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Peter Higgins, author of Wolfhound Century

Myke Cole, author of Shadow Ops Series

John Brown John, translator of the Zamonia Novels

Jim C. Hines author of Libriomancer

Nick Harkaway author of Angelmaker (review here)

Martha Wells author of The Cloud Roads

David Tallerman author of Giant Thief

Mazarkis Williams author of The Emperor's Knife

Rob Ziegler author of Seed

Steven Gould author of 7th Sigma

Douglas Hulick author of Among Thieves (review here)

Mark Charan Newton author of Nights of Villjamur (review here)

Kameron Hurley author of God's War (review here)

Brent Weeks author of The Black Prism (review here)

Anthony Huso author of The Last Page (review here)

Brandon Sanderson author of The Way of Kings (review here)

Lou Anders Editor of Pyr Books

Ian Tregillis author of Bitter Seeds (review here)

Sam Sykes author of Tome of the Undergates (review here)

Benjamin Parzybok author of Couch (review here)

Kristine Kathryn Rusch author of Diving Into the Wreck (review here)

Ken Scholes author of Lamentation

Cherie Priest author of Boneshaker (review here)

Lev Grossman author of The Magicians (review here)

Character Interviews

Alexia and Lord Maccon from Gail Carriger's Soulless

Lord Akeldama from Gail Carriger's Soulless

Eva Forge from Tim Akers's The Horns of Ruin

Atticus from Kevin Hearne's Hounded

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CLASSIC REVIEW | Homeland (Drizzt 1) by R.A. Salvatore

Homeland was selected for me by Sam Sykes for his bravest challenge. Not one to back down from a challenge I was still at first perturbed by the selection. I've remained a virtual shared world virgin for many years having only read two Star Wars novels and one ST:NG. At least from what I can recall, but the DnD/Forgotten Realms/Drizzt books were definitely new territory. That said I didn't enter Homeland with too many preconceptions, which was probably for the best.

I knew that Homeland was actually not the first written Drizzt book that was The Crystal Shard, but the first in a prequel trilogy to explain his origins.  At first I was surprised because Homeland begins before Drizzt is even born, but gives a great portend of the future in the actions that proceed his light being brought into a very dark world. Most characters in Menzoberranzan, the City of the Spider Queen, do bad things because doing good would show weakness which can not be abided. Salvatore has gone to great detail about nearly every facet of Drizzt's upbringing, which caused an immediate connection to the plight of this young Dark Elf. Homeland is not a challenging book in the least, but it sure is entertaining a good window into the Dark Elf society.

The underworld society is a place where malicious intent is looked upon fondly in this society and much revered if done stealthy. It was also interesting to see such a matriarchal society from the perspective of a young boy who is often left in the dark about the whys. The story is very politics heavy, which got to be too much at times. But when training and life beyond service to the aptly named Matron Malice of House Do'Urden gets going for Drizzt things move at a much quickened pace with the Swords & Sorcery aspect coming to the fore. The training of the Drow was particularly interesting and seems to be setting of things for the future.  Most of the other characters are not focused on enough to make them more than one sided, but Drizzt is the lone wolf you want more of as seeds are sowed to make him something very special, especially with his panther companion.


All in all Homeland is much deeper read than I expected from a shared world novel and certainly shows why Salvatore and the first couple Drizzt arcs are so well revered with its sometimes breath taking action that I know will only get better over the course of the next few books, but I'm hoping some of Drizzt's aloofness wears off as he ages. I give Homeland 8 out of 10 hats. With more than a couple hundred Forgotten Realms novels now out this story doesn't make me interested in reading a lot more in the wider world, but Homeland does make me interested in Drizzt's further adventures. I have a feeling I'd like to see him a little older so jumping ahead in the series (Crystal Shard maybe) might be in order as I'd like to get to more action instead of politics and family squabbles. This is a series the 15 year-old in me loves and I need to keep the slacker happy a few times a year.

So, Mr. Sykes I have bested your challenge and I thank you for initiating me into the world of Drizzt.

You Might Also Like:
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REVIEW | Blood of Elves by Andrej Sapkowski

2 comments:

Jeremy Shane said...

awesome
about time you popped your forgotten realms cherry

He's written a ton of novels about Drizzt by now and they are mostly good, but I like this earlier stuff the best myself. Much of the other FR stories by other authors are hit or miss. Personally I loved the Evaris Cale trilogy and a few others here and there.

But if I could talk you into reading any other shared world books it would be to order Paul Kidd's "Justicar" books from the Greyhawk world. (kind of a trilogy, but not) Easy reads, fast paced and tons of fun. I had the same sort of fun reading those as I used to have in a good game of D&D back in the day.

TankSpill said...

This 'prequel' trilogy is about as much of the Drizz't story as I can tolerate anymore, though I read them all and ate them up as a kid. Most of those Forgotten Realms books I have never been able to get into, but the Mel Odom trilogy, Threat from the Sea, is actually worthy of acclaim, in my opinion. Realistic, growing characters, and a plot that's not just a rehash of most typical fantasy. I highly suggest checking it out. Also, as far as more Drizz't books go, most people agree that, unfortunately, Streams of Silver, though entertaining, is mostly an almost-plagiaristic rewriting of The Hobbit, but the trilogy afterwards (the Legacy of the Drow series, I believe?) is pretty good.