Neverwinter Book II of the Neverwinter Saga Book Review

R. A. Salvatore has been writing Drizzt Do`Urden books for longer than some readers have been alive. The first book was published back in 1990 and the unstoppable, long-lived Drow Elf has been churning through adventures ever since.

With Wizards of the Coast`s focus on Neverwinter for 2011, Drizzt returns to prominence with the 2010 release of Gauntlgrym and now, the second book in the Neverwinter Saga, Neverwinter, is ready for Drizzt Do’Urden to return to the Jewel of the North, readers in tow.

I won’t give any spoilers because that defeats the purpose of a book review. But know that many of the characters from the previous Drizzt books are dead and several from last year’s are still around including the enigmatic Dahlia, and the evil witch Sylora Salm. On top of that there are some stalwarts of the Dungeons and Dragons Forgotten Realms making appearances including Szass Tam, the lich Zulkir of Thay.

Events of late have changed the face of not only Neverwinter but the power structures of the region. The Netherese have returned, Thay seeks domninance in the region and Neverwinter is undergoing changes itself including rebuilding, new factions and more.

Is it any wonder that Drizzt is drawn back into the area?

Salvatore continues to write with his unmistakable form, but Drizzt returns a changed Drow. More introspective because of events in his long life, yet still very much a Drow of action. The high morals that characterize Drizzt, whom Salvatore has described as "the classic romantic hero—misunderstood, holding to a code of ideals even when the going gets tough, and getting no appreciation for it most of the time," in Dragon Magazine #252, are even more prominent now that he seems to be questioning his existence and the meaning of it all.

Luckily, the somewhat morose Drow, still stinging from the loss of dear friends, is now accompanied by the mischievous Dahlia Sin’felle who drags him from adventure to adventure.

This is where some fans of Drizzt might be less than happy. Drizzt is going through changes, as one imagines living as long as he has, one would. It is refreshing to see the character progression, which is generally lacking in much fiction and to see Salvatore taking the time to further explore the character and look at how so many decades of life would take their toll on someone.