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Drizzt Do'Urden has been
living in the tunnels for ten years. It is a struggle to survive, but he
has found a way. He has his companion, a large black cat from the Astral
Plane, Guenhwyvar, but it can only stay in his world for a short time.
Drizzt finds himself longing for companionship. One day, he discovers
some svirfneblin, the deep gnomes, mining in the tunnels. He follows
them back to their city, Blingdenstone, and soon lets himself become
captured just so he can have someone around. Even though his people are
bitter enemies, Drizzt is handed over to Belwar Dissengulp, a Burrow
Warden that lost both of his hands years ago when Drizzt's brother
chopped them off in a raid. Drizzt had saved Belwar's life back then,
and Belwar has never forgotten that. They soon become fast friends as
Drizzt slowly begins to fit in with the svirfneblin. But news travels of
several skirmishes in the tunnels in which drow have killed entire
parties. They learn that the drow are looking for someone, and the svirfneblin
have a good idea who it is. When Drizzt is asked to leave Blingdenstone,
Belwar decides to join Drizzt in his travels. They are soon joined by a
pech that has been turned into a hook horror. Clacker, as he is now
known, used to know how to manipulate rock. But as he slowly becomes
more and more of a hook horror, he is forgetting his old ways.
Meanwhile, back in Menzoberranzan, Drizzt's mother, Matron Malice, is no
longer in the favor of the Spider Queen. She enlists the god's aid to
resurrect Zaknafein, Drizzt's dead father and former weapon master of
House Do'Urden. Now a spirit-wraith, Zaknafein has one goal, and only
one goal . . . to kill his favorite son, Drizzt Do'Urden. And nothing
will stand in his way.
Exile
is the second book of sixteen
in The Legend of the Drizzt series. This new series is putting
all of the books about Drizzt in chronological order. These sixteen
books originally appeared in the the following series: The Icewind Dale
Trilogy, The Dark Elf Trilogy, Legacy of the Drow, Paths of
Darkness and The Hunter's Blade Trilogy. This Forgotten Realms fantasy tale features R.A. Salvatore's signature character, Drizzt Do'Urden, the dark elf.
Other main characters in this story are: Guenhwyvar - a 600 pound black
panther from the Astral Plane, Dinin - Drizzt's older brother,
Zaknafein - Drizzt's dead father and former weapon master for House
Do'Urden, Belwar Dissengulp - a svirfneblin Burrow Warden, Clacker - a
pech that has been magically turned into a hook horror, and Matron Malice -
the matron of House Do'Urden and Drizzt's mother.
Following the book
Homeland, I wasn't sure if R.A.
Salvatore could top himself. But he did with the exciting novel,
Exile, the continuing story of how Drizzt Do'Urden leaves behind Menzoberranzan
and the drow and makes it to the surface world. This book is spectacular
from start to finish. R.A. Salvatore has once again proven why he is the
ONE author to read for fantastic fantasy. The world he has created,
Drizzt's world, is second to none. The characters he creates draws the
reader in and never lets them go. To say that I was enraptured by this
story is not exactly true. I was so enthralled, I could barely put this
book down! Having read the Drizzt stories all out of order, which I do
not suggest that you do, I quite enjoyed learning more and more about
Drizzt's tainted past. I always wondered how he became friends with
Belwar. Now I know. I always wondered about how Zaknafein died. Now I
know. I always wondered why Drizzt decided to go to the surface. Now I
know. And you can too. Pick up a copy of the second book in the Legend
of Drizzt series. You will love it! One last thing, the artwork on both
Homeland and Exile for the
cover is some of the best I have ever seen. Kudos to Todd Lockwood for
really figuring out what is in R.A. Salvatore's mind. I cannot wait to
see the cover of Sojourn, the next book in this series where
Drizzt finally makes his way to live on the surface.
I rated this book a 9½ out of 10. |
