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Hunter's Blades #3
The Two Swords
Paperback version of the #4 New York Times best-selling hardcover.
This title is the third and final book in the latest trilogy from R.A. Salvatore, which once again features his popular dark elf character Drizzt Do’Urden™. The hardcover release of this title had the highest debut ever on TheNew York Times best seller list for a Salvatore title with Wizards of the Coast at #4. The title stayed in the top twenty for five weeks. Both of the previous titles in the series were also New York Times best sellers upon hardcover release, and the first title, The Thousand Orcs, hit the list upon mass-market release as well.
This title is the third and final book in the latest trilogy from R.A. Salvatore, which once again features his popular dark elf character Drizzt Do’Urden™. The hardcover release of this title had the highest debut ever on TheNew York Times best seller list for a Salvatore title with Wizards of the Coast at #4. The title stayed in the top twenty for five weeks. Both of the previous titles in the series were also New York Times best sellers upon hardcover release, and the first title, The Thousand Orcs, hit the list upon mass-market release as well.
376 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
341 people are currently reading
6508 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 194 reviews
March 27, 2022
Salvatore gives me just enough in each Drizzt book to keep me moving along to the next. Each book ends with a number of unresolved issues, encouraging the reader onwards. This volume is no exception.
After a couple of books which didn't have much relationship focus, this volume suddenly stirs up everybody's sensibilities. There are two love triangles, namely Cattie-Brie/Drizzt/Innovindil and Delly/Wulfgar/Cattie-Brie. Drizzt remains unaware of the survival of his friends for much of the book (but come on, you've got to know they'll be reunited again, right?) As a result he allows himself to consider the elf Innovindil romantically and it seems that she might be willing to reciprocate. Meanwhile, Wulfgar and Cattie-Brie are trying to morph their relationship into fond siblings. Wulfgar seems devoted to Delly and their little girl, Colson, but Delly can't seem to accept that she's number one in his world.
When Drizzt learns of his posse's survival, he is gobsmacked. When he finally returns to Mithril Hall, he does a true romantic hero impersonation, sweeping Cattie-Brie off her feet. It seems that Innovindil taught him something after all. I must say, it's about bloody time. Mr. Salvatore, if you pretend all of this didn't happen in the next book, I shall be seriously displeased!
Oh yeah, and there were piles of orcs, flying horses, frost giants, and all that jazz. But those things just provide a framework to display the importance of love and friendship, right?
Book Number 448 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project
After a couple of books which didn't have much relationship focus, this volume suddenly stirs up everybody's sensibilities. There are two love triangles, namely Cattie-Brie/Drizzt/Innovindil and Delly/Wulfgar/Cattie-Brie. Drizzt remains unaware of the survival of his friends for much of the book (but come on, you've got to know they'll be reunited again, right?) As a result he allows himself to consider the elf Innovindil romantically and it seems that she might be willing to reciprocate. Meanwhile, Wulfgar and Cattie-Brie are trying to morph their relationship into fond siblings. Wulfgar seems devoted to Delly and their little girl, Colson, but Delly can't seem to accept that she's number one in his world.
When Drizzt learns of his posse's survival, he is gobsmacked. When he finally returns to Mithril Hall, he does a true romantic hero impersonation, sweeping Cattie-Brie off her feet. It seems that Innovindil taught him something after all. I must say, it's about bloody time. Mr. Salvatore, if you pretend all of this didn't happen in the next book, I shall be seriously displeased!
Oh yeah, and there were piles of orcs, flying horses, frost giants, and all that jazz. But those things just provide a framework to display the importance of love and friendship, right?
Book Number 448 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project
July 15, 2014
Much has been said of R.A. Salvatore's Forgotten Realms novels in the last few years, and most of it is negative. are Drizzt and his friends seemingly invulnerable? Yes. Has Salvatore failed to introduce much in the way of interesting new characters? Yes. Are his books generally getting repetitive? Yes. Are they boring?...well, no.
Most of the fantasy I read is in the Forgotten Realms world. Take that as you will, but Salvatore still wipes the floor with the majority as the Realms writers. Usually Salvatore, Elaine Cummingham, Troy Denning, and Douglas Niles are reliable writers of fun fantasy novels (for those angry readers who want to see a bloodbath in which scores of good-guy characters die, look no further than the Moonshae Trilogy by Douglas "Grim Reaper" Niles). The others range from passable to excruciating. But I know what to expect from Salvatore. I don't read his books to be enlightened- I read them to be entertained, and Salvatore does it again in The Two Swords.
The story finds Drizzt Do'Urden spending most of his time trying to free a captured Pegasus from the bad guys- orcs, trolls, frost giants, but especially King Obould Many-Arrows, a clever orc who appears to have become the avatar of the orc god Gruumsh, and is pretty much invincible. If this stuff sounds like boring stuff for Drizzt, it is- but remember Drizzt is wallowing in self-loathing because he believes all of his friends are dead, so he's trying to find something to do besides return to Mithral Hall and face the music (or so he thinks). Plus, he's trying to think to impress Innovindil, his moon-elf sorta-girlfriend (who has lost her horse! Sounds sort of like the plot of a Barbie comic!). In spite of this, Drizzt finds plenty of time to puree orcs, not to mention (and I don't think I'm spoiling a thing here) fight King Obould.
As for Drizzt's friends, they're imprisoned inside Mithral Hall by about a billion orcs (give or take a few zeros). Bruenor, recently returned from the dead (yeah, I know, keep reading), leads his dwarves in devising all kinds of A-Team like devices to turn orcs into chunky orc salsa. Wulfgar is having serious marital issues with his jealous wife Delly, and Catti-brie is torn between wondering what become of Drizzt and flirting with Wulfgar. All fairly typical of Salvatore's subplots in his last few novels.
The story, however, moves along at a fast pace despite all these apparent obstacles- it is really only dragged down by the pathetic Galen Firth and his inability to kill the trolls that want to slaughter his kinsmen from Nesme. Salvatore spends a decent amount of time bringing secondary characters to an unpleasant demise, but he neglects to introduce Galen's face to 20 or so orcish arrows. Too bad the interesting mage Shoudra had to be turned into cat food by Obould in The Lone Drow, she would have been a much better character in this book, though led by the supposedly brilliant chieftain Gerti, serve little purpose besides chucking boulders into unfortunate places.
Honestly, I think most of this book's enjoyability comes from the dwarves. Drizzt put Salvatore on the map, but I think he writes dwarves better than just about anyone. let me add a caveat by saying the "names" he gives those dwarves are often horrifying (quick! spot the REAL Salvatore dwarf name! "Cordio Muffinhead" "Kragg Weaselface" "Alebrain Forgefarter"), but the dwarves are easily the most likable characters in the book, mostly for their selfishness, love of life, and the fact that they don't give a...Ivan and Pikel Bouldershoulder, formerly of Salvatore's Cleric Quintet, are probably the best of the dwarves because their personalities aren't quite so cookie-cutter as those of the others.
Finally, Regis the halfling finds ways to be useful as always, although his role is a bit diminished here and he is more or less an injured reserve for most of the book. I still think Regis, who usually wins with brains vs. brawn, is one of Salvatore's best characters. He appears useless, but often displays unmatched courage and innovation.
Perhaps the most significant thing about this book among Salvatore's novels is that there isn't a happy ending of any sort. Drizzt slugs it out with Obould, and dwarves turn lots of orcs into hash, but Salvatore does a good job impressing upon the reader that BAD THINGS are happening to the North of Faerun, things that will outlast a novel trilogy or two. Obould, for his part, is a calculating and formidable opponent. Although very evil, his blood thirst is limited by his tact, and exactly what the limits of his power are, are not explored in this book. Among Drizzt's enemies, Obould is not as interesting as Artemis, but he is more dangerous. Expect Obould to be around for awhile.
Unsurprisingly, the book sets up for a sequel or new trilogy, but the good news for weary Salvatore fans is that it looks like he's going to venture into some interesting territory with Bruenor and Drizzt. I never thought Drizzt was done with Ellifain, the elf girl whose life Drizzt once saved only to have her attempt to murder him decades later, and it looks like he's going to try to put those demons to rest. Bruenor seems to be heading off to find some ancient dwarven Moradin-given wisodm that might destroy Obould. I think that road will end with Bruenor's death, so those of you who wish to see one or more of Salvatore's main characters but the farm ought to stay tuned.
Should you read this book if you have enjoyed Salvatore's past novels in the series? Sure! Don't expect, well...ANY loose ends to be tied up, but this is a typical fast-paced, enjoyable book from Mr. Salvatore. If you absolutely hated every Salvatore novel since Streams of Silver, you can skip this one because you'll probably just have an aneurysm. You could instead go read 1500 pages to see if Robert Jordan writes about anything but women's clothing this time, or maybe even go read some Ed Greenwood if you really want to get mad while reading a Realms novel.
Otherwise, enjoy Drizzt's exploits- and don't feel guilty about it.
Most of the fantasy I read is in the Forgotten Realms world. Take that as you will, but Salvatore still wipes the floor with the majority as the Realms writers. Usually Salvatore, Elaine Cummingham, Troy Denning, and Douglas Niles are reliable writers of fun fantasy novels (for those angry readers who want to see a bloodbath in which scores of good-guy characters die, look no further than the Moonshae Trilogy by Douglas "Grim Reaper" Niles). The others range from passable to excruciating. But I know what to expect from Salvatore. I don't read his books to be enlightened- I read them to be entertained, and Salvatore does it again in The Two Swords.
The story finds Drizzt Do'Urden spending most of his time trying to free a captured Pegasus from the bad guys- orcs, trolls, frost giants, but especially King Obould Many-Arrows, a clever orc who appears to have become the avatar of the orc god Gruumsh, and is pretty much invincible. If this stuff sounds like boring stuff for Drizzt, it is- but remember Drizzt is wallowing in self-loathing because he believes all of his friends are dead, so he's trying to find something to do besides return to Mithral Hall and face the music (or so he thinks). Plus, he's trying to think to impress Innovindil, his moon-elf sorta-girlfriend (who has lost her horse! Sounds sort of like the plot of a Barbie comic!). In spite of this, Drizzt finds plenty of time to puree orcs, not to mention (and I don't think I'm spoiling a thing here) fight King Obould.
As for Drizzt's friends, they're imprisoned inside Mithral Hall by about a billion orcs (give or take a few zeros). Bruenor, recently returned from the dead (yeah, I know, keep reading), leads his dwarves in devising all kinds of A-Team like devices to turn orcs into chunky orc salsa. Wulfgar is having serious marital issues with his jealous wife Delly, and Catti-brie is torn between wondering what become of Drizzt and flirting with Wulfgar. All fairly typical of Salvatore's subplots in his last few novels.
The story, however, moves along at a fast pace despite all these apparent obstacles- it is really only dragged down by the pathetic Galen Firth and his inability to kill the trolls that want to slaughter his kinsmen from Nesme. Salvatore spends a decent amount of time bringing secondary characters to an unpleasant demise, but he neglects to introduce Galen's face to 20 or so orcish arrows. Too bad the interesting mage Shoudra had to be turned into cat food by Obould in The Lone Drow, she would have been a much better character in this book, though led by the supposedly brilliant chieftain Gerti, serve little purpose besides chucking boulders into unfortunate places.
Honestly, I think most of this book's enjoyability comes from the dwarves. Drizzt put Salvatore on the map, but I think he writes dwarves better than just about anyone. let me add a caveat by saying the "names" he gives those dwarves are often horrifying (quick! spot the REAL Salvatore dwarf name! "Cordio Muffinhead" "Kragg Weaselface" "Alebrain Forgefarter"), but the dwarves are easily the most likable characters in the book, mostly for their selfishness, love of life, and the fact that they don't give a...Ivan and Pikel Bouldershoulder, formerly of Salvatore's Cleric Quintet, are probably the best of the dwarves because their personalities aren't quite so cookie-cutter as those of the others.
Finally, Regis the halfling finds ways to be useful as always, although his role is a bit diminished here and he is more or less an injured reserve for most of the book. I still think Regis, who usually wins with brains vs. brawn, is one of Salvatore's best characters. He appears useless, but often displays unmatched courage and innovation.
Perhaps the most significant thing about this book among Salvatore's novels is that there isn't a happy ending of any sort. Drizzt slugs it out with Obould, and dwarves turn lots of orcs into hash, but Salvatore does a good job impressing upon the reader that BAD THINGS are happening to the North of Faerun, things that will outlast a novel trilogy or two. Obould, for his part, is a calculating and formidable opponent. Although very evil, his blood thirst is limited by his tact, and exactly what the limits of his power are, are not explored in this book. Among Drizzt's enemies, Obould is not as interesting as Artemis, but he is more dangerous. Expect Obould to be around for awhile.
Unsurprisingly, the book sets up for a sequel or new trilogy, but the good news for weary Salvatore fans is that it looks like he's going to venture into some interesting territory with Bruenor and Drizzt. I never thought Drizzt was done with Ellifain, the elf girl whose life Drizzt once saved only to have her attempt to murder him decades later, and it looks like he's going to try to put those demons to rest. Bruenor seems to be heading off to find some ancient dwarven Moradin-given wisodm that might destroy Obould. I think that road will end with Bruenor's death, so those of you who wish to see one or more of Salvatore's main characters but the farm ought to stay tuned.
Should you read this book if you have enjoyed Salvatore's past novels in the series? Sure! Don't expect, well...ANY loose ends to be tied up, but this is a typical fast-paced, enjoyable book from Mr. Salvatore. If you absolutely hated every Salvatore novel since Streams of Silver, you can skip this one because you'll probably just have an aneurysm. You could instead go read 1500 pages to see if Robert Jordan writes about anything but women's clothing this time, or maybe even go read some Ed Greenwood if you really want to get mad while reading a Realms novel.
Otherwise, enjoy Drizzt's exploits- and don't feel guilty about it.
February 18, 2008
I'm a huge fan of Drizzt. The problem that I am having is that I want to continue reading about this drow elf but the author is ever increasingly making him a weak character. Drizzt has never really defeated any large bosses, it always comes at the hands of his companions. Drizzt never finds real love... I suppose because he is always conflicted. Drizzt is never the real hero in any of the stories, it always turns out to be a side kick.Another thing about Salvatore's writings that is starting to wear on me is that none of the main characters ever die, when you think that they do he finds a way to bring them back. Wulfgar should have remained dead, Catti-Brie and Bruenor should both died somewhere along the way as well.
It appears to me that this book was comprised of 380 pages of fluff and no real substance and that is unfortunate. Yes, I will buy the Orc King and continue reading, however, I'm going in assuming to be disappointed once again since this has been the pattern since the Dark Legacy Trilogy.
Come on Mr. Salvatore don't write a book just for a buck put a little passion into it. Kill off a main character once in a while or at the very least but some mystery and unsuspecting turns in the plot for once. Stop writing as if you are trying to create a play guide for a dungeon master somewhere. I see the potential of your characters and the brilliance of your writing style but what I am not finding is a quality story. This one has left me the most disappointed so far. Here's hoping the Orc King breaks this pattern.
It appears to me that this book was comprised of 380 pages of fluff and no real substance and that is unfortunate. Yes, I will buy the Orc King and continue reading, however, I'm going in assuming to be disappointed once again since this has been the pattern since the Dark Legacy Trilogy.
Come on Mr. Salvatore don't write a book just for a buck put a little passion into it. Kill off a main character once in a while or at the very least but some mystery and unsuspecting turns in the plot for once. Stop writing as if you are trying to create a play guide for a dungeon master somewhere. I see the potential of your characters and the brilliance of your writing style but what I am not finding is a quality story. This one has left me the most disappointed so far. Here's hoping the Orc King breaks this pattern.
May 8, 2021
Darn you, Salvatore!!! *falls to knees with fists raised to sky*
I seriously considered making The Two Swords the last of the Drizzt series for me. The same things that make me love the series drive me nuts about the series. They're predictable (nearly formulaic with tropes), often recycling villains, and always with an omnipotent DM somewhere out there showing mercy on the party by rolling disadvantage with the baddies (nerd reference and if you get it, we can be excellent friends).
But then. But then... he sucks you back in last minute with an interesting cliffhanger and BLAMMO. You're in it for another fifteen books.
Darn you, Salvatore.
I'd rate this book a PG-13 for some violence, mild gore, and some discrete sexual encounters. *sighs and begrudgingly trots off to the library for book #17*
I seriously considered making The Two Swords the last of the Drizzt series for me. The same things that make me love the series drive me nuts about the series. They're predictable (nearly formulaic with tropes), often recycling villains, and always with an omnipotent DM somewhere out there showing mercy on the party by rolling disadvantage with the baddies (nerd reference and if you get it, we can be excellent friends).
But then. But then... he sucks you back in last minute with an interesting cliffhanger and BLAMMO. You're in it for another fifteen books.
Darn you, Salvatore.
I'd rate this book a PG-13 for some violence, mild gore, and some discrete sexual encounters. *sighs and begrudgingly trots off to the library for book #17*
July 25, 2012
Would you believe that I actually rooted for the orcs? I would've liked the book so much more if it had been just about the dwarves against the orcs. I loved Obould's rise to power, his vision. And I loved reading about the dwarves, how they all united against the enemy and how they kicked major butt with the help of Nanfoodle the gnome and Pikel the "doo-da". Those parts were awesome, the back and forth between the two armies. The rest though...
The only characters who actually went forward and made real progress were Nanfoodle the gnome and Regis the halfling - who were, together with Pikel Bouldershoulder, my favorite characters. Catti-brie? I don't want Drizzt, I do want Drizzt, I don't, I do... Wulfgar? Still having feelings for Catti-brie. Delly Curtie? From a strong woman back to a jealous, stupid harpy. Drizzt? First price for incessant whining. Innovindil? Trying to be the wise teacher but mostly totally confusing Drizzt. And let's not even talk about the self-centered Galen Firth!
You know, this was the first book that made me actually dislike Drizzt. Not only his cowardice that stopped him from going back to Mithral Hall but also his endless ruminating and his, dare I say, arrogance and hypocrisy. Pshaw, he can take care of Obould, no problem! How dare Obould talk about fairness when he's wearing an impenetrable armor - says the guy with the magic swords and anklets! There's no room for orcs among good people - says the frickin' dark elf living among them!
To sum it up: How can I give a book more than 2 stars when I intensely disliked the main hero?
The only characters who actually went forward and made real progress were Nanfoodle the gnome and Regis the halfling - who were, together with Pikel Bouldershoulder, my favorite characters. Catti-brie? I don't want Drizzt, I do want Drizzt, I don't, I do... Wulfgar? Still having feelings for Catti-brie. Delly Curtie? From a strong woman back to a jealous, stupid harpy. Drizzt? First price for incessant whining. Innovindil? Trying to be the wise teacher but mostly totally confusing Drizzt. And let's not even talk about the self-centered Galen Firth!
You know, this was the first book that made me actually dislike Drizzt. Not only his cowardice that stopped him from going back to Mithral Hall but also his endless ruminating and his, dare I say, arrogance and hypocrisy. Pshaw, he can take care of Obould, no problem! How dare Obould talk about fairness when he's wearing an impenetrable armor - says the guy with the magic swords and anklets! There's no room for orcs among good people - says the frickin' dark elf living among them!
To sum it up: How can I give a book more than 2 stars when I intensely disliked the main hero?
August 5, 2015
This review will have some spoilers.
This is the second time I read this book. The whole trilogy is good, and I like it a lot more than the Sellswords Series that came before.
Salvatore is trying to do some transitioning here and tying up some loose ends. I was not a big fan of the Delly/Colson storyline, and that came to an end here pretty much. I really liked how the sword Khazid’hea was used in this book.
There was some good troll battling early on in this book, and then just general fighting. There’s some intrigue with the Pegasus, and that’s kind of fun, suspense-building too. The battle with the Riders of Nesme in the Trollmoors was also interesting.
The story really builds in suspense as Drizzt goes after the Pegasus and then decided to go after Obould. There’s a lot of inner-turmoil as he finally figures out he loves Cattie-Brie.
There were some great chariot scenes with Alustriel coming in and laying fiery waste to some stuff. Good fight scenes in Gerti’s frost giant ice fortress as well. She’s a fun character, and I suggest you search out an image of her on Google. The river scenes with Drizzt were also cool.
All in all, this is a good book. I’ve never read farther in the series than this, and look forward to. I like that the Wulfgar love angle has been tied up, at least the last 5 to 6 books’ worth.
This is the second time I read this book. The whole trilogy is good, and I like it a lot more than the Sellswords Series that came before.
Salvatore is trying to do some transitioning here and tying up some loose ends. I was not a big fan of the Delly/Colson storyline, and that came to an end here pretty much. I really liked how the sword Khazid’hea was used in this book.
There was some good troll battling early on in this book, and then just general fighting. There’s some intrigue with the Pegasus, and that’s kind of fun, suspense-building too. The battle with the Riders of Nesme in the Trollmoors was also interesting.
The story really builds in suspense as Drizzt goes after the Pegasus and then decided to go after Obould. There’s a lot of inner-turmoil as he finally figures out he loves Cattie-Brie.
There were some great chariot scenes with Alustriel coming in and laying fiery waste to some stuff. Good fight scenes in Gerti’s frost giant ice fortress as well. She’s a fun character, and I suggest you search out an image of her on Google. The river scenes with Drizzt were also cool.
All in all, this is a good book. I’ve never read farther in the series than this, and look forward to. I like that the Wulfgar love angle has been tied up, at least the last 5 to 6 books’ worth.
December 23, 2013
I have to admit I am annoyed. It is one thing to be constantly bombarded with trilogies in this series, but at least they would end in a somewhat satisfying way. My guilty pleasure I would often remark. This one built and built, and was building to something great - then fizzled into ... nothing. The end of this book did more to set up the next books than to end this one! I simply hate when characters make obviously stupid choices, and this ending doesn't even make sense! **SPOILERS** Why would the drow elves turn on Obould at his point of supposed victory? Why in such a lame fashion? Delly leaves and attacks orcs? For what other than to move the stupid sword and make Wulfgar even more stoic? Nothing is even close to resolved at the end, and now the "gang" is going off in different directions to deal with useless, and boring-sounding quests, even though thousands and thousands of orcs are surrounding the Hall! This is silly. I almost gave up on Drizzt after the last trilogy, but this one reengaged me, especially after the second book, but now I am so upset that I may not continue with my guilty pleasure, as I now I feel somewhat ashamed.
June 23, 2021
Salah satu novel dari universe Forgotten Realms (juga siri game Dungeons & Dragons), antara siri novel fantasi yg terkenal dan banyak peminatnya. Merupakan buku terakhir dalam trilogi 'The Hunter's Blades' - menyambung kisah pengembaraan Drizzt Do'Urden dan rakan-rakannya (Bruenor Battlehammer, Wulfgar, Cattie-Brie, dan Regis). Juga merupakan buku ke-16 (dari 34) dalam siri 'The legend of Drizzt'. Seperti buku ke-2, plot novel kali ni rasanya macam slow sedikit. Endingnya juga kurang memuaskan. Walau bagaimanapun, elemen2 fantasi dan scene2 aksi dalam novel ni masih boleh dianggap menghiburkan.
Plot novel kali ni menyambung kisah perang antara Mithral Hall dengan bala tentera orc di bawah pimpinan Raja Obould Many-Arrows. Drizzt dan rakan barunya, Innovindil cuba menyelamatkan rakan yg ditawan musuh, serta merancang untuk membunuh Obould Many-Arrows untuk menghentikan kemaraan musuh. Puak dwarf di Mithral Hall di bawah pimpinan Bruenor pula mula melancarkan serangan balas ke atas pihak musuh...
Plot novel kali ni menyambung kisah perang antara Mithral Hall dengan bala tentera orc di bawah pimpinan Raja Obould Many-Arrows. Drizzt dan rakan barunya, Innovindil cuba menyelamatkan rakan yg ditawan musuh, serta merancang untuk membunuh Obould Many-Arrows untuk menghentikan kemaraan musuh. Puak dwarf di Mithral Hall di bawah pimpinan Bruenor pula mula melancarkan serangan balas ke atas pihak musuh...
August 20, 2024
Really liked the book. Surprisingly,there were emotional turns I didn't expect.
May 22, 2018
for the kingdom! for king many arrows!
I honestly can't tell what the intent was of Salvatore; did he meant for king Obould to become the real hero of this story? I can't imagine why but that is what happened. None of the so called "good" characters and their petty concerns even came close to the ankles of King Obould, who is Gruumsh, his vision and personality are far more interesting then the emotional difficulties the main character and his friends have perhaps Gertri the leader of the frost giants came close but still....
But what really turned me around, was the insistent arrogance towards the orcs and the complete denial of their worth as living beings. The very idea that orcs should have rights to sun and air is beyond comprehension for every character here and I guess that is supposed to show how unusual and formidable or dangerous Obould really is, but it only made me want him to smite these arrogant pricks even harder.
Nah I am firmly on the orc's side and I wish this series of books had been about Obould and his quest for an orc homeland not about Drizzt and his friends being moody and sullen nags three books long or bragging how many orcs they have killed or going to kill.
In addition, a little extract from the gods pages in forgotten realms, that only proves the orcs had every right for what they did.
Gruumsh's enmity with the other gods started with a lottery. The gods of the dwarves, elves, gnomes, halflings, humans and orcs met to draw lots to determine which parts of the world was to be inhabitated by their respective worshippers. The non-orcish gods rigged the lot. Elves got the forests, dwarves the mountains, humans the right to live wherever they wanted, and so on, but there was no lot prepared for the orcs. Gruumsh was mocked and insulted by the others for this and was enraged over the others cheating the orcs into destitution as part of a joke. He lifted his spear to strike caves and holes into world and claimed these for his worshippers and vowed that they will grow stronger there to ultimately kill everyone of the cheaters and take everything from them.
I honestly can't tell what the intent was of Salvatore; did he meant for king Obould to become the real hero of this story? I can't imagine why but that is what happened. None of the so called "good" characters and their petty concerns even came close to the ankles of King Obould, who is Gruumsh, his vision and personality are far more interesting then the emotional difficulties the main character and his friends have perhaps Gertri the leader of the frost giants came close but still....
But what really turned me around, was the insistent arrogance towards the orcs and the complete denial of their worth as living beings. The very idea that orcs should have rights to sun and air is beyond comprehension for every character here and I guess that is supposed to show how unusual and formidable or dangerous Obould really is, but it only made me want him to smite these arrogant pricks even harder.
Nah I am firmly on the orc's side and I wish this series of books had been about Obould and his quest for an orc homeland not about Drizzt and his friends being moody and sullen nags three books long or bragging how many orcs they have killed or going to kill.
In addition, a little extract from the gods pages in forgotten realms, that only proves the orcs had every right for what they did.
Gruumsh's enmity with the other gods started with a lottery. The gods of the dwarves, elves, gnomes, halflings, humans and orcs met to draw lots to determine which parts of the world was to be inhabitated by their respective worshippers. The non-orcish gods rigged the lot. Elves got the forests, dwarves the mountains, humans the right to live wherever they wanted, and so on, but there was no lot prepared for the orcs. Gruumsh was mocked and insulted by the others for this and was enraged over the others cheating the orcs into destitution as part of a joke. He lifted his spear to strike caves and holes into world and claimed these for his worshippers and vowed that they will grow stronger there to ultimately kill everyone of the cheaters and take everything from them.
November 21, 2025
A bit of an anti-climatic ending. On one level I'm glad there's been a slight cap on Drizzt's abilites in fighting & that he can't easily defeat every enemy he encounters. While there was something different with Obould that made him an anominally amongst orcs I just wonder if he was a bity overly powerful. On another there is more to Drizzt than his fighting abilities that have made him such a beloved & fascinating character. Would love to know where the idea came from to put an orc kingdom in the middle of the Silver Marches next to Mithral Hall. It definitely shakes up the landscape of the area.
There were 2 love triangles in this book, this isn't normally something I'd bring up because its that does hit real high on my radar for this type of novel. Looking back at this trilogy I don't thing Wulfgar's wife Delly was ever really intended to be a long-term part of the series. We see her some in the first book (Thousand Orcs), no reference to her in the second (Lone Drow) & suddenly she's not happy with being/living in Mithral Hall. I found this part of the writing the weakest of reasons for how end a relationship/character arc. As far as the other between Drizzt/Cattie-Brie/Innovindel while I know most readers are glad to have this resolution I'm just not sure if this was the way I would've played it.
There are so many great supporting characters that were introduced among the dwarves, both Ivan & Pikel Bouldershoulder, Banak Brawnanvil, Togar Hammerstriker, Shingles McGruff, Thibbledorf Pwent & so many others that were mentioned that added to the humour & in understanding how important kin is even if you don't share blood.
This is the last book of the Legend of Drizzt that I've read multiple times. Everything going forward has been read once when the book was released.
There were 2 love triangles in this book, this isn't normally something I'd bring up because its that does hit real high on my radar for this type of novel. Looking back at this trilogy I don't thing Wulfgar's wife Delly was ever really intended to be a long-term part of the series. We see her some in the first book (Thousand Orcs), no reference to her in the second (Lone Drow) & suddenly she's not happy with being/living in Mithral Hall. I found this part of the writing the weakest of reasons for how end a relationship/character arc. As far as the other between Drizzt/Cattie-Brie/Innovindel while I know most readers are glad to have this resolution I'm just not sure if this was the way I would've played it.
There are so many great supporting characters that were introduced among the dwarves, both Ivan & Pikel Bouldershoulder, Banak Brawnanvil, Togar Hammerstriker, Shingles McGruff, Thibbledorf Pwent & so many others that were mentioned that added to the humour & in understanding how important kin is even if you don't share blood.
This is the last book of the Legend of Drizzt that I've read multiple times. Everything going forward has been read once when the book was released.
December 21, 2019
I was so not a fan of this book, or this trilogy for that matter. This was THREE BOOKS and I feel like very little actually happened. I was getting towards the end of this and finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel only for there to be a giant CAVE-IN because guess what!? This story isn't over yet...
I feel like everyone just regressed as a character. Drizzt was a wandering hobo for most of this series because he was too afraid to actually find out the fate of his friends. Delly Curtie turned into a jealous harpy. Cattie-Brie just spent the entire book and most of the trilogy being wishy washy about her feelings for Drizzt. Wulfgar, who has supposedly overcome his past, is still secretly struggling over his feelings for Cattie and refuses to talk about it. The list goes on. The only character who really stepped up to the plate was Regis! And some of the side-characters, and thank heavens they did since The Companions of the Hall CLEARLY were not up to the task here.
I feel like everyone just regressed as a character. Drizzt was a wandering hobo for most of this series because he was too afraid to actually find out the fate of his friends. Delly Curtie turned into a jealous harpy. Cattie-Brie just spent the entire book and most of the trilogy being wishy washy about her feelings for Drizzt. Wulfgar, who has supposedly overcome his past, is still secretly struggling over his feelings for Cattie and refuses to talk about it. The list goes on. The only character who really stepped up to the plate was Regis! And some of the side-characters, and thank heavens they did since The Companions of the Hall CLEARLY were not up to the task here.
September 20, 2016
For the longest time I thought this would be the first R.A. Salvatore book that I rated 2 stars but he pulled it out enough to round up to 3 stars.
But
I expect more.
Imagine an action movie that has a car chase. Exciting isn't it? How about if the car chase lasted two hours and there was nothing else to the movie. That is what this entire trilogy turned out to be and the last book in the series (The Two Swords) was the worst offender. 376 pages of action and battles and nothing else. It just got boring after a while - too much action and not enough story, not enough character.
This is by far the weakest Salvatore series yet. Completely disappointed.
I rounded up to 3 stars because if nothing else, this series setup the next one.
Fingers crossed the next is better.
But
I expect more.
Imagine an action movie that has a car chase. Exciting isn't it? How about if the car chase lasted two hours and there was nothing else to the movie. That is what this entire trilogy turned out to be and the last book in the series (The Two Swords) was the worst offender. 376 pages of action and battles and nothing else. It just got boring after a while - too much action and not enough story, not enough character.
This is by far the weakest Salvatore series yet. Completely disappointed.
I rounded up to 3 stars because if nothing else, this series setup the next one.
Fingers crossed the next is better.
October 19, 2025
Well, ok then. Just as I was thinking Salvatore had gotten a handle on female characters--by which I mean I'd stopped noticing him writing them very badly--he struggled again, but at least none of them were skipping along. Gerti, Catti-Brie, and Kaer'lic were fine.
In other news, the orcs wanting their own kingdom and equal status with the other races of the area seems fair. Maybe try that. The narration could have decided to push a little harder there: the orc priests are called "shamans" but the drow priestess is, ya know, a "priestess."
Overall, pretty satisfying, and my brain wants the faster reads right now.
Notes, with *spoilers*
-I liked Delly, even though I skipped the books where Wulfgar was deepest in his PTSD. Rude to kill her off solely as a plot mechanic to get the magic sword to Drizzt! Also very at odds with where she was in the first book of this trilogy, when she was going in to "living with the dwarves" with her eyes wide open. I kind of thought she was possessed for more of the book. All she needed was a meaningful role among the dwarves--who still don't seem to have more than one woman for her to talk to....? Surely Pratchett was doing femme dwarves by this point? Yep, Feet of Clay came out in 1996.
-Innovindel. You're either Drizzt's mentor in elven POV or a love interest. You don't get to make out with your student, and definitely not to initiate a make out with your student. Pick a lane and don't be a creep. Esp. weird because last book you realized he was basically still in his late teens/early twenties and had never lived in a culture where he could process his emotions. WTF?
-Colson: another fictional toddler who is super conveniently cute/asleep/quiet. Are these people even parents? Where is the running and screaming part of toddlerhood?
-Tsinka. Wow, I thought Salvatore was further past "idiot simpering fangirls who want nothing more than to dote on/bang the bad guy."
In other news, the orcs wanting their own kingdom and equal status with the other races of the area seems fair. Maybe try that. The narration could have decided to push a little harder there: the orc priests are called "shamans" but the drow priestess is, ya know, a "priestess."
Overall, pretty satisfying, and my brain wants the faster reads right now.
Notes, with *spoilers*
-I liked Delly, even though I skipped the books where Wulfgar was deepest in his PTSD. Rude to kill her off solely as a plot mechanic to get the magic sword to Drizzt! Also very at odds with where she was in the first book of this trilogy, when she was going in to "living with the dwarves" with her eyes wide open. I kind of thought she was possessed for more of the book. All she needed was a meaningful role among the dwarves--who still don't seem to have more than one woman for her to talk to....? Surely Pratchett was doing femme dwarves by this point? Yep, Feet of Clay came out in 1996.
-Innovindel. You're either Drizzt's mentor in elven POV or a love interest. You don't get to make out with your student, and definitely not to initiate a make out with your student. Pick a lane and don't be a creep. Esp. weird because last book you realized he was basically still in his late teens/early twenties and had never lived in a culture where he could process his emotions. WTF?
-Colson: another fictional toddler who is super conveniently cute/asleep/quiet. Are these people even parents? Where is the running and screaming part of toddlerhood?
-Tsinka. Wow, I thought Salvatore was further past "idiot simpering fangirls who want nothing more than to dote on/bang the bad guy."
August 7, 2025
Sadly the last book I’ll read while at DMC Crown Pointe. I’ll miss pretending to be chart reviewing when I’m actually reading on my phone. The chairs by the windows (blinds always closed)were particularly comfortable when the sun was rising, made me feel like I was actually able to spend some time outside instead of being trapped indoors for 7-12 hours at a time. Shoutout to all my patients who canceled, y’all let me finish like 12 books in the last 3 months
March 11, 2018
"And a hundred years from now, when there remains only dust,will anyone care?"
"Anyone can lead a fight the day after it's done. It's leading the fight during the fight that's marking yer worth."
"Anyone can lead a fight the day after it's done. It's leading the fight during the fight that's marking yer worth."
March 16, 2024
This one is good.
I found that the halfway mark felt a bit slow but the ending made up for it.
Another enjoyable tale by R. A. Salvatore.
Happy Reading, everybody!
I found that the halfway mark felt a bit slow but the ending made up for it.
Another enjoyable tale by R. A. Salvatore.
Happy Reading, everybody!
February 7, 2021
Dissatisfying. A lot of frustrating plot to get through.
December 5, 2017
I finally finished the Two Swords, the third book in the Hunter’s Blades trilogy, one of the Drizzt books by RA Salvatore. It took me about 2 years to read the trilogy, for a variety of reasons. In truth, I spread it out for enjoyment, reading seasons, vacation time, and to keep on pace with my own novel writing. One of the primary I began reading Salvatore was because of the similarities between his writing style and mine—and then I received some of his D&D books as gifts and so I just kept reading.
The Hunter’s Blades trilogy gave me mixed feelings. The Two Swords (book 3) is assuredly my favorite and the one I am reviewing. I especially enjoyed the final pages, and really the last half of the book feels like the denouement of one larger story—as if it the trilogy were just one big book. That could be great, except it made the pacing difficult for me. The Two Swords finally winds down and begins to give us some closure (and the relationships are finally in focus, whereas everything felt clouded in a haze of war, previously to it.) in contrast, The Lone Drow—despite giving us Innovindil, who I really liked—felt like one really long dark moment. It was lonely. Everything circled around itself and kept the geography limited. Nothing about it made me like the characters any more—maybe the opposite, in fact. It was, however, necessary—but that’s what it made all seem like one larger book. The Thousand Orcs had a great setup, making the first book-end on the trilogy.
In the final twenty pages or so Salvatore does a phenomenal job of seamlessly setting the hook for the expansive world at large, obviously setting up any number of directions the reader (and author(s)) might go with Forgotten Realms stories. And that’s part of the whole appeal of D&D and the fantasy genre as a whole. Masterful writing, perhaps a little long winded at times, but great story that blows open new avenues and interest in the D&D landscape.
D&D is a dangerous world and this trilogy proves deadly for many characters—even some you might initially think have character shields. Check out more of my reviews over at Inside the Inkwell!
The Hunter’s Blades trilogy gave me mixed feelings. The Two Swords (book 3) is assuredly my favorite and the one I am reviewing. I especially enjoyed the final pages, and really the last half of the book feels like the denouement of one larger story—as if it the trilogy were just one big book. That could be great, except it made the pacing difficult for me. The Two Swords finally winds down and begins to give us some closure (and the relationships are finally in focus, whereas everything felt clouded in a haze of war, previously to it.) in contrast, The Lone Drow—despite giving us Innovindil, who I really liked—felt like one really long dark moment. It was lonely. Everything circled around itself and kept the geography limited. Nothing about it made me like the characters any more—maybe the opposite, in fact. It was, however, necessary—but that’s what it made all seem like one larger book. The Thousand Orcs had a great setup, making the first book-end on the trilogy.
In the final twenty pages or so Salvatore does a phenomenal job of seamlessly setting the hook for the expansive world at large, obviously setting up any number of directions the reader (and author(s)) might go with Forgotten Realms stories. And that’s part of the whole appeal of D&D and the fantasy genre as a whole. Masterful writing, perhaps a little long winded at times, but great story that blows open new avenues and interest in the D&D landscape.
D&D is a dangerous world and this trilogy proves deadly for many characters—even some you might initially think have character shields. Check out more of my reviews over at Inside the Inkwell!
January 1, 2017
Underneath the dwarven contraptions, an orc believed to be the embodiment of a god, a pair of dark elves lost in the chaos of their own doing, and a bloodthirsty sentient sword, Salvatore poses the question, "What does it mean to be an elf?"
The Two Swords is the conclusion to the Hunter's Blade Trilogy, which finally draws the Orc and Dwarf confrontation at the gates of Mithral Hall to a close (for now.) The Dwarves prepare an elaborate defense to stave off the orc horde, and as creative as the dwarven engineers are, the descriptions of their mighty contraptions sometimes require a second read-through to fully grasp.
The dwarven defense is only one of the many plot lines that coalesce to a resolution. To the south, the whiny and annoying human leader Galen Firth, is just begging to have his head chopped off by the axe of a dwarf or lobbed off by a troll's swiping claw. To the north, the dark elven hero, Drizzt, and his moon elf companion, Innovindil, attempt a daring rescue of the pegasus, Sunrise. And within the residencies of Mithral Hall itself, the human refugees struggle to find their place.
The overarching theme is shown through Innovindil's mentor-like role to Drizzt, as she helps him understand life through the century-spanning eyes of an elf; which is a much more refreshing perspective for Drizzt after witnessing him go through 600+ pages of depression.
The power struggle among the villains, and the journey of Khazid'hea, the sentient sword, lead up to an epic showdown that almost makes up for the lackluster trilogy.
As always, Salvatore ends the tale with the promise of more adventure, albeit another of the usual fantasy tropes, he does leave a couple threads hanging to keep the readers interested.
The Two Swords is the conclusion to the Hunter's Blade Trilogy, which finally draws the Orc and Dwarf confrontation at the gates of Mithral Hall to a close (for now.) The Dwarves prepare an elaborate defense to stave off the orc horde, and as creative as the dwarven engineers are, the descriptions of their mighty contraptions sometimes require a second read-through to fully grasp.
The dwarven defense is only one of the many plot lines that coalesce to a resolution. To the south, the whiny and annoying human leader Galen Firth, is just begging to have his head chopped off by the axe of a dwarf or lobbed off by a troll's swiping claw. To the north, the dark elven hero, Drizzt, and his moon elf companion, Innovindil, attempt a daring rescue of the pegasus, Sunrise. And within the residencies of Mithral Hall itself, the human refugees struggle to find their place.
The overarching theme is shown through Innovindil's mentor-like role to Drizzt, as she helps him understand life through the century-spanning eyes of an elf; which is a much more refreshing perspective for Drizzt after witnessing him go through 600+ pages of depression.
The power struggle among the villains, and the journey of Khazid'hea, the sentient sword, lead up to an epic showdown that almost makes up for the lackluster trilogy.
As always, Salvatore ends the tale with the promise of more adventure, albeit another of the usual fantasy tropes, he does leave a couple threads hanging to keep the readers interested.
March 16, 2014
*****WARNING-Minor Spoilers*****
The Two Swords ends RA Salvador's The Hunter's Blades trilogy. The book picks up where the previous one left off and continues the saga of Drizzt Do'urdon and friends. Sadly I found this book the weakest of the trilogy. Salvador usually does a good job of keeping his writing within the realms of possibility of the actual Dungeons and Dragons game. This book (and really the trilogy in general) strain that to the breaking point. While the Orc King is certainly a worthy foe for Drizzt, the introduction of Lady Alustriel raises the bar considerably. In my opinion, when a writer brings in one of the heavy hitters of the Forgotten Realms there has to be stakes in play to match. The orc horde, and King Obould specifically, are never described with adequate weight and thus the inaction of one of the Seven Sisters is hard to understand.
Beyond the problems with Lady Alustriel there are also several other issues. The motivations of several characters are hard to understand. Drizzt repeatedly refrains from learning the fate of this friends even once he gains access to a flying mount and could easily do so. The encounter between Gurti and Drizzt felt forced. The human leader of Nesme was so consistently dislike-able it was hard to imagine anyone following him anywhere. Several of the fight scenes felt repetitive.
While I recommend those who enjoy the tales of Drizzt to read this book I cannot say I was not disappointed. Hopefully this is a one of and RA Salvador returns to form in the next book.
The Two Swords ends RA Salvador's The Hunter's Blades trilogy. The book picks up where the previous one left off and continues the saga of Drizzt Do'urdon and friends. Sadly I found this book the weakest of the trilogy. Salvador usually does a good job of keeping his writing within the realms of possibility of the actual Dungeons and Dragons game. This book (and really the trilogy in general) strain that to the breaking point. While the Orc King is certainly a worthy foe for Drizzt, the introduction of Lady Alustriel raises the bar considerably. In my opinion, when a writer brings in one of the heavy hitters of the Forgotten Realms there has to be stakes in play to match. The orc horde, and King Obould specifically, are never described with adequate weight and thus the inaction of one of the Seven Sisters is hard to understand.
Beyond the problems with Lady Alustriel there are also several other issues. The motivations of several characters are hard to understand. Drizzt repeatedly refrains from learning the fate of this friends even once he gains access to a flying mount and could easily do so. The encounter between Gurti and Drizzt felt forced. The human leader of Nesme was so consistently dislike-able it was hard to imagine anyone following him anywhere. Several of the fight scenes felt repetitive.
While I recommend those who enjoy the tales of Drizzt to read this book I cannot say I was not disappointed. Hopefully this is a one of and RA Salvador returns to form in the next book.
September 15, 2013
"To be an elf is to celebrate life. To be an elf is to revel in the moments, in the sunrise and the sunset, in the sudden and brief episodes of love and adventure, in the hours of companionship. It is, most of all, to never be paralyzed by your fears of a future that no one can foretell, even if predictions lead you to the seemingly obvious, and often disparaging, conclusions. I know now, and so I am free of the bonds of the future. I know that every moment is to be treasured to be enjoyed, to be heightened as much as possible in the best possible way. I am free."
This book is fantastic! I know I am constantly raving about this series and how much I love Drizzt but I just can't help it! Every book is better than the last! This book is filled with deep character discoveries, heart pumping action and battle scenes, and the beautiful bonds of love and camaraderie that I have come to expect with this series and with R.A Salvatore.
Drizzt has come full circle in this book. He has come to grips with the fact that his friends are all dead (a misconception! They totally aren't!) and learns the truth of being alive-that you can't just worry all the time about things that are outside of your control. All you can do in live your life the best way you can.
Also if you are a fan of the relationship between Drizzt and Catti-brie, as I am, this must be said: FINALLY! <3 <3 <3
This review can also be found on my blog:
http://ayanami023.wordpress.com
This book is fantastic! I know I am constantly raving about this series and how much I love Drizzt but I just can't help it! Every book is better than the last! This book is filled with deep character discoveries, heart pumping action and battle scenes, and the beautiful bonds of love and camaraderie that I have come to expect with this series and with R.A Salvatore.
Drizzt has come full circle in this book. He has come to grips with the fact that his friends are all dead (a misconception! They totally aren't!) and learns the truth of being alive-that you can't just worry all the time about things that are outside of your control. All you can do in live your life the best way you can.
Also if you are a fan of the relationship between Drizzt and Catti-brie, as I am, this must be said: FINALLY! <3 <3 <3
This review can also be found on my blog:
http://ayanami023.wordpress.com
February 11, 2015
What does it mean to be an elf? This question is repeatedly asked and slowly answered by Drizzt Do'urden as he continues his journey in the final book of of the Hunter's Blades Trilogy, The Two Swords, by R.A. Salvatore. It continues on with Drizzt and the elf Innovindil tracking down Gerti and her frost giants to their home in Shining White. Obould, the orc king and supposed god of the orcs, has given Sunrise, one of the pegasi that is highly important to Innovindil, to Gerti as a gift for her assistance. Meanwhile, the orcs begin to break into Mithril Hall only to be cut down by several of Clan Battlehammer's war machines and traps. Friends will be united. Allies will appear. Armies will clash. What will happen in the end? Find out by reading the book. I believe this book didn't quite deliver on its promise of being the final one in the trilogy. It had a great build up that kept me glued to the pages, but it all ended up being nothing but a let down, and a possible set up for another series of books in the saga. But overall, the action was superb and the adventure was wonderful, and the book was a great read. This book shows that sometimes, even in the midst of a terrible event, good things can happen. A good lesson for everyone to learn. I suggest this book to those who like fantasy, action, and a good adventure. I don't suggest this to those who don't like fantasy, action, and adventure. The Two Swords is a good book, and that's why I give three out of five stars.
January 9, 2019
This triology is like inviting friends over for a DnD game and then trick them into playing monopoly (when will it end!) all evening. Then as they leave you suggest to them next time we should play DnD...
Really? A whole trilogy about a war with some orcs? And we get to the end the war is not even finished? I really really liked how Salvatore brought the drow alive but this just stinks of just-keep-writing-about-much-loved-drizzt-to-keep-cashing-in.
The triology starts of by discovering Gauntlygrym. This sounds interesting i want to know about this place and Bruenor's ancestors. Then they kill some orcs. And then they kill some orcs. In the next book they kill some orcs... This boooring war for three long books while it doesnt get mentioned again. (I was half expecting a bunch of dwarf ghosts comming to help out LotR-style, but not even that happened). Then, in the epilogue of the last book; 'Think i might go to Gauntlgrym in spring'. Aaaghhrr!
I had planned this to be my last Salvatore triology. But now i feel tricked into wanting to read the next one... what if war gets in the way again? I am Dyslexic I dont have time for faffing about.
Should i swallow my pride and continue reading? Salvatore's books seem to be so hit and miss..
Really? A whole trilogy about a war with some orcs? And we get to the end the war is not even finished? I really really liked how Salvatore brought the drow alive but this just stinks of just-keep-writing-about-much-loved-drizzt-to-keep-cashing-in.
The triology starts of by discovering Gauntlygrym. This sounds interesting i want to know about this place and Bruenor's ancestors. Then they kill some orcs. And then they kill some orcs. In the next book they kill some orcs... This boooring war for three long books while it doesnt get mentioned again. (I was half expecting a bunch of dwarf ghosts comming to help out LotR-style, but not even that happened). Then, in the epilogue of the last book; 'Think i might go to Gauntlgrym in spring'. Aaaghhrr!
I had planned this to be my last Salvatore triology. But now i feel tricked into wanting to read the next one... what if war gets in the way again? I am Dyslexic I dont have time for faffing about.
Should i swallow my pride and continue reading? Salvatore's books seem to be so hit and miss..
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January 5, 2015Hunter's Blade serisinin de son kitabini bitirmis oldum. Drizzt tüm arkadaşlarının öldüğünü düşünerek avcı olarak savaşına devam etmekte ve orc kralı Obould'a saldırmayi düşünmektedir. Hikaye 370 sayfa boyunca az dialog ve bol,gezintiyle devam,ediyor sonu yine yeni bir seriye referans vererek sonlamnakta.
Son seriler içinde en çok beğendiğim serilerden biri oldu. Drizzt in kendisi ve dış dünya olan ilişkilerini okuyoruz.
Belki ilk defa orclar basrollerde kisi olarak karşımıza çıkıyorlar ve frost giantlarin yani buz devlerinin dünyasını da görüyoruz.
Son seriler içinde en çok beğendiğim serilerden biri oldu. Drizzt in kendisi ve dış dünya olan ilişkilerini okuyoruz.
Belki ilk defa orclar basrollerde kisi olarak karşımıza çıkıyorlar ve frost giantlarin yani buz devlerinin dünyasını da görüyoruz.
August 26, 2016
Well, thisnwas a good wrap up to this story line. I loke that the Colson/Delli story line os coming to a close, and the Drizzt is no longer an idiot. This book includes so many awesome characters - Breunor, Catti Bri, Wulfgar Regis and Drizzt of course, but Ivan and Pickle, Pwent, Ilustrial, and Sunrise and Sunset.
I enjoyed the twists with the Giants, and look forward to seeing how the Kingdom of Many Arrows is defeated.
I enjoyed the twists with the Giants, and look forward to seeing how the Kingdom of Many Arrows is defeated.
November 9, 2023
Delly done dirty.
The Hunter's Blade trilogy is one of the more cohesive "series" within The Legend of Drizzt, but as exciting as the story it is telling is, it winds up with another of Salvatore's abrupt endings and spends the last 1/3 or so as mostly set-up for the next story making this the weakest of the trilogy.
The Hunter's Blade trilogy is one of the more cohesive "series" within The Legend of Drizzt, but as exciting as the story it is telling is, it winds up with another of Salvatore's abrupt endings and spends the last 1/3 or so as mostly set-up for the next story making this the weakest of the trilogy.
May 10, 2015
Excellent conclusion of this trilogy. Less focus on the mechanics of warfare and more on the psychology of leaders forced to make tough choices and the development and collapse of alliances.
June 26, 2016
I always enjoy Drizzt books. He's an interesting character with a lot of depth. I can't imagine reading this book first though. Starting with Drizzt in Menzoberrazan is so crucial.
April 12, 2018
This book is great!
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