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fruitcakecadaver's review
4.0
Since this is a 3 in 1 I would give it altogether a 3.5 rating BUT I really liked the first two books and the end of the last one!
Homeland: Arguably the best out of the three. Sets up Drizzt’s life and gives the reasoning behind how he thinks the way he does. The setting is fun and dark and the characters are powerful and are individuals. The writing is easy to follow and it felt wholesome in a sense that Drizzt was one of the only good elves in Menzoberanzzan.
Exile: It’s nice to see Drizzt starting to break free and find who he truly is. While there were definitely lulls in the plot of this book, there were parts that made up for it such as Belwar and Clacker and them eventually stumbling into a situation that seemed impossible to get out of.
Sojourn: This book just seemed lacking compared to the first two. It didn’t feel like it hard a major climax, just small battles throughout. Drizzt also felt guilt for many things and it really just made me want to slap him to get him to snap out of it and just start moving!! Mooshie and Hooter were such friends and the grove sounded like a beautiful makeshift woodland home, but Salvatore’s writing never seems to focus on imagery which is a terrible shame. Especially in an environment as fantastical as Faerûn. This book really just felt like fluff to fill the time it took Drizzt to make it to Icewind Dale (which was the highlight of this book, because he finally made it to the place he would call home... hopefully.)
Homeland: Arguably the best out of the three. Sets up Drizzt’s life and gives the reasoning behind how he thinks the way he does. The setting is fun and dark and the characters are powerful and are individuals. The writing is easy to follow and it felt wholesome in a sense that Drizzt was one of the only good elves in Menzoberanzzan.
Exile: It’s nice to see Drizzt starting to break free and find who he truly is. While there were definitely lulls in the plot of this book, there were parts that made up for it such as Belwar and Clacker and them eventually stumbling into a situation that seemed impossible to get out of.
Sojourn: This book just seemed lacking compared to the first two. It didn’t feel like it hard a major climax, just small battles throughout. Drizzt also felt guilt for many things and it really just made me want to slap him to get him to snap out of it and just start moving!! Mooshie and Hooter were such friends and the grove sounded like a beautiful makeshift woodland home, but Salvatore’s writing never seems to focus on imagery which is a terrible shame. Especially in an environment as fantastical as Faerûn. This book really just felt like fluff to fill the time it took Drizzt to make it to Icewind Dale (which was the highlight of this book, because he finally made it to the place he would call home... hopefully.)
aphrael's review
3.0
I really enjoyed this book. It's really about just one character rather than the plot. I liked that Drizzts moral considerations and choices were explored very much. And how friendship and community is valued. Reading all three in one go is a lot though. I'm not super sure I want to read the rest right now but once I've come down off this overload of Drizzt I'll probably start reading more in this series
katealfrey's review against another edition
3.0
I love the Drizzt character. I am also completely fascinated by the world of the Drow. Further, since I started this book 3+ years ago, I've actively started playing Pathfinder and Dungeons and Dragons, so my appreciation for the world itself has increased exponentially. All of that being said, I LOATHE collections. Give me one book at a time and let me slog my way through. Despite the fact that Jake owns all three volumes of the anniversary collection, I believe I will be purchasing them individually for myself if I continue to read.
nicoleeast's review
5.0
Does this series have huge, gaping flaws? Oh yeah.
Do I love it anyway? Of course.
This was a reread for me, but the first time I read this series was over a decade ago. I was glad to revisit it.
Drizzt Do'urden, our ethical purple-eyed drow, was born in the subterranean city of Menzoberranzan (men-zo-BEAR-on-zon) to an evil noble family that cares nothing for him. He grows up as little more than a slave, an extension of the will of his mother Matron Malice. The problem is that Malice wants Drizzt to serve the family by murdering drow like the house's weapon's master, Zaknafien...and Drizzt is far too soft-hearted to agree. The tensions only mount as he matures and learns that other drow aren't quite as compassionate as he would like to think.
This tale is a classic sword-and-sorcery that leans heavily on the tropes of friends, (found) family, and finding yourself in a hostile world (but no really, this world will actively try to kill you).
The good:
One of my favorite parts of this bind up was the inner workings of the city of Menzoberranzan and the drow. Truly their intrigues steal the first book in this volume, and I only wish we could have more. Jarlaxle rightly steals the second book with a mocking flourish of a bow.
The middling:
Drizzt is innocent, sometimes to the point of ridiculousness. I often prefer my heroes to have a bit of grit to them, but he's easy to love and root for. The unfortunate part is it's never explained why he was born innocent when his siblings were not.
The bad:
RA Salvatore's writing can be a bit clunky at times. His fight scenes are exceptionally vivid, but too wordy. I don't need to hear about every hand or wrist motion in combat; it's enough to say someone dodges a strike. His descriptions are also wrong sometimes, which drew me out of the story. As an example, scimitars are slashing weapons, not piercing.
If you know nothing of the Legend of Drizzt, this is a great place to start. Despite this series being published after the opener Icewind Dale, the Dark Elf trilogy neatly shows Drizzt's origins and his travels through the Underdark and, ultimately, to the surface. In my opinion, this makes him a more endearing character than when we see him next.
If you know nothing about D&D but are interested, this is also a great series. This book is not obtrusive with its details. While it won't explain that wizards have spellbooks and must study from them every morning in order to access the arcane arts, it's such a small part of Drizzt's life that it makes sense to pass over. While the books work under the assumption that you have a basic understanding of D&D, it will never punish you if you do not.
If you know a lot about D&D but only more recent editions, such as 3.5 or 5th ed, understand that these books were written in a time when darkvision was actually infrared vision, and it's mentioned a lot. Like a lot.
Happy reading!
Do I love it anyway? Of course.
This was a reread for me, but the first time I read this series was over a decade ago. I was glad to revisit it.
Drizzt Do'urden, our ethical purple-eyed drow, was born in the subterranean city of Menzoberranzan (men-zo-BEAR-on-zon) to an evil noble family that cares nothing for him. He grows up as little more than a slave, an extension of the will of his mother Matron Malice. The problem is that Malice wants Drizzt to serve the family by murdering drow like the house's weapon's master, Zaknafien...and Drizzt is far too soft-hearted to agree. The tensions only mount as he matures and learns that other drow aren't quite as compassionate as he would like to think.
This tale is a classic sword-and-sorcery that leans heavily on the tropes of friends, (found) family, and finding yourself in a hostile world (but no really, this world will actively try to kill you).
The good:
One of my favorite parts of this bind up was the inner workings of the city of Menzoberranzan and the drow. Truly their intrigues steal the first book in this volume, and I only wish we could have more. Jarlaxle rightly steals the second book with a mocking flourish of a bow.
The middling:
Drizzt is innocent, sometimes to the point of ridiculousness. I often prefer my heroes to have a bit of grit to them, but he's easy to love and root for. The unfortunate part is it's never explained why he was born innocent when his siblings were not.
The bad:
RA Salvatore's writing can be a bit clunky at times. His fight scenes are exceptionally vivid, but too wordy. I don't need to hear about every hand or wrist motion in combat; it's enough to say someone dodges a strike. His descriptions are also wrong sometimes, which drew me out of the story. As an example, scimitars are slashing weapons, not piercing.
If you know nothing of the Legend of Drizzt, this is a great place to start. Despite this series being published after the opener Icewind Dale, the Dark Elf trilogy neatly shows Drizzt's origins and his travels through the Underdark and, ultimately, to the surface. In my opinion, this makes him a more endearing character than when we see him next.
If you know nothing about D&D but are interested, this is also a great series. This book is not obtrusive with its details. While it won't explain that wizards have spellbooks and must study from them every morning in order to access the arcane arts, it's such a small part of Drizzt's life that it makes sense to pass over. While the books work under the assumption that you have a basic understanding of D&D, it will never punish you if you do not.
If you know a lot about D&D but only more recent editions, such as 3.5 or 5th ed, understand that these books were written in a time when darkvision was actually infrared vision, and it's mentioned a lot. Like a lot.
Happy reading!
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