SPINE OF THE WORLD, THE (Forgotten Realms: Paths of Darkness, 2) - Hardcover

R. A. Salvatore

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0786914181 ISBN 13: 9780786914180

Publisher: Wizards of the Coast, 1999

Synopsis

"It is the heart and soul of Wulfgar, ultimately, that will surface in the end. I, and anyone else, could no more influence that heart and soul than the sun itself.

Curiously, it is in that celestial body that I take my comfort now when thinking about Wulfgar. Why watch the dawn? Why then, why that particular time over noontime, or any hour of daylight?

Because in the dawn, the sun is more brilliant by far. Because in the dawn, we see the resurgence after the darkness. There is my hope, for as with the sun, so it can be true of people. Those who fall climb back up, and brighter will they shine in the eyes of those about them.

I watch the dawn and think of the man I thought I knew.

And pray that my perceptions were correct."

--Drizzt Do'Urden

About this title

Review

Attention all Drizzt freaks: our favorite dark-elf hero is not, repeat not, in Spine of the World. Neither is Bruenor nor Cattie-brie nor Regis et al. But don't think that means the latest installment in R.A. Salvatore's sweeping Drizzt-and-pals series isn't worth picking up: Spine sets things straight for the Forgotten Realms' newest, meanest drunk, the burly barbarian who single-handedly made warhammers cool again despite their measly 1d4+1 damage. Yep, Wulfgar is back, after ditching his buddies in The Silent Blade to become a bottle-swilling bouncer in the mangy port town of Luskan.

The towering tough guy hasn't strayed from his job at the Cutlass, hasn't sobered up, and hasn't forgotten his six years of horrific torture under the nasty balor Errtu.

But it's time for another book, so all that's about to change: kicked out of the Cutlass, robbed of Aegis-fang (yikes!), and framed for the attempted murder of his old friend Captain Deudermont (remember him from pirate-hunting on the Sea Sprite?), Wulfgar goes on the run with the rogue Morik, who's become a true friend despite the mission Jarlaxle and his dark-elf cohort gave him to watch the barbarian. Sure, Drizzt is missing (although he does make appearances in the form of ruminating journal entries), so Spine isn't a nonstop scimitar-fest. But R.A. still spins a good yarn--as always. With plenty of combat and intrigue, not to mention the ever-familiar monsters and spells, Spine of the World is surely the best show in town for the Forgotten Realms crowd. --Paul Hughes

About the Author

R.A. SALVATORE has spent so many years winding himself into fantasy worlds that he's still trying to figure out how to unwind. He is the author of more than forty novels and more than a dozen New York Times best sellers, including The Two Swords, which debuted at or near the top of many best seller lists.
From the Hardcover edition.

Edition details

• Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0786914181
• ISBN 13: 9780786914180
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 345