Salvatore’s Timeless takes us back into the world of that most unusual of drow, the ranger Drizzt Do’Urden. Following dual timelines, we get a chance to see Zaknafein Do’Urden long before Drizzt’s birth, and his reunion with his son, centuries later. Zak has been returned from the dead, resurrected by an as yet unknown agent, for as yet unknown reasons. Is it a gift to Drizzt, a lesson, or a means to his downfall? And how will Zaknafein himself adapt to this vastly different future in which he has found himself unceremoniously thrust?

I loved the chance to learn more about Zaknafein before Drizzt comes along. You can see where Drizzt gets some of his personality traits from. Both can be headstrong, stubborn, and quick to judge. It’s honestly kinda funny, but often Drizzt seems the more mature of the two now. No doubt his history and experiences have granted him the ability to be more fluid and adaptive in his thinking. He escaped Menzoberranzan before becoming too jaded. Zaknafein lived his entire life there. 

It was nice to see a younger Jarlaxle as well! He’s one of my most favourite secondary characters in Drizzt’s world, along with Entreri. It was hilarious to see how he lost his hair! Poor Jarlaxle. I’ve decided he must also be part cat. He certainly seems to have nine lives. And I dare you to show me a cat that doesn’t have a magical hole they can use to hide or get in to seemingly impossible places and spaces. It’s great he used it to trap Zak in. 

While I enjoyed following Drizzt again, I hadn’t read the previous three books and, well, I gather important stuff happened >_<  Just enough was covered that I didn’t feel too asea, but I definitely need to read those others! I preferred the drow-centric parts of this story, mostly because that’s where you see the most of Jarlaxle and Zaknafein. Plus, any visit to Ched Nasad is fun times. 

The Drizzt series always seems to tackle pertinent issues of the day, and this was no exception. Themes of racial purity and enthno-centricity prevailed, along with the notions that such indoctrination can be very hard to change even if only subtly present until sufficiently challenged, and that more often than not it does take such indoctrination for those beliefs to develop. A tribute to these themes, the word ‘covfefe’ is embedded in one of the spells in the book. I spit my tea and startled my cat laughing. 

***Purchased and read for my own enjoyment.