Sojourn

So as you can tell, my hiatus did not last too very long. I got through the first week of the fall semester, and I think I'll be good to do posts - this term I haven't got any extra books to read for my classes, but don't think that means I will be posting less non-fiction! It just means I will have more time for fiction, which I know is what most people are probably more interested in anyway.

So! My first post back, and I'd like to talk about Sojourn, the final book in R.A. Salvatore's Dark Elf Trilogy. As you may remember from the Exile, Drizzt has left the city of his people, the evil drow and has now emerged from the Underdark into the surface world. This is perhaps the most challenging part of his journey since leaving Menzoberranzan, as all he knows about the surface are the stories he has been told by his people - stories which he has come to suspect are perhaps all lies. Either way, he must find out about his new surroundings on his own.

Sooner rather than later, Drizzt realizes that evil exists even outside the realm of the drow, and he is determined still to deviate from their ways - though he also discovers that the reputation of his heritage will be an obstacle to his pursuit of a different life.

Exile

Exile is the second book in R.A. Salvatore's Dark Elf Trilogy. Drizzt has proven himself to be unlike the rest of the drow - too unlike them. He leaves the city and ventures out to face the dangers of survival in the Underdark - a challenge at times even for a fighter as skilled as he is.

As the days go by, though, Drizzt realizes that while he can survive outside the city, he is still not able to truly live in the solitude he must endure. Friends eventually come from some unlikely places, but Drizzt soon finds that he cannot outrun his heritage. After all, another characteristic of the drow is that they do not easily forget when they have been slighted - nor do they forgive.

Homeland

Homeland by R.A. Salvatore is the first book in the Dark Elf Trilogy. A prequel of sorts to the Icewind Dale Trilogy, Salvatore treats us to an intimate look at Drizzt's beginnings. Starting with events just before Drizzt's birth, we are shown who the drow are and where they come from. As Drizzt grows up, he and his family know that he is different. To his family, however, that is not a good thing. In a society ruled by chaos and the cruel Spider Queen the drow worship as their patron goddess, there is no room for such things as compassion or friendship.

We get to follow along in this in-depth introduction to the evil drow - the dark elves, as Salvatore's most beloved character finds himself and realizes the horrible truth about his people. And, as I have come to expect from Salvatore after reading the Icewind Dale Trilogy, the central characters are not necessarily the only ones who are well developed - I have yet to come across anyone flat and uninteresting.

The Icewind Dale Trilogy

Hello, again, book-lovers! It has been a long time since my last post...you were probably wondering if I'd flaked out on the blog, but I have just been incredibly busy with schoolwork. During the semester, I don't always have much time at all for things that are not my homework assignments! I will try not to let there be more than a couple of weeks between posts, though (on average, it usually takes me one or two weeks to read one book, but depending on my schedule and amount of schoolwork, that can vary, so please bear with me).

This evening I am posting for you about The Icewind Dale Trilogy by R.A. Salvatore. Normally, I would not be posting a trilogy as a joint review, but since I started this particular trilogy long before I decided to start a blog, I do not want to mistake any events in one book as happening in another, etc. Also, I just finished the final in the trilogy, so I want my reflections to be fresh. The trilogy consists of (in this order) The Crystal Shard, Streams of Silver, and The Halfling's Gem.

Yes, The Icewind Dale Trilogy is from the fantasy genre, and yes it is Dungeons & Dragons (Forgotten Realms is only one world of multiple in the D&D 'universe'). If those facts would be the only things keeping youfrom reading the books, I would definitely urge you to reconsider. First of all, if you would just be too embarrassed to be seen reading a Dungeons & Dragons book, you have nothing to worry about, since nowhere on the cover of any copy I have seen (and most definitely not those which are more recently published) do they say "Dungeons & Dragons". Secondly, the books are amazing!