The Lone Drow (Drizzt "4: Paths of Darkness") (The Legend of Drizzt)

The Lone Drow is a perfect follow-up for The Thousand Orcs. The Thousand Orcs left Drizzt believing he lost all his companions and friends except for his magical panther.He channels all his personal grief, anger and guilt into revenge and the hunt for his enemies. I read Book 2 of The Hunter's Trilogy in less time than the first book. I simply had a lot of trouble putting it down. Not to detract from the first book of the trilogy, because it set up Book 2 perfectly. The Lone Drow worked well for me on 2 fronts. First, the story is non-stop. As I said, it was very difficult to set aside. I was always trying to squeeze in a few more pages. Second, Drizzt has returned to a state he hasn't been this fully in since he left the underground. This I believe is the first step of a personal understanding and transformation. Another plus for me is the presence of other Drow Elves, evil of course, and they must be destroyed, or so we hope. Always behind in my reading, I don't know when I will get to Book 3, The Two Swords, but you can bet it will be sooner rather than later, and I am already looking forward to it.

Somewhere beneath my review is someone who wrote a list naming six things that could have improved this novel. He is correct in every part of that list. That list could hold true to ANY book about Drizzt Do'Urden. But the author of that list fails to understand that everything he wrote isn't why the Drizzt books are weak, it's why they are strong. If you've ever read A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, and A Storm of Swords, you know how absolutely awful it is to lose characters who you grow to love. George RR Martin, the author of those books, has no qualms about killing anyone, from two month old babies to the greatest heroes of the realm. It's depressing, though excellent. Salvatore, on the other hand, provides a comfort in his powerful hero, Drizzt Do'Urden. Stepehen King once described reoccuring characters as (this quote is paraphrased): "A recurring character is like a good friend we can always turn to." This is what Drizzt Do'Urden is to me. Most novels I read, and everything I've ever written, do not have recurring characters and have no qualms about butchering the supposed "hero" of the novel. With Drizzt Do'Urden, I have a friend that is always there, who, despite all perils he encounters, will always be there when I return. The writer of the Six Part List also notes that most reviews in this section were written by 10-16 year olds. Well, this is the time in my life these books return me to, the most confusing and difficult part of life. The reason Drizzt et al are so appealing to this age group is b/c they have someone who overcomes extreme adversity time and again, a good friend they can always turn to when tims are tough. That's what Drizzt et al are, they are friends that we always want to find again. If Salvatore chooses to never write another Drizzt book again, no one would be upset, he could end the story any time, but his greatetst folly would be to end it short even a single character.

The Lone Drow was one of the best Drizzt books out there. The writting style of Salvatore is amazin' and the character interaction and emotion put into the characters is beyond words.The book starts right off where the first book in the trilogy, "The Thousand Orcs," leaves off. Drizzt left alone with the thoughts of his friends dead and his scimitars hungry for vengance! The Dwarves, along with Wulfgar and Catti-Brie, fighting for their lives and for their home aganist the unrelenting orcs. Every page was wonderful and never filled with a dull moment between the two main storylines. And the characters were spectacular. Some of the highlights were: (can't write them all because there were just to many) The obvious one is Drizzt and his tale. Salvatore was able to take Drizzt back to the days of the hunter and his life in the underdark. And The emotional baggage Drizzt was carrying and the amazin' detailed action scenes were spectacular. The next hightlight was the other main storyline, Dwarves vs, Orcs, LET'S GET IT ON! All the character in this battle and around it were just some much fun to read. Salvatore is not only the master of the Drow society, but the master of the Dwarves society as well.Many characters in the,"Thousand Orcs," (or in other Drizzt books) annoyed me, but in the, "Lone Drow," they shined. The characters sure as Tarathiel, Innovindil, Pikel, and Pwent. the two elves interaction with Driztt and what happen in this brought out the elf characters. The interaction between Drizzt and Innovindil was a great way for Salvatore to go, showing Drizzt a life he never had or never really thought about (can't wait to see what happens). The last and final highlight came from the character Obloud Many-arrows. I liked this character in the thousands orcs, but I loved this character in this book. the image Salvatore painted in my head of Obloud was beyond words, well no, one word came to mind, Badass!"Lone Drow," is one of the best Drizzt books I have read, fill with action, drama, and twists and turns all weaving around one other. the characters are some much fun to read about and it's not a hard read either. The writing style and the flow of the book is very smooth and there is not one dull moment. If you want a book about Dwarves, Drow, Orcs, and many other races, a book filled with action, drama, and unforgettable characters, a book with an awesome storyline, "The Lone Drow, " is for you. But you have to read all the other Drizzt books first....you must, for they are great! All Hail Drizzt Do'Urden and R.A. Salvatore!One more thing, the ending was awesome!

This book is well written and complete. Hardcore fans (like myself) will hold this second book of the Hunters Blades Trilogy in the same category as R. A. Salvatores best works that got us hooked in the first place (i.e. the Dark Elf Trilogy). Never boring, full of surprises, with political intrigue and conspiracy between-and within-kingdoms, Salvatores amazing, detailed trademark battle scenes, and some serious character development and soul searching all mixed into one book. The only thing that will leave you disappointed -- the next book won't be out for a year.

I love R.A. Salvatore's Dark Elf books. Drizzt is a brilliant creation, and the series is very well written. The Dark Elf trilogy hooked me (Homeland is one of my favorite books), the Icewind Dale Trilogy was great too, and the Legacy of the Drow quartet was brilliant. And while I liked the Paths of Darkness series, it never felt as magical as the first 10 books, with the exception of Servant of the Shard. I felt the same with 1000 Orcs. It was good, but it felt...like an intro. Maybe the cover had me expecting more excitement, but it did not live up to my expectations. Not so with the Lone Drow. It has more action than any Drizzt book since Seige of Darkness (again with the exception of Servant of the Shard, but that didn't star Drizzt), but it is NOT simply a hack and slash. It reaches depths in character that Salvatore is so good at, while still being incredibly entertaining. I haven't like the battle scenes this much in a long time. So in other words, buy this book, even if you were a bit disapointed with the previous Drizzt books.