Book XI, The Silent Blade: The Legend of Drizzt

Publisher Weekly once said about this book that it's "Salvatore at his best" No way. "Streams of Silver" is his best. This book...I don't know, there was something missing. We had everyone you know? Regis, Drizzt, Bruneor, Catti-brie, Artemis, Jarlaxle, Wulfgar, etc. So why is it so mediocre? Well, for starters, it was too slow. That chapter with Wulfgar and Drizzt fighting giants? 31 pages. Also, Drizzt is not questionable and not finding more about him. Also, the Artemis in Calimport was a pain to read. Personally, that was of little importance and should've been put in another book. 10 new charecters in one place, 8 of them die. Also, the endless talk of Regis's love of food. Somewhere i'm screaming CHARECTER DEVOLPMENT. The only thing from saving it was the giant battle at the end. But then Drizzt fakes a death. Why is our hereos invincible? None of the Drizzt gang has REALLY died. Just, near fatal wounding. And let's not forget the battles. It seems now that they can take whole armies. But the greatest thing about this book was Wulfgar. That saved the book from disaster. I loved hearing about Wulfgar and his leaving the group. I feel sorry for him. I'll be glad to hear more from him in the next book. For now, however, this is parring with Legacy.

Once a die hard Drizzt fan, I was intensely dissappointed by The Silent Blade. R.A. still retains his remarkable ability to grip the reader, sucking you into another world so tangible you can almost imagine it's out there somewhere. I truly did enjoy many of the individual scenes, especially those with Entreri in Calimport, for the vivid details R.A. provides. Sadly, however, Silent Blade represents the continuing decline of R.A's ability to write good plots. At every turn I thought of better, more exciting ways R.A. could have developed the story. R.A's tighly crafted, almost flawlessly conceived plot in his first book (The Crystal Shard) seems more miraculous with each passing book as his plots become worse and worse. However, after the last few books I wasn't expecting the greatest plot ever. The one thing I didn't expect was to see R.A. losing his grip on his characterizations, which has always one of his strongest suits. Bruenor and Regis have become mere charicatures of the stereotypical dwarf and halfling (How many times does R.A. mention Regis' love of food?) Catti-brie is little better, undergoing no devlopement at all. At first it seems like R.A. is breathing new life into the characters of Wulfgar and Entreri with Wulfgar's mental anguish and Entreri's loss of purpose but he disappoints in the end (you'll have to read the book to know what I mean). I even found myself questioning some of Drizzt's lines, saying to myself 'that doesn't sound like Drizzt.' He just doesn't ring true as the old Drizzt we all loved. Perhaps R.A. no longer has as good a feel for these characters as he did when he only wrote Drizzt books, having written so many other books recently. To my mind, he should have stopped after The Legacy. I've stuck with R.A. through 11 books, but I doubt I'll read the next one.

The Silent Blade is not only the firt book of the series "The Paths of Darkness" by R.A. Salvatore, but it is also the return to a battle that was thought over. The battle of and for the evil Crystal Shard.
In this first novel of the series, we encounter all of our old friends and enemies. This book really is an intro for the rest of the novels in this series which pins 3 characters, drizzt, wulfgar, and Entriri. The book is broken up, watching each character and showing what brings them to soon be their own novel.
Wulfgar is struggling with his sanity after being imprisoned in the abyss for six long years.
Drizzt is on a search to destroy the evil Crystal Shard.
And Atermis Entriri the deadly assassin and Drizzts fighting equel returns to his home city in search of himself and what he wants to do with the rest of his life.
All and all this story makes for another classic tale for Drizzt and his companions. A must read for Drizzt fans.

At the end of Passage to Dawn it was discovered that Wulfgar was not dead. Instead he had been held prisoner for many years by the demon Errtu. He was freed during the battle between Errtu and Drizzt. At the end of the battle Drizzt also gained control of Crenshinibon, the sentient crystal shard. Drizzt hopes that Cadderly will be able to help him destroy the evil artifact once and for all. The five companion, Drizzt, Bruenor, Regis, Catti-Brie, and Wulfgar head out for Spirit Soaring, Cadderly's magnificent cathedral.

The book splits into three stories. After a bad flashback to his imprisonment by the demon Wulfgar hits Catti-Brie. After doing this he doesn't trust himself with his friends and goes off on his own. He stumbles to the city of Luskan where he finally finds work as a bouncer in a bar. It seems that drink and violence are the only thing that can take his mind off of his past.

Drizzt and his remaining friends continue on their journey to Spirit Soaring. Their journey is made far more difficult along the way by the powerful artifact. Crenshinibon continually calls out to dark creatures such as orcs, trolls, ogres, and even men with evil designs. All are drawn by the power of the shard.

In the third thread we follow the story of Artemis Entreri. Entreri was able to escape from the drow city of Menzoberranzen and now he has finally made his way back to Calimport. There he tries to renew his alliances among the criminal elements of the city. He becomes embroiled in the turmoil that is taking place among the criminal pashas. Before long he discovers a new ally. It sees that Jarlaxle has decided to bring his Bregan D'Aerthe organization to the surface in a clandestine way.

Salvatore weaves these stories together quite well. There is a lot going on in this book and the stage is being set for the next few novels. A lot of action and a lot of exploration of the characters, particularly Entreri and Wulfgar. A fun fantasy novel in a great series.

After the whole mess with TSR and Mr. Salvatore, I feared I would never get to write these words. However, with the publication of The Silent Blade, Mr. Salvatore has returned trimphantly to his old stomping grounds, displaying a passion and verve unrivaled by many writers in the genre. Though the tale of Drizzt and company does not stray far from the conventional, it is vintage Salvatore nonetheless. His breathtakingly vivid battle scenes are as alive as ever, and his painstakingly crafted, straight-from-the-heart essays from Drizzt's perspective still cause shivers to run up and down the length of the spine. The book does contain surprises as well, however, including one that may cause the old heart to skip a few beats. But, that's why we read Salvatore, isn't it? To feel that chill, that shiver, that intense emotion that he conveys. Whether it is Drizzt's struggle for acceptance, Cattie-brie's romantic struggle, or Bruenor's constant complaining, Salvatore evokes in the reader strong reactions. It is for that feeling that I would like to say thank you to Mr. Salvatore. For it is that very power of the written word, the power to make a reader laugh, yell, and cry all within the same chapter, that makes literature special. And, it is for that reason R.A. Salvatore is and always will be one of the best there is at what he does.

This, in my opinion, was a great book when put up next to what happened in Salvatore's previous series. Many people found many reasons to criticize those books, clearly expecting more from an author who had shown so much promise early on. It seemed to some that they were purely books written for the money, that R.A. Salvatore had not really felt like writing, and I came to agree with those words.
I think that this was quite a bounce-back from that previous feeling I got from those books. I suddenly couldn't put the book down. Characters were more in depth, especially Wulfgar who is trying to recover from his torment he suffered at the hands of the demon Errtu, the plot was better and well planned out, and I thought that even some of the action was better.
I think that anyone who enjoyed any of R.A. Salvatore's earlier books would enjoy this book a whole lot, maybe even as much as those earlier books.

Drizzt Do'Urden and his friends together again. They are on the quest to destroy evil artefact Crystal Shard. However adventure appears to be not such easy as it seemed at first, Crystal Shard calls to it's aid all evil beings on ways of the heroes, ... and from Underdark. Drizzt again meets the old enemies (or friends?) from Menzoberanzan.
Wulfgar begins his falling. Will the horrible memoirs of his imprisonment in Abyss allow him to become that hero what he was.
Artemis Entreri comes back in Calimport and is compelled to fight for his place in the city and reputation of the deadliest of assassins. He finds out, that he becomes old and ... sentimental. Entreri can not forget about Drizzit and again search for him.
Who has won in the battle of two antipodes in which there can not be a winner? Drizzt or Entreri? Entreri at last finds rest, he knows, that he won this fight, he return from the battle alive and... alone.
Drow try to distribute there influence in cities on the surface, they search for the allies.
On my sight this book can be put in number of the best books about Drizzt Do'Urden, probably, it is the best book from this series. I still have advised to the readers to postpone all important businesses, or to make them beforehand, because it is impossible to come off the book. I recommend it to all fans of fantasy and Salvatore. There is however one remark - book is seems slightly not completed.

Some background on myself: I've read all of the books up to this one, and I've had plenty of time to sit in-between release dates and think about this series, one of my favorites from my childhood. As a result, I have some particularly strong opinions regarding these books and these characters. (For the record, I enjoyed the Drizzt books up to "Siege of Darkness" to varying degrees, but was sick of it by "Passage to Dawn.")
Drizzt is back, with all of his breath-taking swordplay and perpetual problems of self-doubt. That's the bad news. The good news is that a couple of the characters actually become dynamic, living, breathing characters, and not just the stagnant stereotypes with beautiful back-stories that they've normally been. Specifically I'm referring to Wulfgar and Artemis Entreri.
First lets go back for a sec and let me explain what I don't like about the series. My major complaint is that once the characters were established with some good back-stories and characterization, they felt like they were carved in stone, constant and unchanging. Also after reading all of their adventures and seeing everything they've overcome, I've ceased to feel afraid for their lives. The only thing that really affects me now is how the characters interact with each other and the world around them, so I desperately hang onto any indication that they're doing something that might be the slightest bit new or unusual for them.
This book has given me some hope for the future of the series.
This is the first book that really focuses on characters that are starting to change. Artemis Entreri has seen his reflection for the first time, in the world of the Drow, and he's not sure how he feels about what he saw. Wulfgar has miraculously come back from hell, and he's not sure how he fits into his old world anymore.
Two very different characters dealing with the very similar themes of who they are and what their place in the world is.
The upsides to this book are those two characters, and that's it. This means that with a bit of practice, you can easily start skipping over entire passages and chapters without missing anything that matters. Using this method of selective reading, the book turns into a well-done look at how two different characters deal with similar existential quandaries.
The downside is that I can't rate a book by counting the hits and throwing out the misses. There are still to many of the typical scenes and situations that Salvatore has turned into his own stereotype. Especially the ending.
I'm curious where the future books will go, and I'm trepidly looking forward to them.

After reading, "Passage to Dawn," I was a little tried of the Drizzt series and decided to read a different set of books. The different set didn't do it for me, so I went back to Drizzt and I was blown away by the Silent blade. The writing is ten times better then the "Legacy Series," the characters have much more depth and emotional ties (Artemis, Wolfgar), and I could tell (Don't ask me how) Mr. Salvatore was enjoying himself more when he was writing this series rather than the "Legacy series."
If you don't like the legacy series or not find it as enjoyable as the previous books, just read them because the "Paths of Darkness" series will make more sense and the stories will be ten times better.

Fans of the previous books (Dark Elf Trilogy, Icewind Dale Trilogy, and the four books that directly precede this one !) will no doubt be absolutely excited, and will buy this book no matter how any of these reviews are. Those who really are that eager to read this book (like I was, myself) will NOT be disappointed.
Several thoughts crept up on me while I read the book, but, out of sheer eagerness, I pushed them away, since I didn't want them clouding up the tale. After finishing the book, I reflected on how wonderful the book has actually been, but those positive thoughts eventually started mingling with the thoughts I had pushed away while reading the book.
One major thing, I felt, was the lack of description of many things. I generally felt that the book was something that had been written in a hurry. Not that any books the size of this one ever get written in a hurry, but compared to the three first books (which all are shorter than 'The Silent Blade', and therefore endanger me by contradicting myself.) 'The Silent Blade' felt like quantity, where as the other books felt like quality.
I don't give a bad book 4 stars, but just wanted to share my un-positive feelings concerning this book ! Compared to the DemonWars Trilogy(also R.A. Salvatore), starring Elbryan Wyndon, 'The Silent Blade' seems to lack a certain freshness and originality. If it wasn't for the fact that the stars of this book were Drizzt Do'Urden & Co, I'm afraid I wouldn't have finished it. Those companions keep this book interesting, but after you read the book, try substituting the main characters with previously unknown fantasy figures, and see how you would like that !
BUY IT ! Chances are, you're not going to regret it !

I'm new to RA Salvatore's books, and was given the first two Paths of Darkness books as a gift. For 2 years I put off reading them, then finally started The Silent Blade. I read the entire book in one day, it was that good! I immediately started to work on the second book, finished that in short order, and went out immediately to buy the latest, The Sea of Swords. I did not get into Entreri's character as much as I did those of the Companions of the Hall, so I skipped the third book in the series. I found Salvatore's writing style easy, comfortable and very intriguing. He wraps you up in the story and characters with seemingly little effort. There's no fluff in this book, it's all relevent, superb story-telling.

Once again Artimis Entreri is back in his home city of Calimport. Defeated, shaken by the shatering attack on his very existence by his trip into dark Menzobarranzan, he returns to Calimport older, wiser, and with more doubts than he has ever faced. His once rigid control has faded into apathy, and he honestly does not care anymore about the things for which he strove so passionately for before he met Drizzt Do-Urden. Now he must regroup if he desires to again be the greatest fighter in Toril. But has he finally let go of his obsession with proving himself better than Drizzt? Drizzt and his companions have returned from their battle with the Demon Urrtu. And now the go to destroy the crystal shard. Wulfgar is haunted by the tortures he was subjected to, and cannot continue life as if nothing has happened. Now he runs from his friends, perhaps to lose them as he struggles to find himself. Salvatore is perhaps one of the best Writers at giving the characters, even the minor ones, an individual life and a humanity that makes them so real they could step out of the pages and speak to you. He continually draws us into a world where anything is possible, and it is.

When I finished 'Passage to Dawn', I nearly despaired of the Dark Elf series ever achieving anything near what it had in past books. 'Passage to Dawn' was extremely weak, unsatisfying, and predictable. Well, I was wrong to doubt, and wrong to fear. This book is most likely one of the best Drizzt books written to date. It has everything that a loyal fan hopes for from Salvatore- good fight scenes, intricate personal relationships, and a twisting plot-line in which perhaps everyone might not turn out happy in the end. I had believed his resurrection of Wulfgar to be a mistake. Well, mistake or not, Salvatore handles the 'new' Wulfgar character masterfully, giving him life and depth beyond that of even the old Wulfgar, who was still a good character in his own right. Again, the Drizzt/Entreri rivalry reemerges, with interesting twists and turns. We also see other well portrayed characters from the series, characters such as Jarlaxle and of course, Drizzt Do'Urden himself, who is much stronger a character in this book than in the last, weak, 'Passage to Dawn'. In short, this book is magnificent, and is probably one of the best books in the series so far. I recommend it wholeheartedly to any Drizzt fans out there.

Disappointing effort for Salvatore. I've loved everything else up until this. This feels half-hearted. So it's just OK, and compared to his others, worse than that. It finally picks up toward the end, but the first 2/3 to 3/4 had me questioning if Salvatore really wrote it. It's possible the material for Drizzt has all been mined already - there is only so far you can go with even the best characters.

I've read all of Salvatore's Drizzt books, and I think that this one, by far, is my favorite. Of course, they're all good... But Silent Blade pulls together all my favorite characters. Artemis Entreri returns for yet another battle with the famed drow ranger, which proves to be most interesting. Our drow mercenary friends appear, with interesting bits of their own. Oh how amusing the lieutenents are! And, of course, Bruenor brings his own amusing self into the story as only the surly dwarf can do. Regis has a few good scrapes, but he's as fun as he's always been. Cat and Wulfgar have their own scores to settle, but it all turns out well in the end... for the most part... Like all Salvatore's books, you never want to put it down. But sleep finds you eventually, in which you dream about the heros... Silent Blade is energetic and fast-paced (but well) and pulls together just about everything we've read in all Salvatore's previous books! I had the most fun reading this book. But, of course, nothing made me laugh harder than Thibbledorf Pwent and Harkle in the Time of Troubles, but I would still rate Silent Blade as the best book to date. And I do hope the books he writes after this one will be just as enticing.

-"...Salvatore at his best..." - Publisher Weekly
R.A Salvatore, one of the most talented and amazing authors for the Forgotten Realms series, leaves us utterly astonished once again in this spellbinding novel.
The book is so detailed, the combats, the scenarios, the characters, everything can be pictured so clearly in your mind that you unroll your own movie as you read along!
The captivating novelist, R.A Salvatore, is especially known for his great writing abilities during battles, however that is not his only great attribute in this novel. The readers are magnetized and enchanted by the book, and that I believe, is the work of the persuasive author.
Salavatore's signature character, Drizzt Do'Urden, is included in "The Silent Blade" and so are his riveting companions: Wulfgar the mighty barbarian, Cattie-Brie with her remarkable bow, Regis the hypnotizer, Breunor the dwarf and Drizzt's powerful cat, Gwenhwyvar. Powerful enemies also lurk about the Forgotten Realms, and these include the deadly assassin Artemis Entreri, the cunning drow, Jarlaxle, and his apprentices, Kimmuriel Oblodra, the psionist and Rai-Guy the wizard-cleric. However the most manipulative and powerful enemy lies in a simple artifact, the Crystal Shard, Crenshinibon!
The theme of the book is very interesting and keeps readers in the book. The motif of the novel concerns dilemmas. The characters have many problems that they try to rid and resolve, however, doing so is no simple task.
This is one of Salvatore's greatest books and I highly recommend this book to anybody who enjoys fantasy and dungeons & dragons novels. If you ever have read a book from J.R.R Tolkien, such as the Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, then this is also a book for you.
The cruel demon, Errtu, is also featured in the stimulating novel, but only as a character from the past that still, emotionally, torments Wulfgar. Drizzt and his companions are worried for their friend, and at the same time, must keep an eye on the demoniac artifact, Crenshinibon. All of these dangerous and difficult obstacles occur while Artemis Entreri, the deadly assassin, allies with cunning drows to form an army in the streets of Calimport, and wishes revenge on his superior. It is up to you to help Wulfgar and Drizzt in an amazing battle!
Hurry and purchase this gripping novel, and pick up your blade and enter the fascinating Forgotten Realms dimension!

It's been a little while since I read TSB, but there are a few things I remember. The biggest problem that sticks out in my mind, is I remember it reading somewhat erratic. I've never been a fan of switching locales and central characters, so this might have just been me. I like what has happened with Wulfgar. I'm sure I'm in the majority of the readers in saying that I like the Drizzt character, but I also really like what happened with the big barbarian. 6 years of torture is going to destroy most personalities, and having Wulfgar go off on his own seems like the best option for him. And with the arrival of Spine of the World, we get an idea of how Wulfgar's struggles are going. I was briefly upset about the big, climactic battle. Another Drizzt vs. Entreri fight. We've seen a lot of those now. But this one had a different flavour than the others. The end, the true end of this fight was not a matter of who owned what magic, or what poison, or who planned the fight. It came down to a simple battle of skill, which was what Jarlaxle had intended to do with the arena. Drizzt beat Entreri in the swordplay. I don't think that the assassin will stay in the dark about Drizzt's survival, but I don't think he's going to hunt down Drizzt for another scuffle. The point has been proven, and Artemis has to live with knowing that Drizzt was the better swordsman. Of course, Artemis walked out... well was TK'd out of the room still conscious because he had the more powerful allies. So he won the fight, just not the swordplay. Being a poor college student, I have to wait for Spine to come out in paperback before I buy it, but I'm hoping to get some time to read a borrowed copy soon. :) Oh yes, and I would really like to see SOME kind of resolution for Catti-Brie. In Passage to Dawn she confessed to Danica some interest in our drow hero. Yes with the arrival of Wulfgar she had to rethink things, but it'd still be nice to see something happen there.
-Astanos

This book feels like a one big filler, I don't even know why. It just plods along, there's no big climax or anything. It follows three story lines: Drizzt, Catti-brie, Regis and Bruenor's, then Wulfgar's and Entreri's. It's a good book but, I don't know, the spark's missing, I guess.

Also, what really irked me was how Drizzt and Catti-brie, mostly it was those two, were all about how they wanted to give Wulfgar time and space to get better - and at the same time they kept nagging and nagging, wanting him to be the same Wulfgar he had been before the yochlol took him, as if they knew better what he needed/wanted. And when it didn't go well, it was hard for them to ~forgive~ Wulfgar his behavior. I was all WHAT? Wulfgar's the victim here, it should be about what ~he~ needs, not what ~you~ need. And the last straw? When Catti-brie consented to sleep with Wulfgar to ~help~ him - right, to sleep with someone out of pity is so good and pristine!

Yes, I'm tired of Drizzt and Catti-brie being the Marty-Sue and Mary-Sue of these books. They can't do any wrong, they are wise and serene and so zen! Right. You know, there's being the "good guy" and then there's "Marty/Mary-sue-ism", and this smacks of the latter.

Last night, I saw this book & immediately got it. And man, oh man, am I glad I did! Salvatore's back with a vengeance & this rocks! I could not put this book down, even though it means I've gotta write two papers for class tomorrow. Well worth it. I like what was done with Wulfgar, even though I don't particularly care for the character, it was logical. Six years in the Abyss would mess up anybody! I think I might have to get Spine of the World when it comes out in paperback (I'm a poor college student too). Great fights, good character development, and ANOTHER DRIZZT NOVEL! Oh yeah! And even the rematch between Drizzt & Artemis was cool: I coul've used a map of that room that Jarlaxle created, tho... I'm sure my neighbors must think I'm nuts, yelling about events in a book at 3am, but oh well. Excellent work.
One thing: settle this stuff with poor Catti-Brie, Drizzt, and Wulfgar. If there was ever a bizarre love triangle, this is it. (I'm rooting, as always, for the drow.)
And that last battle: whoa, mama! Man, I was on the edge of my seat on that one! And I had a sinking feeling how it was gonna turn out at the end there. Should I curse Jarlaxle for arranging it in the first place, or bless him for stepping in when it was needed? And what kind of havoc, praytell, will the leader of Bregan D'aerthe unleash on Menzoberranzan now that he has Crenshinibon, eh?
More time could have been spent on that crusty dwarf Bruenor, however. And just enough time was spent on Regis.
Kill Artemis! Let Jarlaxle take over Calimport! Hook up Drizzt and Catti-Brie! Give us more Bruenor Battlehammer! And more stuff on Menzoberranzan!

Worst enemy in a plot for him to take over the streets he once lived in he must agree to once again work with the Dark Elfs who he hates so. Artemis Entreri starts to see that there is more in life than killing innocents and gaining wealth.

I have always enjoyed the story line and was thrilled to read yet another from him. Story line is always captive, charecters are to die for. I's so glad he keeps writing this story and can't wait untill he writes more!

I got all excited upon the return of Wulfgar... and when he finally comes back, he's whiny, stupid and moody. This book reads like a friggin' soap opera! If I wanted that, I could watch daytime TV!
I really hope that everybody gets their "stuff" together in the next book (Which I hear is actually more of Wulfgar's whinings) and goes back to the good ole' days like in the Crystal Shard where everybody is fighting against evil critters instead of complaining amongst themselves all the time.

Well I was really disappointed with this book. I love the characters and I was looking forward to reading about them again. But in this book they seemed comical and lacked true depth with the exception of Artemis. Although I was hoping the assassin would some how find redemption. Perhaps Salvatore is leaving that open for another series, I hope so. Overall I wouldn't recommend this book, although the fight scene between Drizzt and Artemis had a clever twist.

Half way through the book, I was waiting for it to begin. It focuses on 3 lives, but I don't know where people are getting this "intertwining" stuff. Wulfgar leaves the party, and then fights 101 barroom brawls. Artemis returns to Calimport and walks to a guild, talks, walks to another guild, talks, walks to another guild. It was a bit repetetive. And Drizzt just writes novels on how screwed up Wulfgar is. The only intertwining at all is Drizzt meets Artemis at the very end, where for the 180th time, Salvatore thinks he is going to fool us into believing he would actually kill off a main character. Yeah, right. After Wulfgar, it became quite clear, these guys are immortal. The fights are more like an unprepared DM. "Another goblin band attacks." Despite all the problems, I read it really fast, mostly b/c i've enjoyed reading about Drizzt so much in the past. Salvatore used to be my favorite author, but I felt he was going downhill since Passage to Dawn.
=================BAHUMUTH

For a Drizzt novel, Drizzt is in it very rarely. In fact, if the parts without Drizzt were taken out, only about 50 pages of the 400 page novel would remain. What is the book filled with then? Lots of Artemis Entreri and Jarlaxle. If you don't like those guys this is not a book for you. I personally can't stand them mucking up a perfectly good Drizzt book, so I skimmed through them. Honestly, Jarlaxle and Entreri are NOT compelling and interesting characters.

Another criticism is that RA sort of "beats the dead horse" so to speak, repeating plot points or re-hashing things over and over again as if he thinks the reader is stupid. Okay, for the tenth time, we get it, Wulfgar is confused.

New readers will absolutely not be able to start with this book (which marks the beginning of a new trilogy). Its a shame, as all the other Drizzt books did an excellent job of helping new readers along.

The one thing that saves this book is an epic duel at the end. Is it worth it? No.

I've ready every book in the Legend of Drizzt previous to this one. I have to say that the Icewind Dale Trilogy and Dark Elf trilogy are amazing stories. The Paths of Darkness (the previous four titles to this book) was a good continuation of the story. This book however, did two things right. First, it focused and greatly developed on the character of Artemis Entreri. This book had three separate plot lines and this one was by the far the best and most interesting. Second, the storyline of Wulfgar was very entertaining in that it gave a very simple approach to the character. There wasn't a lot of depth to that plot line, but I found it to help break up the seriousness and darkness of the Entreri plot. The third plot in the book focused on the rest of our usual heroes on their journey to destroy the Crystal Shard. I found this plot line to be cliche and not very inspiring or attention grabbing. Also, I found the ending of the book to be rather abrupt and unexpected. I felt like the last chapter, the climax, really came out of left field. I felt slightly alienated in the final chapter as events in the book didn't seem to building up to what had happened. I feel that this is resulting from the overall nature of the book. My intuition is telling me that this book was written more as a pivotal story than as a focused whole, hence the three plot lines. I feel that the next book in the cycle will focus more heavily on a single, more concrete storyline.

The Silent Blade: A Review

The Silent Blade, by author R.A. Salvatore, is the eleventh novel in the Forgotten Realms Legends of Drizzt series of books (formerly broken up into The Dark Elf Trilogy, The Icewind Dale Trilogy, and The Paths of Darkness series). It is a decent novel, not one of Salvatore's best but far from his worst. The character development is on par with the rest of the series (but for a couple of minor inconsistencies) and the setting and plot are wonderfully well written. Throughout the book there is a sense of urgency in regards to each of the three main characters and their different, yet mixed, plotlines. The convoluted twists and turns Artemis Entreri must travel through, the dangers that Drizzt Do'Urden and his friends must meet, and the soul-searching of Wulfgar the barbarian make for a most interesting story (although the latter is less interesting than the two former).

The Good: The Drizzt and Entreri storylines are as good, if not better, than previous novels in which the two characters meet. Moreover, it is the growth of Entreri that really shines in this story, in the reviewer's opinion. He has grown, going from Drizzt's arch-nemesis (merely someone for the dark elf to battle on occasion), to a full character in his own right -- a growth that began in Starless Night and only rises in importance in this book.

The Bad: Wulfgar's story, while intriguiing and offering a chance to really see into the heart of this character, was disappointing. In defense of Wulfgar and Mr. Salvatore, it was probably disappointing to this reader because the return of Wulfgar in Passage to Dawn was so underwhelming. While he is a beloved character he should have not made his return in that book.

In conclusion, pick up The Silent Blade if you are a fan of Salvatore's Drizzt books. If you have not read the Drizzt novels in the Forgotten Realms setting, it would be best to start with either The Dark Elf Trilogy or The Icewind Dale Trilogy and continue on with the others before delving into this book. It does stand on its own, but having the background information in the previous novels will make many things make more sense to the reader.

It's the Drizzt story and there's nothing better. I've never liked reading books until I picked up these series. I can put myself into everyone of the character's places. I've been through so much in such a short time in my life. These books have helped me guide myself and how to guide my life by morals that are larger than myself. Instead of hurting people I do my best to help all but, there are those that you can't help and you can't hold yourself responsible. Love these books and really wish someone would take this on as a huge movie production with several following movies. If they can do it for race cars like fast and furious then this should be a no brainer!

Wulfgar (did you really think Salvatore would have one of his heroes die, you schmuck?) is in danger of becoming interesting, and its up to the "Companions of the Hall" to save him, and keep him boring. Entreri is awesome, as always, but now he is almost starting from scratch when he returns to Calimport of wherever the heck he's from. Regis is useless, its like Salvatore wants to get rid of him but can't, so he has him do something really stupid every now and then...oh and Jarlaxle is in this too, possibly my favorite character in all of literature...but, alas, all of my least favorite characters, or overall things for that matter, are also in this book: Cattie-Brie, Bruenor, and Drizzt. We have to read Drizzt's diary every now and then, where he struggles with feelings about why he is such a tool. Wulfgar has just been through hell, and the companions are basically like, "We know you suffered a lot, so we are going to stop treating you like such a jerk for a little while, OK now stop being such a moron." The whole book boils down to a (another) deul between Entreri and Drizzt, and hey! Maybe this one will actually have a definitive ending! If you want to know what happens, or rather what doesn't happen, in this horrible book, then waste your money on it. But if you've read Salvatore's other garbage and don't know what is going to happen in this one then you are crazy.

Silent Blade, the 11th Drizzt book, begins a fresh new adventure for the Companions of the Hall. As Drizzt and Co. head out to Spirit Soaring to have Cadderly destroy the (same old) Crystal Shard, monsters hound them at every turn. Wulfgar struggles with inner demons until he finds a place as a bouncer for a rough tavern in Luskan, where he has a great time bashing heads and drinking booze. Artemis Entreri travels back to his roots in Calimport to begin reestablishing his name and fortune. Jarlaxle has ventured out of Menzoberanzan in the search for power and wealth and coaxes Entreri to join his plans.

The story is fun and exciting in the normal Salvatore style. The many fight scenes are told with unmatched skill and clarity and are interspersed throughout the book so that you never have a dull moment. Character development is the primary thing that stands out in this book. Wulfgar, Entreri, and Jarlaxle especially grow as characters. Drizzt and Catie-Brie continue to slowly develop a somewhat bizarre relationship in which neither really knows what they want. The book ends with most of the characters being at peace with their place in life, but also with a feel of danger on the horizon that makes you look forward to the rest of the series.

Some background on myself: I've read all of the books up to this one, and I've had plenty of time to sit in-between release dates and think about this series, one of my favorites from my childhood. As a result, I have some particularly strong opinions regarding these books and these characters. (For the record, I enjoyed the Drizzt books up to "Siege of Darkness" to varying degrees, but was sick of it by "Passage to Dawn.")
Drizzt is back, with all of his breath-taking swordplay and perpetual problems of self-doubt. That's the bad news. The good news is that a couple of the characters actually become dynamic, living, breathing characters, and not just the stagnant stereotypes with beautiful back-stories that they've normally been. Specifically I'm referring to Wulfgar and Artemis Entreri.
First lets go back for a sec and let me explain what I don't like about the series. My major complaint is that once the characters were established with some good back-stories and characterization, they felt like they were carved in stone, constant and unchanging. Also after reading all of their adventures and seeing everything they've overcome, I've ceased to feel afraid for their lives. The only thing that really affects me now is how the characters interact with each other and the world around them, so I desperately hang onto any indication that they're doing something that might be the slightest bit new or unusual for them.
This book has given me some hope for the future of the series.
This is the first book that really focuses on characters that are starting to change. Artemis Entreri has seen his reflection for the first time, in the world of the Drow, and he's not sure how he feels about what he saw. Wulfgar has miraculously come back from hell, and he's not sure how he fits into his old world anymore.
Two very different characters dealing with the very similar themes of who they are and what their place in the world is.
The upsides to this book are those two characters, and that's it. This means that with a bit of practice, you can easily start skipping over entire passages and chapters without missing anything that matters. Using this method of selective reading, the book turns into a well-done look at how two different characters deal with similar existential quandaries.
The downside is that I can't rate a book by counting the hits and throwing out the misses. There are still to many of the typical scenes and situations that Salvatore has turned into his own stereotype. Especially the ending.
I'm curious where the future books will go, and I'm trepidly looking forward to them.

I haven't finished this book yet. I am utterly burnt out from Drizzt so I had to put it down (figuratively speaking since it's a digital copy) and will wait for a long while before going back to it. There's a whole lot more books after this one so a couple at a time with months between will help with the burn out I hope because they are really decent books with great inner reflection on friendship and loyalty.

Book 1 of the Legend of Drizzt series, Homeland, was a hard read at first with the long complicate names but once I got past that I really liked it and decided to keep reading. I've now read 25+ books from RA Salvatore and would recommend all Legend of Drizzt, Hunters Blade, Transitions, and Neverwinter books as great fantasy reads. Salvatore has such great character development and interesting new adventures that make you want to keep reading. There is a fair amount of fighting, if you're not into that I'd still recommend these books, just read through those parts fast.

Didn't see Jarlaxle coming into the picture! Honestly Artimis Entreri played a very interesting role in the start that made it an amazing story in the book! Curious to see how he reacts when he notices Drizzt is still alive!!! Will he drop his pride, and just go good. Such good fighting prowess, and they fought so well in the past! Plus what of Wulfgar!!?? I'm so looking forward to future books! Let's make a movie door it!!! :)

I loved the story, the twists, the turns, and the fight scenes are simply incredible! If nothing else I have learned life lessons from this fictional character, I love everyone of these books, and will read them again down the road one day! Definately a five star rating for everyone of these books in my opinion!

R. A. Salvatore never disappoints, and this chapter of the tale is as good as any of them. This book is a transitional story, however, and as such doesn't stand on its own as a satisfying conclusion of events. Still, expect plenty of deep character development, exciting battles, and a page turning plot--all in the living, vivid voice you have come to expect from the best writer the Forgotten Realms has ever known.

I absolutely love the books and all the characters, but it is just not my favorite in the drizzt saga. Still a very good book just wasn't my cup of tea this time. It doesn't mean it won't be your favorite though! :)

R.A. Salvatore is amazing in his descriptive breadth and creating deep worlds filled with excitement. I first started this series @ 10 years old during a rough age and haven't looked back. Now @ 30, it is still as fantastic as ever.

One of my favorite authors and some of the best characters ever to walk in my minds eye.

THANK YOU R.A. SALVATORE!!! A true joy for many years.

It's been a little while since I read TSB, but there are a few things I remember. The biggest problem that sticks out in my mind, is I remember it reading somewhat erratic. I've never been a fan of switching locales and central characters, so this might have just been me. I like what has happened with Wulfgar. I'm sure I'm in the majority of the readers in saying that I like the Drizzt character, but I also really like what happened with the big barbarian. 6 years of torture is going to destroy most personalities, and having Wulfgar go off on his own seems like the best option for him. And with the arrival of Spine of the World, we get an idea of how Wulfgar's struggles are going. I was briefly upset about the big, climactic battle. Another Drizzt vs. Entreri fight. We've seen a lot of those now. But this one had a different flavour than the others. The end, the true end of this fight was not a matter of who owned what magic, or what poison, or who planned the fight. It came down to a simple battle of skill, which was what Jarlaxle had intended to do with the arena. Drizzt beat Entreri in the swordplay. I don't think that the assassin will stay in the dark about Drizzt's survival, but I don't think he's going to hunt down Drizzt for another scuffle. The point has been proven, and Artemis has to live with knowing that Drizzt was the better swordsman. Of course, Artemis walked out... well was TK'd out of the room still conscious because he had the more powerful allies. So he won the fight, just not the swordplay. Being a poor college student, I have to wait for Spine to come out in paperback before I buy it, but I'm hoping to get some time to read a borrowed copy soon. :) Oh yes, and I would really like to see SOME kind of resolution for Catti-Brie. In Passage to Dawn she confessed to Danica some interest in our drow hero. Yes with the arrival of Wulfgar she had to rethink things, but it'd still be nice to see something happen there.
-Astanos

I honestly can't rate this book any lower than I did! He can weave words in so beautiful a way you would think he was there. He is one of the best authors I've ever read the work of and I cannot wait to read the next.

I had a lot of fun reading this. All the tricks being pulled by Crenshinibon were fun. What wound up happening with Crenshinibon was a great way of ending the book. Oh how complex it was yet also how simple it was.

"The Silent Blade", the first book in fourth series of Drizzt the Dark Elf novels by Bob Salvatore, is essentially a continuation of the overall story that began more than ten years ago with "The Crystal Shard". All the major characters return for this novel, including Wulfgar after his return from the Abyss. While the fight scenes are still entertaining, they have started to become a bit repetitive.
As another reviewer mentioned, over the course of the previous ten novels, the characters and their mannerisms/characterizations have been fairly static. With this novel, Salvatore attempted to breathe new life into some of these characters. Wulfgar journeys on his own to fight his inner demons. Entreri sees himself for who he truly is and what the driving factor is in his life. Jarlaxle is also developed more and has become an even more sinister and deadly foe.
This book is broken into three main sections: Wulfgar's journey, the Entreri/Jarlaxle teaming, and the travels of the remaining members of the Companions of the Hall. This was obviously written in such a manner to lead into the following two novels: "Spine of the World" to further Wulfgar's story and "Servant of the Shard" to further the Jarlaxle/Entreri story.
While still a good read, it's not up to the standards set in the earlier novels, especially the first two trilogies. Maybe Salvatore thought his characters were becoming too static and in order to continue the series, changes had to be made. The first part of the book dealing with the encounter with the giants was classic Salvatore. However, the middle third of the book tended to drag a bit as the book was split into the three sections. However, the ending, while predictable, was action-packed and entertaining, even though the fight scene was essentially a rehashing of prior encounters.

While I did enjoy The Slient Blade, there was nothing new. Personally I believe this could have been a much better book had Salvatore spend more time on it and made it longer. I have always felt that Drizzt books were too short but this was by far the one book that should have been at least 100-200 pages longer. Bob should have spent more time on Wulfgar and his trouble, coming to some kind of conclusion. There should have been more plot also, involving Drizzt, Catti-brie, Brenour, and Regis. I was very disappointed in the lack of action and storyline involving Drizzt. He is after all the main hero. Reguardless as to how pleased I am or am not about this book, this is the only one of the 11 I have been less than satisfied. So believe me, I would keep on reading!

What can I say to help someone better understand the book....READ ALL THE OTHERS FIRST. I read SILENT BLADE, and it made me want to pick up all the others of Drizzt & Co. and read them all over again. What I am wondering is why some big time screen producer has not jumped on this yet? If I had Lucas or Spielberg's movie making prowess, I would be all over this like black on a Drow Elf! This has got STAR WARS potential all over it (not to say Mr. Salvatore should sell out) but this is great stuff. READ THIS BOOK, then buy the others and read them if you haven't. Preferably buy them first then buy this one...I read Streams of Silver before I read The Crystal Shard. Mr. Salvatore, your the greatest, keep it up....

The silent blade was a very good start to the journey to destroy crenshinibon. I did not expect Wulfgar to have a nervous breakdown. Entreri was so superb in his confidence on the streets of calimport. Drizzt is always memorable. The following is a note to the author: First I would like to say that you are the most talented and interesting author I have ever come across. I think the way you blend the different stories of the characters is amazing and hope I can some day write half as good as you. You have made such a profound influence on my life I can not express it in words. I hope you will respond to this and could take a look at my story to see if it is any good thank you for all the hours of pure pleasure good bye.

I HAVE JUST COMPLETED READING SILENT BLADE. I MUST SAY THAT IT WASN'T DISSAPOINTING. I THOUGHT THIS BOOK WAS REALLY A STEPPING STONE FOR MORE BOOKS TO COME. I THINK THAT R.A.S. USED THIS BOOK TO DEVELOP CHARACTERS SUCH AS ENTRERI, WULFGAR AND JARLAXLE. SO LOOK OUT FOR MORE TO COME.
I HOPE THAT R.A.S. HAS DRIZZT DEAL MORE HEAVILY WITH HIS DISTANT COUSINS THE SURFACE ELVES, ESPECIALLY THE LITTLE ELVEN GIRL HE SAVED DURING THAT DROW RAID IN HOMELAND. IT WOULD BE COOL TO HAVE THE SURFACE ELVES GO THROUGH THE CHALLENGE OF FORGIVING AND ACCEPTING DRIZZT OF WHO HE IS AND NOT BY THE REPUTATION OF THE DROW.
STAY FAITHFUL, THERE'S MORE WARS, ENEMIES, UNEXPECTED ALLIES, DUELS(EXTERNAL/INTERNAL) AND GOOD LAUGHS TO COME. I WELCOME ANY COMMENTS SO E-MAIL ME!

Again we have the same fantastic Drizzt action that we all love. With some luverly old friends thrown in to liven the spirit of. However there is a problem with all but two books to date we are let down severly. How many times have you read about Drizzt's young and slender body, and handsome features. So why is it then that we consistently endure the mind-numbing annoyance of having another book cover that depicts Drizzt as old, fat and looking considerably like a dodgy human geezer with receeding hair and strangely and decidingly worrying brown skin. It is an outrage, why the hell can't they get an artist who has read the book to paint a picture. Or at least get someone who knows what Drizzt looks like to describe him. It can't be that hard, surely.

The Silent Blade is a wonderful book and kept me turning the pages long into the night. I didn't want to quit reading and have to leave Drizzt and everyone else behind. I also liked this book because it delved into the mind of Artemis Entreri and Wulfgar. Artemis because he was not the same after fighting Drizzt so many times and not knowing who was the better fighter and Wulfgar because he had suffered so much. This book is a definite must read for all Salvatore fans! I also liked the fact that Jarlaxle was brought into this story and that he teamed up with Entreri, it seemed like that was the way that it had to be. Anyway, if you haven't yet read this book....do so now!!!

The fact that this book was even published is a crime. I have loved all the previous Drizzt books up until Legacy. This book left me feeling empty and used. The fact that Salvatore was rushing these last two books out is easy to see. The last two books read like an evening's D&D session w/o a module to keep things interesting. The crystal shard again???? A fight to the death with Entreri again???? Drizzt complaining again??? I looked forward to this book, but if R.A. can't stop resting on his laurels and give us something fresh and new for the heroes to do....then we shouldn't buy his books. This book is like a bad movie sequel...let's just use the same things that made the last movie popular & people will throw money at us. BAH! A first year DM could come up with at least SOMETHING new.

This book started out real slow and I was worried at first that Bob lost it.He then brought it all back,and you can't put the book down until the end.Drizzt is the greatest as always and it's like I'm him with every book.I do agree with other reviews about him and Cattie-brie ending up together sometime in the long future,you wouldn't want to spoil any of the excitment.I do also agree that it wouldn't hurt to try and find some new quests for the group as well.Overall they are all great,and by the way,nice touch with the battle with Drizzt and Artemis at the end,that was great!Hopefully the books with this group will just keep coming.THANKS!!!

Very good Salvatore book YET AGAIN! It was nice to read as much about Entreri, again, as Drizzt. I really hope Entreri can get his own title, with Drizzt involved someway in the plot. I like Artemis Entreri, because he's not just a maddog killer, but has atleast a somekind of code of honor. My first thought about Wulfgar was that, really, is he necessary, but towards the end the story evolved quite nicely (although I really liked Wulfgar better in the abyss). One star drop was 'coz of Wulfgar, and Entreris obssesion about proving himself, yet again... ..and Drizzt & Co's seeming Demi-Godhood (MAN, they are a powerful lot). Jarlaxle was a BIG plus, also with a code of honor. Very good book indeed!

Man ever since I've read The Legacy I been reading like hell just broke lose and wounted to absorb all the storys before they were gone. In other word I now cant put books DOWN!!! My life has changed ever since I read it. Of corse I've read other author'b books before BUT with Salvatore has sparked my imagination like one one else could. I thank you for this. I just have to say that I am looking VERY forwored to reading his next book The Silent Blade. Please say Drizzt does not die thou even if he does die Wulfgar did come back from the dead. So with your cativity all of your books to come will be fantastic!!! WRIGHT MORE AND KEEP THE SPARK ALIVE!!!!!!!

True to most Salvatore fans, I await each novel with much anticipation. That could be the reason why this novel did not live up to such high expectation.
I believe Salvatore can do better. The Dark Elf Trilogy changed me big time. Although set in a fantasy world, it was believable and really drew one into the storyline. In fact, I can hardly believe that Drizzt is not a real person. My suggestion to Salvatore is this - let Drizzt live. He is alive, grow his character. Does he enjoy travelling? Is his potential reached? Any quests he can embark on which isn't driven by a strong moral obligation? (An unwilling hero is the best one).
So many possibilities. Can't it be better?

If people were to actually read some of Salvatores other books (such as The Demon Awakens) then they would have read a part of the The Silent Blade. In it Wulfgar is going crazy 'cause Errtu's screwing with his head. As for all of you that believe that Drizzt will die in this book, remember that Errtu is thirsty for Drizzt's blood. And remember that Errtu wasn't easily defeated in Passage to Dawn.

I love Drizzt and have read almost everything Salvatore has published...but The Silent Blade was a let down. It was incredibly boring and predictable. I know that Salvatore doesn't want to hear this, but I bought the book to read about Drizzt...not Wulfgar. The Wulfgar/Cattibri/Drizzt love triangle is way too old. Why not give Drizzt someone else to be interested if you are going to keep silly drunk testosterone boy Wulfgar around for Cattibri. I did like the psychological battle that Artemis was having... and the way Jarlaxle took advantage of it. Other than that, I felt the same way Drizzt did when confronted with another battle. It's really pointless.

This was the first Forgotten Realms/D&D book I have ever read; I could not put it down. The characters are well-developed and the battle scenes are phenomenally written. I must also mention that Drizzt's insights into life are amazing as well. I could not put this book down, and have re-read it (which i used to do, but haven't found any novels good enough in awhile). The three-fold storyline is well-done (Artemis Enteri's journeys in Calimport; Drizzt & co.'s journeys to get rid of the Crystal Shard; Wulfgar's quest to rid himself of the haunting memories left behind by Errtu). A must-read for fantasy lovers everywhere.

Wulfgar's plot is tremendously bland, and Entreri's is repetitive, and Drizzt's is, well, slight. The ending happens too fast, it seemed almost rushed, and resolves very little... it's a sequel setup, clearly, but that only results in an strong unsatisfying feeling in the reader. Central themes are nonexistent. And yet still, this book is compulsively readable, almost paradoxically so. Despite the fact that I only seem to have criticisms, I still enjoyed it a great deal.

Can it be true? Is Drizzt really going to be reunited with his Father the hard way? I've followed Drizzt from Homelands to his ship board life and must honestly say that out of the 200+ AD&D novels from all systems he has been the most memorable. Not because of the originality of a good drow but because of how well Salvatore defined him. From childhood to Ranger we've seen Drizzts life, from hardship to true friendship we've felt for him. Well I guess the only other thing to cover his his death but I sincerely hope he goes out with a bang mayhaps while helping to destroy the crystal shard which has been left unfinished in Passage to Dawn...

This book started out well. I liked the mini storylines. However the Wulfgar sub-plot just wasn't interesting. Most of the fighting, while well discribed, was just the same ol' same ol' repetitive dribble. Bringing Jarlaxle back into the series was a good idea. Drizzt played a minor role in this one. But it is good to see character developement, espesally with Entreri. This was a good book, but it just didn't feel like the old Drizzt novels. Mainly because the only one in this book who didn't do any brooding, was Drizzt. I was very disappointed by the ending. I don't want to give it away, but cliffhangers get annoying after about 11 novels

"The Silent Blade" is definitely a step-up from the previous book, the nearly insufferable "Passage to Dawn." However, it still pales in comparison to his better works such as "Homeland" and "Siege of Darkness." Wulfgar's return, which even a tundra yeti realized would happen in PtD, is made a little more tolerable in TSB, since Salvatore does a pretty good job of detailing the barbarian's tortured mind and bringing more depth to him than just depicting him as the stereotypical barbarian. And the assassin Artemis Entreri, whom I originally was loathe to see again after so many failed attempts to kill Drizzt, really saved this book, as he struggles to understand his role in the world through some heavy introspection (though he thankfully never contemplates complete redemption). However, "our heroes" are worse than ever (well, maybe not as bad as they were in PtD). Regis has become utterly pointless, Bruenor provides no insights into his mind at all other than he is a completely stereotypical dwarf, and Drizzt remains flawless as always to an annoying degree. What happened to the Drizzt of earlier novels who actually questioned things? What does Salvatore think is interesting about a character who already has everything figured out? The best Salvatore books were "Homeland" and "Siege of Darkness," in my opinion, because they dealt with the fascinating, wicked politics of the drow city of Menzoberranzan, their evil goddess, Lloth, and their conflicts with Drizzt. Matron Baenre seemed like a suitable opponent for Drizzt, but Entreri and his ignorant gang of thieves just don't. I wish the series would return to the Underdark, where Drizzt is less sure of himself, both morally and physically. All the "heroes" are just too invincible; even "sweet Catti-brie" can take out a whole army with that magic bow of her's (and by the way, what ever happened to the evil sentience of her sword, Khazid'hea? Was it asleep this whole novel?) Jarlaxle does make a return here, but part of the charm of his easy-going character was seeing how he survived in the harsh environment of Menzoberranzan. Here there is none of that. Simply put, this series is really faltering; I no longer care about the characters, and I really think I'm only reading them still because I've been through 11 or so already and I have some nagging impulse to see it to the end. Salvatore should only continue the series if he can think of good plots to justify doing so; right now I feel like he's only still writing Drizzt novels for lack of any better ideas, or the money, perhaps. Improve the series or end it, I say. Oh, yes... one more thing... Mr. Salvatore, why in the world have you allowed such absolutely ghastly cover art on all your books since "Legacy?" Find a new artist, show him the depiction of Drizzt on "Streams of Silver," and maybe the books will at least *look* halfway decent, if anything else.

This book is a masterpiece for 90% of the story. However, the ending left me empty. You cannot end a novel abruptly in just one long chapter. It is obvious that there will be more books to come but this one could have ended much better. Salvatore is one of the best writters in the field and I still think he has what it takes to write a good book. The whole Artemis Drizzt fight was great but it ended stupid. R.A.'s best works are the Icewind Dale Trilogy and the Dark Elf Trilogy. So far, every hardcover book was a bit of a dissapointment. Four Stars for me would be great, but for Salvatore, it is sub-par.

This is the first book I recieved that was of the forgotten realms I looked at the series before and thought hey its a kids thing, when I passed by in Hastings. But it was a gift so I thought I would check it out, what I found started me on a long path of trying to read all Of Salvatore's works, I think he is one of the best authors in this series. After that I thought hey might as well check out the other books in Forgotten Realms, and I am glad I did, all I can say is I am glad this book and others of Salvatore's books are out there because I wouldn't have found this awsome series. defiantely a book worth reading.

I found that this book had to many plot lines going. The thing about the love triangle is getting very stupid and stupid. Why doesn't Drizzt go for someone else like Lady of Silvermoon. I did like, however, like the final fight between Drizzt and Entreri. This fight was very exciting and action packed. Jarlaxe was a great character to add to this story. He gave it alot more suspense and some humor. The book was to short to completly develope the characters and to give a good complete ending. Wulfgar character development has to be worked on.
PLEASE SALVATORE DO NOT LEAVE US HANGING.

One of the best things about this book is that we see the inner torments suffered by Wulfgar and Artemis Entreri. We see how entreri copes with life on Calimport's streets and how Wulfgar faces the horrid memories of imprisonment at the hands of Errtu. Without spoiling much, the final battle between Drizzt and Entreri is very intense and somewhat surprising. Bruenor is also great, particularly when he keeps getting his axe stuck in various goblins. mind you though, there are some gorey details so be forwarned.

i personally thought this book was a great addition to the life of Drizzt Do'Urden featuring an epic battle between rival equals. the drama starting between Cattie-brie,Wulfgar,and Drizzt is entertaining but Salvatore please just let Drizzt and Cattie-Brie have a chance together. this book is for Drizzt fans tailored with adventure and intrigue, and for those ad&d players this book has some pretty good ideas for campaigns and character plots. i highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a good fantasy story......and Salvatore please get Drizzt in theaters!!!

I have read all of R.A. Salvatore's Forgotten Realm books, but Drizzt and his friends are my favorite. One thing i want to know is there going to be another one? I mean I finished this book the first day i bought it. It is one of the best books i have read. With detail on many feelings of many differents charcters while keeping the story simple and easy to follow without having to read the beginning of the series. But I can tell that if this is your first to read of R.A. Salvatore's novels it is a good place to begin, but don't forget to buy his Dark Elf Trilogy the begining to it all.

I have been an avid fan of RAS since my brother introduced me to the Drizzt series years ago. Having read all the Drizzt books to date, I am anxiously awaiting his newest "The silent Blade". I'm not sure if it's possible, but there's another renegade drow character I believe would be an interesting addition to any new Drizzt books. Could RAS introduce Liriel Baenre of "Daughter of the Drow" into the Drizzt saga? She would prove, in my opinion, to be another captivating figure. What do you think Mr. Salvatore?

I loved the book, as I do all of Salvatore's books, but this one had some dry spots. I really felt that the focus of this book was on the next book. So many things were setup for a sequel, but no closure was provided. There was just to many loose ends left dangling. As usual the fight sequences were beyond belief. The way Salvatore has brought in the characters from his other novels is also very intriguing. The suspense in this book was to die for too. Keep writing and I'll keep reading, but the book should not be about setting up another novel, but about the story at hand.

I really liked this book. I thought many of the things I thought were sure to happen would, but I discovered that there was a certain twist to things, but I don't wish to spoil the book for anybody who has not read it.

It seemed to me that R.A. Salvatore ran out of a storyline for Drizzt in this book and had to reuse some of his old storylines. Maybe even a great character has his limit as a the subject of a good novel? I think that an entirely new and challanging storyline would have been a better fit for a dynamic character like Drizzt or maybe Bob's literary talent would have been better used writing a side novel about one of the other characters? I am pleased that Bob does not confine his talent exclusively to Drizzt books. Maybe its time to end his saga?

Well from the guesses and rumors I've heard, I believe that Mr. Salvatore might lose some fans. I know that if Drizzt dies, I'll be very unhappy, you just can't kill him off, ya know? I was devistated when I thought that Wulf-gar was dead, but he was brought back. You can't kill Drizzt, that's why so many people read Salvatores' novels, is because of Drizzt mostly. Sure Mr. Salvatore is an awesome writer, but if he killed Drizzt, then I really do believe that he will lose some fans, or have fans upset about his decision about it.
That's just my opinion tho.

Our favorite Dark Elf meets his match! Entreri travels the world to find Drizzt Do'Urden and settle the score, knowing that he had a great chance of beating him. Drizzt and his friends begin to travel the world, trying to find a way to destroy the Crystal Shard that came into their possession. This book stands out most because of its one-on-one fight scenes and quick moving characters.

Drizzt is back, as well as the many supporting characters. Most intriguing here is the melding of the Underdark characters with those on the surface. Most enjoyable was the battle of Drizzt with archnemesis Artemis. The end result surprising. Also, the appearance of Jarlaxle with the cunning and mighty Bregan D'aerthe brings another pleasant variable to the novel. I thoroughly enjoyed this book which has set up the rest in this series nicely.

Salvatore shows us his writing genius again by being able to write such a great book with the page restrictions and all the editing that TSR inc. forces him to follow. It could easily have been one of his greatest if it could have been the length of one of his non TSR books, ex. The Demon Awakens. I really enjoyed reading about Entreri in detail. I am glad that the rumors a year ago about him not writing any more for TSR were false. Too bad the ending seemed rushed. Overall a great book though!

What can I say, the man is an excellent writer and I love his work. I liked the fact that Wulfgar has so much emotional termoil after spending all that time in the abyss and even though some people disagree I'm glad he's back. There could have been a little more fighting scenes with Drizzt but I can let that slide. I'm glad to see Entreri is still hanging around after all this time too. What would the story be without a arch enemy for Drizzt. The only thing I want to know is WHEN IS THE NEXT BOOK COMING OUT!

One word...WOW! Bob Salvatore has impressed me once again with his lasted novel from Forgotten Realms. To say that this novel does not dissappoint is an understatement. The three interweaving storylines are masterfully written and come together wonderfully. The characters once again garb your attention and pull you into their dilemas in a way that no other writer of fantasy, besides the great Tolkien, has ever done. I congradutlate Salvatore on perhaps the greates Drizzt novel to date.

If you like the the Drow Drizzt, then make sure you read as many as you can. This is one in the series that you cant miss or you might not understand what was going on. I enojoy reading the adventures of and misadventures of Drizzt and he friends.

At first I couldn't put the book down. I could feel the different plots intertwining and thickening. Around page 300 I felt as if the book would never end(which I wouldn't mind.) As always I appreciate the extremely detailed battles and the focus on many different characters. I felt the ending was somewhat odd and dissapointing, that Drizzt would so easily forgive and even thank Jarlaxle. I missed the adventures of Drizzt and co. but I'm definetly looking forward to the next one and I hope that the saga never dies.

I started reading fantasy with the Dark Elf Trilogy. Since then I have hunted down and read every one of Salvatore's books. If this book is like any of the others he has written, it will be an epic tale of good versus evil, with some extraordinary battle scenes. Salvatore is unequaled among writers in his skill with choreographing and describing melee combat. I have no doubts in my mind that this latest installment will be he greatest. I am waiting with crossed fingers for this new title to arrive in the stores.

I have enjoyed all the previous works but this book took me the longest to finish. Why? Because I got tired of reading the same things over and over again about the memories of the charactors. I got bored. The book needs more new ideas. The charactors should 'move on' and only think about the past once a while, not after every other chapter. And also please don't explain everything that happened in previous books so often. I hope the next book will be good enough for me to finish it in one session.

...understand the criticism of this book you see here. First of all, have you ever played D&D? Have you read a significant number of Forgotten Realms books? If you have, you will easily see how Salvatore's novels have become more and more poorly written. The novels he has churned out recently have become extremely shallow and have the character depth of a nursery rhyme. His fall from the excellent writing in the Dark Elf Trilogy make this even more tragic.
If you are entertained by a shallow, superfluous story about characters that are now only characterized by the clothes they wear and the weapons they carry, I understand your rave review of Salvatore's recent attempts. They can certainly be entertaining to early and pre-teens.
I highly recommend exploring the immersion in the Realms that OTHER authors can provide.

i cant wait till this book comes out, Wulfgar is my favorite charecter out of anny book ive ever read and im overjoyed to have him back. in the special preview of the silent blade at the end of the demon awakens(another good book) the 5 of them were in a fight with giants and drizzt had his hands full with two of them and needed wulfgar's help but wulfgar couldnt help because he was having flashbacks of his time with errtu and couldnt do anything

R.A. Salvatore defines timeless fantasy. The character Drizzt is one of the most well defined ever, in any novel or series of novels. Salvatore's strengths lie in his creative, exciting action scenes, his overall character development, and his keen ability to string together a compelling plot. Rumors abound concerning the death of Drizzt, along with many strong reactions against it. I look at it like this: even if Drizzt dies, Salvatore will make it worth it.

I have read every single r.a. salvatore book about Drizzt Do'Urden and I've gotta say this book is the best yet. Though I do agree with other readers that the "companions of the hall" need some new adventures. I love salvatores books he is my favorite author but passage to dawn wasn't that good. But r.a. really came back hard with this book! It just like the first novel he wrote. full of action and intrigue. I can't wait for the spine of the world to come out!

I am sure glad that I picked this book up at a book store in an airport. What a nice surprise! Being not familiar with any of Salvatore's books, I was hooked right away. The complexity and introspection of the characters in the book is just amazing. I'm only just halfway through the book and just purchased the book #1 and book #2 of the series.

I have to agree with several other reviews in that the ending left much to desire. It's unfortunate that Salvatore had to complete the book within a fixed number of pages because the potential of the story could have easily been twice the length. Development between the characters are unfolding nicely though for future books to come. If you're an avid Salvatore fan, like myself, don't hesitate to read it. I welcome any email discussions about it.

I enjoy Mr. Salvatore's books as much as the next person however the same tired plot devices and flashbacks that have been seen in the past few books crop up again. The same phrases are used again and again. Uneeded background material is rehashed. Unceasing internal monolouges, teen angst even, continue to flow from the main character. A good read but I believe R.A. needs to move on and invest effort in some new Forgotten Realms Characters.

Again, we are enthralled by Salvatore's wonderful fight scenes. Also again we are drawn in by the depth of the characters, but this time I did not find the deep and introspective drow as poignant as normal. Maybe me, but I think the book, though still an excellent read, lacks the depth and some of the clarity (especially in the fight scenes) that would afford a 5 star from me, or to compare it with some of Salvatore's better books in the series.

I do love when all the main characters are placed together again.
Drizzt is such a great good guy with Artemis being the perfect bad a**. I was actually starting to really like Wulfgar alot, but then I got really bored with Spine of the World so he fell flat again. Jarlaxle is a pretty interesting character and even though I can't help but giggle at his name, I can't giggle at what character he is.
RAS is totally kicking with this book

Ever since I started to read the Drizzt books, I was hooked. The Silent Blade was the best yet and whenever Entreri is around, you know your in for excitement. I really hope these books never stop and I cant wait for the next one. Now, in the process of reading the Clerical Quintet, I can't stop to read the Spine of the World, but I'll still be the first to buy it. Keep up the great work Mr. Salvatore and I do hope to meet you sometime.

I am a huge fan of R.A. Salvatore's work. his was he first fantasy novel I have ever read, and since then all I read is fantasy. I have been waiting for this book for a long time. I can't wait to read it. I have heard that it will be about Entreri, Drizzt, and the relationship between Wulfgar and Catti-brie. Somehow Drizzt and Wulfgar will fight over Catti-brie. I can't wait till this comes out.

I got all excited upon the return of Wulfgar... and when he finally comes back, he's whiny, stupid and moody. This book reads like a friggin' soap opera! If I wanted that, I could watch daytime TV!
I really hope that everybody gets their "stuff" together in the next book (Which I hear is actually more of Wulfgar's whinings) and goes back to the good ole' days like in the Crystal Shard where everybody is fighting against evil critters instead of complaining amongst themselves all the time.

What I have read of this book is that Assassin, Artemis Entreri plans a final battle between himself and hero of Icewind Dale, The Dark Elf known as Drizzt Do'Urden. It also will entail something happening with Wulfgar..
My opinion on the victor of the final battle : Entreri will be defeated, then, when Drizzt turns his back to leave, Entreri tries to kill him, and Wulfgar will kill Entreri.. Something like that..

it was easy knowing Zak wouldn't be coming back, mr salvatore made it too obvious, by hinting too much that it would be him, and the subtle hints about it being wulfgar. Also,Drizzt and Cattiebrie wont be together. They dont work as a couple, but Wulfgar and she need to be together. Drizzt has another to fall in love with, and if you truly knew Drizzt you'd know who i am speaking of. Think on it........

The title is fitting. Shows some of the insides of Artemis Entreri, and has Jarlaxle up to his usual business. Its a quality read with less plot and more character development. Some odd things happen in this book between characters. This book gets my recomendation.

Salvatore focuses on his characters in this novel and bring many new facets to light. The development of the three cover characters is wonderful. I greatly enjoyed seeing into the lives of the three very different men. Excitement to the end, "The Silent Blade" is another great achievement in Salvatore's repetoire.

this is a very intriguing book; very very interesting. Especially from Entreri's plot: his return to Calimport! This is the kind of book which makes you want to read straightly.
My only complain in this book, is that the climax seemed to be unpolished, and done hurridely, not that it is, it just seem like it! Especially the final confrontation seems all too fast and reckless for Drizzt.

The epic war between Artemis Enteri and Drizzt Do' Urden comes to a startling climax at the end of this excellent novel. The two contestants have battled in caverns, on mountain tops, in the sewers of Calimport, and finally in the Crystal Tower. Easily one of the best fight scenes ever writen.

R.A. Salvatore does not disappoint in his newest Drizzt book. The interplay between the companions is very well handled, and the chronicles of Entreri's actions in Calimport adds a lot to the book. The twists and turns often leave the reader engrossed in the novel (I read the book in 2 days). Can't wait for the next one!

Bob....You need to keep writing...because you left us hanging again!! I finished "The Silent Blade" and I loved every page. The twists and turns of the story just kept the pages turning. I was rather shocked in the final chapter when...I won't ruin it for everyone that hasn't read it. Mr. Salvatore, please don't take so long writing the sequel to this one!

I loved the book. It's excellent as are all of Salvatore's books.

The only reason I gave it 4 stars is because someone is really slipping up in the editorial part of the book process. It just makes it seem like a rushed book to have so many glaring grammatical errors. It seems to be becoming a more common occurrence with his books.

Other than that, the book is a must read for anyone who is following the series or even the author.

Wow. In DET I loved Zaknafien's character, brooding and violent without being whiney. I was p.o-ed when he was killed him, then resurrected him, then killed him again. I would love to see a book about him and Jarlaxle. Other than that this book didn't thrill me much, the writing was good but I 'm not crazy over Wulfgar.

This should keep all of our Drizzt fans on the edge of our seats. Come to find out that Catti-brie might have the duel instead of our beloved Drow Ranger. And yes I do believe this is the end of the Assassin Entreri. But I aslo believe that we will lose one of our heros. Wulf-gar plays a very interesting role with Drizzt, or should I say against Drizzt??

this was the first Salvatore book that I read. I greatly enjoyed it. I liked Artemis Entreris character and enjoyed reading of the emotional warfare Wulfgar has wihtin. I would strongly recommend this book for a first time reader of Salvatore. If you like this book, then you just might enjoy andy David Gemmell--particularly Hero In the Shadows.----Rest In Peace Mr. Gemmell

Salvatore's new book, The Silent Blade, was worth the wait. Although Bob falls into an over used stereotype, the book is well written and a pleasure to read: The characters stayed true to form; and, they all get to intereact with each other in a well developed intrigue. I hope Drizzt's next adventure will be as fun to read.

Great book! I've been waiting for another Drizzt book for a LOOOONG time, and just recently found out that there was a new one out, and purchased it immediately. GREAT BOOK! The only one small thing that I had a pet-peeve about was that Lloth was misspelt over and over again (as Lolth) I think you need to fire da editors ;)

This book is just like every other of R.A. Salvatore's, pure genius! I have never been more excited about a certain author and his writing. He has made myself a better reader and a more imaginative person; in real life and in my fantasy world of my own writing and adventures for D&D! I thank a great writer, R.A. Salvatore.

I really liked this book in the fact that Drizzt is finally realizing that is feelings for Cattie-Brie run deeper than just friendship, and he finally realizes what the word jealousy really means when Wulfgar comes back into everyones life. I don't think the book is terribley good except for the first about 7 chapters or so.

An excellent book I really like the way Salvatore has gone with everybodies favorite assasin Artemis Entreri. He has really matured the character making him much more appealing. Alot of the book is devoted to him which is great. I also like the way he has gone with Wulfgar and the unspoken conflict between him and Drizzt.

At least that is if you're like me! a must read for all fans of drizzt, and even for those (albeit there are some) who haven't heard of drizzt. Salvatore out-does himself yet again, awesome fight details, awesome plot!

I had very high hopes for this book, and to my suprise, my hopes were exceded. I apprecaited the interesting plot and characterization, and couldn't put the book down. But as always, I leave the book feeling that Drizzt is my hero and Wulfgar should have stayed dead ;)

THE DRIZZT AND WULGAR PARTS HAD A SAD TONE WHERE I EXPECTED THEM TO BE MORE EXCITED AND UNSTOPABLE. ENTRERI CHARACTER SAVED, I SAY SAVED BECAUSE HE BROUGHT IT FROM A 3 OR 4 STAR BOOK TO A 5 STAR BOOK. HIS PRIDE AND DEADLY SKILLS ADDED PHYSICAL EXCITEMENT THAT DRIZZT LACKED TO BRING TO THE BOOK.

I loved the book but not because of the good guy. Artemis was the star. If Salvatore is reading this.... PLEASE WRITE A BOOK ABOUT ARTEMIS ONLY! About his past. Things he learned. Oh yeah, I especially liked the fight between Artemis and the other assassin in the street.

I found the story a bit rushed, and not as solid as I usually find Salvatore's books to be. This one felt like it was hurried through to make a release date. I will still stay a faithfull reader of the Dark Elf Series, but hopefully the next one will be better.....

With The Silent Blade Bob continues on with his amazing twisting and turning stories. Drizzt is, along with Cadderly, one of the most beloved characters to grace the pages of literature. Drizzt dies? Maybe, maybe not, but Artemis is getting a bit tiring. Another great one Bob!

This isn't the end. To tell you the truth, it won't be the end until Drizzt dies. There are so many things to be resolved. For one, there are too many Drow ememies that Drizzr has. Second, Artimus is still alive and kicking. Finally, Catti-brie still hasn't chosen between Wulfgar and Drizzt. Personally, I think she'll chose Drizzt. Not because I want her to, it's just that they know each other so well and they have the same kind of passions and morals and they're really great together. Catti-brie and Wulfgar would end up killing each other one day. I believe she knows this, but she doesn't want to abandon Wulfgar due to his emotional turmoil. When Cat decides, it'll be based on who she loves the most, and by this book, I strongly believe it's going to be Drizzt.

Being a story about Drizzt and company, I couldn't put it down. The story as a whole left me unsatisfied. The fight with Artemis was classic, but his apathy did little to focus my anger against him, something I relished in Salvatore's earlier books. We need a great enemy for Drizzt, someone who makes him feel right and just in every sense of his being. Artemis and Jaraxle failed to do this. The story of Crenshinibon was lackluster and while it may well be a great theme for another book, it was only a distraction here. As long as RA doesn't kill Drizzt, I will keep reading. I own every book he has in print and probably singlehandedly financed his children's education. Refocus yourself and make Drizzt the character we fell in love with.

The Silent Blade is a wonderful book and kept me turning the pages long into the night. I didn't want to quit reading and have to leave Drizzt and everyone else behind. I also liked this book because it delved into the mind of Artemis Entreri and Wulfgar. Artemis because he was not the same after fighting Drizzt so many times and not knowing who was the better fighter and Wulfgar because he had suffered so much. This book is a definite must read for all Salvatore fans! I also liked the fact that Jarlaxle was brought into this story and that he teamed up with Entreri, it seemed like that was the way that it had to be. Anyway, if you haven't yet read this book....do so now!!!

This was the first Forgotten Realms/D&D book I have ever read; I could not put it down. The characters are well-developed and the battle scenes are phenomenally written. I must also mention that Drizzt's insights into life are amazing as well. I could not put this book down, and have re-read it (which i used to do, but haven't found any novels good enough in awhile). The three-fold storyline is well-done (Artemis Enteri's journeys in Calimport; Drizzt & co.'s journeys to get rid of the Crystal Shard; Wulfgar's quest to rid himself of the haunting memories left behind by Errtu). A must-read for fantasy lovers everywhere.

The title is fitting. Shows some of the insides of Artemis Entreri, and has Jarlaxle up to his usual business. Its a quality read with less plot and more character development. Some odd things happen in this book between characters. This book gets my recomendation.

R.A. Salvatore is a very talented and accomplished writer. I have enjoyed most of his books, espeacially the books with our favorite goodly drow fighter, Drizzt. This books brings to play the falling of Wulfgar, the powerful assassin Artemis. And of course Drizzt, Bruener, Cattie-brie, and others. It was a very good read, with a lot of action, and suspense. I picked up the book and i could hardly put it down until i had finished it. I highly recommend this book. Buy it, Read it, Love it.

This book started out real slow and I was worried at first that Bob lost it.He then brought it all back,and you can't put the book down until the end.Drizzt is the greatest as always and it's like I'm him with every book.I do agree with other reviews about him and Cattie-brie ending up together sometime in the long future,you wouldn't want to spoil any of the excitment.I do also agree that it wouldn't hurt to try and find some new quests for the group as well.Overall they are all great,and by the way,nice touch with the battle with Drizzt and Artemis at the end,that was great!Hopefully the books with this group will just keep coming.THANKS!!!

What can I say, the man is an excellent writer and I love his work. I liked the fact that Wulfgar has so much emotional termoil after spending all that time in the abyss and even though some people disagree I'm glad he's back. There could have been a little more fighting scenes with Drizzt but I can let that slide. I'm glad to see Entreri is still hanging around after all this time too. What would the story be without a arch enemy for Drizzt. The only thing I want to know is WHEN IS THE NEXT BOOK COMING OUT!

It seemed to me that R.A. Salvatore ran out of a storyline for Drizzt in this book and had to reuse some of his old storylines. Maybe even a great character has his limit as a the subject of a good novel? I think that an entirely new and challanging storyline would have been a better fit for a dynamic character like Drizzt or maybe Bob's literary talent would have been better used writing a side novel about one of the other characters? I am pleased that Bob does not confine his talent exclusively to Drizzt books. Maybe its time to end his saga?

Drizzt is back, as well as the many supporting characters. Most intriguing here is the melding of the Underdark characters with those on the surface. Most enjoyable was the battle of Drizzt with archnemesis Artemis. The end result surprising. Also, the appearance of Jarlaxle with the cunning and mighty Bregan D'aerthe brings another pleasant variable to the novel. I thoroughly enjoyed this book which has set up the rest in this series nicely.

I have read all of Salvatore's books about the drow Drizzt Do'urden, and I have loved them all. The Silent Blade is another great book by Salvatore. It has it all, action, intrigue, and of course, lots and lots of fighting.

Salvatore shows us his writing genius again by being able to write such a great book with the page restrictions and all the editing that TSR inc. forces him to follow. It could easily have been one of his greatest if it could have been the length of one of his non TSR books, ex. The Demon Awakens. I really enjoyed reading about Entreri in detail. I am glad that the rumors a year ago about him not writing any more for TSR were false. Too bad the ending seemed rushed. Overall a great book though!

The epic war between Artemis Enteri and Drizzt Do' Urden comes to a startling climax at the end of this excellent novel. The two contestants have battled in caverns, on mountain tops, in the sewers of Calimport, and finally in the Crystal Tower. Easily one of the best fight scenes ever writen.

I have been an avid fan of RAS since my brother introduced me to the Drizzt series years ago. Having read all the Drizzt books to date, I am anxiously awaiting his newest "The silent Blade". I'm not sure if it's possible, but there's another renegade drow character I believe would be an interesting addition to any new Drizzt books. Could RAS introduce Liriel Baenre of "Daughter of the Drow" into the Drizzt saga? She would prove, in my opinion, to be another captivating figure. What do you think Mr. Salvatore?

I loved the book but not because of the good guy. Artemis was the star. If Salvatore is reading this.... PLEASE WRITE A BOOK ABOUT ARTEMIS ONLY! About his past. Things he learned. Oh yeah, I especially liked the fight between Artemis and the other assassin in the street.

this book is great. i was waiting to get this book and all the waiting was worth it! there is a great plot twist and Drizzt has another 1 0n 1 battle with his arch nemises (yet again). This book was great. Plus it shows that Trolls are smarter than they look ^_^

One word...WOW! Bob Salvatore has impressed me once again with his lasted novel from Forgotten Realms. To say that this novel does not dissappoint is an understatement. The three interweaving storylines are masterfully written and come together wonderfully. The characters once again garb your attention and pull you into their dilemas in a way that no other writer of fantasy, besides the great Tolkien, has ever done. I congradutlate Salvatore on perhaps the greates Drizzt novel to date.

R.A. Salvatore defines timeless fantasy. The character Drizzt is one of the most well defined ever, in any novel or series of novels. Salvatore's strengths lie in his creative, exciting action scenes, his overall character development, and his keen ability to string together a compelling plot. Rumors abound concerning the death of Drizzt, along with many strong reactions against it. I look at it like this: even if Drizzt dies, Salvatore will make it worth it.

Wulfgar's plot is tremendously bland, and Entreri's is repetitive, and Drizzt's is, well, slight. The ending happens too fast, it seemed almost rushed, and resolves very little... it's a sequel setup, clearly, but that only results in an strong unsatisfying feeling in the reader. Central themes are nonexistent. And yet still, this book is compulsively readable, almost paradoxically so. Despite the fact that I only seem to have criticisms, I still enjoyed it a great deal.

i cant wait till this book comes out, Wulfgar is my favorite charecter out of anny book ive ever read and im overjoyed to have him back. in the special preview of the silent blade at the end of the demon awakens(another good book) the 5 of them were in a fight with giants and drizzt had his hands full with two of them and needed wulfgar's help but wulfgar couldnt help because he was having flashbacks of his time with errtu and couldnt do anything

this book is great. i was waiting to get this book and all the waiting was worth it! there is a great plot twist and Drizzt has another 1 0n 1 battle with his arch nemises (yet again). This book was great. Plus it shows that Trolls are smarter than they look ^_^

Wulfgar (did you really think Salvatore would have one of his heroes die, you schmuck?) is in danger of becoming interesting, and its up to the "Companions of the Hall" to save him, and keep him boring. Entreri is awesome, as always, but now he is almost starting from scratch when he returns to Calimport of wherever the heck he's from. Regis is useless, its like Salvatore wants to get rid of him but can't, so he has him do something really stupid every now and then...oh and Jarlaxle is in this too, possibly my favorite character in all of literature...but, alas, all of my least favorite characters, or overall things for that matter, are also in this book: Cattie-Brie, Bruenor, and Drizzt. We have to read Drizzt's diary every now and then, where he struggles with feelings about why he is such a tool. Wulfgar has just been through hell, and the companions are basically like, "We know you suffered a lot, so we are going to stop treating you like such a jerk for a little while, OK now stop being such a moron." The whole book boils down to a (another) deul between Entreri and Drizzt, and hey! Maybe this one will actually have a definitive ending! If you want to know what happens, or rather what doesn't happen, in this horrible book, then waste your money on it. But if you've read Salvatore's other garbage and don't know what is going to happen in this one then you are crazy.

R.A Salvatore wrote the first two books of the Demon Wars and then, went back to the Drizzt saga....I would say that this change was really good for the Silent Blade. I felt that Mr Salvatore really matured in his storytelling for the " Drizzt background" books as TSB focused on three characters instead of one (Drizzt, Entreri, Wulfgar)..This is the main thing which made me think of the Demon Spirirt for example as Bob focused on the characters of Pony, Elbryan, Roger and not a single main hero. The silent blade is really impressive for his character development (specially Entreri and Wulfgar). Speaking about this, I would say I don't like Wulfgar ( not because he was not well described , useless or that he should have stayed dead..) but because he was so well described that, I would have really disliked Wulfgar if I had met a person with his character in life. It's the realistic way he is written wich made me say "I don't like him". Anyway I really enjoyed reading Wulfgar's part in TSB, and it fills the lackings of the end of Passage to Dawn.... The part about Entreri is really good as well, the description of Calimport is really full of images and the city seems just wretched and rotten from the insides, with all the differents guilds and powers (I specially like Dwahvel's guild), it reminded me of the Menzoberranzan plots from the Legacy/Starless Night/Siege of Darkness, and it was good to add Bregan D'aerthe to the mess of Calimport... I would love to read more of the drow mercenary Band :) I was glad to see that Entreri was back on his old city but changed because of his time in Menzo but still wanting to settle his rivalry with Drizzt without even being concious of this . Speaking about Drizzt...I was happy to read about him although, he was more let behind the Wulfgar/Entreri plot... I would have liked Drizzt to hook up with Catti Brie ... I guess It's not an original request ;) but still....they have waited too long!!! And another thing I would say is that a numbers of pages à la Demon Wars would have been more fitting to the Silent Blade than the 300 (about) pages of a Forgotten Realms hardcover. This book is so rich! For me RA Salvatore is the best fantasy writer ever and his writtings introduced me to read books in English/American language. A language that I love now. Thanks a lot Mr Salvatore!!!

Although I hope this is Drizzt's final clash with Entreri, I thought the final duel was great (and you should have seen me lean forward in my chair when I thought Drizzt was dead!) The book added a more human dimension to Entreri, who before The Silent Blade I sometimes struggled to see as human. And the Shard... while old... it is now in the hands of JARLAXLE... after all who better to have the shard than Jarlaxle? He knows exactly how he will profit from every situation and cannot be fooled... think of what havoc he can wreak in Menzoberranzan with the Shard! While I am looking forward to MANY more Drizzt books, I am hoping to hear more about Bregan Da'earthe...
One last thing... despite what others say, NEVER give up Drizzt's emphasis on what is right. Drizzt has become my moral hero, next to Jesus Christ... his principles have become a guide for myu life. THE SILENT BLADE WAS GREAT AND I CANNOT WAIT TO READ SPINE OF THE WORLD

There are very few authors who have had the talent to keep their characters intersting through 11 books...I have read all the reviews good and bad, most of you make good points. Drizzt is getting a bit to Perfect, and Regis and Bruenor are being lost in it all.....Wulfgar turning into a scuzz is understandable..lets see how you'd act after being tormented in the Abyss by a Balor for like 8 years!!! It was well handled.......Before I go I have a request for ya R.A.S........GIVE JARLAXLE HIS OWN BOOK!!! Jarlaxle is the best char in the series...I want to know his history...what house he was from, how he became the ultra-slick bald Crystal-shard wielding Bad A$$ he is now. "Who better to wield Crenishibon indeed"..watch out Matrons...

I loved the previous dark-elf books; but since "passage to down" they just get boring. You always hear the same things, you are forced to read the 1231841th fight to death between Drizzt and Entreri. After reading this book,i realized that the main characters have become immortal. I was glad about Wulfgars come-back from abyss, but now i really think it was the wrong decision. There is no tension to read thrugh the chapters, because you know that drizzt will always do the right things and he will never fail. Really sad.
The reasons why i give 2 stars? Some passages are interesting to read and I really enjoyed salvatores previous books. Lets hope he will do a better job next time

I don't know what is wrong with everyone. I read the book, andI must say it is a great addition to the series. I've never read books like this before, ones that hold my attention longer than 2 minutes. Why does everyone have to complian? most of the reviews were complaints! all I have to say is...enjoy the book, don't examine it. I love the way things have turned out, and the covers have been amazing, especially the new one for "The Silent Blade." I am excited, as usual, for the next, and I hope every takes the time to read the book, before critique it. thanks bob salvatore! keep them all coming!! Kenny

Drizzt is back, and better than ever! In The Silent Blade (TSB) we are taken into another magical adventure that is split three ways. Salvatore masterfully weaves three main plots all together into a wonderful story with tremendous character development of some of our favorite characters. Wulfgar, Drizzt, Jarlaxle, and Entreri all become fuller characters in this book. And for all of Salvatore's action fans, there is no lack in TSB. This is the best Drizzt book yet.

Salvatore has done it again. Drizzt is by far my favorite character in FR and the words of Salvatore pull me into that world, almost as if I am a companion of the hall. Can't describe enough how I love the intense battles Drizzt and Entreri have had and how Salvatore beautifully writes them. A great read for anyone who loves fantasy. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to read the Icewind Dale trilogy again! :)

Salvatore outdoes himself in this excellent story about the legendary rogue drow elf, Drizzt Do'Urden and his arch enemy Artemis Entreri.The fight scenes are extraordinary as usual for Salvatore,(especially the last fight between Drizzt and Artemis).This is a must read for all R.A. Salvatore fans and fantasy lovers. Trust me, this book is sensational.

Finally, a new Drizzt book- and it's just as good (if not better) than any of the others! Drizzt, Wulfgar, and Enteri face battles from within, but also face the challenge of each other. A fight to the death! From R.A. Salvatore, the best fantasy author of all time! Woohoo!

I'm a big fan of R.A. Salvatore's books and this one certainly lived up to all my expectations. It has so many surprising twists and turns that I find myself unable to stop flipping pages. I can't wait to read all his next works.

Well I was really disappointed with this book. I love the characters and I was looking forward to reading about them again. But in this book they seemed comical and lacked true depth with the exception of Artemis. Although I was hoping the assassin would some how find redemption. Perhaps Salvatore is leaving that open for another series, I hope so. Overall I wouldn't recommend this book, although the fight scene between Drizzt and Artemis had a clever twist.