Paths of Darkness Collector's Edition

Rating:
Summary: A Great item for collection...
Review: The Paths of Darkness Collectors' Edition is a very good deal to all avid readers who want to have all the enchilada in one. I for one, waited for this collected edition before I read it rather than read the individual books as they got released.

While it is nice reading, and it did deliver to the standards as R.A. Salvatore can give, it must not be compared to its predecesors, The Dark Elf and Icewind Dale Trilogies, or suffer a less than generous review.

It has the usual elements in Salvatore's previous books: the detailed action sequences, the way the villains are introduced (usually at the epilogues or the first chapters), and the believably slow and gradual development of each characters and how they relate to each other. Its selling point is probably the reintroduction of Drizzt's archenemy, Entreri, with a twist. And a focus on the Drow mercenary chief, Jarlaxle, seems to give promise to the excitement of this epic.

As a whole, this book is recommended for those who vigilantly follow Drizzt Do'Urden's adventures. But to those who haven't read the Previous Trilogies and the Legacy of the Drow series, I suggest you read those first to fully appreciate this book. While it did not give the same level of excitement the previous books gave, it's still good reading for another piece of Drizzt, our friendly neighborhood drow.

Rating:
Summary: OVERALL SCORE: (A-)
Review: This is a wonderful series of fantasy books, with marvelous action scenes, good dialogue, interesting plotlines, amiable characters, and richly detailed settings.

The only detraction in this series is the interminable philosophizing of the main character periodically throughout the book, the heavy handed moral introspection is extremely tedious. Fortunately this is done in italics so you know when to skip on in the book.

All in all, this is a very good read, very entertaining, and well worth the money.

OVERALL SCORE: (A-)
READABILITY: (A-), PLOT: (B-), CHARATERS: (B-), DIALOGUE: (B+), SETTING: (A+), ACTION/COMBAT: (A-), MONSTERS/ANTAGONISTS: (B+), ROMANCE: (C-), SEX: (n/a), AGE LEVEL: (PG)