The Dark Elf Trilogy: Homeland, Exile, Sojourn (Forgotten Realms)

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Summary: AN AMAZING CONCLUSION TO AN AMAZING TRILOGY!!!
Review: Definitely a great fantasy epic and one of my personal favorites, The Dark Elf Trilogy-Homeland, Exile, and Sojourn, brings to life the story of a good hearted dark elf ranger named Drizzt Do'Urden and his adventures in the Underdark Drow city of Menzoberranzan in the World of Faerun. The books are so incredibly well written that the reader feels that they have been transported to another universe and are actually present among the characters, seeing what they see, feeling what they feel, sensing what they sense. RA Salvatore has truly outdone himself and has presented us with a masterpiece of literature the likes of which we have seen only in JRR Tolkien's work and in authors Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's Dragonlance Chronicles and Legends trilogies. Duty, honor, bravery, magic, and swordfights are all about. A great trilogy indeed and a "must read" along with RA Salvatore's The Icewind Dale Trilogy!

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Summary: A good story, but weaker than the first two books
Review: This book concludes the "Dark Elf Trilogy," which tells the saga of the early years of the drow ranger Drizzt Do'Urden. The previous volumes, "Homeland" and "Exile," took place almost entirely in the Underdark, the gigantic underground world where the evil drow make their home with multitudes of other unusual creatures. "Sojourn" brings Drizzt, forever cut off from his society because he rejected their evil values, to the surface of the Forgotten Realms. The story traces his journey that leads him the Icewind Dale, and the start of the "Icewind Dale Trilogy" ("The Crystal Shard," "Streams of Silver" and "The Halfling's Gem"), which R. A. Salvatore wrote before this series.

But because "Sojourn" is principally a linking novel that connects Drizzt's life in the underdark with his later adventures with his companions, it is the weakest of the trilogy. It is still an enjoyable read; Salvatore is a clear, vivid writer who excels in actions sequences. However, it doesn't have the imaginative spark or strong plot line of the first two books. The Underdark provided a fascinating, bizarre, and dangerous setting. Without it, Drizzt's solo adventures seem a bit more...well...ordinary. Most of the story is episodic, resolving itself every seventy-five pages or so. It follows a distinct pattern: Drizzt tries to fit in various places, finds himself in danger from misunderstandings or aggressive foes, and then must move on. There are various villains, but no central strong bad guy who carries the whole story. The closest the book comes is a grizzled vengeful bounty hunter named Roddy who has a grudge against Drizzt, but he doesn't measure up to many of Drizzt's other adversaries.

The strongest sequences in the book deal with Drizzt's loneliness and his moral bind of proving to himself that he is a good guy who is not responsible for the deaths that seem to follow him. The center of the book deals with Drizzt's encounter with a kind and wise blind ranger, Montolio, who becomes Drizzt's mentor. (We finally discover how this underground dweller learned about tracking in the wilderness!) The best action scene also takes place here, with Drizzt and Montolio cleverly defending their home against a raid of orcs, giants, and evil wolves.

"Sojourn" is very readable, but slips a notch below the early two books in the trilogy. Fortunately, Salvatore has other great adventures in store of Drizzt and his panther Guenwhyvar. Their story continues in The Icewind Dale books, and after that, "Legacy." Even more to come....

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Summary: Maybe the best of the Drizzt books I've read
Review: This book was awesome. Exciting and emotionally moving the entire way through. While some of the other Salvatore books are pretty basic hack and slash fantasy, this book provides much more than that.
The story is of Drizzt's first experiences on the surface world away from the Underdark in which he lived the first 40-something years of his life. He encounters many difficulties and pains, but also learns to appreciate the beauty and the wonder of the world around him. Drizzt is confronted mainly by misunderstanding and distrust of those he meets, but does find some friends, including an old blind ranger that shows in the truth of his destiny: to be a Ranger. My favorite character of the book has to be Roddy McGristle with the mean yellow dogs, an obsesive bounty hunter that is determined to get Drizzt if it costs him everything.
I highly reccomend this book to anybody.