Rating: ![2 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-2-0.gif) Summary: Not nearly what I expected Review: I am an avid fan of everything that has to do with Drizzt Do'Urden, and I was looking forward to this one more than you can know. However, I was rather disappointed when it actually came out. Starless Night was my favorite, and the books had, in general, been getting better each time. However, this Passage to Dawn does not continue this trend. The characters seem to have less depth, and the plot certainly does. It is predictable and rather destructive to the masterful stories Salvatore has told in the past. He always had two strong points: interesting, well-developed characters, and cool fight scenes. Unfortunately, neither of these shows up very well in this book. The great characters, other than Drizzt, are gone (Jarlaxle and Entreri) or poorly portrayed (Cattie-Brie, Regis). Even Drizzt doesn't seem to "think" as much as he used to. I think Salvatore got tired of writing the series, and he should have stopped at the last book.
Rating: ![4 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-4-0.gif) Summary: A thrilling Finale to a thrilling series Review: This may be the last book in the series "The Legacy of the Drow", but only a turning point in Drizzts life. Drizzt thinks that the Drow threat is gone, but what he doesnt know is that the Spider Queen has sided with an evil demon in the Abyss. A demon that Drizzt sent to the Abyss. And this Demon holds a dear friend with him in this Hell. In this book we follow Drizzt and his friends to confront the fiend and to retreive this "valuable" prize. But there is much more in store for Drizzt then he knows. The person held in the Abyss may or may not be who he thinks it is. This is a book that will change Drizzt all Drizzt novels to come. He changes so much in this book, realizing what he wants and who he is. This is a thrilling finale to a thrilling series. A must read.
Rating: ![5 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-5-0.gif) Summary: Brillant addition to the series!! Review: Drizzt can be imitated and duplicated but there can only be one Drizzt. Drizzt is a very original character, in each book he discovers more of himself. I must admit if you're a new reader to this book you might feel you may want to read the previous books. I feel that there has never been a story about a drow as complex as he is. Drizzt learns honor through friendship, he know his friends are very important to him. He's brave for facing hatred every where he goes because of his race. I love the way that R A Salvatore tied up loose ends and he has left more room for cliff hangers. Which, by the way, are tied up in future books. Even though, readers might feel this character is too powerful, this powerful drow, over time he learns to use his brains over brawn. If you read the previous books, be in for a surprise. I was shocked to find out who was his equally powerful foe on the loose in this edition.
Rating: ![3 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-3-0.gif) Summary: Invincible Heroes? Review: I've read all the stories pertaining to Drizzt and I must admit that I find "Passage to Dawn" a little dissapointing. The story in general seems a little too predictable and the heros just never seem to get hurt enough. I know Drizzt and his friends are quite capable in a fight, but c'mon...towards the end, they were just killing everything too well. Not only did they make it past over 100 worthy fiends to get to Errtu, but Regis (by himself) overcame/captured Crenshinibon?!?!? That's just a little too wild for me to believe. Harkle and Robillard were nice additions to the story. I hope to hear more about Robilliard in future novels. The meeting of Drizzt/Catti-Brie to Cadderly/Dannica was nice. I'd like to see some more new characters created with whom Drizzt gets to interact. Any chance we can bring back Jarlaxle? I'd like to see him get fed up with Menzoberranzan and maybe come to the surface too. I'm sure his and Drizzt's paths crossing could prove quite interesting. I'm glad that Entreri wasn't in this one...Entreri is cool, but enough already...Drizzt has beaten him numerous times and we should just leave it at that
Rating: ![3 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-3-0.gif) Summary: Lackluster Ending Review: Spoiler Alert: This book had many of the problem of the one proceeding it: characters still act a little immature, it's boring at parts, and too much silliness. (I'll never be able to get around Harkle Harpell, I don't care what happens.) Also, the superhero element took its toll as well. At the final battle, everyone was wounded in some way, but the wounds are not mentioned after the fact. All I really wanted was maybe a phrase mentioning someone favoring their right leg, or something like that, but we don't even get that much. This issue isn't exclusive to this book, either. How Drizzt got his panther back at the end was a bit far-fetched too. Also, Kierstaad's feat of retrieving Aegis-fang with no resistence seemed a bit much. And then there's Wulfgar, of course. Now, if you were to click on the "See More About Me" button and read my review of Starless Night, you'd find that I was quite upset over Artemis Entreri coming back. I said that if anything like that happened again, I would quit reading Salvatore. And I meant it. So why am I not quitting now? Because Wulfgar coming back was less contrived than what happened with Entreri. It makes more sense. First off, Wulfgar was in the grip of a yochlol when he supposedly died. It makes sense that it would have been able to take Wulfgar back to the Abyss, and thence pass him on to Lloth. You see, Wulfgar wasn't ressurected, because he never died in the first place. It's essentially the same thing that happened with Gandulug, and it's a lot more probable than what happened with Entreri in Starless Night. So I'm able to accept it. I do agree with those of you who say that his supposed death was making good character developement, but now we've got a love triangle to contend with. Still, though, Wulfgar coming back seems a bit cheap, no matter how you look at it. And I also think it's a bit of a stretch that he was able to fight right after being freed. All in all, these heroes are starting to seem untouchable, and that can take away a sense of danger, if you know that nothing really bad can ever happen to them. Bruneor even got his eye back! Ahh, shi+. And I want to take some time to bi+ch about these essays, too. In the Dark Elf Trilogy, they worked wonderfully in tandem with the story. You can tell from the beginning that the story is set in the past, and Drizzt is looking back on those events. His essays gave a good sense of reflection to the story. But in Legacy of the Drow, they're beginning to seem a bit trite. It really seems as if Salvatore is putting these essays in so that he doesn't have to put in as much character element. That's four mediocre books now - Halfling's Gem, Starless Night, Siege of Darkness, and Passage to Dawn, which is probably the worst one. What's happened, Mr. Salvatore? Homeland and Exile were both solid gold! And Sojourn wasn't much worse. And The Legacy was up to par too. The Crystal Shard and Streams of Silver were also pretty good. That's why I'm not going to quit, not yet anyway, because I know what you're capable of! This whole series fell by the wayside. But, I think I know why - it's probably because his heart wasn't in it. The Dark Elf Trilogy was something he wanted to write. But this quartet was forced on him. It was in the middle of the Cleric Quintet that the call for more Drizzt books became overwhelming, so he said, and he was forced to write this series. No author should have to write what he doesn't want to write. I even heard that for PtD, he was given a time limit! What the hell is wrong with these people!? They ought to be flogged! Seriously, I'm not exaggerating, I honestly think that they should be flogged. No author should have to endure such degradation. But, maybe that's what he got for writing in someone else's world. Maybe that's what I get for reading such a book. But, the Dark Elf Trilogy speaks differently. After all this, though, I can certainly understand Salvatore's desire to write his Demon Wars books. (I'll be sure to check those out sometime.) Next I'm gonna try the Cleric Quintet, because he said he was pleased by it and because it seems like it was something he wanted to write. So, I guess I'll see what happens from there.
Rating: ![4 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-4-0.gif) Summary: A thrilling Finale to a thrilling series Review: This may be the last book in the series "The Legacy of the Drow", but only a turning point in Drizzts life. [...] In this book we follow Drizzt and his friends to confront the fiend and to retreive this "valuable" prize. But there is much more in store for Drizzt then he knows. The person held in the Abyss may or may not be who he thinks it is. This is a book that will change Drizzt all Drizzt novels to come. R.A. Salvatore is very easily one of the best fantasy novelists ever to live. Drizzt is a character that we have all grown to love and with every new novel he stars in, we learn more about him and watch him change. This book is a major turning point in all the Drizzt novels, making us crave for more and to find out how things will soon turn out. Drizzt changes so much in this book, realizing what he wants and who he is. This is a thrilling finale to a thrilling series. A must read.
Rating: ![4 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-4-0.gif) Summary: Not quite the Dark Elf Trilogy, but still worthy of Drizzt Review: The first time I was introduced to the Forgotten Realms was with a young girl named Shandril and a cranky old wizard named Elminster. I immediately fell in love with the world of Toril and began searching for more about it. I found Drizzt. I have since read every novel about the dark elf up to The Silent Blade. Unlike many others, I found Passage to Dawn to be an excellent addition to the collection. Of the complaints that I have seen about the book... 1-The characters are too powerful. --Actually, when viewing the entire scope of the world of Toril, all of the characters from Regis to Lolth are small players. There are countless beings and situations that could destroy Drizzt. 2-Drizzt has become all-knowing, i.e. too smart. --First of all, he does still make mistakes and errors in judgement, showing that he is not perfect. Second of all, there are people who have found an inner peace and simply have answers for themselves. This does not mean that they are perfect. 3-The ending was a letdown. --This I can partially agree with. Salvatore did end the book rather abruptly, but I still enjoyed the reunion. Also, most people who said they could see the ending coming a mile away are saying that in hindsight, which is always biased. 4-Nothing bad ever happens; the endings are always too happy. --Good conquers evil. I believe it. Salvatore has created a series that contains characters I have genuinely grown to care about. Passage to Dawn, though not perfect, is a fine addition to the stories of Drizzt and his companions. Salvatore's books are inspiring, and they show the level to which the human, pardon me--drow, spirit can rise.
Rating: ![5 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-5-0.gif) Summary: WOW!!! Review: Definitely GREAT Fantasy epics and my personal favorites, The Dark Elf Trilogy-Homeland, Exile, and Sojourn, as well as The Icewind Dale Trilogy- The Crystal Shard, Streams of Silver, and The Halfling's Gem bring to life the story of the good hearted dark elf ranger Drizzt Do'Urden and his adventures in the magical World of Faerun. Legacy, Starless Night, Siege of Darkness and Passage to Dawn are the continuation of these adventures in a way that you keep coming back for more and more and more... The books are all 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, and swordfights are all about. A great trilogy indeed and a "must read" along with RA Salvatore's The Icewind Dale Trilogy! One should seriously start thinking about maybe turning them into movies...
Rating: ![3 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-3-0.gif) Summary: Not bad, but probably the worst so far Review: Warning: though not so compared tot he other reviews here, this one is actually somewhat a spoiler, not so that things are directly stated but so that you could deduce something from what I say. If you, like me, do not want to know even that kind of details beforehand, you had best not read this. But then again, that applies to most other reviews as well. I actually lowered the rating I gave to this, after some reflection. It was entertaining and everything, but there were certainly parts that had something wrong with them. Starting with the good sides, this book certainly ties some loose and even not so loose ends, and it is something I at least definitely felt like reading after all the earlier ones. And some of the action is good, as usual, although I kind of very slightly felt too much was solved simply by killing hordes of demons. And all the (well, many) characters are back and it's always good to read more about them, since this is where Salvatore excels. (Even if they do begin to sound almost like Tolkien's charaters, not to say there is anything wrong with those... if Drizzt wants to be perfect, sure, that's what I like about him anyway.) And most of all it was simply the kind of book that it is fun to read. But then the bad parts... as for the plot, I knew some of it beforehand but that was just good to clear confusion because particularly a certain part involving a poem did not make any sense to me, and I would anyway have started out assuming things were the way they actually were rather than the way they supposedly were, until it was "revealed" in the end they weren't. And I did not like all the locations nor the way he charaters got there, it seemed very artificial and I think it would have been simpler to just choose better locations. Also, some old elements were reused which I only half liked, though at least this time it was not Entreri and/or those bloody drows again. The plot was generally a bit jumpy but otherwise predictable. And I do hope Drizzt gets a girl at some point, simply because he deserves it. And even more I hope it won't be Catti-Brie (which doesn't seem likely though), that prospect I find somehow unappealing.
Rating: ![1 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-1-0.gif) Summary: Transparent and Shallow ; not typical Salvatore Review: I have enjoyed reading Salvatore's novels about Drizzt. He has a great talent in characterization and writes wonderful battle sequences; however, Passage to Dawn does not follow Salvatore's style. The novel did have some sparkling moments like the wizardry contest between Harkle and Robillard, but the majority of the story just made me shake my head. The plot was very predictable. I fully expected that Wulfgar was Lloth's prisoner even without the poem from the witch. Even if you were not as familiar with the Drizzt storyline, the young barbarian stealing Aegis-fang from the dwarven mines (a feat that doesn't seem to me to be as easy as it was made out to be) had to be a tipoff that the hammer was being brought so Wulfgar could wield it. I mean come on did anyone really thing that Lloth had recovered Zaknafein's dissolved corpse. I was surprised that Drizzt believed it or that Cattie-brie didn't make the connection. There also isn't anyone new or interesting introduced in this book. This book takes too much from other Salvatore novels. Deudermont returns from The Halfling's Gem, Ettru is back from the Icewind Dale trilogy, Cadderly from the Cleric Quintet. To me it seemed a bit much to tie the Cleric Quintet series up with the Icewind Dale heroes. Another big disappointing feature of the book was the ending. Usually in the climax of Salvatore's novels, I am enthralled with his scripting of the story wondering what will happen to save the heroes from their certain doom (and I know they are going to win but that is not such a bad thing). But this time, I already knew what was going to happen. It was just too obvious. Regis defeats the crystal shard and Wulfgar's return turns the tide. And on the subject of Wulfgar's return, I really don't think he should have been brought back. His dramatic death and the character development following were well done and added a bit of vulnerability to Drizzt that this book completely undermines. All and all I think this book was just designed to tie up loose strings and make the world perfect again. Everyone accepts Drizzt's heritage, Bruenor's eye heals, Wulfgar back from the dead, and Cadderly is becoming younger again. Seems a bit too hokey for me. Despite my dislike of this book, I have enjoyed the rest of the series and will continue reading about Drizzt. I think that only one bad book out of the ten so far is a pretty good record and expect better from what's to come.
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