# R. A. Salvatore



## Black Riven (Mar 2, 2007)

I've been hearing quite often about this guy, so I got the first three books from the legend of Drizzt series (Homeland, Exile, Sojourn), and now my impression of him is that he's quite overrated. 

The books by themselves were nice, the writing ok, but everything he did seemed very basic, almost formulaic. Emotions and exchanges between characters vere pretty simplistic, and I could pretty much see what he was doing at each point of the novels. So while overall the stories were entertaining, it was like being entertained by a magician when you know all his tricks. He preforms them skilfully, but you pretty much know what he's doing. 

What do you guys think?


----------



## Uriah (Mar 2, 2007)

I've not read these books, but I tend to stay away from alot of modern Fantasy. It all reads like lazy copies of Tolkien to me. Although, I have read the George RR Martin series and those books are good, but even they are more then slightly derivitive. (just not from Tolkien)
I used to read alot of Fantasy when I was younger. Lawrence Watt Evans, David Gemmel, stuf flike that. Maybe I should give some new stuff a try.


----------



## BenMorrow (Mar 3, 2007)

Well so far I have read Homeland, Exile, Sojourn, The Crystal Shard, The Haflings Gem, And Streams Of Silver.  And I love the books but in the 6 books I've read the first three really reached out to me and I really fell in love with them. The whole idea of exiled out of your entire life and world just was a cool idea. But for the other three books following I found that they all had the very same creative writing never kept me boring. But the only thing that I saw was a repeating effect in some battle scenes. In almost all three of the Icewindale books it seemed that some one would always appear dead? and then they reunite and then it would happen again. I mean don't get me wrong when you see a dwarf jump off a cliff onto a dragon with a keg strapped to his back and a torch thats creative heh, he stays alive because of drizzt's blade protects you from all fire damage I believe. But it just seems to have allot of repeating battle themes. But the battles are unique don't get me wrong. If I'm right he wrote The Crystal Shard, The Haflings Gem, And Streams Of Silver first and then he wrote Homeland, Exile, Sojourn. so he wrote the story of drizzt after he introduced him i think? well his latest writing which is in Homeland, Exile, Sojourn he did completely better in his battle scenes, and the uniqueness of his books still stick with me. I'm hoping that I could borrow the next 3 books in the series which i forget what they are.


----------



## Poe Clock (Mar 4, 2007)

I used to be a big fan of his novels ((*had a crush on Drizzt in fifth grade* ...shutup.)) but around grade 8 or so, I guess I outgrew them. They're a fun read, and I still enjoy rereading them when I'm between books, but I have to agree that they are pretty simplistic and predictable. Especially the way he keeps on killing off at least one of the main charaters in nearly every book, then pulls an "OMG they aren't really dead!" a few chapters later. That started to get on my nerves, I must admit. ><

Overall, although I did enjoy them when I was younger, and fondly remember them as my introduction to the world of fantasy, I think your review says it best, Black Riven.


----------



## k3ng (Mar 4, 2007)

Well I haven't read alot of his books. I did pick up some just recently so I don't have that 'OMG they aren't really dead!' feeling that Poe Clock has so nicely put it. 

I haven't read the legend of Drizzt (but I will soon) but I went for The Hunters Blades Trilogy which I think is after the whole Drizzt thing. Drizzt is still in it of course, but its quite late in the chronology I think. 

Here's my link to a link review
http://www.writingforums.com/showthread.php?t=74187

Well considering this is my first read, I'm all praise. So maybe my perception will change after 4-5 books?


----------



## Black Riven (Mar 5, 2007)

Speaking of repeats, what drove me crazy about Exile is how often he used the Dwarven phrase 'Magga Kamara'. I can't believe his editor let him get away with it, it's literally in every dialogue.


----------

