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The Legend of Drizzt
Οι Χαμένες Ιστορίες
Μια επική ανθολογία διηγημάτων με πρωταγωνιστή το θρυλικό Ντριτζτ Ντο Έρντεν, που φέρουν την υπογραφή του κορυφαίου συγγραφέα R.A. Salvatore!
«Δε δεσμευόμαστε από τη ράτσα μας» του είπα, βρίσκοντας επιτέλους κάτι πειστικό, καθώς θυμήθηκα το δικό μου μακρύ μονοπάτι μακριά από τις σκοτεινές συνήθειες της Μεντζομπεράντζαν. «Είπες πως έχεις ακούσει ιστορίες για μένα. Είναι αυτές που θα περίμενες από έναν νταρκ ελφ;»
– Nτριτζτ Nτο Έρντεν
«Δε δεσμευόμαστε από τη ράτσα μας» του είπα, βρίσκοντας επιτέλους κάτι πειστικό, καθώς θυμήθηκα το δικό μου μακρύ μονοπάτι μακριά από τις σκοτεινές συνήθειες της Μεντζομπεράντζαν. «Είπες πως έχεις ακούσει ιστορίες για μένα. Είναι αυτές που θα περίμενες από έναν νταρκ ελφ;»
– Nτριτζτ Nτο Έρντεν
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 1, 2011
366 people are currently reading
3983 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 348 reviews
September 17, 2017
An excellent anthology collecting R.A. Salvatore's early (and not early) short stories previously published in magazines and other anthologies about Drizzt, the Companions of the Hall and more characters from the Legend of Drizzt saga.
A very good read indeed, but not a good starting point for people who haven't read all the books (at last the ones published before Gauntlgrym) of that years spanning epic fantasy saga.
A must read for old fans of Drizzt & co.
The First Notch: 3 stars
Salvatore's first short story originally published in late Dragon magazine.
A funny homage to Bruenor's first of many demises in the Legend of Drizzt saga.
Dark Mirror: 5 stars
A Drizzt quest to save human prisoners from an orcs war party turns into a deep insight about the evil of racism and slavery.
One of the best Salvatore's tales ever.
The Third Level: 5 stars
A grim and bloody tale about first career steps of young
A real good one and the ending was a blast.
Guenhwyvar: 4 stars
A nice tale about Drizzt's magical panther companion origin and an heartful celebration of the Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game: from Josidiah, the elven bladesinger (fighter-magic user) former master of Guen, to the many magic spells and items involved in this story, you can really feel how much the author was excited about the game and the Forgotten Realms setting when he wrote it.
That Curious Sword: 4 stars
A previously untold "side-quest" from Salvatore's Sellswords trilogy (how first novel of that was "extracted" from the Path of Darkness cycle messing my collection always shocked me XD) and a nice insight about the friendship developing between "the dynamic duo" of Jarlaxle and Artemis Entreri, hired to rescue back a stolen idol from a thief. But as in every good D&D scenario, things are not so easy.
Wickless In The Nether: 4 stars
Another short tale about fan favourite dynamic duo of villains Jarlaxle & Entreri, stumbling in a feud between two rich sisters . Much funnier than expected and Entreri throwing his dagger to Jarlaxle's silhouette pelvis painted on a wall was just hilarious!
The Dowery: 3 stars
A funny tale about Drizzt and Catti-Brie hunting for pirates in Waterdeep set between The Halfling's Gem and Legacy with the couple of adventurers wanting to join Captain Deudermont's Sea Sprite crew for the third time. A nice read, but Entreri/Jarlaxle are a more interesting "couple of "heroes" (just read two previous tales and see).
Comrades At Odds: 3 stars
One of the longest story in the anthology, a "lost chapter" of R. A. Salvatore's "The Hunter's Blades" trilogy giving an insight about Drizzt's pain and grief for killing Ellafain, the Elf maiden he saved in the past from a Drow war party rampaging in the surface and grown consumed by her misguided hated for him.
Sadly I've never been much a fan of that part of the Legend of Drizzt saga and the "happy end" seemed just forced to me, but I liked a lot the development of Tos'un character, at odds with bloodthirsty sentient sword Khazid'hea.
If Ever They Happened Upon My Lair: 5 stars
One of the longer, grim and darker tales of this anthology, filled eith familiary characters if you've read/played/run R.A. Salvatore's old "Forgotten Realms: The Bloodstone Lands" game sourcebook from TSR.
When the barbaric kingdoms of Vaasa and Damara clash, the Witch-King Zhengyi is offering the gift of immortal undeath to the ancient dragons living in the area so that they can help him in his quest to ne the ruler of the Bloodstone Lands... and the Lich is not going to be denied: sooner or later they are going to accept his offer in a way or another.
Best story collected here and the way black dragon Kazmil-Urshula-Kelloakizilian removes stoneskin spells from his enemies' defences, throwing them coins from his treasure with quick wings swoops, is a brilliant dirty trick every wicked Dungeon Master should have into his bag.
Bones And Stones: 5 stars
It's time to mourn the dead after the great battle between Clan Battlehammer Dwarves of Mithral Hall and the Orcs of Obould Many-Arrows.
When Thibbledorf Pwent the Battlerager meets on the battlefield orc G'nurk, who lost his daughter in the charge against the dwarven fortress, tension and racial hate rise to their dire consequences, but the ending of their brawl is just not what you was expecting.
A deep and touching insight about soldiers and the ultimate cost of wars.
Iruladoon: 3,5 stars
After stripping bare the essence of war in previous story, Salvatore does it again with the otherworld one, in a good coda to The Ghost King (novel that made me cry like a baby in the end).
A nice homage to beloved departed characters, but I really not liked too much the fishermen and the only one with a few of development was wizard Addadearber.
To Legend He Goes: 5 stars
At last we have a Wulfgar tale, and what a tale!
Old and sick, the barbarian chief is just waiting for Tempus calling him into his halls, but fate and a band of rampaging yetis attacking the Elk Tribe have other plans.
An excellent way to end a character saga and perfect closing to this anthology.
Read
November 6, 2022“He visto a los animales volver a la vida en primavera, he observado el despertar de los osos y como los peces remontan las rápidas corrientes hasta su lugar de desove. He visto los juegos aéreos de los pájaros, el primer trote de un potrillo recién nacido…
Los animales de la Antípoda Oscura no bailan”.
Voy a intentar ser lo más escueta posible. He venido a esta saga de rebote y al buscar en guías de lecturas recomiendan esto como primera lectura antes del Elfo Oscuro. ¿Qué me ha parecido? Bien me ha gustado, pero no he leído todos los relatos, me quedé sin leer tres porque el primero me aburrió y no podía, el segundo porque se necesitaba lectura de otra novela anteriormente y el último porque era un segundo prólogo de otra novela y ya estaba suficientemente quemada, para que mentir.
“Llevo casi dos décadas recorriendo el mundo de la superficie, pero jamás me cansaré del amanecer, para mí se ha convertido en la antítesis de mis tribulados tiempos en l Antípoda Oscura, en el símbolo de mi huida del mundo de las sombras y de la maldad de los de mi especie. Incluso una vez que ha terminado, cuando el sol ha salido del todo y sube raudo por el cielo de oriente, siento su calor penetrando en mi piel de ébano, transmitiéndome una vitalidad que nunca he conocido en el mundo de las profundidades”.
El resto de relatos sí que me han gustado, he conocido alguno de los origenes de los que me supongo que serán los futuros personajes, pero…no me ha gustado que este haya sido el primer contacto. Además, que me cuesta mucho leer relatos. En fin, no voy a ponerle una calificación porque como he dicho me he saltado varios relatos y no creo que haga justicia.
“El honor por encima de la ira”.
Los animales de la Antípoda Oscura no bailan”.
Voy a intentar ser lo más escueta posible. He venido a esta saga de rebote y al buscar en guías de lecturas recomiendan esto como primera lectura antes del Elfo Oscuro. ¿Qué me ha parecido? Bien me ha gustado, pero no he leído todos los relatos, me quedé sin leer tres porque el primero me aburrió y no podía, el segundo porque se necesitaba lectura de otra novela anteriormente y el último porque era un segundo prólogo de otra novela y ya estaba suficientemente quemada, para que mentir.
“Llevo casi dos décadas recorriendo el mundo de la superficie, pero jamás me cansaré del amanecer, para mí se ha convertido en la antítesis de mis tribulados tiempos en l Antípoda Oscura, en el símbolo de mi huida del mundo de las sombras y de la maldad de los de mi especie. Incluso una vez que ha terminado, cuando el sol ha salido del todo y sube raudo por el cielo de oriente, siento su calor penetrando en mi piel de ébano, transmitiéndome una vitalidad que nunca he conocido en el mundo de las profundidades”.
El resto de relatos sí que me han gustado, he conocido alguno de los origenes de los que me supongo que serán los futuros personajes, pero…no me ha gustado que este haya sido el primer contacto. Además, que me cuesta mucho leer relatos. En fin, no voy a ponerle una calificación porque como he dicho me he saltado varios relatos y no creo que haga justicia.
“El honor por encima de la ira”.
September 6, 2014
Wizards of the Coast outdid themselves on this one and brought in a cast that's actually hard to believe unless you start listening. It's a free download at the moment, so go at it while it's FREE.
Besides Ice-T, "[o]ther audiobook readers include Felicia Day (The Guild), Melissa Rauch (The Big Bang Theory), Wil Wheaton (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Sean Astin (The Lord of the Rings), David Duchovny (The X-Files), Michael Chiklis (The Shield), Tom Felton (Harry Potter), Greg Grunberg (Heroes) and Dan Harmon and Danny Pudi (both of Community)." (source)
I thought the stories were excellent and for the most part the readings were well done. Ice-T was decent, but extremely slow and kept pronouncing the "w" in "sword" and that word is used a ton in his story. It drove me nuts.
Weird Al did a good job, especially with the voices, but his voice is a little too ... bubbly ... silly ... there's got to be a better word ... for this type of serious story.
Usually Wil Wheaton does a good job, but I don't rate him super high as a narrator because he never does different voices for the characters, at least not well. This one he did an excellent job with the voices. He's another, however, that might have too much sarcasm in his voice for this type of story. Which is why he is the perfect narrator for anything from John Scalzi.
Last one and I'm done talking, biggest surprise was Michael Chiklis, who did an insanely good job with EVERYTHING. I hope he does tons more audiobooks and quits acting for the real money ... in audiobook narration! We all know Scott Brick is rollin' in it, amiright?
Overall, it's more than worth the price I paid and then some and pretty cool to have these celebrities reading names like Drizzt and Zaknafein and Menzoberranzan and I'm not even touching the dwarf names of the top of my head that us geeks love oh so much.
4 out of 5 stars (highly recommended)
Besides Ice-T, "[o]ther audiobook readers include Felicia Day (The Guild), Melissa Rauch (The Big Bang Theory), Wil Wheaton (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Sean Astin (The Lord of the Rings), David Duchovny (The X-Files), Michael Chiklis (The Shield), Tom Felton (Harry Potter), Greg Grunberg (Heroes) and Dan Harmon and Danny Pudi (both of Community)." (source)
I thought the stories were excellent and for the most part the readings were well done. Ice-T was decent, but extremely slow and kept pronouncing the "w" in "sword" and that word is used a ton in his story. It drove me nuts.
Weird Al did a good job, especially with the voices, but his voice is a little too ... bubbly ... silly ... there's got to be a better word ... for this type of serious story.
Usually Wil Wheaton does a good job, but I don't rate him super high as a narrator because he never does different voices for the characters, at least not well. This one he did an excellent job with the voices. He's another, however, that might have too much sarcasm in his voice for this type of story. Which is why he is the perfect narrator for anything from John Scalzi.
Last one and I'm done talking, biggest surprise was Michael Chiklis, who did an insanely good job with EVERYTHING. I hope he does tons more audiobooks and quits acting for the real money ... in audiobook narration! We all know Scott Brick is rollin' in it, amiright?
Overall, it's more than worth the price I paid and then some and pretty cool to have these celebrities reading names like Drizzt and Zaknafein and Menzoberranzan and I'm not even touching the dwarf names of the top of my head that us geeks love oh so much.
4 out of 5 stars (highly recommended)
February 21, 2024
Wonderful collection of short stories filled with all the races of the Drizzt series of books. Full of rich characters and imaginative world building each story holds it’s own.
A very entertaining and joyful read even if you haven’t read any of the series. A great read for all fantasy fans.
A very entertaining and joyful read even if you haven’t read any of the series. A great read for all fantasy fans.
March 1, 2011
The Legend of Drizzt Anthology: The Collected Stories by R. A. Salvatore
The Legend of Drizzt Anthology: The Collected Stories was released February 2011 and published by Wizards of the Coast LLC. This anthology was edited by Philip Athans. The anthology contains all the short stories that R. A. Salvatore has written that are set in the Forgotten Realms and concern the popular character Drizzt Do'Urden and companions. This anthology is set in the Forgotten Realms setting of Dungeons and Dragons. The stories found in this anthology are also found in various other anthologies and magazines, except for one brand new story. The stories are originally found in Dragon® Magazine #152, Realms of Valor, Realms of Infamy, Realms of Magic, Realms of Shadow, Realms of the Dragons, The Highwayman, Realms of the Elves, Dragons: Worlds Afire, Realms of War, and Realms of the Dead. The Legend of Drizzt is told through a vast amount of trilogies and series; The Dark Elf Trilogy (Homeland, Exile, and Sojourn), The Icewind Dale Trilogy (The Crystal Shard, Streams of Silver, and The Halfling's Gem), Legacy of the Drow (The Legacy, Starless Night, Siege of Darkness, and Passage to Dawn), Paths of Darkness (The Silent Blade, Spine of the World, and Sea of Swords), The Hunter's Blades Trilogy (The Thousand Orcs, The Lone Drow, and The Two Swords), Transitions (The Orc King, The Pirate King, and The Ghost King), and the current Neverwinter Trilogy (only two of the books have confirmed titles, Gauntlgrym and Neverwinter Wood, due out in October 2011). R. A. Salvatore has written two other series set in the Forgotten Realms; The Sellswords trilogy (Servant of the Shard, Promise of the Witch King, and Road of the Patriarch) and The Cleric Quintet (Canticle, In Sylvan Shadows, Night Masks, The Fallen Fortress, and The Chaos Curse). He has contributed to other shared universes as well; writing two Star Wars based books, Vector Prime and Star Wars Episode Two: Attack of the Clones and he has also written a book based on Tarzan called Tarzan: The Epic Adventures. R. A. Salvatore has also written a few books in his on created worlds; Ynis Aielle (Echoes of the Fourth Magic, The Witches Daughter, and Bastian of Darkness), Spearwielders Tales (The Woods Outback, The Dragon's Dagger, and Dragonslayer's Return), The Crimson Shadow (The Sword of Bedwyr, Luthien's Gamble, and The Dragon King), Demon Wars (The Demon Awakens, The Demon Spirit, The Demon Apostle, and Mortalis), Demon Wars: Second Saga (Ascendance, Transcendence, and Immortalis) and the Saga of the First King (The Highwayman, The Ancient, The Dame, and The Bear). He also co-wrote The Stone of Tymora (The Stowaway, The Shadowmask, and The Sentinels) with his son Geno Salvatore. He also has written a number of short stories as well. Before each story in The Legend of Drizzt Anthology: The Collected Stories, R. A. Salvatore talks about the reasons behind each story, his motivations, and how it came to be.
“The First Notch”
Young Bruenor Battlehammer takes a few of his cousins and heads out into some tunnels around Mithral Hall to take down an Ettin (a two-headed giant). However, that's not the only danger in the dark tunnels.
Overall: 4/5
Thoughts:
“The First Notch” is a pretty interesting story that showcases a young Bruenor Battlehammer. The only issue with the story is that the scenes featuring the goblins came off as awkward and sudden. I never expected to have them in the story, and the way they were introduced was way too sudden. Thankfully, everything else was entertaining. It was great to see a story about a young Bruenor. You can see some of the qualities that the older Bruenor has, that are barely there in his younger self. Also, the ending was unexpected but great. “The First Notch” is an entertaining story and a great way to start the anthology.
“Dark Mirror”
Drizzt Do'Urden helps a group of farmers track down a group of orcs who kidnapped villagers of a small farming village named Pengallen. After tracking down the captives, Drizzt is surprised to see a well dressed goblin among them, and is even more surprised to learn that the goblin, Nojheim, is a slave to the towns leader. Curiosity gets the better of the drow and he intervenes, trying to save the goblin. However, he comes away with something more.
Overall: 5/5
Thoughts:
“Dark Mirror” is a fantastic story, and probably the best Drizzt based short story. Not only do we get into Drizzt's mind, due to the perspective, we also have a story that is surprisingly insightful and deep. The message behind “Dark Mirror” really carries a lot of weight and applies to the real world. It's one of those stories that make you think about our society and the problems that we still have today. This is definitely a must read.
“The Third Level”
Fourteen year old Artemis Entreri's life changes after making his first kill by taking out a rival boy. He finds out that it was just a test for a thieves guild and is then recruited. He quickly rises in the guild after challenging his master to a deadly game of Quarters.
Overall: 4/5
Thoughts:
“The Third Level” is a great story to read if you want to learn more about Artemis Entreri's past. However, it may leave you wondering what happened to him after being recruited. That question is never really answered and it just brings up more questions. Thankfully, this story is well worth a read if you're a fan of Entreri. It really delves into his psyche and explores what made Entreri, Entreri. Also the game of Quarters that he plays was really thrilling. You didn't know what was going to happen. This whole game really shows you how cunning and deceptive Entreri is and it's surprising. “The Third Level” is a must read for any Entreri fan.
“Guenhwyvar”
Josidiah Starym is an elven bladesinger for the elven city of Myth Drannor and is on his way to visit an old friend, a human ranger turned mage named Anders Beltgarden. Upon arriving to the hermit's home, he hears growling. Worried about his friend's safety, Josidiah rushes into Anders' alchemy room, only to find the old mage sitting at a desk and a huge black panther in a cage. After telling Josidiah that he attends to make the panther into a summoned magical creature, the elf is horrified. As the countdown to the time comes, the elf spends more time with the panther. He spends so much time that when Josidiah is in trouble, the panther yearns to come to his aid. After that, Josidiah must make a tough choice.
Overall: 4/5
Thoughts:
“Guenhwyvar” is an interesting origin story of one of the more mysterious aspects of the Drizzt series. The main characters, Josidiah and Anders, could have used a bit more development. They were interesting characters, but could have been explored further. Josidiah felt just like Drizzt in some cases, and he shouldn't have been. Aside from that, it's wonderful to finally learn the origin of Guen and how she was created. It wasn't what I was expecting, but it blew my expectations out of the water. The story also makes you want to read about some of Josidiah's and Guen's adventures. It builds up your interest in their story as well as Guen's other 'owners'. “Guenhwyvar” is a great origin story that really leaves you wanting more.
“That Curious Sword”
The assassin Artemis Entreri and his drow companion, the colorful Jarlaxle, arrive in the city of Heliogabalus, a city full of paladins. After a bartender offers the duo a job, they take it. However, it seems to be a set up and the man they are supposed to take back an item from knows of Entreri, or more specifically, his sword, Charon's Claw. After a brief struggle, Entreri leaves with more than he bargained for.
Overall: 4/5
Thoughts:
“That Curious Sword” is an interesting look into the friendship that Entreri and Jarlaxle are developing. Aside from the lackluster fight at the end, the rest of the story was entertaining. It was surprising how well the duo worked off one another and they really do seem like a natural fit. Another surprise was how nice Entreri was at the beginning of the story. That came out of left field, but it still felt like it could be something that Entreri would do.
“Wickless in the Nether”
Artemis Entreri and Jarlaxle are hired out to recover a flute that their benefactor's rival is in possession of. However, things don't go according to plan and identities aren't what they appear to be.
Overall: 5/5
Thoughts:
“Wickless in the Nether” is a good story. It builds on the friendship between Jarlaxle and Entreri and you should probably read this before going into Salvatore's Promise of the Witch King. Otherwise, the story was fun as well as a good read.
“The Dowery”
Drizzt Do'Urden and Catti-brie arrive in Waterdeep, in search of the captain of The Sea Sprite, Deudermont. The duo hope to join up with him and sail the seas for a while. However, the duo have an idea; they want to pay a dowery to join by trapping some pirates. Or at least they think they are pirates.
Overall: 3/5
Thoughts:
“The Dowery” is a good story but doesn't have that much of a lasting impact. If you look past the plot hole of how wasn't Catti-brie recognized, it is an enjoyable story. However, I'm stuck on the fact that former crew members and friends of Drizzt and Catti-brie didn't figure out who these people were. That just bothers me. However, at least I now understand how Drizzt and Catti-brie wound up on The Sea Sprite in Passage to Dawn. All in all, there isn't anything really new or interesting in “The Dowery”, but it still was a fun read.
“Comrades at Odds”
Drizzt Do'Urden and his friend Innovindil go on a journey to recover the body of Ellifain, who Drizzt mistakenly killed. Along the journey the two friends discover that the orcs who are at war with the dwarves of Mithral Hall are seemingly starting a kingdom. Strange behavior for orcs. On the outskirts of the newly established orc kingdom, a drow named Tos'un Armgo is slaughtering the orcs with the help of the sentient blade, Khazid'hea.
Overall: 3/5
Thoughts:
“Comrades at Odds” is really a mediocre story. The ending made me feel like I was ripped off. It just ended, but there could have been so much more. Also, if you are at all unfamiliar with the Drizzt series, you would be lost. This story will definitely not make you want to check out the previous books. Thankfully, Tos'un is a real highlight. He's interesting and gives the story something very different. It's welcoming to see a new character being focused on, I just wish the story would have just been about him. Also, this story ties in nicely with The Hunter's Blade Trilogy, so it would be worth reading if you've read that trilogy.
“If Ever They Happened Upon My Lair”
The Witch-King Zhengyi is at war with the nation of Damara and hopes to rule the Bloodstone Lands. In order for his plan to succeed, the lich offers various dragons in the area immortality if they help him succeed. He tries to persuade a black dragon named Urshula, but the dragon refuses. That is until a band of heroes stumbles upon Urshula's lair.
Overall: 5/5
Thoughts:
“If Ever They Happened Upon My Lair” is a wonderful story. It's probably the darkest story within this anthology and because of that difference, it makes it stand out. This is not a happy story, and if it was any other way, it wouldn't be as good. Aside from that, the characters all played their parts wonderfully. Zhengyi is someone who deserves to be feared and Urshula feels like an actual dragon. “If Ever They Happened Upon My Lair” is a dark story and so very different from the other stories.
“Bones and Stones”
Thibbledorf Pwent goes out after the battle between the orcs of Obould's army and Mithral Hall in search of any fallen companions. During Pwent's search, he comes across an orc, G'nurk, who is searching for his daughter. Tension rise, but can the two set aside the differences for a common goal?
Criticisms:
Overall: 4/5
Thoughts:
“Bones and Stones” is a surprising story. The only set back is the awkward insertion of the “Drizzt Diaries”. These little segments slow down the story and feel unnecessary. Even with that, Pwent saves this story. I would never have guessed that the battlerager would be so deep. Also, the meaning to the story is surprising. It's deep and unexpected, but welcomed and touching. “Bones and Stones” was a deep and touching story that left me surprised.
“Iruladoon”
A group of fishermen on Lac Dinneshere in Icewind Dale are taking on water and must find a safe place to fix it. They are able to find a dock which has a cabin along with a good-sized forest surrounding it. As they make their repairs to the ship, they decide to stay for the night. The ship's captain, Ashelia, has the two younger members of the ship, Spragan and Lathan, go out to find firewood. While the two are searching, they somehow get separated and find out that the forest isn't what it appears to be. When the two make it back to camp, the other two members, a wizard named Addadearber and a ranger named Roundabout, go into investigate what the two saw. But they also come out changed forever.
Overall: 4/5
Thoughts:
“Iruladoon” is a good story that really pays respects to some dearly departed characters. Even though I had a problem with Ashelia and Lathan, they still were decent characters that didn't really hurt the overall story. The other characters were wonderfully done and I'd be more than happy to read more about Roundabout and Addadearber. But all this is overshadowed by the appearances of the 'dead'. It makes the ending of The Ghost King feel much happier than it felt. “Iruladoon” pays its respects perfectly and makes a bittersweet ending a little easier to choke down.
“To Legend He Goes”
Wulfgar has lived a long life, longer than a barbarian of Icewind Dale would have ever lived. At the ripe old age of one hundred, Wulfgar knows his time has come and he sets out for one last hunt.
Overall: 5/5
Thoughts:
“To Legend He Goes” is a great way to close out the final chapter in a characters story. It was wonderful to see a bit of the old Wulfgar back. Not to mention having a one hundred year old man take down a fair number of yetis. It was a touching end.
Overall Averaged Anthology Rating: 4/5
Final Thoughts:
The Legend of Drizzt Anthology: The Collected Stories is a great anthology for any Drizzt or R. A. Salvatore fan. However, there is one nitpick I have that I couldn't mention until know. The anthology is missing one short story, found in The Best of the Realms, Volume One titled "Empty Joys". It felt weird having one story missing. Aside from that, all these stories were great and adds a lot to the characters that we all know and love. This is a must have for any Drizzt fan, but newer readers may be a little lost. However, you can still enjoy it.
Stories Worth Reading:
1) "Dark Mirror"
2) "Wickless in the Nether"
3) "If Ever They Happened Upon My Lair"
4) "To Legend He Goes"
The Legend of Drizzt Anthology: The Collected Stories was released February 2011 and published by Wizards of the Coast LLC. This anthology was edited by Philip Athans. The anthology contains all the short stories that R. A. Salvatore has written that are set in the Forgotten Realms and concern the popular character Drizzt Do'Urden and companions. This anthology is set in the Forgotten Realms setting of Dungeons and Dragons. The stories found in this anthology are also found in various other anthologies and magazines, except for one brand new story. The stories are originally found in Dragon® Magazine #152, Realms of Valor, Realms of Infamy, Realms of Magic, Realms of Shadow, Realms of the Dragons, The Highwayman, Realms of the Elves, Dragons: Worlds Afire, Realms of War, and Realms of the Dead. The Legend of Drizzt is told through a vast amount of trilogies and series; The Dark Elf Trilogy (Homeland, Exile, and Sojourn), The Icewind Dale Trilogy (The Crystal Shard, Streams of Silver, and The Halfling's Gem), Legacy of the Drow (The Legacy, Starless Night, Siege of Darkness, and Passage to Dawn), Paths of Darkness (The Silent Blade, Spine of the World, and Sea of Swords), The Hunter's Blades Trilogy (The Thousand Orcs, The Lone Drow, and The Two Swords), Transitions (The Orc King, The Pirate King, and The Ghost King), and the current Neverwinter Trilogy (only two of the books have confirmed titles, Gauntlgrym and Neverwinter Wood, due out in October 2011). R. A. Salvatore has written two other series set in the Forgotten Realms; The Sellswords trilogy (Servant of the Shard, Promise of the Witch King, and Road of the Patriarch) and The Cleric Quintet (Canticle, In Sylvan Shadows, Night Masks, The Fallen Fortress, and The Chaos Curse). He has contributed to other shared universes as well; writing two Star Wars based books, Vector Prime and Star Wars Episode Two: Attack of the Clones and he has also written a book based on Tarzan called Tarzan: The Epic Adventures. R. A. Salvatore has also written a few books in his on created worlds; Ynis Aielle (Echoes of the Fourth Magic, The Witches Daughter, and Bastian of Darkness), Spearwielders Tales (The Woods Outback, The Dragon's Dagger, and Dragonslayer's Return), The Crimson Shadow (The Sword of Bedwyr, Luthien's Gamble, and The Dragon King), Demon Wars (The Demon Awakens, The Demon Spirit, The Demon Apostle, and Mortalis), Demon Wars: Second Saga (Ascendance, Transcendence, and Immortalis) and the Saga of the First King (The Highwayman, The Ancient, The Dame, and The Bear). He also co-wrote The Stone of Tymora (The Stowaway, The Shadowmask, and The Sentinels) with his son Geno Salvatore. He also has written a number of short stories as well. Before each story in The Legend of Drizzt Anthology: The Collected Stories, R. A. Salvatore talks about the reasons behind each story, his motivations, and how it came to be.
“The First Notch”
Young Bruenor Battlehammer takes a few of his cousins and heads out into some tunnels around Mithral Hall to take down an Ettin (a two-headed giant). However, that's not the only danger in the dark tunnels.
Overall: 4/5
Thoughts:
“The First Notch” is a pretty interesting story that showcases a young Bruenor Battlehammer. The only issue with the story is that the scenes featuring the goblins came off as awkward and sudden. I never expected to have them in the story, and the way they were introduced was way too sudden. Thankfully, everything else was entertaining. It was great to see a story about a young Bruenor. You can see some of the qualities that the older Bruenor has, that are barely there in his younger self. Also, the ending was unexpected but great. “The First Notch” is an entertaining story and a great way to start the anthology.
“Dark Mirror”
Drizzt Do'Urden helps a group of farmers track down a group of orcs who kidnapped villagers of a small farming village named Pengallen. After tracking down the captives, Drizzt is surprised to see a well dressed goblin among them, and is even more surprised to learn that the goblin, Nojheim, is a slave to the towns leader. Curiosity gets the better of the drow and he intervenes, trying to save the goblin. However, he comes away with something more.
Overall: 5/5
Thoughts:
“Dark Mirror” is a fantastic story, and probably the best Drizzt based short story. Not only do we get into Drizzt's mind, due to the perspective, we also have a story that is surprisingly insightful and deep. The message behind “Dark Mirror” really carries a lot of weight and applies to the real world. It's one of those stories that make you think about our society and the problems that we still have today. This is definitely a must read.
“The Third Level”
Fourteen year old Artemis Entreri's life changes after making his first kill by taking out a rival boy. He finds out that it was just a test for a thieves guild and is then recruited. He quickly rises in the guild after challenging his master to a deadly game of Quarters.
Overall: 4/5
Thoughts:
“The Third Level” is a great story to read if you want to learn more about Artemis Entreri's past. However, it may leave you wondering what happened to him after being recruited. That question is never really answered and it just brings up more questions. Thankfully, this story is well worth a read if you're a fan of Entreri. It really delves into his psyche and explores what made Entreri, Entreri. Also the game of Quarters that he plays was really thrilling. You didn't know what was going to happen. This whole game really shows you how cunning and deceptive Entreri is and it's surprising. “The Third Level” is a must read for any Entreri fan.
“Guenhwyvar”
Josidiah Starym is an elven bladesinger for the elven city of Myth Drannor and is on his way to visit an old friend, a human ranger turned mage named Anders Beltgarden. Upon arriving to the hermit's home, he hears growling. Worried about his friend's safety, Josidiah rushes into Anders' alchemy room, only to find the old mage sitting at a desk and a huge black panther in a cage. After telling Josidiah that he attends to make the panther into a summoned magical creature, the elf is horrified. As the countdown to the time comes, the elf spends more time with the panther. He spends so much time that when Josidiah is in trouble, the panther yearns to come to his aid. After that, Josidiah must make a tough choice.
Overall: 4/5
Thoughts:
“Guenhwyvar” is an interesting origin story of one of the more mysterious aspects of the Drizzt series. The main characters, Josidiah and Anders, could have used a bit more development. They were interesting characters, but could have been explored further. Josidiah felt just like Drizzt in some cases, and he shouldn't have been. Aside from that, it's wonderful to finally learn the origin of Guen and how she was created. It wasn't what I was expecting, but it blew my expectations out of the water. The story also makes you want to read about some of Josidiah's and Guen's adventures. It builds up your interest in their story as well as Guen's other 'owners'. “Guenhwyvar” is a great origin story that really leaves you wanting more.
“That Curious Sword”
The assassin Artemis Entreri and his drow companion, the colorful Jarlaxle, arrive in the city of Heliogabalus, a city full of paladins. After a bartender offers the duo a job, they take it. However, it seems to be a set up and the man they are supposed to take back an item from knows of Entreri, or more specifically, his sword, Charon's Claw. After a brief struggle, Entreri leaves with more than he bargained for.
Overall: 4/5
Thoughts:
“That Curious Sword” is an interesting look into the friendship that Entreri and Jarlaxle are developing. Aside from the lackluster fight at the end, the rest of the story was entertaining. It was surprising how well the duo worked off one another and they really do seem like a natural fit. Another surprise was how nice Entreri was at the beginning of the story. That came out of left field, but it still felt like it could be something that Entreri would do.
“Wickless in the Nether”
Artemis Entreri and Jarlaxle are hired out to recover a flute that their benefactor's rival is in possession of. However, things don't go according to plan and identities aren't what they appear to be.
Overall: 5/5
Thoughts:
“Wickless in the Nether” is a good story. It builds on the friendship between Jarlaxle and Entreri and you should probably read this before going into Salvatore's Promise of the Witch King. Otherwise, the story was fun as well as a good read.
“The Dowery”
Drizzt Do'Urden and Catti-brie arrive in Waterdeep, in search of the captain of The Sea Sprite, Deudermont. The duo hope to join up with him and sail the seas for a while. However, the duo have an idea; they want to pay a dowery to join by trapping some pirates. Or at least they think they are pirates.
Overall: 3/5
Thoughts:
“The Dowery” is a good story but doesn't have that much of a lasting impact. If you look past the plot hole of how wasn't Catti-brie recognized, it is an enjoyable story. However, I'm stuck on the fact that former crew members and friends of Drizzt and Catti-brie didn't figure out who these people were. That just bothers me. However, at least I now understand how Drizzt and Catti-brie wound up on The Sea Sprite in Passage to Dawn. All in all, there isn't anything really new or interesting in “The Dowery”, but it still was a fun read.
“Comrades at Odds”
Drizzt Do'Urden and his friend Innovindil go on a journey to recover the body of Ellifain, who Drizzt mistakenly killed. Along the journey the two friends discover that the orcs who are at war with the dwarves of Mithral Hall are seemingly starting a kingdom. Strange behavior for orcs. On the outskirts of the newly established orc kingdom, a drow named Tos'un Armgo is slaughtering the orcs with the help of the sentient blade, Khazid'hea.
Overall: 3/5
Thoughts:
“Comrades at Odds” is really a mediocre story. The ending made me feel like I was ripped off. It just ended, but there could have been so much more. Also, if you are at all unfamiliar with the Drizzt series, you would be lost. This story will definitely not make you want to check out the previous books. Thankfully, Tos'un is a real highlight. He's interesting and gives the story something very different. It's welcoming to see a new character being focused on, I just wish the story would have just been about him. Also, this story ties in nicely with The Hunter's Blade Trilogy, so it would be worth reading if you've read that trilogy.
“If Ever They Happened Upon My Lair”
The Witch-King Zhengyi is at war with the nation of Damara and hopes to rule the Bloodstone Lands. In order for his plan to succeed, the lich offers various dragons in the area immortality if they help him succeed. He tries to persuade a black dragon named Urshula, but the dragon refuses. That is until a band of heroes stumbles upon Urshula's lair.
Overall: 5/5
Thoughts:
“If Ever They Happened Upon My Lair” is a wonderful story. It's probably the darkest story within this anthology and because of that difference, it makes it stand out. This is not a happy story, and if it was any other way, it wouldn't be as good. Aside from that, the characters all played their parts wonderfully. Zhengyi is someone who deserves to be feared and Urshula feels like an actual dragon. “If Ever They Happened Upon My Lair” is a dark story and so very different from the other stories.
“Bones and Stones”
Thibbledorf Pwent goes out after the battle between the orcs of Obould's army and Mithral Hall in search of any fallen companions. During Pwent's search, he comes across an orc, G'nurk, who is searching for his daughter. Tension rise, but can the two set aside the differences for a common goal?
Criticisms:
Overall: 4/5
Thoughts:
“Bones and Stones” is a surprising story. The only set back is the awkward insertion of the “Drizzt Diaries”. These little segments slow down the story and feel unnecessary. Even with that, Pwent saves this story. I would never have guessed that the battlerager would be so deep. Also, the meaning to the story is surprising. It's deep and unexpected, but welcomed and touching. “Bones and Stones” was a deep and touching story that left me surprised.
“Iruladoon”
A group of fishermen on Lac Dinneshere in Icewind Dale are taking on water and must find a safe place to fix it. They are able to find a dock which has a cabin along with a good-sized forest surrounding it. As they make their repairs to the ship, they decide to stay for the night. The ship's captain, Ashelia, has the two younger members of the ship, Spragan and Lathan, go out to find firewood. While the two are searching, they somehow get separated and find out that the forest isn't what it appears to be. When the two make it back to camp, the other two members, a wizard named Addadearber and a ranger named Roundabout, go into investigate what the two saw. But they also come out changed forever.
Overall: 4/5
Thoughts:
“Iruladoon” is a good story that really pays respects to some dearly departed characters. Even though I had a problem with Ashelia and Lathan, they still were decent characters that didn't really hurt the overall story. The other characters were wonderfully done and I'd be more than happy to read more about Roundabout and Addadearber. But all this is overshadowed by the appearances of the 'dead'. It makes the ending of The Ghost King feel much happier than it felt. “Iruladoon” pays its respects perfectly and makes a bittersweet ending a little easier to choke down.
“To Legend He Goes”
Wulfgar has lived a long life, longer than a barbarian of Icewind Dale would have ever lived. At the ripe old age of one hundred, Wulfgar knows his time has come and he sets out for one last hunt.
Overall: 5/5
Thoughts:
“To Legend He Goes” is a great way to close out the final chapter in a characters story. It was wonderful to see a bit of the old Wulfgar back. Not to mention having a one hundred year old man take down a fair number of yetis. It was a touching end.
Overall Averaged Anthology Rating: 4/5
Final Thoughts:
The Legend of Drizzt Anthology: The Collected Stories is a great anthology for any Drizzt or R. A. Salvatore fan. However, there is one nitpick I have that I couldn't mention until know. The anthology is missing one short story, found in The Best of the Realms, Volume One titled "Empty Joys". It felt weird having one story missing. Aside from that, all these stories were great and adds a lot to the characters that we all know and love. This is a must have for any Drizzt fan, but newer readers may be a little lost. However, you can still enjoy it.
Stories Worth Reading:
1) "Dark Mirror"
2) "Wickless in the Nether"
3) "If Ever They Happened Upon My Lair"
4) "To Legend He Goes"
January 2, 2015
I call myself a geek, and yet, up until last year, I had not watched any Doctor Who. Similarly, I play roleplaying video games, but I have never played Dungeons and Dragons and know very little about the vast lore behind it. Thanks to this book, I have since remedied both of these problems and can now truly fly my geek flag high.
The Legend of Drizzt is a collection of Salvatore's early works, read by a star-studded cast. It is introduced by Salvatore himself, who recognizes the flaws of his earlier writing, but none the less presents these stories proudly as part of the continuing process required of a writer. For this intro alone, I give the book four stars, and will be lenient on the stories themselves because they are his early works, and because they are pieces of a much greater whole.
Still, not knowing much about the greater world of DnD did not preclude me from understanding and enjoying the tales. The characters were all unique, interesting, and memorable, and I am sure I would easily recognize them if I did ever sink myself into this world.
Perhaps the more frustrating part was the fact that each story was delivered by a different narrator, with varying success. This first came to my attention when the internet got wind of Ice-T's complaints about all the fantastical names, and while he probably had the toughest time of it, everyone stumbled or at least differed on the pronunciation of the legendary Drizzt Do'urden's name.
If I have to choose, I will say that Felicia Day did the best job in her tale, and of the stories, my favourite is "Guenhwyvar," which tells of how the deadly panther companion came into existence.
www.bibliosanctum.com
The Legend of Drizzt is a collection of Salvatore's early works, read by a star-studded cast. It is introduced by Salvatore himself, who recognizes the flaws of his earlier writing, but none the less presents these stories proudly as part of the continuing process required of a writer. For this intro alone, I give the book four stars, and will be lenient on the stories themselves because they are his early works, and because they are pieces of a much greater whole.
Still, not knowing much about the greater world of DnD did not preclude me from understanding and enjoying the tales. The characters were all unique, interesting, and memorable, and I am sure I would easily recognize them if I did ever sink myself into this world.
Perhaps the more frustrating part was the fact that each story was delivered by a different narrator, with varying success. This first came to my attention when the internet got wind of Ice-T's complaints about all the fantastical names, and while he probably had the toughest time of it, everyone stumbled or at least differed on the pronunciation of the legendary Drizzt Do'urden's name.
If I have to choose, I will say that Felicia Day did the best job in her tale, and of the stories, my favourite is "Guenhwyvar," which tells of how the deadly panther companion came into existence.
www.bibliosanctum.com
May 14, 2013
The First Notch 4/5
Dark Mirror 4/5
The Third Level 4/5 *
Guenhwyvar 4/5 *
That Curious Sword 4/5
Wickless In The Nether 4/5
The Dowery 4/5
Comrades At Odds 4/5
If They Ever Happened Upon My Lair 4/5 *
Bones and Stones 4/5
Iruladoon 4/5 *
-Oh my gosh! I absolutely loved where this story went. I was absolutely pissed at the ending of Ghost King (at what happened), and this makes it known that Salvatore didn't just throw away important (from my view) characters, due to not liking where the Realms were pushed. I'm quite interested and excited to see where he takes Iruladoon!
To Legend He Goes 5/5 **
-Even though it seemed to start out a little on the far fetched side, I absolutely loved this story. I feel a little silly giving such a short piece 5 stars, but it is utterly perfect in it's resolution (temporary?) of the character of Wulfgar. It even had me a little teary towards the end. I really must reiterate, I can't wait to see where Salvatore goes with this!
Dark Mirror 4/5
The Third Level 4/5 *
Guenhwyvar 4/5 *
That Curious Sword 4/5
Wickless In The Nether 4/5
The Dowery 4/5
Comrades At Odds 4/5
If They Ever Happened Upon My Lair 4/5 *
Bones and Stones 4/5
Iruladoon 4/5 *
-Oh my gosh! I absolutely loved where this story went. I was absolutely pissed at the ending of Ghost King (at what happened), and this makes it known that Salvatore didn't just throw away important (from my view) characters, due to not liking where the Realms were pushed. I'm quite interested and excited to see where he takes Iruladoon!
To Legend He Goes 5/5 **
-Even though it seemed to start out a little on the far fetched side, I absolutely loved this story. I feel a little silly giving such a short piece 5 stars, but it is utterly perfect in it's resolution (temporary?) of the character of Wulfgar. It even had me a little teary towards the end. I really must reiterate, I can't wait to see where Salvatore goes with this!
December 12, 2019
I come out of this audiobook really wanting to read more about Drizzt's adventures. They're just plain fun! A bunch of these followed Artemis and Jarlaxle too. Also fun, but in a different way.
Also, I'm not sure if it's that I've watched a lot of Harmonquest, but Dan Harmon definitely needs to narrate more D&D stories.
Also, I'm not sure if it's that I've watched a lot of Harmonquest, but Dan Harmon definitely needs to narrate more D&D stories.
May 10, 2021
The audible was brilliant, read by a huge collection of big names including ice-t, David duchovny, Will wheton and Al yankovich. Though although it was an incredible cast, this also took away from the story for me since, as you moved from story to story, the voice of characters changed. With a cast doing the reading this isn't a reflection on their individual abilities, as they couldn't mimic each other but it was distracting
August 26, 2023
I liked the mix of narrators they chose for the audiobooks. Some were pretty amazing and some were rough around the edges. Thanks to my husband (and from reading some of the other Drizzt books and playing D&D) I thought I had a pretty decent amount of knowledge and would enjoy this but I think it's definitely a better collection for someone who has read waaay more of the Drizzt stuff than I have. Too many characters that I felt like I should know and didn't and references to situations that I was unfamiliar with.
March 28, 2015
This is a collection of short stories about Drizzt and other characters from the books of R. A. Salvatore.
These stories are okay, but most of them centre around a battle or fight and this becomes a bit monotonous after the first three or four. There were some non-combat material that added a bit of interest. Readers who are not familiar with R. A Salvatore's books might find themselves a bit lost as the majority of the stories feature characters from the books. The last story was probably the best and most moving and it alone brought my rating up to a 3.
On audio, this has an all star cast with each story read by a different narrator. This is cool, but the narration skills of the various actors varies from good to mediocre. Most of these people are not professional voice actors and it shows. Will Weaton probably stands out as the best as he does have some good voice acting skills and experience. Among the other readers were: David Duchovny, Felicia Day, Michael Chikless, Ice T and Weird Al.
These stories are okay, but most of them centre around a battle or fight and this becomes a bit monotonous after the first three or four. There were some non-combat material that added a bit of interest. Readers who are not familiar with R. A Salvatore's books might find themselves a bit lost as the majority of the stories feature characters from the books. The last story was probably the best and most moving and it alone brought my rating up to a 3.
On audio, this has an all star cast with each story read by a different narrator. This is cool, but the narration skills of the various actors varies from good to mediocre. Most of these people are not professional voice actors and it shows. Will Weaton probably stands out as the best as he does have some good voice acting skills and experience. Among the other readers were: David Duchovny, Felicia Day, Michael Chikless, Ice T and Weird Al.
May 10, 2016
I listened to this in the car while on vacation. Some of the stories were quite entertaining, while others were rather boring. The writing style was a bit lacking to me, without a whole lot of character development and there were also some fight scenes that could have been very exciting, but were completely dull because of the way they were written. However I am aware these are short stories that tie into several books which I have not read, so I'm not going to be too overly critical of them. Hopefully there is a lot more character development and detail put into the novels. Each story was narrated by a different person. I must say that Wil Wheaton is an excellent narrator. I also enjoyed Felicia Day and Sean Astin. There were a couple that just sort of droned on, and Melissa Rauch did a horrible high pitched squeaky voice for Cattie-Brie. Overall this was good and it was free.
August 25, 2014
While 14-year old me loved Salvatore, 29 year old me finds it too simplistic, a bit too hamfisted and a bit boring.
The all-star cast narrating this was kinda fun - Ice-T was actually surprisingly good, and Weird Al was fun. In the end, a bit underwhelming.
The all-star cast narrating this was kinda fun - Ice-T was actually surprisingly good, and Weird Al was fun. In the end, a bit underwhelming.
August 1, 2011
Well, this was an easy read. I had actually read most of the stories that are collected here. Drizzt is one of my favorite characters of all time, making this really easy and fun to read.
September 2, 2021
This was ok, but considering it was the Collected Stories of Drizzt, it contained a surprising lack of Drizzt Do'Urden. About half of the stories were Drizzt adjacent about characters how use to know Drizzt or in some cases had heard of Drizzt before. Some of the stories were better than others. None were amazing, none were complete duds, they all were between 2-4 stars averaging out to around a 3 star book. The narrators were all pretty good, but a couple were much better. Felicia Day reading The First Notch was my favorite; I loved they way she portrayed the goblin Sniglet referring to the "wicked dwarvses." I also really enjoyed If Ever They Happened Upon My Lair as an interesting story told from the perspective of the dragon being hunted by humanoids.
This collection did do a good job of exploring the ideas that one should is not evil solely by being a member of a race. It showed in many stories themes of goblins, orcs, and drow all fighting against the notion that they were evil just because of their race when in reality they were at least neutral if not good aligned.
This collection did do a good job of exploring the ideas that one should is not evil solely by being a member of a race. It showed in many stories themes of goblins, orcs, and drow all fighting against the notion that they were evil just because of their race when in reality they were at least neutral if not good aligned.
June 24, 2021
Sebuah kumpulan cerpen dalam universe Forgotten Realms (juga siri game Dungeons & Dragons), antara siri novel fantasi yg terkenal dan banyak peminatnya. Mengumpulkan 12 cerpen yg mengembangkan lagi 'lore' (kisah) watak-watak ciptaan R.A. Salvatore (Drizzt, Artemis Entreri, Jarlaxle, Bruenor, Wulfgar, Thibbledorf Pwent, etc) dalam siri 'The Legend of Drizzt'. Satu refreshment bila baca kumpulan cerpen ni sebab plotnya taklah seberat plot novel. Kebanyakan cerpen bermain dengan emosi pembaca, tapi scene2 aksi pertarungan tetap ada. Cerpen yg paling best adalah yg bertajuk 'Dark Mirror', kisah Drizzt menemui goblin yg baik hati.
December 28, 2016
First Notch-**** Strong first story for the collection. The one drawback no Drizzt.
Dark Mirror-***** Action and an interesting look at prejudice.
Third Level-**** Artemis Entreri! A little too perfect and wanted more. However I really wasn't expecting a story devoted to just him that was a nice surprise.
Guenhwyvar-**** Not how I would have thought that wondrous panther came to be. Wanted some more on the Bladesinger and the ranger gone wizard. Full of fantastic magic items. (Made me miss playing D&D).
That Curious Sword-***** Such a fun story. Entreri and Jarlaxle are a hilarious team. Plus Shadow Magic, how can you go wrong?
Wickless in the Nether-**** Didn't care for the sisters, but Entreri was too funny.
The Dowery-**** Not my favorite but interesting to see the loyalties Drizzt is able to draw from those outside his immediate circle of friends.
Comrades at Odds-**** Probably should be 5 stars but I haven't read the series surrounding the story. So the only character I knew was Drizzt. Though the story was good. But kind of spoiled things for those books.
If Ever They Happened Upon my Lair-***** Not a Drizzt tale. It is from Dragons: World Afire.
Bones and Stones-** Good moral questions just not sure about the individuals illustrating the answers.
Iruladoon-** Not sure what was going on here. Cool kind of ghost story. Salvatore's introduction to the story says, "It is highly recommended to have read The Ghost King." Which I have not, so perhaps it would make more sense after the fact.
To Legend he Goes-*** Not one of my favorite characters.
All-in-all a fun read. 4.5 stars overall.
Dark Mirror-***** Action and an interesting look at prejudice.
Third Level-**** Artemis Entreri! A little too perfect and wanted more. However I really wasn't expecting a story devoted to just him that was a nice surprise.
Guenhwyvar-**** Not how I would have thought that wondrous panther came to be. Wanted some more on the Bladesinger and the ranger gone wizard. Full of fantastic magic items. (Made me miss playing D&D).
That Curious Sword-***** Such a fun story. Entreri and Jarlaxle are a hilarious team. Plus Shadow Magic, how can you go wrong?
Wickless in the Nether-**** Didn't care for the sisters, but Entreri was too funny.
The Dowery-**** Not my favorite but interesting to see the loyalties Drizzt is able to draw from those outside his immediate circle of friends.
Comrades at Odds-**** Probably should be 5 stars but I haven't read the series surrounding the story. So the only character I knew was Drizzt. Though the story was good. But kind of spoiled things for those books.
If Ever They Happened Upon my Lair-***** Not a Drizzt tale. It is from Dragons: World Afire.
Bones and Stones-** Good moral questions just not sure about the individuals illustrating the answers.
Iruladoon-** Not sure what was going on here. Cool kind of ghost story. Salvatore's introduction to the story says, "It is highly recommended to have read The Ghost King." Which I have not, so perhaps it would make more sense after the fact.
To Legend he Goes-*** Not one of my favorite characters.
All-in-all a fun read. 4.5 stars overall.
August 18, 2014
Huge props to Audible for offering this as a free download! And with an all-star cast! There are some really great voices in this collection, and although some of them seemed to struggle a bit with a few words, for the most part they did an admirable job.
I have only recently started venturing into the world of D&D, so there were a lot of characters that I didn't know. I'm sure that fans of the series will enjoy this immensely. For me, there were some stories that were harder to follow than others. Most of these stories do not actually feature Drizzt directly, which I hadn't expected. Still, there is a good mix of stories here, enough to give one a good sense of the variety of characters, creatures and events that exist in this world. There's also plenty of action-packed battles.
September 23, 2023
Dear Ice T: I’m sorry they punked you by giving you the story with the word “sword” so many times. It’s pronounced like SOARED, not like SWORN with a D at the end. Not SWORED.
Same rating as last time, and for the same reasons.
March 2021 - Really only three stars but I added one because of the amazing cast of readers. A few of these stories were really good, but too many of them were just kind of flat.
Same rating as last time, and for the same reasons.
March 2021 - Really only three stars but I added one because of the amazing cast of readers. A few of these stories were really good, but too many of them were just kind of flat.
October 4, 2014
Not the best choice for my first venture into the world of Drizzt. I had no idea who the characters were and subsequently was a bit lost. I do have to say though that Wil Wheaton nailed it!
March 1, 2022
Ένα υπέροχο ταξίδι παρέα με παλιούς καλούς φίλους και μερικές εκπλήξεις.
February 1, 2022
1.5 stars
When I was younger, I read fantasy. I heard such good things about Drizzt and his stories and I always meant to read the books. I never got around to it and my reading tastes have changed. So I was happy when Audible offered this freebie.
Overall, I was not very into this audiobook. I felt dropped into the middle of a world I knew nothing about. Perhaps those who are already familiar with Drizzt and his world may enjoy this better.
Narrator and story-wise, because I wasn't as committed to this audiobook except as something to complete, I wasn't paying too much attention except some things did stand out; namely, the very first story and narrator was a mismatch, and that Wil Wheaton as a narrator stood out. I liked the first story about Drizzt, perhaps because it was my first introduction to him and his character. I liked Entreri and Jarlaxle as a duo because they entertained.
What strongly stood out, though, was how very male-oriented and dominated that fantasy, especially this world of Drizzt, was; how unfair it was to female narrators who would have difficulty voicing the mostly male characters; that line where instead of "parent" towards a child it was "dad" - you can see who the audience is meant to be and how selective it is. I've always known this but it once again hit me strongly many years later.
"The First Notch" narrated by Felicia Day
Young Bruenor Battlehammer
- did not care for the narrator's voices; she was not a good fit for this story
"Dark Mirror" narrated by Dan Harmon
Drizzt and Nojheim with Guenhwyvar
- My first introduction to Drizzt. Liked it.
"The Third Level" narrated by Greg Grunberg
Fourteen year old Artemis Entreri
- This story intrigued me, the young protagonist
"Guenhwyvar" narrated by Tom Felton
Josidiah Starym and Anders Beltgarden
- I liked the story because I liked Guenhwyvar in the earlier story, but not so sure about Tom Felton as narrator
"That Curious Sword" narrated by Danny Pudi
Artemis Entreri and drow Jarlaxle - bar
- didn't realize that this Artemis Entreri was the young protagonist in the earlier story; it was a bit funny, I think. I liked it. I know I liked this duo.
"Wickless in the Nether" narrated by Sean Astin
Artemis Entreri and Jarlaxle - flute
- I liked this duo in the first story so I was happy to see another story with them.
"The Dowery" narrated by Melissa Rauch
Drizzt and Catti-brie - pirates
- Was a bit confused with this story
"Comrades at Odds" narrated by Ice-T
Drizzt and Innovindil recover the body of Ellifain
"If Ever They Happened Upon My Lair" narrated by Wil Wheaton
Witch-Kind Zhengyi and Urshula the dragon
- liked the narrator, he voice-acted, probably was my favorite narrator; was an interesting story
"Bones and Stones" narrated by Al Yankovic
Dwarf Thibbledorf Pwent and orc G'nurk searching for his daughter
- spoke a bit fast, initially in the beginning, dwarf's parting shot to the orc was funny
"Iruladoon" narrated by Michael Chiklis
Spragan, Lathan, Ashelia, wizard Addadearber, ranger Roundabout
- kind of weird. I lost track of where the story was going.
"To Legend He Goes" narrated by David Duchovny
Barbarian Wulfgar - last hunt
- was kind of a boring narrator; didn't really care for it, but I guess the boringness kind of fit the overall sad air of the story
Not sure when I started. Audiobook freebie.
When I was younger, I read fantasy. I heard such good things about Drizzt and his stories and I always meant to read the books. I never got around to it and my reading tastes have changed. So I was happy when Audible offered this freebie.
Overall, I was not very into this audiobook. I felt dropped into the middle of a world I knew nothing about. Perhaps those who are already familiar with Drizzt and his world may enjoy this better.
Narrator and story-wise, because I wasn't as committed to this audiobook except as something to complete, I wasn't paying too much attention except some things did stand out; namely, the very first story and narrator was a mismatch, and that Wil Wheaton as a narrator stood out. I liked the first story about Drizzt, perhaps because it was my first introduction to him and his character. I liked Entreri and Jarlaxle as a duo because they entertained.
What strongly stood out, though, was how very male-oriented and dominated that fantasy, especially this world of Drizzt, was; how unfair it was to female narrators who would have difficulty voicing the mostly male characters; that line where instead of "parent" towards a child it was "dad" - you can see who the audience is meant to be and how selective it is. I've always known this but it once again hit me strongly many years later.
"The First Notch" narrated by Felicia Day
Young Bruenor Battlehammer
- did not care for the narrator's voices; she was not a good fit for this story
"Dark Mirror" narrated by Dan Harmon
Drizzt and Nojheim with Guenhwyvar
- My first introduction to Drizzt. Liked it.
"The Third Level" narrated by Greg Grunberg
Fourteen year old Artemis Entreri
- This story intrigued me, the young protagonist
"Guenhwyvar" narrated by Tom Felton
Josidiah Starym and Anders Beltgarden
- I liked the story because I liked Guenhwyvar in the earlier story, but not so sure about Tom Felton as narrator
"That Curious Sword" narrated by Danny Pudi
Artemis Entreri and drow Jarlaxle - bar
- didn't realize that this Artemis Entreri was the young protagonist in the earlier story; it was a bit funny, I think. I liked it. I know I liked this duo.
"Wickless in the Nether" narrated by Sean Astin
Artemis Entreri and Jarlaxle - flute
- I liked this duo in the first story so I was happy to see another story with them.
"The Dowery" narrated by Melissa Rauch
Drizzt and Catti-brie - pirates
- Was a bit confused with this story
"Comrades at Odds" narrated by Ice-T
Drizzt and Innovindil recover the body of Ellifain
"If Ever They Happened Upon My Lair" narrated by Wil Wheaton
Witch-Kind Zhengyi and Urshula the dragon
- liked the narrator, he voice-acted, probably was my favorite narrator; was an interesting story
"Bones and Stones" narrated by Al Yankovic
Dwarf Thibbledorf Pwent and orc G'nurk searching for his daughter
- spoke a bit fast, initially in the beginning, dwarf's parting shot to the orc was funny
"Iruladoon" narrated by Michael Chiklis
Spragan, Lathan, Ashelia, wizard Addadearber, ranger Roundabout
- kind of weird. I lost track of where the story was going.
"To Legend He Goes" narrated by David Duchovny
Barbarian Wulfgar - last hunt
- was kind of a boring narrator; didn't really care for it, but I guess the boringness kind of fit the overall sad air of the story
Not sure when I started. Audiobook freebie.
September 19, 2020
Audiobook version
Tried to get into audiobooks recently and I think I got this one free a while ago and decided to try it.
It's a collection of short to medium length stories, nominally about Drizzt, but actually about a whole range of Salvatore's characters.
The celebs they had narrating this was really quite something and certainly adds to the fun. Ice T pronouncing the 'w' in swords was pretty funny - I guess no-one dared mention it to him in recording. Despite the cast, I struggled with this a bit, which could be down to audiobooks, or short stories, not being my thing.
I didn't come in as a fan of Salavatore though knew of his books - I think I read the crystal shard a while back but have no clear memory of it. The stories I found to be a little dull. They play the whole fantasy thing with a very straight bat. A little bit worthy, maybe, or simple, there wasn't much for me to get my teeth into, and perhaps they were really written for a younger reader than myself. All in all, I would suggest that they haven't aged as well as other works - though the Drizzt novels themselves may be different.
Tried to get into audiobooks recently and I think I got this one free a while ago and decided to try it.
It's a collection of short to medium length stories, nominally about Drizzt, but actually about a whole range of Salvatore's characters.
The celebs they had narrating this was really quite something and certainly adds to the fun. Ice T pronouncing the 'w' in swords was pretty funny - I guess no-one dared mention it to him in recording. Despite the cast, I struggled with this a bit, which could be down to audiobooks, or short stories, not being my thing.
I didn't come in as a fan of Salavatore though knew of his books - I think I read the crystal shard a while back but have no clear memory of it. The stories I found to be a little dull. They play the whole fantasy thing with a very straight bat. A little bit worthy, maybe, or simple, there wasn't much for me to get my teeth into, and perhaps they were really written for a younger reader than myself. All in all, I would suggest that they haven't aged as well as other works - though the Drizzt novels themselves may be different.
January 2, 2018
Terrifically fun, this is an excellent audiobook to tune in and out of. The stories are each about an hour long, which is a perfect length for my listening preferences. Some familiarity with Drizzt, Dungeons and Dragons, or fantasy tropes in general would probably help, but the stories do stand alone very well. My favorite might have been the first, wherein a young Bruenor, the dwarf who will eventually be Drizzt's best friend and King of Mythril Hall, and a few of his yet-beardless comrades go on an adventure. However, Ice-T voicing Drizzt was powerful, David Duchovny reading a sad Wulfgar story was heart wrenching, and the rest of the geek-bait cast was perfect.
I would highly recommend this book to fantasy fans, particularly those who already like Drizzt.
I would highly recommend this book to fantasy fans, particularly those who already like Drizzt.
January 4, 2024
Whilst I've only read 3 books of the series, this was still an incredibly entertaining short story collection that made me excited to get into the rest of the series to unravel the tales I've yet to experience.
Listened to this on audio and as such I cannot pretend like the incredible cast of narrators didn't play some role in my rating, but even had I read it physically I know this would still have given me a great deal of enjoyment.
Listened to this on audio and as such I cannot pretend like the incredible cast of narrators didn't play some role in my rating, but even had I read it physically I know this would still have given me a great deal of enjoyment.
Read
April 27, 20193,5/5
Unos cuantos relatos que pulen algunos “sharp ends” del la saga de Drizzt. Muy disfrutable, como la mayoría de los trabajos de Salvatore. A destacar el que relata el comienzo de Entreri en los bajos fondos de Calimport.
Unos cuantos relatos que pulen algunos “sharp ends” del la saga de Drizzt. Muy disfrutable, como la mayoría de los trabajos de Salvatore. A destacar el que relata el comienzo de Entreri en los bajos fondos de Calimport.
June 8, 2020
Very fun DND read. Plus several moving stories of heartbreak, life, aging, and touching on how to be better people.
Read
July 9, 2022Great listen. The voices they chose were phenomenal. I wish Ice T and David Duchovny would read more audio books.
December 9, 2016
I haven't listened to many audiobooks. When listening to recordings I tend to do housework or become absorbed in other tasks, which means my attention can wander. Also, with a book you can go back and re-read a passage that you did not parse the first time around, but with an audio recording that is a difficult thing - too often I went back too far and found my attention had wandered again by the time I got back to the passage that I had missed. So I found that I had to listen to these stories twice before I felt that I had listened to them properly. Yes, I really did listen to all ten hours twice in two days. It helps that I am on holidays and absorbed in a computer game that doesn't have much audio of it's own. I also washed up, dusted, played with the cat etc all with the stories on in the background. It was like having other people in the house, sitting in the corner reading stories while I worked. It was nice.
But I still think I prefer the written word - to give the story my full attention and allow pauses for my mind to dwell on the imagery, and ponder my own reactions to the scenario and characters.
I liked the stories of the dragons most. Drizzt himself seemed a little too much of a Mary Sue. But the dragons were real and visceral. I especially enjoyed the stories of the encounters with the black dragon, going about it's day, devouring folk or melting them into acidic puddles (or both!). It was little cathartic, making up for all it's kindred slain by heroes. Guenhwyvar's story I also enjoyed, and the thieves guild. It was strange that in 'The Legend of Drizzt' I liked the tales of the other characters more.
This audiobook also illustrates the difference between an 'actor' and a 'voice actor' when it comes to reading text. Narrating books is a skill of it's own - a very specialised skill. Of the celebrity voices, Will Wheaton I felt was the best (but he has narrated other audiobooks, so perhaps at the time of these stories he had more experience). The others were a bit less suited to long narrations, which detracted a little from the story and made some passages a little harder to understand, but it was also nice to have varying voices, and this is after all a tribute to an author that they enjoy too. And it was available for free via Audible - given the amount of time it takes to read and record an audibook (even a short story) I can only imagine they must have donated their time, which is reason enough to thank them.
As an introduction to R. A. Salvatore (whose work I have not read before) it is good that I have experience with Dungeons and Dragons or the high fantasy setting might have been a bit overwhelming. It's not a story for people who find talk of elves with magic swords riding on Pegasi to be too corny. Fantasy is a genre ground down with bad quality writing that can make the settings unbearably silly or manufactured, but R. A. Salvatore is not among their number. The scenes were evocative, the characters thoughtful - I loved that Drizzt pondered on the political and ethical evolution of the orcs. In lesser writings, they would be unquestioned cannon-fodder, but the author through Drizzt allows us to question such basic fantasy tropes.
Overall, I enjoyed seeing more flesh on the bones of the Dungeons and Dragons setting, and as fantasy stories in their own right.
But I still think I prefer the written word - to give the story my full attention and allow pauses for my mind to dwell on the imagery, and ponder my own reactions to the scenario and characters.
I liked the stories of the dragons most. Drizzt himself seemed a little too much of a Mary Sue. But the dragons were real and visceral. I especially enjoyed the stories of the encounters with the black dragon, going about it's day, devouring folk or melting them into acidic puddles (or both!). It was little cathartic, making up for all it's kindred slain by heroes. Guenhwyvar's story I also enjoyed, and the thieves guild. It was strange that in 'The Legend of Drizzt' I liked the tales of the other characters more.
This audiobook also illustrates the difference between an 'actor' and a 'voice actor' when it comes to reading text. Narrating books is a skill of it's own - a very specialised skill. Of the celebrity voices, Will Wheaton I felt was the best (but he has narrated other audiobooks, so perhaps at the time of these stories he had more experience). The others were a bit less suited to long narrations, which detracted a little from the story and made some passages a little harder to understand, but it was also nice to have varying voices, and this is after all a tribute to an author that they enjoy too. And it was available for free via Audible - given the amount of time it takes to read and record an audibook (even a short story) I can only imagine they must have donated their time, which is reason enough to thank them.
As an introduction to R. A. Salvatore (whose work I have not read before) it is good that I have experience with Dungeons and Dragons or the high fantasy setting might have been a bit overwhelming. It's not a story for people who find talk of elves with magic swords riding on Pegasi to be too corny. Fantasy is a genre ground down with bad quality writing that can make the settings unbearably silly or manufactured, but R. A. Salvatore is not among their number. The scenes were evocative, the characters thoughtful - I loved that Drizzt pondered on the political and ethical evolution of the orcs. In lesser writings, they would be unquestioned cannon-fodder, but the author through Drizzt allows us to question such basic fantasy tropes.
Overall, I enjoyed seeing more flesh on the bones of the Dungeons and Dragons setting, and as fantasy stories in their own right.
August 8, 2016
First of all I want to say that this book would have been much less painful to read without the author's foreword to every single story. I writhed in embarrassment through Salvatore quoting Hamlet, comparing his work with Vonnegut and finding some deep and profound truths about life, universe and everything... through the life of Wulfgar.
I'm afraid most of the stories are not very good and some of them are outright cringeworthy, but there were a couple I actually enjoyed. The amazingly entitled "That Curious Sword", for instance, and anything dealing with Jarlaxle and Entreri. There is an impossible amount of subtext there - I don't even think subtext is the right word anymore - and most importantly, these characters are actually fun together. They remind me of what I was charmed by when I started reading Salvatore all those years ago. "Wickless in the Nether" is my favourite in this collection, and it's worth a read especially if you like the Sellswords.
There's also a story about Drizzt and Catti-Brie's attempt to join Captain Deudermont's crew. That, too, reminded me of a time when these characters knew how to have fun, and there was something even a bit chaotic about Drizzt.
Two stars, and I recommend skipping the author's introductions and everything you don't like.
I'm afraid most of the stories are not very good and some of them are outright cringeworthy, but there were a couple I actually enjoyed. The amazingly entitled "That Curious Sword", for instance, and anything dealing with Jarlaxle and Entreri. There is an impossible amount of subtext there - I don't even think subtext is the right word anymore - and most importantly, these characters are actually fun together. They remind me of what I was charmed by when I started reading Salvatore all those years ago. "Wickless in the Nether" is my favourite in this collection, and it's worth a read especially if you like the Sellswords.
There's also a story about Drizzt and Catti-Brie's attempt to join Captain Deudermont's crew. That, too, reminded me of a time when these characters knew how to have fun, and there was something even a bit chaotic about Drizzt.
Two stars, and I recommend skipping the author's introductions and everything you don't like.
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