Maestro (Forgotten Realms)

*Some spoilers*

R.A Salvatore brings back his signature character Drizzt Do'Urden in what may be one of the greatest challenges the dark elf faced yet. In the previous book a catastrophe in the form on demon lords was unleashed upon the Underdark and now the dark elves for a moment must forget their schemes and think on how to deal with the powerful intruders.

For Drizzt he is persuaded by his friend Jarlaxle into a quest to the Underdark to free a friend whom he believed was dead. But is Jarlaxle's help really so selfless? Drizzt is uncertain but he agrees to Jarlaxle's terms not knowing that there is more going on than he imagined.

As expected of R.A Salvatore there are some good fighting scenes going on both with rampaging demons, as well as dark elves who are not so friendly towards Drizzt. And then there is the Demon Prince himself...

I had mixed feelings on Drizzt's "mental affliction" close to the books middle which is caused by some strange magic and causes the dark elf to question everything. Seeing Drizzt in such state of vulnerability for almost painful, but on the other hand it is hard to test the mantle of a battle hardened hero such as him without methods like such.

It was really great to see the trio Drizzt/Jarlaxle/Entreri fighting together side by side though I felt like Entreri's role was rather minimal. As if he was there only as an extremely competent fighting companion to assist in the battles.

The final battle against Demogorgon himself felt quite epic yet also a bit short. Those who know more about the Demon Prince might be a bit frustrated how he did go down thought those who care less about "power levels" should be more or less satisfied with the outcome.

Despite the physical challenges that Drizzt faces throughout the book the story felt more like an inner challenge for Drizzt to overcome. A challenge to keep true to his beliefs. To what makes him a true hero.

In general I enjoyed this book quite a bit and I think it a fair improvement over the previous book. I recommend it to any Realms fan!

One of Salvatore's better efforts. Aside from overusing the word "thick", it was an enjoyable read, and pushes the storyarc along further. It is ironic that Drizzt is what made him popular, but Drizzt is really one of his least interesting characters now. Gromph and Jarlaxle (and pretty much all other drow characters in general) are far more entertaining.

Bob has outdone himself once again. As I devoured this book, I couldn't help but picture him fretting and pacing about, agonizing over how he would finish it. In more likely truth, it was probably as simple as breathing for him. Not since Homeland, have I so enjoyed, and appreciated the greatest fantasy character ever created, Drizzt Do'Urden. The next book "cannot" come soon enough! -John Fogel-

First off, I'll never rate less than 4 stars for a Drizzt book...even Neverwinter...which I burned right after reading.

The Neverwinter series was absolutely awful, then we got the Companions back..and I swear we all got reread the Orc King again with the last few. Now with Archmage and Maestro, we're on to some new stuff! That's awesome!

Reading the initial writeup 6 months ago that in Maestro our beloved Drizzt was going to return to Menzoberanzan.. I was pumped man. There are a long list of duech bags in that town that I've been praying that Drizzt gets ahold of. Having Gromph in the stories is terrific, my wife doesn't read the books, but she always wants to hear the parts with Gromph because his character is so strong. Even watching him get his ego bruised a few times in this one by Catt-brie was alright...I dig it, it was kinda cool to see his reactions.

So what the hell with Dahlia?? We read 4 books with her basically being one wicked tough SOB, even lived and worked with Szass Tam, and she's just made to be slug by the drow? Come on, I think that's a little lame. Having her be this pathetic in the stories is weak.

Really?? Entreri?? Come on, I even knew that guy was going to be in the book before his part even came up. I'd like to see him replaced, that poor tormented guy needs to die. It always seems forced to have him in the story when he's like a million years old now. It's kind of like the salad they bring you before the good stuff, it's just forced man.

The Demogorgon had me freaked out, I thought that guy was going to be a massive problem. Turned out to be less of a fight than Bruenor killing the main orc in the last books....I figured some major stuff was going to go down, bring all the wizards / dragons / mages from the Hostower construction site, you know...something. Dang thing made Gromph and Kimmuriel run like 8 year old girls when a spider is around. Nope, took all of 3 pages, and bunch of drow to wipe him out in one shot. WTF???

My favorite thing of Drizzt is his internal strength. He's unwavering, honorable, and never strays from convictions. He also is able to channel an laser like focus when on a task or mission. From the time they were trying to drag him from Luskan to go on this quest he seemed more like dude from Colorado that smokes too much weed. The whole time he's saying "it's all not real, man", "i'm just hanging out bro"...Really?? Made my favorite character in all books, ever, ever ever...just look like a big ol duecher. However, I've been itching to see him beat that little punkass Tiago, so got out of bed and danced a little jig when he splattered him all over the landscape. Well done Drizzt baby!!! That's what I'm talking about!!!

Anyway, these books are my favorite. Doesn't matter, I'll always read em. I'm glad that we're not just redoing the same ol stories with the Companions and trying something new now. Seriously, what else can the Companions do?? So it's new. I fear change. But I'm trying. I'll read this 4 more times before the next one comes out, cuz that's how I roll. Hopefully Dahlia quits being a punk, and Entreri eats a bad mushroom and finally kicks it.

A new level, not reached by mere common fantasy (has been created). Need I say more to my friends in Forgotten Realms. You should never read this book, as it may be likely that no other climax will ever be so satisfying.
Bravo Sir, Bravo!

Absolutely love the story of Drizzt. The fighting, morality, and the ethics all wrapped into a solid story. What I think is a bit weird is this "stuff" (trying not to spoil) sending him back 7 books mentally.

Also.....when did Gromph get sexy?

Mr. Salvatore has done it again. This book has it all: action and suspense, might and magic, old friends and new characters. I started reading about Drizzt and the Companions of the Hall over twenty years ago, and now they are all like family to me. Maestro brings that family back together again for a fun and fast-paced adventure. Buy the book. I promise you'll love it. ❤️

I struggled with the rating for this book, while not horrible by any means, neither was it great. One of my big issues with this book is that I feel like it was too repetitive from previous books, almost like the author doesn't want to create new story lines at this point in his career. While it was fun to see Drizzt and Entreri interact, for the most part i thought Entreri was underused in the book and much more could have been done with him. The story moves along at a decent pace, but it just gets old that at every turn the almost all-powerful drow know exactly what is happening at every turn, and it gets old always reading about them being better than everyone. Further, the main antagonist is just another reintroduction of a previous character, maybe we'll see some changes (hopefully). The battle between Drizzt and Tiago was incredible underwhelming (it has been what 3 or 4 books leading up to the final fight), and the culmination of the downfall of the Prince of Demons was pointless, why exactly did it have to be Drizzt and not some other drow (Tiago?) that was the focal point of the attack? My best guess is the author simply tired of his previous story lines and wanted to wrap up Tiago quickly.

On to my next issue with this book, Gromph Baenre. An interesting character i grant you, but the author goes above and on beyond to make the reader understand that he wants Gromph to rival Elminster, the comparison must have been made at least 6 times throughout the book. And what was the point of the weird sexual tension between Cattie and Gromp (I saw another review that mentioned and i whole heartedly agree), i feel this brought nothing to the book and when Cattie made the accusation against Gromph of rape and then so easily forgives him and reconciles it i almost threw the book away, it was absolutely absurd to use that language and then so flippantly resolve it. I would not surprise me at all if the author is attempting to setup a three-way love triangle between Drizzt/Cattie/Gromph, which would ruin everything that the two of them stand for, not to mention the whole reason the author brought her back to life.

Finally, and as others have mentioned, it seems Drizzt's faith and beliefs (those things that have sustained him through 20 years of novels) have been cast to the wind, and that is the biggest disappointment with this book. I'm not certain i'll be interested in continuing with this series, as it seems to be getting darker with too much pointless philosophy.

R.A. Salvatore does it again. A great next chapter in the Drizzt series. The fights are intense and the endings are still new and exciting. Not a book to start by itself. You must be familiar with the Drizzt series.

4.5 out of 5 stars for me.

After two "sagas" that evoke many feelings of "been there, read that", I was beginning to read the Drizzt series mostly due to character investment . Reading there novels for thirteen years will do that I suppose. But with Maestro, Salvatore delivers one of the most entertaining novels he's written in several years - at least for me personally. I read all 330 pages in one sitting and could not put it down.

Jarlaxle has an agenda, he doesn't have *all* the answers for once, and is generally out of his element. Nor does he and his band of mercenaries pull deus-ex-machina (for the upteenth time) to save the day. Artemis Entreri is here (finally!), but doesn't have much meaningful development or interaction with the Jarlaxle & Drizzt, despite being a traveling companion. The stakes are much higher, the plot is interesting, the characters intriguing, and the book moves along at a brisk pace. And finally, the Drizzt vs Taigo conflict has it's resolution... Though we knew how that would end anyways (hint: there's a book after this one).

*Minor spoilers*

I have a few gripes about this novel. Firstly, Artemis Entreri is very much underused. Entreri & Jarlaxle are arguably Salvatore's most interesting and complex characters... Besides one important event in the novel, he says little, has no meaningful interaction with Drizzt & Jarlaxle, and he's mostly here because he fights well and wants the same thing. But all of the interesting character development and/or dialogue that you would think might come from these three being together (an exiting and overdue event) is pretty much non existent. It was very disappointing. Next off, Drizzt contracts some sort of mental illness of the mind, due to being to near the wound in the Faerzress... Drizzt has spent some twenty books and more and several hundred in-universe years convincing himself of his ideals, purpose, and so on and so forth. Yet here he (due to plot) questions *all* of it, and is convinced it's all some cruel joke. It makes little sense and the the implications at the end of the story have been done so many times before... And always irritated me when authors choose to play this card.

I struggled with the rating for this book, while not horrible by any means, neither was it great. One of my big issues with this book is that I feel like it was too repetitive from previous books, almost like the author doesn't want to create new story lines at this point in his career. While it was fun to see Drizzt and Entreri interact, for the most part i thought Entreri was underused in the book and much more could have been done with him. The story moves along at a decent pace, but it just gets old that at every turn the almost all-powerful drow know exactly what is happening at every turn, and it gets old always reading about them being better than everyone. Further, the main antagonist is just another reintroduction of a previous character, maybe we'll see some changes (hopefully). The battle between Drizzt and Tiago was incredible underwhelming (it has been what 3 or 4 books leading up to the final fight), and the culmination of the downfall of the Prince of Demons was pointless, why exactly did it have to be Drizzt and not some other drow (Tiago?) that was the focal point of the attack? My best guess is the author simply tired of his previous story lines and wanted to wrap up Tiago quickly.

On to my next issue with this book, Gromph Baenre. An interesting character i grant you, but the author goes above and on beyond to make the reader understand that he wants Gromph to rival Elminster, the comparison must have been made at least 6 times throughout the book. And what was the point of the weird sexual tension between Cattie and Gromp (I saw another review that mentioned and i whole heartedly agree), i feel this brought nothing to the book and when Cattie made the accusation against Gromph of rape and then so easily forgives him and reconciles it i almost threw the book away, it was absolutely absurd to use that language and then so flippantly resolve it. I would not surprise me at all if the author is attempting to setup a three-way love triangle between Drizzt/Cattie/Gromph, which would ruin everything that the two of them stand for, not to mention the whole reason the author brought her back to life.

Finally, and as others have mentioned, it seems Drizzt's faith and beliefs (those things that have sustained him through 20 years of novels) have been cast to the wind, and that is the biggest disappointment with this book. I'm not certain i'll be interested in continuing with this series, as it seems to be getting darker with too much pointless philosophy.

R.A. Salvatore does it again. A great next chapter in the Drizzt series. The fights are intense and the endings are still new and exciting. Not a book to start by itself. You must be familiar with the Drizzt series.

4.5 out of 5 stars for me.

After two "sagas" that evoke many feelings of "been there, read that", I was beginning to read the Drizzt series mostly due to character investment . Reading there novels for thirteen years will do that I suppose. But with Maestro, Salvatore delivers one of the most entertaining novels he's written in several years - at least for me personally. I read all 330 pages in one sitting and could not put it down.

Jarlaxle has an agenda, he doesn't have *all* the answers for once, and is generally out of his element. Nor does he and his band of mercenaries pull deus-ex-machina (for the upteenth time) to save the day. Artemis Entreri is here (finally!), but doesn't have much meaningful development or interaction with the Jarlaxle & Drizzt, despite being a traveling companion. The stakes are much higher, the plot is interesting, the characters intriguing, and the book moves along at a brisk pace. And finally, the Drizzt vs Taigo conflict has it's resolution... Though we knew how that would end anyways (hint: there's a book after this one).

*Minor spoilers*

I have a few gripes about this novel. Firstly, Artemis Entreri is very much underused. Entreri & Jarlaxle are arguably Salvatore's most interesting and complex characters... Besides one important event in the novel, he says little, has no meaningful interaction with Drizzt & Jarlaxle, and he's mostly here because he fights well and wants the same thing. But all of the interesting character development and/or dialogue that you would think might come from these three being together (an exiting and overdue event) is pretty much non existent. It was very disappointing. Next off, Drizzt contracts some sort of mental illness of the mind, due to being to near the wound in the Faerzress... Drizzt has spent some twenty books and more and several hundred in-universe years convincing himself of his ideals, purpose, and so on and so forth. Yet here he (due to plot) questions *all* of it, and is convinced it's all some cruel joke. It makes little sense and the the implications at the end of the story have been done so many times before... And always irritated me when authors choose to play this card.

Hold on to your backsides people, Maestro is a page turner. Salvatore does all his usual detailed fighting and introspection but this time he takes it to another level. There are several moments in the book where I had to stop and process what just happened. The ending... wow now another year wait for the next book!

A great story that moves quickly. But I was hoping for some more Jarlaxle development since the book seems to be named after him. He plays a major role for sure, but I don't think he is developed further. As with a lot of recent Salvatore books, seems like it was longer and richer originally and then trimmed down to make it shorter. Just give us 500 pagers, we can handle it.

This book is wonderful, a great addition to the Legend of Drizzt.

***Minor Spoilers, no names given***

R.A. Salvatore has yet to disappoint in any of his books, this one has Drizzt finally dispatching a long time nemesis. Has a massive amount of intrigue and mystery, the fights are as breathtaking and well written as ever.

The only qualm I have, is that it seemed a BIT rushed. Like R.A. couldn't wait to get somewhere and was hurriedly writing to arrive at the destination. But this was very subtle, and may have just been me. It just seemed as though a lot of the "journey details" we're passed over when normally they are drawn out and very descriptive.

With all that being said, I loved it. It has allowed me to continue my journey appreciating Drizzt and his Heroic story. I cannot wait to read the final crescendo of this trilogy. I do need to learn to read books a bit slower perhaps, for it leaves me with some very long dry spells while I'm waiting for my favorite authors to finish the next installment.

Thanks Mr. Salvatore, for another great memory and story. Pick it up dear reader, you won't be disappointed (AFTER you read at a minimum "Archmage, Book 1 of homecoming" obviously, although the first 20+ books would help also!!).

****THIS REVIEW CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS!!!****

As an avid fan of the Forgotten Realms and a diligent reader of all of the works set within it, Maestro was a must-buy for me. I was anticipating this particular book for other reasons as well, which I'll go into later in this review. Having read all of Salvatore's FR books, I went in with both a basic idea of what to expect and an idea of what would most likely be missing.

I'll admit that I'm more than a little jaded when it comes to Bob's work, so I was more than a little pleasantly surprised by what I personally felt was a pretty significant improvement in his prose. I often encounter problems trying to get friends into the Drizzt books because of what many of them feel to be an awkward writing style. It is the case that as works of literature, the dark elf books won't be winning any exemplary awards anytime soon. That being said, as I was reading Maestro, I found myself wondering aloud, "Did Bob get a new editor or something?" A much less polite way of expressing my impression, albeit a more accurate one, is that it's as though whomever was responsible for the state of the final product gained a level sometime between Archmage and Maestro, and subsequently, allocated available stat points into intellect. Sure, there are still what I fondly call "Salvatorisms", for example, the excessive usage of words like, "fabulous", "fine", "magnificent" and "killing", adjectives that fundamentally don't say a whole lot about the quality of that which they are describing. There's still the prevalence of grammatically incorrect one-word sentences, as well as the repetitive use of "And how..." as a means of expressing the extent to which something is affected. Things like these always make me cringe, but I suppose without them, I wouldn't know that I was reading a Salvatore book.

I actually experienced an almost surreal feeling during Maestro, when I came upon metaphors the likes of which I thought beyond the level of the Drizzt books. A huge complaint of mine about Bob's writing is that he does a great amount of telling and not enough showing, but this isn't as much the case in Maestro as was in the previous books. The presence of evocative descriptions in the text as well as poignant analogies made me question my preexisting hopelessness about the objective quality of Salvatore's writing. Their abundance kindled a flame of hope in my breast for the possibility of greater improvements in the future. I felt as though, during the course of writing Maestro, Bob actively tried to add more dimension than ever before to his prose, with analogies like, "He went through them like a mole through soft dirt" instead of simply telling the reader something along the lines of, "He cut through his opponents without resistance." Some of the analogies were awkward, for instance, "She heard the whistle, a strange sound indeed, that reverberated like the beacon of a lighthouse in K’yorl’s mind.” In this case, the comparison is drawn between two things that are too different to elicit the sort of reaction that was hoped for, as it's a bit difficult to hear the beacon strobe of a lighthouse. However, these blunders still brought me joy, because they signified that an effort was made. I greatly welcome more similar efforts in the future and know that with practice more will be successful. Perhaps we'll even witness one day the sort of harmonious diction reminiscent of Patrick Rothfuss' writing. One can certainly hope, and after Maestro, that hope doesn't seem as far-fetched as before.

Other refreshing changes that set Maestro apart from its predecessors can be found in the presentation of lore and the acknowledgement of the world at large. A commonly expressed complaint about the Salvatore books among FR fans is that the books feel very dissociated from the rest of the Realms. Which, while certainly a bigger deal to FR fans at large than those specifically interested in Drizzt alone, denies everyone a better idea and appreciation for the environment in which their favorite characters live. Certainly, fans may go to the Dungeons and Dragons sourcebooks for background information, but unless this entire franchise is to serve as an advertising hook for those products, the books should at least try to more fully flesh out their world. Good world-building is, after all, one of the components that sets a good fantasy book apart from a mediocre one, and until now, much of the dark elf books feel like they're just piggybacking off of an existent world with no need to fill in holes. The thing is, the domains of Menzoberranzan as well as much having to do with the Underdark and its denizens fell into Salvatore's hands to define, so it's nice when he gives us details like Ched Nasad's refugees bringing their destroyed city's architectural styles to Menzoberranzan. It's interesting to learn about how things within the Drizzt sub-universe react to the events of the world at large, for example, Khazid'hea's ecstasy in response to being near to the changed faerzress. Although Bob is often accused of writing in his own corner of the Realms at the exclusion of the rest of it, there's still a great deal of details that can be covered even in that little corner. I'll never get tired of details like House Hunzrin's niche trading venture and House Melarni's obsession with driders. Details like those set what are supposed to be very different families apart from one another, whereas formerly, other than House Baenre and House Do'Urden, little distinction stood between the plethora of drow of Menzoberranzan. For those of us that want that additional bit of visualization, tidbits like the silver chain cloak clasp that sets masters of Sorcere apart from other drow are greatly gratifying. What surprised me perhaps the most about the inclusion of the world at large is the mention of magic of longevity and resurrection. While I've always understood Salvatore's choice to ignore those magics, it gets harder to suspend disbelief that the very wealthy and capable protagonists wouldn't have access to such things. I'm curious to see what this sort of acknowledgement will lead to, as it opens up many interesting possibilities.

The handling of the resurrected Companions of the Hall is also improved. I got the sense that Bob was attempting to tone down Catti-brie somewhat by making her unable to immediately overcome all the challenges presented to her, and more importantly, to illustrate some challenges that she plausibly can't overcome (at least not yet? ;P). Furthermore, through Catti-brie both directly and indirectly, Salvatore actually makes some decent points about societal values and perspectives, a tendency that I've criticized him for shying away from in the past. I can understand his hesitation to touch upon potentially controversial topics in the past when he was writing for a younger target audience and/or when he was early in his writing career. However, despite it being a fantasy world, the Drizzt books cover much in the way of sex and violence, so it isn't fair to say that just because all of them are make-believe, that it's ok to disregard important byproducts and implications drawing from those mature themes. Topics that I applaud Bob for touching on are that those blessed with beauty have increased sway over others, that different people have different values and the wrongness in imposing one's own values onto someone else, and most importantly, that rape is more than just the physical act of forced copulation. Granted, these points are pretty innocuous compared to those covered by even his fellow FR writers. However, as is the case with effective writing, it's better to make an attempt than to make none at all.

With all of these approving thoughts in mind, I was going to give Maestro an extra star from my usual rating for Drizzt books. Much as I'd really like to, however, it pains me say that in the end, I simply couldn't. The issues that do still exist are so glaring that they offset many of the quite remarkable positive strides made by this novel. Sadly, for each positive feature that I discussed earlier, a "black lining" accompanies it.

For starters, while it's true that not once was the phrase "six hundred pounds of panther" used, unfortunately, Jarlaxle appears to be the new proverbial Guenhwyvar, as the fact that he consorts with dragons is mentioned with a disturbingly familiar degree of redundancy. Furthermore, the scene that's supposed to be sexy and seductive (yes, the one with Catti-brie and Gromph) instead read more like a bad porn flick. Some of Drizzt's moves during the duel with Tiago once again featured impractical fighting sequences, reminiscent of movie screen dramatics.

While Salvatore does a better job acknowledging the shared world outside of his corner, he also implements significant details that aren't consistent with the lore established by the other concurrent FR authors. It's as if there's no longer a line editor for the world, and I'm honestly not sure if that actually is the case. Its pretty much impossible to reconcile the remnants of the Shade enclave that Catti-brie stayed at with what we know about the end of the Netherese rule. Functionally speaking, Bob's "Shade" isn't mentioned in any of the other books that talk about the Shadovar empire as a whole. There's nothing about its crash site. But fine, suspending disbelief, we'll assume that there was an extra Shade Enclave that none of the others talked about for whatever reason that crashed down and isn't aware of its fellow crashed enclaves. That aside, the remaining Shadovar in Bob's "Shade" are uncharacteristically upbeat, and I'm not just talking about the oddball Lord Parise Ulfbinder either. Even the strict guards that escort Catti-brie are a few notches too lenient compared to the ruthlessness that characterized the feared Shadovar. However, suspending disbelief again regarding everything having to do with the Netherese in Salvatore's book, there are also a slew of internal inconsistencies, particular to both the Drizzt series as a whole and to Maestro specifically. This has always been an issue with Salvatore books, in that they give off the impression that they were edited by someone who experiences frequent lapses in memory. For instance, Drizzt falling asleep makes no sense, as elves don't sleep except in very specific circumstances, none of which apply to Drizzt when he takes his nap. It's not as though Bob wouldn't know this, as Drizzt shares reverie with Innovindil in one of The Hunters' Blades books. Another internal inconsistency is Drizzt not bothering to disguise his lavender eyes when he infiltrates Menzoberranzan with Jarlaxle and Entreri. This is as out of character as it is unlikely, for we learned in Homeland how unique Drizzt's eyes are and afterwards how well-known that particular trait of his is both in the Underdark and the World Above.

Devolving from world disassociation into downright out of character portrayal was what pitched Maestro back down for me. Some of the stuff just didn't feel realistic, such as how chummy the Companions are with Jarlaxle. Even given all that he's done, he's not trustworthy by a long shot, his methods are questionable, he never shares the entirety of his plans and regardless of what he says, if he were being true to his character, his own interests should be his priority, and unless the Companions are complete idiots, they should know that. Gromph is seen retaining the scratches that he inflicted upon his own eyes, which is also unlikely, since given how prideful the former Archmage of Menzoberranzan is, he would've had those fixed to quell questioning. He's clearly unhappy with his accidental summoning of Demogorgon to the Prime, yet he's going about his business with the tell-tale evidence literally on his face. This is to say nothing about having quite possibly one of the most arrogant of all drow find a human alluring, something which strikes me as being completely ridiculous. It would be more plausible for a person in our world to fall in love with a sexy pig or something along those lines.

Finally, no one experiences the forced "development" and breaking character more than Artemis Entreri, first in being out-snarked by Drizzt (to say nothing about the untruth in the statement, "Unused to being insulted" when applied to Entreri) and then in his self-sacrificing shouting at Yvonnel. I understand what Salvatore is trying to do, but the implementation is horrid. In fact, the entire handling of Entreri leaves much to be desired, specifically regarding the reconciliation between him and Jarlaxle. A hundred years by Dalereckoning and ten real life years define the tensions between the assassin and the drow mercenary, and yet they're back together as comically as if one hadn't inadvertently subjected the other to being tortured for four decades in slavery. Even considering Dahlia in the equation, even considering Entreri telling Jarlaxle that he needs to earn his companionship, it isn't enough. It isn't natural. Much as I and many fans love the chemistry between Entreri and Jarlaxle, the entire experience is cheapened, falsified even, by such an unbelievable sequence putting them together again. Artemis Entreri is my favorite character, and I've been hungering for his return in Maestro. I almost wish that he hadn't returned at all rather than being portrayed the way that he is in Maestro.

The mediocre aspects are just too much. Throw in the fact that Catti-brie is yet again ascending into levels of unbelievable (and I stress that word) Cosmic Power (without being confined in an itty-bitty living space), that we encounter the overused kinetic barrier tactic (and on the Prince of Demons yet), that we see all-too-predictable gear upgrades for the beloved hero who's been long overdue and deal with more lesbian fetishization before we even get to the first chapter, and you have the components for a not so nice smelling stew of literary failure. If you read the book, I strongly suspect that you will agree that the "cliffhanger" has virtually no likelihood of happening. It's really too bad, given all the positive things that Bob included in this novel, that it had to take a nosedive in the way that it did. Given all of the negatives, three stars seems almost generous as a rating.

I've read every book with Drizzt and now in my 40's, I still cannot get enough! I loved this book, so similar to the very first one. The city, the culture, all so unique and interesting. I do think Drizzt is heading down a dark path and can only hope he finds his way. R.A showed us a different side to Gromph and I found it fascinating! Great book, cannot wait for the next one.

I have read every Drizzt book and I think this is by far the best!!! The characters are great. You would think that after so many books that the characters will stop showing growth. Not only do the characters grow but they are becoming more complex. Hat's off to you Mr. Salvatore!!! Bravo!!!

This newest Drizzt book held my attention, but for the latter half of the book, I found myself thinking, “what the…?” I like deep, philosophical discussions, but this was just strange. Throughout the last few books, we have been led to believe that Drizzt is, if not a Chosen of, then at least favored by Mielikki, and perhaps even Lolth, though he would clearly never acknowledge the latter. But now I am truly curious where this is going, and in some aspects, find myself disappointed. Because of this curiosity, however, I find myself anticipating the next one, wondering where this is all leading.

Jarlaxle is as amazing as ever, and Valas Hune, whom I loved from WotSQ, was mentioned, but never actually made an appearance. He is referenced a lot, but rarely actually appears.

Drizzt has been a beacon for males—and perhaps a few females—who felt trapped in a world dominated by Lolthites, and they are now all rooting for him. That is great, let Drizzt be their champion (if he will), but what about Eilistraee and Vhaeraun? If it were another author, perhaps one of those two gods (or both, since by accounts they are allies in 5e) would reach out to Drizzt, but this is Salvatore, who doesn’t really care about any of that. But Eilistraee, and even Vhaeraun, have been trying to show a better way for centuries (though their followers have to be careful in a Lolth-dominated society), and suddenly it is Drizzt who gives them hope? I mean, Drizzt is awesome, don’t get me wrong, and I think it’s great he’s started something, but…

There were some other scenes that bothered me. I saw little point to the sexual tension between Catti-brie and Gromph, and the conversation between her and Penelope actually made me angry. Gromph and Catti are both above such pettiness. Perhaps it was used as a mechanism for Cat to prove her merit and put Gromph in his place, but I think it was poorly chosen and offset the story. And I won’t go into the last battle with Drizzt and the prince of demons. Oh, and of course Drizzt suddenly questioning EVERYTHING due to some apparent madness caused by the thinning of the Faezress. I mean, really? One minute he’s fine and the next “it’s all an illusion, my life is a lie.” Seriously?

In spite of these flaws, it was a good read, and I look forward to the next one. I feel that the Drizzt books are out of touch with the rest of the Realms sometimes, but I love Drizzt as a character.

This new installment in the seemingly endless series of Drizzt books continues from pretty much where we left off at the previous book Archmage. Following the theme Salvatore has done for a while, the story picks a few of the (vast) cast of character to follow closely – this time Entreri and Dahlia are back after being absent for the last few books.

The main plot follow from the previous book with Catti-Brie attempting to rebuild the Host tower of the Arcane while in the Underdark, Demogorgon wrecks havoc on Menzoberranzan while Entreri, Jarlaxle and Drizzt journey back to Menzoberransan to rescue Dahlia. There is a complex plot among the noble houses but again, unfortunately, it seems more like squabbling children than devious creatures. The author also has an annoying tendency to do a buildup of a huge plot only to overshadow it with another a book later or even allow it to fizzle out completely. While it may be true to form that all Drow eventually betray each other, it does not make for a very exciting read, and the cookie-cutter evil nobles do not make it any easier to enjoy these segments.

The two other main plots, those of Cattie-Brie and the Drizzt/Entreri/Jarlaxle sections are fortunately more interesting. Their plot is clearer and moves along nicely; and while I don’t like where Drizzt is headed in the end (a man of two centuries really should not mope like a teenager), as a whole the journey was more enjoyable than the previous outing.

In the grand scheme of things it also is starting to look like the field has been cleared a bit and the overall plot is now more concise and the amount of characters manageable. This makes me look forward to the next book more – and perhaps this time we’ll get to see what Regis and Wulfgar are doing. The series could do with some new areas, characters and plots rather than rehashing the old ones over and over again. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Drizzt Do'Urden may never have thought he'd return to Menzoberranzan. The the Drow city, his former home, is his destination. But this should be a quick in-and-out- visit. Traveling with unlikely companions, he must rescue Dahlia, a former love.

And his current (and forever) love, Cattie-brie, finds herself working with some unlikely allies as well. Her team, including Gromph Baenre, Archmage of Menzobarranzan, must work to rebuild the one thing that can keep the ancient primorial under Gauntlgrym in check.

So two unpleasant but important tasks lie before them. And both know that accomplishing their goals will come with challenges. But when a Drow force to be reckoned with--one thought long gone--reveals herself, it becomes clear that the challenge is just beginning.

I have been waiting for some action to return to this series for a couple of books now. Things have been moving slowly. But this one really bought things back into focus. There was an intensity here that I think both longtime and new Drizzt readers can appreciate.

I also enjoyed getting to see a bit more of some of the non-Companions characters. Jarlaxle and Gromph feature a bit more in this book. And readers are re-introduced to a character who could be the biggest game-changer since the Companions of the Hall returned.

I certainly look forward to the next book in this series. The game is truly on now. And I could see it ending in many different ways.

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

Last year when I finished the previous book in the Legend of Drizzt series by R.A. Salvatore I promised myself I was done with this series for good, it had come so far from what I loved about the early books in the series. Yet, when I saw Maestro was available to review I was unable to stop myself from requesting a copy of it. I think it’s a testament to how much I did enjoy the early books in the series that I keep coming back for more — despite being disappointed with the last few books. So I was a bit surprised by how much I found myself enjoying this book, at least in the beginning.

I found the idea of Drizzt going home and having to confront his past really interesting, and was unable to put it down at first. Then I came to about the half way point and it was like running into a wall, it took me days to get through the rest of the story. I’m not sure why Salvatore felt the need to resurrect the Companions of the Hall if he was just going to separate and abandon 2/3rds of them within just a couple of books. Except for Drizzt, my favorite characters are barely even referenced in this book, and the action all but stops about half way through the book. We go from action scene upon action scene, to long philosophical ramblings. We also get a Drizzt who suddenly starts questioning who he is once more.

While I may not have enjoyed the last couple books, they did do a good job of showing Drizzt accepting the way his life turned out, so it bothers me that in just a couple of chapters he’s back to his old self-doubt. After 25+ books I’m getting a bit tired of Drizzt and his emo teenager phase.

I can’t really say I disliked this book any more than I did the last one, but I can say that I don’t think it was any better. I think it had the potential to be one of the better books in the series, and it’s my opinion that the potential ended up being wasted. I would like to say I won’t read the next book in the series again, but I don’t want to make a liar of myself once more. Despite the fact that I haven’t really enjoyed the series lately, there is one thing Salvatore does a good job of, and that is leaving me with the need to know what is going to happen to Drizzt in the end. Even if I think he’s going to milk the character and series for as long as it is possible

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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.

Archmage - Book 1

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.

Maestro - Book 2

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

Sometimes it feels like you can't trust anyone in these stories. The only character that seems honest is Drizzt. After the ending of Archmage, I couldn't trust Jarlaxle and I can't believe that Drizzt went with him. Oh, don't worry, it's not going to be bad ;). Well... most of the time. At the end, it all depends on Drizzt and to the will of a certain young but powerful drow woman. Oh, how I despised her.

After reading the first part I was already used to the style and speed of the story, so I could dive in and take the pleasure of reading without wondering who is who and what's going on :). The story seemed much more exciting, although the parts about rebuilding the Hotswatter were lacking Drizzt :P. Just kidding, it's great to know that the world the author created goes on with or without the main hero, that somewhere out there it still changes and that when he gets back, he might need to get used to some things.

Just like in the first part, this one also gets more exciting closer to the end. The final battle is certainly effective. The way Yvonnel manipulates the people around her is both annoying and scary. She's unpredictable and I'm sure she'll bring a lot of confusion and surprises into the further story.

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

Together these books create a fantastic history of Drizzt's homecoming to Menzoberranzan. I'd love to read the next book, see how will the story continue, will there be more treachery, plotting, fighting?

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.

check my reviews at (...)

I will preface saying that I have read every book in this series. If you havent, read them first. These books connect with me at such an emotional level, most likely because I have followed their story most of my life (I read the first novel "Homeland" when I was entering the 8th grade, and am now 35 years old.) I'm constantly on edge and deeply involved in these novels.
I love these novels, and love the fact that I know more and more will continue. I know the setting, and characters very well.
I have read david evenings, and several other great fantasy novels, and they were fantastic. But these connect on a whole new level.

If you havent read ALL of these novels, start now. Well worth it.

This is the perilous journey to determine the fate of the soul of Drizzt that Salvatore meant to write when he wrote the Second Companions books. And this one is truly worth the legacy of the books that he has written. Definitely worth a read, it's got all of the intrigue of the earlier series with all of the adventure of new characters and opponents for Drizzt to overcome...including himself.

The things that happen in this book are interesting but the detaills of how they happen left me feeling gyped. Of course the action scenes in Menzoboranzan(?) are vintage Drizzt fun but the deamon prince wasn't a satisfying kill because there wasn't enough payoff to all the buidup about how much of a badass demogorgon(?) was suppsed to be. It seemed too quickly resolved.

Artimis was too much of a sidekick again vs. the deep snd complex man he's been written ad in the past.

I dont understand why all of a sudden the realiyy of Wulfgar's torture sets and drives Drizzt to an existential crisis at this darkest hour.

Tiago's death was actually satisfying. The kid was a punk and got got like a punk. i liked thaf it wasnt an epic showdown from Drizzt's standpoint.

I liked the details and political action among the matron mothers and the full return of The Eternal is handled well. She will serve as a great long-con type foil for Drizzt. Her resurection may seem lazy or repetitive to some but I think Bob has a lot more in his toolbox now so bringing her back will be anything but repetitive.

Not great. After 30 books it was Worth the read though.

It was tough to review this book. The tale of Drizzt and the cast of characters has become so repetitive and predictable that I wish Salvatore would make a drastic change to the landscape (which I am not sure he is even allowed to as other authors probably own other parts of the world map for their stories). I am just sick of dwarf homelands and defending against invaders and having to rebuild. I am sick of the matron mothers and their house wars that are the same over and over and over and over again. I am sick of the all of it really. I just keep reading out of habit or curiosity that the next book will be new or different. I did feel excited for a few of the recent installments (last 5-6 books) but some of those did not do it for me. The fights were fun and the story was OK. If you are a far of drizzt you will probably enjoy (as it is basically the same book for the 30th time)

Drizzt, Jaraxle, and Entreri.
Their coordination was marvelous.
Their intertwining dance mesmerizing in its perfection and timing.

Braelin Janquay said it best about the Drow, disgusted in the nefarious ways of his own people.

"Chaos is a beautiful thing, full of excitement, the very edge of existence." -Yiccardaria

Another good chapter in the life of Drizzt

If you like spending time with the numerous Dark Elves that do not move the story forward, you will like this book.
If you like the repeat of Dark Elf politics and in-fighting that Salvatore has beat to death over the last ten books, you will like this book.
If you like our hero being brought low after so many harder exploits and challenges, you will like this book.
If you like re-hashed story lines, you will like this book.
If you like Emo Drizzt you will like this book.
If you like reading an entire book and then realize the story hasn't progressed at all, you will like this book.
If you like the feeling that R.A. Salvatore mailed it in, you will like this book.

Personally, I like none of this stuff but Salvatore is my favorite author so I will always buy his stuff and give it a chance. Unfortunately, this story falls well short of the brilliance that Salvatore has shown in the past.

I like it when a story comes full circle. He came back to menzobarrenzen in not the way I had expected.

Any story Jarlaxle has to be fun and random. There were a lot of big fights and is good to see all this collaboration around the host tower. It's nice to see.

RA Salvatore continues to deliver in the continuing saga of Drizzt and the hall of companions. I've been reading his books since ice wind dale was published many years ago. As long as he continues to write I will read.

As usual with Salvatore, and Forgotten Realms. I picked up this book, and put it down finished 7 hours later - at four AM. Drizzt/Artemis/Jarlax is like a damn drug. I swear it's worse then Crack Cocain! It's worse than even Magic: The Gathering!

Not enough Gwen though. And I was hoping for a bit of Gromph/Cat spell dueling...but it kinda turned out alright with the "unsaid" duel that happened.

Drizzt journeys into Drow city with Jaraxle and Enterei. Will any of them return alive? This one was full of intrigue and battles. Prince of Demons rampaging. After this, Drizzt truly becomes epic. I don't want to spoil it, but you will understand once you read the book.