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R. A. Salvatore

The Sword of Bedwyr, Luthien's Gamble, Dragon King
Starless Night, Siege of Darkness, Passage to Dawn, The Silent Blade, The Spine of the World, Sea of Swords, Thousand Orcs, The Lone Drow (Forgotten Realms: The Hunter's Blades Trilogy, Book 2)
STARLESS NIGHT:I liked this book by Salvatore. He has a good sense of storytelling that is refreshing in the many told stories dealing with the D&D worlds. His characters are ones you can care for and the plot and action keep you excited enough to keep reading. All in all a good tale of friends battleing to save their homes from the forces of darkness and finding the light within themselves in a time of dark moods.

The Underdark. A place of brooding darkness, where no shadows exist, and where Drizzt Do’Urden does not wish to go. The noble dark elf must return there though, must go back to find his friends in the gnome city of Blingdenstone, and on to Menzoberranzan, the city of drow. Only then can Drizzt discern what perils might reach out from that dark place to threaten his friends in Mithril Hall.

He finds allies where he least expects them and enimies he thought long gone. His scimitars slash monsters too evil to reside uder the sunlight of the surface world, while his inner strength wrestles with the tumult of emotions assaulting the noble drow when he looks once more on his dreaded homeland. All the while Drizzt must fend off the weight of guilt he carries for a dear friend lost to him forever.

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SIEGE OF DARKNESS: Continues the story of Staless Night. This time the dark elves are in the midst of chaos and the seek to bring Mithrall Hall down with them.

Matron Baenre wants revenge. As she prepares an assault on Drizzt Do'Urden and Mithril Hall, the Time o Troubles hits and Lloth, the Spider Queen herself, walks the streets of Menzoberranzan! When the laws of magic turn horribly erratic, the mystical city its thrown into chaos more cruel than even the dark elves can bear. As the ruling houses tremble, one family unleashes potent nonmagical forces and rises to power.

In Mithril Hall, as Bruenor Battlehammer prepares to meet the dark elves' siege, Drizzt finds Guenhwyvar locked in the Astral Plane, and Cattie-brie is caught in wild, horrific dreams. Only an ancient dwarven king, allies from the depths, and Drizzt's own quick thinking can save them from the Spider Queen's minions.

PASSAGE TO DAWN: Salvotore brings us the characters of Drizzt and friends again in an adventure to save a lost loved one. A quick simple read. I give it a B.

Drizzt and Cattie-brie's new life of freedom aboard the Sea Sprite is threatened when a doppleganger, a cryptic poem, and a miscast spell result in a return to the lands where they first discovered the crystal shard. The bait is the spirit of a loved one, trapped and tormented by the evil fiend, Errtu.

In a journey that takes him from the pirate-plagued waters of the Sword Coat to the Shining Mountains and beyond, the dark elf and his companions forge new alliances and renew old friendships as they desperately combat an evil that seeks to destroy not only the drow Drizzt Do'Urden but those he has come to love.

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THE SILENT BLADE: A continuation of Passage to Dawn, though it could stand by itself. Drizzt and friends start off looking to destroy the evil crystal Creshinibon but end up with different battles to face. The book becomes more of he characters of Wulfgar and Entreri dealing with their own inner battles than anything else. Reads more like a book in a series than a stand alone. A bit disappointing but still a good read, quick and simple. I give it a B.

DRIZZT
The dark elf leads his friends on a mission to destroy, once and for all, the evil crystal shard, not realizing the full power of the call of Creshinibon.

WULFGAR
Returned from the Abyss only to find his world crumbling around him the barbarian Wulfgar struggles against an old enemy that may not be as deadly as the demons he carries within him.

ENTRERI
The assassin find himself embroiled in the power struggles of the darkest streets of mysterious Calimport and the even darker caverns of Menzoberranzan. But still his greatest enemy eludes him.

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THE SPINE OF THE WORLD: This one was better than the one that preceded it in the series. Wulfgar acts a bit more heroic in this series and the side story is a bit more entertaining. This is another light read. Though the themes are heavy they are dealt with on light terms. A short quick read that I give a B-. Not great by any stretch but its good enough.

Even the brutal streets of a treacherous city can't hide a tortured soul forever. The baarbarin Wulfgar sets upon a dangerous path toward redemption when an old friend finds him in the city of Lskan, Wulfgar's jurney twists up the windswept peeaks of the Spine of the World. He will perssevere, for at the end lies his most prized possession - the life he thought he'd lost forever.

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SEA OF SWORDS: This is the 4th book in the series. This brings to a conclusion (though I doubt this is the last book you'll see of our heroes) the search for Wulfgar and his struggle. It was enjoyable with the same style and writing that you expect from the series. A nice conclusion and everything was done well. I give it a B+.

It is good to hear the wind of Icewind Dale, to feel its invigorating bite, like some reminder that I am alive.

The Dark Elf

When the mark of the great warhammer Aegis-fang is found branded on the back of a vicious outlaw, Drizzt can no longer merely hope that Wulfgar is safe. The dark elf and his companions set out to find the barbarian once and for all. As they discover pieces of the puzzle their friend's life has become, Drizzt grows only more determined to locate him.

The Barbarian

As his friends search for him, Wulfgar sails with Captain Deudermont in search of the stolen Aegis-fang, now in the hands of the vile pirate Sheila Kree. But the pirate isn't willing to sit around waiting to be caught. She has other plans.

Drizzt, Cattie-brie, Regis, Bruenor, and Wulfgar - the Companions of the Hall - come together for the first time since The Silent Blade in a reunion filled with discovery and adventure.

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THE SWORD OF BEDWYR: This is a book that I picked up as an "easy" read. It is not too heavy but in typical Salvatore style is enjoyable. The pace moves at a good rate and the characters, while not complex, are enjoyable.

For twenty years, the once proud lands of Eriador have lain, conquered and suffering, under the despotic and demonic power of the evil Wizard-King Greensparrow and his legions of monstrous cyclops soldiers. The dwarves and Fairborn elves are slaves; humans fare little better.

Arena fighter Luthien Bedwyr, son of Eorl Garhis of Bedwydrin, is too young and privileged to understand Greensparrow’s oppression. Then one night Luthien seeks justice for a friend’s murder, only to become a fugitive from Greensparrow’s thugs.

It is a flight that will turn a grand adventure when he befriends the egotistical, irrepressible "highway halfling" Oliver deBurrows ... and a magical odyssey when the two are recruited by the ancient, exiled wizard Brind d’Armour. For now their mission is to battle a dragon and obtain wondrous rewards: most especially a cape that renders its wearer invisible - but leaves behind an indelible scarlet silhouette.

Falling from lord’s heir to common thief should be a pathetic fate for Luthien, but the masses are tormented by the excesses of Greensparrow’s henchmen. Luthien, Oliver, and a beautiful elf slave discover that any blow against the establishment may forment revolution.

And that Eriador is desperately ready to rally behind a legend. Like the whispered rumors of a mysterious robber-assassin who strikes only evil-doers, distributing their spoils to the innocent. An unseen, unstoppable hero known as ...
THE CRIMSON SHADOW.

LUTHIEN'S GAMBLE: This continues the Crimson Shadow series. Much like the first book in style and characters. Focuses more on battle and Luthien's personal problems trying to figure his different problems out.

The fortress city of Monfort has been liberated and restored to its true name, Caer MacDonald, by for how long? Luthien Bedwyr and his comrades - the irrepressible "highway halfling" Oliver deBurrows, the beautiful rebel Katerin O'Hale, the fearless half-elf Siobhan, and the dwarf leader Shuglin - have no time to celebrate. The humans, elves and dwarfs of their peasant revolution have captured a city. Their nemesis, the demonic Wizard-King Greensparrow, has conquered most of the world.

To quell the "minor riot" Greensparrow sends the smallest division of his Pretorian Guard. The eleven thousand killer cyclopian warriors vastly outnumber the defenders of Caer MacDonald.

Against such impossible odds, Luthien's only advantage lies in Eriador's harsh winter, his only chance lies in rousing the fierce tribes of Eriador's wild countryside to his cause; and his only hope lies in finding the mysterious mage who once helped Luthien recover the legendary sward and cape of the Crimson Shadow.

Yet even the blessings of weather, allies and ancient magic may not be enough. For if Caer MacDonald's defenders best the king's army, the victory will unleash a hellish demon. One poised to strike down the woman the Crimson Shadow loves, a monster with an unquenchable need to irrevocably defeat ...

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DRAGON KING: This continues the Crimson Shadow series. Much like the first two books in style and characters. This one puts the Crimson Shadow against his ultimate enemy. Another good book. A B.

There is no peace for Kin Brind 'Amorur's newly liberated Eriador, as Avon's evil King Greensparrow breaks the truce with border massacres and demon sorcery. War is inevitable, but would be suicidal. Even when allied with DunDarrow dwarfs, Fairborn elves, and the Riders of Eradoch, the peasant armies led by Luthien Bedwyr and his friends are hopelessly outmatched by Avon's Cyclopian legions. Meanwhile, Brind 'Amour's magic must face the fiends of Avon's sorcerous dukes ...

Then suddenly, Luthien is captured by Huegoth raiders and gains some astonishing information about the fate of his lost brother. Lady Deanna Wellworh discovers that she is the rightful heir to Avon's throne. And the lord of wild, distant Baranduine begins a desperate campaign to free his land from Greensparrow.

Now battle will be joined on mountain, plain and swamp, on land, sea, and in the air - in a war of courage and dire wizardries. Yet in the end, all the valor of Eriador, and all the daring of Luthien's magical alter, ego, the Crimson Shadow, may not be enough to vanquish Greensparrow's ultimate weapon. For Greensparrow isn't merely allied with the hell-monster he plans to unleash: Greensparrow is the vast and terrible being that once withstood the combined might of the ancient Brotherhood of Wizards. And in centuries of plotting world conquest, the beast has murdered the sleeping mages. Except one. Heir to a dying magic, Brind 'Amour must stand alone ...

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THOUSAND ORCS: A new adventure for the gang at the Spine of the World. By the blurb on the back of the book and the cover you'd think that the story was all about Drizzt and his carving a path through a sea of enemies. Actually it's as much about the other characters as it is Drizzt. Though the end of the book makes it seem as the focus will definitely shift more and more to Drizzt. A quick read. The premise seems a bit forced but after so many stories of the same kind I can see how that happens. I give it a B-.

One dark elf.
Two enchanted blades.
One unknown enemy.
And a horde of invaders.

When a blood-thirsty band of orcs, led by an as-yet-unseen enemy, comes rampaging out of the Spine of the World, it lays waste to everything in its path. Dark elf ranger Drizzt Do'Urden and his most trusted friends find themselves in the path of destruction. As blades slash and feet trample, even they may not witihstand the thousand orcs.

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THE LONE DROW (Forgotten Realms: The Hunter's Blades Trilogy, Book 2): The second book in the Hunter's Blades Trilogy moves back into familiar territory. This isn't necessarily a bad thing or a cop out by Salvatore. It's like a James Bond film starting out with Bond ignoring women and not having fancy gadgets and then the second part there are gadgets and Bond getting the girl. A B-.

Alone on the battlefield. Surrounded by death. Cornered by enemies. And ready to die.

Drizzt Do'Urden has become an orc's worst nightmare: a lone drow with nothing to lose and nowhere to run. As the North spirals into chaos and war, one dark elf has decided to take it personally, and it will take an army to stop him.

The hunter's blades have been drawn, and Drizzt will never be the same.

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Robert Silverberg

Hot Sky at Midnight, The Mountains of Majipoor, Legends (Editor)

HOT SKY AT MIDNIGHT: A good hard sci-fi book. It has some disturbingly plausible looks at the future and the choices people face. The characters are asked to make some tough decisions are respond all to humanly. A nice look at what happens in a near apocalyptic future earth in which Murphy's Law still prevails. A B+.

At Samurai Industries, Paul Carpenter studies his computer monitors to predict the movement of toxic clouds drifting across the Pacific Northwest. If he's wrong, a sudden shift of wind can kill thousands. Nick Rhodes, a research scientist for the controversial Sanatachiara Technologies' Survival/Modification Program, seeks better ways for humans to adapt to Earth's hostile environment. His girlfriend, Isabelle Martine, is a kinetic therapist and political activist, violently opposed to the threatening new technology. They are among those who have opted to stay behind, scratching out a perilous existence on a poisoned planet where no one dares leave home without a face-lung and a daily injection of Screen.

But there are others who have traveled from Earth to the shining satellite cities in the sky. Among these is Victor Farkas who has come to Valparaiso Neuvo in search of a mad and brilliant scientist. Here in a world of fugitives ruled by the tyrannical El Supremmo and his secret police, Farkas and his "guide" Juanito Holt will seek the man whose experimentation blinded him in the womb and yet endowed him with incredible extrasensory vision.

Meanwhile, disturbing rumors have arisen about the ultimate fate of humanity: that a powerful Japanese megacorporation is promoting a top-secret project to send humans permanently to the stars That a group of conspirators from ravaged Southern California is planning a bloody coup d'etat on Valparaso Nuevo. That a rival corporation is funding biological research that will alter human genes and create a race of supercreatures to inhabit the dying planet.

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THE MOUNTAINS OF MAJIPOOR: A simple little story not a lot of intricate subplots or character evolutions. The main character does grow in this story of a sort of coming to age, proving oneself and learning. Not a bad book I like Harpirias' interaction with the lost tribe and the story moves along nicely though it seems an isolated incident with not much larger context, which is I assume is part of the point. Just a nice quick little story, which it is. I give it a C.

For young Prince Harpirias, the journey into the frozen tundra of the remote borderlands of Majipoor might well have been a death sentence. But it was also the only way out of a petty bureaucrat's job in a provincial city, where he'd been exiled as punishment for a youthful indiscretion. Doomed to spend the rest of his days hopelessly separated from the Coronal's glittering court, he grasps at his only hope - a mission that could represent suicide or salvation

Somewhere beyond the nine guardian mountains of the Khyntor Marches, a party of paleontologists were captured while searching for the fossils of a fable species of land-dwelling dragons. Their captors are a lost race of humans who cut off from the majesty and civilization of Majipoor, have reverted to a primitive hunter-gatherer existence. Only one of the party has returned, a Shapeshifter named Korinaam, to bring back the terms for the release of the scientists.

Harpirias sets out on a mission of negotiation and rescue with a small band of soldiers and the wily Shapeshifter who acts as both guide and interpreter. Facing blinding blizzards and slashing ice storms, physical privation and the attack of strange beasts, they finally reach their destination, only to find themselves face-to-face with a shockingly barbaric culture ruled by a dangerous chieftain. One mistake, one minor violation of custom and taboo, and the prince and his companions will face instant death - or endless captivity.

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LEGENDS 3 by Robert Silverberg (Editor)
The Great Anthology of Short Novels by the Masters of Modern Fantasy : What would you expect from 11 short stories from 11 of the best selling famous of modern fantasy writers? The stories are set in the same worlds of the original best selling works. The results are pretty much the same as the originals, in other words best selling quality short novels. If you liked the original you'll enjoy the short story. The stories all add something without being crucial. If you're a fan of any of the authors listed, or just wanted to read something by them then you should check out this book. I give it an A.

Here they are, the writers and the worlds that have satisfied millions of avid readers. Now, in a big, lavish volume enhanced with color and illustrative materials, each of them returns to their compelling special places to tell a new story that enriches and illuminates their most famous creations.

Many of the stories take place at an earlier moment in the history of their worlds and cast new light on the famous epics. Others are stories that fit into the already established patterns of their worlds, but happen offstage from the main action. All are essential reading for the millions of fans of these writers and worlds.

STEPHEN KING tells a tale of Roland, the Gunslinger, in the world of The Dark Tower, in "The Little Sisters of Eluria."

TERRY PRATCHETT relates an amusing incident in Discworld, of a magical contest and the witch Granny Weatherwax, in "The Sea and Little Fishes."

TERRY GOODKIND tells of the origin of the Border between realms in the world of The Sword of Truth in "Debt of Bones."

ORSON SCOTT CARD spins a yarn of Alvin and his apprentice from the Tales of Alvin Maker, in "Grinning Man."

ROBERT SILVERBERT returns to Majipoor and to Lord Valentine's adventure in an ancient tomb, in "The Seventh Shrine."

URSULA K. LE GUIN adds a sequel to her famous books of Earthsea, portraying a woman who wants to learn magic in "Dragonfly."

TAD WILLIAMS tells a dark and enthralling story of a great and haunted castle in the age before Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, in "The Burning Man."

GEORGE R. R. MARTIN sets his piece a generation before his epic, A Song of Ice and Fire, in the adventure of "The Hedge Knight."

ANNE MCCAREY, the poet of Pern, returns once again to her world of romance and adventure in "Runner of Pern."

RAYMOND E. FEIST'S Riftwar Saga is the setting of the tale of "The Wood Boy."

ROBERT JORDAN, in "New Spring," tells of crucial events in the years leading up to The Wheel of Time, of the meeting of Lan and Moiraine and the beginning of the search for the child who must grow to lead in the Last Battle.

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Barry H. Smith

Twilight Dynasty: Courting Evil

TWILIGHT DYNASTY Courting Evil: Very much like a Frank Perretti novel with less of a demon/angel spin. The writing was a little flat. You never get too involved in either the characters or plot but it does pick up a bit near the end. I liked the angle of looking at the story through a more "secular" vision than spiritual. It gave it a more real world spin. I also appreciated the honest portrayal of Christianity in the setting of fighting the spiritual elements. Also the non-bias of other forms of spirituality. I give it a C+/C.

A co-ed flees out of the Muskoka woodlands of Canada, pursued by a horrible creature. A beautiful psychic is being stalked by a deadly stranger. These incidents draw divorce attorney, Kyle Morrow, into a battle that leads him far beyond the courtroom, into a realm that exists between light and darkness ... a land of nightmare and shadows. It is the battleground where good and evil clash, in a struggle for Morrow's life, his sanity, and ultimately his very soul. Twilight Dynasty is a tense supernatural thriller. It tells the tale of the lives forever changed by Morrow's encounter with his adversary .. the master of this Twilight Dynasty.

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John Sundman

Acts of the Apostles

ACTS OF THE APOSTLES: At times technical with a lot of techno-babble, at times paranoid but what conspiracy book isn't, this book brings together all the elements of your typical techno thriller conspiracy mystery. Apostles grabs you with its premise and wraps you up in "coincidences" and conspiracies until you have to stay to see who done it and can it be undone. A B book.

As American led forces assemble in Kuwait for the largest military operation since Normandy, computer chip designer Todd Griffith discovers a secret function buried within the Kali computer chip. That night he is shot in his bed.

Five years later, burnt-out software engineer Nick Aubrey boards a "red-eye" flight to Boston and winds up seated next to a v ery disturbed man who claims to know the secret to Gulf War Disease. Over Utah, Nick's chance companion meets his dramatic demise - and the police suspect Nick of murder. In freeing himself from a web of murder, deceit, and double-crosses, Nick comes to learn that the key to the secret of Gulf War Syndrome resides in a pharmaceutical laboratory in Basel Switzerland, where scientists are frantically working on submicroscopic machines to rearrange human DNA. Only Nick can stop them. But first he's going to have to find the Trojan Horse hidden in the Kali computer chip. He can't do that t without Todd's help, and Todd's been in a coma for nearly half a dozen years.

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