Spearwielder's Tale

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining... waiting for more from Salvatore
Review: Good read.

This book is not nearly as "deep" as the Dark Elf series (and not meant to be!)but provides an entertaining storyline with good character development. The book covers a wide range of fantasy races... much like other Salvatore releases.

Spearwielder is a lighter read than the Dark Elf books and would hold younger readers' attention as well.


Rating:
Summary: A great lighter read from Salvatore
Review: If you've read Salvatore, you probably expect a lot of over-the-top acrobatics in the fight scenes, characters whom are developed through hundreds of pages, and a world that draws you in and never lets go. Spearwielder's Tale has all of these but not to the point of over-doing it so younger readers won't feel overwhelmed by the atmosphere or the depth at the beginning. However, by the end, there may just be another fantasy lover in the world!

If you're expecting a hero as complex as Drizzt, then you're in for a surprise! Gary Ledger, the "Spearwielder," is an unintentional hero who is taken to the land of Faerie from a "gate" outside his home. There, he learns about his role in the world and learns about himself all while "saving the world!" His development is not nearly as deep as Drizzt but then again, he spends most of the books in a land he is unfamiliar with and has little time to develop his past, his full value structure, nor his plans for the future. But, throughout the story, there is enough development for any avid reader to not be asking themselves "why?" certain things are done by the character; a welcome departure from the Drizzt series, I must say.

There is light humor throughout and it isn't distracting in the least as it comes at points in the story when there needs to be a bit of humor. Like Salvatore's Drizzt series, the book is not a laugh a minute by any means but it will keep you in good spirits and repeating the phrase "heeland coos" for a while!

One small note of caution on language: There is a single word that some parents of younger children may not want them reading. It begins with an "S" and is only said twice if memory serves. Other than that, there are a few points that the characters start to curse but are stopped by various means (nothing overly vulgar). If any of these things bother you, you may want to preview the book for your children. But let me say that the context of these are all in a humorous fashion and do not detract in the least from the overall story and any child age 12 and up should have no problems reading this. And almost every "PG" movie has worse language and situations than Spearwielder!

Overall, this is a great read. The Trilogy books each end at a great point but you will always want to keep reading so the "easy pace" you impose on yourself may not be able to be kept! A book per day is the pace I read it at and I could see having read it much faster if I'd had the time. Light? Yes. Worth the read? Very much so!