Promise of the Witch-King (Forgotten Realms: The Sellswords, Book 2)

This book is easily Salvatore's best work since he wrote Sojourn as the last book in the Dark Elf Trilogy. Everything here flows perfectly and the writing is top notch. The characters are done great and you can tell Salvatore is interested in developing Jarlaxle and Artemis. He has gotten so stale with Drizzt and Co. that I was beginning to think he was out of ideas and that "kick" that made the Icewind Dale and Dark Elf trilogies so classic. I have to go back a re-read Servant of the Shard again since it has been so long since it originally came out. My only problem is the marketing gimmick of pulling Servant of the Shard out of its place in the Paths of Darkness series and making it part of the Sellsword series. But that is Wizards of the Coast being greedy and lame. Not Salvatore. He is on his game here and I could not put this book down. I have to say that almost every book written about Drizzt since Sojourn has been rather disappointing. Artemis' character was almost ruined in Legacy. But Salvatore brought him back big time in Servant of the Shard and made him more amazing in Witch King!!!

From the first page on, this story is a relentless, hack-and-slash masterpiece. While it may lack some of the depth of character of some of the author's other novels, the action is top notch. And I'm not suggesting that the characters are completely flat, either. There is some introspection on the part of Artemis Entreri that one who is familiar with that character might not expect. Same goes with a few of the other, minor characters. Just don't expect the heartfelt soul-wringing of Drizzt Do'Urden or some of the other principal characters this author has written about. Frankly, I found this to be a welcome change. Because in this story, such deep ponderings would have only slowed down the great action. If you're one of those who feels that matters with Drizzt, Wulfgar, Catti-brie have become somewhat redundant or staid, then you too might welcome the straightforward, butt-kicking nature of this book, which essentially amounts to a dungeon siege. There is almost no chance to plot or plan or catch your breath. It's all about surviving the next trap or creature around the corner. I thought about deducting a star for that same reason. After all, books aren't getting any cheaper, and you can read through this one pretty quick. As I said, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of obvious depth, as there is in some of the author's earlier works. But then, Salvatore has been around long enough to prove that he knows what he is doing. So I'm not going to criticize what must have been a conscious decision on his part to keep things hopping. Action, humor, character interaction -- all are top notch, and can be enjoyed by anyone who enjoys these sorts of adventures. That said, this story will be much more enjoyable to those who are familiar with Salvatore's earlier work. There is little to no setup to explain how and why these characters have come together at this point in time. But fans of the series already know. And trying to explain it all in detail to newcomers would have been rather tedious. Short, yes. But fast-paced, adrenaline-pumping excitement from the very beginning. D & D fans, and readers in general, can't ask for much more than that.

This is by far one of Mr. Salvatores best stories since the Dark Elf Trilogy. I liked the other books since but I love this book. Drizzt is a fantastic hero but he has become too winy and a cry baby. He over analyzes everything and really no fun to be around. This book on the other hand shows what 2 great characters that are not morally bound to save the whales and hug a tree can do. I couldn't put it down. The witty banter with the adventure backdrop made this a fun read. It also has the old wanderlust/friendship theme going on that makes you like the characters. There were a few times I laughed out loud at some of the dialogue and startled my sleeping wife who was next to me. There are a lot of good point already made in the other reviews and I don't want to spoil anything about the story. As for the bad review about this being cliché, it's a fantasy book. It contains elements of a diversified fantasy setting. Its no different if you read a Clancy book it will have politics and military involved. If you don't like fantasy then don't read fantasy books and don't waste peoples time by telling us you don't like them. If your like me and was getting a bit tired of the preachy self imposed guilt that Drizzt seem to carry around in the latest books, read this one. It's a return to adventure without guilt. A lot of fun things await you if you do. Have fun and safe travels

In Jarlaxle and Entreri, Salvatore has established the most enjoyable team yet. The relationship is always upbeat (thanks much to Jarlaxle's quirky sense of humor) and developing in a promising direction. The action in this book is vintage Salvatore, with a new setting and new peripheral characters to give it seasoning. My best praise for a book goes to this one...it was FUN to read.

I have been a great follower of Salvatore ever since I picked up the Crystal Shard years ago. Drizzt easily became one of my favorite characters of all fantasy. But as of late his story has become a little tired. Salvatore needed a break from the dark elf. And here it is, the sequel to Servant of the Shard, which was a great book itself. Entreri and Jarlaxle are given a truly exciting adventure that is a real page turner. Just a few notes: Don't pick up this book unless you're familiar with these characters. So I would suggest that if you want to read this series, start at the beginning. I can imagine that the book is confusing if you don't know the backstory. My only complaint is that this is Book 2! I was hoping for a new trilogy but instead we just get a sequel for this novel next year. Hopefully Salvatore will keep these two great characters alive and well to have further great adventures. This could be the start of something big!