It's not Drizzt but it has potential. I think this book was probably 200 pages longer than it needed to be. Those first 250 pages just dragged along, almost didn't get thru them and was ready to set it aside but it finally picked up. I have the next 2 books already and I am trying to keep my hopes up but have been finding Salvatore to be getting extremely wordy in all his writings lately. :( ( )

It's not Drizzt but it has potential. I think this book was probably 200 pages longer than it needed to be. Those first 250 pages just dragged along, almost didn't get thru them and was ready to set it aside but it finally picked up. I have the next 2 books already and I am trying to keep my hopes up but have been finding Salvatore to be getting extremely wordy in all his writings lately. :( ( )

Too much introspection and not enough action ( )

Now I understand why R.A. Salvatore is such a popular author! ( )

Disclaimer: I received this book free from Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

I’m new to Mr. Salvatore’s books. I’ve heard of his name and reputation as an excellent fantasy writer but this is my first foray into his worlds. I can easily see why he has such a strong following.

Vicious, barbaric, magical, fantastic, enthralling, startling, terrifying … all words I’d use to describe this book. It follows the stories of two very different orphans in the world of Corona. One, Talmadge, a young man on his own in a savage world. He is a sensitive soul, troubled by the violence around him, and by the violence he must wield in order to survive. Second, is Aoleyn, who is a very young girl when we first meet her. She is part of a tribe whose brutality knows no bounds. She is a girl with spirit, power and an innate goodness that lifts her above the rest of her people. She is seen as strange, and desirable by the terrible leader of her tribe. Of course, you know that will not serve her well.

If I have a caveat about this book it is with the level of violence. A number of readers have complained about the frequency of violence and rape in the book. Please consider that when deciding whether or not to read this book. While rape exists in this book it is not graphic and not described in detail, but it is definitely there. We see a surfeit of “rape as plot device” in today’s t.v. shows and books, so I felt I had to ask myself, “Is it used in the same gratuitous, superficial way in this book?” Honestly, I don’t know. I do understand what the author was using it for. He illustrated the ways in which men feel free to use a woman’s body as a means of stealing their power, which is quite literally what is happening in this book. Men of Aoleyn’s tribe have no way of using the magic in this world. They use sex with magic wielding women in order to subsume their spirit and make use of their magic without their consent. It is also a key component of the power dynamic in this god-awful tribe. I can’t pretend that both of those scenarios do not exist in the world today, and that they haven’t been part of the dynamic between men and women for millennia. I can accept it as part of this story because it is not used in a titillating or useless device to weaken the women and bolster the story of a man. You may not feel the same way and I have nothing but respect for your opinion. In that case, this book is probably not for you.

Apart from that issue, the writing of this book is exceptional. It can be a little slow, but only because the author is taking his time with development of the cultures in this world, the magical system, and the rich physical world of Corona. The book is not without it’s moments of beauty. Talmadge, in his journey as a merchant, provides a glimpse at the wealth of culture and people in Corona. While it is a dangerous place, it has it’s own savage beauty. I want to revisit these two characters, Talmadge and Aoleyn. I want to see more of this terrifying world so I will definitely be looking into his other books set in this world, as well as awaiting the next book in this series.

Song for this book: May it Be – Hayley Westenra ( )