All about BOB....Salvatore...

[FizbansTalking_Hat]

I just wanted to put up a thread, all about BOB. I am a large fan of his work. I have just recently picked up his first Demonwar Trilogy, and I am quite impressed with the first few pages already.

As a long time fan of Drizz't Do'urden. I wanted to know if there were any other fans out there that enjoyed his work. I find the characters he builds and the world he shapes to be quite fascinating.

Having first been introduced to this form of genre fantasy with Dragonlance, I can't help but compare the two. And while dragonlance will always have a place in my reading world as a form of my adolescent years, I find the Forgotten Realms world that Bob has created to be darker and more mysterious, maybe it's because his characters have that bit of edge to them. Where Dragonlance is more light, Realms is more Blackness.

And the only other thing I can say about Bob is how impresesd I am with him as a person and an author. I post only here and at the Terry Brooks forum when it comes to boards. And Bob posts at the Terry Brooks forum from tiem to time and I really love the fact that he's very devoted to his fans, not only at his own website which I hear he is quite involved with, but with a friends' site (Bob and Terry Brooks are good friends), and its amazing to see him put his thoughts into some of the threads I've created. I like to see that in authors, that they care about our thoughts and/or questions we may have, after all we all have a very symbioant relationship, they write b/c we read, we read b/c they write, you have to have both for everyone's enjoyment.

Cheers to the Bob.

[The Leper Fairy]

I was thinking about getting some of his books because a friend really liked them and after all the praise you give them I don't know how I could resist. Which one's the best to start with?

[Byrn]

The Icewind Dale Trilogies is where Salvatore started. But I think the Dark Elf Trilogy is a prelude to Drittz's arrival in Icewind Dale. I could be wrong as I've only read the two trilogies and it's been 10 years.

[Brinn]

He lives in the town next to where I live. Several of my friends have played hoops with him and other friends have played D&D with him. Although he's not that good a hoops player he's a very good DM!

[Baradakas]

I have always enjoyed Drizzt Do'Urden. Start with the Dark Elf Trilogy, it begins everything.

[FizbansTalking_Hat]

TLF, there is much debate as to which books should be read first. If you want to read them in published order, go with Icewind Dale Trilogy, that kind of just throws you into a world and you slowly learn about Drizz't, dark elf, that way.

The way I did it, I read Dark Elf Trilogy, which takes place just before Icewind Dale, and its more of an introduction to who Drizz't is, and why he is who he is and how he came to be up on that mountain at the begining of Icewind Dale.

I say go with Dark Elf, but some people are very strict about reading things in order of publish date, up to you, either way you will enjoy it, its a lighter style fantasy reading, a bit cliched, but still fun.

I love epic fantasy, and you know, if you're looking for Donaldson, Martin, Tad, Erikson, King style epic reading, you won't find it here.

What you will find is a fun action packed page turning adventure. It's full of cliche's as I told you, and the standard halfling, grumpy dwarf who has a heart of gold but a tough exterior, a young boy who grows into a strong warrior man, and a recluse dark elf who is trying to escape his past and define who he is. So cheers.

[Baradakas]

Bob Salvatore is a bit elementary, in my opinion. But as a consummate D&Der, these books are good old fashioned hack and slash fun.

[TCM]

Salvatore's writing may be a bit more juvenile than SRD's, but that is the main difference. SRD, in my opinion works to create art and pseudo-literature. Salvatore writes to have fun, and to make you have fun. I'm not saying SRD isn't fun, it is. I started reading fantasy through RA Salvatore not Tolkien, SRD, or Brooks. I think if I would have picked up an SRD book and tried to read it at the same age I picked up an RAS I would have fled in terror, this was not fun reading to me at my age level, it would have been plodding, boring, and unltimetly too thick. All I am saying is they both have there place, and am thankful for both.

[Rocksister]

Well, long time, no posts, so this likely won't be seen since no one has been here for a while, but I just started the Drizzt Du'Orden series two weeks ago, starting with Homeland, and am already on book 8. I can't put them down. I have a filthy house and all my clothes are dirty, and I can't sleep, eat, or concentrate! Just kidding. Seriously I am enjoying these books so much. I chose them at a friend's recommendation to fill the time until AATE arrives, and I"m hooked. It's easier to read than TC, which equates to younger demographic, but I"m 51 years old and loving it. And I don't have to get out my dictionary to understand them. That is my only complaint with SRD's TC books. His vocabulary skills make mine look non-existent. Sometimes the context fills in the blanks, sometimes I have no clue. But I started with Homeland, the prequel trilogy, and am reading from the start. And I"m not sorry I did it that way. It's much easier to see where Drizzt is in Crystal Shard when you know where he came from. What a great movie Homeland would make. If I knew who to write to in order to suggest it, I'd do it in a heartbeat. Great books. Salvatore is truly fun to read.