R.A. Salvatore
The Legacy (2003)
Author: R.A. Salvatore
Genre: Fantasy
Plot Summary
At the beginning of the book we find the companions, Drizzt Do'Urden, Cattie-brie, Bruenor Battlehammer, Wulfgar, Regis, and Guenhwyvar, together again. They have just reclaimed Mithril Hall, the home and kingdom of Clan Battlehammer, from the duegars and an evil dragon. Drizzt, the main character for the series, has been in self-imposed exile from Menzoberranzan, the dark elf city, for over 30 years. His house, one of the ruling houses, suffered greatly because of his actions against the dark elves' deity, Lolth the Spider Queen. He did not believe in unbridled cruelty and the unending want for more power so he escaped from his family to seek a new life. His surviving sister Vierna and brother Dinin, along with a drow mercenary named Jarlaxle, mean to find Drizzt and kill him to bring them into the favor of Lolth and re-establish the Do'Urden household. They have sent a disguised human assassin to locate Drizzt and bring him to an appointed ambush spot deep in the tunnels under Mithril Hall. When several dwarves of Clan Battlehammer go missing, King Bruenor asks Drizzt to find them. Regis goes along with Drizzt, which is particularly uncharacteristic of the halfling. Deep in the tunnels, Drizzt and Regis run into the hunting drow party, and Regis removes a magical mask revealing himself as Artemis Entreri, a skilled weapon master Drizzt has battled previously. By this time, the companions realize that Regis is not really Regis and go down into the tunnels to find Drizzt. A fierce battle rages while Drizzt and his friends desperately try to reach each other. Both of Drizzt's siblings are slain but not before Vierna calls forth a handmaiden of Lolth, a yochlol. The yochlol traps Cattie-brie and Wulfgar. Their only escape is for the barbarian to use his mighty warhammer, Aegis-fang, to bring the ceiling of the tunnel down on top of himself and the enemy. Wulfgar is buried under tons of rock but he saves the rest of the companions.
In the confusion, both Drizzt and Entreri get away from the main fighting; Drizzt chasing Entreri out of the tunnels onto a ledge on the side of the mountain. They fight and, as always, Drizzt wins out. All the companions are safe, save one, but Mithril Hall is still in jeopardy. The drow raiding party gave Matron Baenre, the most powerful drow in Menzoberranzan, the inclination to return with a stronger force and conquer Mithril Hall. Plus, she has trapped the spirit of Gandalug Battlehammer, the 1st king of Mithril Hall, and will use him to find all the secret ways in.
Geographical Setting:: Mithril Hall
Time Period: A different time, a different place, and a wholly different world
Series: Forgotten Realms: Legacy of the Drow
Appeal Characteristics:
The pace of this book allows the reader a choice of either continuing to read or throwing the novel across the room to break the spell. Most chapters end on a cliff-hanger; ending in the middle of a battle, or moment of intrigue. The tone is endearing and descriptive. Even within the throws of a fight with extreme bloodshed and carnage, there are moments of levity. Along with the tone, characterization is penultimate. Not only does the reader fall in love with Drizzt, a drow elf who has dismissed his heritage of evil for one of purity and loyalty, but all the other companions as well. And if the reader prefers the dark-sided characters, the drow provides plenty of entertainment. Lastly, the novel has an engaging storyline, one in which readers will become enraptured and invested.
Read-alikes: An obvious starting point would be with other Forgotten Realms series by R.A. Salvatore that chronicle Drizzt Do'Urden; The Dark Elf Trilogy, The Icewind Dale Trilogy, and Paths of Darkness. Robert Jordan and his Wheel of Time series addresses multiple main characters with intersecting and interweaving storylines, and he writes with that same type of sometimes bloody and dark, sometimes funny and light tone like Salvatore. J.R.R. Tolkien also creates a vastly different world full of magic, battles, good versus evil, honor, and courage in The Lord of the Rings. The pace is a bit slower, including longer descriptions of the characters more uneventful travels, but the rest of the elements in the trilogy are comparable. If a reader is particularly interested in dragons and magic, then George Lucas' Shadow War trilogy is a must. The books continue the story of Willow and Elora-danan from the acclaimed movie Will
ow.
Red Flags: Detailed battles and gore
|top|
|
