Shaitarn's Updates en-US Sun, 04 May 2025 08:19:48 -0700 60 Shaitarn's Updates 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Rating854000841 Sun, 04 May 2025 08:19:48 -0700 <![CDATA[Shaitarn liked a review]]> /
Shaitarn liked The Phoenix 's review of Ruby Red (Precious Stone Trilogy, #1):
Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier
"Secret society, secret powers, time travel... ambush? more secrets... is there something sinister with their mission going on that Gwyneth needs to know about? or is someone just trying to sabotage their plans..."
]]> ReadStatus9383055690 Sat, 03 May 2025 14:11:44 -0700 <![CDATA[Shaitarn started reading 'Best Served Cold']]> /review/show/2928294900 Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie Shaitarn started reading Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie
]]> Review7536771155 Sat, 03 May 2025 11:35:55 -0700 <![CDATA[Shaitarn added 'The Halfling's Gem']]> /review/show/7536771155 The Halfling's Gem by R.A. Salvatore Shaitarn gave 3 stars to The Halfling's Gem (The Icewind Dale Trilogy, #3) by R.A. Salvatore
Somewhere between 2.5 to 2.75 stars.

Plot: Assassin Artemis Entreri has kidnapped Regis the halfling (and the figurine of Guenhwyvar, the magical panther) and is carrying him back south to face Pasha Pook, the head of the thieves guild he used to be a member of. Naturally, his companions are coming after him.

I really didn't enjoy this one very much. Partly this was due to the plot (I was never a fan of Regis, and the only reason he was being chased by Entreri was because he'd stolen the guildmaster's magical ruby so he only has himself to blame - I had virtually no sympathy for him), partly because of some traits that have happened before in this series but were now seriously starting to get on my nerves.

Things like: Drizzt's continued 'super-elf' ism. Sure, he's always been prone to this but it's getting a bit much. Okay fine, he 's a great swordsman, got it. But he also uses his innate dark elf magical abilities frequently, outlining enemies with faerie fire, dropping globes of darkness - I thought dark elves lost these abilities when they lived above ground, and by this time Drizzt has been living on the surface for ( think) about ten years. But I guess the rules don't apply to him.

The contrast between Drizzt being poorly treated owing to his heritage and other people's racism and his cheerful cutting down of others who are evil because they belong to an evil race is also annoying me; and I've also noticed Salvatore always refers to Drittz's monster foes as 'it' rather than giving them a gender - I don't know whether this a deliberate tactic to dehumanise them but having noticed it I can't unsee it.

Complaints aside, it was pretty standard Salvatore fare, with lots of fights and obvious plot beats - the author's never going to win any prizes for originality or matchless prose, but I suppose he's not going for that. I guess if you liked the previous Drizzt novels you'll enjoy this one too.

A lot of people rate the Drizzt novels as the best of the Forgotten Realms books - I personally prefer Elaine Cunningham - but I don't know, I think some of the shine has worn of the Drittz stories for me. I was planning on reading the reminder of the Drittz novels this year, but I might pause here for a while. ]]> Review2335020210 Fri, 02 May 2025 07:48:01 -0700 <![CDATA[Shaitarn added 'Streams of Silver']]> /review/show/2335020210 Streams of Silver by R.A. Salvatore Shaitarn gave 3 stars to Streams of Silver (Forgotten Realms) by R.A. Salvatore
3 stars.

Bruenor Battlehammer is searching for Mithril Hall, the lost home of his ancestors, accompanied by his companions Wulfgar the barbarian, Drizzt Do’Urden the dark elf and Regis the Halfling. Regis is being chased by Artemis Entreri, the greatest assassin in all of Faerun (somehow he neglects to mention this to his friends) and the assassin takes Catti-brie hostage to use her against the companions.

I first read this years ago and was probably more tolerant and forgiving of its flaws then. The plot is basic and reads almost like a D&D campaign and the characters are also pretty basic. There are also traces of the traits that are going to become more prominent in the future [spoilers removed].

It’s a solid story, with ‘quirky� characters that some readers may find entertaining (personally I found them annoying). Only really recommended for fantasy beginners. ]]> ReadStatus9378100135 Fri, 02 May 2025 07:45:24 -0700 <![CDATA[Shaitarn is currently reading 'The Halfling's Gem']]> /review/show/7536771155 The Halfling's Gem by R.A. Salvatore Shaitarn is currently reading The Halfling's Gem by R.A. Salvatore
]]> Comment290155413 Fri, 02 May 2025 07:43:22 -0700 <![CDATA[Shaitarn commented on Brad's review of Streams of Silver]]> /review/show/29945564 Brad's review of Streams of Silver (Forgotten Realms: The Icewind Dale, #2; Legend of Drizzt, #5)
by R.A. Salvatore

Drizzt's attitude really starts to p*** me off. He 'angsts' (in a very juvenile way) about how he's treated badly, but happily chops up orcs and other 'monsters' without questioning their attitudes. How does he know that orc or goblin wasn't a basically good person trapped in an evil culture just as he was? And that fact that he keeps some of his drow magic abilities in spite of living on the surface annoys me as well. ]]> Rating853367760 Fri, 02 May 2025 07:03:55 -0700 <![CDATA[Shaitarn liked a review]]> /
Shaitarn liked Shane Findlay's review of The Last Wish (The Witcher, #0.5):
The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski
"I picked this up because it had won the David Gemmell Award. I am thinking I may have imagined that fact."
]]> Comment290040280 Tue, 29 Apr 2025 12:05:23 -0700 <![CDATA[Shaitarn commented on Shane's review of Waylander]]> /review/show/1747466184 Shane's review of Waylander (The Drenai Saga #3)
by David Gemmell

Waylander is my absolute favourite of Gemmell’s protagonists. ]]> Rating852425466 Tue, 29 Apr 2025 12:01:48 -0700 <![CDATA[Shaitarn liked a review]]> /
Shaitarn liked Shane Findlay's review of Waylander (The Drenai Saga #3):
Waylander by David Gemmell
"Stomach hurting awesomeness!
RR: look above."
]]> Review2316574846 Tue, 29 Apr 2025 11:59:32 -0700 <![CDATA[Shaitarn added 'The Crystal Shard']]> /review/show/2316574846 The Crystal Shard by R.A. Salvatore Shaitarn gave 3 stars to The Crystal Shard (Mass Market Paperback) by R.A. Salvatore
bookshelves: sword-and-sorcery
3.5 stars, routed down.

It’s impossible for me to give a balanced, fair review of this book because I first read it when I was in my late teens and happily overlooked points that I would regard as flaws nowadays.

[spoilers removed]

Yes, the plot is clichéd beyond belief (dumb wizard’s apprentice discovers super-powerful magical artefact just lying about in the middle of nowhere and uses it for evil ends), yes, the writing isn’t all it could be (it’s Salvatore’s first book, so I cut him some slack for that), yes, the characters are almost stereotypes with extraordinary fighting skills, but it doesn’t matter.

At the end of the day this is a fun adventure romp and doesn’t pretend to be anything else. I recommend it for people just getting into fantasy, particularly if you’re familiar with AD&D through TSR/WotC’s other products.

And just to add, I absolutely love Larry Elmore’s original cover to the point that I have a signed and numbered limited edition print of it hanging on the wall. Some may think it’s cheesy, but his bold, bright artwork really sold TSR’s novels to me. So thanks, Mr Elmore. ]]>