Servant of the Shard

i am biased, because Jarlaxle and Artemis are my favourite characters, but genuinely this is so good. Their characterisation here feels much more mature than in previous books as well, and I am nothing if not a sucker for books where the main characters are morally dubious assholes.

3.5/5 stars.
Reading about Jarlaxle and Artemis Entreri is so much fun. This is again one of the better books after the relative let-downs of The Spine of the World and Sea of Swords. It's a fantastic, fast-paced read, and R. A. Salvatore is at his best here. I like the scheming and intrigue that Salvatore displays in this novel.

Salvatore is at his best when he's writing about his favorite characters, Drizz't and his companions. However, this book is primarily about Artemis Entreri, Jarlaxle, and Cadderly. Cadderly and Danica turn up because the Crystal Shard has fallen into the hands of the Jarlaxle and Artemis, and they know it must be retrieved and destroyed. However, they are just a small part of the book, the rest is politics and power plays in Calimport. Interesting, but not that great.

Artemis Entreri is back in Calimport under the watchful eyes of Jarlaxle who is slowly losing control to the mighty artifact the Crystal Shard. Will Entreri's wits and prowess be enough to save himself and Jarlaxle from the Shard and others with murderous intent.

Once again R. A. Salvatore weaves an intricate tale of lies and deception in the Forgotten Realms vast world. Brilliant fighting scenes and indepth plot make this a page turner in its most demanding sense. Loved the whole book and have grown to make these two bit players in the Salvatore world definetely main charachters.

The Sellswords, Book 1
Paths of Darkness, Book 3.

Wizards of the Coast has brought all four of the original Dark Elf series' (Dark Elf trilogy, Icewind Dale Trilogy, Legacy of the Drow, Paths of Darkness) into a single series (the new series is now structured into chronological order instead of published order. The Hunter's Blades Trilogy remains seperate). This book was originally book 3 of the Path's of Darkness, and has been removed completely from the Dark Elf storyline. Although this book remains related to the others, having some of the same characters, it is now Book one in a new series, The Sellswords. This should only be confusing to people who own older copies of the Dark Elf books, as they will be misprinted on the covers and show more spines. It certainly can be read still as part of it's original series with no consequence.

The Sellswords Trilogy follows the adventures of Entreri and Jarlaxle, assasins for hire, and is as excellent as any Forgotten Realms novel by the author. If you're a fan of Drizzt and his usual companions, you will certainly feel this series is an essential part of your collection. Drizzt fans seem rather obsessive about his stories, and for good reason. They're entertaining, well written, and have a wide appeal. Drizzt is not a part of this book, but he is mentioned, and the characters are known to each other.

A bit of Trivia for newer fan's of Drizzt. The Icewind Dale Trilogy (Crystal Shard, Streams of Silver, The Haflings Gem) were the first novel's written of all Salvatore's Forgotten Realms books. Drizzt was not originally a character, but appeared in later rewrites at the request of the publisher to have a companion created for Wufgar. Drizzt went on to become the most successful Forgotten Realms character of all time, appearing as a cameo in books from other authors, and even Video games such as "Baldur's Gate" and "Demon Stone". show less

Call me a sucker for D & D literature! Gotta love Jarlaxle and Artemis Entreri.