The Lone Drow Spoiler Thread.

[Dark Jezter]

Early yesterday afternoon, the copy of The Lone Drow from R.A. Salvatore arrived at my house. A little over 12 hours later, I finished up the epilogue of the book (I literally couldn't put it down). This thread is for others who have read this book, and be warned that it contains MASSIVE spoilers. I won't be using the spoiler tags here, since the whole thread is centered around spoilers and it would be irritating to have to highlight everything that everyone says. However, I will leave some spoiler space.


.


.


.


.


.


.


.


All in all, I enjoyed the book. It was very suspenseful; and I couldn't stop turning pages until I'd finished the entire thing. Here are a few observations about it (once again, you've been warned about spoilers)...

• I'm liking King Obould Many-Arrows more and more as a villain. In The Thousand Orcs it was looking like he'd be yet another dumb, brutish orc warlord like we've seen in countless other fantasy novels. However, in this book, Obould discusses things like logistics and economics and comes up with brilliant military strategies. He also aquires the divine blessing of Gruumsh, which sounds like he has Bull's Strength and Cat's Grace permanently cast upon himself.
• The heroes are really taking a beating in these books. Bruenor spends most of the book in a near-death comatose state, Pikel Bouldershoulder loses his arm in battle, and Tarathiel and Shoudra are both killed by King Obould.
• Regis is really beginning to show his stuff! He continues his trend of heroism that he started in the last book by taking up a mantle of leadership as the Steward of Mithral Hall. I know that many RAS fans (myself included) have seen Regis as a "worthless" character from time-to-time. I happily retract everything bad I've ever said about the halfling.
• R.A. Salvatore is very good at writing drow and dwarves, but for some reason, whenever he tries to write (non-dark) elves, they tend to be rather flat and uninteresting. Much like Elbreth and Shayleigh from The Cleric Quintet, I found myself not really caring about the characters of Innovindil and Tarathiel.
• Speaking of elves, it looks to me like RAS is setting up a romance between Drizzt and Innovindil. It seems a little strange to me that Innovindil is acting so intimately around Drizzt (holding him, kissing the top of his head while he rests, wearing revealing nightclothes around him) mere days after she watched her husband get cut down in battle. This could cause complications when Drizzt finds out that Catti-brie isn't dead at all.
• This is the first R.A. Salvatore book where Eilistraee is mentioned, which surprised me a little because I recall RAS commenting that he didn't care much for a goddess of good-aligned drow (he feels that she makes the drow less scary). When Eilistraee was mentioned by Donnia, I was fearful that RAS would be introducing a Liriel Baenre-like character, but luckily he didn't.
• I should comment that I breathed a sigh of relief when Bruenor awoke from his coma. If RAS kills off any of his main characters, it should be Catti-Brie (I never have liked her much, and she seems to be getting even more annoying as time goes on).
• I can't believe that we have to wait a whole year for the next book in the series! With Mithral Hall under siege from all directions and a rising body count among the good guys, I can't wait to see how the good guys escape. I have a feeling that the final book in the series will bring about some major changes for Drizzt & company (assuming that they all make it out alive, that is).

So, there are my thoughts on the book. I gotta admit that I was really surprised that Shoudra got killed; I thought she'd be playing a larger role in the series. I wasn't so surprised when Tarathiel got killed, though, as I knew that he was doomed as soon as he engaged Obould in combat.

Now, I want to see what other people think of this book!

 

[Tsyr]

I havn't even read the book, but...

Spoiler

Poor Pikel! I suddenly have an urge to read through the Cleric Quintet again just to get more of this lovable guy... Ouch. Pikel's like Xander in Buffy... The Great Innocent. Too bad they both got badly hurt.

 

[Sirius_Black]

This is the first R.A. Salvatore book where Eilistraee is mentioned, which surprised me a little because I recall RAS commenting that he didn't care much for a goddess of good-aligned drow (he feels that she makes the drow less scary). When Eilistraee was mentioned by Donnia, I was fearful that RAS would be introducing a Liriel Baenre-like character, but luckily he didn't.

Get out...he actually did mention Eilistraee? Sure it wasn't a typo? Poor lighting? Smudge on the page?

Can you elaborate a bit on the above as to what is mentioned in the Eilistraee refernce?

 

[Dark Jezter]

Get out...he actually did mention Eilistraee? Sure it wasn't a typo? Poor lighting? Smudge on the page?

Can you elaborate a bit on the above as to what is mentioned in the Eilistraee refernce?

Heck, I'll copy the passage where she's mentioned here, so you can see for yourself the reference to Eilistraee..

"You still have not told me your name."

"Donnia," she answered, and Drizzt was somewhat relieved that she had not lied to him on that, at least. He had heard the male call her name, after all. "I am Donnia Soldou, who seeks the blessing of Eilistraee."

That reference put Drizzt somewhat off his center, obviously so.

"You have heard of the Lady of the Dance?"

"Rumors," said Drizzt.

He believed that the female was lying, of course, but still, he couldn't help but be intrigued, for he had indeed heard whispers of the goddess Eilistraee and her followers - supposedly drow of like heart to his own.

There you have it. That's the only part in the book where Eilistraee is mentioned. She isn't spoken of after that, for Donnia tries to kill Drizzt soon after, which results in the death of the female drow.

 

[Sirius_Black]

Heck, I'll copy the passage where she's mentioned here, so you can see for yourself the reference to Eilistraee..

There you have it. That's the only part in the book where Eilistraee is mentioned. She isn't spoken of after that, for Donnia tries to kill Drizzt soon after, which results in the death of the female drow.

Thank you very much for doing that. I appreciate it. So, the person that brings up Eilistraee attempts to kill him shortly afterwards. That should make Drizzt really friendly the next time someone mentions Eilistraee or was Donnia lying?

Drizzt encountering Eilistraee drow? Hmmm....

Drizzt dancing nude around a fire? <Shudder> Why did I just take myself to a scary visual place.

 

[Black Omega]

Interesting stuff, but I have a fast question. Do the bad guys actually get to win battles this time?

The main reason why I stopped reading the books about the time of the Drow siege of that dwarven keep was I got tired of scene after scene of Drow getting kicked around, then the reader being told "But they are winning the battle." Evidently winning the off camera battle, since they did little on camera but get their butts kicked and backstab each other.

Just wondering.

 

[Dark Jezter]

Thank you very much for doing that. I appreciate it. So, the person that brings up Eilistraee attempts to kill him shortly afterwards. That should make Drizzt really friendly the next time someone mentions Eilistraee or was Donnia lying?

Donnia was lying. She had no intentions of looking for Eilistraee. She just said that to try and gain Drizzt's trust.

I doubt that RAS will be writing about Eilistraee-worshipping drow, also. I believe that the Eilistraee drow who dance naked in the moonlight and sing to trees are mostly Elaine Cunningham's specialty.

Interesting stuff, but I have a fast question. Do the bad guys actually get to win battles this time?

The main reason why I stopped reading the books about the time of the Drow siege of that dwarven keep was I got tired of scene after scene of Drow getting kicked around, then the reader being told "But they are winning the battle." Evidently winning the off camera battle, since they did little on camera but get their butts kicked and backstab each other.

Just wondering.

Oh yes, the bad guys are winning battles left and right. The Thousand Orcs ended with the heroes barely escaping with their lives, and when The Lone Drow ends, the dwarves of Mithral Hall have been pushed back into the citadel itself while a combined force of orcs, trolls, and frost giants lay siege to them from all directions. It looks like King Obould learned from Menzoberranzan's disasterous attempt to take Mithral Hall.

 

[Celtavian]

I doubt that RAS will be writing about Eilistraee-worshipping drow, also. I believe that the Eilistraee drow who dance naked in the moonlight and sing to trees are mostly Elaine Cunningham's specialty.

Dancing naked Eilistraaean's are in the source books, and I believe Greenwood was the one who came up with the idea for a good drow goddess.

Oh yes, the bad guys are winning battles left and right. The Thousand Orcs ended with the heroes barely escaping with their lives, and when The Lone Drow ends, the dwarves of Mithral Hall have been pushed back into the citadel itself while a combined force of orcs, trolls, and frost giants lay siege to them from all directions. It looks like King Obould learned from Menzoberranzan's disasterous attempt to take Mithral Hall.

I'm glad to hear. I like competent bad guys.

 

[Dark Jezter]

Dancing naked Eilistraaean's is in the source books, and I believe Greenwood was the one who came up with the idea for a good drow goddess.

I know that Eilistraee is in the source books. I've had the FRCS for over two years now, and also have several other FR suppliments. Elaine Cunningham seems to be the author who writes about Eilistraee and her followers the most, however.

 

[Heretic Apostate]

I just thought I'd toss this in, for those who might be interested...

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=books/fr/lonedrowstats/