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The Legend of Drizzt #34
Timeless
New York Times Bestseller!
R. A. Salvatore returns with one of fantasy's most beloved and enduring icons, the dark elf Drizzt Do'Urden, in an all-new trilogy full of swordplay, danger, and imaginative thrills,
Centuries ago, in the city of Menzoberranzan, the City of Spiders, the City of Drow, nestled deep in the unmerciful Underdark of Toril, a young weapon master earned a reputation far above his station or that of his poor house.
The greater nobles watched him, and one matron, in particular, decided to take him as her own. She connived with rival great houses to secure her prize, but that prize was caught for her by another, who came to quite enjoy the weapon master.
This was the beginning of the friendship between Zaknafein and Jarlaxle, and the coupling of Matron Malice and the weapon master who would sire Drizzt Do’Urden.
R. A. Salvatore reveals the Underdark anew through the eyes of Zaknafein and Jarlaxle—an introduction to the darkness that offers a fresh view of the opportunities to be found in the shadows and an intriguing prelude to the intriguing escapes that lie ahead in the modern-day Forgotten Realms. Here, a father and his son are reunited and embark on adventures that parallel the trials of centuries long past as the friends of old are joined by Drizzt, Hero of the North, trained by Grandmaster Kane in the ways of the monk.
But the scourge of the dangerous Lolth’s ambitions remain, and demons have been foisted on the unwitting of the surface. The resulting chaos and war will prove to be the greatest challenge for all three.
R. A. Salvatore returns with one of fantasy's most beloved and enduring icons, the dark elf Drizzt Do'Urden, in an all-new trilogy full of swordplay, danger, and imaginative thrills,
Centuries ago, in the city of Menzoberranzan, the City of Spiders, the City of Drow, nestled deep in the unmerciful Underdark of Toril, a young weapon master earned a reputation far above his station or that of his poor house.
The greater nobles watched him, and one matron, in particular, decided to take him as her own. She connived with rival great houses to secure her prize, but that prize was caught for her by another, who came to quite enjoy the weapon master.
This was the beginning of the friendship between Zaknafein and Jarlaxle, and the coupling of Matron Malice and the weapon master who would sire Drizzt Do’Urden.
R. A. Salvatore reveals the Underdark anew through the eyes of Zaknafein and Jarlaxle—an introduction to the darkness that offers a fresh view of the opportunities to be found in the shadows and an intriguing prelude to the intriguing escapes that lie ahead in the modern-day Forgotten Realms. Here, a father and his son are reunited and embark on adventures that parallel the trials of centuries long past as the friends of old are joined by Drizzt, Hero of the North, trained by Grandmaster Kane in the ways of the monk.
But the scourge of the dangerous Lolth’s ambitions remain, and demons have been foisted on the unwitting of the surface. The resulting chaos and war will prove to be the greatest challenge for all three.
430 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 4, 2018
1628 people are currently reading
9698 people want to read
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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 261 reviews
December 16, 2018
$2.99 on Kindle US today 12/16/18
Okay, so I had to get the audio through the library because the Hardback is too expensive, but you can believe I have the mass market on pre-order!
I love reading about some stuff from long ago!
I hope the Drizzt books are written until the end of time! Well, our lives!
Love!
Happy Reading!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Okay, so I had to get the audio through the library because the Hardback is too expensive, but you can believe I have the mass market on pre-order!
I love reading about some stuff from long ago!
I hope the Drizzt books are written until the end of time! Well, our lives!
Love!
Happy Reading!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
May 5, 2020
A great returns. R A Salvatore returned to the character he made great 30 years ago, who in turn also made Salvatore great. This story has many mysteries some are solved here, but this is really a set up book with huge ramifications to come.
After centuries the legendary Drow Zaknafein has returned to life. How? Why? Who did it? All questions asked. Is this a gift or a part of a longer game? In the last couple of centuries much has changed but to Zaknafein it was just yesterday since he took a deadly acid bath to save his son. How will he reach to the changes in the world, and will he even be accepted into the new world and lives of the people he knew?
The story is a setting the stage type of a fair, but the action is amazing. The are a couple of fight between Drizzt and Zaknafein that are worth the price of the book on their own, then the final act is just incredible.
The book also shines light on the past between Zaknafein and Jarlaxle. I am glad Jarlaxle also has a good share of the spotlight he has more then earned it. I also like the evolution of Drizzt's warrior prowess and his attitude. This is a great new start for Drizzt and much more to come.
After centuries the legendary Drow Zaknafein has returned to life. How? Why? Who did it? All questions asked. Is this a gift or a part of a longer game? In the last couple of centuries much has changed but to Zaknafein it was just yesterday since he took a deadly acid bath to save his son. How will he reach to the changes in the world, and will he even be accepted into the new world and lives of the people he knew?
The story is a setting the stage type of a fair, but the action is amazing. The are a couple of fight between Drizzt and Zaknafein that are worth the price of the book on their own, then the final act is just incredible.
The book also shines light on the past between Zaknafein and Jarlaxle. I am glad Jarlaxle also has a good share of the spotlight he has more then earned it. I also like the evolution of Drizzt's warrior prowess and his attitude. This is a great new start for Drizzt and much more to come.
September 18, 2018
Turns out rumors of the Dark Elf books’ demise was greatly exaggerated, and I couldn’t be happier.
I confess, however, that it’s a little awkward—after essentially eulogizing the series and its hero, Drizzt Do’Urden, at the conclusion of the preceding volume, at which point Drizzt’s publishing future seemed uncertain, reviewing Timeless feels a little bit like going to Tom Petty’s funeral, bringing the house down with a tearjerker of a speech about how you always thought Runnin’ Down a Dream was inspired by Scooby-Doo, and then having ol’ Tom pop up out of the casket, casually pick up a guitar, and bang out a slightly hoarse but still rocking rendition of King’s Highway. (Why hoarse and why King’s Highway? Well, you try being dead for a few days and not having a little bit of a frog in your throat, and because it’s an incredibly underrated tune with the ideal amount of jangly optimism for commemorating a resurrection, respectively.)
That notwithstanding, Bob Salvatore picks up where he left off at the end of Hero, with Drizzt and company having settled into something like the last scene of Mean Girls, with all of the various frenemy factions—dwarves, dark elves (well, a few, anyway), and halflings are all living in peace and prosperity, working together to protect their communities and enrich themselves. With his beloved Catti-Brie in a family way, Drizzt seems content and recovered from the horrific ordeal he suffered in his last outing, where he was very nearly driven mad and almost killed the aforementioned beloved. But, just like a down-on-his luck, hard-drinking white dude in a Tom Petty song, trouble pops up when you most expect it in the form of Drizzt’s father, Zaknafein, rising from the dead and a horde of demons trying to horn in on the dwarves/(goodish) dark elves/halfings’ territory.
The best parts of this book, which is the most frenetically entertaining Drizzt book in more than a decade, are flashbacks to Zaknafein’s early days in Menzoberranzan, when the young weapons master formed a tentative friendship with a flamboyant houseless rogue named Jarlaxle. It’s buddy bromance at its finest, set in a fascinating environment that I’d want to visit tomorrow if I thought I’d last more than 10 seconds before a giant spider poisoned me and sucked the marrow from my bones or a yochlol ripped my head off.
Welcome back, Drizzt—we missed you. And, thanks for letting us hang out with your old man—that guy’s all right for a racist grandchild disowner (hey, the journey to enlightenment takes time…I suspect old Zak will get there before all is said and done).
I confess, however, that it’s a little awkward—after essentially eulogizing the series and its hero, Drizzt Do’Urden, at the conclusion of the preceding volume, at which point Drizzt’s publishing future seemed uncertain, reviewing Timeless feels a little bit like going to Tom Petty’s funeral, bringing the house down with a tearjerker of a speech about how you always thought Runnin’ Down a Dream was inspired by Scooby-Doo, and then having ol’ Tom pop up out of the casket, casually pick up a guitar, and bang out a slightly hoarse but still rocking rendition of King’s Highway. (Why hoarse and why King’s Highway? Well, you try being dead for a few days and not having a little bit of a frog in your throat, and because it’s an incredibly underrated tune with the ideal amount of jangly optimism for commemorating a resurrection, respectively.)
That notwithstanding, Bob Salvatore picks up where he left off at the end of Hero, with Drizzt and company having settled into something like the last scene of Mean Girls, with all of the various frenemy factions—dwarves, dark elves (well, a few, anyway), and halflings are all living in peace and prosperity, working together to protect their communities and enrich themselves. With his beloved Catti-Brie in a family way, Drizzt seems content and recovered from the horrific ordeal he suffered in his last outing, where he was very nearly driven mad and almost killed the aforementioned beloved. But, just like a down-on-his luck, hard-drinking white dude in a Tom Petty song, trouble pops up when you most expect it in the form of Drizzt’s father, Zaknafein, rising from the dead and a horde of demons trying to horn in on the dwarves/(goodish) dark elves/halfings’ territory.
The best parts of this book, which is the most frenetically entertaining Drizzt book in more than a decade, are flashbacks to Zaknafein’s early days in Menzoberranzan, when the young weapons master formed a tentative friendship with a flamboyant houseless rogue named Jarlaxle. It’s buddy bromance at its finest, set in a fascinating environment that I’d want to visit tomorrow if I thought I’d last more than 10 seconds before a giant spider poisoned me and sucked the marrow from my bones or a yochlol ripped my head off.
Welcome back, Drizzt—we missed you. And, thanks for letting us hang out with your old man—that guy’s all right for a racist grandchild disowner (hey, the journey to enlightenment takes time…I suspect old Zak will get there before all is said and done).
August 1, 2018
I received an ARC of this novel. As such, I will keep away from all spoilers and not give examples of scenes from the novel.
I mean...it's another Drizzt book. I actually stopped reading the series some time ago, around the time they introduced Neverwinter, and I did not plan to read any more of it. I am not a fan of series that don't seem to ever end, though the books were not all bad. I just wasn't interested anymore. BUT. When I found out that Zaknafein was back(aka my favorite character), I just had to pick up a copy and read it!
And it was alright. I was confused, I will admit, because of certain events I have no recollection of(must be because of the missing a chunk of the series), but that is not why I rated it a 3/5.
The action scenes got a bit dull. Hearing fight scene after fight scene just wasn't appealing. I was much more interested in the character relationships and we did not get to explore those. Drizzt gets to meet his long lost father?? How are they going to interact? How will Zaknafein adjust to living on the surface? Old friends Zaknafein and Jarlaxle get to travel and work together? Tell me more! Unfortunately, I don't get to be told more. We get character conflict, but the amount of time these characters get to be explored is much less than the time spent on fight scenes and drow politics.
I felt there were minor character inconsistencies as well, but who knows. I might be missing out on some character development from books before.
All in all, it was an alright read. I finished it in one day if that says anything(though I did skim pages of fight scenes halfway through). Any fan of Drizzt (or Zaknafein and Jarlaxle) should definitely give this one a look.
I mean...it's another Drizzt book. I actually stopped reading the series some time ago, around the time they introduced Neverwinter, and I did not plan to read any more of it. I am not a fan of series that don't seem to ever end, though the books were not all bad. I just wasn't interested anymore. BUT. When I found out that Zaknafein was back(aka my favorite character), I just had to pick up a copy and read it!
And it was alright. I was confused, I will admit, because of certain events I have no recollection of(must be because of the missing a chunk of the series), but that is not why I rated it a 3/5.
The action scenes got a bit dull. Hearing fight scene after fight scene just wasn't appealing. I was much more interested in the character relationships and we did not get to explore those. Drizzt gets to meet his long lost father?? How are they going to interact? How will Zaknafein adjust to living on the surface? Old friends Zaknafein and Jarlaxle get to travel and work together? Tell me more! Unfortunately, I don't get to be told more. We get character conflict, but the amount of time these characters get to be explored is much less than the time spent on fight scenes and drow politics.
I felt there were minor character inconsistencies as well, but who knows. I might be missing out on some character development from books before.
All in all, it was an alright read. I finished it in one day if that says anything(though I did skim pages of fight scenes halfway through). Any fan of Drizzt (or Zaknafein and Jarlaxle) should definitely give this one a look.
September 10, 2018
Timeless is a bit good. It had its moments of brilliance but the names of the characters in the novel made comprehension difficult.
September 10, 2018
I think this is the first time it's taken me four days to read a Drizzt book. I usually lose sleep and meals - and other natural needs - to get to the end of each book. The release of Timeless coincided with moving home. As such, I had to make a decision: focus on moving home or read until I drop? I had to make a choice...
... While my partner did all the heavy duty stuff, I found every opportunity I could to enjoy this great story.
Like most recent Drizzt novels, this one brings back the entire gang, even if it means shifting the weight more on some characters and just mentioning others, like paying Wulfgar and Entreri a brief visit in a couple of scenes. We get the fast-paced action scenes that Salvatore narrates so eloquently he puts you in the midst of it, and there is enough going on to give almost everyone the opportunity to draw their blades, or whips, or maces, or flails. Then there's the political intrigue and webs of deception between drow families relentlessly seeking to ascend the social strata of Menzoberranzan or to put Drizzt's head on a platter - after all, revenge is a dish served cold - all for the sake of Lolth. We also get a fair glimpse of pre-Drizzt events, which was a first, if I remember correctly, with Salvatore's writing.
The biggest treat for me was Zaknafein, who we saw at the end of the previous novel, Hero - and what a cliffhanger that had been. Zaknafein, Drizzt's father and mentor, had been a memorable character from Homeland, the first Drizzt book I ever got my hands on, and his loss for Drizzt has been a wound that never quite healed. Zaknafein had been a hero, a force of righteousness, a role model for a younger, more naive Drizzt. The gap he left was then filled by Montolio, and his gap subsequently by Bruenor. Throughout almost every book, there was always a brief mention of Zaknafein, for his contribution to Drizzt's moral foundations. And then, mysteriously, Zaknafein is back in the flesh, fighting beside Jarlaxle and beside his son - and what a fighting trio they make. Salvatore offers us a glimpse into the weapon master's past within two parts of this book, when he was much younger than what Drizzt is now. It marks the beginning of an unbroken friendship with Jarlaxle, too, which was never really explained. And it's this unique friendship, a rare gem in drow society, which justifies Jarlaxle's role as Drizz't flamboyant, puzzling guardian angel.
But Zaknafein isn't the flawless role model Drizzt had always believed - or I believed. Zaknafein's outlook touches on racism and xenophobia, and a fear towards change and the new world he has come to. To an extent, we can somewhat justify on his absence from the world of the living. I won't go to too much detail, but Salvatore gave this part of Zaknafein the attention it deserved so that we could, I believe, see the contrast between father and son, but also between who Drizzt was and who he is.
Timeless is split between seemingly equal parts of two trajectories: that of Drizzt and Zaknafein, if not more of Zaknafein. By the end of the book, I felt that I didn't get enough of Drizzt, but I'm fine with that because I had other things to ponder on, like how did Zaknafein just appear out of thin air. I have my suspicions, and the end of the book really left me doing two things: scratching my head and looking for the publication date of the sequel.
Father and son and their unstable relationship aside, the story is pulled taut between the ambitions of a fanatic matron mother and the set-for-collision cities of Gauntlgrym and Neverwinter, which are pulled closer and closer together by a horde of demons and the plotting of dark elves. The book isn't left at a junction; it's left on a very clear path - though not necessarily straightforward - where each character will have to trust the person they trust the least, depend on their own capabilities, and expect that the worst is yet to come.
We might even learn how Zaknafein returned and why. Is Lolth behind this? Or is it some other deity? I suspect Lolth, but then it's not uncommon for Salvatore to throw a curveball. Is Yvonnel Baenre friend or foe - or just the messenger - of this intriguing turn of events?
Timeless is a page-turner that had me on the edge of my couch, which I now have to grab one end of and put on the back of the van. Darn it!
... While my partner did all the heavy duty stuff, I found every opportunity I could to enjoy this great story.
Like most recent Drizzt novels, this one brings back the entire gang, even if it means shifting the weight more on some characters and just mentioning others, like paying Wulfgar and Entreri a brief visit in a couple of scenes. We get the fast-paced action scenes that Salvatore narrates so eloquently he puts you in the midst of it, and there is enough going on to give almost everyone the opportunity to draw their blades, or whips, or maces, or flails. Then there's the political intrigue and webs of deception between drow families relentlessly seeking to ascend the social strata of Menzoberranzan or to put Drizzt's head on a platter - after all, revenge is a dish served cold - all for the sake of Lolth. We also get a fair glimpse of pre-Drizzt events, which was a first, if I remember correctly, with Salvatore's writing.
The biggest treat for me was Zaknafein, who we saw at the end of the previous novel, Hero - and what a cliffhanger that had been. Zaknafein, Drizzt's father and mentor, had been a memorable character from Homeland, the first Drizzt book I ever got my hands on, and his loss for Drizzt has been a wound that never quite healed. Zaknafein had been a hero, a force of righteousness, a role model for a younger, more naive Drizzt. The gap he left was then filled by Montolio, and his gap subsequently by Bruenor. Throughout almost every book, there was always a brief mention of Zaknafein, for his contribution to Drizzt's moral foundations. And then, mysteriously, Zaknafein is back in the flesh, fighting beside Jarlaxle and beside his son - and what a fighting trio they make. Salvatore offers us a glimpse into the weapon master's past within two parts of this book, when he was much younger than what Drizzt is now. It marks the beginning of an unbroken friendship with Jarlaxle, too, which was never really explained. And it's this unique friendship, a rare gem in drow society, which justifies Jarlaxle's role as Drizz't flamboyant, puzzling guardian angel.
But Zaknafein isn't the flawless role model Drizzt had always believed - or I believed. Zaknafein's outlook touches on racism and xenophobia, and a fear towards change and the new world he has come to. To an extent, we can somewhat justify on his absence from the world of the living. I won't go to too much detail, but Salvatore gave this part of Zaknafein the attention it deserved so that we could, I believe, see the contrast between father and son, but also between who Drizzt was and who he is.
Timeless is split between seemingly equal parts of two trajectories: that of Drizzt and Zaknafein, if not more of Zaknafein. By the end of the book, I felt that I didn't get enough of Drizzt, but I'm fine with that because I had other things to ponder on, like how did Zaknafein just appear out of thin air. I have my suspicions, and the end of the book really left me doing two things: scratching my head and looking for the publication date of the sequel.
Father and son and their unstable relationship aside, the story is pulled taut between the ambitions of a fanatic matron mother and the set-for-collision cities of Gauntlgrym and Neverwinter, which are pulled closer and closer together by a horde of demons and the plotting of dark elves. The book isn't left at a junction; it's left on a very clear path - though not necessarily straightforward - where each character will have to trust the person they trust the least, depend on their own capabilities, and expect that the worst is yet to come.
We might even learn how Zaknafein returned and why. Is Lolth behind this? Or is it some other deity? I suspect Lolth, but then it's not uncommon for Salvatore to throw a curveball. Is Yvonnel Baenre friend or foe - or just the messenger - of this intriguing turn of events?
Timeless is a page-turner that had me on the edge of my couch, which I now have to grab one end of and put on the back of the van. Darn it!
October 25, 2018
Que agradable ha sido volver a echar un ojo a Drizzt después de tantos años. Ademas es una buena forma de retomar sus historias, ya que volvemos parcialmente a los inicios. A los de Zaknafein, de hecho y a su entrada en la casa Do'Urden así como en su naciente amistad con Jarlaxle.
Aunque no por ello dejamos de lado la historia en el presente, con Drizzt esperando su primer hijo junto a Cattie-Brie y otro montones de circunstancias que han ido ocurriendo en todos estos años que han pasado desde que dejé de leer la saga.
Y que tiene que ver el pasado de su difunto padre con Drizzt? Pues para eso está la novela y de esas circunstancias tendrán que apañarse los protagonistas, mientras se va desarrollando una trama secundaria de chungez incremental, con espionaje, clanes enanos que retornan a sus tierras, intrigas entre las casas de Menzoberranzan y seres de otros planos de existencia con planes y mas planes de cada subtrama, que sirve para empezar esta nueva trilogía.
Es bonito volver a lugares conocidos y ver de nuevo a antiguos personajes a lo que se les tiene tanto cariño, pero por otro lado las escenas de lucha ya me resultaban cansinas casi desde el principio. Nada es perfecto cuando se encara la nostalgia de cerca.
Aunque no por ello dejamos de lado la historia en el presente, con Drizzt esperando su primer hijo junto a Cattie-Brie y otro montones de circunstancias que han ido ocurriendo en todos estos años que han pasado desde que dejé de leer la saga.
Y que tiene que ver el pasado de su difunto padre con Drizzt? Pues para eso está la novela y de esas circunstancias tendrán que apañarse los protagonistas, mientras se va desarrollando una trama secundaria de chungez incremental, con espionaje, clanes enanos que retornan a sus tierras, intrigas entre las casas de Menzoberranzan y seres de otros planos de existencia con planes y mas planes de cada subtrama, que sirve para empezar esta nueva trilogía.
Es bonito volver a lugares conocidos y ver de nuevo a antiguos personajes a lo que se les tiene tanto cariño, pero por otro lado las escenas de lucha ya me resultaban cansinas casi desde el principio. Nada es perfecto cuando se encara la nostalgia de cerca.
September 19, 2018
The front cover states "A Drizzt Novel", but this is hardly a book about Drizzt. Surely this is for marketing purposes only.
This is not a spoiler: it is a book about Zaknafein. Heck, it has much more to do with Jarlaxle even, then Drizzt. Nevertheless, Salvatore's stories are really starting to get stale and old. Rehashing the same old tropes. Resurrecting characters that should be left dead. This is Zak's 3rd life BTW. Seriously... come up with something a little more creative. I guess RAS thinks that glorifying sexual promiscuity in the bulk of the book adds excitement. I'd rather an interesting story and equally interesting characters.
Lastly, I hope you like allegory, because this book is just one big commentary on current politics, complete with a reference to "covfefe" and outright use of "trump". It's hardly a veiled thing.
Maybe it was actually a good idea that WotC stopped publishing books. I am not looking forward to the remainder of this trilogy at all. I think I'd rather sit on the porch and watch my grass grow; would be more fun.
This is not a spoiler: it is a book about Zaknafein. Heck, it has much more to do with Jarlaxle even, then Drizzt. Nevertheless, Salvatore's stories are really starting to get stale and old. Rehashing the same old tropes. Resurrecting characters that should be left dead. This is Zak's 3rd life BTW. Seriously... come up with something a little more creative. I guess RAS thinks that glorifying sexual promiscuity in the bulk of the book adds excitement. I'd rather an interesting story and equally interesting characters.
Lastly, I hope you like allegory, because this book is just one big commentary on current politics, complete with a reference to "covfefe" and outright use of "trump". It's hardly a veiled thing.
Maybe it was actually a good idea that WotC stopped publishing books. I am not looking forward to the remainder of this trilogy at all. I think I'd rather sit on the porch and watch my grass grow; would be more fun.
June 5, 2018
So glad I got to read this in advanced. This is everything I wanted and more. So glad that Salvatore decided to continue the story arc and keep my favorite characters alive and kicking.
September 4, 2018
My full review doesn't fit on Goodreads because of the character limit, nor does the truncated version that I'd posted to Amazon. So, I'll just include the elements from those reviews that ultimately made me give this book 3/5 stars, despite my feeling that Timeless is the best Salvatore work to date.
The characterization of Zaknafein is perhaps the strongest of any in Timeless. Zaknafein felt far more natural than is the norm for Salvatore’s characters, and it shows the experience and maturation of Salvatore as a writer. While to me, Zaknafein feels about the same as he did when he first appeared nearly three decades ago, and it isn’t really a good trait that a character who has a book dedicated to him doesn't receive much development beyond what he had before, this does make him consistent, and consistency is one of those precious gems that I want to see more of in Salvatore's work. Nonetheless, for lack of a better word, Zaknafein is boring. His key defining feature in the early books was that he stood out from the rest of the drow by possessing mercy, except for when it involved Priestesses of Lolth. However, Drizzt has usurped the role of being the “only good drow” so thoroughly that not even his father can share the limelight. So, Zaknafein had to pick up a different defining feature that sets him apart from his son, and that defining feature turns out to be drow racial elitism. I’m actually quite pleased with this choice, because it does make sense for Zaknafein to have it. It does feel in character for Zaknafein to believe that "lower” lifeforms aren't worthy of death, but they aren't equal to his kind either. After all, he had lived in a society that heavily indoctrinated that mindset into its members for centuries, unlike Drizzt who’d spent most of his time on the surface and experienced the pains of racism directly. What I also like about Zaknafein’s elitism is that it makes him similar to male drow from other FR series, namely, Ryld Argith from the War of the Spider Queen books. Ryld wasn’t a bad guy, but he wasn’t a good guy either, for while Ryld watched indifferently as a surface dweller died while he could’ve done something to save them, Zaknafein would've intervened. Zaknafein is perhaps more of a “good guy” than Ryld was, but he’s not Drizzt. This is actually really good in that Zaknafein isn’t another special snowflake, but instead someone who could embody the mentality of drow males in general in the oppressive Lolthite matriarchy. It makes him more believable as a character, and his world more reasonable. I do wish that Salvatore would let Zaknafein become his own character though, without the none-too-subtle comparisons between him and Artemis Entreri. Jarlaxle may like Entreri as much as he likes Zaknafein, but the two are dissimilar enough that it’s really pushing a forced point to keep drawing the analogy. At times with Zaknafein, I do feel some discontinuity however, for instance, Zaknafein professes to not care about House Simfray, and he shouldn’t given his character, yet he still wanted to personally slay Matron Hauzz for destroying “his” house. This doesn’t make a whole lot of sense because most if not all of the males of House Simfray, whom are the only things that Zaknafein cared about as far as that was concerned, were rescued and claimed by Bregan D’aerthe. It could’ve been just an excuse to kill another Priestess of Lolth, but Zaknafein expended a major bargaining chip with Jarlaxle to attain something that didn’t have that much value. All in all though, Zaknafein is steadfast, honorable and noble, and thus far, a better role model in my opinion than Drizzt ever has been.
Drizzt, on the other hand... well, I suppose his characterization is consistent with how he's always been, trending in the same way that he's always trended. However, I'm not sure if it's Salvatore's intent to portray Drizzt the way that he does, because, in my opinion, Drizzt is not shown in a flattering way. One of the things that have always concerned me more than a little is how much of a pedestal Drizzt is elevated to in Salvatore’s novels, even when he does some really questionable things, and then those things are blamed entirely on the other party involved in the activities. This is done yet again with Drizzt in Timeless, which makes the thought of people emulating Drizzt even more terrifying to me. Drizzt has routinely engaged in activities that are very problematic. Even though he believes himself to be empathetic and sensitive to the needs of others, the reality is that his actions don't align with his statements. Drizzt is very egocentric, he surrounds himself with people who don’t do a lot of deep thinking and who only disagree with him on minor things. Other than the sanctimony and preachiness, Drizzt’s most problematic trait is that he’s convinced that he knows what the “correct” path is, and that the best way to “save” someone who has strayed from that path is to have them follow in his own footsteps. He has been through a lot, sure, but it’s still far from having experienced everyone’s hardships. Even though Salvatore would rather bestow upon Drizzt the opportunity to struggle with magically-imparted mental illness instead of exploring that experience through a character that would actually struggles with it (*cough* Entreri *cough*), Drizzt is still a far cry from being an expert on all things. However, Drizzt certainly seems to think that in his two short centuries that he’s seen everything, and his self-righteous diary entries are more insufferable than ever. Especially the one in which he goes on about how much he’s grown, it’s really hard not to roll my eyes and gag at it. Far from being shining examples of good, Drizzt and the Companions of the Hall are very similar in effect to a popular clique in high school, carrying about like they’re the best and the model of what’s right, living in an echo chamber of their own beliefs. Occasionally they’ll take pity on a deviant and try to “fix” them by pushing them down the same path that they followed, but really, Drizzt and the CotH are privileged in many respects. This sort of practice, the belief that Drizzt possesses that “evil” people need to be “redeemed” following the way that he knows best isn’t too different from the mentality behind practices like conversion therapy.
Had I any faith in Drizzt left, I would’ve lost the last of it in Timeless. There are two main things that contribute to this. The first is that Drizzt is disgustingly vain. I get that he’s supposed to be humble, but anyone who preaches about humility as much as he does doesn’t truly understand the concept. At least he’s self-aware enough to admit that he enjoys being in shape and that it’s flattering when Catti-Brie spies on him during his morning practices. However, although he holds his tongue from lecturing Yvonnel about being vain, he doesn’t realize that her making her eyes the same color as his in order to entice him, and that tactic being effective, is a sign of the depths of his own vanity. Perhaps this is no big deal, but I don’t find vanity either heroic or noble, and since Drizzt is inflated to be one of the greatest heroes of all time, it dismays me that he possesses these sorts of qualities. More egregious though is Drizzt’s treatment of his own father, by which I was thoroughly disgusted. For all of his years of being alive and all of his talk of having matured so much over those years, Drizzt acts like a giant manchild. I get that he’s in emotional turmoil because of Zaknafein’s return and his own struggles with reconciliation of the past to the present, but to say that Drizzt handles that much less gracefully than Zaknafein does is a massive understatement. Drizzt’s intolerance of Zaknafein being unable to instantly see things his way is pretty typical behavior for Drizzt, but it’s especially hard to stomach because Zaknafein gave up everything, not only once, but twice, for Drizzt, and later shows himself to be willing to do it as many times as necessary. Drizzt is a disgrace, not only to the drow who sired him, but also to his monk training. Using his new abilities to literally destroy dinner with his wife and father? Seriously? Physically assaulting his father because Zaknafein couldn’t convert fast enough to his perspective? It really scares me to think about how many people out there might be cheering Drizzt on as he throws a tantrum, and I fear encountering even more people like that in this fandom, when Drizzt already inspires them to feel justified in sending people death threats for pointing out their hero’s foibles. I think that Salvatore was trying to convey that there should be no tolerance for bigotry, but he’s going about it in a really bad way. While it is indeed the case that some people out there can’t ever be changed, there are others, like Zaknafein, who can be, but in the face of a violent response, the opposite of the desired outcome is what usually comes to pass. Furthermore, not every Zaknafein will be as noble as the one in Timeless, nor will every Zaknafein continue to give the benefit of the doubt to that which not only doesn’t appear to return that benefit and also treats him with condescension. Drizzt continues his trend of being disrespectful to people he supposedly loves with Catti-brie. When he shattered the dinner table, he not only destroyed the furniture in their house, which is hers as much as it is his, and thus not his to destroy on a whim. Further, he completely upset the dinner that she’d worked hard to make for the three of them without even a thought, to say nothing of the familial atmosphere that she was striving towards. On the plus side, Catti-Brie has been really shining lately, much more so than when Salvatore pumped up her Mary Sueness by dropping god-tier arcane knowledge and magic items into her lap with little effort. If nothing else, that woman deserves to be the Chosen of some deity for putting up with Drizzt’s bullshit. Catti-Brie does everything that Drizzt should’ve done with Zaknafein, and although I’ve felt distaste for her since her resurrection, I’d have to give her credit for putting aside her own emotions to try to connect with someone even though the object of that someone’s disgust is herself.
The reason that I ultimately rounded the "3.5 star" rating down to a 3 is due to what is done with Artemis Entreri in Timeless. I'll be upfront and admit that Entreri is responsible for leading me to the rest of the Realms, and he is the main reason that I continue reading the Drizzt books. It goes without saying then that Entreri is very close to my heart, and the handling of him in the Homecoming Trilogy was probably the lowest point of, in my opinion, the weakest trilogy of all the dark elf books. I think that it’s very telling that the people who celebrate all of Drizzt’s foibles, who believe in things like Dahlia being totally to blame for everything that transpired between Drizzt and her and feel that she deserves to die for her actions, think that Entreri’s “redemption arc” is the greatest thing ever. Needless to say, I disagree, but thankfully, Timeless seems to backtrack a little bit from the disagreeable conclusions made in the novel preceding it. The main problem with Entreri in Hero is that, much like what happened to Jarlaxle over the years in the Drizzt books, he’s lost his dangerous edge. We’re told repeatedly that he’s dangerous and deadly but the ease to which he conforms to the CotH’s code regarding “friends” thoroughly defanged him. So he kills a few priestesses of Lolth, but they’ve become like the Red Shirts of Star Trek, and it no longer felt like Entreri would do whatever it takes to achieve something in the most efficient way, with no time wasted on moral quandaries as he eliminates anyone who dares to obstruct him. In Hero, he read very much like a poorly thought-out facsimile of who he’s supposed to be, bent to the writer’s whim in order to achieve some cheap effect that the writer feels would gain the most positive response from an unthinking and very social-normative mass. I found this especially tragic because this nonsensical sort of character twisting that hardly deserves to be called “development” is what happens in the type of fan fiction that gives it and those writing it a bad rep. For all of my criticism of Salvatore, before Hero, I’d never felt that his canon was worse than fan fiction, and, well, Hero took me there.
All in all, Timeless is a clear and definite improvement for the Drizzt series, with better writing style, storytelling, characterization, and consideration of the shared world as a whole. I was dreading a reality in which the Drizzt books were the only Forgotten Realms novels that we’ll get, and I’d preferred that the Drizzt line died out with the rest of the FR novel line rather than drag its legacy through the mud. Over the years, I feel that Salvatore has taken a lot more away from the shared world than he added to it, so a future with only Drizzt seemed bleak indeed. While it seems unlikely that there will be any other FR novels, Timeless makes me dare to hope that reality might not be as bad as I’d feared. Although one of my favorite things about FR is the plethora of different voices and styles contributing stories to it, I’m not inherently opposed to one voice doing all of it, so long as that voice is considerate of those that came before it. Before Timeless, it’s always felt like Salvatore was more interested in one-upping those other voices. I really hope that the Drizzt books continue on the trend of improvement seen in Timeless, and that Salvatore will continue to write without being concerned about powering up his characters to ridiculous degrees so as to cement them in the hall of legends of the world. I hope that the experienced editorial staff at Harper Collins will continue to help him elevate his writing style. And, most of all, I dearly hope that Salvatore will broaden his thinking even more, to consider and accept the validity of different paths in life, and maybe to realize that what makes the greatest hero is the ability to accept those things, not the ability to “fix” everything.
[ If for some reason you want to read my full analysis/review of Timeless, which, fair warning, is even more of a wall of text than this is, it's on my blog: http://artemis-entreri.tumblr.com/pos... ]
The characterization of Zaknafein is perhaps the strongest of any in Timeless. Zaknafein felt far more natural than is the norm for Salvatore’s characters, and it shows the experience and maturation of Salvatore as a writer. While to me, Zaknafein feels about the same as he did when he first appeared nearly three decades ago, and it isn’t really a good trait that a character who has a book dedicated to him doesn't receive much development beyond what he had before, this does make him consistent, and consistency is one of those precious gems that I want to see more of in Salvatore's work. Nonetheless, for lack of a better word, Zaknafein is boring. His key defining feature in the early books was that he stood out from the rest of the drow by possessing mercy, except for when it involved Priestesses of Lolth. However, Drizzt has usurped the role of being the “only good drow” so thoroughly that not even his father can share the limelight. So, Zaknafein had to pick up a different defining feature that sets him apart from his son, and that defining feature turns out to be drow racial elitism. I’m actually quite pleased with this choice, because it does make sense for Zaknafein to have it. It does feel in character for Zaknafein to believe that "lower” lifeforms aren't worthy of death, but they aren't equal to his kind either. After all, he had lived in a society that heavily indoctrinated that mindset into its members for centuries, unlike Drizzt who’d spent most of his time on the surface and experienced the pains of racism directly. What I also like about Zaknafein’s elitism is that it makes him similar to male drow from other FR series, namely, Ryld Argith from the War of the Spider Queen books. Ryld wasn’t a bad guy, but he wasn’t a good guy either, for while Ryld watched indifferently as a surface dweller died while he could’ve done something to save them, Zaknafein would've intervened. Zaknafein is perhaps more of a “good guy” than Ryld was, but he’s not Drizzt. This is actually really good in that Zaknafein isn’t another special snowflake, but instead someone who could embody the mentality of drow males in general in the oppressive Lolthite matriarchy. It makes him more believable as a character, and his world more reasonable. I do wish that Salvatore would let Zaknafein become his own character though, without the none-too-subtle comparisons between him and Artemis Entreri. Jarlaxle may like Entreri as much as he likes Zaknafein, but the two are dissimilar enough that it’s really pushing a forced point to keep drawing the analogy. At times with Zaknafein, I do feel some discontinuity however, for instance, Zaknafein professes to not care about House Simfray, and he shouldn’t given his character, yet he still wanted to personally slay Matron Hauzz for destroying “his” house. This doesn’t make a whole lot of sense because most if not all of the males of House Simfray, whom are the only things that Zaknafein cared about as far as that was concerned, were rescued and claimed by Bregan D’aerthe. It could’ve been just an excuse to kill another Priestess of Lolth, but Zaknafein expended a major bargaining chip with Jarlaxle to attain something that didn’t have that much value. All in all though, Zaknafein is steadfast, honorable and noble, and thus far, a better role model in my opinion than Drizzt ever has been.
Drizzt, on the other hand... well, I suppose his characterization is consistent with how he's always been, trending in the same way that he's always trended. However, I'm not sure if it's Salvatore's intent to portray Drizzt the way that he does, because, in my opinion, Drizzt is not shown in a flattering way. One of the things that have always concerned me more than a little is how much of a pedestal Drizzt is elevated to in Salvatore’s novels, even when he does some really questionable things, and then those things are blamed entirely on the other party involved in the activities. This is done yet again with Drizzt in Timeless, which makes the thought of people emulating Drizzt even more terrifying to me. Drizzt has routinely engaged in activities that are very problematic. Even though he believes himself to be empathetic and sensitive to the needs of others, the reality is that his actions don't align with his statements. Drizzt is very egocentric, he surrounds himself with people who don’t do a lot of deep thinking and who only disagree with him on minor things. Other than the sanctimony and preachiness, Drizzt’s most problematic trait is that he’s convinced that he knows what the “correct” path is, and that the best way to “save” someone who has strayed from that path is to have them follow in his own footsteps. He has been through a lot, sure, but it’s still far from having experienced everyone’s hardships. Even though Salvatore would rather bestow upon Drizzt the opportunity to struggle with magically-imparted mental illness instead of exploring that experience through a character that would actually struggles with it (*cough* Entreri *cough*), Drizzt is still a far cry from being an expert on all things. However, Drizzt certainly seems to think that in his two short centuries that he’s seen everything, and his self-righteous diary entries are more insufferable than ever. Especially the one in which he goes on about how much he’s grown, it’s really hard not to roll my eyes and gag at it. Far from being shining examples of good, Drizzt and the Companions of the Hall are very similar in effect to a popular clique in high school, carrying about like they’re the best and the model of what’s right, living in an echo chamber of their own beliefs. Occasionally they’ll take pity on a deviant and try to “fix” them by pushing them down the same path that they followed, but really, Drizzt and the CotH are privileged in many respects. This sort of practice, the belief that Drizzt possesses that “evil” people need to be “redeemed” following the way that he knows best isn’t too different from the mentality behind practices like conversion therapy.
Had I any faith in Drizzt left, I would’ve lost the last of it in Timeless. There are two main things that contribute to this. The first is that Drizzt is disgustingly vain. I get that he’s supposed to be humble, but anyone who preaches about humility as much as he does doesn’t truly understand the concept. At least he’s self-aware enough to admit that he enjoys being in shape and that it’s flattering when Catti-Brie spies on him during his morning practices. However, although he holds his tongue from lecturing Yvonnel about being vain, he doesn’t realize that her making her eyes the same color as his in order to entice him, and that tactic being effective, is a sign of the depths of his own vanity. Perhaps this is no big deal, but I don’t find vanity either heroic or noble, and since Drizzt is inflated to be one of the greatest heroes of all time, it dismays me that he possesses these sorts of qualities. More egregious though is Drizzt’s treatment of his own father, by which I was thoroughly disgusted. For all of his years of being alive and all of his talk of having matured so much over those years, Drizzt acts like a giant manchild. I get that he’s in emotional turmoil because of Zaknafein’s return and his own struggles with reconciliation of the past to the present, but to say that Drizzt handles that much less gracefully than Zaknafein does is a massive understatement. Drizzt’s intolerance of Zaknafein being unable to instantly see things his way is pretty typical behavior for Drizzt, but it’s especially hard to stomach because Zaknafein gave up everything, not only once, but twice, for Drizzt, and later shows himself to be willing to do it as many times as necessary. Drizzt is a disgrace, not only to the drow who sired him, but also to his monk training. Using his new abilities to literally destroy dinner with his wife and father? Seriously? Physically assaulting his father because Zaknafein couldn’t convert fast enough to his perspective? It really scares me to think about how many people out there might be cheering Drizzt on as he throws a tantrum, and I fear encountering even more people like that in this fandom, when Drizzt already inspires them to feel justified in sending people death threats for pointing out their hero’s foibles. I think that Salvatore was trying to convey that there should be no tolerance for bigotry, but he’s going about it in a really bad way. While it is indeed the case that some people out there can’t ever be changed, there are others, like Zaknafein, who can be, but in the face of a violent response, the opposite of the desired outcome is what usually comes to pass. Furthermore, not every Zaknafein will be as noble as the one in Timeless, nor will every Zaknafein continue to give the benefit of the doubt to that which not only doesn’t appear to return that benefit and also treats him with condescension. Drizzt continues his trend of being disrespectful to people he supposedly loves with Catti-brie. When he shattered the dinner table, he not only destroyed the furniture in their house, which is hers as much as it is his, and thus not his to destroy on a whim. Further, he completely upset the dinner that she’d worked hard to make for the three of them without even a thought, to say nothing of the familial atmosphere that she was striving towards. On the plus side, Catti-Brie has been really shining lately, much more so than when Salvatore pumped up her Mary Sueness by dropping god-tier arcane knowledge and magic items into her lap with little effort. If nothing else, that woman deserves to be the Chosen of some deity for putting up with Drizzt’s bullshit. Catti-Brie does everything that Drizzt should’ve done with Zaknafein, and although I’ve felt distaste for her since her resurrection, I’d have to give her credit for putting aside her own emotions to try to connect with someone even though the object of that someone’s disgust is herself.
The reason that I ultimately rounded the "3.5 star" rating down to a 3 is due to what is done with Artemis Entreri in Timeless. I'll be upfront and admit that Entreri is responsible for leading me to the rest of the Realms, and he is the main reason that I continue reading the Drizzt books. It goes without saying then that Entreri is very close to my heart, and the handling of him in the Homecoming Trilogy was probably the lowest point of, in my opinion, the weakest trilogy of all the dark elf books. I think that it’s very telling that the people who celebrate all of Drizzt’s foibles, who believe in things like Dahlia being totally to blame for everything that transpired between Drizzt and her and feel that she deserves to die for her actions, think that Entreri’s “redemption arc” is the greatest thing ever. Needless to say, I disagree, but thankfully, Timeless seems to backtrack a little bit from the disagreeable conclusions made in the novel preceding it. The main problem with Entreri in Hero is that, much like what happened to Jarlaxle over the years in the Drizzt books, he’s lost his dangerous edge. We’re told repeatedly that he’s dangerous and deadly but the ease to which he conforms to the CotH’s code regarding “friends” thoroughly defanged him. So he kills a few priestesses of Lolth, but they’ve become like the Red Shirts of Star Trek, and it no longer felt like Entreri would do whatever it takes to achieve something in the most efficient way, with no time wasted on moral quandaries as he eliminates anyone who dares to obstruct him. In Hero, he read very much like a poorly thought-out facsimile of who he’s supposed to be, bent to the writer’s whim in order to achieve some cheap effect that the writer feels would gain the most positive response from an unthinking and very social-normative mass. I found this especially tragic because this nonsensical sort of character twisting that hardly deserves to be called “development” is what happens in the type of fan fiction that gives it and those writing it a bad rep. For all of my criticism of Salvatore, before Hero, I’d never felt that his canon was worse than fan fiction, and, well, Hero took me there.
All in all, Timeless is a clear and definite improvement for the Drizzt series, with better writing style, storytelling, characterization, and consideration of the shared world as a whole. I was dreading a reality in which the Drizzt books were the only Forgotten Realms novels that we’ll get, and I’d preferred that the Drizzt line died out with the rest of the FR novel line rather than drag its legacy through the mud. Over the years, I feel that Salvatore has taken a lot more away from the shared world than he added to it, so a future with only Drizzt seemed bleak indeed. While it seems unlikely that there will be any other FR novels, Timeless makes me dare to hope that reality might not be as bad as I’d feared. Although one of my favorite things about FR is the plethora of different voices and styles contributing stories to it, I’m not inherently opposed to one voice doing all of it, so long as that voice is considerate of those that came before it. Before Timeless, it’s always felt like Salvatore was more interested in one-upping those other voices. I really hope that the Drizzt books continue on the trend of improvement seen in Timeless, and that Salvatore will continue to write without being concerned about powering up his characters to ridiculous degrees so as to cement them in the hall of legends of the world. I hope that the experienced editorial staff at Harper Collins will continue to help him elevate his writing style. And, most of all, I dearly hope that Salvatore will broaden his thinking even more, to consider and accept the validity of different paths in life, and maybe to realize that what makes the greatest hero is the ability to accept those things, not the ability to “fix” everything.
[ If for some reason you want to read my full analysis/review of Timeless, which, fair warning, is even more of a wall of text than this is, it's on my blog: http://artemis-entreri.tumblr.com/pos... ]
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 20, 2020
Timeless by R.A. Salvatore is like riding the Tower of Terror at Walt Disney World.
If you’ve ever ridden this ride, ever stared at this ride while debating to ride it, or if you’re aware of it, then you can possibly relate to my example.
When you stand outside, debating whether to ride it or not, there’s some trepidation. You aren’t sure if you’ll like it or if you want to chance a terrible experience.
But after you take the plunger and get on the ride, the absolute joy and elation take over and excitement is at an all time high.
Timeless was much the same experience for me.
The last Drizzt book I read, Gauntlgrym, and I wasn’t thrilled.
In fact, Gauntlgrym was the book that caused me to give up on Drizzt, my favorite hero of all time, after 20+ books into the series. I can’t pinpoint what about Gauntlgrym that didn’t do it for me, but I never finished the series.
I didn’t read the Companions series, nor the Heroes series, so I think I missed about 7 books or so of Drizzt’s tale.
But I read reviews that said Timeless was a return to the Salvatore of old, and I gave it a shot, and absolutely loved it.
Drizzt is back!
Timeless Review
Timeless starts out in Menzoberranzan with some drow families plotting against Drizzt, surprise surprise.
And I about gave up during the prologue because I was tired of this silly storyline.
But Timeless quickly changes pace and jumps back in time a few hundred years to Zaknafein and Jarlaxle’s early days.
And it was this subplot of Timeless that really grabbed me!
I love the inner workings of the drow houses, but I love them better when they aren’t constantly trying to take out Drizzt.
Don’t get me wrong, half of this book is about drow houses plotting to take out Drizzt in the present, and it is a little old.
But the twists to their plots and the potential danger that lies ahead of our heroes was enough to have me turning the pages.
The Writing
R.A. Salvatore is a master storyteller and he proved why he is my favorite fantasy author with the writing in Timeless.
The suspense, the high octane fight scenes, the page-turning cliffhangers when he switches POVs were second to none.
I never felt annoyed at the cliffhangers, only greater excitement, and I never had to wait too too long to have those cliffhangers resolved.
Sometimes only a couple of pages.
It was enough to keep me reading without getting frustrated.
Salvatore walks the perfect line of suspense and satisfaction.
The Characters
I forgot how much I loved these characters.
If I have a complaint, it’s that the characters I love the most: Catti-brie and Artemis Entreri have such a minor role in the story.
Even blustering Bruenor Battlehammer only has a few token scenes.
Drizzt himself is surprisingly absent most of the time, only to really show up at the finale for the big battle.
Of course, he is a major part of the book as Timeless wrestles with Drizzt and Zaknafein coming face to face after a hundred years of him being dead.
No one knows how he came to live again, and all of our heroes are just made aware of his revival in Timeless, so we get to see their reactions.
But Drizzt does unsheathe those marvelous blades to fight baddies until at least 80% of the way through the story.
The focus of Timeless then is on Jarlaxle and Zaknafein who take up 75% of the page time, which is all well and fine as I love both of these characters as well.
I hope to see more of my favorites getting involved in the story, though, in the books to come.
The Plot
As I mentioned previously, I’m tired of matrons plotting to kill Drizzt. It’s been decades. The guy lives on the surface and doesn’t come anywhere near your home. Can you just leave him alone already?
But no, they believe the only way to find Lolth’s blessing is to kill the very being that is blessed by Lolth.
Makes no sense, right?
The matron mothers don’t make much sense.
But hey, at least if they are going to keep attacking him they’re going to do it with style.
Salvatore pulls out a zealot religious nut that is so overly committed that even the other Lolth-followers think she’s crazy.
And it’s actually done so well you can’t wait to see this matron’s downfall. Cause let’s be real, Drizzt isn’t ever going to lose.
You don’t read a Drizzt book to see whether the hero lives or dies, cause after 30+ books you pretty much know he lives.
You read a Drizzt book to see how he lives. Because it’s the suspense and the action and how our heroes weasel their way out of impossible situations that is the most entertaining.
And Salvatore delivers on this aspect of his storytelling at least 5 times throughout Timeless and it’s so satisfying every single time.
Final Thoughts
Timeless was such a good book, I’ll be starting Boundless immediately!
Huzzah!
More reviews on my blog at https://tlbranson.com/blog
September 7, 2018
I have mixed feelings about this book. I would give it 3.5 stars if I could. was pretty content with Hero being the end of this long-running series, even though there were some burning questions, and characters (like Doum’wielle), that we don’t know the whereabouts of. I think an entirely new series focusing on other characters could be started.
That said, I know people have been clamoring for a Jarlaxle and Zaknafein novel. I was reluctant about the idea at first, because I really wanted to know the fate of Zak’s soul (the “good place” he was in). Now that he is back in the land of the living, I feel better about finally getting a backstory, but one burning question that I really want to know the answer to was where was Zak’s soul? It’s doubtful it was with Lolth. It was implied throughout the series he was in a good place, and Lolth admitted herself in Hero that she didn’t have him. I *really* want to know lol. Timeless didn’t answer it, but perhaps the next two will, since it is rumored to be a trilogy. Though we do find out who resurrected him, which raises even more questions, especially because it was defiance, and depending on who had Zak, it could even be an extra level of defiance lol.
I was a bit disappointed that Zak didn’t remember his time in the afterlife. It felt like a way of dodging the question of where his soul was residing. I mean, I guess it’s normal for resurrected souls not to remember their time in the afterlife, but in other Forgotten Realms novels, they sometimes have vague memories. Like Fflar Starbrow from the Last Mythal trilogy. The memories weren’t clear, to be sure, but he remembered being in Arvandor. Also, Drizzt says it was the elves of the Moonwood (?) who confirmed Zak was in a good place, but wasn’t it Cadderly who summoned Zak’s spirit, and Zak spoke to Drizzt personally? I seem to remember this from Passage to Dawn.
I was pleasantly surprised by the reference to Eilistraee, veiled though it was. I really wish Bob would mention the other drow gods more. Drizzt being treated as *the* beacon of hope goes against all the work Eilistraee and Vhaeraun have done. Sure, Menzo is a Lolthite city, but E and V are still a large part of drow culture, even if they have to be secretive. But Bob seems to avoid mentioning them, and the gods in general, other than a selective few. Whatever one’s real world beliefs, the gods are a real and active force in the Realms. Not every novel has to deal with them, obviously, but Bob is basically representing the Realms at this point. It wouldn’t hurt to provide more lore. He’s dealt a lot with elves, too, and has only mentioned the Seldarine once in a short story. The elven gods are a large part of elven society, yet they were completely skipped over in the Drizzt books. No, I am not a religious person, but this lack of attention to a very prominent feature in the Realms bothers me.
I have heard Bob doesn’t like Eilistraee, thus why I was pleased by the veiled reference. I wonder if Zak was with her, and the priestess was placed in his path to teach him and remind him. But then why not have any memories? I realize this might be a long shot, but I’m throwing it out there.
I have always loved Valas Hune, and it was great to see him again, though Zak had some issues with his ancestor, so there may be conflict between them. Jarlaxle is…well, Jarlaxle lol. I love that guy, and he was the same in his younger years. Speaking of which, it was cool to learn about the early stages of Bregon D’earthe. Again, this would be a good instance to bring up Vhaeraun. I can see at least some Bregon D’eathans worshiping him. And we finally learn why Jarlaxle is bald lol.
While not a main character in this one, Entreri does make an appearance, which is always nice (I just wish he wasn’t with Dahlia. What happened to her was awful, to be sure, but I don’t like her as a character).
Yvonnel is as mysterious as ever, especially at the end. What is Lolth herself up to? Some deaths towards the end, and they seem to be going with the new trend in fantasy of happening “off screen”. And oh man…poor Kimmie. What is going to happen to him? How does that even happen to someone who basically can have tea with mind flayers?
There are some other inconsistencies and things that bothered me, but I won’t go into them. I know it seems like I am tearing this book a part. I love Drizzt, and Bob is great, but as a Realms fan, I wish he would pay more attention to being *in the Realms*, rather than just using it as a backdrop. But if you’re looking for action and adventure, it’s a great read, and Zak is back (which you already know if you’ve read Hero). Speaking of which, I felt that, while perhaps realistic when dealing with prejudice in the heat of the moment, Drizzt’s reaction to some things his father said was a bit childish and out of character for him.
But, if you’ve been reading the Drizzt books from the beginning, definitely read this one. It has its issues, but it’s Drizzt lol.
That said, I know people have been clamoring for a Jarlaxle and Zaknafein novel. I was reluctant about the idea at first, because I really wanted to know the fate of Zak’s soul (the “good place” he was in). Now that he is back in the land of the living, I feel better about finally getting a backstory, but one burning question that I really want to know the answer to was where was Zak’s soul? It’s doubtful it was with Lolth. It was implied throughout the series he was in a good place, and Lolth admitted herself in Hero that she didn’t have him. I *really* want to know lol. Timeless didn’t answer it, but perhaps the next two will, since it is rumored to be a trilogy. Though we do find out who resurrected him, which raises even more questions, especially because it was defiance, and depending on who had Zak, it could even be an extra level of defiance lol.
I was a bit disappointed that Zak didn’t remember his time in the afterlife. It felt like a way of dodging the question of where his soul was residing. I mean, I guess it’s normal for resurrected souls not to remember their time in the afterlife, but in other Forgotten Realms novels, they sometimes have vague memories. Like Fflar Starbrow from the Last Mythal trilogy. The memories weren’t clear, to be sure, but he remembered being in Arvandor. Also, Drizzt says it was the elves of the Moonwood (?) who confirmed Zak was in a good place, but wasn’t it Cadderly who summoned Zak’s spirit, and Zak spoke to Drizzt personally? I seem to remember this from Passage to Dawn.
I was pleasantly surprised by the reference to Eilistraee, veiled though it was. I really wish Bob would mention the other drow gods more. Drizzt being treated as *the* beacon of hope goes against all the work Eilistraee and Vhaeraun have done. Sure, Menzo is a Lolthite city, but E and V are still a large part of drow culture, even if they have to be secretive. But Bob seems to avoid mentioning them, and the gods in general, other than a selective few. Whatever one’s real world beliefs, the gods are a real and active force in the Realms. Not every novel has to deal with them, obviously, but Bob is basically representing the Realms at this point. It wouldn’t hurt to provide more lore. He’s dealt a lot with elves, too, and has only mentioned the Seldarine once in a short story. The elven gods are a large part of elven society, yet they were completely skipped over in the Drizzt books. No, I am not a religious person, but this lack of attention to a very prominent feature in the Realms bothers me.
I have heard Bob doesn’t like Eilistraee, thus why I was pleased by the veiled reference. I wonder if Zak was with her, and the priestess was placed in his path to teach him and remind him. But then why not have any memories? I realize this might be a long shot, but I’m throwing it out there.
I have always loved Valas Hune, and it was great to see him again, though Zak had some issues with his ancestor, so there may be conflict between them. Jarlaxle is…well, Jarlaxle lol. I love that guy, and he was the same in his younger years. Speaking of which, it was cool to learn about the early stages of Bregon D’earthe. Again, this would be a good instance to bring up Vhaeraun. I can see at least some Bregon D’eathans worshiping him. And we finally learn why Jarlaxle is bald lol.
While not a main character in this one, Entreri does make an appearance, which is always nice (I just wish he wasn’t with Dahlia. What happened to her was awful, to be sure, but I don’t like her as a character).
Yvonnel is as mysterious as ever, especially at the end. What is Lolth herself up to? Some deaths towards the end, and they seem to be going with the new trend in fantasy of happening “off screen”. And oh man…poor Kimmie. What is going to happen to him? How does that even happen to someone who basically can have tea with mind flayers?
There are some other inconsistencies and things that bothered me, but I won’t go into them. I know it seems like I am tearing this book a part. I love Drizzt, and Bob is great, but as a Realms fan, I wish he would pay more attention to being *in the Realms*, rather than just using it as a backdrop. But if you’re looking for action and adventure, it’s a great read, and Zak is back (which you already know if you’ve read Hero). Speaking of which, I felt that, while perhaps realistic when dealing with prejudice in the heat of the moment, Drizzt’s reaction to some things his father said was a bit childish and out of character for him.
But, if you’ve been reading the Drizzt books from the beginning, definitely read this one. It has its issues, but it’s Drizzt lol.
January 29, 2019
Couldn't do it. I made it 9 pages in. 9. Too many odd names, houses, life forms and allusions to prior books. Maybe I made a big mistake grabbing this one randomly as it's part of a larger series. This book may have been great. I just couldn't stay with it this time. I may circle back at a later date. I rarely quit on books. This one just lost me from the get go.
May 3, 2020
Another great entry in the now 30 + years of Drzzt stories that Salvatore has written. This one details his father Zaknafein's reconditioning to both life and life outside of drow society.
As always, Jarlaxle steals the story as a flamboyant jack-of-all-trades character and we get a backstory on how he met Zaknafein and various adventures they had prior to Drzzt's birth including a glimpse of Zaknafein's high morals which totally separated him from the average drow citizen.
A battle with various demons near book's end highlights the twisting drama setting up the trilogy involving the sale of territory from a Waterdeep lord to a group of dwarves.
And I always like reading about the drow themselves and their various factions, politics, and nefarious dealings. Salvatore delivers all of that in spades.
Looking forward to getting to book 2 eventually with the third book coming out in October of this year so far.
As always, Jarlaxle steals the story as a flamboyant jack-of-all-trades character and we get a backstory on how he met Zaknafein and various adventures they had prior to Drzzt's birth including a glimpse of Zaknafein's high morals which totally separated him from the average drow citizen.
A battle with various demons near book's end highlights the twisting drama setting up the trilogy involving the sale of territory from a Waterdeep lord to a group of dwarves.
And I always like reading about the drow themselves and their various factions, politics, and nefarious dealings. Salvatore delivers all of that in spades.
Looking forward to getting to book 2 eventually with the third book coming out in October of this year so far.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 31, 2020
ძველი, მონატრებული მეგობარის ნახვასავით წიგნია.
ჯარლქსლის გამელოტების ისტორია არის ფანტასტიური <3 <3 ძალიან სასიამოვნოა რომ ამ საკითხს ნათელი მოეფინა. თან განსხვავებით სხვა წიგნებისგან აქ ბეეევრი ჯარლაქსლია, ძალიან ბევრი და ძალიან სასიამოვნოა ეგ ფაქტი. დიდი სიამოვნებით წავიკითხავდი ცალკე 5 წიგნიან სპინოფს ჯარლაქსლზე და ბრეგან დ'არტზე. იმიტომ აქ რაც ჩანს, როგორ იქმნებოდა და გავლენას როგორ იხვეჭდა ძალიან საინტერესოა და მაგის დეტალურად წაკითხვა უმშვენიერესი იქნებოდა ^_^
ჯარლქსლის გამელოტების ისტორია არის ფანტასტიური <3 <3 ძალიან სასიამოვნოა რომ ამ საკითხს ნათელი მოეფინა. თან განსხვავებით სხვა წიგნებისგან აქ ბეეევრი ჯარლაქსლია, ძალიან ბევრი და ძალიან სასიამოვნოა ეგ ფაქტი. დიდი სიამოვნებით წავიკითხავდი ცალკე 5 წიგნიან სპინოფს ჯარლაქსლზე და ბრეგან დ'არტზე. იმიტომ აქ რაც ჩანს, როგორ იქმნებოდა და გავლენას როგორ იხვეჭდა ძალიან საინტერესოა და მაგის დეტალურად წაკითხვა უმშვენიერესი იქნებოდა ^_^
February 14, 2023
Just when we thought that Drizzt and his friends and allies could rest and enjoy some peace for a bit it turns out not to be the case. As the drow have sent thousands of demons to destroy Drizzt and his friends. Drizzt and his Father who was recently returned to him barely made it back home alive. could this be the end of the silver marches?
January 23, 2024
One of my favorites of the entire series. ♥
October 16, 2018
Salvatore and Drizzt are back and it doesn't disappoint. Firstly, I loved the Zak and Jarlaxle stuff, we all waited so long for their backstory and Bob gives us an awesome glimpse. At the same time we get a new story and a new threat that is woven very nicely. I wont get into the new story that much because it will spoil the story. I will say this feels very much like a trilogy and there was a fair amount of setup in this book. By now Salvatore has created a massive cast and I get why some characters get little to no love in the book but it still kind of sucks.
I do wonder.... if ever there was a time to shake up the series or start in a new direction this would of been the time. But why fix what isn't broken right?
next book please
I do wonder.... if ever there was a time to shake up the series or start in a new direction this would of been the time. But why fix what isn't broken right?
next book please
February 9, 2024
TL;DR
It's really confusing and hard to keep up. Unless you've read the other 30 books, you should probably read something else.
Well this was a disappointment. This would have been my first Forgotten Realms book but I'm glad I ended up reading The Crystal Shard first, by the same author no less. I liked that book. It was great. I needed it. But this... Wow.
I'll admit that I went from book 1 to book 30-something in this series but I did my research beforehand and found Salvatore saying you can jump into this book with no knowledge of previous books, which is a lie. Yes, it has a list of characters that get you through the first 100 pages but after that, you're out of luck. If you have little to no knowledge of the lore and creatures in the Forgetten Realms and Dungeons and Dragons, consider yourself doubly out of luck.
The names in this are so convoluted and unmemorable it's a wonder why Salvatore chose to include so much of the politics in the Underdark where names like Horoodissomoth Xorlarrin, Matron Huazz Tr'arach and Menzoberranzan are all used in the same sentence. I get that it's Drow naming but the sheer amount of them being thrown in by the end of the book just made me want to put it down because of how unfriendly it is to the reader. It got to the point where I stopped caring who was who after all the time jumping and sudden introduction of characters who I could tell had some importance but lacked any significant personality or defining trait other than "leader" or "follower".
This has some great moments in it, 4-5 star worth in parts but it fell flat a lot of the time and for a while this felt like a 2 star book. But the unfinished and out of nowhere ending just left me feeling confused and wishing I'd spent my time elsewhere. It was in the last 10 pages that this dropped to 1 star. Maybe it's worth it if you've spent the last 30 books with Drizzt and co. but if not, don't bother with this one.
It's really confusing and hard to keep up. Unless you've read the other 30 books, you should probably read something else.
Well this was a disappointment. This would have been my first Forgotten Realms book but I'm glad I ended up reading The Crystal Shard first, by the same author no less. I liked that book. It was great. I needed it. But this... Wow.
I'll admit that I went from book 1 to book 30-something in this series but I did my research beforehand and found Salvatore saying you can jump into this book with no knowledge of previous books, which is a lie. Yes, it has a list of characters that get you through the first 100 pages but after that, you're out of luck. If you have little to no knowledge of the lore and creatures in the Forgetten Realms and Dungeons and Dragons, consider yourself doubly out of luck.
The names in this are so convoluted and unmemorable it's a wonder why Salvatore chose to include so much of the politics in the Underdark where names like Horoodissomoth Xorlarrin, Matron Huazz Tr'arach and Menzoberranzan are all used in the same sentence. I get that it's Drow naming but the sheer amount of them being thrown in by the end of the book just made me want to put it down because of how unfriendly it is to the reader. It got to the point where I stopped caring who was who after all the time jumping and sudden introduction of characters who I could tell had some importance but lacked any significant personality or defining trait other than "leader" or "follower".
This has some great moments in it, 4-5 star worth in parts but it fell flat a lot of the time and for a while this felt like a 2 star book. But the unfinished and out of nowhere ending just left me feeling confused and wishing I'd spent my time elsewhere. It was in the last 10 pages that this dropped to 1 star. Maybe it's worth it if you've spent the last 30 books with Drizzt and co. but if not, don't bother with this one.
July 29, 2019
Two interesting character subplots weighed down by lackluster plot.
The newest Drizzt trilogy has a great premise/structure. We have the father of Drizzt, Zaknafein, being reincarnated and wanting to reconnect with his son and learning he has married a human women and about to father a mixed-race child. So there's a great struggle there between father and son.
The second character subplot is a flashback to the start of Jarlaxle and Zaknafein's friendship some 400 years earlier and their early adventures in the misandrist drow city of Menzoberranzan. The cynical Jarlaxle and the disillusioned but principled Zaknafein makes for an intriguing character study.
Unfortunately, the actual plots these two threads find themselves in are forgettable and really lend nothing to the narrative. Drow priestesses are still trying to get Drizzt, without success, and the demons unleashed by the drow several novels ago are still wandering about causing trouble. It amounts to very little, but the novel is saved by the interesting character development between the three main characters (Drizzt, Jarlaxle, and Zaknafein).
The newest Drizzt trilogy has a great premise/structure. We have the father of Drizzt, Zaknafein, being reincarnated and wanting to reconnect with his son and learning he has married a human women and about to father a mixed-race child. So there's a great struggle there between father and son.
The second character subplot is a flashback to the start of Jarlaxle and Zaknafein's friendship some 400 years earlier and their early adventures in the misandrist drow city of Menzoberranzan. The cynical Jarlaxle and the disillusioned but principled Zaknafein makes for an intriguing character study.
Unfortunately, the actual plots these two threads find themselves in are forgettable and really lend nothing to the narrative. Drow priestesses are still trying to get Drizzt, without success, and the demons unleashed by the drow several novels ago are still wandering about causing trouble. It amounts to very little, but the novel is saved by the interesting character development between the three main characters (Drizzt, Jarlaxle, and Zaknafein).
February 1, 2022
I believe it's a common secret that Drizzt books have reached a point where we see the same plots again and again and the same characters doing the same things. "But George, if you don't like them, why do you keep reading them?"
Well, to be honest, I find myself DMing for some friends and these books help define the world and get inspiration. I wouldn't go as far to call them bad, but I do find that I would rather be reading stories about other heroes, who find themselves and come into their own instead or re-hashing the same old tropes with the same old heroes.
At this point, reading about Drizzt and the Companions of the Hall feels like reading a poorly written super hero comic book, the sort that DC and Marvel produces. It's a bit sad, as I feel this shows the direction that big companies like WotC takes their stories: keeping it safe, by keeping big names (such as Drizzt) alive and adventuring beyond the point it would make sense for them to do so, in order to take advantage of the current existing "marketing" for those characters and not invest into new and possibly riskier stories of new characters.
Well, to be honest, I find myself DMing for some friends and these books help define the world and get inspiration. I wouldn't go as far to call them bad, but I do find that I would rather be reading stories about other heroes, who find themselves and come into their own instead or re-hashing the same old tropes with the same old heroes.
At this point, reading about Drizzt and the Companions of the Hall feels like reading a poorly written super hero comic book, the sort that DC and Marvel produces. It's a bit sad, as I feel this shows the direction that big companies like WotC takes their stories: keeping it safe, by keeping big names (such as Drizzt) alive and adventuring beyond the point it would make sense for them to do so, in order to take advantage of the current existing "marketing" for those characters and not invest into new and possibly riskier stories of new characters.
Read
October 7, 2018I'm not using the star system for this one because while it is based on how I feel about it, people tend to think of it as how good the book is.
I believe that anyone who has read R.A. Salvatore's other books with these characters will also enjoy reading this one. I made the mistake of thinking I would understand what was going on without the background information. I thought that if I read on it would eventually become clear. There are interesting characters and novel beasts aplenty here. The fight scenes are so vivid that you can easily visualize them. There are some clever premises and good exchanges of conversation. I felt like the last quarter of the book was written by someone else, perhaps due to the time span between the pieces being written.
If you haven't read other books with these characters, do so first. I definitely would recommend it to anyone who has read and enjoyed the other tales.
(I received this in a goodreads giveaway)
I believe that anyone who has read R.A. Salvatore's other books with these characters will also enjoy reading this one. I made the mistake of thinking I would understand what was going on without the background information. I thought that if I read on it would eventually become clear. There are interesting characters and novel beasts aplenty here. The fight scenes are so vivid that you can easily visualize them. There are some clever premises and good exchanges of conversation. I felt like the last quarter of the book was written by someone else, perhaps due to the time span between the pieces being written.
If you haven't read other books with these characters, do so first. I definitely would recommend it to anyone who has read and enjoyed the other tales.
(I received this in a goodreads giveaway)
August 27, 2020
I'm rereading books 1 and 2 in prep for the newly released book 3... as it turns out, following Jarlaxle and Zaknafein around the Underdark is my idea of a good time... so I welcome this refresh...
If you haven't read any Drizzt yet, then I would not start here - you'd be missing too much background info, in my opinion... I suggest you get here the old fashioned way and earn it.
I try to read a lot of different writers, but I always come back to Salvatore. I could do a lot worse than having him as my favorite... not sure I could do any better.
If you haven't read any Drizzt yet, then I would not start here - you'd be missing too much background info, in my opinion... I suggest you get here the old fashioned way and earn it.
I try to read a lot of different writers, but I always come back to Salvatore. I could do a lot worse than having him as my favorite... not sure I could do any better.
September 9, 2018
I had high hopes that this would be the book that would bring me back into liking this series again. Sadly that didn't happen. I think some of the problem is the Drow city, its not a place that I like and it was supposed to be a place that Drizzt never interacted with or had ties to after leaving it, or so that was the characters main hope. I'm sure there are many fans who loved the book but I'm not one of them.
July 29, 2018
Received an ARC at SDCC 2018
An excellent return to the Realms and Drizzt as he struggles with the unexpected challenges of the return of his father Zaknafein. Bob excellently blends some of the past and present, exploring both the past friendship between Jarlaxle and Zaknafein, as well as the struggle between father and son to relate outside the confines of Menzoberranzan.
An excellent return to the Realms and Drizzt as he struggles with the unexpected challenges of the return of his father Zaknafein. Bob excellently blends some of the past and present, exploring both the past friendship between Jarlaxle and Zaknafein, as well as the struggle between father and son to relate outside the confines of Menzoberranzan.
October 18, 2018
As it took almost two weeks, it should show that I was not as interested in this Drizzt book as past ones. I found it slow and boring at times and was not really interested in all extraneous story and character lines. I guess it will be awhile before I try another Drizzt book.
May 5, 2020
Tried and failed for me...It kept reminding me of a Lord of the Rings meets World of Warcraft...which is definitely fine with me, except I wanted to go play the game or read the other trilogy instead! Just wasn't feeling this one!
October 31, 2018
I liked this novel better than the 4 or 5 previous Drizzt novels combined! The stakes were high, it's setting up a new trilogy or what have you, no one got raped...
I like how, if we had to have characters killed off, it might as well be the weird gross ones no one cares about. Sorry Ambergris! I'm sure you're happily sniffing dung beards in dwarf heaven.
They're really going with this somewhat nonsensical new direction for abyssal demon rules from 5th edition though. Now all the demons have phylacteries? Le sigh. You know, when Regis and the others started to put things together, and remembered all that drama in Damara I think it was, I wasn't thinking demon phylacteries, I was thinking that this entire group of 'unknown dwarves' were going to be spriggans again.
The Athrogate rampage at the end was weird. It's like sometimes the author slips into 'game mode' for a while, to keep with the themes of a Dungeons and Dragons novel, then boom, slaps your face with some kind of super rampage. (Hmm, unless he's actually using some super barbarian rage power?) So, yeah, righteous rampage after finding his girlfriend dead, but then again... why didn't he do that when he was fully armed? Why does no one ever rez people in the books? None of the main characters ever do it themselves, or have it done, it's always done to them by demons (Wulfgar) or gods (all of them but Drizzt, but now including Z). Yet, the House Melarn drow rezzed loads of their people! Bringing back Ambergris shouldn't be all that hard, or expensive, for people like the main characters. Do they not have those spells in 5th edition? Nope, just checked, they're still there. Hmm, they're different now, you need at least part of a body, even for True Resurrection... but, it does regrow any lost body parts! They even had Amber's head! Le sigh.
It was cool that Zaknefein came back, and is out and about doing cool stuff. Also cool that we got so many flashbacks to him as a younger drow on adventures with Jarlaxle. Not sure I needed a blow by blow description of why Jarlaxle is bald, but it was pretty funny. Interesting too that Z wasn't usually a dual scimitar wielder anymore, but prefers sword and super flame whip? That was out of left field. Stranger still, Jarlaxle held on to his magic weapons all that time without using them himself!
I guess... overall, it's the plot that didn't make much sense. Why the heck would Jarlaxle only send two guys over to check out Thornhold? Dude's got his own private army! And access to the dwarven army! Why was it only J and Z trying to save the two dwarves?
The teaser at the end was great, because taking out Kimmuriel? The competent one? That really upped the ante. Of course it was all offscreen, which was a bummer. Kimmuriel is the new Worf, I guess... the one who's supposed to be pretty damned powerful, and gets his butt kicked to show how tough the enemy is. (Either that or he just got replaced by Gromph in the storylines...)
Fun!
I like how, if we had to have characters killed off, it might as well be the weird gross ones no one cares about. Sorry Ambergris! I'm sure you're happily sniffing dung beards in dwarf heaven.
They're really going with this somewhat nonsensical new direction for abyssal demon rules from 5th edition though. Now all the demons have phylacteries? Le sigh. You know, when Regis and the others started to put things together, and remembered all that drama in Damara I think it was, I wasn't thinking demon phylacteries, I was thinking that this entire group of 'unknown dwarves' were going to be spriggans again.
The Athrogate rampage at the end was weird. It's like sometimes the author slips into 'game mode' for a while, to keep with the themes of a Dungeons and Dragons novel, then boom, slaps your face with some kind of super rampage. (Hmm, unless he's actually using some super barbarian rage power?) So, yeah, righteous rampage after finding his girlfriend dead, but then again... why didn't he do that when he was fully armed? Why does no one ever rez people in the books? None of the main characters ever do it themselves, or have it done, it's always done to them by demons (Wulfgar) or gods (all of them but Drizzt, but now including Z). Yet, the House Melarn drow rezzed loads of their people! Bringing back Ambergris shouldn't be all that hard, or expensive, for people like the main characters. Do they not have those spells in 5th edition? Nope, just checked, they're still there. Hmm, they're different now, you need at least part of a body, even for True Resurrection... but, it does regrow any lost body parts! They even had Amber's head! Le sigh.
It was cool that Zaknefein came back, and is out and about doing cool stuff. Also cool that we got so many flashbacks to him as a younger drow on adventures with Jarlaxle. Not sure I needed a blow by blow description of why Jarlaxle is bald, but it was pretty funny. Interesting too that Z wasn't usually a dual scimitar wielder anymore, but prefers sword and super flame whip? That was out of left field. Stranger still, Jarlaxle held on to his magic weapons all that time without using them himself!
I guess... overall, it's the plot that didn't make much sense. Why the heck would Jarlaxle only send two guys over to check out Thornhold? Dude's got his own private army! And access to the dwarven army! Why was it only J and Z trying to save the two dwarves?
The teaser at the end was great, because taking out Kimmuriel? The competent one? That really upped the ante. Of course it was all offscreen, which was a bummer. Kimmuriel is the new Worf, I guess... the one who's supposed to be pretty damned powerful, and gets his butt kicked to show how tough the enemy is. (Either that or he just got replaced by Gromph in the storylines...)
Fun!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2019
I first read a Drizzit novel decades ago and often compared my own fantasy work to R.A. Salvatore. Timeless seemed like a good choice to catch up and see what the author has been up to lately.
While some elements of the old days still linger, this new start of a trilogy is a far cry from what I remember of that most enjoyable novel long ago.
The story started off very slow, with a whole bunch of political goings on about houses and such in Menzoberranzan. When the action finally kicked in, it had nothing at all to do with Drizzit. Well, sort of, because it was all linked to him, in absentia. He finally got a piece of the action around page one hundred thirty. Then again, this is the first book of a new trilogy, so things are going to develop slowly.
On the other hand, when the action finally kicked in, I fell into the old D&D role playing world of yore, the 80’s specifically, when I used to play with a group. However, far from rolling dice, the author brought it all to life, making it an enjoyable read. I became absorbed in the action.
I was quite a bit lost on the intrigue and my eyes kind of glazed over in spots, but that’s not necessarily the author’s fault, as that would happen, no matter who wrote it. It’s just not my thing. I prefer the more direct approach to things.
The writing was excellent with third-person, past-tense. However, the author was a bit loose with the characters, and was far from limited, sometimes head-hopping around. I don’t remember that from the earlier Drizzit work, but then again, I wasn’t as fully aware back then. The other nit was foretelling. The author did that in several places and I’d much rather find out through the story than author intrusion.
Otherwise, I still had a pretty good time, even with the vague ending, which set up for the second book. Not sure if I’ll read the next one, as I had to work to get through this one. Like I said, not the authors fault, as this is not my usual genre to read. I’m sure fantasy readers will love it, however, as it has everything they could want. Politics, intrigue, action, and humor as well. Oh, and those battle scenes were awesome!
Recommended.
While some elements of the old days still linger, this new start of a trilogy is a far cry from what I remember of that most enjoyable novel long ago.
The story started off very slow, with a whole bunch of political goings on about houses and such in Menzoberranzan. When the action finally kicked in, it had nothing at all to do with Drizzit. Well, sort of, because it was all linked to him, in absentia. He finally got a piece of the action around page one hundred thirty. Then again, this is the first book of a new trilogy, so things are going to develop slowly.
On the other hand, when the action finally kicked in, I fell into the old D&D role playing world of yore, the 80’s specifically, when I used to play with a group. However, far from rolling dice, the author brought it all to life, making it an enjoyable read. I became absorbed in the action.
I was quite a bit lost on the intrigue and my eyes kind of glazed over in spots, but that’s not necessarily the author’s fault, as that would happen, no matter who wrote it. It’s just not my thing. I prefer the more direct approach to things.
The writing was excellent with third-person, past-tense. However, the author was a bit loose with the characters, and was far from limited, sometimes head-hopping around. I don’t remember that from the earlier Drizzit work, but then again, I wasn’t as fully aware back then. The other nit was foretelling. The author did that in several places and I’d much rather find out through the story than author intrusion.
Otherwise, I still had a pretty good time, even with the vague ending, which set up for the second book. Not sure if I’ll read the next one, as I had to work to get through this one. Like I said, not the authors fault, as this is not my usual genre to read. I’m sure fantasy readers will love it, however, as it has everything they could want. Politics, intrigue, action, and humor as well. Oh, and those battle scenes were awesome!
Recommended.
June 4, 2019
If you were among those getting fatigued by the direction of this series, I'd highly recommend giving these latest books another shot. I'm intrigued as to where all this is going and I'm truly enjoying this new arc.
I have to admit, I'm a long time Legend of Drizzt fan and I will always have a soft spot for this series, but the series fell into a bit of a slump for me somewhere around The Orc King and all the way through to The Last Threshold.
The Companions started to pick things up again, and it seemed like we were getting back to the ensemble-cast, endearing fantasy adventures that I fell in love with, just in time for everything to seemingly end with Hero.
This, though, felt like the beginning of a new era and one that I'm enjoying a lot more than the Transitions rabbit hole. I loved that this was more of a Zaknafein book than a Drizzt book. This filled in so many gaps that we never got to see in Zaknafein's character, and the backstory behind him and Jarlaxle was a joy to read and sure fire fan service to anyone who has pondered on the potential friendship between the two.
At the same time, Salvatore sets up the newest round of intrigues and conflicts for our cast of characters to face, and it ends up being a doozy.
I do wish that there was a little more resolution between Zaknafein and Drizzt by the end, and R.A. Salvatore fans will see some familiar plot devices that he's used before. All said though, this is a more than worthy return and a fantastic new branch to the story.
I have to admit, I'm a long time Legend of Drizzt fan and I will always have a soft spot for this series, but the series fell into a bit of a slump for me somewhere around The Orc King and all the way through to The Last Threshold.
The Companions started to pick things up again, and it seemed like we were getting back to the ensemble-cast, endearing fantasy adventures that I fell in love with, just in time for everything to seemingly end with Hero.
This, though, felt like the beginning of a new era and one that I'm enjoying a lot more than the Transitions rabbit hole. I loved that this was more of a Zaknafein book than a Drizzt book. This filled in so many gaps that we never got to see in Zaknafein's character, and the backstory behind him and Jarlaxle was a joy to read and sure fire fan service to anyone who has pondered on the potential friendship between the two.
At the same time, Salvatore sets up the newest round of intrigues and conflicts for our cast of characters to face, and it ends up being a doozy.
I do wish that there was a little more resolution between Zaknafein and Drizzt by the end, and R.A. Salvatore fans will see some familiar plot devices that he's used before. All said though, this is a more than worthy return and a fantastic new branch to the story.
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