 Goto [ Index ] |
As anyone knows who has ever read the Drizz't Do'urden books, however, it can be done. R.S. Salvatore's books are slightly formulaic, sometimes a little trite, and always as far over the top as he can reach. But he still manages to write a book so overwhelmed by the magic, and have it be about the characters, not their abilities.
Paths of Darkness is a collection of four novels that together form a continuing story. Of course, ultimately all the Drizzt books form a really long story, but these actually start and finish a lengthy tale of redemption and forgiveness. And yes, that does seem a little silly when there are magical crystals and black-skinned elves.
This is your one warning. While I do not intend to give away every part of the story, I'm busting out a few spoilers. If you hate to spoil your surprises, stop reading now.
To be completely honest, there are not many surprises. Rarely does a Salvatore book make the reader say, 'Holy monkeys of Neptune! I never saw that coming!' These books are nothing if not painfully predictable – you know the heroes will not die, at least not for good. You know the bad guys will get theirs in the end, but will still probably come back later as recurring villains. You know good will triumph, Drizz't will struggle with his identity, and Artemis Entreri will want to kill him.
The real story at the heart of Paths of Darkness concerns Wulfgar, the barbarian adopted son of the dwarf Bruenor. The book starts just after the heroes have rescued Wulfgar from a torturous demon. Wulfgar is a shell of a man, barely able to do anything without having recurring visions of his treatment at the hands of the demon Errtu. Wulfgar's violent tendencies are exacerbated by the severe mental trauma one expects when one is the subject of demonic torture, and he snaps and goes off on his own.
Once Wulfgar departs, the companions from Icewind Dale have adventures. Yes, that's an oversimplification, but it sums up the depth of the story fairly well. Nothing seriously important happens to Drizz't, Bruenor, Cattie-Brie or Regis until the end of the book.
The first book, The Silent Blade, follows Wulfgar in the north end of the Realms, and Artemis Entreri in Calimport. For those who have been wanting to read more about the world's baddest assassin, there are nearly two full novels devoted to his exploits.
Artemis returns to Calimport, where hijinks ensue. This story is as convoluted as a Salvatore story ever gets, with a moderate amount of espionage and street-gang warfare. If you like reading about Artemis, you'll love this book. If you are annoyed by self-obsessed sociopaths, on the other hand, this book might not be quite as fascinating.
Unlike his other companions, Wulfgar endures considerable hardships, mostly of his own design. He drinks a lot and gets into bar fights, then gets a job drinking a lot and getting into bar fights. He meets a few new friends, and gets into a lot of trouble. Where Artemis is annoying, Wulfgar is tragic; where Artemis is obsessive, Wulfgar is brooding. Half of The Silent Blade is a decent read where we can root for the underdog to cast off his past and repair his future. The other half feels like 150 pages of rooting to see the main character fall down a storm drain.
The Spine of the World, the second book, was easily my personal favorite. In fact, I dare say it is one of the best Salvatore has written. Two stories intersect – one is the tale of Wulfgar and his wandering companion Morik, and the other is the story of the poor peasant girl Meralda. It is a fairly mature story, and we begin to see Wulfgar pull his head out of his – uh, we begin to see Wulfgar mature. Thankfully, there is no Artemis in sight.
This story excels partly because it does not depend on world-shattering magic to advance the plot. In fact, the story could be taken out of a D&D setting and dropped into one with decidedly more limited magic and still work just as well. The story is about people, about complications, about relationships, about trust and honor and love. It is no Grapes of Wrath, but if you want to read Salvatore, you are not interested in reading Steinbeck. The story gives a little food for thought, but what it really does is redeem Wulfgar.
Artemis Entreri makes a huge appearance in the third book, Servant of the Shard. In fact, given the fact that this book is almost 90% about Artemis and some very bad drow, it does not feel like it belongs wedged between two tales of Wulfgar's return. While the scheming and manipulation certainly hold a little interest, that interest is diminished when you consider that one of the main characters in this book is a chunk of crystal. Only it's a magical crystal (aren't all crystals magical?) and it can make towers and do stuff.
Frankly, on top of feeling like the story was crammed into place, the entire book just bored me. I don't care about Artemis Entreri. I never have. He's a bad guy, and not a very sympathetic bad guy at that. For some reason, we are supposed to like him because he made a friend. Well, I have some interesting news – I have lots of friends. And I don't ask people to support me because someone, somewhere, doesn't think I'm a totally worthless killer for hire.
Finally, this gigantic tome ends with Sea of Swords, wherein all our erstwhile heroes reconnect. The story is predictable and chopped out of a cookie cutter, but it does serve an interesting purpose – the reunion of the five friends. There is a lot of violence, a little internal strife, some great epic battles, and a huge showdown in a hidden grotto. Best of all, the story ties up all the loose knots and lets us all feel a lot better about the entire thing.
Overall, R.A. Salvatore's books have begun to lose their charm. In the beginning, they were compelling – everyone always hates drow, and here's one who is a good guy. Then Drizz't got friends, and that was cool, as we got to meet more interesting people. Then they all got old and boring, and their adventures played out like an epic-level campaign.
The stories in Paths of Darkness are not the thing that showcases Salvatore's ability. What R.A. Salvatore is able to do, the thing that makes him readable, is that he can make you want to root for the characters. You can believe their actions, you can understand why they say what they say, and you can sympathize with them. There are, no doubt, many people who absolutely love Artemis Entreri stories, because even if he is nearly insufferable, he is quite believable.
Ultimately, deciding whether or not to buy Paths of Darkness should be a no-brainer. If you have not read the ongoing saga of Drizz't and company, you should start at the beginning and not get this book until you get to it. If you have read all the way to this point, not only do you have more stamina than I do, but you're virtually certain to want to read Paths of Darkness.
Style: 4 – Salvatore's chrome is starting to tarnish in a few spots, but he is still a great fantasy novelist.
Substance: 3 – With the exception of Spine of the World, these stories are a little predictable and trite. Still fun, but all the depth of sink full of dishes.
Please help support RPGnet by purchasing the following (probably) related items through DriveThruRPG.
