| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| iceland14 |
Posted - 21 May 2010 : 13:51:03
Hey everyone i'm pretty new to the realms, so far i've only read the ice wind dale books and the phalan books.
I was just wondering what people thought about all the later Drizzit books.
Right now i have The Dark Elf trilogy, which i will be starting soon. I also have Icewind Dale, But what do people think of Legacy of the drow, Paths of darkness( I own a copy of spine of the world), The hunters blade trilogy(I own this set) and transitions.
So which is best, which is worst.
Thank you if you have time to answer! |
| 23 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| iceland14 |
Posted - 12 Jun 2010 : 17:21:30
****ers hijacked my thread, im never coming back to these forum!
Horrible answers btw tanks 4 nothing |
| Alystra Illianniis |
Posted - 01 Jun 2010 : 17:03:47
I have to disagree about those journal entries. For me, one of the best parts about reading any book is getting into the main character's head, and those entries certainly allow us to do that. It shows not only WHAT he thinks about issues, but WHY. And quite frankly, although I loved the Hunter's Blade trilogy and The Orc King, the last two novels in Transitions sort of fell flat for me. I particularly did NOT like the ending of Ghost King, but than again, I felt the same way when I read his Star Wars book Vector Prime. WHY did RAS HAVE to go and kill of Chewie?! He seems to have developed the habit of killing great characters.... If you want the best Drizzt books, go with the Dark Elf trilogy and Icewind Dale set. Legacy series was good, too, but I gotta say that I was not so impressed with the Paths of Darkness books. Wulfgar Goes Emo would have been a better title for that set. That's just my two Zhents... |
| Dinnin |
Posted - 01 Jun 2010 : 07:01:15
Well i know it wasnt my thread to start with but thank you oh Wizened ones :-).
Ill move onto them next and take the first 3 with a grain of salt. |
| skychrome |
Posted - 01 Jun 2010 : 03:18:15
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
I, personally, would only recommend reading those for completeness, and for a better understanding of what went on in the Time of Troubles. The Avatar trilogy itself isn't that hot... I did like the latter two books, though (4 and 5).
Totally agree. Book 1-3 were a hard read for me due to the subjectively lame writing style, that provided little setting atmosphere. Book 4 and 5 on the other hand are among the best realms stuff I have read.
Regarding the Drizzt series: RAS writing style does not work much for me. It is kinda always the same. This said, I found Legacy of the Drow particularly lame, with only a few good scenes. The Lone Drow felt somehow better, but still not my kind of thing. |
| The Sage |
Posted - 01 Jun 2010 : 01:22:15
quote:
Originally posted by Dinnin
UMMMM..... Good question, ill need to have a look at it.
These are the ones i was looking at but i might look at the one you suggested aswell
1. Shadowdale by Scott Ciencin, originally under the pen-name 'Richard Awlinson'
2. Tantras by Scott Ciencin, originally under the pen-name 'Richard Awlinson'
3. Waterdeep by Troy Denning, originally under the pen-name 'Richard Awlinson'
4. Prince of Lies by James Lowder
5. Crucible: The Trial of Cyric the Mad by Troy Denning
For a proper experience, I'd recommend reading them in chronological order. This means reading books 1-to-5 in the sequence you've suggested above. I'd also suggest, that you not take the first three books too seriously with respect to the conduct of the gods. The depiction of the gods in the "Avatar" novels is literary licence: it doesn't match the deities as conceived elsewhere in Realmslore and shouldn't be taken as definitive of them. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 01 Jun 2010 : 00:46:32
quote:
Originally posted by Dinnin
UMMMM..... Good question, ill need to have a look at it.
These are the ones i was looking at but i might look at the one you suggested aswell
1. Shadowdale by Scott Ciencin, originally under the pen-name 'Richard Awlinson'
2. Tantras by Scott Ciencin, originally under the pen-name 'Richard Awlinson'
3. Waterdeep by Troy Denning, originally under the pen-name 'Richard Awlinson'
4. Prince of Lies by James Lowder
5. Crucible: The Trial of Cyric the Mad by Troy Denning
I, personally, would only recommend reading those for completeness, and for a better understanding of what went on in the Time of Troubles. The Avatar trilogy itself isn't that hot... I did like the latter two books, though (4 and 5). |
| Dinnin |
Posted - 01 Jun 2010 : 00:17:20
UMMMM..... Good question, ill need to have a look at it.
These are the ones i was looking at but i might look at the one you suggested aswell
1. Shadowdale by Scott Ciencin, originally under the pen-name 'Richard Awlinson'
2. Tantras by Scott Ciencin, originally under the pen-name 'Richard Awlinson'
3. Waterdeep by Troy Denning, originally under the pen-name 'Richard Awlinson'
4. Prince of Lies by James Lowder
5. Crucible: The Trial of Cyric the Mad by Troy Denning |
| Jorkens |
Posted - 31 May 2010 : 07:16:50
quote:
Originally posted by Dinnin
Like i said im getting the Avatar series next so all about the Time of Troubles and done by Ed i believe so im looking forward to it.
Just to be on the safe side, you do mean the The Shadow of the Avatar series? The Avatar series is a completely different series written by other authors then Ed and following the plots of the old modules. |
| Dinnin |
Posted - 31 May 2010 : 00:22:18
Silverwizard i would have to agree with the journal entries really not a fan of them either. i found the books interesting when they were about wulfgar after he got back from Erretu. But your right homeland and Exile were quite good. Like i said im getting the Avatar series next so all about the Time of Troubles and done by Ed i believe so im looking forward to it. |
| swifty |
Posted - 30 May 2010 : 15:08:24
i thought the hunters blade trilogy was the poorest.i can barely remember a single part of that series.always a bad sign. |
| silverwizard |
Posted - 29 May 2010 : 12:48:34
My 2 cents: Avoid at all costs. The only Drizz't books worth reading are "Homeland" and about two thirds of "Exile" (the last book of that trilogy, "Sojourn", is a monumental disgrace). After that, it just gets boring and old. The absolute lowest point in every book are Drizz't's journal entries. Probably the worst thing I've ever read in a WotC novel - ever.
There are other FR novels you could read. For starters, try the Erevis Cale novels.
Oh, and stay away from the "War of the Spider Queen" series unless you wish to read six novels written by six different authors (= no continuity in character development), after which nothing significant will have happened. OK, maybe I exaggerate a bit here, but I couldn't help feeling that so much potential was lost. |
| Dinnin |
Posted - 28 May 2010 : 02:51:12
Im reading through them all now and have gone from book 1 all the way to the first hunters blade at the moment. they are all good but i never read the part where Drizzt talks at the beginning of the parts his outlook kind of annoys me. But i have really enjoyed them all including the 2 out of the 3 transition books ive read.
looking forward to reading more FR books, got ones on waterdeep ready next and war of the spider queen |
| jornan |
Posted - 25 May 2010 : 23:17:17
I too, enjoyed all of the Drizzt novels...albeit there were some that were better than others, but even the worst of them was better than some other FR novels out there.
People give too much unfair scrutiny to these books, the type that would never be given to any other FR novel. And for as much as people are tired and overloaded with player character Dark Elves in MMO's and various other fantasy settings, etc. The fact of the matter is Drizzt is WHY they are popular. People forget that it was everyone else that jumped on the dark elf bandwagon not the other way around.
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| Alisttair |
Posted - 25 May 2010 : 17:18:08
I personally enjoyed all of the Drizzt books. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 24 May 2010 : 11:13:51
quote:
Originally posted by Zireael
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by Zireael
The Icewind Dale trilogy irked me with errors compared with the Dark Elf trilogy (Drizzt's age, his reaction to sun etc.) Not to mention Homeland was better written.
You must have one of the early printings of the Icewind Dale trilogy, then. His age in Crystal Shard was later changed to match the Dark Elf trilogy. Keep in mind that when Drizzt was intro'ed, in Crystal Shard, he was intended to be a sidekick to Wulfgar. It was only later that he moved to the forefront, and the Dark Elf trilogy was writtn.
Maybe that was the case with original books, but not with Polish translations. Despite it being second edition, the errors were still there...
Perhaps they were translating the original printing... |
| Zireael |
Posted - 24 May 2010 : 09:14:42
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by Zireael
The Icewind Dale trilogy irked me with errors compared with the Dark Elf trilogy (Drizzt's age, his reaction to sun etc.) Not to mention Homeland was better written.
You must have one of the early printings of the Icewind Dale trilogy, then. His age in Crystal Shard was later changed to match the Dark Elf trilogy. Keep in mind that when Drizzt was intro'ed, in Crystal Shard, he was intended to be a sidekick to Wulfgar. It was only later that he moved to the forefront, and the Dark Elf trilogy was writtn.
Maybe that was the case with original books, but not with Polish translations. Despite it being second edition, the errors were still there... |
| Sandro |
Posted - 24 May 2010 : 08:09:19
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by Zireael
The Icewind Dale trilogy irked me with errors compared with the Dark Elf trilogy (Drizzt's age, his reaction to sun etc.) Not to mention Homeland was better written.
You must have one of the early printings of the Icewind Dale trilogy, then. His age in Crystal Shard was later changed to match the Dark Elf trilogy. Keep in mind that when Drizzt was intro'ed, in Crystal Shard, he was intended to be a sidekick to Wulfgar. It was only later that he moved to the forefront, and the Dark Elf trilogy was writtn.
Aye: RAS himself acknowledged in the foreword of the collector's edition of the Dark Elf trilogy that the errors were necessary for the Dark Elf trilogy to be what he wanted it to be. I'll read it again for more specific details if you're really interested.
As for the Drizzt series, Dark Elf and Icewind Dale are great; Legacy of the Drow is solid, and Paths of Darkness is the low point. I really enjoyed the Hunter's Blades trilogy, though many find it too combat-oriented for their tastes. The Transitions trilogy I also found to be very enjoyable: The Orc King could easily be book four of the Hunter's Blades trilogy, The Pirate King is also a personal favourite, and The Ghost King is one of the best novels in the entire Drizzt series.
That's my two cents on the matter, at any rate. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 23 May 2010 : 15:33:12
quote:
Originally posted by Zireael
The Icewind Dale trilogy irked me with errors compared with the Dark Elf trilogy (Drizzt's age, his reaction to sun etc.) Not to mention Homeland was better written.
You must have one of the early printings of the Icewind Dale trilogy, then. His age in Crystal Shard was later changed to match the Dark Elf trilogy. Keep in mind that when Drizzt was intro'ed, in Crystal Shard, he was intended to be a sidekick to Wulfgar. It was only later that he moved to the forefront, and the Dark Elf trilogy was writtn. |
| Zireael |
Posted - 23 May 2010 : 10:17:41
I own practically all, but the best are:
1. Homeland
2. Spine of the World
3. Servant of the Shard
The Icewind Dale trilogy irked me with errors compared with the Dark Elf trilogy (Drizzt's age, his reaction to sun etc.) Not to mention Homeland was better written. |
| BARDOBARBAROS |
Posted - 22 May 2010 : 22:39:20
Homeland is one of the best novels... |
| Tyranthraxus |
Posted - 21 May 2010 : 20:20:54
First off: Welcome to the Keep Iceland14.
I enjoyed reading the Dark Elf Trilogy and Icewind Dale Trilogy, but after that I had enough of Drizzt & co and I didn't bother reading the rest of the novels, though I might read them when I'm finished with some other novels.
Like I already said, I enjoyed reading the books but IMHO there are far better Realms novels. |
| swifty |
Posted - 21 May 2010 : 20:00:09
legacy of the drow is my favourite series. |
| Elfinblade |
Posted - 21 May 2010 : 16:40:48
While i was never into the Drizzt hype myself, i have read most of them. Homeland in particular stands out for me as an excellent read. The other novels did not really do it for me unfortunately. But i know that there are many Drizzt fanboys on the forums who can give you more positive input  |
