Book 1 - The Crystal Shard, Icewind Dale Trilogy

This is a decent start to a promising trilogy, although this seems to be a very early start in Salvatore's career (his writing improves greatly during 'Streams of Silver'). The main problem in this novel... the battles have too rushed a feeling to them. How does Drizzt seem to escape battle after battle, etc. with hardly any wounds at all?
How can any character possibly defeat the enemies with the mass numbers, mass sizes, and even demons so easily? This in all honesty has that feeling that if I read it to my son for a bedtime story, all would be ok.
Don't let these questions deter you away from this novel/author though. As said above, the next novel shows real promise... within the first chapter I noticed a difference in the writing style. Pick this up, and begin your journey with Drizzt, Wulfgar, Bruenor, and "Rumblebelly" (as the halfling is called)

The great thing about this book is that you can accept and agree with many of the negative comments and still shrug your shoulders, say "who cares" and enjoy this fun book. Believe me, its not a great investment of time to read this book, because you'll breeze through it pretty quickly. Yeah, its got problems: the dialogue can be silly at times, plot twists can pop up without much development, and the characters aren't as well developed as some posters argue. And yet, in spite of all its faults its a very fun read! The plot is quick paced and covers a lot of ground. Salvatore's first novel shows terrific style (which he develops and masters later on). "Shard" is like a large popcorn at the movies: Its not a full course meal, but if you are in the mood for something light, it will satisfy your hunger better than you think. Pick it up, you won't be disappointed.

I loved it when I was I kid but now that I've been rereading it I've come to the realization my biggest beef with the series is that it feels like all the characters are virtually invincible. The bad guys are usually incredibly stupid and the good guys always are at genius levels. Personally I lived the first three even though the series had some major faults in my opinion. At least reading the first three was more enjoyable. Now of course in R.A's defense this was his first book and but still I feel that it could have been way better.

Some things I didn't like was how Drizt kept on saying how there's only six of them or so. Six against two come on now! Also the way that R.A. Salvatore describes how the bad guys get beaten so badly by the dwarfs and really butchers the time lines. Or how about how Wulfgar is suddenly an expert tracker even though he virtually grew up in the dwarf mines. I must admit that was a stretch even for me. I hate to say this but the Crystal Shard was definitely not Salvatores best work and left me with a bitter taste in my mouth.

The main reason I gave it three stars instead of two was because the series does get better but again the same short comings seem to apply with his future books. Its light reading but not worth a lot in my opinion.

Definitely a great fantasy epic and one of my personal favorites, The Icewind Dale Trilogy- The Crystal Shard, Streams of Silver, and The Halfling's Gem, brings to life the story of a good hearted dark elf ranger named Drizzt Do'Urden and his adventures in the northwestern reaches of the World of Faerun. The books are so incredibly well written that the reader feels that they have been transported to another universe and are actually present among the characters, seeing what they see, feeling what they feel, sensing what they sense. RA Salvatore has truly outdone himself and has presented us with a masterpiece of literature the likes of which we have seen only in JRR Tolkien's work and in authors Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's Dragonlance Chronicles and Legends trilogies. Duty, honor, bravery, magic, dragons and heroes are all about. A great trilogy indeed and a "must read" along with RA Salvatore's Dark Elf Trilogy!

This book is the catalyst for all my writing. Mr. Salvatore has rendered a world that is fully well thought out. The characters he generates are warm, meaningful, and filled with passion--and the values they possess make the Crystal Shard timeless. R.A. Salvatore is unlike most of his contemporaries in the Fantasy genre, in that he has mastered the portrayal of human emotions, and not just visual landscaping. I am convinced his writing is an elevation above that which we have seen from Eddings, Brooks, and the mainstay of fantasy writers. His books are so generally charming, so satisfying by story's-end, that I cannot help but to think of him more in the vein of Tolkien or Lewis.
The Crystal Shard stands as a shinning example of art. It is genuinely heartfelt and imaginative.

I'm sure if I read this when I was younger I would love it. In fact, I'm hanging on to the series for my future children. The characters are excellent role models and there's plenty of adventure.

Now that I'm older, I want to be challenged a little more. I want twists and turns. I want the heroes to fail once in a while to prove they're not perfect.

Let's look at the characters. You've got Drizzt the dark elf, Wulfgar the barbarian, Bruenor the dwarf, and Regis the halfling. (Cattie-Brie becomes a more important character in later books but really doesn't do anything of significance in this book).

Drizzt, Wulfgar and Bruenor are warriors. And man, are they good. Way too good in fact. They can kill anything with relative ease receiving a few bumps and bruises. A horde of goblins? No prob. A lair of giants? Piece of cake. An Ice Dragon? Don't make me laugh. An ancient demon? Yawn.

And so it goes. No matter what villain gets tossed their way, you know who's going to win. I don't like predictability. The story is fun and Salvatore isn't a terrible writer. It's just not what it could have been. And maybe that's because it wasn't written for me, but for a younger generation. And if that's true, then it's decent.

Too many books have a great start and peter out, or have an intriguing story line, but then end in a bogus surprise. The Crystal Shard instead starts off just fine, but gets stronger and stronger as the story reaches its conclusion.

A sign of a great writer, Salvatore uses no "cheating" in the Shard. Characters do what they do because of who they are, not because the plot needs something to take place. Some parts of the book made me laugh aloud as well. A little comedy never hurts, even in an action packed novel. The action, too, while perhaps too bloody and a bit too graphic for younger readers, is exciting and well done.

I don't want to describe the characters because it would give away much of the plot, which involves how they became who they are in the later books of the series. Drizzt is already pretty well known, however. He's a fascinating character, neither too powerless to be of interest, nor too good to be true. The other characters, while not vastly different from similar characters in fantasy novels, are nonetheless compelling, likeable, and all behave so consistently with their personality that they are very believable, which is what matters.

The only flaw, and it's a minor one, is that R.A. Salvatore, in a few places, violates the rule "show me, don't tell me". He awkwardly states, for example, that one character discovered "conscience". The story would have done just fine letting us see that this was true, rather than announcing it. Still, this is a rare flaw, and not one that will seriously diminish the enjoyment of many readers.

The Crystal Shard justifies its reputation, justifies reader's desire for many more books about these characters, and justifies being highly recommended by so many people, including, for what it's worth, me.

Its important to know that this book was written at the beginning of Salvatore's writing career. The characters are there, the adventure is there, but its not nearly at the level of the other Drizzt novels. Its a little jarring reading it after the prequel trilogy, as those came about after the writer had developed his craft. Its not a bad novel or a bad story, its just not to the level of what comes before and after in the Drizzt timeline.

Simply one of the best fantasy books, in my humble opinion. I've read this 3 to 4 times, the first time in Mrs. More's 8th grade English class. I of course read the next volumes and everything else by Salvatore in the Forgotten Realms universe.

Why haven't they made a movie out of this? We've got a lot of crappy superhero movies, why not this one?

Maybe it's a little too tame for some, or clings to D&D stuff, or is childish, or whatever...but I like this book!

The Crystal Shard was a great book and entertaining in many respects. The character Akar Kessell is portrayed really well and Salvatore, even in his first length novel effort, excels at character description and representation.

Although its hard to complain about this knowing that this novel was written before the Dark Elf Trilogy, it is still weird to only get small references to Drizzt's former life in the underdark. Although its to be expected, after reading the D.E. Trilogy first I was kind of longing for some reference to Drizzt's underdark friends and foes like Clacker and even some of his Do'Urden family members. Although it was impossible to do though since Icewind Dale was written before Dark Elf.

Overall a great book, but I think Salvatore's writing is slightly immature compared to some of his later works. His writing already improved in Streams of Silver! Still a highly recommended book and a must read in the Drizzt series.

What is up with all this retroactive numbering going on? Is it b/c of Star Wars and Lucas' demented prequels? Leave it alone, Salvatore. The CS is the first Drizzt book written and people don't even know that. The dark Elf Trilogy was written after and first published as a prequel. Fine by me, I liked them all and this is where I cut my teeth on fantasy when I was 12.

Drizzt is a great character in this trilogy. It is a great start and I love all of them; Regis, Cattie-brie, Bruenor (my fav after Drizzt) and Wulfgar all spring to life on the page. Everything about this book is fun and adventure. There are no pretenses, no attempts at trying to be anything other than good fantasy action. That is the way it should have stayed. It is too bad Salvatore took this whole series in another direction and started making everything about something.

I think Bob would benefit from going back and reading these first few in the series, up to about The Twin Blades, and stop trying so hard to be a moral play. And stop this renaming everything. I know it is a marketing ploy and he as the author may not have control, but give it a rest. It is like Raiders of the Lost Ark being called Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. Stop that! It is called Raiders and that is it. Just like Star Wars is called Star Wars, not Episode IV: A New Hope. Stop changing what got you there, boys.

After reading The Cleric Quintet, I wasn't really expecting much form this book. Man was I surprised to find one of the best fantasy books I've ever read!!
This is a classic fantasy in the way of rediculously strong heroes fighting bumbling orcs and goblins, but it was much more too. Drizzit, Wulfgar, Bruenor, and Regis are some of the greatest characters I've come across, rivaling the likes of the Dragonlance heroes (which is saying a lot). Drizzit especially stands out as being especially cool. It would be hard to think of a champion with better (and as believalbe) qualities than him. He's confident enough (and he should be) to take on giants, dragons, demons, and powerful wizards. And hardly relied on luck at all! Throughout this book the good guys kicked a** again and again, leaving the reader with a great feeling of victory!
This book was absolutelty wonderful. I reccomend it for anyone who enjoys a good fantasy, no matter what age they are. Salvatore came a long way from when he wrote the Cleric Quintet. I give it four thumbs up.

I take back most of what I stated in my second review. This book is decent, and maybe a little better. This book is not bad at all really. If you want easy escapism, some Braveheart remeniscent adventure, and some cool characters, give this book a try. This is not a great work of literature. This is not a book to be compared with David Copperfield. However, it is not like I said earlier, a piece of trash. No, this book is neither you see. This is just good old fantasy, and NO, Salvatore is not a Tolkien rip off at all. Jordan is. That is why Salvatore is better than Jordan. If you have the choice for The Wheel of Time or Icewind Dale Trilogy, I advise you pick the Icewind Dale Trilogy. This book has some nice escapism, kick a§§ battle scenes, cool lil' creatures, and some great heroic and humorous characters. You might as well give it a try. As Salvatore himself told me, "Reading is subjective" END Maturity level- Teen, has bloodshed
Favorite Scene- the fight with the ice dragon! hehe

This is THE book if you want to know about Drizzt, Forgotten Realms, or if you liked Lord of the Rings. This book is probably the best one out of all 3. Akar Kessel, the evil guy, wants to take over Icewind Dale by using The Crystal Shard. Drizzt, Wulfgar, Bruenor, and Regis must stop him before his orc army destroys all of Icewind Dale. Also, there is a barbarian attack in Ten-Towns. You'll like this book if your a sci-fi fan. The book has some moments that were like The Hobbit, however. With the "Icingdeath" creature, and the tower sounded a lot like Minas Tirith from Lord of the Rings. But, it's his first published story, what do you expect? Pretty good.

I was not too impressed by the Crystal Shard. After hearing a lot about Salvatore I decided to pick up this book. I thought it was a really good book, and it was very entertaining but it wasn't mind blowing by any means. I read this book a while ago and I must say that Salvatore definately picks up the pace with his later books in the drizzt series.
It seems impossible to not love the characters in this book. My personal favorite, Wulfgar, is an incredible feat in character development and storytelling. His background and character traits (and those of his tribe) are what drive a huge part of the story, and it is masterfully done.
If you have a good imagination then you will be blown away by some of the scenes in this book because of the visual images you will conjure in you mind. From barbarians to dragons, sentinent objects, and magical weapons, this book has it all. I would've given it four stars if I had written the review immediately after reading and before I read the other Drizzt books. The others are much, much more exciting and breath taking.

I've read the first three in this extraordinarily long series. They're interesting, but WAY too short for the exorbitant (compared to other Kindle books) price. $8 for a book I can easily consume in a few days is too far from what I've grown accustomed to in the Kindle world. I could have bought the whole series of 20-some books for a couple hundred dollars - OR, I can spend that same amount on nearly 100 other books that would prove to be just as interesting. The story of Drizzt just isn't engaging enough to justify the cost.

This is one of those books you just can't help loving in spite of yourself. This was Salvatore's first book ever, and it shows. The plot is workaday, the writing is uneven and amaturish, and the characters are stereotypes. Even so, Salvatore brings such sincerity and honest exuberance to this tale that you will find yourself getting caught up in the excitment anyway. Ultimately, the characters have such humanity that they transcend the sterotypes that they are and the plot is damn exciting in spite of itself.
From the beginning Salvatore shows the mastery of writing action scenes and creating memorable characters that has made him famous and so beloved as an author. This book is the first in a very entertaining series that is up to 13 books and counting. I've read it three times now and it's still my favorite book in the series despite its faults.

My title for this review comes from some narrative on page 228 of the paperback edition of this book. That line alone will tell you what you can expect from The Crystal Shard. For those who are fairly new to the genre of fantasy, you might think that this is a good, if not excellent book. If I were in your shoes I'd probably agree with you. But readers--like me--that have long followed the fantasy genre will find just another mediocre fantasy yarn. Orcs, goblins, dragons, wizards, stupid antagonists, lucky protagonists, simple storytelling--all are in here. As bad as I make this book sound, it is not a total disaster. The storyline certainly has lots of action and Salvatore takes you all over his sparse map. One of the promising characters is Drizzt Do'Urden, an exiled dark elf. Perhaps if I were younger I'd like to follow in Drizzt's footsteps in his other journeys, but not now that I know there are better characters to be found in fantasy. Still, younger readers will undoubtedly find him mysterious and interesting. Like many reviewers have stated before, this book abounds in cliche's. I've personally gotten to the point where I don't mind if authors use cliche's, but I do expect them to twist them around and try and make them their own. R. A. Salvatore does a mediocre job of that. At the very end of this book, Salvatore does lay some groundwork so that a sequel can be envisioned. Not very good groundwork, but at least the story doesn't leave you hanging.

This is a fantastic book, which begins this series after the Dark Elf trilogy (another fantastic series by the same author). After reading this book in two days I went on over the next year or so to purchase the two trilogy's then as each book came out I purchased them. You could say I was addicted. They are up there with the best books I have EVER read, R A Salvatore is easily one of the worlds greatest authors. And Drizzt Do'Urden is the best! In the latest novels his friends have also played a big part, especially young Cattabrie and Wulfgar. Can't wait for Silent Blade, keep it up Bob Salvatore!

This was a great story! I was thrilled by the battle scenes andvery memorable characters. I was never annoyed or bored by the eventsthat take place and I can't wait to get my hands on the next book, Streams of Silver. If you enjoy fantasy books than this one is definitly for you. I am not really sure how I missed it all these years but I'm glad I found it. This book is set in the forgotten realms world but you don't have to have read any of the other Realms books. Salvatore's world descriptions are great. This is just a fun and great read. I suggest you check it out as soon as possible! Salvatore has me addicted, this is fantasy at its best.

I finshed reading the Crystal Shard for the seconed time this year and it was great, I love all the Characters in this series. My favorite is Drizzt, all of them remind me of the Characters from Dragonlance The Companions Tanis/Drizzt,Flint/Bruenor,Riverwind/Wulfgar,Tas:the kinder/Regis, and Tika/Cati-brie. the friendship between Drizzt and Brurenor is like Tanis and Flint and the same goes for Brurenor and Regis, like flint and Tas. altough like the characters from Dragonlance, the charactors from Drizzts and company each have there own identity that make them different.allin all a good story and I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

This book is the book to introduce Drizzt the powerful drow that we all grown to love. The mysterious drow living above the Underdark truely intriguing in itself. People who are into AD&D Dungeons & Dragons know that Dark Elfs are evil and have evil intentions. Learning that Drizzt was different drew you in. The curiosity of learning who Drizzt was made you love him so much. His jounals revealed a compasionate and kind individual trying to be accepted by others who hated him because of his race. If you never read a story about Drizzt and would like to, I would definetly start out with this book.

"Night befell the tundra as orcs crept near. One could have smelt their foul stench as far as a poronkusema* away. The threshold of the forecoming nocturnal slaughter was broken in a sudden fiery fury, however, as a belch and a battlecry manifested the sudden arrival of the Savior of the Ten-Towns, Bruenor Battlehammer. With the skill and prowess of a veteran of a thousand battles and more, he drove is blood-stained axe into the very guts of an orcish invader after another. As the snow-dust finally settled, the Field of Honor hosted a hundred slain orcs and more, the slaughter manifesting the grim deadliness of the warrior that had brought these vile monsters to their deaths; lying as once-alive-and-breathing monuments of the cruel might of Bruenor Battlehammer." (This is no quote from this book, but rather a personal praise from me for Bruenor Battlehammer.)
Bob Salvatore's first novel, taking place in the Icewind Dale, a paradise of frost hidden in the very northwest corner of the Forgotten Realms, is a captivating saga about friendship, adventure and heroism. The debute of such legendary champions as Drizzt Do'Urden, Artemis Entreri, Wolfgang and Bruenor Battlehammer, this story once reset the standards of fantasy literature for generations to come and created the concept for adventures that would reshape the Realms.
All the way from the epilogue to the epic climax of incidents, the reader is kept in a firm grasp by thrilling battle scenes, touching manifestations of loyalty and true valor, and crystal-clear descriptions of the enchanting sceneries of the everwinter in the Icewind Dale. Salvatore's indisputable skill of creating dazzling battle excitement and profoundly inspiring contemplation makes this book, as well as a long line of its successors, an unforgettable experience of reading pleasure. Salvatore's ability of ingeniously finding his characters a way out of the deepest pit of trouble and through the deadliest of monsters also fascinates me over and over again.
And finally, one individual indeed worth mentioning is Bruenor Battlehammer. Whenever he grasps his deadly axe and raises it to strike, whenever he proudly roams wearing his glittering mithril armor and the shield of Foaming Ale Mug symbol, whenever he opens his mouth for a brief grunt of experience and wisdom - then I know that is all I have ever wanted to be. To become him is the purpose of my life. Thus this Dwarven hero shall always dwell in my heart as the repsesentative of everything good and pure in the world.
* Poronkusema (Finnish): "An ancient Lappish measure of distance, equal to the length of journey a running reindeer can make between two urination sessions."

I have to say that having read the War of the Spider Queen series of books prior to reading The Crystal Shard lead me to be only slightly disappointed in this book. I expected more in it. However, I did find myself utilizing the concept of Ten Towns and their confrontation with orc/orge/giant hordes in a D&D campaign I am running. I guess I wanted more and felt so much more could have been done with the main villian Kessel than was accomplished in this book. Overall, if you are going to read this book for pure entertainment value and not be critically reading it, you will enjoy it. If you require a challenge or a great deal of thinking in your book reading, find another book to read.

The Crystal Shard
report by Cole Draper, book by R.A Salvatore
After reading The Crystal Shard by R.A. Salvatore, I would say that it is definitely worth the read. In my opinion, it is a very well written novel about adventure. I also enjoyed the combat scenes.
This novel is written in the 3rd omniscient point of view. For example, "Bruenor himself, for all his assumptions of this barbarian's character, could not have foreseen that this boy, Wulfgar, would grow into the man who would reshape this harsh region of the tundra." Salvatore, in this novel at least, has a literary style. Contributing to this are diction and sentence variety. Salvatore chooses more descriptive words with depth/ more meaning to them. Also, he uses mostly complex and compound sentences. Finally, he includes long, vivid descriptions. One example of these would be, "The stories of the halfling's charm and persuasive ability, and the accusation that Kemp had made at the council a few weeks earlier, had been told and retold a thousand times in every one of the towns, each storyteller typically enhancing and exaggerating the tales to increase his own importance." (Pretty long, right?) Salvatore's tone in this novel is that he is against racism (shown by Drizzt) and that war is only necessary if it is for your life and rights. An example of the latter being Drizzt and Wulfgar, Drizzt's people carelessly kill and wage war for fun, as do the rest of Wulfgar's race (Drizzt and Wulfgar will be explained next for those who haven't read the book).
In The Crystal Shard, there are five main characters:
* Drizzt is a dark elf, who left his people because he didn't like their ways. Unfortunately, the people of Ten Towns don't like him because of his people's ways. He taught Wulfgar how to fight well, and is the master of a panther who is from another world.
* Wulfgar is a barbarian who is physically and mentally strong, and is befriended by Drizzt. He was left for dead by his people when they attacked and lost to the Ten Towns. Bruenor spared him after the battle, sensing he was different from the rest of his kind. Wulfgar is shaped into a warrior over five and a half years of hard payback labor to Bruenor. He is the wielder of Aegis-Fang, a war hammer.
* Bruenor is a dwarf, and one of Drizzt's few friends. Also a good fighter, he plays a huge role in the survival of Ten Towns. He spared Wulfgar's life, and later allowed Drizzt to train Wulfgar in proper combat. He is the crafter of Aegis-Fang.
* Regis is a halfling, another of Drizzt's few friends. He is also a friend of Bruenor, who nicknamed him Rumblebelly, after his large stomach. He is the former spokesman of Loneleywood, one of the towns. Regis is credited for the fall of Akar Kessel even though it was Drizzt.
* Akar Kessel was left for dead by other magicians, wizards, and mages. After wandering for a few hours, he comes across a source of warmth under the heavy snow. He digs out a blue shard (the crystal shard), obviously magical in some way. He amasses a large army over the period of time Wulfgar is in service to Bruenor. He decides to destroy Ten Towns (you can see what happens yourself).
As far as personalities go, all of the characters are believable. On the other hand, their appearances will tell you otherwise. There is the stealthy and subtle personality (Drizzt), the sturdy and bossy one (Bruenor), the well-rounded adventurer/planner/leader/fighter (Wulfgar), the timid bystander (Regis), and the evil criminal mastermind (Akar-Kessel). Of all the changes in the characters, Wulfgar and Akar-Kessel are the best examples in the story. Wulfgar goes from trying to destroy Ten Towns to saving it, while Akar-Kessel goes from a lowly apprentice wizard to the "Tyrant of Icewind Dale". In my opinion, many people can relate to Drizzt. You might be able to relate to Drizzt, because at some point everyone's friends have tossed them out, or shunned them in a way.
The Crystal Shard is suspenseful and ironic at the same time. It is suspenseful, because of the life and death fighting situations. The story is ironic, because Wulfgar was trying to destroy Ten Towns in the beginning, but ended up saving it. My favorite part was when Drizzt and Wulfgar take on the entire verbeeg (one of the smaller, but still vicious, types of giants) lair. This is my favorite part, because Drizzt and Wulfgar alone take out twenty verbeegs!
Salvatore's literary style was very effective in the story, and was well needed, because of the different surroundings. Some of these would be: the dragon's lair, mountains, Cryshal-Tirith, and the different towns. This style was also effective in the battle scenes. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys long books, likes fantasy, and can handle minor gore.

I love this book! I've reread it so many times over the last 17 years, and still enjoy it. It is the book that introduced me to the worlds of fantasy, and left me thoroughly addicted. Drizzt will forever be one of my most favorite characters of fiction.

This is the first book that Salvatore wrote in this wonderful series. It may not be the strongest link in the chain, and to fully appreciate the storyline and character development you need to continue reading the rest. There are three things I enjoy about his books: The detailed portraits he draws of the different communities of his setups, the way small events twist and turn to meet at the end for a good ending, and his description of battle scenes, especially big ones!

I read some reviews that accuse the book of being a Tolkien rip-off, and that's too harsh. They should give the book a break and not drive away potential readers with such comments. The similarities that they may be referring to are minor. Also, there is something that must be taken into consideration here in defense of the book: It was Salvatore's first book, as an aspiring new author, and who may I ask, in the field of fantasy has not been affected by Tolkien's classic masterpiece?? In later books, the story and characters evolve and Salvatore's true style shines through his work.

The new cover art by Lockwood, is amazing! I actually bought second copies of all the books just for that! Finally an artist who does Drizzt and the other characters justice! Some of the covers of the previous editions were hideous to say the least!! How could publishers stick just any picture onto some author's hard work?

Oh, and the jagged edges of the pages look and feel really cool!

I recommend that you give it a try: everyone has a different taste and nobody can really tell you whether you'll like it or not. If you hate it, just put it aside... but if you like it, it will open the doors to Salvatore's world, with many books to keep you entertained for the next several months!

I own the 1988 printing of this book. It was great then, and its great now. Is it deep and dark and twisted like stuff by GRRM, or epic and involved like stuff by Jorden or Goodkind? No. But it is a great series that is fun to read. Also, its easier for lower level readers to follow (Jr High/High School). The characters aren't of the same depth as, say, Rohan from the Dragon Prince series, but they are still deep enough that we empathize and associate with them, and we care what happens to them.

Definitely worth picking up.

The Crystal Shard is an amazing book written by the imaginative R.A Salvatore. There are many things I liked about this book, and a few that I disliked. The beginning starts out a little slow, and somewhat confusing. For example, the author talked about some demon named Errtu wanting the crystal shard so bad that he ate his messenger that he sent to retrieve the crystal shard. Salvatore also put some questions in my head like, "Who is this demon?" and "Why did he want the crystal shard so bad?" But as I read further on, I found out that the author answered those questions very easily.
One thing I liked about the book was the whole story. Salvatore added so much detail in each paragraph that I could see the picture in my head so clearly. I also liked the humor and attitudes that the characters had throughout the book.
The author starts the book out by introducing the demon named Errtu, who was looking for the crystal shard. But he couldn't find it, so he mourned over it for a long time.
Later on a young wizard named Akar Kessel woke up on the spine of the world, which is a very high point on the world. This place was so cold that Kessel was about to die, until he found something that made him the most powerful wizard of them all. With these powers, he tried to take over many people's lives by attacking Icewind Dale, Which was a bad idea because that was where Drizzt Do'Urden and his friends lived. Drizzt is a drow elf that was born to fight, but instead he chose the other path with fighting skills so amazing that almost no one could match his abilities. Drizzt moved to the surface of the world to get away from his evil kind and the evil god that ruled over them.
This book was so exciting to read that it made me read the next one called Streams of Silver. I think R.A. Salvatore has to imagine things so great to write these books, because he has done so well in pulling so many people into these books.

Salvatore is one heck of a bard! This book, the first in the most readable of all the Forgotten Realms series, is out of sight. Not only does Salvatore layer on a great plot and colorful action and scene, he is a master of character development. It soon becomes clear that we can't help but feel for everyone of his characters. This series launched a worldwide interest in one of the greatest fantasy characters ever also! Drizz't Dourden, a dark elf who explores the meaning of good fully. This book is an emotionally charged, fast-paced read that is out of any other fantasy adventure title. Read it for sure!

I absolutely loved the Dark Elf Trilogy; this one was somewhat different, meaning Drizzt's character didn't seem the same as the Trilogy books. I did enjoy it though, and from reading other reviews am looking forward to the rest of the series, as they are predicted to be better.

Meaning.....I was introduced to RAS' work during my freshman year of high school. The Dark Elf trilogy was just being released, and homeland was the book that began my love affair with fantasy literature. After that, I decided to start with the first series being the Icewind Dale trilogy, which conveniently for me, was actually the sequels to the Dark Elf trio. RAS' ability to bring his characters to life is truly astonishing. It must be an innate ability because his writing simply flows and it makes the reader an actual part of the adventure. The opening is wonderful, mighty Drizzt walking the frozen tundra and running into trouble with a yeti. Bruenor the dwarf comes to the rescue....The first time I read that opening, I actually could see it in my mind as the beginning of a movie. It was extremely well done, and captured my interest within the opening pages. This book is grafted into my life itself, as I find myself reading all these series over and over again. Thanks RAS, for creating new adventures over and over again.

The works of Salvatore are second to none. Deep, emotional, rich and adventurous. The element that drew me un, and may draw others away, is that the series explores emotion and thought, attitude and perception in explicit and painful detail. As well as being a great yarn to curl up to on cold winters night, Salvatore's works are nothing less then a study of the human experience, from the point of view of the outsider. A very, very rich work this book is, as all in the series are.
To any and all with an interest in psychology or just plain old adventuring entertainment, I say this is the book for you.

Sure, the Icewind Dale trilogy is not the next Lord of the Rings, but it was not intended to be. I gave it 5 stars because I think it is a wonderful fantasy adventure. Don't expect to find insights into life, or allegories. The characters themselves are not very well rounded but I do not believe that detracts from the overall value. I read the Crystal Shard looking for a good fantasy adventure to get lost in for a while, and that's what I found. Salvatore stays true to Forgotten Realms and anyone who plays Dungeons and Dragons in that setting will appreciate his wonderful descriptions. I heartily recommend this book to anyone wants to take a break from deep, engrossing literature, and is looking for some pure fantasy fun.

This is the 7th R.A. Salvatore book I have read in the past 2 years. I bought the entire collection at a Borders that was going out of business, and I have not been disappointed. Anytime I feel like entering a truly fantasy world, these books take me there, and I can read them for hours. While Crystal Shard is his first book (which explains a lot if you have read some of the other reviews), I believe Salvatore has thought out his process of where he wants his adventures to go. The book(s) stand on their own as stories, but there is enough open-endedness that compells you to read his others as well. I have seen a consistent and chronalogic progression in my reading, and hope to continue through the entire series.

As a thought, yes - you will notice many similarities to Tolkien. But face it, Tolkien is the epitome of fantasy writing, and almost every fantasy author out there is going to have some Tolkien like influences and characters. By trying to racially and ethically categorize two races/species of elves who are almost direct opposites, Salvatore has carved his own niche in the fantasy framework and stereotypes of characterization. So enjoy reading!

I don't think I could have a better introduction into the Forgotten Realms World. I just finished the 9 book series of Dragonlance by Hickman and Weis. I have always been interested in Drizzt ever since I had a party encounter in Baldur's Gate 2. This story fills in a lot of story line with Icewind Dale. I have always been interested in Icewind Dale since I played the first Icewind Dale game for the PC. Even though I know the history of Icewind Dale PC game doesn't have anything to do with the series that Salvatore made it did help expand that world.

For all you people out there reading these reviews about how bland this book is, don't believe them. This is a great book even if it's the only book you read by R.A. Salvatore. If you think it's poorly written, give the guy a break: it was his first novel (and I'd like to see you 1 and 2 star givers write a novel like this on your first try). Some might say that his characters are just Tolkein spin-offs, but Tolkein's characters are just based off of Biblical heroes. I've read The Lord of the Rings, some of the Chronicles of Narnia, the Eragon books, any fantasy series; I've probably picked it up (even the Redwall series when I was in fourth grade(remember; with the mouse warriors?)). I think this series is the best. R.A. Salvatore pulls me into a world that I don't want to leave and when I end up finishing one novel, I'm practically waiting by the phone for Borders to call to tell me that thier new shipment came in. Drizzt has been my hero ever since I got Demon Stone for the PS2 and played him in Chapter 7: Stand at Mithral Hall. The characters are extremely illustrious along with the plot and setting. This book is magical, but the excitement just builds up in Streams of Silver and then The Halfling's Gem.

*note* you can read this as book one in the Icewind Dale trilogy, and then read the Dark Elf Trilogy OR if you're reading it in the Legend of Drizzt order, book 4.

*note 2* It's spelled Mithral Hall, not Mithril (it always makes me angry to see that a critic gives 2 stars and then spells words like this wrong: it makes me feel like they weren't even paying attention.

I had actually read nearly all of the books in the other Drizzt series before I even touched the Icewind Dale tril, and I don't recommend that others do the same. It is a great book as an introduction, but the writing is weaker compared to the other Drizzt books (which you can't compare if you've never read the them).

The action follows Drizzt & co. as they try to unite the squabbling citizens of Ten-towns against invading barbarians, and then later, various creatures led by wizard-wannabe Akar Kessel and his power hungry shard. Drizzt stands out as the coolest character by far with his morality and reckless love of adventure, which is justified by his skills and expertise. I was surprised, given the strength of her role in later books, that Cattie-brie is hardly mentioned at all. Of the even rarer times that she does take part in the action, it is to pull a lever or two. What an honour. It seemed as if she was hastily written in to off-set the fact that all the other characters are male and give Wulfgar something to think about other than his muscles and his tribe.

It is hardly the best book Mr Salvatore has written. You could probably skip it and go on to Streams of Silver, but it's always nice to get a bit of background info.

The Crystal Shard was by far the best Drizzt Do'Urden novel I have read so far. I have also just read "Streams of Silver" and am now reading "The Halfling's Gem". The Crystal Shard (though Salvatore's first novel) had the most action. And the fight with Icingdeath and Ertuu was the best! I have heard that Ertuu comes back in later stories and I just can't wait! Streams of Silver was a great book, but it had a little too much meaningless fighting (not that much) like in the trollmoors with the trolls. But that doen't matter! All of the rest of the book dispells the lack of anything less than good! So, if you haven't read this book, you have to buy it. Drizzt Do'urden is the coolest!

This book started it all in terms of Salvatore, Drizzt & Co., etc. I cannot believe it is almost 20 years old. I first read this book back in 1989 or 1990. I have read it at least 6 other times since then. It is an amazing story filled with amazing characters. Everyone is introduced here and it is a joy to be introduced to them.

Even Artemis makes a cameo at the very end.

The first book of a classic trilogy. Not to be missed. Streams of Silver and Halfling's Gem are even better. Especially since Artemis is at his all time "worst." But this book gets the ball rolling really fast.

Whether your a fan of fantasy novels or new to the whole genre there is one author who can make up the bulk of your reading library: R.A. Salvatore. His first book series, The Icewind Dale Trilogy, is a superb story which not only has great action sequences but has great dialogue and a great host of characters; namely the famous Drizzt Do' Urden, one of the fantasy worlds most beloved heroes.
The Crystal Shard, Salvatore's first book is does not only pull you in from the start it holds your attention to the very last word. I have read many fantasy books but Salvatore's still have the gusto to be number one on my list. This is a definite read for any fantasy novel fan.
The story starts rather simple but the adventure and intrigue soon pick up. I try not to give anything away but this first book is very important in Salvatore's later book series and also introduces some of the most important characters to also be found in later books; i.e Drizzt Do'Urden, Wulfgar, Bruenor, and Cattie Brie.
I feel Mr. Salvatore should be given a large thank you from the fantasy community. For his first trilogy he displayed a large amount of talent and understanding for the genre and being that he is a D&D player himself just adds to his knowledge. I feel that people should not being judging his works unless they know and understand the trouble in writting a novel. ( And yes I do know the trouble in writting a novel I am I nthe middle of one right now.) And sadly even though I hate to bring this up he is much better at writting then Mr. George Lucas. ( Sorry George.)

This is the 7th R.A. Salvatore book I have read in the past 2 years. I bought the entire collection at a Borders that was going out of business, and I have not been disappointed. Anytime I feel like entering a truly fantasy world, these books take me there, and I can read them for hours. While Crystal Shard is his first book (which explains a lot if you have read some of the other reviews), I believe Salvatore has thought out his process of where he wants his adventures to go. The book(s) stand on their own as stories, but there is enough open-endedness that compells you to read his others as well. I have seen a consistent and chronalogic progression in my reading, and hope to continue through the entire series.

As a thought, yes - you will notice many similarities to Tolkien. But face it, Tolkien is the epitome of fantasy writing, and almost every fantasy author out there is going to have some Tolkien like influences and characters. By trying to racially and ethically categorize two races/species of elves who are almost direct opposites, Salvatore has carved his own niche in the fantasy framework and stereotypes of characterization. So enjoy reading!

I don't think I could have a better introduction into the Forgotten Realms World. I just finished the 9 book series of Dragonlance by Hickman and Weis. I have always been interested in Drizzt ever since I had a party encounter in Baldur's Gate 2. This story fills in a lot of story line with Icewind Dale. I have always been interested in Icewind Dale since I played the first Icewind Dale game for the PC. Even though I know the history of Icewind Dale PC game doesn't have anything to do with the series that Salvatore made it did help expand that world.

For all you people out there reading these reviews about how bland this book is, don't believe them. This is a great book even if it's the only book you read by R.A. Salvatore. If you think it's poorly written, give the guy a break: it was his first novel (and I'd like to see you 1 and 2 star givers write a novel like this on your first try). Some might say that his characters are just Tolkein spin-offs, but Tolkein's characters are just based off of Biblical heroes. I've read The Lord of the Rings, some of the Chronicles of Narnia, the Eragon books, any fantasy series; I've probably picked it up (even the Redwall series when I was in fourth grade(remember; with the mouse warriors?)). I think this series is the best. R.A. Salvatore pulls me into a world that I don't want to leave and when I end up finishing one novel, I'm practically waiting by the phone for Borders to call to tell me that thier new shipment came in. Drizzt has been my hero ever since I got Demon Stone for the PS2 and played him in Chapter 7: Stand at Mithral Hall. The characters are extremely illustrious along with the plot and setting. This book is magical, but the excitement just builds up in Streams of Silver and then The Halfling's Gem.

*note* you can read this as book one in the Icewind Dale trilogy, and then read the Dark Elf Trilogy OR if you're reading it in the Legend of Drizzt order, book 4.

*note 2* It's spelled Mithral Hall, not Mithril (it always makes me angry to see that a critic gives 2 stars and then spells words like this wrong: it makes me feel like they weren't even paying attention.

I had actually read nearly all of the books in the other Drizzt series before I even touched the Icewind Dale tril, and I don't recommend that others do the same. It is a great book as an introduction, but the writing is weaker compared to the other Drizzt books (which you can't compare if you've never read the them).

The action follows Drizzt & co. as they try to unite the squabbling citizens of Ten-towns against invading barbarians, and then later, various creatures led by wizard-wannabe Akar Kessel and his power hungry shard. Drizzt stands out as the coolest character by far with his morality and reckless love of adventure, which is justified by his skills and expertise. I was surprised, given the strength of her role in later books, that Cattie-brie is hardly mentioned at all. Of the even rarer times that she does take part in the action, it is to pull a lever or two. What an honour. It seemed as if she was hastily written in to off-set the fact that all the other characters are male and give Wulfgar something to think about other than his muscles and his tribe.

It is hardly the best book Mr Salvatore has written. You could probably skip it and go on to Streams of Silver, but it's always nice to get a bit of background info.

The Crystal Shard was by far the best Drizzt Do'Urden novel I have read so far. I have also just read "Streams of Silver" and am now reading "The Halfling's Gem". The Crystal Shard (though Salvatore's first novel) had the most action. And the fight with Icingdeath and Ertuu was the best! I have heard that Ertuu comes back in later stories and I just can't wait! Streams of Silver was a great book, but it had a little too much meaningless fighting (not that much) like in the trollmoors with the trolls. But that doen't matter! All of the rest of the book dispells the lack of anything less than good! So, if you haven't read this book, you have to buy it. Drizzt Do'urden is the coolest!

This book started it all in terms of Salvatore, Drizzt & Co., etc. I cannot believe it is almost 20 years old. I first read this book back in 1989 or 1990. I have read it at least 6 other times since then. It is an amazing story filled with amazing characters. Everyone is introduced here and it is a joy to be introduced to them.

Even Artemis makes a cameo at the very end.

The first book of a classic trilogy. Not to be missed. Streams of Silver and Halfling's Gem are even better. Especially since Artemis is at his all time "worst." But this book gets the ball rolling really fast.

Whether your a fan of fantasy novels or new to the whole genre there is one author who can make up the bulk of your reading library: R.A. Salvatore. His first book series, The Icewind Dale Trilogy, is a superb story which not only has great action sequences but has great dialogue and a great host of characters; namely the famous Drizzt Do' Urden, one of the fantasy worlds most beloved heroes.
The Crystal Shard, Salvatore's first book is does not only pull you in from the start it holds your attention to the very last word. I have read many fantasy books but Salvatore's still have the gusto to be number one on my list. This is a definite read for any fantasy novel fan.
The story starts rather simple but the adventure and intrigue soon pick up. I try not to give anything away but this first book is very important in Salvatore's later book series and also introduces some of the most important characters to also be found in later books; i.e Drizzt Do'Urden, Wulfgar, Bruenor, and Cattie Brie.
I feel Mr. Salvatore should be given a large thank you from the fantasy community. For his first trilogy he displayed a large amount of talent and understanding for the genre and being that he is a D&D player himself just adds to his knowledge. I feel that people should not being judging his works unless they know and understand the trouble in writting a novel. ( And yes I do know the trouble in writting a novel I am I nthe middle of one right now.) And sadly even though I hate to bring this up he is much better at writting then Mr. George Lucas. ( Sorry George.)

This is the first book in the Icewind Dale trillogy, and also the first book that Drizzt ever appeared in. I loved the book very much.
You get to meet all the characters that you will soon grow to love and also learn about the soon to become infamous Crystal Shard.
The Crystal Shard falls into the hands of a traveling wizard and takes over his mind. Soon he becomes one of the biggest and dangerous enemies that Drizzt and his Companions will ever face.
In one word.......Wonderful!!!!

First, everyone thinks they are a critic, few get paid to do so.

You'll see rave review and poor reviews for any book, and thus, if you think you might want to read a book, get it, and decide for yourself.

I personally really enjoyed this book. At first, it is a little jumpy between things happening in different places, but it smooths out quickly.

This is a great text full of everything I've wanted from a fantasy text. Good writing, good plot, multiple things happening at the same time which will all effect the plot. I liked it and would recommend it.

A+

This book is by far the best book I have read, infact the first book I have ever really gotten in to. Even though I am reading it for school, I read it as much as possible. I think I will continue with the series from the next following books of The Crystal Shard. Streams of Silver will be the following book to continue this one. I think that anyone into D&D or anyone that has played Baldur's Gate, (because Drizzt the main char of the book is in it =) Should DEFINATLY read this book, The battles and fights in this book are great and it keeps you constantly on the edge of wondering what will happen next! This is a great book to anyone over the age of 15 I think because you do need some good Vocab skills to understand alot of it. If you don't you may find yourself lost often wondering what happened. The Story behind the book that makes it so interesting is the Main Protagonist, Drizzt Do'Urden. He is a Renegade Dark Elf from Menzoberranzan, the dark elf caverns, that chooses to live a different life style than his blood thirsty cold-hearted kin. Many people don't like him, because of his Reputation, and would want to try and kill Drizzt at any cost. But the people who do like him are his greatest and best friends that would do anything to be side with Drizzt. Bruenor, the only living relative of Mithril hall the ancient dwarven city, is Drizzt's closest friend. Gruff as Bruenor is he would sacrifice his own life to save Drizzt, and Drizzt would sacrifice his life for Bruenor's. Bruenor later in the book saves a boy's life from certain death in a big battle between barbarians and in return of saving his life the boy has to serve under Bruenor for 5 years, you must read the book to find out more, may sound boring but its hard to explain.

The first book written by R.A. Salvatore, The Crystal Shard is a novel of the Fantasy genre and is set in the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms series. It is the first book of the Icewind Dale Trilogy. During the dawn of time, seven liches (evil undead spirits of extremely powerful wizards) created Crenshinibon the crystal shard, the most powerful and vile artefact ever made. Now it has been found in the Forgotten Realms by Akar Kessel, in the remote desolate region of Icewind Dale. Drizzt the dark elf, Bruenor the dwarf, Regis the halfling and Wulfgar the barbarian must unite the forces of Ten-Towns, the only settlement in the dale, and the nomadic barbarians or all of Icewind Dale, and perhaps the Forgotten Realms, is lost. I only picked up this book after reading the preceding Dark Elf Trilogy. Although the blurb was rather uninspiring, with my background interest on Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, I was attracted by the awe-inspiring prelude. As the first of his books, R.A. Salvatore has left many loose ends for sequels (foes survive to fight another day, other adventures are hinted at), but these are plainly visible and therefore, unimpressive. R.A. Salvatore's main merit is the novel idea of his central character - Drizzt Do'Urden, a Drow (dark elf). The Drow are an evil race that live deep beneath the surface and are hated by all good races. However, Drizzt has forsaken the evil ways of his race and has come to live on the surface. In all the books in the line, including The Crystal Shard, one of the main themes is how Drizzt does lots to help others, despite receiving prejudice in return. However, this theme is quite blatant and is not written with the finesse of Jane Austen when she wrote Pride and Prejudice. R.A. Salvatore continues the saga for over 10 novels, allowing lots of room for character development as his writing skill develops. After reading The Crystal Shard as well as many other books, I find that this character development tends to be restricted along only one dimension. Salvatore describes Drizzt as `stoic' so often that it started to become annoying and distracting. In fact, Salvatore does not seem to have a large vocabulary of adjectives at all. Salvatore. Shrewd readers may notice some slight contradictions as Salvatore `plays around' with his character ideas. The plot is fast-paced but rather straightforward, especially when compared to eg. Charles Dickens. Although this book is packed with action, a reader with aesthetic appreciation will find that something is lacking. If you found David Copperfield or Great Expectations tedious and boring then this book will give you all the action you want. In fact, this book provides a good starting point into the Forgotten Realms series. However, those who tend to notice to finer points of literature should first read the Dark Elf Trilogy, also by Salvatore. Exclusive readers of high-quality literature will find that this book is composed of absolute garbage, even when compared to other novels in this genre. I sometimes feel that this book should be a computer game instead of a novel.

I read every Drizzt book by R.A Salvatore except for book 3 of the Hunters Blade Trilogy..I'm halfway done that now but don't want to finish it because I erally don't want it to be the end of Drizzt novels.. Anyway,over the years,I've come to really adore the character of Drizzt,his arch enemy Entreri,the ever sly and clever Jarlaxle,the lovely Cattiebrie, and the grumpy dorf Bruenor..I never really liked Regis or Wulfgar to much though.. The Crystal Shard didn't really have a great villain,other than Errtu the Balor Demon,but the rich and detailed characters more than made up for the only negative aspect of this novel.. I'd recommend anyone to read the Legend of Drizzt novels simply because he is the greatest character in fantasy.. imo of course :)

Is Salvatore the Mark McGwire of authors?....Maybe. All I know is everytime I turn around I just finished another of his books, and everyone of them un-freakin-believably great.
The first book of another fantastic series. And many thanks for Drizzt also starring in this new series, A warm familiar face in all of these bright new characters.
Favorire character for this book...Wulfgar. He is a little rough on the edges but an incredably strong character ( not as in his muscles ). Maybe Wulfgar needs his own little series, or is this his series? Only time will tell.
Mr.Salvatore if your ever in my neck of the woods and hungry, just give me a yell, for surley you have deserved a steak dinner for this book lol.

A disappointing read.

Having exhausted the supply of my favorite fantasy writers (see list below), I came upon this effort by R.A. Salvatore and despite the lack of any reviews (superlative or otherwise) on the back and front covers I decided to give it a try anyway.

The story line was not bad but I had 2 major concerns with this book.

1.) All the "good guys" are squeaky clean; not a character flaw to be found among all of them put together.

2.) And my chief complaint; As soon as I read a few paragraphs of the first battle scene I got this uneasy feeling about Mr. Salvatore's battle writing technique. You just could tell that no matter what the dire predicament, no matter what the staggering numbers of bad guys verses good guys, that the monsters and evil doers simply never had a chance.

Don't get me wrong, I like the good guys to win as well, but a least there should be an element of doubt as to the outcome, rather them making the battles an almost foregone conclusion.

In fairness to Mr. Salvatore, I believe this was one of his first efforts. However, the shortcomings mentioned above, were enough to make me not bother to read the rest of this trilogy. This book turned out to be less than satisfying. 1 1/2 Stars.

P.S. If you want gut wrenching fantasy that has some unpredictability and surprises, I'd humbly suggest one of the following authors; that being S. Erikson ("Malazan Book of the Fallen"), Scott Bakker ("Prince of Nothing") or R.R. Martin's incredible "A Song of Ice and Fire" series.

This book is the first of the Icewind Dale series. R.A.Salvatore wrote this first I believe. He later went back and did a prequel series called "Legacy of the Drow". I read that first and found the books fantastic. The first one was awesome. The second one was slow to start but picked up and ended brilliantly I would say. The third one was alright but it wasn't the same atmosphere as the first two so not nearly as good.
This book is tremendously good. It starts a little slow. Drizzt(pronounced Drizz or dritts, im not too sure - I pronounce it Dritts) doesn't appear that much compared to the legacy of the drow because the main focus of the novel is Wulfgar. I applaud R.A. Salvatore for giving all the characters different weapons than your ordinary sword and bow. Wulfgar gets a really awesome hammer and Drizzt still has his twin schimitars + a dagger and a rather useless at times bow. The other characters are good. Regis is enjoyable somewhat, but the "little trickster" angle has been portrayed before. I am really looking forward to reading more about Catti-brie because ... well I could figure her out easily. Start with the Legacy of the Drow and you will know what I mean. Bruenor was enjoyable if not overdone as the "tough-guy dwarf".
The book really picks up though. Eventually we get to see one of those big battles happen. At the beggining of the book there is a big battle that isn't that well done. Bob doesn't write it very descriptively until Drizzt gets to fight. As for the later battle.... awesome. The book holds you for the last 1/3rd and just completely rocks.
I haven't read lotr although I plan to. This book would do a great job in the movie theatres I think. If they got Peter Jackson to do it that is... Please make the movie of this if you're reading Pete.

I started with this book, before the 3 book Dark Elf series. So enthralled was I, that after devouring the next two,(Streams Of Silver, The Halfling's Gem), I then proceeded on too The Legacy, Starless Night, and Seige of Darkness. Then, back to the Dark Elf Trilogy,(Homeland, Exile, Sourjourn). Out of all of them, the Icewind Dale trilogy, which this book is the beginning, is definately another must read.

Mr. Salvatore, my hat is off to you. I regret that it has taken me so long to read one of your most acclaimed titles.
The Crystal Shard ranks as one of the best all-around buddy adventuring titles in recent fantasy literature. Drizzt is a drow elf that has escaped his home and still seeks to escape the reputation of his race as he protects the people of the Ten Towns. Bruenor is the battle hardened dwarf forced to flee his clan's home in Mithril Hall and take up residence in the unforgiving Icewind Dale. Regis the halfling is just happy living the good life. Throw in Wulfgar the young barbarian forced to live a life of hard work and discipline at the hands of Bruenor. Mix well with a story of adventure and struggle for domination. When poured onto the pages by the author, the result is nothing less than a multi-layered cake you can't resist. Every bit must be consumed and Mr. Salvatore provides plenty of icing.
This book has blinding scimitars, slicing axes, magical hammers, epic battles between the folks of the Ten Towns and goblin hordes controlled by an evil mage. Honestly, it just doesn't get much better!

This was the first ever public offering of R. A. Salvatore's writing ability. It's no wonder he's written so many others since! He's a great author, and this book showcases his writing ability. It's filled with plot twists & subplots & everything else that makes a story interesting. Anyone who is interested in reading through the Drizzt Do'Urden storyline, I advise reading "The Dark Elf Trilogy" first to get more of a chronological progression in the character's developement, however, nothing is lost by reading this book first. It's a great story by a great storyteller.

After reading the Crystal Shard I found that I wanted to read the rest of the books in Salvatore's series with the main character Drizzt Do'Urden. The crystal shard is to books what action films are to movies. If you want a fun book with lots of action and not a very complex plot then this is the book for you. If you are looking for a book that is Science Fiction but has a deep plot while still keeping the reader entertained, then try some other author because in none of the works following this book does a deep plot ever appear. Though I enjoyed the book I must confess it is one of my dirty little pleasures in life to read these 'action" books. In any case the book is worth reading because as the saying goes: "To each his own"

The Crystal Shard is a magnificent start to a great trilogy. I don't want to spoil anything, but I do have to say that Bruenor is my favorite charater. I always imagined him as a teddybear-like guy; short, burly, rough on the outside, but a big softy on the inside... Thankfully I borrowed the entire trilogy from my teacher, otherwise I would have been in agony while waiting for the next book. Deffinitely a book to read on a cold winter's night with a cup of hot coco(or coffee) and an apple. I highly suggest it to all fantasy lovers.

Amazing book and trilogy along with the next dozen books but after the ghost king it gets depressing stick with the first books up to and including hunters blades trilogy after that think of your endings for the companions gives them better justice.

I had never read any of the Realms books before reading Crystal Shard (I read it when it first came onto paperback years ago, but never had the chance to review it until now), althought I was an avid D&D adventurer. This book got me started reading Realms, and I have read many since. I love Bob's writing, and though this was not his first published work, I think it was his debut for a lot of R.A. Salvatore fans. The book is an excellant introduction to Drizzt,Wulfgar, Cati-brie, Bruenor and Regis, as well as the Realms themselves. Bob's writing takes you into the story itself, letting you get "up close and personal" with many of his characters. I found the story interesting and attention holding to the end. I was so happy when I found that not only did Bob write more in the Dark Elf series, but went on to others as well. Bob, if you read this, thank you!

My friends, it is said by some people that this is one of the greatest fantasy/adventure buys one could buy. I agree with every word. nobody could possibly ask for more adventures from this book, or the icewind trilogy for that matter. But the characters mature too fast, the book begins with 3 war vetrans taking on entire armis single handedly. One would expect this book to be the last in a series, not the first. Dont get this wrong, i fully enjoyed this book, and i have no doubt in my mind that you will enjoy every paragraph, but i cannot see this series continuing for the next 8 books. (or however many precede this) Yet it is still in my top 5 favorites for the stunning battle scenes and origonal ideas.

Ignoring chronological order, my first R.A Salvatore experience was with the Legacy of the Drow collection, so when I went back to read all the books in order, I was a little disapointed with this.
While a very interesting read, this first book is litle more than your standard fantasy book, full of battles, goblins, orcs and the like. However it does set the groundwork for some greater novels ahead.
So do buy this book, but dont let its simplicity cheat you out of the later books to come. There is much more depth in the later books and they are why R.A Salvatore is a such a well known author.

The first book written by R.A. Salvatore, The Crystal Shard is a novel of the Fantasy genre and is set in the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms series. It is the first book of the Icewind Dale Trilogy. During the dawn of time, seven liches (evil undead spirits of extremely powerful wizards) created Crenshinibon the crystal shard, the most powerful and vile artefact ever made. Now it has been found in the Forgotten Realms by Akar Kessel, in the remote desolate region of Icewind Dale. Drizzt the dark elf, Bruenor the dwarf, Regis the halfling and Wulfgar the barbarian must unite the forces of Ten-Towns, the only settlement in the dale, and the nomadic barbarians or all of Icewind Dale, and perhaps the Forgotten Realms, is lost. I only picked up this book after reading the preceding Dark Elf Trilogy. Although the blurb was rather uninspiring, with my background interest on Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, I was attracted by the awe-inspiring prelude. As the first of his books, R.A. Salvatore has left many loose ends for sequels (foes survive to fight another day, other adventures are hinted at), but these are plainly visible and therefore, unimpressive. R.A. Salvatore's main merit is the novel idea of his central character - Drizzt Do'Urden, a Drow (dark elf). The Drow are an evil race that live deep beneath the surface and are hated by all good races. However, Drizzt has forsaken the evil ways of his race and has come to live on the surface. In all the books in the line, including The Crystal Shard, one of the main themes is how Drizzt does lots to help others, despite receiving prejudice in return. However, this theme is quite blatant and is not written with the finesse of Jane Austen when she wrote Pride and Prejudice. R.A. Salvatore continues the saga for over 10 novels, allowing lots of room for character development as his writing skill develops. After reading The Crystal Shard as well as many other books, I find that this character development tends to be restricted along only one dimension. Salvatore describes Drizzt as `stoic' so often that it started to become annoying and distracting. In fact, Salvatore does not seem to have a large vocabulary of adjectives at all. Salvatore. Shrewd readers may notice some slight contradictions as Salvatore `plays around' with his character ideas. The plot is fast-paced but rather straightforward, especially when compared to eg. Charles Dickens. Although this book is packed with action, a reader with aesthetic appreciation will find that something is lacking. If you found David Copperfield or Great Expectations tedious and boring then this book will give you all the action you want. In fact, this book provides a good starting point into the Forgotten Realms series. However, those who tend to notice to finer points of literature should first read the Dark Elf Trilogy, also by Salvatore. Exclusive readers of high-quality literature will find that this book is composed of absolute garbage, even when compared to other novels in this genre. I sometimes feel that this book should be a computer game instead of a novel.

A friend gave me this book, and I made the fortunate mistake of judging this book by its cover-- because it hurtled my expectations by that much more. I'm not a big D&D fan, but as fantasies go, this one was a lot of fun. Drizzt, Wulfgar, and Bruenor are enjoyable, although there was never a single set protagonist-- and for the villains, Akar Kessel is as loathesome as he could be. The situations the characters get into-- from yeti-bashing to dragon-hunting-- are highly entertaining, and the ending leaves you in high spirits, waiting for the next big adventure. The writing, and especially the dialogue, can get a little stiff at times, and I noticed a few glaring gramatical errors and wierd quirks in the format, but none of this detracts much from the overall experience.
It's a good, quick read that should please most newcomers to the fantasy genre, I'd imagine.

The story of Drizzt in Icewindale begins here. And foolish wizards aprentice slays his own master and gains control of a powerful evil relic and turns him into the would-be tyrant of Icewindale. only Drizzt can stop him (of course)with the help of his friends, barbarians and dwarves. I a tall of suspence, action and horror.

This book was not my first Realms book that I read. I first read the Avatar trilogy, and I really didn't want to ever read another Realms-based book again, after that. Someone bought The Crystal Shard, and I read it on a trip. After that, I decided to give the Realms books another shot, and was pleasantly surprised.

I was a new reader to this author and of the whole fantasy genre, and I picked up this book after hearing about it from a friend. I thought the book had a fantastic plot and there was ample fighting and gore to quench my thirst for blood. I don't know how this book would rate to a long time fantasy reader, but it was great for me. Salvatore, in my opinion, is a great author. I've just bought Streams of Silver, The Halfling's Gem, and the whole Dark Elf Trilogy. Read the book, you'll love it, and if you dont...you've got issues...

This book was good it would have been better if i had read it first but i read a bunch of other drizzt books before this one i know it was salvatores first one but all the others are much better. The fight scean betwen drizzt and eertu(I cant spell)was the best part in the book. If u want to read a book with all of the cool characters this book is for u but if ur lookin for the best salvatore novle ever this is surely not it but it has a great plot.

I have been reading Bob's works since I was in High School. Going back to read years latter I feel it still holds up very well. I think it would be conceded to pre-judge his works with the view that any book written in a Dungeons and Dragons setting could not have any real value. Is it as powerful as Yukio Mishima or Joseph Conrad? Perhaps not, but it has many qualities that do separate it from much of the literature it its own genre. It is a fantasy novel and you must be able to allow your self to be absorbed into that world. If you read it with a purely analytical view then of course you will find things you may feel are impossible or unrealistic. This is a book that should be read and enjoyed. If you feel that you must be reading the most intellectual works you can find then don't bother.

I loved homeland, exhile, and sojourn. Loved them so I gave Icewind dale a shot omg I couldn't. I really just couldn't. These are absolutely horrible I hate Regis passionately. Catti should have followed a speaking pattern and doesn't. I am going to stick to cliff notes and skip to legacy of the drow and hope that some of the magic is recaptured for me.

After reading the Dark Elf trilogy I was completely and utterly hooked on the Drizzt Series. I read this book and was amazed by the final showdown. The introduction of several new and amazing warriors was also a plus. This book is a great way to follow up on The Dark Elf Trilogy and is just as good. This was a great read and an awesome way to start another Great trilogy.

I have never been so hooked on a novel series in my life. To be honest I didn't really like Crystal Shard right away. Maybe because I hadn't yet come to understand a lot about this Drow named Drizzt. It didn't take to long for Drizzt Do'Urrden to become my hero.

I dont know about this book much,I havent read in to much about it but judging from there I feel that its sorted disconnected from the previous dark elf trilogy, it doesnt mention all those memorable characters, Zaknafein, clacker, belwar, mooshie, so I was quite dissapointed there, or his solitude struggles in the vile underdark, and his painful memories and wrongful ways he learned of his kin. He only tells a very brief side of his pass that he was a dark elf and his people did not prefer the stars and sunlight, it was so vague it really made me doubt of his wring skills at that time. I found out why later he wrote the icewinddale trilogy before the dark elf trilogy and this was were his very first books he wrote, his imagination and his level of writing here is nowhere close to when he later wrote the dark elf trilogy, I only recommend this book as a followup so you understand how he first met up with his companions bruenor, wulfgar, cattiebrie, and regis.

This first installment to the icewind dale tril, serving of the introduction of many salvatore characters. The sheer brillance of story creation and telling is a testament to salvatore's early mastery of this genere. The novel is captivating from beginning to end, with each part unravelling a more epic section of the plot. The telling flows with the grace of a dark elven swordsman, as it weaves in and out of encounters with monsters, and other conflicts of ALL sorts. if thats not enough, the end is the best part---if you are a true lover of fantasy---READ THIS BOOK!!

Salvatore knows how to create truely unique and interesting characters. Drizzt Do'Urden is my favorite by far, his fight agaisnt racial walls is intriguing and its interesting how Salvatore makes Drizzt react to it. The Crystal Shard continues directly after the book Sojourn, in the tundra of Icewind Dale. Drizzt, Wulfgar, Bruenor, and countless leaders and people of Ten-Towns fight in a famous battle that made me read for hours straight, wondering waht would happen next. The pure cunning and trickery in this book is both interesting and humerous, I reccomend this book to any D & D fan, and even those just interested in Fantasy books.

I was a new reader to this author and of the whole fantasy genre, and I picked up this book after hearing about it from a friend. I thought the book had a fantastic plot and there was ample fighting and gore to quench my thirst for blood. I don't know how this book would rate to a long time fantasy reader, but it was great for me. Salvatore, in my opinion, is a great author. I've just bought Streams of Silver, The Halfling's Gem, and the whole Dark Elf Trilogy. Read the book, you'll love it, and if you dont...you've got issues...

This book was good it would have been better if i had read it first but i read a bunch of other drizzt books before this one i know it was salvatores first one but all the others are much better. The fight scean betwen drizzt and eertu(I cant spell)was the best part in the book. If u want to read a book with all of the cool characters this book is for u but if ur lookin for the best salvatore novle ever this is surely not it but it has a great plot.

I have been reading Bob's works since I was in High School. Going back to read years latter I feel it still holds up very well. I think it would be conceded to pre-judge his works with the view that any book written in a Dungeons and Dragons setting could not have any real value. Is it as powerful as Yukio Mishima or Joseph Conrad? Perhaps not, but it has many qualities that do separate it from much of the literature it its own genre. It is a fantasy novel and you must be able to allow your self to be absorbed into that world. If you read it with a purely analytical view then of course you will find things you may feel are impossible or unrealistic. This is a book that should be read and enjoyed. If you feel that you must be reading the most intellectual works you can find then don't bother.

I loved homeland, exhile, and sojourn. Loved them so I gave Icewind dale a shot omg I couldn't. I really just couldn't. These are absolutely horrible I hate Regis passionately. Catti should have followed a speaking pattern and doesn't. I am going to stick to cliff notes and skip to legacy of the drow and hope that some of the magic is recaptured for me.

After reading the Dark Elf trilogy I was completely and utterly hooked on the Drizzt Series. I read this book and was amazed by the final showdown. The introduction of several new and amazing warriors was also a plus. This book is a great way to follow up on The Dark Elf Trilogy and is just as good. This was a great read and an awesome way to start another Great trilogy.

I have never been so hooked on a novel series in my life. To be honest I didn't really like Crystal Shard right away. Maybe because I hadn't yet come to understand a lot about this Drow named Drizzt. It didn't take to long for Drizzt Do'Urrden to become my hero.

I dont know about this book much,I havent read in to much about it but judging from there I feel that its sorted disconnected from the previous dark elf trilogy, it doesnt mention all those memorable characters, Zaknafein, clacker, belwar, mooshie, so I was quite dissapointed there, or his solitude struggles in the vile underdark, and his painful memories and wrongful ways he learned of his kin. He only tells a very brief side of his pass that he was a dark elf and his people did not prefer the stars and sunlight, it was so vague it really made me doubt of his wring skills at that time. I found out why later he wrote the icewinddale trilogy before the dark elf trilogy and this was were his very first books he wrote, his imagination and his level of writing here is nowhere close to when he later wrote the dark elf trilogy, I only recommend this book as a followup so you understand how he first met up with his companions bruenor, wulfgar, cattiebrie, and regis.

This first installment to the icewind dale tril, serving of the introduction of many salvatore characters. The sheer brillance of story creation and telling is a testament to salvatore's early mastery of this genere. The novel is captivating from beginning to end, with each part unravelling a more epic section of the plot. The telling flows with the grace of a dark elven swordsman, as it weaves in and out of encounters with monsters, and other conflicts of ALL sorts. if thats not enough, the end is the best part---if you are a true lover of fantasy---READ THIS BOOK!!

Salvatore knows how to create truely unique and interesting characters. Drizzt Do'Urden is my favorite by far, his fight agaisnt racial walls is intriguing and its interesting how Salvatore makes Drizzt react to it. The Crystal Shard continues directly after the book Sojourn, in the tundra of Icewind Dale. Drizzt, Wulfgar, Bruenor, and countless leaders and people of Ten-Towns fight in a famous battle that made me read for hours straight, wondering waht would happen next. The pure cunning and trickery in this book is both interesting and humerous, I reccomend this book to any D & D fan, and even those just interested in Fantasy books.

Mr.Salvatore's first novel is what is sorely missing in the fantasy publishing scene these days. If you like action and interesting characters (A dark elf hero, very original), and a book you won't fall asleep reading, then you will like this novel. I'm really tired of hearing about the overrated Jordan series (couldn't even get through the first book, bored me to tears and another Tolkien wannabe to top it off!). Salvatore is a writer with an obvious affinity for the classic fantasy authors like Robert E Howard, Fritz Leiber, Michael Moorcock. Glad to see he is carrying on the tradition. Thank you Mr. Salvatore!

This has got to be one of the best books he has written! Full of action, it also gives you the setting for the next two books - read this one first! It's an incredible introduction for a new reader of R. A. Salvatore, a must read for any fan of his.

I read this book because I wanted to see what has happened in fantasy literature in the last ten years. Robert Salvatore is widely regarded as a one of the foremost authors of this genre, so I gave The Crystal Shard a try - mind wide open.
This book was an incredible disappointment. The setting and the characters all seemed promising at first, but it turned into another misogynistic teen fantasy. The editing was so bad that sometimes Saalvatore repeats a cliche twice in the same paragraph (and this novel is loaded with cliches). The characters are cookie-cutter hero types who believe in hacking their way through any adversity. And, since there is a heavy emphasis on medieval warfare in the novel, I would expect salvatore to do a little research into what combat is really like, rather then expect us to believe that someone could swing an axe or hammer for an entire day in the midst of hundreds of foes, cutting them down by the half dozen while they apparently do nothing but stand around and wait to get slaughtered.
A final gripe has to do with Salvatore's treatment of women, who make an appearance in the novel as either mindless concubines or generic "womenfolk" who exist only to have children and be defended by the men. The one female charater in the novel is nothing more then a handmaid and potential love interest who puts up with an incredible amount of deragatory abuse from a sexist barbarian. I think Salvatore wants us to think of her as a powerful woman. Why, because she sits around and makes jokes while waiting on men hand and foot?
In short, skip this novel and hope for something better sometime in the next ten years.

I wasnt expecting alot from this one really, but i was really surprised. If you are a fantasy reader, this is an enchanting read. Seeing Drizzt for the "first time" is pretty cool, and it feels pretty cool if you've read the dark elf trilogy too. I really like the crennshinibon thing, but i was dissapointed with how Kessel was brought down. I wanted a big showdown, but got..... well you'll see.

It really is great, especially for you salvatore peeps out there. To keep the Drizzt train rollin', you gotta have it , right?

Salvatore is one of the best fantasy authors. This's his first book about one of the greatest true fantasy heroes (don't think about Elminster and ather Greenwood's heroes)- Drizzit Do'Urden. If you haven't read this and ather his works, don't loos your time - get this BOOKS!

By far one of R.A. Salvatore's greatest works. This book launches a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat waiting for more with every page you turn. The story is in-depth and easy to follow without being boring. R.A. Salvatore is reknowned for is his talent at character development and this book is no exception. Read it! You won't be sorry.

HOW CAN YOU PEOPLE GIVE THIS BOOK FIVE STARS?!?! It is the most blatant ripoff of Tolkien that I've ever read!! Throw in some allusion to Beowulf and you've got the most unoriginal story written since LOTR. Here let me list some of the most glaring uses of Tolkien that i saw in the hundred or so pages I managed to read before giving up in disgust:
*Regis- a hobbit-like creature called the Halfling, loves to eat and sleep
*Bruenor- an axe carrying dwarf that suspiciously resembles Gimli and speech and manner, longs for his lost home deep under the earth, called (get this!) Mithril Hall!! I quote the book "Bruenor was an unbearded boy when his people had delved too deep into the bowels of the earth..." THat is taken directly from LOTR!
*The name of Kessel's tower is Cryshal-Tirith (if anyone has read Tolkien, that should be self-explanatory)
*The relic Crystal shard- always searching for a weilder, able to give that person total dominion, this is, of course, after it is found after thousands of years of being lost. Hmmm...sound familiar?
I could go on of course because there are tons of little things that tie it to LOTR, but i really don't want to waste anymore time on this book. I discourage anyone from reading it. The dialogue is trivial, that landscapes very unrealistic, and the characters are so paper-thin you'd be better off watching soap operas.

This is no Lord of the Rings (what is?) but I would compare it favorably to Robert Jordans work. This is the story of Ten towns, a group of cities at the top of the world, inhabited by the people whom could not fit in anywhere else. Great storytelling.

I would recommend this to anyone looking to fill a fantasy void in their reading life.

I liked this trilogy very much, but it's not in my all time favs. I think it can be a little boring and a little slow. I did love the concept and theme. The characters are interesting and who doesn't love Drizzit? Worth the read but you will be able to put it down.

The Crystal Shard is a fantastic book, especially for those new to the fantasy genre. R.A. Salvatore is at his finest when introduces the world to not only Drizzt but Wulfgar, Bruenor, Cattie-Brie and others. Even though this is not the first book chronlogically in the Drizzt series this is probably the first one you should read. I highly recommend this book to anyone.

2.5 stars I reluctantly round down to 2.

The Crystal Shard, Salvatore's first, and worst, entry into the Forgotten Realms franchise. It is obvious from reading the later works that he was still learning the craft of storytelling at this point. Not to say it is terrible, just that it isn't very good, particularly in comparison to Dark Elf Trilogy where he got much better. Even the next book Streams of Silver is muchly improved.

Some of the problems of the book stem from the change of the hero, from Wulfgar to Drizzt. In the introduction to The Cleric Quintent Salvatore briefly mentions that TSR wanted a story about a barbarian hero, and along the way he fell in love with Drizzt and thus the storyline went down that path. No complaints for Drizzt is much more interesting but it does not make for a smooth story progression when the author makes such a radical change.

The other major problem is just that there is too much introduction of major characters to fit comfortably in one book. We have the big five, Drizzt, Wulfgar, Cattie-Brie, Regis and Bruenor as well as a handful of townspeople and barbarians before even getting to the villain. This causes too much to be happening with each character getting a tiny little timeslice of the book before we move on to the next.

The villain, or rather the villain's puppet, I actually liked. A weak willed wanna-be mage given power beyond his wildest dreams is actually only a minor threat. He indulges in wish fulfillment and actually needs to be prodded into action by the sentient Crystal Shard, and of course isn't really up to anything more than playing with his harem. Perhaps not satisfying to those seeking a master villain, but it is clever in a certain way. However, the weakness of the villain, as clever and realistic as I found it doesn't make for great confrontation. When Artemis Entreri appears in Streams of Silver, the stories get much better as Drizzt has an enemy his equal.

Overall I'm afraid I have to call this below average, but with the knowledge that things get better it is worth taking a look at.

I hate to say this, but R.A. Salvatore is really not a very good writer. When I was, oh, ten or twelve, I absolutely adored this stuff. Then I got older, and I found that that had changed quite a bit. Salvatore's characters are very flat and bland, even when they're not obvious Tolkien rip-offs. Having a drow as a central character is novel, but that's about all it is. I think it strikes a chord because everybody feels persecuted sometimes and wishes that they were strong enough to DO something about it. Drizzt is a guy who really IS and CAN. Really, though, the dialogue is trite, the battle scenes are unspeakably tedious, and, though I can't outright condemn it (I sure as hell enjoyed it at one time), I can't recommend it to anyone either.

The greatest book I've read. I had this book for a long time and I still keep reading it. Salvatore is da bomb! An excellent book of hidden conspiracies, outrageous confrontations, and a twisting tale of events. An all-time heroic novel of five friends: Drizzt Do'Urden, Bruenor Battlhammer, Wulfgar, Catti-Brie and Regis the halfling. A must buy for all AD&D lovers!

SALVATORE PUTS THE WORDS TOGETHER SO TAHT YOU CAN ALMOST FEEL AND SEE WHAT HE IS WRITING ABOUT. THE FIRST TIME I'VE READ THIS BOOK WAS IN '97. I'VE READ IT THREE TIMES SINCE THEN. I JUST CAN'T PUT HIS BOOKS DOWN. THEY ENGULF YOU, AND I TRULEY WISH THAT I COULD HAVE LIVED DURING THIS TIME PERIOD JUST TO SEE THE WAY THE PEOPLE WENT ABOUT THEIR DAILY LIFE AND TO SEE ALL OF THESE FANTACY CREATURES. INFRAVISION! THESE BOOKS LET MY MIND SORE THE WAY THAT I NEVER DREAMED POSIBLE.

Obviously, Advocate should stick with Tolstoy, Dickens and Steinbeck. Fantasy is NOT for asthetic minded people.
However, if you like fantasy and don't want to just
criticize things you don't like. This book is EXCELLENT.
However, make sure you get its sequels, as once you start, you won't want to stop! Fast paced, interesting and lots of fun, you'll be done with this book before you know it!

Im reluctant to call such a genius writers work unamazing,
but this was afterall, his first novel. It reads a little slow compared to most of his other work but its still fairly interesting.
I guess the problem is I really cant feel any danger for the main characters. itsa bit to casual.

I have always found Salvatore to be good for some entertaining brainless reading before I go to sleep. I like to relax my brain before bed, not rack it with Faulkner, so this type of writing is what I look for. But even for this type of writing, this isn't very good. If you are like me, you have been reading the Legend of Drizzt series as they are now set up; in chronological order from Drizzt's point of view, rather than publishing date. Well, this is Salvatore's first book, and it shows, especially when compared to his other books. After reading the very enjoyable first three books of the series, I was amazed at how poorly this one was written. I guess taking a creative writing class at the same time didn't help. With this book, Salvatore would have failed with flying colors.

With that being said, this book has some redeeming qualities. It is a very quick read, and I must hand it to Salvatore, he doesn't screw around. Though, if this was the first book I ever read by Salvatore, it would have been my last.

In my opinion a good aurthor works in two ways: what he writes, and how he writes it. Salvatore has good ideas but his style of writting is simply too childish. His characters are realistic until they get into battle, where they are able to kill twenty enemies a piece!! (completely over the top, even for fantasy.)

This review isn't really about the books or about Salvatore's writing... And really it's more me just plain asking questions about the product rather than a review.

I bought the first 7 parts that are available in the new de-luxe hardcover version of `The Legend of Drizzt'. And all of the books had jagged pages. I don't really know what to say... ARE they supposed to look that way or what? Did anyone else get books that look that way?

Because this isn't my vision of a hardcover de-luxe edition. I just want answers because I've never seen anything like it before.

The crystal shard was the first forgotten realms book I ever read. Since I read the crystal shard I have gone on to read other forgotten realms books by different authors such as elaine cunningham and ed greenwood. R.A. Salvatore is still my favorite author. I have read all of the drizzt books and Salvatore hasn't dissapointed me yet. Keep up the good work bob.

Cold, harsh barren lands. Deadly creatures, deadlier enemies.
This is the story of Icewind Dale, and about three heros who
fight thier way through impossible odds, one pursuing honor,
one seeking solitude, and one seeking peace in his soul. The
extroardinary action and adventure, heart-pounding fighting and
brain-teasing strategy and mystery make this book at MUST READ.

My dad gave me a lot of old books at one point. This was one of them. I didn't want to read it until my sister told me to. I loved it so much I read it in one sitting. A few days later I bought another book in the series. I urge anyone even remotely interested in fantasy to read everything Salvatore has written. Don't stop typing, Bob!

The Crystal Shard was a lot more childish than i expected after reading the Underdark Trilogy. Akar Kessel the main antagonist was a sad pathetic wizard with the mentality of a three year old who just so happens to come across a gem of ultimate power with a one drawback the gem tries pushing for world domination.All in all I should have stopped reading this series after the Underdark Trilogy.

R.A Salvatore has a great way of writing that keeps you interested in the story. I can't put the book down once I have started reading it! I can't wait until the I buy the next book and I will read them all! I really enjoyed the book.

This book is the first of the Icewind Dale series. R.A.Salvatore wrote this first I believe. He later went back and did a prequel series called "Legacy of the Drow". I read that first and found the books fantastic. The first one was awesome. The second one was slow to start but picked up and ended brilliantly I would say. The third one was alright but it wasn't the same atmosphere as the first two so not nearly as good.
This book is tremendously good. It starts a little slow. Drizzt(pronounced Drizz or dritts, im not too sure - I pronounce it Dritts) doesn't appear that much compared to the legacy of the drow because the main focus of the novel is Wulfgar. I applaud R.A. Salvatore for giving all the characters different weapons than your ordinary sword and bow. Wulfgar gets a really awesome hammer and Drizzt still has his twin schimitars + a dagger and a rather useless at times bow. The other characters are good. Regis is enjoyable somewhat, but the "little trickster" angle has been portrayed before. I am really looking forward to reading more about Catti-brie because ... well I could figure her out easily. Start with the Legacy of the Drow and you will know what I mean. Bruenor was enjoyable if not overdone as the "tough-guy dwarf".
The book really picks up though. Eventually we get to see one of those big battles happen. At the beggining of the book there is a big battle that isn't that well done. Bob doesn't write it very descriptively until Drizzt gets to fight. As for the later battle.... awesome. The book holds you for the last 1/3rd and just completely rocks.
I haven't read lotr although I plan to. This book would do a great job in the movie theatres I think. If they got Peter Jackson to do it that is... Please make the movie of this if you're reading Pete.

This is one lousy book! Very childish. Very very badly written. Any one could've written this. The characters are described as stoic and seasoned and so forth - damnit man! let us think! Salvatore shouldn't spoon-feed his readers. But then, most of his readers seem to be quite stupid. Heck, most of them are illiterate. No wonder they love Salvatore: he's on their low level. My point: don't buy this book if you're an intelligent reader!

Thirty years ago, Salvatore was a bad writer. Still, he managed to produce one of the most popular characters in contemporary action-fantasy. That he managed to produce it as a mere afterthought, as a side-kick to his he-man look-alike called Wulfgar is a puzzling thing indeed. Wulfgar didn't leave a mark (rightfully so). Drizzt did. What exactly happened here is a challenging question for any art/culture historian out there.

I don't want to lament, yet again, about the way "The crystal shard" is written. About it being low quality pulp, both on imaginative and narrative level. I have come to comply with notion that "The crystal shard" is low-level children's fantasy book, and being what it is, it shouldn't be judged by some higher-level standards. If you're around ten years old, you won't notice these faults, or even if you did you wouldn't give them too much thought. If you're an adult, or even mid-teens, and still find yourself fascinated by this book, then it is already too late for you to look at things from my perspective. So, any kind of argument about this would be pointless. What puzzles me, or better yet, what interests me is the magnitude of influence this book managed to achieve. On somewhat lesser scale than Harry Potter (which is a bad piece of literature in itself), Drizzt has managed to touch the lives of so many people so one has to assume that somewhere, inside this book, lies a reason for this. What follows are my thought on this.

There are far better written books for young adults out there, whether by European or American authors. Whether contemporary or somewhat dated. Those are the books that don't have the cult following Drizzt books have (even in the realms of fantasy it's hard to find some character or saga that is au pair with Drizzt - if we rule out "Lord of the rings"). Now, what makes run-around-kill-enemies-fight-evil-share-cheap-wisdom-book tick? I believe that part of the answer to this lies in the popularity of Dungeons and Dragons pen and paper game which has during the eighties and the nineties (before the rise of sophisticated computer games) been on the peak of popularity. This fantasy game, with aspects of puzzle-solving, cooperation, battle, team-work, fun and mischief has touched the lives of many kids out there. Kids that eventually grew up. Being relatively simple and infinitely interpretative this game provided ground for development of imagination, provided ground for interaction with like-minded individuals, developed friendships and long-term relationships and many more. Integral aspect of this game lied in discussion after the end of the game session. Commenting and discussing of adventures, plot, paths to be taken was, in a way, more fun and interesting than the game itself. At some point Salvatore came and written what basically reads as a transcript of a game session. And there you have it. Suddenly, bunch of people out there where fascinated by what occurred in the book, wanted to relive it with their own characters, wanted to be dual-wielding-ranger-rouge-dark-elf-romantic-poet-warrior which goes from town to town bringing justice and whatnot wherever he comes. Inside the realm of Dungeons and Dragons, all of this was possible. Further books of Drizzt's brought new adventures, new locations, Forgotten Realms became as real as it gets, and playing and living in the world where characters like Drizzt live and roam became infinitely more rich. You could have your own mighty cleric fighting side by side with this rogue warrior of dark skin, or you could chase him through the endless caverns of his dark domain. It provided something to do, some new aspect to the whole business. How Drizzt books were written was fairly inconsequential to all this.

So came the rift. For people still appreciating the world and poetics of Dungeons and Dragons role-play, Salvatore was god. Perfect game master with perfect campaigns, guy upon whose table best games were played. For people looking for literature, Salvatore was a dilettante. Industry-writer without real skill or talent. And both views held true.

So, if you are reading this I guess you want to know is this book any good or not. If that is the case you'll have to ask yourself a question and figure in which group do you belong. Depending on the answer, your experience with this book will vary. It may be enjoyable or it may be by far the lousiest purchase you ever made.

Cold, harsh barren lands. Deadly creatures, deadlier enemies.
This is the story of Icewind Dale, and about three heros who
fight thier way through impossible odds, one pursuing honor,
one seeking solitude, and one seeking peace in his soul. The
extroardinary action and adventure, heart-pounding fighting and
brain-teasing strategy and mystery make this book at MUST READ.

This book is the first in a series of the greatest books ever written. With the greatest character ever created: Drizzt Do'Urden. A true hero in a world with too few. Drizzt is to R.A.Salvatore what Aegis-Fang is to Bruenor. Read this!!!

I've been reading in order only to find out this was the first book written, and I'm surprised with the poor quality of action and lack of in depth character interaction I had come to expect from the three prequels.

Many of my friends have read this series and said it's unbelievable. I started it, I think it's utter drivel. I don't oft put books down. This is one. In fact, I threw it away so it's horribleness wouldn't contaminate the rest of my collection.

This is one lousy book! Very childish. Very very badly written. Any one could've written this. The characters are described as stoic and seasoned and so forth - damnit man! let us think! Salvatore shouldn't spoon-feed his readers. But then, most of his readers seem to be quite stupid. Heck, most of them are illiterate. No wonder they love Salvatore: he's on their low level. My point: don't buy this book if you're an intelligent reader!

Thirty years ago, Salvatore was a bad writer. Still, he managed to produce one of the most popular characters in contemporary action-fantasy. That he managed to produce it as a mere afterthought, as a side-kick to his he-man look-alike called Wulfgar is a puzzling thing indeed. Wulfgar didn't leave a mark (rightfully so). Drizzt did. What exactly happened here is a challenging question for any art/culture historian out there.

I don't want to lament, yet again, about the way "The crystal shard" is written. About it being low quality pulp, both on imaginative and narrative level. I have come to comply with notion that "The crystal shard" is low-level children's fantasy book, and being what it is, it shouldn't be judged by some higher-level standards. If you're around ten years old, you won't notice these faults, or even if you did you wouldn't give them too much thought. If you're an adult, or even mid-teens, and still find yourself fascinated by this book, then it is already too late for you to look at things from my perspective. So, any kind of argument about this would be pointless. What puzzles me, or better yet, what interests me is the magnitude of influence this book managed to achieve. On somewhat lesser scale than Harry Potter (which is a bad piece of literature in itself), Drizzt has managed to touch the lives of so many people so one has to assume that somewhere, inside this book, lies a reason for this. What follows are my thought on this.

There are far better written books for young adults out there, whether by European or American authors. Whether contemporary or somewhat dated. Those are the books that don't have the cult following Drizzt books have (even in the realms of fantasy it's hard to find some character or saga that is au pair with Drizzt - if we rule out "Lord of the rings"). Now, what makes run-around-kill-enemies-fight-evil-share-cheap-wisdom-book tick? I believe that part of the answer to this lies in the popularity of Dungeons and Dragons pen and paper game which has during the eighties and the nineties (before the rise of sophisticated computer games) been on the peak of popularity. This fantasy game, with aspects of puzzle-solving, cooperation, battle, team-work, fun and mischief has touched the lives of many kids out there. Kids that eventually grew up. Being relatively simple and infinitely interpretative this game provided ground for development of imagination, provided ground for interaction with like-minded individuals, developed friendships and long-term relationships and many more. Integral aspect of this game lied in discussion after the end of the game session. Commenting and discussing of adventures, plot, paths to be taken was, in a way, more fun and interesting than the game itself. At some point Salvatore came and written what basically reads as a transcript of a game session. And there you have it. Suddenly, bunch of people out there where fascinated by what occurred in the book, wanted to relive it with their own characters, wanted to be dual-wielding-ranger-rouge-dark-elf-romantic-poet-warrior which goes from town to town bringing justice and whatnot wherever he comes. Inside the realm of Dungeons and Dragons, all of this was possible. Further books of Drizzt's brought new adventures, new locations, Forgotten Realms became as real as it gets, and playing and living in the world where characters like Drizzt live and roam became infinitely more rich. You could have your own mighty cleric fighting side by side with this rogue warrior of dark skin, or you could chase him through the endless caverns of his dark domain. It provided something to do, some new aspect to the whole business. How Drizzt books were written was fairly inconsequential to all this.

So came the rift. For people still appreciating the world and poetics of Dungeons and Dragons role-play, Salvatore was god. Perfect game master with perfect campaigns, guy upon whose table best games were played. For people looking for literature, Salvatore was a dilettante. Industry-writer without real skill or talent. And both views held true.

So, if you are reading this I guess you want to know is this book any good or not. If that is the case you'll have to ask yourself a question and figure in which group do you belong. Depending on the answer, your experience with this book will vary. It may be enjoyable or it may be by far the lousiest purchase you ever made.

Many of my friends have read this series and said it's unbelievable. I started it, I think it's utter drivel. I don't oft put books down. This is one. In fact, I threw it away so it's horribleness wouldn't contaminate the rest of my collection.