Fun fact, R.A. Salvatore was denied location after location in this premade world until he finally settled on a completely undeveloped area above the spine of the world. Wizards did not have any plans here or have it be an ACTUAL place. He asked them to extend it, and give him free reign - so yes, the world is pre-built, but almost none of the lore of icewind dale and the underdark below the dale was made before R.A. Salvatore. He wrote it, and this series gets better and better as you keep going on. It's almost all completely his world building inside of the world for the first 4-5 books (and then they travel south and start bumping into other book's worlds.)
Matt, I am so pumped that you are showing love to my favorite series! When I was 10 my parents divorced and we had to move. My mom worked at a paper recycling factory and would bring home overprinted books (which was against the rules). I guess she figured books would keep me company, and one hardcover book called the Dark Elf Trilogy did. It would be an honor to offer commentary on the story if you are so inclined. I think one of the most frustrating things about being a huge fan of the series are all of the fantasy snobs that shit on it. Or that since D&D has become more popular, and new fans discover it, charges of racism have forced Salvatore to defend himself against baseless claims; even to the point where the most recent books in the series have almost bleached all of the impact and meaning from the earlier ones. I can't wait for you to discover the companions of the hall and all the other amazing characters waiting for you!
I'm honestly a little surprised you love it since it's kinda a classic; however, I'm over the moon happy you do Matt. WHen I was young my uncles got me to read this and hooked me on fantasy forever!
Just to clarify, he had already written 3 books with Drizzt before this one. Then he wrote this prequel trilogy. (I think it's good you started here. I'm not sure you'd be so favourable towards the first trilogy.)
This book was recommended to me probably 25 years ago, and was my 1st fantasy book I ever read. I had no idea fantasy books could be so good. This was also the only book that I read until I went to bed, but then had to get back up and continue reading because I couldn't stop thinking about it!!!
This series to me is like the quintessential fantasy palate cleanser. The books are short, sweet, and never overstay their welcome but they have really great character writing and some good themes and world building as well so they don't just feel like shallow popcorn reads like a lot of palate cleanser series often do
I think the "secret ingredient" that makes Homeland such a great read is the soliloquys that Salvatore had Drizz't give at certain points in the book. These musings on life, death, the nature of evil, the whole "nature vs nurture" concept,....those are the things that really make this book stand out to me, not the monsters or magic (and that's coming from a lifelong D&D player). Glad to see you enjoy it!
I read this trilogy and the Icewind Dale trilogy last year and enjoyed them both. I plan to read further in the series and have collected most of the books.
Awesome review Matt! I love Baldur’s Gate 3 and can’t get enough of that game. So reading a book in that world would be great. Also super cool to hear about Menzoberanzen culture. I’m adding this to my tbr and might even bump it up a little to get to it sooner!
I actually started on the series in 2020 when i was sick and bed ridden for 16 days. Audible + herbal teas The books are fun, and i think they're a great way to start into high fantasy
I remember reading this about 25 years ago and enjoyed it and the others in the series. Fun fact: I went to the same college as Bob Salvatore, Fitchburg State College, and like him, majored in English Writing. He became a professor at the college and I would see him walking around campus or eating in the cafeteria, never had a class with him though. I was friends with his cousin, Mike, who was a member of the theater club with me. I only met Bob once, at a game con I think it was, when Mike introduced him to me. That was years before I had read any of his books.
This book got me into fantasy when I first read it 20+ years ago. I was totally engrossed with the concept of the forgotten realms universe and having a huge catalog of books and stories that all take place in the same world.
Glad you liked this , i read alot of these books , book3 was my fav. I really suggest you give book one of cleric quintet a go . Its really good. RA salvatore is easy to read and action sequenses are fantastic.
This and LotR are my favorite fantasy books. It's so good and the best of the whole Drizzt Series. Other favorites and Siege of Darkness, Book 8, and Streams of Silver (book 5, some people say it's a LotR rip off just because it's sort of a travel book but I absolutely love it)
I read this trilogy awhile back and quite enjoyed all of it. For me i liked the 2nd book the most, but I have a guess the first might end up being the one you like the most out of this trilogy.
Check out the Dungeoncast interview with R.A Salvatore. The interview is a few years old at this point. Its mostly about how Salvatore got into writing the Drizzt series.
I bumped into "The Legend of Drizzt" series in high school years, and I had to starts with the book eight, "Starless Night", because only this one was available for me in Hungary, because of it was hard to get the previously oublished books in the series. Later, of course, when it was republished, I buy and read "The Dark Elf Trilogy". I loved that time, when I dive into Faerûn and Krynn as well (or went on the road with Herbert and Asimov in their fantastic sci-fio worlds). I could read not just during the evening, but forget about myself, that realize later that it was already 2:00 AM. Now, when I am older, sometimes I miss that time. Honestly, later I was getting tired with this series (and the lot of Dragonlance book as well outside Margaret Weis's and Tracy Hickman's works), I put the whole series down at the end of "The Hunter's Blades" trilogy (book sixteen) and never return and started to seek more unique fantasy world and novels (for instance Martin, Le Guin or Abercrombie)., which are not as part of franchise/"emblem" books (Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance etc.) Aside from that, I love the secondly written trilogy (because The Icewind Dale was the first, and fun fact, in this trilogy, there is no Drizzt's accounts at the beginning of main parts of the books), and especially the third book, "Sojourn", which still give me emotional remembrance and this is the all time favourite Drizzt-book, so I will always love the third book. At the moment the book thirty-nine came out last year, and the series left me behind so far away, that I have no intent to catch up. I don't want to discourage you: every long fantasy series has up and down phases/periods/novels, I just would like to say, it demands high dedication in order to travel through this long-long series, even if you not consider to read the side-series, like "The Sellswords Trilogy" or "The Cleric Quintet".
I suggest getting the omnibus of these trilogies and quartets for at least the first 14 books or so and just treating them as one book. Otherwise it will take you forever to read
That review makes me want to pick up those books again and start re-reading. Not sure at which of the newer ones I stopped a few years ago, but I remember enjoying at least the first dozen books or so immensely.
Every once in awhile, I update my rankings. Some books get better after sitting as they stick in your memory for reasons, while others you nearly forget that originally were rated really high. Homeland has stuck with me for sure and I think it likely needs a rating upgrade. It's really great.
I read the Dark Elf Trilogy at the beginning of this year and am currently on the third book of Icewind Dale Trilogy. I think the first 3 are better than the second three, but I do like them. It's a nice cozy feel reading these Drizzt books. I'll be stopping after book 6 to jump into the Dragonlance trilogy and the twins trilogy tho. If I feel like I wanna get more Drizzt, I'll return some other time.
you can start with the obvious one which is horus rising it's about a son rebelling on his father the emperor of mankind but there's a lot of starting points or you can start with first and only it's about men going insane in a crusade anything by dan abnett is a good start tbh but if you really want to , you can play some of the games and see if you like the lore and the worldbuilding by the way what is the book on the wheel @@MattsFantasyBookReviews
@@MattsFantasyBookReviewsThe Gotrek and Felix series mentioned above is a good recommendation for classic Warhammer, but in terms of 40k (ie sci-fi not fantasy) a v good starting point I think is Xenos, which is the first book in the Eisenhorn trilogy!
I tried reading this book a few months ago. I gave up about 70 pages in but not because the book was bad. The setting and culture was just so dark. I honestly couldn't figure out how the dark elves exist when their whole culture is about killing and backstabbing. Maybe I'll give it another try.
If Homeland is any indication, the Drow and demonic antagonists turned out to be more interesting than any of the insufferable good characters like Wulfgar, the Battlehammer dwarf and that Bree cheese catwoman in the Drizzt novels.
RA Salvatore is an author I’ve never read but heard great things about. Just curious, do you think it would be an enjoyable read for someone not familiar with DnD and that world?
I will say that Salvatore did have full control to create menzobarranzan. Up until that point it was not developed. Salvatore created the dark elf politics and fleshed out the race culture and world!
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews yeah he did! He created the character Drizzt as a side character to a character named Wulfgar in the Icewind Dale trilogy. Fans liked him so much he was contracted To then write the dark elf trilogy anf give Drizzt a backstory. He was effectively given his own corner of the world of forgotten realms to do with as he pleased.
Fun fact, R.A. Salvatore was denied location after location in this premade world until he finally settled on a completely undeveloped area above the spine of the world. Wizards did not have any plans here or have it be an ACTUAL place. He asked them to extend it, and give him free reign - so yes, the world is pre-built, but almost none of the lore of icewind dale and the underdark below the dale was made before R.A. Salvatore.
He wrote it, and this series gets better and better as you keep going on. It's almost all completely his world building inside of the world for the first 4-5 books (and then they travel south and start bumping into other book's worlds.)
Wonderful background, thank you!
Matt, I am so pumped that you are showing love to my favorite series! When I was 10 my parents divorced and we had to move. My mom worked at a paper recycling factory and would bring home overprinted books (which was against the rules). I guess she figured books would keep me company, and one hardcover book called the Dark Elf Trilogy did. It would be an honor to offer commentary on the story if you are so inclined. I think one of the most frustrating things about being a huge fan of the series are all of the fantasy snobs that shit on it. Or that since D&D has become more popular, and new fans discover it, charges of racism have forced Salvatore to defend himself against baseless claims; even to the point where the most recent books in the series have almost bleached all of the impact and meaning from the earlier ones. I can't wait for you to discover the companions of the hall and all the other amazing characters waiting for you!
My husband convinced me to read this one. I'm on book 2 now! The world-building really is fantastic.
I'm honestly a little surprised you love it since it's kinda a classic; however, I'm over the moon happy you do Matt. WHen I was young my uncles got me to read this and hooked me on fantasy forever!
Just to clarify, he had already written 3 books with Drizzt before this one. Then he wrote this prequel trilogy. (I think it's good you started here. I'm not sure you'd be so favourable towards the first trilogy.)
I loved that series way back when. Dragonlance Chronicles and Legends too (my favorite of all time). I’m glad you liked it!
This book was recommended to me probably 25 years ago, and was my 1st fantasy book I ever read. I had no idea fantasy books could be so good. This was also the only book that I read until I went to bed, but then had to get back up and continue reading because I couldn't stop thinking about it!!!
Drizzt has some of the best art off all time as well!
This series to me is like the quintessential fantasy palate cleanser. The books are short, sweet, and never overstay their welcome but they have really great character writing and some good themes and world building as well so they don't just feel like shallow popcorn reads like a lot of palate cleanser series often do
agreed and you can pickup anther one and be immediately back into the world like you never left!
I didn’t read a ton of fantasy in high school, but Drizzt was one we all read. I’m glad it got above your initial guess of 3 stars.
If you haven't already checked it out then you might like the Dragonlance chronicles. Similar in that it takes place within the "world" of D&D.
I think the "secret ingredient" that makes Homeland such a great read is the soliloquys that Salvatore had Drizz't give at certain points in the book. These musings on life, death, the nature of evil, the whole "nature vs nurture" concept,....those are the things that really make this book stand out to me, not the monsters or magic (and that's coming from a lifelong D&D player). Glad to see you enjoy it!
I read this trilogy and the Icewind Dale trilogy last year and enjoyed them both. I plan to read further in the series and have collected most of the books.
Awesome review Matt! I love Baldur’s Gate 3 and can’t get enough of that game. So reading a book in that world would be great. Also super cool to hear about Menzoberanzen culture. I’m adding this to my tbr and might even bump it up a little to get to it sooner!
I actually started on the series in 2020 when i was sick and bed ridden for 16 days. Audible + herbal teas
The books are fun, and i think they're a great way to start into high fantasy
Oh wow! I remember loving this one years ago but assumed it wouldn't hold up. I've always loved me some Drizzt. Stoked that it worked for you.
I remember reading this about 25 years ago and enjoyed it and the others in the series.
Fun fact: I went to the same college as Bob Salvatore, Fitchburg State College, and like him, majored in English Writing. He became a professor at the college and I would see him walking around campus or eating in the cafeteria, never had a class with him though. I was friends with his cousin, Mike, who was a member of the theater club with me. I only met Bob once, at a game con I think it was, when Mike introduced him to me. That was years before I had read any of his books.
Yes! This is on my TBR (has been for ages) now it has the Matt stamp of approval it’s ratcheting up the list.
This book got me into fantasy when I first read it 20+ years ago. I was totally engrossed with the concept of the forgotten realms universe and having a huge catalog of books and stories that all take place in the same world.
I think this sounds like it could really hit the spot in the right mood!
Glad you liked this , i read alot of these books , book3 was my fav. I really suggest you give book one of cleric quintet a go . Its really good. RA salvatore is easy to read and action sequenses are fantastic.
This and LotR are my favorite fantasy books. It's so good and the best of the whole Drizzt Series. Other favorites and Siege of Darkness, Book 8, and Streams of Silver (book 5, some people say it's a LotR rip off just because it's sort of a travel book but I absolutely love it)
Dark Elf trilogy is SO good. Icewind Dale less so. But im so excited to read legacy of the drow soon (which ive heard is amazing)
I read this trilogy awhile back and quite enjoyed all of it. For me i liked the 2nd book the most, but I have a guess the first might end up being the one you like the most out of this trilogy.
Check out the Dungeoncast interview with R.A Salvatore. The interview is a few years old at this point. Its mostly about how Salvatore got into writing the Drizzt series.
I freaking loved this series when I was in high school. The first few trilogies are so good!
I bumped into "The Legend of Drizzt" series in high school years, and I had to starts with the book eight, "Starless Night", because only this one was available for me in Hungary, because of it was hard to get the previously oublished books in the series. Later, of course, when it was republished, I buy and read "The Dark Elf Trilogy". I loved that time, when I dive into Faerûn and Krynn as well (or went on the road with Herbert and Asimov in their fantastic sci-fio worlds). I could read not just during the evening, but forget about myself, that realize later that it was already 2:00 AM. Now, when I am older, sometimes I miss that time.
Honestly, later I was getting tired with this series (and the lot of Dragonlance book as well outside Margaret Weis's and Tracy Hickman's works), I put the whole series down at the end of "The Hunter's Blades" trilogy (book sixteen) and never return and started to seek more unique fantasy world and novels (for instance Martin, Le Guin or Abercrombie)., which are not as part of franchise/"emblem" books (Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance etc.)
Aside from that, I love the secondly written trilogy (because The Icewind Dale was the first, and fun fact, in this trilogy, there is no Drizzt's accounts at the beginning of main parts of the books), and especially the third book, "Sojourn", which still give me emotional remembrance and this is the all time favourite Drizzt-book, so I will always love the third book.
At the moment the book thirty-nine came out last year, and the series left me behind so far away, that I have no intent to catch up. I don't want to discourage you: every long fantasy series has up and down phases/periods/novels, I just would like to say, it demands high dedication in order to travel through this long-long series, even if you not consider to read the side-series, like "The Sellswords Trilogy" or "The Cleric Quintet".
I suggest getting the omnibus of these trilogies and quartets for at least the first 14 books or so and just treating them as one book. Otherwise it will take you forever to read
That review makes me want to pick up those books again and start re-reading. Not sure at which of the newer ones I stopped a few years ago, but I remember enjoying at least the first dozen books or so immensely.
Dragonlance is what got me into fantasy when i was a kid, I'll always have a soft spot for those books...I wonder what i'd think of them now :P
I tried them again recently. I couldn’t get halfway through Dragons of Autumn Twilight.
I might try again one day.
I love this book too, i first read it like 20 years ago and i find myself coming back to the trilogy every few years.
Also one of my favorite series. Thought about suggesting this but I know don't get along with a lot of older fantasy.
I love Drizzt and I love Salvatore. Have since I was a kid and I’m extremely partial ❤to
Glad you enjoyed this Matt really loved this trilogy when I read it last year
So glad to hear this! I read one of these in high school and loved it. I think it was even mid series.
Every once in awhile, I update my rankings. Some books get better after sitting as they stick in your memory for reasons, while others you nearly forget that originally were rated really high. Homeland has stuck with me for sure and I think it likely needs a rating upgrade. It's really great.
I read the Dark Elf Trilogy at the beginning of this year and am currently on the third book of Icewind Dale Trilogy. I think the first 3 are better than the second three, but I do like them. It's a nice cozy feel reading these Drizzt books. I'll be stopping after book 6 to jump into the Dragonlance trilogy and the twins trilogy tho. If I feel like I wanna get more Drizzt, I'll return some other time.
The double ZZ means you keep the hard Z sound like in BUZZ.
If you liked Drizzt, you have to read Dragon Lance.
Yes! One of my cousins always says Drizz-It... bugs me every time haha
Are you LDS btw?
This got me into fantasy in the 9th grade. Teachers would take my books from me in class :( couldn't put it down. Great memories
Just finished this book absolutely awesome hope rest of the series is as good
I'm gonna have to check these out!
My single favorite fantasy book, glad it got a 5 star from you
2:15 while at the topic of books set in an already established worlds ae you planning on reading any warhammer 40k novels?
No plans currently, but there is a book in that universe on my patreon wheel so the book gods might pick it for me! What's a good starting point?
@@MattsFantasyBookReviewsI think the Gotrek and Felix books are a fun place to start.
you can start with the obvious one which is horus rising it's about a son rebelling on his father the emperor of mankind but there's a lot of starting points or you can start with first and only it's about men going insane in a crusade
anything by dan abnett is a good start tbh
but if you really want to , you can play some of the games and see if you like the lore and the worldbuilding
by the way what is the book on the wheel
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews
@@MattsFantasyBookReviewsThe Gotrek and Felix series mentioned above is a good recommendation for classic Warhammer, but in terms of 40k (ie sci-fi not fantasy) a v good starting point I think is Xenos, which is the first book in the Eisenhorn trilogy!
One of my all time favorites!
I loved legend of the arch magus! But there’s no reviews of it I’ve seen. Maybe check it out
This book made me start to read fantasy books! First trilogy is legend. I nearly memorized the first book lol
My first adult fantasy! Loved this series.
I tried reading this book a few months ago. I gave up about 70 pages in but not because the book was bad. The setting and culture was just so dark. I honestly couldn't figure out how the dark elves exist when their whole culture is about killing and backstabbing. Maybe I'll give it another try.
They only get better and better starting with the third book. Sojourn
You should at some stage try some Warhammer fantasy books. Some of the best fantasy I’ve read takes place in the Warhammer setting.
If Homeland is any indication, the Drow and demonic antagonists turned out to be more interesting than any of the insufferable good characters like Wulfgar, the Battlehammer dwarf and that Bree cheese catwoman in the Drizzt novels.
This really hurts my TBR 😢
RA Salvatore is an author I’ve never read but heard great things about. Just curious, do you think it would be an enjoyable read for someone not familiar with DnD and that world?
Absolutely!
39 books in this series haha
sigh.. *opens goodreads and adds to tbr*
Lmao I was beginning to think that you didn't like Fantasy published before 2000 . ROTFLMAO
no offense to this guy ... but skip to 4.40, give or take a few seconds... to actually get to the point of the review (your welcome)
Drizzt is pronounced just as it is spelled. No I after the ZZs.
And IMO. This trilogy actually rivals lord of the rings.
I've become a little sick of Drizzt over the years. Too much of a Mary Sue.
The worst Forgotten Realms novels I’ve read. Take that as you will.
Halfway into 'rise of the king', around the 20 somethingth book in the series. Entreri is my favorite character in ALL of fiction.
I will say that Salvatore did have full control to create menzobarranzan. Up until that point it was not developed. Salvatore created the dark elf politics and fleshed out the race culture and world!
Wow, that's really incredible. He knocked that 100% out of the park!
@@MattsFantasyBookReviews yeah he did! He created the character Drizzt as a side character to a character named Wulfgar in the Icewind Dale trilogy. Fans liked him so much he was contracted To then write the dark elf trilogy anf give Drizzt a backstory. He was effectively given his own corner of the world of forgotten realms to do with as he pleased.
I've always recommended it as cannon resource for D&D groups. He does a great job.
This series makes the lord of the rings movies seem like a special needs cartoon in comparison