I purchased this book for my own enjoyment with no expectation of a review

 

I first read RA Salvatore’s The Crystal Shard many moons ago. The Drizzt novels helped me through a tough time of my life, and are still comfort books. This reread marks the 2000th book I’ve read since Jan 1993. I wanted number 2000 to be a special one!

 

Drizzt, a rogue dark elf, has made his home in the wilds of Icewind Dale, one of the most remote places of Faerun. The drow ranger patrols the tundra, keeping vigilant watch over the scattering of towns along three lakes, despite being despised by many humans. He has friends, though, in Bruenor the dwarf and his adopted daughter Catti-bre, and in the handling known as Regis, Spokesman for the town of Lonelywood.

 

Drizzt happens to discover a plot by the tundra barbarians to attack the towns. He gives warning, and Regis and Bruenor are able to convince the towns to put aside their native rivalry and work together. They grudgingly do so and manage to defeat the barbarians, though the alliance falls apart quite literally as soon as the battle is won. One young barbarian, left for dead on the field of battle, is taken in by Bruenor to serve a five year and a day penance for the attack. Meanwhile… elsewhere… a failed mage apprentice named Alarm Kessel has come in possession of a powerful artifact known as Crenshinibon, that grants him the magic he’d always before failed to truly connect to.

 

As Wulfgar grows from boy to man under Bruenor’s tutelage, Kessel is gathering together an army of goblins, orcs, and other fell beasties. As Wulfgar’s time of penance is drawing to an end, Bruenor sends him to Drizzt to train in fighting and defense. Wulfgar quickly comes to respect Drizzt, and it is together they discover Kessel’s plot against the lake towns. As the towns once again try to come together for a common cause, Wulfgar departs, embarking on a mission that will ensure his people come to the aid of the townspeople. If he can succeed, that is.

 

I love this series! Like I mentioned earlier, it pulled me through some rough times and they are still comfort books. Drizzt is such an unusual character, and the challenges he must face are something that resonates deeply with me. That, and his morals. He stands firm by what he believes. My only qualm is the repetition of ‘evil’ and ‘mighty’ as descriptors, however, my brain now just supplies different words in their place.

 

????? Highly recommended if you love fantasy, or enjoy Dungeons & Dragons/ DragonLance/ Forgotten Realms.