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The Silent Blade (Forgotten Realms:  Paths of Darkness, Book 1)

The Silent Blade (Forgotten Realms: Paths of Darkness, Book 1)

List Price: $7.99
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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Welcome to real life, fantasy-style
Review: In this latest chapter of the dark elf saga, Drizzt and his friends take on depth, nuance, and complexity. Conflict becomes something that is both more difficult and more compelling than the next really cool monster encounter. Although there are numerous actions scenes, each imaginatively chorographed, the most important battles take place within the hearts and souls of the characters.

There is resolution in this story--a long-term rivalry is settled in an unexpected fashion, the evil artifact that first brought the companions together falls into highly appropriate hands--but there are no easy answers. The hero does not necessarily get the girl. Friendship, even love, does not ensure a tidy end to every problem. Emotions are complex, often contradictory, especially in the "love triangle" between Wulfgar, Drizzt, and Catti-brie. This particular conflict is depicted with admirable delicacy--not once does it fall into the shallow, the predictable, or the realm of soap opera. Issues of sexuality are presented frankly but never lightly, and without the leering, salatious tone present in far too many current fantasy novels.

One reviewer called this book "compulsively readable." That has always been one of Salvatore's strengths: a story that draws you in at once and keeps you turning pages. His battle scenes are simply the best in the business. With this story, it is apparent that his characters are maturing. It stuck me that with this story, the author pays his readers the compliment of assuming that they can keep up.

I've noticed that reviews--including and perhaps especially those written by professionals--are often essays written to support a preconceived notion, or a diatribe against the book for not being something other than it was. In my mind this book deserved a five-star rating because it accomplished precisely what it set out to do, and did so in a highly entertaining fashion. Those who love the Realms, who enjoy fantasy, and who wish to learn some important lessons about the art of storytelling should definitely read this book. Twice.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent.
Review: An amazing end to the best series in the history of Fantasy. A MUST read for all Salvatore and Drizzt Do'Urden fans.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Very good!
Review: This latest installement in the Drizzt series was very good. I liked it a lot, but the plot was a little weak. Not only that, but the end was left open for another book. I like the book immensely but I wish it had been a little more developed. Now, where's the next one?

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Drizzt is back!
Review: I really loved this book. It takes the reader back to a familiar group, yet it shows how time and experience have changed them. Wulfgar has developed a personality beyond the big Barbarian stereotype. We learn more about Entreri and how his loss has pulled his life. My favorite addition is Jaraxle the infamous Drow now turned business man. One final note I have recently read the next book in this series ( Thanks to Bobby! ) All I can say is it only gets BETTER!!!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Nothing Happens!!!
Review: Half way through the book, I was waiting for it to begin. It focuses on 3 lives, but I don't know where people are getting this "intertwining" stuff. Wulfgar leaves the party, and then fights 101 barroom brawls. Artemis returns to Calimport and walks to a guild, talks, walks to another guild, talks, walks to another guild. It was a bit repetetive. And Drizzt just writes novels on how screwed up Wulfgar is. The only intertwining at all is Drizzt meets Artemis at the very end, where for the 180th time, Salvatore thinks he is going to fool us into believing he would actually kill off a main character. Yeah, right. After Wulfgar, it became quite clear, these guys are immortal. The fights are more like an unprepared DM. "Another goblin band attacks." Despite all the problems, I read it really fast, mostly b/c i've enjoyed reading about Drizzt so much in the past. Salvatore used to be my favorite author, but I felt he was going downhill since Passage to Dawn.

=================BAHUMUTH

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: HAVE FAITH, THERE'S MORE TO COME!!
Review: I HAVE JUST COMPLETED READING SILENT BLADE. I MUST SAY THAT IT WASN'T DISSAPOINTING. I THOUGHT THIS BOOK WAS REALLY A STEPPING STONE FOR MORE BOOKS TO COME. I THINK THAT R.A.S. USED THIS BOOK TO DEVELOP CHARACTERS SUCH AS ENTRERI, WULFGAR AND JARLAXLE. SO LOOK OUT FOR MORE TO COME.

I HOPE THAT R.A.S. HAS DRIZZT DEAL MORE HEAVILY WITH HIS DISTANT COUSINS THE SURFACE ELVES, ESPECIALLY THE LITTLE ELVEN GIRL HE SAVED DURING THAT DROW RAID IN HOMELAND. IT WOULD BE COOL TO HAVE THE SURFACE ELVES GO THROUGH THE CHALLENGE OF FORGIVING AND ACCEPTING DRIZZT OF WHO HE IS AND NOT BY THE REPUTATION OF THE DROW.

STAY FAITHFUL, THERE'S MORE WARS, ENEMIES, UNEXPECTED ALLIES, DUELS(EXTERNAL/INTERNAL) AND GOOD LAUGHS TO COME. I WELCOME ANY COMMENTS SO E-MAIL ME!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great!
Review: When I finished 'Passage to Dawn', I nearly despaired of the Dark Elf series ever achieving anything near what it had in past books. 'Passage to Dawn' was extremely weak, unsatisfying, and predictable. Well, I was wrong to doubt, and wrong to fear. This book is most likely one of the best Drizzt books written to date. It has everything that a loyal fan hopes for from Salvatore- good fight scenes, intricate personal relationships, and a twisting plot-line in which perhaps everyone might not turn out happy in the end. I had believed his resurrection of Wulfgar to be a mistake. Well, mistake or not, Salvatore handles the 'new' Wulfgar character masterfully, giving him life and depth beyond that of even the old Wulfgar, who was still a good character in his own right. Again, the Drizzt/Entreri rivalry reemerges, with interesting twists and turns. We also see other well portrayed characters from the series, characters such as Jarlaxle and of course, Drizzt Do'Urden himself, who is much stronger a character in this book than in the last, weak, 'Passage to Dawn'. In short, this book is magnificent, and is probably one of the best books in the series so far. I recommend it wholeheartedly to any Drizzt fans out there.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Not Salvatore's Best Book, But definitely worth reading.
Review: Like many of Salvatore's followers, I was eagerly awaiting his next Drizzt book. I was anxious to see how Drizzt, Bruenor, Wulfgar, and Cattie-brie would continue their journey. With Jarlaxand Artemis both working against the Heroes, there was sure to be a huge finale. The Silent Blade starts off with Wulfgar trying ro deal with the emotional turmoil from being tortured in the Abyss by Errtu, and the other Heroes trying to deal with Wulfgar. Next we have Artemis trying to find his place back in society after being humbled with his confinement in Menzoberranzan. Then comes Creshinibon, and trying to have it destroyed by delivering it to Cadderly. Lastly, with Drizzt and Artemis in the same book, there has to be a test of skills. The Silent Blade should have stuck to one or two of these scenarios because the book was to short to cover all four. I say it's not Salvatore's best book because I enjoy reading his books where he develops his characters abilities. I enjoyed reading The Dark Elf Trilogy because that is where we start to learn about Drizzt's abilities, his mentors Zaknafein and Montolio teaching valuable lessons on life. I enjoyed the Icewind Dale Trilogy because it introduces us to Bruenor, Cattie-brie, Wulfgar, Regis, and Artemis. In The Icewind Dale Trilogy we learn how Drizzt and Bruenor form Wulfgar into a warrior. We also start to understand the friendship that is building within the Heroes. In The Legacy, Starless Night, and Siege of Darkness it is Cattie-brie who starts to hone her fighting skills with Taulmaril and Khazid'hea. And I think the battles in those books put you more on the edge of your seat while flipping the pages, whereas the battles in The Silent Blade seem one sided with the outcome easy to predict. In The Silent Blade, I was impressed with Jarlaxle the most. With the alliance he built in Calimport, it should make for more interesting books to follow. The final battle also exceeded my expectations and was written with great clarity, I could picture every move and counter move easily. I don't mean to sound so negative, because I really enjoy reading Salvatore's books. I think he is the best writer I have read, and I am once again eagerly awaiting the next book to find out if Wulfgar will return to the group, to see how Jarlaxle runs Calimport, to see what havoc Creshinibon will bring to the Underdark, and to see Drizzt and Cattie-brie have a son who Drizzt teaches to fight ( Maybe that wont come true 8-> ). Anyway, Thanks R.A. Salvatore for giving us another RUSH while reading your books.

Dan Metzger

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: good book, but I dislike what happened to Wulfgar
Review: I have loved these books from the beginning and enjoy all of the books Salvatore has written. I own them all but my biggest problem was what happened to Wulfgar, he was by far my favorite before his untimely disapearanc but after he returned he turned out to be very different than I had hopped for. I dearly wish for Bob to write a final chapter to this wonderfull saga. Please include every one including Jarlaxle Bob. I must agree let Drizzt fall for the lady of Silverymoon or try to include her somewhere. Keep them comming.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Thank You Mr. Salvatore
Review: Noone should miss reading the tales of Drizzt. This book is another in the series of the greatest fantasy tale told since the early days of AD&D. These books are worth their weight in gold.


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