Archmage (Forgotten Realms)

If you've read Salvatore's other Drizzt books, you know what to expect. This continues his saga and sets the stage for some very exciting future events. Without mentioning major spoilers, I can say that this novel features a few things that I've been waiting for. We see character growth for Gromph, Wulfgar and Regis leave the picture, and we finally see how Drizzt handles a debilitating injury.

This lost a star for two reasons. First, it spent too much time with characters we don't care about (random dwarves and dark elves), and not enough with Drizzt. Second, some of the book's events are unexplained. One event near the end of the book left me scratching my head, wondering, "how did Drizzt heal so quickly?" However, most of the plot holes are minor and can be filled in by reader assumptions.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and look forward to the next. If I could ask one thing of Salvatore, it would be to skip as much of the politics and dark elf intrigue as possible (while still keeping the plot intact and the reader informed) in the future. I can't speak for others, but I read these novels to see Drizzt and friends battle demons, both figurative and literal. I don't read them to see dark elves faff about in meaningless power plays, or to see dwarves argue over who should be king.

It had its's moment, I can say for a fact that book had me thinking about a lot of questions, such as, will JAX get his own novel, and what about the Psonist. He has to have an story to tell, especially with his mom being held, well in Hell. I am anxiously awaiting the next installment

I love these books, but when I saw the price for Book II I did a double take. I bought the kindle version of this book on 10 Jan 2016 for $15.95. Now it's over $10 dollars more for the kindle version. Also the price of the second book is over $26 dollars. Too bad really because I was really looking forward to reading it but certainly wont be doing so no since they jacked up the price so much.

This book seemed to finish up the companions and start something new. I wouldn't say this is one of my favorite books but Ive read so many worse ones. I thought the middle dragged a bit but the ending had a good pay off.

Any and all fans of the reborn Companions of the Hall will enjoy this exciting and entertaining story. As always R.A. Salvatore keeps the plot moving, the action well written and your interest firmly trapped, just like a summoned demon. Enjoy!!

I actually loved the book when I bought it for 15 bucks. But this new price gouge on this book and his newest one coming out will sadly make me stop buying e books from publishers who think that the public is so hooked that we will be forced into these outrageous prices. I have a extensive book collection at home and have loved this series from the start. Over the last few years Along with buying the hardcover for my collection at home I always buy the e book as well for portability. Not now.

I never had a problem paying 27 bucks for a new hardcover because I felt as if I was buying a item I would cherish for years, but a e book is a file. The publisher does not have to pay for the book to be made, they do not have the risk of printing unwanted books so it SEEMED like a win win for everyone, people paid less for books from authors they enjoyed while the publisher lost the risk of having unwanted stock on there hands.

To close, i am not one of those unreasonable people who expect prices to forever stay the same and if they had announced a newly published e book was going to go up a dollar or 2 due to inflation or whatever im sure you would here a little grumbling and complaint but then we would still buy the book. But as of right now due to the fact that they didn't ask for a dollar or 2 but almost doubled the price from 15 to 27, me along with most of the people I know will not be buying the e book version any longer till the publisher comes to there senses

Excellent book. Fast paced with many surprises. R.A. Salvatore never disappoints. I look forward to his next installment on the companions of the hall. I would really like to see the return of Artemis Entreri. Surely he would have figured out what happened to his beloved Dahlia by now. But I did like the tease about Effron. I am sure that Salvatore will tie up all the loose ends as he always does.

While not bad, still this is the first time I've ever started reading a book by Salvator and haven't finished it within a week or two. Set it down almost two months ago half way through reading and haven't felt the need to finish it yet. Can't say I'm disappointed, but this installment is lacking something that I can't quite put a finger on. Perhaps ill change my mind after I finish.

I loved the ending to the story. The book dragged for a good portion of the book but somewhere about midway to 3/4ths in I was completely lost in the story. A definite must read for any Drizzt fans and I am looking forward to the rest of the series

I refuse to spoil the ending of this masterpiece, but it makes me wish I could fast forward to this time next year for its second installment. Salvatore shows us more of Gromph than ever before. Salvatore uses Gromph to take the reader on so many twists and turns, that you won't know if yo hate him, love him, or pity him.

When I initially purchased the Kindle version of this book it was $15 and some change. Now I see that the price has increased to $28?!?! This is absurd! I could buy a hardcover version for cheaper than a version that requires no printing or hardly any overhead. I was looking forward to reading Maestro to continue the tales of Drizzt, but I refuse to spend $28 for an E-Book.

This is maybe the best book I have ever read. It is amazing that after so many stories revolving around Drizzt and company that thing can continue to be so fresh and exciting. Each tale gets better than the last. Bob truly understands the genre of fantasy, there are no limits to his imagination.

For me, Drizzt is fast becoming far less interesting than the supporting cast. His journal entries to start new sections of the books epitomize my feelings on his character development; between musings about possible 'good goblin kin' and Cattie-brie's "kill em all" ideology handed straight down from Mielikki I'm starting to wonder why he hasn't put forth some thought of taking an expedition to Menzoberranzan and putting his birthplace to the torch. Has it never dawned on him or his friends that the Drow will keep coming for him/them forevermore?

Two ideas spur this on for me (w/o trying to be spoilery) 1. an orc wonders at regaining the acceptance/tolerance of the silver marches and 2. a nominal/cannon fodder race of the underdark shows some actual ingenuity. Our main character is front and center for both of these events.

This isn't to say I don't still enjoy Mr. Salvatore's books, contraire. At this point, and for this book, Gromph and Jarlaxle are the scene stealing characters. I sincerely hope that the focus shifts from the 'companions of the hall' to the 'brothers grim' in future volumes.

Or hell, maybe we'll finely get that Zaknafein back story and learn that he was a Baenre cousin.....

Anyone that holds fantasy close to their hearts, should read all of the Drizzt series. Where friendship, and loyalty, are blended with betrayal, and malice. On par with the great, J.R.R. Tolkien. Who also taught that the race, and or the size of someone, matters not, and that friendship is forever. Be it the Fellowship of the Ring, or the Companions of the Hall, they both will live forever.

Drizzt Do'Urden the drow elf ranger is the Michael Jordan of the DnD business. A worthy character backed by more than 20 novels as well as board games computer games and even live action role play replicas of his two scimitars, the popularity and demand for the character threatens to blunt his poignancy. The NBA almost went out of business after Michael Jordan because no champion or personality could so singularly dominate the field after him, everybody is second best. I hope this does not happen with Drizzt and his companions. The tabletop and computer products timed to be released alongside this novel give consumers a chance to be immersed in the latest installment in the Forgotten Realms through a range of media, and yet the quality of writing may suffer from the external pressures.
I was harshly critical of his last book, but now I think the number of characters Salvatore has evolving is too great for him to go into any depth without losing details of description and complexity of action, motivation and perspective. Some plot threads I thought he had dropped he picked back up. He has tried to end the series before once or twice. With Menzoberranzan under seige by Demogorgon, the arc of the character of both Drizzt and his Homeland appear to be coming full circle. Will Drizzt and his allies go beyond the concept of adversary and rescue the underdark from the causes of evil as well as it's symptoms?
I am looking forward to a second read and the next volume.

Excellent chapter in the ongoing saga of Drizzt Do'Urden and the Companions of the hall! More Harpells, more drow, dwarves armies and Jarlaxle!! One rolling battle after another with every other emotion thrown in - a must read!

Feel like I've been on a roller coaster with Salvatore's last few books. From disappointed to astounded to aggravated to ecstatic. After reading this one I feel he has pulled a classic Salvatore turn and adjusted (though I'm sure we all suffered with him through it) to the changes wizards of the coast made. Truly excited for the next book!!

Classic Salvatore, starting a new trilogy (I hope). Ties up loose ends and begins new avenues. Loved it; particularly everyone's favorite Brother Baenre working behind the scenes as always. As always, I wait with bated breath for the next installment.

As always, Salvatore delivers. Can't wait for the next one (also like always), so thrilled to have a book from him that focuses heavily on menzo and the citizens of so much, especially everyones favorite cheerful Archmage Gromph

What can you say, R.A. Salvatore is my favorite author and will always gt a good review because he is an excellent writer. Im only started on the book and had to stop to recharge my tablet. The book is exactly how I expected the story to continue.

Been a fan for 30 years but $28 for a digital book is stupid. Ill download it free somewhere before I buy at this price. I'm all about buying the book at a fair price to support Mr. Salvatore but this price gouging is straight up robbery.

At this price it is ridiculous. Even though I got it before the price increase. I'm going to stop reading this series if they are going to stick to these type of behavior.

It is plain dumb. The cost for an ebook is so much lower than a real book and they are charging it more than a real book?! That's a rip-off! I cannot believe that the store is condoning such behavior from the publishers.

Good book, but I'm not sure Salvatore is worth the inflated prices that he keeps charging.. I keep buying his books more out of loyalty than interest at this point. Kindle version is even starting to cost as much as a college textbook.

Good book, but I'm not sure Salvatore is worth the inflated prices that he keeps charging.. I keep buying his books more out of loyalty than interest at this point. Kindle version is even starting to cost as much as a college textbook.

Loved this book, my only disappointment is having to wait for the next one. RA Salvatore never lets me down with his writing I have a hard time putting his books down long enough to sleep until I'm done with the book. I'd say my only complaint is the ending to this book felt a bit rushed....

Ok so I don't know if it's already been posted about, but WTF is going on with the pricing of Archmage and Maestro?!? I have to repurchase my copy of Archmage and went into the Kindle store and it is up to $26.99 FOR A DIGITAL COPY the print edition brand new is now $16.63 and Audible is $14.95.... I checked with the store and they've investigated and Wizards of the Coast has made this adjustment, I checked other platforms and the price is the same. The new Maestro? same thing $26.99 to pre-order digital edition, while printed and Audible are both cheaper. No print or narrative costs and of course I have no way to contact Salvatore or WotC. .. I am not alone in that I am boycotting my FAVORITE author and storyline and WotC products until this is explained/fixed!

Maybe 3.5 there was a good lead up to a great fight the anticipated match between our darkelf hero and a worthy rival but Salvatore handles the end poorly. Ruined! Much of the book is enjoyable even though I'm fed up to the point of disinterest with the whole spiderqueen / drowelf hierarchy and would love to have a skip ahead option for my kindle.

The perfect mix of chaos and intrigue. Awesome book. I love the mix in with some of my favorite characters, especially from the Drow side. Definitely some closure while getting you excited about the next book without leaving you hanging with the cliffhanger type feel. Awesome book

I purchased this before the big price increase. Total joke now for this and Maestro and until prices stabilize again I will not purchase another Salvatore book. Principal alone....

The book itself is great. Stop trying to rip people off in the process.

I have been a long time Salvatore lover. I have read every Drizzt book at least 3 times. Sadly I will no longer be buying these books if the Kindle prices stay this high. There is a new book coming out in a couple weeks and the Kindle version is more expensive then the pre-order hardback! They have lost a very loyal reader based on these prices.

Exciting, action packed and heart felt tales of the wayward hero. The latest addition to the dark elf saga "the ARCHMAGE." Its a must buy for any Salvatore fan. It will not disappoint a promising thrill ride spun only as Salvatore can do. My only complaint is I ran out of pages to read lol well I eagerly await the next epic work of mr Salvatore. Also I want to say thank you Salvatore for more than a decade entertainment and hard work.

I wont buy another book from non indie publisher. Until they stop screwing us on pricing. the store is not at fault here it is clearly the publisher's not getting the digital age. Sadly some authors might suffer. And some readers.....since I wont be reading Maestro. Oh and when I first bought archemage it was 14.50.....the publisher has since raised the price.

Wow, I have been reading R.A. Salvatore for over 20 years! The last few books have just been amazing. I approached this latest novel with trepidation. I have read all of the Forgotten Realms novels that I know of, and Gromph has been my favorite. Call me nostalgic, but he always reminded me a little of Raistlin Majere from Dragonlance. Anyway, The Archmage was a great book. Gromph has been a character in the Drizzt books, Daughter of the Drow trilogy by Elaine Cunningham(Liriel Baenre is his daughter!) and he could almost be considered the main character in War of the Spider Queen 6 part set. His battle with the Drowliche is truly epic! Along with Drizzt, Jarlaxle, and all the usual characters, we met a few new and interesting people as well. Salvatore brought some serious intrigue to the realms as a whole. This novel covers a lot of ground, and gets wheels turning for what is shaping up to be the best series in the realms. My favorite have been The Brotherhood of the Griffon, Return of the Archwizards, and The Last Mythal to name a few. I like the epic scope, and the huge focus on magic. Salvatore was missing that for so long. I won't spoil it, but the though of Gromph and what the future might hold makes me really really want to read the next book. April 2016! I put Ed Greenwoods Spellstorm on hold to read this, and I couldn't stop. Why can't we see more books like this published? Will it help if I buy 2 copies of each? 5? I miss the days of old where we had a handful of FR novels every month, now we are getting that amount in a year. Enjoy it!

I wanted to send Salvatore an email regarding the prices of his books now, but was not able to contact him. This review section isn't for gripes about the publisher, but since I don't have a choice, this is my only way to express my disgust with his prices. If you want to flag this, go ahead; it doesn't belong here. If he doesn't want these non-reviews messing up the overall ratings, maybe he needs to stop complicating his readers' attempts at communication.

$26.99 for a digital book is ridiculous especially when hardcover is 2/3 the price. Even if I could afford it, I wouldn't pay that much. I've been following this series for 30 years since I was about 15. This was when he wasn't so famous that he couldn't afford to gouge his readers. His books didn't even come out in hardcover- paperback only.

I'll borrow it from the library, but outside of that, my options are pretty limited. Hopefully, the readers who can afford to get gouged will make up for those of us that can't afford it.

It astounds me that R.A. Salvatore is still writing Drizzt Do’Urden novels with a sense of freshness, telling stories that still captivate and entertain. Salvatore does this by sticking to the simple themes and core characters that have helped make him so successful, while adding a tinge of complexity through additional characters to focus on. Hardcore fans of his Forgotten Realms novels shouldn’t be disappointed with the start of this new sub-series.

I had read the first ten volumes within The Legend of Drizzt (comprised of three separate series) when I began to feel bored enough with the familiarity of the plots and its characters to consider just stop reading any more. Characters seem to die but come back, Drizzt seemed too perfect, and supporting heroes had become too predictable. I returned to Salvatore’s universe with the chance to read The Companions as part of the multi-author series The Sundering. This skipped me ahead in the saga to book 27, and I reviewed it here. That volume seemed to offer a reset button of sorts, but suffered in my view from existing as merely a set-up for the series to come, without lets of its own. I missed the trilogy that followed that reset and come to Archmage now behind on the overall Drizzt story arc from two fronts.

Archmage certainly references many events in the books I haven’t read yet, but I can’t say it significantly detracted from my enjoyment of the start to this sub-trilogy. Readers who have been away from Drizzt’s tales for awhile should be alright picking things back up again. (Though if you’ve never read any of them, I suggest you go back to the very start, publishing-wise, with The Crystal Shard.)

Salvatore creates compelling characters well, particularly outsiders or those with dark sides who still show signs of humanity. He wisely seems to have chosen not to completely abandon his bread-and-butter character of Drizzt, while also giving the novels room to explore other personalities. In Archmage that other personality that caught my attention is Gromph Baenre, the most powerful drow male of Menzoberranzan, the archmage of the novel’s title. His plot thread interwoven into a larger tapestry dealing with the role of males in drow society may also have been a larger part of previous entries I haven’t yet read. But for me Gromph and associated politics of the drow city became the most fascinating part of this novel, compelling because it shows there may be more possible for the drow than simple villainy against Drizzt and company.

Gromph’s brother Jarlaxle has appeared in previous novels (including ones I’ve read) as a more roguish figure who is neither good nor really an enemy. He continues that role here and I look forward to seeing how it mixes with Gromph’s plans that are set into motion (some accidentally) in Archmage. However, Jarlaxle also becomes somewhat problematic in serving as a quick fix in the plot to getting Drizzt out of dire situations.

In the end Archmage is a fairly typical Drizzt novel. Enjoyable, but not the best. At over thirty books just in this series, these novels are obviously pulp. Salvatore generally writes it really well though. Archmage suffers from problems that plague such a long-running series, particular with its familiar heroes. As the first in a trilogy its impact is also lessened in setting up promises for what is to come with Gromph, rather than achieving the development now. But for such a long running series, focusing now on new evolutions/directions for drow society and how that impacts their relationship with outcast Drizzt kept this fun, and leaves me willing to come back to for more reading candy.

Disclaimer: I received a free electronic reading copy of this from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review that first appeared on Reading1000Lives.com

Too. Much. Politicking. And far too many names and references to events that aren't in this series. I feel as if I've missed something big. Way too many characters coming in with nothing of an introduction, just like they're picking up where they left off. A very subpar effort here by Salvatore. On page 84 and there's been ONE scene of action. One. That's a far cry from his other great series, all of which I own.

It's not that I don't like political intrigue, but it's all chaos all the time with the drow, and there's still no clear reason for all of it here. Again, I missed something in a previous book, which is a huge no-no for a writer to do. If he wants to sell me more books, just tell me, don't be so heavy-handed in the writing in a different series.

This book puts me to sleep faster than any book I've ever read, and that's not a good thing. I've read far better from Salvatore, and politics isn't his strong suit in my humble opinion.

please note this is a part of the review as I wrote it originally to post on a blog together with the review of book 2 in series

Say hello to the author that was one of my first fantasy writers - R.A. Salvatore! A person responsible for showing me the world of dark elves, crazy spider gods, dual wielding weapons and power struggles.

Drizzt is a character I've mentioned before in one of my Top 5 Wednesday posts when I wrote about badass characters :D. I think he was the reason I love double swords in games :D.

History of Drizzt Do'Urden currently contains 29 books, some side stories and at least 1 book in preparation. I admit this might sound intimidating and the truth is if you won't start with volume one - the Homeland, you won't know the important backstories.

I was a bit lost when I've started reading Archmage and it took me a while to find myself among all the new names. Last time when I was reading about Drizzt he was just trying to make a new life outside of Menzoberranzan. Now, after his many adventures, his journey home begins.

I admit it took me few chapters to get back into the mood of reading Salvatore's book. His style is good, very good actually, but when you're used to "easier" reads like all the young-adult novels I've been reading lately, it's not so easy to switch to more serious reads. Maybe that's the reason I still haven't read the rest of Song of Ice and Fire or The Name of the Wind books.

Anyway, back to the Archmage. It's a great story! There's plenty of politics and plotting against each other. At some point, you're starting to think "Are they for real? They will all kill each other!". I admit it's kind of fun :D. Plus women rule in this cruel world!

And in the middle of the murderous drows, there's Drizzt - a renegade chased by the Menzoberranzan warriors. Kill him and you're the hero, right? Some of them think so.

And the fight scenes! Superb! Exciting, I mean WOW! You can almost see them in action.

To sum it up, here are some great treats about these books:

the writing style is great
the world created by Salvatore is lively, detailed and creative, come on, they made games based on these books!
the characters are interesting and well developed
the action scenes!
magic and belief system plays a great role in the power struggle
these books can surprise you many times
side characters are also important and don't get left behind in the shadows
Drizzt's diary-like entries at the beginning of each of the books section - I do love these, they show his thought, feeling, part of his history

PS: It seems unfair how the number of reads on these books went down from over 44 000 on the first book to barely a 1 000 on Archmage. This series deserves the attention it used to get. People should read it! I'm not saying it's better than Song of Ice and Fire, although sometimes it might be! One reason I might be annoyed while reading GOT is the multiple POV's changing all the time. Yes, there are few POV's in Drizzt's stories too, but somehow it feels easier to read, easier to follow the story.

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Probably one of my favorite stories in the entire Companions series, & that's saying something, considering some of the early tales in this wonderful series! For those of you who, like me, almost lost faith (or did lose faith) in Salvatore during the Second Companions series of books (w/ Entreri & Dahlia) it's time to return! (Salvatore has!) He has returned to the stories & writing that made us all fall in love with the Drizzt Do'urden books in the beginning, & you won't be disappointed!

I hate to give a rating like this, but I must. Do not buy this book at this price!!! This is ridiculous. Hopefully with these recent negative reviews I see the overall rating will go down and so will sales and RA Salvatore and the publisher will hopefully take note. I saw some posts referring to the store as the culprit, but the price is the same at other places so I believe the publisher is at fault. Please do not buy any format for this book while the kindle version is $27. $7-10 is more than reasonable for a fantasy book, especially one with no printing costs. There are always other means to get books... I pay because I support the authors and this is like a slap in the face.

**Edit - I ended up getting this book on audible with credits I had available. Also, the price has come down to a reasonable level so I have updated my review. One of the best in the series, and I really like the series. Would be better if it was a bit deeper (the interludes are my least favorite part) or more complex characters, but for what this style book being action/adventure heavy even within the fantasy genre it is definitely 5 star. Can't wait to get my hands on Maestro. Who doesn't love Jarlaxle the living breathing deus ex machina.

This is not actually a review of this book. This is a complaint against the store. Where is the darned lists. I don't remember where I left off on this series, and need to see the entire series of books so I can figure out where I am. At this point, I think I'll delete all the books from my cart and wish list, and go to B&N for my future reading.

It is evident that gromph is disillusioned with lloth and the aristocracy of menzobarrenzen. He thinks they are foolish and he is tired of their endless games.

There are some pretty good twists as well.

Jarlaxle and kummeriel feature in this story.

The battles and build up had a nice logical, not rushed flow.

Overall this was a good read, and I finished it fairly quickly. There are some good plots twists, and for once the Drizzt books seemed to be tying in with larger events in the Realms, rather than just having RAS do his own thing. As someone who has read FR books outside the Drizzt novels, I sometimes feel that the Dizzt books are sort of their own thing, and only a part of the Realms in that they take place in Faerun and have the same races.

I actually liked that Lolth was a character in this novel. I know Wizards said they were going to tone down the influence of the gods, and I am probably one of the few who likes having the gods as characters. They don't have to be the center of the story, but it's fun to see them appear now and then. And since Salvatore tends to stay away from the gods, it was a nice surprise for me.

There is a lot of intrigue going on in this book, though the ending felt a bit rushed. There seemed to be all this build-up, with a battle that spanned several chapters, and then everything happened at once. Also, Drizzt obtained a severe injury and was out of commission for about a quarter of the book. Really, he didn't do a whole lot in this novel. It was like they just slapped the Drizzt label on it and said "yes, it is a Drizzt novel" so it would sell more books. Then he enters (all healed) in the nick of time to save the day.

Wulfgar's lusty, carefree attitude annoys me. He sleeps with women who he finds intriguing, then moves on to the next one, with no regard to their feelings. I've never been a big Wulfgar fan, anyway, but come on.

Catti-brie's accent was inconsistent. She started talking like a dwarf again, then stops, then slips back again. Pick an accent!

I'm interested in what Jarlaxle's plan will be. I've always loved him. There is a lot that happened that I hope the next novel or two answers. The books are not as good as they used to be, but they are better than the Gauntlgrym through Last Threshold books were.

was going to buy the homecoming series, saw the price of 14.99 per book, why so much for a digital kindle book, the idea of digital was to reduce price. guess i will not get the books, to high a price just to download it to my kindle

Nah. For $28 I'll pass. Thanks for finding a way to get people to stop reading a long running series. I'm not sure who is at fault but I hope they're proud of themselves for accomplishing such a monumental feat. That the kindle edition is a third more than the hardcover is absurd. I'd have thought it was a pricing error but it seems there are others by Salvatore which are priced similarly. I'm shocked and disgusted if it's intentional and not a mistake.

$10 dollars more than the hard cover! What is the store/publishers/author thinking? If this is going to be a trend for e books I will stop using my kindle and go back to paper or hard cover. Unfortunately I love RA Salvatore but way to expressive for me. A lot of good authors and much more reasonable pricing.

I had found R.A. Salvatore to be going through the motions for awhile with his Drizzt series. Because of this, I had previously given Salvatore a bad review. However, Archmage and it's predecessor Vengeance of the Iron Dwarf have been vast improvements that liken back to some of the earlier Drizzt books like Servant of the Shard.

There are very few black and white characters in this novel amongst the drow ranks. I'm greatly enjoying reading about Gromph Baerne and his complicated relationship with his brother, Jaraxle. Zeerith is also becoming vastly more interesting than some of the other matrons. I also enjoyed the introduction of a surprising new villain at the end of the novel.

I had just about given up on this series and Salvatore has me fully engaged again and eagerly anticipating the next installment.

It is evident that gromph is disillusioned with lloth and the aristocracy of menzobarrenzen. He thinks they are foolish and he is tired of their endless games.

There are some pretty good twists as well.

Jarlaxle and kummeriel feature in this story.

The battles and build up had a nice logical, not rushed flow.

Overall this was a good read, and I finished it fairly quickly. There are some good plots twists, and for once the Drizzt books seemed to be tying in with larger events in the Realms, rather than just having RAS do his own thing. As someone who has read FR books outside the Drizzt novels, I sometimes feel that the Dizzt books are sort of their own thing, and only a part of the Realms in that they take place in Faerun and have the same races.

I actually liked that Lolth was a character in this novel. I know Wizards said they were going to tone down the influence of the gods, and I am probably one of the few who likes having the gods as characters. They don't have to be the center of the story, but it's fun to see them appear now and then. And since Salvatore tends to stay away from the gods, it was a nice surprise for me.

There is a lot of intrigue going on in this book, though the ending felt a bit rushed. There seemed to be all this build-up, with a battle that spanned several chapters, and then everything happened at once. Also, Drizzt obtained a severe injury and was out of commission for about a quarter of the book. Really, he didn't do a whole lot in this novel. It was like they just slapped the Drizzt label on it and said "yes, it is a Drizzt novel" so it would sell more books. Then he enters (all healed) in the nick of time to save the day.

Wulfgar's lusty, carefree attitude annoys me. He sleeps with women who he finds intriguing, then moves on to the next one, with no regard to their feelings. I've never been a big Wulfgar fan, anyway, but come on.

Catti-brie's accent was inconsistent. She started talking like a dwarf again, then stops, then slips back again. Pick an accent!

I'm interested in what Jarlaxle's plan will be. I've always loved him. There is a lot that happened that I hope the next novel or two answers. The books are not as good as they used to be, but they are better than the Gauntlgrym through Last Threshold books were.

was going to buy the homecoming series, saw the price of 14.99 per book, why so much for a digital kindle book, the idea of digital was to reduce price. guess i will not get the books, to high a price just to download it to my kindle

Nah. For $28 I'll pass. Thanks for finding a way to get people to stop reading a long running series. I'm not sure who is at fault but I hope they're proud of themselves for accomplishing such a monumental feat. That the kindle edition is a third more than the hardcover is absurd. I'd have thought it was a pricing error but it seems there are others by Salvatore which are priced similarly. I'm shocked and disgusted if it's intentional and not a mistake.

$10 dollars more than the hard cover! What is the store/publishers/author thinking? If this is going to be a trend for e books I will stop using my kindle and go back to paper or hard cover. Unfortunately I love RA Salvatore but way to expressive for me. A lot of good authors and much more reasonable pricing.

I had found R.A. Salvatore to be going through the motions for awhile with his Drizzt series. Because of this, I had previously given Salvatore a bad review. However, Archmage and it's predecessor Vengeance of the Iron Dwarf have been vast improvements that liken back to some of the earlier Drizzt books like Servant of the Shard.

There are very few black and white characters in this novel amongst the drow ranks. I'm greatly enjoying reading about Gromph Baerne and his complicated relationship with his brother, Jaraxle. Zeerith is also becoming vastly more interesting than some of the other matrons. I also enjoyed the introduction of a surprising new villain at the end of the novel.

I had just about given up on this series and Salvatore has me fully engaged again and eagerly anticipating the next installment.

I loved so many of Salvatore's books but he is just milking his fans now. In his last few books he was pretty much just phoning it in and recycling old characters. I'm not paying this kind of price for a kindle book, not unless he starts to show more originality. I'm done with Salvatore if that's how it is going to be.

I've purchased every Legend of Drizzt books. All 30 or however many there are now. Most of the people buying this book are probably your loyal fans who have been reading since 'The Crystal Shard'. You might as well be spitting in our faces here. Are you intentionally driving away your fans?

The story of the returned Companions of the Hall continues in the start of a new series. Having been victorious in the war with the orcs, Bruenor Battlehammer is prepared to lead the dwarves back go Gauntlgrym to reclaim it for their people. But Drizzt and company cannot let their guard down. Even when further victories are in sight, there are forces in the Underdark that are still moving against him…and their plans don’t even seem anywhere close to finished.

I was totally pulled back into this storyline when I read the Companions story during The Sundering, and I have been continuing with the Drizzt books ever since. They are the type of high fantasy that got me reading the genre many years ago, and I enjoy being able to go back to my roots a bit with a fresh perspective.

This was a slow mover. Like really slow. Though that’s been the trend with the past couple of stories here. In part, I think it stands out because it’s in contrast to the books that came right before, which were full of action (interspersed with the various political maneuverings of the drow). But it’s still clear this is moving toward something. And I’m looking forward to whatever epic scene is yet to come.

[Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]

I love books by the author R.A. Salvatore, but saw the price of the eBook version is almost double the hardback cost, so I won't purchase. I will change my review if they lower the price. Same for the sequel.

OK I was going to get this book in the Kindle format & then I saw the price. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!! The digital copy cost more than a hard cover printed version ($26.99 vs. $16.63)! Am I missing something here? Is it cheaper to print a book than to take the digital copy & convert it to an E-Book format? I’ve had dealings with publishers in the past & they all demand that manuscripts be submitted as MS Word documents or some other digital format so it is already on a computer to begin with! This tells me that the store, the publishers or even the author is out to rip people off!

I have read all of Drizzt Do'Urden adventures minus Archmage. Sadly Archmage and the future writing of RA Salvatore will not be read by me and my friends. We have supported and welcomed all of his work but at a $30 dollar ebook mind you not hardback is just plain asinine! And I'm thoroughly disappointed of RA Salvatore for allowing this atrocity to happen.

DO NOT PAY $28 FOR THE KINDLE VERSION. This is rediculous! I have been waiting 5 months to buy this book but the kindle price is crazy. Its doulbe the cost of the hardback. There is no reason the cost of this should still be so high except the store is keeping it that way. Either that or the publisher is a crook! If enough people give low reviews maybe it will hurt someone in the pocketbook. That seems to be the only way to get anyones attn. If someone starts to lose money then maybe they will investigate as to why and bring the prices to a reasonable rate for a five month old release.

I have not read this book. I have all his previous versions for Drizzt in paperback. I refuse to pay $15 for an ebook when I'm used to paying 6. I'll wait and hope to read it...hmm public library that's a social option.

The Drows of Menzoberranzan remind me of muslims.
Sunn/shia, arabs/persian, turks/kurd, assad/rebels, iraqis/isis are slaughtering each other.
If the drow houses united they would destroy the iblith in no time.
Maybe that's why evil loses. They end up turning on each other.
Archmage was a good read. I liked chaos that the demons wrought on Menzoberranzan.

Simply brilliant, an epic arc that will change the Underdark and possibly Fareun forever. It starts with the Dwarves trying to retake their lost home..Drizzt fighting creatures from the Abyss. The finally Gromph summoning the Prince of Demons, a creature even the godess Lloth dare not fight in the Abyss. This is only the beginning of a truly incredible story. This is some of Salvatore's best work yet. This book is a must read for all Drizzt fans and fans of the fantasy genre.

The authors lose in the end. They see poor sales of the book they worked hard on because publishers are worried about digital copies cannibalizing sales of the hardcovers. They have learned nothing from the music and film industries.

the most boring, stupid plot. 75 percent of the book is simply minutiae of politics. 10 percent is action. The whole book is bs. It was the first Salvatore book I hated and barely finished with lots of skipping. Jar axle raising drizzt from the dead? Sitting at the matron mothers table for chapters on end? Who the heck wrote this crap? Man ra must have tuition to pay or a new home to buy. I can't believe he wrote this. It must have been his sucky son! Don't. Buy. This. Book!

Publisher - Out of principle, at $8 I would purchase this book but at $15 I will get it from the library. I am appalled that you cannot make the transition from paper to digital. Yes you have editing costs but I will not pay the same price as for a printed book when you have no printing costs!

The book starts in Salvatore's typical fashion, in that the companions are together and doing hero work as only the Companions of the Hall can. But all of that changes and the twists and turns that occur draw the reader back to little details from past books. This allows for an intrigue that builds to a level not seen from Salvatore. I'm looking forward to the next in this series to see how hard the thread is pulled.

I would have given this book a higher rating had it not featured Drizzt. R.A. Salvatore needs to expand on his character repertoire and create something new for the Forgotten Realms. His writing is awesome, as usual, especially when it comes to battle scenes. That said, the name of the book is 'Arch Mage' and yet Gromph is not the main character of the novel, which I would have enjoyed a lot more than the same Drizzt/Companion story arc that has been milked to death. In short, had there been more of the actual 'Arch Mage' and less of Drizzt, this book would have been spectacular. No other author has really touched on Gromph as a main character and I was really disappointed to find out this wasn't the case with this book.