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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
Salvatore's writing tends to go heavy on the battles, and once more the bulk of this book is one elongated battle between the Vierna's band of drow, and the dwarves of Mithral Hall. The strength of this book is its frenetic pace and willingness to spill blood and drive the tension upward.
I had hoped on
Overall a strong but average chapter in the Drizzt legacy, clearly building up to greater intrigue and tension.
I had hoped on
Spoiler
Vierna Do'Urden's survival, principally because she seemed a promising character in previous books, but she is rendered somewhat one-note here. The same goes with Dinin, who is stripped of character on becoming a drider.Overall a strong but average chapter in the Drizzt legacy, clearly building up to greater intrigue and tension.
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
sad
tense
medium-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:
Yes
adventurous
fast-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
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
It's gonna be hard to review this without any spoilers. So if you don't want them please stop reading right now.
I was majorly annoyed by a character I liked very much in the Icewind Dale Trilogy and that is Wulfgar.
His whole arc here with his impending marriage to Cattie-Brie and he just overall being an intolerant abusive shit all of a sudden rubbed me just in all the wrong ways. It was terrible. Yes there was a well explained reason for some of his behaviour within the story but I just could not stand it. And as a result of that what was probably meant to be the biggest moment of this story just didn't give me much of an emotional impact at all.
I also thought that this book had pacing issues. The action sequences are vivid and well written and you always enjoy them at first when they occur. But if that is all you're getting for about half the book that really starts to wear you down and gets tiring. This book was a major offender for that.
There are good parts though! The characters (except for Wulfgar) do remain fun. I especially love the dwarfes. Yes they might be very cliche, but that still doesn't change that I am having a great time with them. I especially loved the new character Thibbledorf Pwent (what a great name by the way!), the Battlerager. He was just a blast!
I would be somewhat ready for like a slice of life Dwarfes book in this universe but I doubt that I'm gonna get one.
So overall that kind of averages out to a 'meh' for me. I hope the books in this series get better again.
I was majorly annoyed by a character I liked very much in the Icewind Dale Trilogy and that is Wulfgar.
His whole arc here with his impending marriage to Cattie-Brie and he just overall being an intolerant abusive shit all of a sudden rubbed me just in all the wrong ways. It was terrible. Yes there was a well explained reason for some of his behaviour within the story but I just could not stand it. And as a result of that what was probably meant to be the biggest moment of this story just didn't give me much of an emotional impact at all.
I also thought that this book had pacing issues. The action sequences are vivid and well written and you always enjoy them at first when they occur. But if that is all you're getting for about half the book that really starts to wear you down and gets tiring. This book was a major offender for that.
There are good parts though! The characters (except for Wulfgar) do remain fun. I especially love the dwarfes. Yes they might be very cliche, but that still doesn't change that I am having a great time with them. I especially loved the new character Thibbledorf Pwent (what a great name by the way!), the Battlerager. He was just a blast!
I would be somewhat ready for like a slice of life Dwarfes book in this universe but I doubt that I'm gonna get one.
So overall that kind of averages out to a 'meh' for me. I hope the books in this series get better again.