has thoughts of his inner struggle, who should he help, what should he do? He's become worse than Hamlet.
Salvatore still writes action scenes as well as anyone in the business; it's very easy to see the characters moving through combat in you head as you read those scenes, and there are certainly enough in there to model any D&D game. But much of the attraction of the series is gone. The rest of Drizzt's old supporting cast are all dead and without them a lot of the fun has fallen out of the series.
I'll probably knock off the final book in this sequence at some point, but I'm not in any rush because it's hard to believe book 4 of this group will be any better than this one. This was too much of a slog. It's not horrid, just tiring and disappointing. 2 stars is being generous, I'm afraid.
Yeah. Kinda there with this series. I've been reading Salvatore's tales of Drizzt since the very beginning...and I want to know how it ends. But getting there has turned into such a slog! Part of it is the evolution of the character from a bold adventurer, finding his place in a world that (rightfully) fears and hates his Drow race to a tragic hero wallowing in misery and endlessly moaning about his lot in life and his inner turmoil. Sorry, he's just lost any sense of fun and become a complete whiner.
Salvatore's changes in writing style are also to blame for the decline of this series. He spends much more time detailing the machinations of the villains of his books now than ever before, climbing inside the heads of people who just aren't that interesting and certainly aren't very pleasant. Feels like half this book is spent showing what the other Drow are up to or the Shadovar invaders. Even worse is how much more time Salvatore spends inside Drizzt's own head. Every page with him has thoughts of his inner struggle, who should he help, what should he do? He's become worse than Hamlet.
Salvatore still writes action scenes as well as anyone in the business; it's very easy to see the characters moving through combat in you head as you read those scenes, and there are certainly enough in there to model any D&D game. But much of the attraction of the series is gone. The rest of Drizzt's old supporting cast are all dead and without them a lot of the fun has fallen out of the series.
I'll probably knock off the final book in this sequence at some point, but I'm not in any rush because it's hard to believe book 4 of this group will be any better than this one. This was too much of a slog. It's not horrid, just tiring and disappointing. 2 stars is being generous, I'm afraid.
August 24, 2012
This was actually a solid 3.5
In recent years, I've gotten bored with the Drizzt series. The main character wasn't changing any, he was the same stoic do-gooder badass with the unshakable moral code. And one by one, the more interesting supporting characters were getting written out and/or killed off. It was time for Mr. Salvatore and I to part ways...
But, we've been friends for a loooong time now, so I still check in from time to time. The first book of this series was very good, while the second was "okay." But with the return of Artemis Entreri, I was intrigued again. Also, I finally made a realization about Drizzt that helped my enjoyment of this series greatly: he may be 200 years old, yes, but he is essentially a teenager. A teenager whose family is all gone, and is truly on his own for the first time. Hence the struggling with his codes and values, hence the "bad girl" phase in Dalhia, as well as hanging around with old nemesis Entreri (even trying to reform him!)
I could go on longer, and may edit some more in later, but for now I leave you with this: if you were bored with Drizzt like I was, look at this series as his journey into adulthood and see if that helps. And if not, hey, Artemis Entreri is back, that should excite you...
In recent years, I've gotten bored with the Drizzt series. The main character wasn't changing any, he was the same stoic do-gooder badass with the unshakable moral code. And one by one, the more interesting supporting characters were getting written out and/or killed off. It was time for Mr. Salvatore and I to part ways...
But, we've been friends for a loooong time now, so I still check in from time to time. The first book of this series was very good, while the second was "okay." But with the return of Artemis Entreri, I was intrigued again. Also, I finally made a realization about Drizzt that helped my enjoyment of this series greatly: he may be 200 years old, yes, but he is essentially a teenager. A teenager whose family is all gone, and is truly on his own for the first time. Hence the struggling with his codes and values, hence the "bad girl" phase in Dalhia, as well as hanging around with old nemesis Entreri (even trying to reform him!)
I could go on longer, and may edit some more in later, but for now I leave you with this: if you were bored with Drizzt like I was, look at this series as his journey into adulthood and see if that helps. And if not, hey, Artemis Entreri is back, that should excite you...
January 22, 2013
Man do I ever love R.A. Salvatores books. Another book well written with expectations be exceeded.
A continuation of the protagonists inner turmoil and views on the world. Unexpected twists and turns keep the mind guessing. A hair raising climax to an unexpected epilogue. I've spent sleepless nights, unwilling to put the book down just to keep finishing chapter after chapter.
Can't wait for the new book to come out and continue on with the story line. A recommendation to anyone, fantasy or not, a very enjoyable book for anyone who truly loves reading in general.
A continuation of the protagonists inner turmoil and views on the world. Unexpected twists and turns keep the mind guessing. A hair raising climax to an unexpected epilogue. I've spent sleepless nights, unwilling to put the book down just to keep finishing chapter after chapter.
Can't wait for the new book to come out and continue on with the story line. A recommendation to anyone, fantasy or not, a very enjoyable book for anyone who truly loves reading in general.
February 2, 2017
Perhaps more like a 2.5 star for me. Drizzt novels seem to be regurgitating a lot of plot points. One of the more compelling lines for a character like Drizzt is the left span comparison between the dark elves and other races. Salvatore seems to get away from this by finding new ways to bring old characters back up...I get the long play on baddies like Errtu....*Spoiler*....
but vampire Pwent in the epilogue. Come on...
but vampire Pwent in the epilogue. Come on...
February 21, 2022
Another story about everybody except Drizzt.
February 19, 2016
Just finished this book, and it wasn't the best of Salvatore's Drizz't books, it was still pretty good. It did drag in spots, and the best part of the story was definitely end, and the part equivalent to the epilog.
Spoilers
It did drag in spots, because although a lot was going on, it either wasn't someone I cared about or it was more like busy work for the main characters. For example, we are introduced to yet another drow high house, setting out to occupy Gauntlegrym from beneath. When all was said and done, one of the side characters from that might be chasing after Drizz't in a future book. Yay?
I guess in general, the book just sort of meandered around. First, for the main story, Drizz't and Dahlia had to run into Entreri, then painstakingly sneak into the remains of Neverwinter to fight the evil warlord Alegni. That took way too long, with many asides from the underground drow and a lesser side story with Neverwinter's resident succubus, and her residual side plots from the last book with the aboleths. They sneak in through a sewer, have trouble seeing in the dark, get into far too much trouble fighting some monster snakes, and finally fight off a young aboleth. When they finally get to the surface, all the bad guys are waiting for them, and although they sort of win, because they get Alegni's magic artifact sword, he escapes to another dimension with Drizz't's magic panther in tow. Then they foolishly declare him dead, even though they don't have a body and the panther is suddenly unsummonable.
The next part of the book follows Drizz't's trio (again, interspersed with asides that make sense (the main bad guys) and don't make sense (the other drow)) as they decide to destroy the artifact sword (which is evil) the only way they can think of... throwing it at the primordial fire elemental trapped in Gauntlegrym's forge (from previous books). I guess I can sort of see why they would decide to do that, since they don't have a magician to ask for advice (wait, they do, that succubus lady), but I'm not sure why they thought it would destroy it and not keep it to fight off the water elementals holding it in). So anyway, they sneak in, Drizz't fends off some mental manipulations from the evil artifact sword, gets jealous that his evil girlfriend and his evil ex nemesis are hitting it off, dupe the drow into letting them run around free, fight off Alegni's goons, kill Alegni, and toss the sword into the pit with the primordial. Then everyone leaves.
Some thoughts...
So, they never get Guenhwyvar the magic panther back. Alegni's the warlord's Shadovar superiors capture her in a magic box, then send a minion to bargain with drizzt for the sword. They make a big deal out of this, but the minion only talk's to drizzt about this once. Not really a go getter, that one...
It seems that Drizzt is finally wising up about his evil girlfriend, which is nice. Not enough, obviously, but a bit. Hey dude, she's evil! Get her some mental therapy, or let cut her loose!
Is the evil artifact (Charon's Claw, from the title), really destroyed? They just toss it in the pit, but I guess they couldn't really see in there to check it's status. Plus, it was a two part artifact, and they didn't throw the glove down there! They never said what happened to that, so I guess Alegni still had it on. Since they knew about it, you would think drizzt would have at least checked for it so he could throw it in the pit too...
Why did Entreri think that he would die when the sword was destroyed? Here's the thing... he used to have a vampiric dagger that he would use to stab people and heal himself. It was always described as if the person's soul was slipping away when he used it on them, and was therefore more powerful than most. Then, in a short story attached to the book trilogy about the Shadovar returning (Ancient netherese who survived the fall of netheril by shifting their whole city into the shadow realm for a thousand years or so), he used that dagger to stab a shade. That is when his skin turned gray, and his drow buddy Jarlaxle (who evidently sold him into slavery later?) mused that his lifespan had increased because of that. I guess he never shared?
Dahlia and Effron... I hope Salvatore didn't think we hadn't immediately figured out that he was her son at the beginning of the trilogy. He must have meant for us to know, but then why would he stage that as a big reveal? Strange...
Oh, and hey! Drizz't finally got another magic item! I can only imagine it's hard to write a story based on a game world that has that much going on and not have it run away from you. Faerun is a world dripping with magic items, yet Drizz't has rarely encountered any, and he actually remarks upon this in this book. He's got two magic swords (one glows, the other protects against fire) and a pair of bracelets that make him move faster that he decided to wear as anklets. Oddly, another drow character, Jarlaxle, is far closer to what a player character would be like in this world... festooned with magic items and gold after a life of adventuring. I guess it keeps Drizzt grounded and relatable this way, and it wouldn't be a drizzt book without a lot of swordplay. Plus, keeping the fighting more realistic and making up his own magic items has obviously insulated the story from at least three and a half D&D rules changes... they just don't affect him much, and all the magic changes can be relegated to the side plots. Plus, i guess it would be a tad morbid to describe the normal adventuring practice of looting the bodies of fallen foes for gold and items as drizzt scythes his way through tens and hundreds of well equipped foes... So, yeah, he now has a fire ring that complements the power of his sword 'icingdeath' (which he morbidly sliced off of the hand of a drow mage...). Neat... well, Drizz't has been getting a bit less moralistic lately...
Also, what the heck was with Pwent waking up as a vampire? Thing is, there was a comic last year dealing with this, before this book came out! I thought it was supposed to be from after the second book, not this third book, because it still dealt with characters from those older books, like the vampire ghost. So, I guess Drizzt and Dalia stay together after this story, even though it is perfectly set up in the book for Dalia to hook up with Entreri, especially after they had their little aobleth mind whammy inspired mental moment.
I think this book did better in the last 10 or 20 pages to set up further books though. we have Tiago Baenre getting super weapons and muse about hunting down Drizzt, we have Drizz't having to find Guen the panther, the succubus is still hanging around, who cares about the aobleths, entreri is alive and they'll probably want to find Jarlaxle, they have a new dwarf shade cleric friend plus a monk, Effron the ineffectual warlock is still trying to get revenge on his mom Dahlia, Drizzt might be 'special' (do they realize he's the main character?) and Errtu the demon that drizzt fought over several books about ten books ago is back. I'm glad there's good stuff in the future!
Problems with the book? The usual disparities between Salvatore's version of the world and the general game world it's based on. Powerful people being hired for what should be paltry sums of gold. Only getting one measly magic ring after tearing through 20 magic equipped enemies. The action not matching up to game rules (why couldn't Guen time his leaps to get to Effron?). Wasting a third of the book on the drow in Gauntylgrym, seemingly with the sole purpose of introducing one side character as a future threat. Mixing up lawful evil devils with chaotic evil demons, even after highlighting the differences between the two (imps are devils in dnd dude, and succubi are demons, not the other way around).
Good things? Most of the story. The idea that Dahlia might leave for Entreri (maybe after the stuff that happens in the comic). The sudden barrage of cool stuff happening at the very end. Drizzt finally getting another magic item (not that talking to fire elementals has ever been an issue for him, plus his sword already protected him from fire). Entreri not calling himself Barrabus anymore. Finally, the lack of a whole slew of those lame, intrusive journal entries Drizzt used to write to himself between major sections of his books.
Spoilers
It did drag in spots, because although a lot was going on, it either wasn't someone I cared about or it was more like busy work for the main characters. For example, we are introduced to yet another drow high house, setting out to occupy Gauntlegrym from beneath. When all was said and done, one of the side characters from that might be chasing after Drizz't in a future book. Yay?
I guess in general, the book just sort of meandered around. First, for the main story, Drizz't and Dahlia had to run into Entreri, then painstakingly sneak into the remains of Neverwinter to fight the evil warlord Alegni. That took way too long, with many asides from the underground drow and a lesser side story with Neverwinter's resident succubus, and her residual side plots from the last book with the aboleths. They sneak in through a sewer, have trouble seeing in the dark, get into far too much trouble fighting some monster snakes, and finally fight off a young aboleth. When they finally get to the surface, all the bad guys are waiting for them, and although they sort of win, because they get Alegni's magic artifact sword, he escapes to another dimension with Drizz't's magic panther in tow. Then they foolishly declare him dead, even though they don't have a body and the panther is suddenly unsummonable.
The next part of the book follows Drizz't's trio (again, interspersed with asides that make sense (the main bad guys) and don't make sense (the other drow)) as they decide to destroy the artifact sword (which is evil) the only way they can think of... throwing it at the primordial fire elemental trapped in Gauntlegrym's forge (from previous books). I guess I can sort of see why they would decide to do that, since they don't have a magician to ask for advice (wait, they do, that succubus lady), but I'm not sure why they thought it would destroy it and not keep it to fight off the water elementals holding it in). So anyway, they sneak in, Drizz't fends off some mental manipulations from the evil artifact sword, gets jealous that his evil girlfriend and his evil ex nemesis are hitting it off, dupe the drow into letting them run around free, fight off Alegni's goons, kill Alegni, and toss the sword into the pit with the primordial. Then everyone leaves.
Some thoughts...
So, they never get Guenhwyvar the magic panther back. Alegni's the warlord's Shadovar superiors capture her in a magic box, then send a minion to bargain with drizzt for the sword. They make a big deal out of this, but the minion only talk's to drizzt about this once. Not really a go getter, that one...
It seems that Drizzt is finally wising up about his evil girlfriend, which is nice. Not enough, obviously, but a bit. Hey dude, she's evil! Get her some mental therapy, or let cut her loose!
Is the evil artifact (Charon's Claw, from the title), really destroyed? They just toss it in the pit, but I guess they couldn't really see in there to check it's status. Plus, it was a two part artifact, and they didn't throw the glove down there! They never said what happened to that, so I guess Alegni still had it on. Since they knew about it, you would think drizzt would have at least checked for it so he could throw it in the pit too...
Why did Entreri think that he would die when the sword was destroyed? Here's the thing... he used to have a vampiric dagger that he would use to stab people and heal himself. It was always described as if the person's soul was slipping away when he used it on them, and was therefore more powerful than most. Then, in a short story attached to the book trilogy about the Shadovar returning (Ancient netherese who survived the fall of netheril by shifting their whole city into the shadow realm for a thousand years or so), he used that dagger to stab a shade. That is when his skin turned gray, and his drow buddy Jarlaxle (who evidently sold him into slavery later?) mused that his lifespan had increased because of that. I guess he never shared?
Dahlia and Effron... I hope Salvatore didn't think we hadn't immediately figured out that he was her son at the beginning of the trilogy. He must have meant for us to know, but then why would he stage that as a big reveal? Strange...
Oh, and hey! Drizz't finally got another magic item! I can only imagine it's hard to write a story based on a game world that has that much going on and not have it run away from you. Faerun is a world dripping with magic items, yet Drizz't has rarely encountered any, and he actually remarks upon this in this book. He's got two magic swords (one glows, the other protects against fire) and a pair of bracelets that make him move faster that he decided to wear as anklets. Oddly, another drow character, Jarlaxle, is far closer to what a player character would be like in this world... festooned with magic items and gold after a life of adventuring. I guess it keeps Drizzt grounded and relatable this way, and it wouldn't be a drizzt book without a lot of swordplay. Plus, keeping the fighting more realistic and making up his own magic items has obviously insulated the story from at least three and a half D&D rules changes... they just don't affect him much, and all the magic changes can be relegated to the side plots. Plus, i guess it would be a tad morbid to describe the normal adventuring practice of looting the bodies of fallen foes for gold and items as drizzt scythes his way through tens and hundreds of well equipped foes... So, yeah, he now has a fire ring that complements the power of his sword 'icingdeath' (which he morbidly sliced off of the hand of a drow mage...). Neat... well, Drizz't has been getting a bit less moralistic lately...
Also, what the heck was with Pwent waking up as a vampire? Thing is, there was a comic last year dealing with this, before this book came out! I thought it was supposed to be from after the second book, not this third book, because it still dealt with characters from those older books, like the vampire ghost. So, I guess Drizzt and Dalia stay together after this story, even though it is perfectly set up in the book for Dalia to hook up with Entreri, especially after they had their little aobleth mind whammy inspired mental moment.
I think this book did better in the last 10 or 20 pages to set up further books though. we have Tiago Baenre getting super weapons and muse about hunting down Drizzt, we have Drizz't having to find Guen the panther, the succubus is still hanging around, who cares about the aobleths, entreri is alive and they'll probably want to find Jarlaxle, they have a new dwarf shade cleric friend plus a monk, Effron the ineffectual warlock is still trying to get revenge on his mom Dahlia, Drizzt might be 'special' (do they realize he's the main character?) and Errtu the demon that drizzt fought over several books about ten books ago is back. I'm glad there's good stuff in the future!
Problems with the book? The usual disparities between Salvatore's version of the world and the general game world it's based on. Powerful people being hired for what should be paltry sums of gold. Only getting one measly magic ring after tearing through 20 magic equipped enemies. The action not matching up to game rules (why couldn't Guen time his leaps to get to Effron?). Wasting a third of the book on the drow in Gauntylgrym, seemingly with the sole purpose of introducing one side character as a future threat. Mixing up lawful evil devils with chaotic evil demons, even after highlighting the differences between the two (imps are devils in dnd dude, and succubi are demons, not the other way around).
Good things? Most of the story. The idea that Dahlia might leave for Entreri (maybe after the stuff that happens in the comic). The sudden barrage of cool stuff happening at the very end. Drizzt finally getting another magic item (not that talking to fire elementals has ever been an issue for him, plus his sword already protected him from fire). Entreri not calling himself Barrabus anymore. Finally, the lack of a whole slew of those lame, intrusive journal entries Drizzt used to write to himself between major sections of his books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 7, 2020
What can I say, I’ve read so many of these books and even though I know in many ways they’re basic and repetitive, I still enjoy them. This one was the best so far of the Neverwinter saga. The shaky alliance with Entreri made for some predictable tension.
The bond between Drizzt and Guenhwyvar has always been one of my favourite parts of the series, so her being missing drew me in. The moral dilemma of being given the chance to have her back in exchange for the sword which dominated Entreri was captivating.
I definitely didn’t pick up on the big secret regarding Effron until fairly close to the big reveal, but after thinking about it, the hints were all there, in classic Salvatore fashion.
The Drizzt-Dahlia-Entreri triangle wasn’t very interesting. It’s been clear for a long time that Dahlia and Drizzt do not belong together, as their moral compasses are nowhere close to aligned.
It was also quite obvious that Entreri wouldn’t just die at the end, so his emotional reveal of feelings of envy towards Drizzt when he was about die could add a layer of development to his character in the next book.
The bond between Drizzt and Guenhwyvar has always been one of my favourite parts of the series, so her being missing drew me in. The moral dilemma of being given the chance to have her back in exchange for the sword which dominated Entreri was captivating.
I definitely didn’t pick up on the big secret regarding Effron until fairly close to the big reveal, but after thinking about it, the hints were all there, in classic Salvatore fashion.
The Drizzt-Dahlia-Entreri triangle wasn’t very interesting. It’s been clear for a long time that Dahlia and Drizzt do not belong together, as their moral compasses are nowhere close to aligned.
It was also quite obvious that Entreri wouldn’t just die at the end, so his emotional reveal of feelings of envy towards Drizzt when he was about die could add a layer of development to his character in the next book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 5, 2024
Después de ya no se cuantos libros de Drizzt ya no puedo asegurar si puedo ser objetivo, porque ni yo mismo lo tengo claro. Se que ha habido libros muy buenos y otros bastante flojos. Este no es ni una cosa ni la otra, pero ha sido bastante interesante.
Lo que me ha demostrado Salvatore es que sigue en forma a la hora de romperte los esquemas en tan solo 10 páginas donde todos tus pensamientos se van al carajo. Y me explico: En mi cabeza llevo un tiempo queriendo dejar la saga de Drizzt para más adelante y leer algunos libros que tengo pendientes desde hace tiempo. Pues Salvatore tiene el arte de darle una patada a tus planteamientos y no permitirte dejar la saga, ya sea con nuevas noticias, nuevos enemigos/aventuras y mas salseo.
Por esto, normalmente mi valoración en estrellitas suele cambiar en los ultimos 5 minutos del libro y siempre a mejor.
A ver si con el siguiente, que es fin de tetralogía, soy capaz de dejar descansar un poco a Drizzt para que coja aire y conocer nuevos protagonistas en otros mundos y aventuras y desventuras.
Nos leemos!
Lo que me ha demostrado Salvatore es que sigue en forma a la hora de romperte los esquemas en tan solo 10 páginas donde todos tus pensamientos se van al carajo. Y me explico: En mi cabeza llevo un tiempo queriendo dejar la saga de Drizzt para más adelante y leer algunos libros que tengo pendientes desde hace tiempo. Pues Salvatore tiene el arte de darle una patada a tus planteamientos y no permitirte dejar la saga, ya sea con nuevas noticias, nuevos enemigos/aventuras y mas salseo.
Por esto, normalmente mi valoración en estrellitas suele cambiar en los ultimos 5 minutos del libro y siempre a mejor.
A ver si con el siguiente, que es fin de tetralogía, soy capaz de dejar descansar un poco a Drizzt para que coja aire y conocer nuevos protagonistas en otros mundos y aventuras y desventuras.
Nos leemos!
August 5, 2024
Good Action, but have I ever told you how much I absolutely detest love triangles? Nobody wanted it, nobody asked for it and it made both Entreri and Drizzt act completely out of character.
Also it is pretty messed up that Effron blames Dahlia for everything he went through, calls her names and that idiot seems to be pretty bad at math because he seems to still like his dad despite being a child rapist, and Dahlia, being a child at that time, can hardly be blamed for that bullshit. How about activating your brain, Effron?
And then the child rapist sticks around for way too long. He should have kicked the bucket on the bridge.
The only bright spot was the action and the Drow, who seen pretty dumb this time around.
I only have one more book to read of this saga, but I dread having to read the rest of the series. I'm only doing it out of obligation at this point.
Also it is pretty messed up that Effron blames Dahlia for everything he went through, calls her names and that idiot seems to be pretty bad at math because he seems to still like his dad despite being a child rapist, and Dahlia, being a child at that time, can hardly be blamed for that bullshit. How about activating your brain, Effron?
And then the child rapist sticks around for way too long. He should have kicked the bucket on the bridge.
The only bright spot was the action and the Drow, who seen pretty dumb this time around.
I only have one more book to read of this saga, but I dread having to read the rest of the series. I'm only doing it out of obligation at this point.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2020
This book finds Drizzt, Dahlia, and Entreri teaming up on their quest to destroy Charon's Claw and free Entreri from its throes forever. It's like something straight outa Lord of the Rings, except w/ Gauntlgrym, some Drow (who are looking to start a new kingdom), and more Netherese (who are determined to get their weapon back). Also a dwarf shows up toward the end!
Drizzt's panther friend is still missing, from when she shadowstepped w/ Herzgo at the end of book 2. You learn a lot more about Dahlia's hatred for Alegni, and this book actually had a few twists in it which I loved.
I got a little confused w/ all the Drow politics, but nothing too bad. When taken as a whole, it definitely added to the story.
Drizzt's panther friend is still missing, from when she shadowstepped w/ Herzgo at the end of book 2. You learn a lot more about Dahlia's hatred for Alegni, and this book actually had a few twists in it which I loved.
I got a little confused w/ all the Drow politics, but nothing too bad. When taken as a whole, it definitely added to the story.
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