The Crystal Shard (Forgotten Realms: The Icewind Dale Trilogy, Book 1)

Rating:
Summary: A great line of heros
Review: This book was truely the first book where Drizzt , brunor and Wulfgar get together and tell the story of their friendship and wulfgargs training. This book continued the legacy of drizzt and his friend. Great villians especially the crystal shard really made this book a success and the crystal shard makes a return in the Silent blade which I havdn't read yet but will most definently will. Keep up the work RAS

Rating:
Summary: Exceptional
Review: **this guy is what all fantasy should be based on, his world is so immersive, his characters so great, and his descriptions of the various races so wonderful and unique. Salv. uses the most races and types of characters of any fantasy author. Barghasts, hook horrors, illithids, drow, basilisks, many forms of goblinoids that are all actually unique *orc language diff. from goblin* are all in his stuff. His is the definitive work on fantasy**************************************** I really DON'T understand how someone can bash his writing style. Tedious battles? Boring? This man has one of the greatest abilities to write massive battles *and small skirmishes and one on one fighting* anywhere. Those other guys all say "Read Tolkien". Well, I've read Tolkien's stuff, and it is very impressive. But the fact is, I DID READ HIS STUFF as well and i don't see Salvatore "stealing characters". I don't see any Drizzts, Wulfgars, Bruenors, Catti-bries, Dinins, Baenraes, etc anywhere do you? If you mean to imply he stole work by using a ranger as his central character, like the King from the Rings Trilogy, then geeze man lighten up, you're not a lawyer are you? Salv. only uses basic concepts such as elves *oooo*, dragons, dwarves, etc. but what he does with his characters is phenomenal. Talk about depth. Much of the books have to do with Drizzt's inner conflict. And as far as writing mechanics goes, Salvatore is flawless. I read these when i was 10 or 12 too, and all these years later I'm here ordering every book about Drizzt or anything related to him that I don't have. If Salv. has one problem it is that he is so good he must make other people jealous.

Rating:
Summary: A good beginning to a Excellent trilogy
Review: The Crystal Shard is the worst of the Dark Elf books (not including Passage to Dawn or The Silent Blade, I haven't read them yet) but it is still a excellent book. Truly a well written and although not a original storyline it has changed enough so that it isn't a spinoff. But you can see his not fully developed writing style is evident although by The Halfling's Gem it does get much better. I whole heartedly recommend this novel.

Rating:
Summary: WONDERFUL!!!!
Review: My dad gave me a lot of old books at one point. This was one of them. I didn't want to read it until my sister told me to. I loved it so much I read it in one sitting. A few days later I bought another book in the series. I urge anyone even remotely interested in fantasy to read everything Salvatore has written. Don't stop typing, Bob!

Rating:
Summary: Salvatore shows his best stuff!
Review: How can those guys just say that this book sucks?? It is one of the best fantasy books ever written. In my mind, it is only topped by the likes of Weiss's Dragonlance, and the J.R.R. Tolkien: Fellowship of the ring series. If you liked those books, you have just go to tread this one.

Rating:
Summary: RA is 'da man!
Review: I have never been so hooked on a novel series in my life. To be honest I didn't really like Crystal Shard right away. Maybe because I hadn't yet come to understand a lot about this Drow named Drizzt. It didn't take to long for Drizzt Do'Urrden to become my hero.

Rating:
Summary: I guard this book with my life
Review: R.A. Salvatore started a tale with this book that I never imagined I would have the pleasure of experiencing. I am 26 and have loved Fantasy (AD&D) my entire life. The story that starts here and continues to this day in over ten glorious novels is overwhelming. Thank you Mr. Salvatore and please keep writing books about Drizzt, the drow, Regis, Wulfgar, The Dwarves and all the other characters you have created. they have made so many people awe struck by the storyline. Thank you, your characters and their tales will be in my heart and soul forever.

Rating:
Summary: A bit overrated, I think...
Review: I hate to say this, but R.A. Salvatore is really not a very good writer. When I was, oh, ten or twelve, I absolutely adored this stuff. Then I got older, and I found that that had changed quite a bit. Salvatore's characters are very flat and bland, even when they're not obvious Tolkien rip-offs. Having a drow as a central character is novel, but that's about all it is. I think it strikes a chord because everybody feels persecuted sometimes and wishes that they were strong enough to DO something about it. Drizzt is a guy who really IS and CAN. Really, though, the dialogue is trite, the battle scenes are unspeakably tedious, and, though I can't outright condemn it (I sure as hell enjoyed it at one time), I can't recommend it to anyone either.

Rating:
Summary: Great!!
Review: This was one of the best Drizzt books i've read, and I think the previous review calling it horrible is completely off base. These are the best series of books ive ever read in my life (dark elf, icewind dale, legacy,etc.) and I hope many others enjoy the beauty of the writing of Salvatore.

Rating:
Summary: yuck
Review: R.A. Salvatore is a poor writer, whose work is extremely derivative, to the point of stealing names from other authors. This book was full of boring action and perfunctory character development. It depressed me by its badness. If you've already read and enjoyed books by this author, go for it. If you are new to fantasy literature read Tolkien or LeGuin.