The Icewind Dale Trilogy
Well obviously there are three books here. This is the first series of RA Salvatore that I’ve read. I’ve seen his works many times before, because they were right across from my fantasy series of choice, the Dragonlance series by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weiss. The main reason I’ve stayed away from his writings is because they seemed to lack a depth that I have enjoyed since I can remember. But being in a strange land far from home does a lot to make you more open. So on a whim and a recommendation I read the trilogy.
The first book is rather blunt and deals you the story in an upfront manner. Magic exists, so do dwarves, elves, dark elves, halflings, and all the other multitudinous fairy creatures of yore. After establishing this fact it slams you into a brief-ish history of the place you’re going to be spending the whole book reading about. Rising action, climax, resolution. They are all there and in great heaping piles too. I just found myself not as engaged as I should be. Something about the writing style coupled with the subject matter, there just seems to be this constant lack of depth and richness. If books were cakes, this one and the other 2 (although they do get better further along the trilogy) would mainly be icing. With some accidentally added cake crumbs.
I would go into further depth about the actual story line, and by not doing that I may be actually defeating the purpose of this entire review. But I’m lacking for time so I’ll wind it up like I usually do.
The trilogy was nice, short, easy reads all of them. Entertaining and missing that hierarchy and history that might bore most others away, the books are clean and crisp. I’d read them again just to get a quick read in.
In short again, these books are like the 10 minute fuck sessions you spend with your girlfriend when there’s not enough time or motivation for something more.
Love from the East.
On an unrelated note, Iron and Wine will be playing in New Orleans while I’m in that region so that’s what’s up.
