| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Berkthgar |
Posted - 21 Jun 2014 : 04:32:30
I am talking about the RA salvatore books about drizzt, dark elf trilogy, paths of darkness, sellsword, legacy of drow. All the trilogies.
My favourite moment was when catti brie and guen went to the underdark to pursue drizzt. They were engaged in a battle of deep gnomes. Catti brie with the magical mask taken from the banshee back in the halflings gem, she was a disguised as a drow priestess. The deep gnomes summoned an elemental or earth which grabbed guen. But one of the gnomes who remembered the cat from 30 years back, when he was a youth, called out to guen. Guens ears immediately perked up. That moment totally made me smile with some weird feeling. Just magical. |
| 30 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Berkthgar |
Posted - 28 Jun 2014 : 21:43:02
Just picked up Night of the hunter. What did you folks think of it? |
| Thauranil |
Posted - 27 Jun 2014 : 13:56:36
Hmm well I always thought it referred to Drizzt coming to terms with his past and the consequences of doing that.
But of course it could just as easily stand for any of the other things you have mentioned therefore I feel that the best answer is: all of the above |
| BEAST |
Posted - 26 Jun 2014 : 17:54:45
quote:
Originally posted by Thauranil
Perhaps it was a freakish coincidence that enabled Bruenor to slay Matron Banrae but I would argue that it was one of the most significant acts he was ever performed. For with that single chop of his blade he struck down the heart of the enemy leadership, which immediately lead to the drow abandoning their campaign to take Mithral hall.
Like I said before, we are totally agreed, there.
I waffle a bit as to what exactly was the titular legacy of the drow, for which the mini-series was named. Was it the fact that the individual drow Drizzt felt haunted by his past? Or was it Matron Yvonnel Baenre's personal obsession with conquering Mithral Hall? Or was it the Menzoberranyr drows' collective fascination with getting Drizzt back?
If it was Yvonnel's personal obsession, then, aided by freak coincidence or not, Bruenor's axe played a pivotal role in completely undoing that particular would-be legacy! |
| Berkthgar |
Posted - 26 Jun 2014 : 11:30:59
Gosh I was catti Brie was conscious enough to give a fight. She was only alive to make love to drizzt at the end. Pity, she had so much potential. |
| BEAST |
Posted - 25 Jun 2014 : 22:42:55
quote:
Originally posted by Diffan
I just finished the Ghost King and I think, for me, one of the most awesome scenes OVERALL is when the whole gang: Drizzt, Breunor, Pwent, Jarlaxle, Cadderly, Ivan, and Athrogate ALL fight The Ghost King as it attempts to kill them all at Spirit Soaring. The blasts of magical attacks from Cadderly and the holy light that heals everyone to him enchanting Icingdeath to Pwent tackling the dracolich's leg and doing his thing to Drizzt cutting inside it's body and cutting it up inside was great. It's not to often you see that sort of martial / magical prowess all being done at once.
That reminds me: Shortly after The Orc King came out, a bunch of us fans on RAS's boards mentioned that we wanted to read about a classic dwarven V-wedge formation with Bruenor, Pwent, and Arthrogate. And then a few books later, in TGK, we got all three, plus Drizzt and Jar to boot. It was totally awesome! |
| Diffan |
Posted - 25 Jun 2014 : 22:10:11
I just finished the Ghost King and I think, for me, one of the most awesome scenes OVERALL is when the whole gang: Drizzt, Breunor, Pwent, Jarlaxle, Cadderly, Ivan, and Athrogate ALL fight The Ghost King as it attempts to kill them all at Spirit Soaring. The blasts of magical attacks from Cadderly and the holy light that heals everyone to him enchanting Icingdeath to Pwent tackling the dracolich's leg and doing his thing to Drizzt cutting inside it's body and cutting it up inside was great. It's not to often you see that sort of martial / magical prowess all being done at once. |
| BEAST |
Posted - 25 Jun 2014 : 21:24:52
quote:
Originally posted by khanio07
Dudermonts deAth was untimely I believe. The pirate king didn't do him justice.
I'm not sure there ever really is a right time for a goodly hero to die. Is there?
There were a lot of readers who perceived a link between the Luskan campaign in The Pirate King and the RW global war on terror activities in Iraq. One of the things that was so brilliant about TPK was that RAS didn't lampoon President Bush or any other political conservatives by making up a buffoon of a would-be hero for his story; rather, he selected a proven, immensely honorable hero to lead this unfortunate campaign. Bob rose above partisan politics in his commentary on foolhardy adventurist wars, and went straight to the real heart of the matter: some wars are not ill-advised, no matter the character of the warriors involved.
Captain Deudermont fell victim to his own hype. He believed in his principles and his battle prowess more than he paid attention to the current events in Luskan. One must heed the best intelligence available before committing to any campaign, no matter how honorable one's intentions might be. Deudermont didn't do so, and so, he paid the ultimate price.
There was also the whole "transition" into 4E deal going on there, with Bob feeling compelled to kill off (at least) his human characters in advance of the 100-year jump. Rather than leaving Deudermont's demise as a mere footnote in the literature that would discuss the major events that transpired during the time jump, RAS decided to write a book focusing on it, in a way which just so happened to bear a close resemblance to RW events, at the same time. So, to me, this made Deudermont's passing extremely timely, although still quite sad.
I wish I could've wrung that stupid Crow's scrawny bird neck, with my own hands!
quote:
Also remember, during the time of troubles when guen almost got sucked into oblivion?? She's a strong cat and brave, the dearest companion.
Yeah, when she was successfully recalled for the first time with the repaired figurine, that was a marvelous moment. To fail to bring her back would've probably been the biggest loss of Drizzt's life, out of a long string of big losses. I thought Bob did a wonderful job of creating a sense of suspense about her potential fate, back at the time that I read the novel Siege of Darkness. It made her return very sweet. |
| Thauranil |
Posted - 25 Jun 2014 : 10:32:07
quote:
Originally posted by BEAST
That was another great one, Thauranil. But it didn't leap to my mind, for some reason. Maybe it doesn't feel as much like a genuine Bruenor moment, since it happened because of a freak break in magic at just the right moment, rather than being all about Bruenor willing it to happen all the way through?
It's right up there with slaying Shimmergloom and Beealtimatuche the pit fiend, though, as far as its importance.
Perhaps it was a freakish coincidence that enabled Bruenor to slay Matron Banrae but I would argue that it was one of the most significant acts he was ever performed. For with that single chop of his blade he struck down the heart of the enemy leadership, which immediately lead to the drow abandoning their campaign to take Mithral hall. |
| Berkthgar |
Posted - 25 Jun 2014 : 05:14:49
Dudermonts deAth was untimely I believe. The pirate king didn't do him justice.
Also remember, during the time of troubles when guen almost got sucked into oblivion?? She's a strong cat and brave, the dearest companion. |
| BEAST |
Posted - 23 Jun 2014 : 19:38:54
That was another great one, Thauranil. But it didn't leap to my mind, for some reason. Maybe it doesn't feel as much like a genuine Bruenor moment, since it happened because of a freak break in magic at just the right moment, rather than being all about Bruenor willing it to happen all the way through?
It's right up there with slaying Shimmergloom and Beealtimatuche the pit fiend, though, as far as its importance. |
| Thauranil |
Posted - 23 Jun 2014 : 12:47:41
Hmm I think my favorite event was the invasion of Mithral hall especially the part when Bruenor buried his axe into Matron Banrae. |
| BEAST |
Posted - 23 Jun 2014 : 06:03:11
quote:
Originally posted by khanio07
Entreri as barrabus? I don't like it. Entreri was a legend, slave to no one, so when I read those four books, I was kinda like Entreri was totally lame.
Don't underestimate the physical impact of a Shadovar horde invasion. Then pile on the emotional impact of an apparent betrayal by your best friend (Jarlaxle). And then throw in some Netherese magic, to boot.
It's hard to imagine anyone not becoming Alegni's bitch under those circumstances.
But even then, recall that Barrabus regularly tested Alegni. He kept checking his master for weakness, like the raptors with the electric fences in Jurassic Park. So there was still some of the old Entreri, in there.
quote:
Loved him in the half lings gem and siege of darkness days [bold added]
He wasn't in SOD. Do you meant Starless Night? He fled from Menzo at the end of SN in 1358 DR, and then we didn't hear from him again until The Silent Blade in 1365 DR, where he showed up in Calimport.
quote:
Also did the flying ponies barbarians ever meet the icewind Dale folks
Yeah, the male Companions ran into the Sky Ponies barbarians in a bad way in Streams of Silver. In fact, I believe that that incident is where Bruenor first had his helmet horn broken, but RAS has since retconned the broken horn into Bruenor's long-lost past.
Then Wulfgar ran into the same Sky Ponies tribe again in The Silent Blade, where he got a bit of personal revenge for how events went down the first time around. |
| Berkthgar |
Posted - 23 Jun 2014 : 05:22:13
And btw , most of the barabarias we met in the books were actually pretty wise. Revjak was a wise and honourable leader. Wulfgar was smart. They were barbarians prior to the crystal shard , but they are more human.
Also did the flying ponies barbarians ever meet the icewind Dale folks |
| Berkthgar |
Posted - 23 Jun 2014 : 04:06:47
Entreri as barrabus? I don't like it. Entreri was a legend, slave to no one, so when I read those four books, I was kinda like Entreri was totally lame.
I loved him as a cold hearted killer with a miniscule amount of compassion. Loved him in the half lings gem and siege of darkness days |
| BEAST |
Posted - 23 Jun 2014 : 03:58:41
quote:
Originally posted by Seethyr
I always pictured him more as a Thor than a Conan. It's probably just because of Aegis...
Visually, sure, I can totally see that.
But then, the shiny silver armor and red cape always reminded me more of a knight than a barbarian. I never followed the Thor comics, and still haven't watched the movies, so I don't really know the character all that well. But he seemed pretty knightly in The Avengers. |
| BEAST |
Posted - 23 Jun 2014 : 03:53:45
quote:
Originally posted by Arcanus
Bah! Wulfgar was under the influence of the ruby pendant that magnified greatly his somewhat old fashioned views.
Yeah, that is true.
Dat bling be turning e'rythang all cuhrayzee, for realz!
But much like alcohol, it was only drawing out and concentrating an underlying character flaw that was already there. I don't blame the catalyst, so much as the underlying character flaw.
quote:
He did actually agree to sort out the problems they had.
I'm not so sure he really meant it, though.
He coulda just been telling the babe what she wanted to hear. He still had a honeymoon night to look forward to, ya know? 
When the time came to act and not just talk, what did he do? He refused to just let her fight for herself. He assumed that she couldn't do it herself, and he rushed in. And then he got got!   
quote:
Drizzt is the opportunist. Jumping in and preying on cats weakened emotional state! Lol.
Bruthah met her (admittedly as a child) in 1345 DR (Sojourn), drug arse until 1359 DR before he actively began chasing her (late Siege of Darkness), still didn't do anything with her after six years aboard ship (Passage to Dawn), stepped aside upon Wulf's return (The Silent Blade), and only finally became her boyfriend in the late 1360s (Sea of Swords) after Wulfgar willingly removed himself from the Companions the second time around. And even then, Drizzt didn't actually seal the deal until late autumn, 1371 DR (The Two Swords). It took him 26 years to make his move. You call that being an opportunist and "jumping in and preying"? 
Heck, with elves being so long-lived, maybe 26 years really is moving fast--for an elf!  |
| Seethyr |
Posted - 23 Jun 2014 : 03:14:40
quote:
Originally posted by BEAST
I don't know if a barbarian character has enough drama to carry a series (besides Conan), so I'm fine with Bob switching main characters. (He should've gone with the dwarf, though.  ) How do you write a barbarian as the starring character and not be seen as copying Conan?
I always pictured him more as a Thor than a Conan. It's probably just because of Aegis... |
| Entromancer |
Posted - 23 Jun 2014 : 01:40:57
Oh, that's an easy one! You make the barbarian a sorcerer who might save you life, might pauperize you, whom can reshape his moral code to justify his actions.
My favorite companions moment is their reunion in Sea of Swords. That whole arc, Paths of Darkness, was an emotional rollercoaster. |
| Arcanus |
Posted - 22 Jun 2014 : 23:47:41
quote:
Originally posted by BEAST
quote:
Originally posted by Arcanus
I will never forgive bob for splitting up wulfgar and cat. I mean the guy goes through years of torture because he sacrificed himself for his loved ones, finally gets free only to find that his woman is in love with a drow. Tut.
Meh, methinks Wulfgar didn't deserve her. He was a chauvenist at heart, and the closer he got to the wedding, the more it came to the surface. Even after he and Cat discussed his bad attitude toward her as a woman and he agreed to change, he still rushed in to protect her from the yochlol, and that overprotectiveness proved to be his own downfall.
I also think Cat really preferred Drizzt all along, too. He was just too dense to pick up on it until it was too late, and Wulf decided to make his move.
It's arguable that Wulf was in the wrong for swooping in on Drizzt like that. Why should Drizzt respect Wulf for having dated Cat, when Wulf didn't respect Drizzt for having caught her attention, first? Wulfgar was a shameful opportunist, when it came to Catti-brie. He poached her!
Bah! Wulfgar was under the influence of the ruby pendant that magnified greatly his somewhat old fashioned views. He did actually agree to sort out the problems they had. Drizzt is the opportunist. Jumping in and preying on cats weakened emotional state! Lol.
|
| BEAST |
Posted - 22 Jun 2014 : 23:11:05
quote:
Originally posted by Arcanus
I will never forgive bob for splitting up wulfgar and cat. I mean the guy goes through years of torture because he sacrificed himself for his loved ones, finally gets free only to find that his woman is in love with a drow. Tut.
Meh, methinks Wulfgar didn't deserve her. He was a chauvenist at heart, and the closer he got to the wedding, the more it came to the surface. Even after he and Cat discussed his bad attitude toward her as a woman and he agreed to change, he still rushed in to protect her from the yochlol, and that overprotectiveness proved to be his own downfall.
I also think Cat really preferred Drizzt all along, too. He was just too dense to pick up on it until it was too late, and Wulf decided to make his move.
It's arguable that Wulf was in the wrong for swooping in on Drizzt like that. Why should Drizzt respect Wulf for having dated Cat, when Wulf didn't respect Drizzt for having caught her attention, first? Wulfgar was a shameful opportunist, when it came to Catti-brie. He poached her! |
| BEAST |
Posted - 22 Jun 2014 : 22:38:06
quote:
Originally posted by khanio07
Even your avatar is bruenor, take it he is one of your favorite companions of the ball?
Absolutely!
quote:
By the way, do you ever feel sad for wulfgar, or just the fact that we don't know what happened to him after the transition books? I miss him makes kinda teary, he had a lotta hardships. Tortured for 6 years straight
I feel bad that the character of Wulfgar seems to have taken a back seat ever since The Crystal Shard. After Bob decided that Drizzt would be the star, Wulf just faded into the background. He's a valuable member of the team, but he rarely shines.
"Legacy of the Drow" disappeared him for a while. It just took him completely out of the picture, altogether. <How rude!>
The Silent Blade and The Spine of the World gave him the spotlight once again, but it wasn't a favorable depiction of him, at all. The flashbacks to his torture scenes were juicy and heavy stuff, at least.
But once he became a domesticated man, he became a boring background character, all over again ("The Hunter's Blades Trilogy").
And so, he left town, and never looked back (The Orc King).
While the rest of the Companions had quite a bit of stage time since then, he was relegated to the frozen wasteland, largely forgotten, as if he weren't worthy of pages in a novel. Even the story of his death and how he came to be in one peculiar afterlife domain ("To Legend He Goes") was cut from the book Gauntlgrym, and packaged as a short story in an anthology book, instead.
My understanding is that he got very little face time in The Companions, too. Some have suggested that his missing pages might show up as another short story in another anthology book, down the road.
I don't know if a barbarian character has enough drama to carry a series (besides Conan), so I'm fine with Bob switching main characters. (He should've gone with the dwarf, though. ) How do you write a barbarian as the starring character and not be seen as copying Conan?
Wulfgar was never my favorite. But I do kinda feel bad for the guy. |
| Arcanus |
Posted - 22 Jun 2014 : 20:46:45
I will never forgive bob for splitting up wulfgar and cat. I mean the guy goes through years of torture because he sacrificed himself for his loved ones, finally gets free only to find that his woman is in love with a drow. Tut. |
| Berkthgar |
Posted - 22 Jun 2014 : 18:23:44
Does anyone have any thoughts on wulfgar lol? About what I said above. Without him , drizzt never would've found icibgdeath scimitar |
| Arcanus |
Posted - 22 Jun 2014 : 13:05:15
quote:
Originally posted by BEAST
quote:
Originally posted by Alystra Illianniis
quote:
Originally posted by BEAST
A tie between:
1. Streams of Silver. When Bruenor jumped off the cliff and his mithral great axe chopped into Shimmergloom's back. I relive that scene in my mind, all that time. (Even if the movie Reign of Fire totally stole it.) "Moradinnnnnnnn!!!" he cried.
Actually, I believe he used Icingdeath for that particular move. Drizzt had dropped it/ been disarmed, or something, and Bruenor grabbed the sword. That was why he survived the explosion when Shimmergloom fell, IIRC.
Well, he didn't really "use" it for that move (not consciously, at least). He found the-scimitar-yet-to-be-named-Icingdeath in the rubble left behind after the alcove cave-in, and then shoved it into his belt and completely forgot about it. But he definitely remembered that he had his great axe, though, and gleefully used that to chop away at the dragon's back, all the way down to the bottom of Garumn's Gorge.
Now, on a side note, he also took with him over the edge a keg of oil and a firelit cloak. The keg burst open on impact, and the flaming cloak set the oil spray ablaze all around him. But right at the center of the ring of flame, Bruenor stood there, continuing to hack into the dragon's flesh, completely unmolested by the fire. It never touched him. But it certainly seared the dragon's exposed skin and muscles!
My guess is that Bruenor fully expected to go out in a blaze of glory. He thought he was going to be burned to death, just like the dragon. Why else carry an incendiary bomb on his back, like that? When he was revived later by Lady Alustriel, he was shocked to remember that he actually hadn't been burned, at all. So that definitely was not what he was expecting when he went over the cliff.
Therefore, he wasn't using the flame-retardant scimitar, at all. He had actually forgotten that he even had the thing on him (I know, a little unlikely, because it's like three feet long and he's only four and a half feet tall, but hey, go with it! ).
It's also unclear whether Bruenor even realized that the scimitar doused flames at all, at the point of the cliff jump. I would imagine that Drizzt probably would've told him at some time between The Crystal Shard and Streams of Silver, but Bruenor's surprise at learning about the scimitar's peculiar magical property in The Halfling's Gem would belie that notion.
So, Icingdeath was involved in the scene. But Bruenor didn't use it for that move. He used the axe to chop, and the oil-keg & burning cloak to incinerate. The scimitar was just a coincidental, highly fortuitous stowaway. That it ultimately proved beneficial does not mean that he "used" it, though.
quote:
I fell into a burning ring of fire
I went down, down, down, and the flames went higher
And it burns, burns, burns
The ring of fire, the ring of fire
--Johnny Cash, <"Ring of Fire">
That's how I remember it. |
| BEAST |
Posted - 22 Jun 2014 : 05:50:43
quote:
Originally posted by Alystra Illianniis
quote:
Originally posted by BEAST
A tie between:
1. Streams of Silver. When Bruenor jumped off the cliff and his mithral great axe chopped into Shimmergloom's back. I relive that scene in my mind, all that time. (Even if the movie Reign of Fire totally stole it.) "Moradinnnnnnnn!!!" he cried.
Actually, I believe he used Icingdeath for that particular move. Drizzt had dropped it/ been disarmed, or something, and Bruenor grabbed the sword. That was why he survived the explosion when Shimmergloom fell, IIRC.
Well, he didn't really "use" it for that move (not consciously, at least). He found the-scimitar-yet-to-be-named-Icingdeath in the rubble left behind after the alcove cave-in, and then shoved it into his belt and completely forgot about it. But he definitely remembered that he had his great axe, though, and gleefully used that to chop away at the dragon's back, all the way down to the bottom of Garumn's Gorge.
Now, on a side note, he also took with him over the edge a keg of oil and a firelit cloak. The keg burst open on impact, and the flaming cloak set the oil spray ablaze all around him. But right at the center of the ring of flame, Bruenor stood there, continuing to hack into the dragon's flesh, completely unmolested by the fire. It never touched him. But it certainly seared the dragon's exposed skin and muscles!
My guess is that Bruenor fully expected to go out in a blaze of glory. He thought he was going to be burned to death, just like the dragon. Why else carry an incendiary bomb on his back, like that? When he was revived later by Lady Alustriel, he was shocked to remember that he actually hadn't been burned, at all. So that definitely was not what he was expecting when he went over the cliff.
Therefore, he wasn't using the flame-retardant scimitar, at all. He had actually forgotten that he even had the thing on him (I know, a little unlikely, because it's like three feet long and he's only four and a half feet tall, but hey, go with it! ).
It's also unclear whether Bruenor even realized that the scimitar doused flames at all, at the point of the cliff jump. I would imagine that Drizzt probably would've told him at some time between The Crystal Shard and Streams of Silver, but Bruenor's surprise at learning about the scimitar's peculiar magical property in The Halfling's Gem would belie that notion.
So, Icingdeath was involved in the scene. But Bruenor didn't use it for that move. He used the axe to chop, and the oil-keg & burning cloak to incinerate. The scimitar was just a coincidental, highly fortuitous stowaway. That it ultimately proved beneficial does not mean that he "used" it, though.
quote:
I fell into a burning ring of fire
I went down, down, down, and the flames went higher
And it burns, burns, burns
The ring of fire, the ring of fire
--Johnny Cash, <"Ring of Fire">
|
| BEAST |
Posted - 22 Jun 2014 : 05:06:36
quote:
Originally posted by charger_ss24
I haven't read the older books in years, but my most recent moment was when Bruenor battles the devil, Beealtimatuche, then Pwent helping his mortally wounded king save Gauntlgrym by keeping the primordial sealed in the bowels of the forgotten dwarven kingdom.
It's hard for me to believe that I forgot that one!
I guess the fact that it is so bittersweet, both poignant and tragic at the same time, drops it down a notch for me versus the others. The others are just rip-raring Bruenor action, pure and simple! |
| Berkthgar |
Posted - 22 Jun 2014 : 01:58:15
True, the scimitar resists fire attacks
|
| Alystra Illianniis |
Posted - 21 Jun 2014 : 23:27:15
quote:
Originally posted by BEAST
A tie between:
1. Streams of Silver. When Bruenor jumped off the cliff and his mithral great axe chopped into Shimmergloom's back. I relive that scene in my mind, all that time. (Even if the movie Reign of Fire totally stole it.) "Moradinnnnnnnn!!!" he cried.
Actually, I believe he used Icingdeath for that particular move. Drizzt had dropped it/ been disarmed, or something, and Bruenor grabbed the sword. That was why he survived the explosion when Shimmergloom fell, IIRC. |
| charger_ss24 |
Posted - 21 Jun 2014 : 19:28:37
I haven't read the older books in years, but my most recent moment was when Bruenor battles the devil, Beealtimatuche, then Pwent helping his mortally wounded king save Gauntlgrym by keeping the primordial sealed in the bowels of the forgotten dwarven kingdom. |
| Berkthgar |
Posted - 21 Jun 2014 : 05:30:25
quote:
Originally posted by BEAST
A tie between:
Are we detecting a pattern, here? 
Hahaha. Can never get tired of bruenor. Even your avatar is bruenor, take it he is one of your favorite companions of the ball?
By the way, do you ever feel sad for wulfgar, or just the fact that we don't know what happened to him after the transition books? I miss him makes kinda teary, he had a lotta hardships. Tortured for 6 years straight |
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