Book 2 - Streams of Silver, Icewind Dale Trilogy

I thought about writing a one word review, the title being "Dwarfs" - the body being "Dwarfs". Then I realized that readers may feel as if a dwarf advocate. Far from it my friends, far from it.

I wanted to give this review two and a half stars; half of the book is great because we have the fun act of reading about the character the book was written for. Yet the other half was reading about a dwarf.

Dwarfs.

So here is the plot in a nutshell: A ranger (Drizzt, who is also an elf), halfling, barbarian, and a ... dwarf head out on a quest to find the lost Mithril Halls where the...dwarf....were to be king. The halfling has a very valuable piece of jewelry tied around his neck which has a great power.

I think I've read this before. Can't quite remember the title.

The entire time the dwarf grumbles, the halfling whines, Drizzt gets gay for the barbarian. Everyone is racist, everyone wants to kill them, a dragon appears, who by the way was absolutely useless (minus one specific action), then it's over.

I reiterate - Dwarfs.

I wanted to love this book as I loved the previous ones, but that damned dwarf kept getting in the way. Every. Single. Time. I. started. Enjoying. Myself. That freaking dwarf opened his dumb mouth.

If it wasn't the dwarf spouting off incoherently, it was his pseudo-daughter Cattie-Brie. She is human, yet speaks like a dwarf. Which if you ask me, makes you a dwarf. It's like watching Star Wars with everything cut out but the Jar Jar Binks scenes!

I loved the ending, not because of the obvious cliffhanger, but because something happened that I wish happened on page one, but didn't. If you read it, you will understand.

The Lord of the rings and the hobbit based around 60% of the story. So don't expect much new.
Characters are a little dry and colourless ... But not so dull as you regret the read .. But not far off

Fantastic. Page-turning entertainment that moves from adventure to adventure with a cast of characters easy to love and hate. While there was a bit of a pause in the middle that felt a tad slow, the last hundred pages and the furious battles in Mithril Hall involving nearly all the characters was some of the most exciting writing I can ever remember reading. It is well worth the wait to get there - and the ending makes the reader look forward to reading the next book in the trilogy. Streams of Silver is a must read for all fantasy book lovers.

I have read this book several times since I first bought it in high school. While it reads like a fun d&d adventure with your friends, it has a certain something else that makes it truly enjoyable.
This is a book of maturing, of adventure, of trials & tribulations, of right vs. wrong, but mostly of friendship. When Bruenor Battlehammer sets out to find the lost home of his clan, his friends join him. They know not where the road will take them or what they will face... but, they will be there for their friend. The battles and adventures come. Danger, injury, survival, joy, and loss enter into their lives again and again as the story continues. The end is an exciting set-up for the third book of the trilogy.

In the aftermath of the battle against the wizard Akar Kessel and the Crystal Shard Drizzt, Bruenor, and Wulfgar decide to go on a search for the great dwarven realm of Mithral Hall. Bruenor is the rightful king, but his people had been driven from the Hall and the path has been forgotten. They are joined by Regis who seems to be in a strange hurry to join in an adventure. In the meantime Cattie-Brie is kidnapped by a new nemesis, Artemis Entreri. Entreri is hunting Regis and intends to have him. The travelers face many adventures. Catti-Brie finally escapes and warns them about Entreri. Together they continue the search for the famed dwarven halls. The search takes them through a number of adventures and they meet new friends along the way.

An important theme running through this story is the treatment of Drizzt. As a Drow (dark elf) he is feared and hated. He understands this because of the well known viciousness of his people, but it still hurts him at times. More than that his friends truly experience this hatred and have little patience for it. This helps to cement their bond as a group.

Streams of Silver picks up pretty much where the last book, The Crystal Shard, left off. Bruenor (a dwarven leader, by blood the king of the Battlehammer clan), Drizzt (a self-exiled drow elf) and Wulfgar (a young barbarian) set out on a quest to find Mithril Hall, ancestral home of Bruenor and his clan. Shortly after they leave, they are also joined by Regis (a halfling) - although they suspect that he is running from something, rather than running to join them on their quest.

Running he certainly is, from Artemis Entreri, a deadly human assassin, who is tracking Regis to return a stolen gem to the leader of a southern Thieves Guild. Catti-brie, Bruenor's adopted human daughter, becomes Artemis' hostage. To complicate matters further, an evil mage seeks Drizzt to locate the crystal shard, a powerful artifact which was the subject of the last book. Deciding that cooperating would be mutually beneficial, the mage dispatches his apprentice, a golem (think of a Frankenstein-like creature of incredible size and strength, but completely mindless), and a soldier to help Artemis.

The road for the four friends, then, is fraught with peril, fighting barbarians, bog-men and trolls to name a few, along the way. While they do gain some allies of questionable help, they must also encounter the extreme prejudice leveled against Drizzt on account of his dark elven heritage.

Salvatore brings us another rousing tale of high adventure and endearing characters, while introducing a powerful evil mirror of Drizzt in the form of Artemis Entreri. Salvatore skillfully immerses us in his world, and keeps enough suspense going throughout the book to make it very difficult to put down. Further, his character study of Drizzt throughout many of his books (this one included) brings us to an in-depth understanding of this complicated, tortured soul who has abandoned the evil ways of his people, only to have to come to terms with the evil of prejudice on the surface.

I highly recommend this book (although it might be best to start with The Crystal Shard for a better understanding).

Good things come in trilogies and, in most cases, the second of the series is the best...Streams of Silver is perhaps the zenith of the Icewind Dale trilogy. There are plenty of exciting adventures, desperate battles, horrifying monsters, devious sorcerers, dark dungeons, but most importantly, there is an element of the unknown. In the first novel, we all know the identity of the villain and what his nefarious plans are. Here, the companions, and the readers, have no idea what to expect, what horrible discovery they will make once they reach their destination. However, this book is more than just swashbuckling and dungeon exploring. We gain an insight into the mind of Drizzt, the mental conflicts and emotional sacrifices he must endure to uphold his principles. Even though there isn't a neatly wrapped conclusion by the end, this book is proof that sometimes the road is better than the destination!
The series continues with Bruenor, Wulfgar, Drizzt and Regis embarking on a quest to discover the doom that befell Bruenor's ancestral home, Mithral Hall. Many difficulties face the companions, not the least of which is the dwarf's inability to recollect even the approximate location of this underground kingdom, where precious mithril is so abundant that it flows in streams along the walls. Regis, on the other hand, is pursued by a deadly bounty-hunter intent on collecting his gem, and his head. The companions also attract the attention of a devious wizard of the Hosttower of the Arcane Brotherhood for their previous involvement with the crystal Crenshinibon. Along the way, the companions must deal with hordes of monsters, including trolls, ghostly unicorn, giant worm, bog monsters, even a banshee, but yet the assassin and his cohorts are ever their greatest threat. Once they rediscover Mithral Hall, they must be prepared to face its terrifying secret.
Of course, the essence and the main attraction of Dungeons & Dragons are the dungeons themselves, where rich treasures await discovery and monsters may lurk around every corner. For me, the most exciting part of the Lord of the Rings, indeed of any fantasy, is Moria. There is much of Moria here. There is the central plot that the dwarves had delved too deep and unwittingly released a dormant horror. Then there is the companions' effort to solve a puzzle to open a hidden door and gain the entrance to the underground passage, and the climactic confrontation at a bridge over a chasm which leads to the exit from the mines. This is perhaps RA Salvatore's nod to his inspiration (he admitted that reading Tolkien had led to his interest in the genre). Nevertheless, there are much that are original here, and the plot is seldom predictable.
Of interest is the exploration of Drizzt's emotional depths. That he has refuted the ways of his people is clear, but here we also get to appreciate the emotional cost of his decision. There would come a time when the pain of his rejection by the surface world because of his dark elf heritage becomes unbearable. As Drizzt struggles to reconcile with his decision, he will need to draw on the support of his friends and on an unlikely source. Bruenor's conflict is also highlighted. All his life he has longed to return to the home of his childhood, of which he is the rightful king, yet he may need to realize that his true home belongs with the friends he has made.
Overall, this is an exciting buddy road adventure with strong character development that makes it much more well-rounded than it otherwise would be.

First, I will give you a little background on the story. Streams of Silver is the second book in the Icewind Dale Trilogy. The heroes are Drizzt Do'Urden, a dark elf ranger, Bruenor Battlehammer, a dwarven king, Wulfgar, a barbarian, Regis, a halfling rogue, and Cattie-brie, human foster daughter of Bruenor. This story takes the heroes on a journey to rediscover Bruenor's lost homeland, Mithral Hall. The journey is ripe with challenges, not the least being the appearance of Artemis Entreri, an assassin sent to catch Regis.
I found this book much less fast paced than its predecessor The Crystal Shard. I didn't find the search for the hall as compelling as some of the other reviewers, but it had some redeeming factors. There was a sense of mystery that veiled the story and made you wander what was going to happen next. However some of the conflicts during the trip seemed a little haphazardly put together. Overall the quality of Salvatore's writing increases in this book and I like how the characters are developed. However, there are lots of grammatical errors that tend to get annoying. Artemis Entreri and his attempt to catch the heores saves the early part of the book.
The part I enjoyed the most was the events in Mithral Hall. I don't want to give away too much. So, all I will say is that its exciting and action packed. Just remember when reading this book that even though it starts off slow the story enthralls you by the end. If you like Forgotten Realms, then you will like this book.

The Bad Points: The characters do at times seem a bit superheroish. Some of the dialogue can be corny at times. Also, some things are a bit TOO farfetched, even for fantasy.(bringing to mind the Harkles' palace and the fact that a severed troll limb will grow another troll!) And yes, Mithril Hall is a clear replica of Moria, with some of The Hobbit thrown in as well. These things as a whole are the reason for my four stars.
The Good Points: Salvatore does know how to write those action sequences, and he's realistic in describing the battles, and death, since he doesn't try to "sanitize" either one. Characterization is not superb, but it's certainly not poor either. These things make the book enjoyable and entertaining- I was not bored while reading this book. And probably the best thing about this book is the introduction of Artemis Entreri. The plot is complex and the story has a good ending that sets up things nicely for the third book.
All in all, this book is good. His writing has inproved noticeably from the first book. For those of you who are about ready to write him off because of those bad points I listed, I say give him a chance. This is only his second book. I've already read the Dark Elf Trilogy, which he wrote after this series, and I can say for sure that it is MUCH better. It's definately more mature, and I wouldn't call it "light" fantasy, nor would I call this book light either. And I certainly wouldn't call any of his books "popcorn fantasy." If you're looking for good fiction, don't let the Forgotten Realms logo fool you- Salvatore does not write games, except for maybe a few elements in his first few books. I know for sure that the Dark Elf Trilogy has no RPG elements. So if you're looking for some good fantasy, try R. A. Salvatore. The truth is, he can entertain many readers who are non-AD&D - readers like myself.

The second book of the icewind dale trilogy is full of action. It starts off with wulfgar, drizzt, bruenor, and regis going on a long quest in the search for mithral hall. But as soon as I read of the cunning, murderous, and stealthy ways of the assassin artemis entreri, I was blown away. This man is extremely scary in the way he carries himself. A ruthless killer if you get on his bad side or in his way, entreri goes after regis, wanting to get back the magical gem the halfling carries with him. New characters such as wizards and humans are met in the cities along the road to mithral hall, and the final battle with the dragon shimmergloom in the caves of mithral hall is SPECTACULAR. I will say there were some parts during the quest that seemed a bit drawn out but overall this book is a fantastic read. This book convinced me even further that they need to make a drizzt 3d animated show. The characters and environments are just too rich not to ;)!!!!!

"Streams of Silver" was much better than the first book (now that the randow crystal shard is out of the way). I found this book more exciting and fulfilling. I think this is the case because the characters seem to be a true "party" now - they are truely companions. Wulfgar is grown and trained in the ways of fighting and has learned from the best. He also shows his ability in the many battles they fight - which are awesome as always. I don't think I have ever been dissappointed by a fight written by Salvatore.
And a fight that you will most certainly not be dissappointed in was the duel between Drizzt and the assasin Entrerei. Absolutely my favorite scene in the book. You can see the action in your imagination and feel the desires and emotions of the characters. Of all the Drizzt books I have read, this still remains one of my favorite fights, if not my favorite. This duel and the "relationship" formed by these two cast members is why I gave this book four stars instead of three.
The problems I have with this book, as with the whole Icewind Dale trilogy is the seemingly "random" tasks the companions strive to complete. Each book is totally different than the previous that it's hard to see these as cohesive books in a trilogy and not just three books with the same characters. It just leaves me unsettled when the companions seem to just get up and go look for the lost Mithiral Hall.
But, regardless of how or why they started the task, the journey that follows is a good, entertaining, and action-packed journey that is worth every minute of your time. And, if at the very least, this book is necessary for the rest of the Drizzt books for full understanding of the sequence. It is a good book, just a little unsettling at times (up until the Drizzt and Enterei duel - afterwhich, nothing else seems to matter).

RA Salvatore has created his own cult following in the world of D&D with his culture of the drow and Icewind Dale, the glacier community in the Forgotten Realms. This book picks up right where "Crystal Shard" left off, with Drizzt Do'Urden and pals fulfilling their promise to help dwarf Bruenor Battlehammer find his lost homeland, Mithral Hall. But! Regis the Halfling, always in trouble, is in the worst of his life, and an evil assassin is on his trail. Salvatore treats us to a new hateful-but-seductive villain in Artemis Entreri. My only complaint about this book is Salvatore's persistent use of the Irish brogue for his characters, which gets a bit annoying to read, and his seeming attempt to make a PC statement by focusing so heavily on racism. Written at the beginning of the PC 1990s, Salvatore repeatedly refers to the drow as "black elves" in this book rather than Drow, which he doesn't do in any of the other books in this series. Seemed a bit pandering to me, although Drizzt is definitely a victim of prejudice in the drow-hating Realms. Highly recommend as this is a fabulous adventure series!

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. An amazing trilogy indeed and a "must read" along with RA Salvatore's Dark Elf Trilogy! . In conclusion, it's what Fantasy reading SHOULD be. A GREAT book indeed if you love Fantasy and especially if you love the Forgotten Realms! DON'T MISS IT!!!

This time the Companions of the Hall venture into Mithril Hall... long lost home of Clan Battlehammer. On there trail, however, are a mage, a golem, and an assassin (the only one of the three that is known to any of the Companions). Regis has not told the true reason for his joining of this quest, for it is the assassin that seeks him and his pendant.
Unlike the first novel, this seems to be more...patient/perhaps thought out... for lack of better terms. In the first, everything seemed rushed, here though everything is paced. The battles are drawn out more vividly, the obstacles seem tougher to endure, even the jokes and sarcasm seem 'real'. Salvatore has either matured in his writing, or gained the respect of his editors/publishers ( a little of both to be sure), and both show in this 'Chapter' of the Icewind Dale trilogy. A must read for fans of Salvatore, and any of the characters in the book... I still don't know what the big deal is with all the Drizzt fans, though. I've started to grow fond of Bruenor and Wulfgar as characters. Oh well, enjoy!

... Salvatore has managed to create dynamic characters that I fell completely in love with almost immediately upon meeting them (and even those who I did not fall immediately in love with, I immediately hated. A strong feeling, either way). With the exception of one (Wulfgar the barbarian calls to mind others of his type, such as Conan), they are fairly unique, and each of them only gets more well developed as the story goes on. This is especially true in the case of the dark elf Drizzt, who turns out to be what most would consider the main character. From the start, you are witness to internal reflection on a level that most novels do not allow, but in a way that does not diminish the action of the story. ...

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I don't understand why people here complaint about Salvatore copying Tolkien's work. I've read the Lord of the rings trilogy 6 times and i'm reading the complete serie of Salvatore's work for the second time (including the Cleric quintet) and I don't see what all the fuzz is about. Even in the book Streams of silver, I don't get a sense of déjà vu from Tolkien's masterpiece. Anyway, I find Salvatore a major player in the fantasy world of the Forgotten Realms. As for the carachters, they are heroes and not superheroes! If you want superheroes and indestructible vilains, read Greenwood's books. Drizzt is mighty but he is weak on the surface world because of the prejudices people have of his race. He is more human than what appears at first hand. And Artemis Entreri is evil beyond anything normal but don't forget that this is FANTASY. And don't forget too that Icewind Dale trilogy was the first Big written work of Salvatore and that he was not yet a bestselling author. And I still find that his work is sublime.

In STREAMS OF SILVER, Drizzt and companions travel hundreds of miles from their home in Icewind Dale in search of Bruenor's legendary Mithral Hall. Meanwhile, the formidable assassin Artemis Entreri stalks the party in search of Regis, the halfling possessing the ruby pendant stolen from his former guild leader. From a greater distance, the wizards of Luskin eye Drizzt, who they assume possess the Crystal Shard following the defeat of Kessel. These three parties intertwine precariously, culminating in an incredible battle with surprising casualties.

Salvatore continues to demonstrate his exceptional storytelling prowess in STREAMS OF SILVER with intertwining, parallel plot lines, vast new landscapes and formidable opponents. You'll no sooner finish this novel and you'll be running to get your hands on part three (THE HALFLING'S GEM). An outstanding novel, "A+"

In STREAMS OF SILVER, Drizzt and companions travel hundreds of miles from their home in Icewind Dale in search of Bruenor's legendary Mithral Hall. Meanwhile, the formidable assassin Artemis Entreri stalks the party in search of Regis, the halfling possessing the ruby pendant stolen from his former guild leader. From a greater distance, the wizards of Luskin eye Drizzt, who they assume possess the Crystal Shard following the defeat of Kessel. These three parties intertwine precariously, culminating in an incredible battle with surprising casualties.

Salvatore continues to demonstrate his exceptional storytelling prowess in STREAMS OF SILVER with intertwining, parallel plot lines, vast new landscapes and formidable opponents. You'll no sooner finish this novel and you'll be running to get your hands on part three (THE HALFLING'S GEM). An outstanding novel, "A+"

Over the holidays, I reread R.A. Salvatore's Icewind Dale trilogy for the first time in almost twenty years. "Streams of Silver" is still a good read and Salvatore is able to flesh out a number of the secondary characters-namely Catti-brie and Regis-in the series and move them towards center stage. He also introduces Artemis Entreri-the prime nemesis of Drizzt. Just as in "The Crystal Shard," as the book progresses, the reader can see increasingly that Drizzt is taking over the role of protagonist from Wulfgar. While the book holds up well after twenty years, "Streams of Silver" was Salvatore's second book and parts of the plot seem rushed as he takes the heroes through perhaps too many various dangers and wondrous localities. This is not to say that Salvatore went into a sophomore slump as too many authors whose first book does better than expected-but it is fair to say that Salvatore was still learning his craft. If the plot does not flow as smoothly as it did in "The Crystal Shard," Salvatore was crafting a more complex story in "Streams of Silver." Salvatore is also much better about character development in "Streams of Silver" and, as any reader of the Drizzt series knows, this remains one of Salvatore's chief strengths over the years. Despite these minor growing pains, even in an early outing like "Streams of Silver," readers can see the traits and abilities that made Salvatore one of the leading fantasy writers of his generation.

This was a really fast paced and exciting book. In my opinion, much better than the first book of the trilogy because I felt that the character were in danger the whole way through the novel, while in the Crystal Shard, for some reason, I always felt that the companions would get through any situation unscathed. In this book, there is real suspense and real heroism. The entire ending sequence in Mithril Hall is simply magnificent. I felt like was was there next to Drizzt and Wulfgar every step of the way. And I love how the ending naturally leads you to the final installment in the trilogy...in fact, after you've read this book, you will simply HAVE to immediately read the next one to find out how everything turns out.
Another reason I liked this books so much was cause of Drizzt's mirror image, Artemis Entreri. Kind of a doppleganger theme, it really adds depth to the story, showing you what Drizzt could have become and how he must continously battle the dark side of himself. Really great stuff.