Reviews

The Crystal Shard by R.A. Salvatore

youcanbeabigpigtoo's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

subparcupcake's review against another edition

4.0

This was not at all what I expected, and for that reason alone I could almost give it four stars. I always thought that I couldn't possibly enjoy this book as an adult. Based on the things I had heard about it (D&D origins and all) I was afraid that I had missed my window where I could enjoy it (somewhere in my late teen years I assumed). Apparently I hadn't missed that window though, this actually turned out to be a fun read. It maybe wasn't the best fantasy I've ever read but it was far from the worst, it had a good story line and interesting characters, it was written pretty well (better than I had expected) and was well paced. So yeah, good times. I learned something when I read this book. I'm full of it and need to stop being a fantasy snob, there's fun stuff out there that I'm probably missing because I assume I've matured beyond it. The more you know...

hamnswiss7's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

jenc's review against another edition

slow-paced

3.0

letheaster's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

Enjoyed this book a lot. It feels very self-indulgent and I support it. It's certainly better than a good chunk of other fantasy books I've read from the 80s. I was laughing by the end of the last chapter, and I am very much looking forward to starting the next book. 

will_cherico's review against another edition

adventurous funny hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

R.A. Salvatore's debut novel hits on all of the best parts of a Dungeons & Dragons story. Each of the four main characters are loveable in their own ways, and while Drizzt was the runaway hit I found myself absolutely charmed by Bruenor and Regis and really interested in Wulfgar's role as the young human we learn about Icewind Dale and the barbarian tribes through. Akar Kessell is a bit of a weak villain in terms of motive and method, but it was a neat little twist to read about the drow squaring off against someone who's more of a giggling loser than a clever wizard. This book is a LOT of action, and while that would normally bore me Salvatore is one of the best in the genre when it comes to battles. Even during the low-level skirmishes, he manages to blend the grandiosity of Tolkien with the strategy of Martin so that it all becomes super vivid in the imagination. This was wildly enjoyable to read and it's a big recommend for anyone interested in the lore of the Forgotten Realms.

zeph1337's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

I liked this starting point of The Icewind Dale Trilogy less then all of The Dark Elf Trilogy. What stands out on the positive side are some really cool action sequences which is probably the strongest part of Salvatores writing and some fun, although pretty sterotypical, characters.

On the side of plot it felt overall more boring than not and the whole thing kind of just felt like setup for a DnD type adventuring story (which I suppose the rest of the Trilogy will be). I think there is a lot of room for improvement though with the adventuring troupe now being formed and we already got some glimpses into fun possible character interactions within the party. 

This books villain gets kind of a cool introduction but overall stays pretty bland, has some questionable, if not to say dumb, decision making and in general just doesn't really feel threatening at all. I think lack of tension overall is kind of an issue here. The characters just feel really powerful and that makes it very hard for any real danger / tension to arise.

We can't forget that this is R.A. Salvatores first published book ever. So we've got to give him so leeway for that. But overall I can't go higher than a 'meh' / average --> 3 stars

edit: after some thinking I adjusted it down to 2.5

saranies's review against another edition

3.0

This was fine! It read like a pulp fantasy novel written in the 80s based on a role-playing game, which is exactly what it was. I'm considering reading the rest of them, but if I don't, then I don't.

narunii's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

wulfstanlee's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5