Rating: Summary: Worth reading - but not the greatest Review: "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).
Rating: Summary: Good sequel Review: Again, Salvadore shows his skill with another great novel part of the Icewind Dale trilogy. I recommend you read the Crystal Shard before you start this book.
Rating: Summary: Salvatore Does it Again Review: Another great book in the building of Drizzt the Dark Elf. As him and his friends search for the Mythril Hall they encounter many barriers to their ultimate goal. Even when they get their they find out the truth behind Battlehammer's Clan fall from greatness.
Rating: Summary: FANTASTIC!!! Review: 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!!!
Rating: Summary: 4.5 stars Review: Drizzt Do'Urden the dark elf, Bruenor the dwarf, Wulfgar the barbarian, Regis the halfling, and Cattie-brie the human, go on a grand adventure to help Bruenor reclaim the ancient underground home of his ancestors, Mithral Hall. But, Artemis Entreri pursues Regis because of a magical pendant Regis once "borrowed" from his boss, and Dendybar the Mottled (a powerful and ruthless wizard) seeks Drizzt for the magical crystal shard Dendybar mistakenly believes Drizzt has. They all converge in Mithral Hall, which is now occupied by ... druegar (gray dwarves) and ruled by an ancient but powerful black dragon. This one has more intrigue, more plot complexity, more character depth, and more machinations than the first book of the trilogy. The dialogue occasionally slips into comic strip mode, and there is a surprisingly large number of printing errors (e.g., missing quotation marks, extra commas, "m" being replaced by "rn"). It's still a good, fast-paced, rousing adventure.
Rating: Summary: Have any of you guys ever read Tolkein? Review: First of all, I am a big fan of R. A. Salvatore's more original works, and although I thought this book was entertaining, every element of it was plagarized from Tolkein's Lord of the Rings, with the Lonely Mountain and the Mines of Moria combined to make Mithril Hall. Even the scence in which Bruenor descends into the abyss with Shimmergloom, and his subsequent escape, were just take-offs from Gandalf's battle with the Balrog. With an imagination that virtually created the Underdark, I don't see why Salvatore had such a hard time coming up with something more original.
Rating: Summary: Quest to find Bruenor's Homeland Review: 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.
Rating: Summary: Strong Middle Book of the Icewind Dale trilogy Review: Good book with a lot of action with Bruenor's quest to find his ancient homeland - Mithril Hall. And, the excellent villain Artemis Entreri is also introduced fully. Bruenor's adopted daughter Catti-Brie plays a bigger part than in the first book. Fast paced book with non stop action. Not high fantasy, but still a lot of fun.
Rating: Summary: Pretty good Review: Good book. Drow elves are one thing. I got used to evil-ness in the Dark Elf Trilogy easily enough. But I don't think there is such a thing as a human being as evil as Artemis Entreri, who just kills for the hell of it, even in a D&D world.
Rating: Summary: The best of the series Review: 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.
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