Relentless

Generations #3

by R.A. Salvatore

The epic conclusion to the long-awaited trilogy featuring one of the most beloved characters in all of fantasy—Drizzt Do'Urden—a rollicking tale of life, death, intrigue, magic, danger, and the timeless bonds of family and friendship from New York Times bestselling author R. A. Salvatore.

Displaced in time and unexpectedly reunited with his son Drizzt Do'Urden, Zaknafein has overcome the prejudices ingrained in him as a drow warrior to help his son battle the ambitious Spider Queen and stem the tide of darkness that has been unleashed upon the Forgotten Realms. Though Zaknafein has endured the most difficult battles, survival has come at a terrible cost, and the fight is far from over. 

Facing demons and driders, Zaknafein carries the entire weight of Menzoberranzan surrounding Gauntlgym on his shoulders once more. But the chances of survival for him and his old friend and mercenary Jarlaxle look bleak. Trapped in a desperate and seemingly hopeless situation, the legendary warriors must reach deep inside themselves to face the impossible. 

While the burdens Zaknafein bears are more than enough for one of Menzoberrazan’s greatest warriors, fate holds further challenges. When circumstances take an unexpected turn, Zaknafein discovers he must not only conquer the darkness but learn to accept the uncontrollable: life itself.

The stakes have never been higher for R. A. Salvatore’s most beloved creations in this final volume of his latest bestselling trilogy begun with Timeless and Boundless. A story of brave heroes filled with dangerous thrills, Relentless also considers eternal questions about morality, purpose, sacrifice, and the definition of harmony. Exciting, imaginative, and thought-provoking, it takes fans on an action-packed ride that will challenge their assumptions and leave them breathless and satisfied. 

Genres: Fantasy, Forgotten Realms, Fiction, Audiobook, Dungeons and Dragons, Science Fiction Fantasy, Adventure

453 pages, ebook

First published July 28, 2020

About the author

As one of the fantasy genre’s most successful authors, R.A. Salvatore enjoys an ever-expanding and tremendously loyal following. His books regularly appear on The New York Times best-seller lists and have sold more than 10,000,000 copies. Salvatore’s original hardcover, The Two Swords, Book III of The Hunter’s Blade Trilogy (October 2004) debuted at # 1 on The Wall Street Journal best-seller list and at # 4 on The New York Times best-seller list. His books have been translated into numerous foreign languages including German, Italian, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Turkish, Croatian, Bulgarian, Yiddish, Spanish, Russian, Polish, Portuguese, Czech, and French.

Salvatore’s first published novel, The Crystal Shard from TSR in 1988, became the first volume of the acclaimed Icewind Dale Trilogy and introduced an enormously popular character, the dark elf Drizzt Do’Urden. Since that time, Salvatore has published numerous novels for each of his signature multi-volume series including The Dark Elf Trilogy, Paths of Darkness, The Hunter’s Blades Trilogy, and The Cleric Quintet.

His love affair with fantasy, and with literature in general, began during his sophomore year of college when he was given a copy of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings as a Christmas gift. He promptly changed his major from computerscience to journalism. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications from Fitchburg State College in 1981, then returned for the degree he always cherished, the Bachelor of Arts in English. He began writing seriously in 1982, penning the manuscript that would become Echoes of the Fourth Magic. Salvatore held many jobs during those first years as a writer, finally settling in (much to our delight) to write full time in 1990.

The R.A. Salvatore Collection has been established at his alma mater, Fitchburg State College in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, containing the writer’s letters, manuscripts, and other professional papers. He is in good company, as The Salvatore Collection is situated alongside The Robert Cormier Library, which celebrates the writing career of the co-alum and esteemed author of young adult books.

Salvatore is an active member of his community and is on the board of trustees at the local library in Leominster, Massachusetts. He has participated in several American Library Association regional conferences, giving talks on themes including “Adventure fantasy” and “Why young adults read fantasy.” Salvatore himself enjoys a broad range of literary writers including James Joyce, Mark Twain, Geoffrey Chaucer, Shakespeare, Dante, and Sartre. He counts among his favorite genre literary influences Ian Fleming, Arthur Conan Doyle, Fritz Leiber, and of course, J.R.R. Tolkien.

Born in 1959, Salvatore is a native of Massachusetts and resides there with his wife Diane, and their three children, Bryan, Geno, and Caitlin. The family pets include three Japanese Chins, Oliver, Artemis and Ivan, and four cats including Guenhwyvar.

When he isn't writing, Salvatore chases after his three Japanese Chins, takes long walks, hits the gym, and coaches/plays on a fun-league softball team that includes most of his family. His gaming group still meets on Sundays to play.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/rasalv...

Reviews

[Sean Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone knows that if a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, it doesn’t make any sound. I mean, that’s just science. But, ponder this brain scratcher, my egg-headed friends: can a Drizzt book in which Drizzt doesn’t really appear still feel like a Drizzt book?

The answer, I am happy to report, is an emphatic yes.

After 30+ books and nigh upon three decades of reading about the Companions of the Hall, one would think that I’ve felt all the feelings I can feel about these characters. But, if one DOES think that, one would be woefully misinformed. Because the emotional resonance in Relentless is powerful, to say the least.

Further, the way in which Bob Salvatore has subtly layered nuance into what began as (mostly) classic good vs. evil high fantasy is nothing short of remarkable. It’s been happening gradually for years, but beginning with The Hunter’s Blades Trilogy’s complex depiction of orc king Obould, Salvatore upped his game even more and challenged fantasy tropes in a way that felt organic to the world he’d built* and seemed a natural evolution for Drizzt.

In Relentless, Salvatore somehow manages the trick of continuing to play with stereotypes (primarily with respect to drow society and culture) while retaining his patented kinetic fight scenes and doling out liberal doses of emotion as our heroes not only fight off an invasion of dark elves and demons, but confront the very real possibility that their beloved Drizzt has shuffled off the mortal coil just before becoming a father.

I shouldn’t want to visit Menzoberranzan, as terrifying a city as there is in the Realms, as much as I do, but the nostalgia-tinged accounts of Zaknafein and Jarlaxle’s bromantic past adventures has the sprawling Underdark metropolis cracking the top five of my most desired fantasy getaway locations (though I’m going to really, REALLY vet the Airbnb owners I rent from in that instance because I would make a very unattractive drider with this nose).

I don’t want to spoil anything for those who have not yet taken the journey, so I’ll simply say this in summation: I am and will remain eternally grateful for every adventure I’ve taken alongside the Companions of the Hall and for every bit of passion, reason, and heart Salvatore has infused these stories with. If we have more adventures yet to come, then I will happily saddle up and ride again. If not, I will rest well knowing that I have so many fond memories and roads that I can always revisit alongside Drizzt, Catti-brie, Bruenor, Wulfgar, Regis, Guen, Zak, Jarlaxle, and, yes, even Artemis Entreri.

If you’re a fantasy fan and you haven’t yet, you’ll want to read the Drizzt books from start to finish. Trust me. It doesn’t happen often, but every once in a while, I’m right.

*Yes, I know Ed Greenwood created the Forgotten Realms, nitpickers. When I say “world” in this instance, I mean the combination of characters, stories, and locations that Salvatore’s books carved out and fleshed out within that broader construct. So don’t @ me unless it’s to say something nice about my dance moves, which really are a treat for the eyes and the mind.

[Khurram · Rating 5 out of 5]

R A Salvatore is a web weaving genius. I would almost call him the male incarnation of Loth. I am a huge Drizzt fan and I have to say I think this a one of Salvatore's best work. Yet even though Drizzt is barely in this book. However his tributes, the effect of his presence and legacy makes up for it.

This book is almost a full circle. I know the Crystal Shard was the actual first book Drizzt was in, prequel the Dark Elf Trology is where Drizzt's story starts. Usually I hate the back and forth in time, but the background story told from Zak and Jarlaxle's point of view. Then the current story of constant battle and the ripple effect of Drizzt's life. I got to say nobody writes battle scenes better than Salvatore. The only exception are professionals fighter who have first hand experience.

Another thing I hate is the cliffhanger chapters then the next chapter cuts to another character's story then just as I am getting into their story it ends as a cliffhanger then I am with another character and the cycle repeats. Yes this gets me every time but the pay off of all these paths converging is awesome!!! This is where the total is better then not just the sum of its parts but the multiples of its parts.

This is a just read book for any fan of Drizzt or the Forgotten Realms series as nothing will be the same after this book. I can't wait to see what is next.

[Aristotle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whose house is in the favor of the Spider Queen Lolth?

House Kardashian is looking to move on House Jenner.
Will the top house of Menzoberranzan House Trump approve of such a bold move? And now that House Biden and House Kamala have united what does the future hold for the city Menzoberranzan. Civil War?

"I don't even know what you're talking about. I don't even know what just happened." -Zaknafein

You and me both.

It's been over 20 years of Drizzt in my life. A big fan. I found this book to be repetitive and at times muddled. There were moments of action and i did like the ending. Yvonnel is the alpha and the omega? Still confused. But too many plot lines and Salvatore just couldn't juggle them all. Always nice to revisit my youth. Maybe i'm just getting to old for these kind of books.

[Emma Ashby-McAlister · Rating 1 out of 5]

It feels like half of the book is recapping things that have happened in the rest of the series. Every single time there is a reference to something that happened in a previous book, there's an entire paragraph explaining the reference, even for little things and it's ridiculous. I understand that the series is long, but you don't need to explain the same thing five separate times in one book. Similarly, many conversations last far longer than they need to, and even longer than they realistically could have lasted given the fact that in several, the characters speaking were literally being chased by demons who were supposedly hot on their heels, and yet there they are, having a full two and a half minute conversation arguing over who will go ride ahead and who will stay to distract the demons. They all should have died given the supposed timing.

There is also no subtlety in the series anymore. There's nothing that's just left for the reader to infer, it's all explained, even if it really shouldn't be based on who is speaking and to whom, particularly in the chapters dealing with Menzoberranzan. Intrigue is supposed to be a way of life for the drow, and there is none, it is all spelled out in blatant terms and it feels rather ridiculous to be reading such obvious and clearly stated goals and then for the characters to essentially ignore how obvious everything is and pretend that it's all hush-hush. It makes them seem stupid and slow, when drow culture rewards cleverness, subtlety, and hidden agendas.

More than that, the only characters with any meaningful flaws are Zaknafein with his racism (which he still is mostly overcoming in a disgustingly short amount of time given how deeply rooted these prejudices are supposed to be and his age), Dahlia with her bloodlust (which is honestly being stretched), and Kimmuriel with his detachment. It's also terribly transparent with who Salvatore wants you to dislike because of 'flaws' (Gromph and Beniago with their self-preservation, despite Jarlaxle being the same way and being portrayed as a far better person).

Furthermore, the fact that Salvatore expects us to believe that he would kill off the series' namesake just before his child is born is laughable. The series has turned into Gary Stu and Co. and I find it a bit hard to swallow given that previously, Drizzt actually had flaws, and now it feels like he's supposed to be this perfect being alongside everyone else in the main group.

I've read all of the novels in The Legend of Drizzt, and the only thing that has remained consistent in its quality from the beginning to now has been the sword fights, and I'm genuinely sorry to say that. I used to love this series, but if I'm honest the last good book was The Ghost King, which is sad to say. I'm not sure I'll continue to read after this one, and the fact that so many people praise this book so highly makes me question the sanity of the fanbase, which I also find sad. I wish the series was still good, and I understand that not all of this is on Salvatore, but on Wizards of the Coast, but there comes a point where you just have to give up on a series, and I think this might be it for me.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third and final book in this collection details the Companions of the Hall's fight against Matron Zeerith and her drider army along with a host of demons bent on destruction. Salvatore deftly switches from an ancient history and an event that occurred involving Drizzt's father Zaknefein and the current realms period involving a larger cast of characters, motivations, intrigue, politics and faith.
Salvatore also throws the reader a few curve balls while doing this and ends the book on a hopeful note most certainly warranting another trilogy.

[Bryce Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

I usually think these books are easy and casual fun. Nice quick reads. This one felt super slow for a long time but once it went it WENT. Holy shit. And I might have cried an actual tear.

[Travis Duke · Rating 5 out of 5]

(No spoilers) Speechless....Salvatore really pulled this off...Beautifully. After 30 years and 30+ books, this is remarkable! The book starts off weaving the drow history connecting the present to the past, something RAS has done before (following along like a donkey) The present story with the war on the surface was more intriguing to me, but again I followed the bouncing ball. I truly love learning more about Zak and Jar and their early days but I must admit the warring Drow houses can wear on me... Slowly something was building but it was so hard to pin point it. Then we get this morsel about Kimmuriel, someone I ALWAYS want to know more about.

This was when I started to get so damn excited I was getting goosebumps left and right... what was happening?!? Some much intrigue and mystery!!! And then BOOM...RAS delivers a MASSIVE left hook in story telling that I feel like he has been waiting to deliver for 30 years? ( o.k. maybe less haha)

(maybe some spoliers, sorry I cant help it )

The revelations about the Drow, the relationships, the families, the HISTORY.... I am stunned. seriously I never saw it coming...

And then the ending was a tear jerker with the birth, I was fighting back the emotions. The conclusion fit so damn well it was amazing, everything with Artemis and Sharon, Yvonnel, Kim, Pwent!!!! The little tip of the cap to Bruenor (damn that subtle but meant so much thinking back to the beginning, it was all about Bruenors kindness... holy crap). There is so much to unfold.

And then RAS has the conversation with Jar and Kim... I knew it was coming but damn you RAS you totally delivered the one -two punch! So much more intrigue!!!!

So good.

I will say Regis was not featured that much.... maybe by design? I can't complain I got to see Wulfgar throw the hammer a few more times

[Suvi]

Voi Bob.

[Jameson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read the entirety of the Drizzt Saga over the years, I am always happy to read the newest title by R.A. Salvatore. The majority of this title takes places with the dark elves and is really dialogue heavy for the first half of the book. The typical action Salvatore picks up the second half the book with an excellent ending. Not one of the best titles in the series, but still a good entry into the Drizzt Saga.

[T.L. Branson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Relentless by R.A. Salvatore was a duty, more than a delight. I’m sorry to say.

The Thousand Orcs by R,A, Salvatore was my introduction to fantasy and really the first book I’d ever read because I wanted to. Prior to that, it was all for school or incentives like free Pizza or some other bribe from my parents to get me to read.

But I chose to read The Thousand Orcs and thereby I discovered the world of Drizzt and subsequently devoured every existing Drizzt book starting back with The Crystal Shard.

I fell off the Drizzt wagon at some point. Perhaps I grew fatigued, but more likely it was that I’d reached the limit of all existing books, and when I tried to re-enter the world when next I discovered a new book, too much time had elapsed and I lost touch with Drizzt and the Companions of the Hall.

When the opportunity arose to get an ARC of the newest Drizzt book, I said “why not?”

To be honest, I didn’t even believe I’d be approved for it. But to my surprise, I was approved.

I hadn’t read Timeless, and so I did, and I loved it. It was everything I wanted from a Drizzt book. You can read my Timeless review for more details.

When I got to Boundless, I read the first chapter or two, excited for what lay ahead. But I was so put off by the opener that I made the decision to skip Boundless entirely and hop straight to my ARC of Relentless.

It was slow. Mind numbingly slow.

Relentless Review

The format for these three books did not help my dilemma.

If you’ve been reading them, which I’ll assume you, then you might understand it’s a bit difficult to get into a story when you are removed from it after 6-8 chapters.

Just as I was getting into the story of Jarlaxle and Zaknafein, I was take to the “present” and forced to forge a new path, learning to care about what’s going on.

By the time I had a handle on the future and was invested, it would switch back to the past and I’d have to ask myself “now what was going on here again?”

Not to mention, the Houses of Menzoberranzan are so mixed up between the two timelines. The past I understood. This was the hierarchy I was used to.

But the future?

I couldn’t wrap my brain around matron’s bearing the Do’Urden name, but not being Do’Urden’s at all.

This is probably because I missed about 6 books in the Drizzt timeline from where I ended to where Timeless picked up.

Yes, yes, Timeless had this same format, but it bothered me then as now, but at least the pacing kept me absorbed then. It did not here.

The Story

The plot or story of Relentless is pretty poor.

The heroes are beset on every side by the biggest challenge they’d ever faced.

But it really felt like Salvatore was running out of big bad enemies for the heroes to face and he was grasping at straws to keep things interesting.

The only redeemable aspect of the story is that Salvatore ties up a lot of loose ends. And he gives us a lot of insight into events that occurred twenty years or more ago for us, and hundreds of years before for the characters.

Whether Salvatore knew these details 20 years ago, or only recently came up with an explanation for their significance is unknown to me.

But these revelations and nuggets aside, the story is flat and predictable.

The heroes need to come up with a way to survive.

Oh look, they survive (spoiler).

The Ending

So, apparently in skipping Boundless, I missed where Drizzt was killed by the retriever.

This came as a bit of a shock in the opening pages of Relentless, but hey that’s my own bad for skipping Boundless after all.

The problem here, is that authors have a hard time parting with their children.

That should have already been evidenced by the plethora of revived characters including Catti-brie, Regis, and Zaknafein.

So Drizzt bit the dust.

Is Salvatore going to leave him dead? If you think he might, you’re deceiving yourself.

I don’t usually put spoilers in reviews. And I won’t reveal any details at how about the who, what, where, when, why, and how, but it’s a MAJOR mark against Salvatore for not leaving Drizzt dead.

In my opinion.

Perhaps he wants to keep writing these books. And if he writes another, I probably won’t be reading it.

Not because I don’t love Drizzt. I do.

But because I’m just done.

We had a great run. Drizzt and me.

But it was a slog to finish this book and I did so more out of obligation for the ARC than I did out of a want to know what happened.

I already knew what happened.

Because I’ve learned that Salvatore is incapable of killing his characters and leaving them dead.

That doesn’t mean there needs to be a sad ending.

I’m not saying that the heroes need to lose or the bad guys win, but what I’m saying is that there could have been some pain along the way.

Not a single major character–not a single one–dies over the course of this book.

In fact, I don’t remember ANYONE dying in this book. Bad guys or good guys alike.

A couple of demons, sure, but actual antagonists?

Nope.

How does that work?

Well I’m not going to ruin it, but if you’re looking for the most epic showdown and biggest battle scene you’ve ever read, you will need to look elsewhere.

Relentless does not have what you are looking for.

Final Thoughts

I’m glad Relentless is over. Now I can dive into Empire of Gold by S.A. Chakraborty.

2.5 stars out of 5 for Relentless.

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was great.

I know there are people, long-time Drizzt fans, who will disagree with me on that. They'll say the story was too slow or there wasn't enough Drizzt (to be fair, this might have thrown me off too, if I hadn't been forewarned before picking it up).

But I don't care. If rating is based on my personal enjoyment of a book, I, personally, enjoyed this very much.

We get to see the events of Homeland through Zaknafein's eyes, something that I've been looking forward to since the start of this trilogy. We see the sheer emotional fallout of the end of Boundless. And, as my best indicator, I kept catching myself with this irrepressible grin stretching across my face as I read.

So...(shrugs) yeah. Full marks.

[Aram Brazilian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This might be my favorite series of them all... And maybe this won't be the last Drizzt series - you never know... anything can happen.

I love to be around Bregan D'aerthe... Jarlaxle has been my favorite character for a while now - so to have a series that centers on him and his friendship w/ Drizzt's dad Zaknafein is a pretty big deal... I have been commenting for years that I want more Jarlaxle, and so this series feels like a gift from the author...

Unlike the tv show Lost, this ending was perfect. We learned a lot more about Lolth and the history of Menzoberranzan - and by the time you finish the story, you have a totally different perspective on the Drow culture...

Honestly, I could not be happier with this series - and yes, of course I want more - I do not want this to be over - but if it has to be, then I can at least move on satisfied and grateful that I was here.

At some point I would like to reread all 30+ Drizzt books!

[Allie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was outrageously frustrating to get through. My biggest issue was Salvatore kept flipping through two timelines with no forewarning to the reader. I was constantly confused about what was going on, until a character unique to one timeline made an appearance, making me realize I wasn't in the other timeline and having to recalibrate my understanding of the plot. There was also a huge chunk of the book that was just drow politics. After 30+ books of drow politics, I'm tired of drow politics.

Honestly? The last 100 or so pages of the book was the only worthwhile part to read. I did enjoy some of the revelations and changes at the end (and I will thank Bob for redeeming my favourite character, as well as not killing off my second)..but it was still a little too feel-good-and-everybody-wins considering the tumult of this trilogy.

Perk? He left it open to future novels. Downside? Future novels means more drow politics.

[Ken O’Donnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Mr Salvatore’s master piece!! I’ve read all his books and wouldn’t give anyone of them less then 4 stars but this one I would give 10 if I could. It brought tears to my eyes !! Don’t start at the beginning of Mr Salvatore’s work you’ll not be disappointed!!

[Kendra Lawrence · Rating 3 out of 5]

**Warning, this review contains spoilers**





If we were allowed to give half stars, I would rate this book a 3.5 As a Forgotten Realms fan since 2005 (and yes, the Drizzt books were my introduction to the setting), I have a lot to say about this book, so possible tl;dr.

Like the last several Drizzt books, I have mixed feelings about Relentless. I have seen complaints that there is no sense of peril for the characters, as Bob rarely kills characters—and indeed, brings them back. Personally, this is something I actually like about his writing. Yes, readers need to feel afraid for the characters sometimes, but I was thrilled to see the return of several characters, particularly Zak—though I would still love to know where his soul was all this time.

Speaking of souls—the gods, indeed, the cosmology of the Realms, was treated very…strangely in Relentless. Bob is known for disregarding canon and doing his own thing (sometimes I wonder why he writes in the Realms at all, if he is going to ignore pretty much everything about the lore. Does he just want to be able to write about drow?) It is true that mortals cannot know everything about the gods or the afterlife, but that doesn’t change the fact that in this D&D setting, the existence of the gods is fact, and the afterlife(s) have been well-established. The Monastery of the Yellow Rose is an Ilmataren temple, yet there was not one mention of this poor and underrepresented deity. Instead, even Kane didn’t know what was beyond. Again, mortals don’t know everything, but, also again—temple of Ilmater. Followers know (or at least have a basic understanding) that they will go to the realm of their patron god, or the deity they worshiped most in life (Faerun is largely a polytheistic society). There was little, if any of that here.

The “one with everything” concept was neat in some ways. I also liked Yvonnel’s declaration that souls were energy, and thus could not be destroyed. This is something I have thought about, myself. When you become “one with everything”, you, from my understanding, do not entirely lose a sense of self, but become part of a greater whole. Reminds me somewhat of the Planescape model, in which a petitioner eventually either becomes one with their god or plane, but maintains a sense of identity. It’s a “perfected form”, one could say. But where does this leave the realm of the gods? The souls from the dagger were released into the multiverse (I was vaguely reminded of His Dark Materials and Earthsea here), but what Afa experienced was also a place between life and death. It was a bit confusing, and maybe it was meant to be, but that also meant it was a bit frustrating. I would have loved these scenes to be longer, but they were all crammed in at the end.

In Relentless, everything is very convoluted, and I am not really sure how to respond. We also have the appearance of Charon/Sharon, an entity who has appeared occasionally in the Realms before, but isn’t too prominent. In this scene, a binary, Judeo-Christian take on heaven and hell is given. As there are many options for an afterlife in the Realms, one could see this as a simplification of the “heavenly” realms (Celestia, Arvandor, House of Nature, etc), and more “hellish” realms (Banehold, the Abyss, the Nine Hells themselves, etc), or if it really was a heaven/hell as western readers would understand it. If it’s the latter, then that begs the question of whether this was Bob being Bob, or if WotC/Hasbro is making moves to further simplify the cosmology. There has been talk of removing alignment, at least with mortals, and so maybe your fate is based on choices—but, that was already true, as you went to the realm—and god---that was best aligned with your ethics. I am all for redemption arcs, but Entreri was already heading in that direction. It felt rushed—in fact, much of the last quarter of the book felt rushed. Being as it was the last book in the trilogy, RAS was doubtless trying to cram all the revelations and tie up loose end, but he should have started sooner, either in Timeless and Boundless, or at least earlier in Relentless.

Speaking of revelations (major spoilers here), the revelation of Lolth was so…out there. Is this a move made by Bob, or something WotC/Hasbro prompted him to do? It is too early to tell, but either way, it goes against decades of lore (does Bob or his editor fact-check?). This could be part of the move to diversify the drow, but this just seems like yet another missed opportunity to have Eilistraee and Vhaeraun. Instead, Lolth, while an entity of some sort, was…an infection? She was a malevolent force that feeds off the corruption that we all have potential for. There was a moment where it seemed to harken briefly back to when the drow were first driven underground, but—Lolth was already Lolth by that point. Again, this all happened very fast, with a lot of information and action crammed into the last 20 percent of the novel. Bob may have been setting the building blocks for future changes in the Realms, but I really am not sure what to take away from all this.

Lest it seem like I am tearing this novel apart, I will say that there were some poignant moments, particularly concerning the companions when they thought Drizzt gone—Catti in particular tugged at my heartstrings. And, of course, more Jarlaxle is always a plus. I’ve always been a Zak fan, so I was thrilled at the end of Hero, and to see more of him is always great.

I would have actually liked to have seen the reunion at the end—a couple more pages, or at the very least, a couple more paragraphs, would have been nice. Oh well. Despite the fact that this book raised a number of deep questions (and some questions from earlier in the series remain unanswered), I do hope Bob writes something else. The Drizzt series has to end at some point—though fans don’t seem to think so. I personally wished it had ended with Hero. That was such an amazing ending. But here we are, at the end of the Generations trilogy. Is it the final Drizzt trilogy? As of now, and maybe it will be.

[JM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though Drizzt's "death" at the end of the last book was as believable as the original version of Regis being a better warrior than the rest of the Companions of the Hall and it was very obvious how he would ultimately cheat death, I have to say that I enjoyed this one a lot more than the previous two. Maybe because Drizzt is missing for pretty much the totality of the book and though I love the character in general by this point in his story I find him boring, prone to navel-gazing and a total Gary-Stu? Perhaps in part, but I have to say that this is the first volume where the "present day" parts of the book were finally interesting to me, whereas previously they were anything but. The resolution was interesting, especially the part about the implications for present Menzoberranzan society now that both Matron Mother Quentel Baenre and her niece Yvonnel have learned how different, and better, the city and their people were 2,000 years before previous to Lolth's own fall and transformation into the Spider Queen and their surprising combined feat of reversing the transformation of Matron Zinthia's abyssal drider army, along with the reveal at the very end that now even Dinin Do'Urden is back to life as part of the former dead driders.

For their own part, the "past" sections were still better as expected, continuing to build on the complexity of Menzoberranzan's society and the early lives of Zaknafein, Jarlaxle and the rest of the main Drow cast, but also because by now Drizzt has been born, so we get further context and alternate points of view to stuff that happened in "Homeland," the first chronological book in the series, such as more detail regarding the background of Dinin's murder of his brother Nalfein during the Do'Urden destruction of House De'Vir, the relationship between him and Vierna, as well as that of Vierna and her father Zaknafein, and the fact that Zak revisited his affair with the unusual priestess Dab'nay Tr'arach around the time when Drizzt went off to Melee-Magthere, as well as the fact that, much to my surprise, Dab'nay remains a member of Bregan D'aerthe in the "present day" portions of the book.

Seems joining them, leaving, re-joining, leaving again, and repeating has been a constant in Dab'nay's life. Hell, there's a practically shocking scene in the second half of the book where Jarlaxle and Dab'nay both have a chat at their usual haunt the Oozing Myconid and they express sympathy for each other for being no longer able to enjoy Zaknafein's company after Matron Baenre "suggested" Bregan D'aerthe keep their distance from him after he killed one of Lolth's yochlol demon handmaidens, invoking the goddess's disapproval, and Dab'nay even calls Jarlaxle "my friend" and kisses him on the cheek when taking her leave. If Salvatore hadn't done such a good job of establishing these characters and their personalities and progressions throughout the complete trilogy this scene would have seemed completely out of place and made absolutely no sense given the context of Lolthian Menzoberranzanian society as portrayed so far by Salvatore himself, but instead it works perfectly and helped solidify Dab'nay as one of my favorite characters in the trilogy for her complexity and how much she strays from the typical portrayal of Drow priestesses of the Spider Queen, especially since she still retains Lolth's favor and is granted spells normally, with the implication that the goddess doesn't care about Dab'nay's changing beliefs about Drow culture and likes that those same beliefs make her an agent of chaos in Menzoberranzan. She's almost a mirror of what Vierna Do'Urden could maybe have been like had she not been so weak or if House Do'Urden had been destroyed and she'd been a survivor just like Dab'nay and her brother Duvon. My only complaint is that she and Zaknafein did not meet in the "present day" sections despite being active in the same region. Felt like a missed opportunity to give both characters some closure and maybe even a bit of hope for the future. I mean, an actual Drow couple who like each other and are now free from their culture's imposed views and expectations? Imagine that. It's the most 2021 thing I could ever think of.

The book finishes after the attempted invasion fizzles out and Catti-Brie gives birth to Drizzt's daughter, and he of course shows up back from the dead at the gathering where the baby is being named Brienelle Zaharina in honor of both her grandfathers, which blows Zaknafein's mind. I mean, imagine a traditional male Drow's reaction to having a girl named after him.

I guess I'll take a look at the upcoming new book by the author in his new trilogy about alternate Drow cultures in Faerun, since that theme is the one I've enjoyed the most throughout his different Forgotten Realm novels, especially this trilogy's "alternate" p.o.v. about what it's like to live in Menzoberranzan. Hopefully we'll get a reunion between Zaknafein and Dab'nay, as well as between him, Drizzt and Dinin, along with the start of the latter's redemption arc instead of giving him the role of a villain again. I mean, Dinin did survive the fall of House Do'Urden and joined Bregan D'aerthe back in the day so he already has a history with Jarlaxle as well as the other living Do'Urdens, and has more reason than most to want to support Matron Quenthel and Yvonnel's new vision for their city, I think.

[Jason Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

[Jess Eats Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favorite one so far.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the book I hoped for. The timelines and the characters jumbled around and made it kind of hard to follow. And to have Drizzt appear, so to speak, in the very last sentence and that's it? I appreciated the backstory on some of the characters, but this book felt much more like a history then a story.

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

This latest installment in Salvatore's long running books on everyone's favorite dark elf, Drizzt Do'urden, picks up where we left off in "Boundless". Most books in this saga are divided into trilogies of sorts, and this final installment in this trilogy there is a lot that is very familiar, but also a few twists that I can hope will turn out to be interesting in the future.

First, a minor spoiler: Drizzt does not appear in the book. The end of the previous book as such is not resolved here, though there are quite a few hints on the subject. This is not the first time we've had a book without Drizzt in it, but it's still noteworthy as for the first time we're not quite sure of his fate.

Otherwise the book follows the same path as the earlier books in this trilogy: about half is following Zaknafein's adventures in the past while the other half is on the present. As before, the past is more interesting than the present though less so than in the earlier books. We've reached the events of Homeland so there isn't much new information to be had, and surprisingly seeing the same events unfold from Zaknafeins point of view is a lot less interesting than I thought it would be. I was quite disappointed that the whole training montage section is missing entirely.

As for the present, I'm never a big fan of massive army battles with thousands of demons and other high-level beings thrown around like rags. There aren't even any interesting strategies or tactics this time around which makes it doubly boring.

I can't talk of the conclusion without giving away spoilers but it's questionable at best. There are some things happening that seem very "deus ex" and people acting way out of character. This might lead us to new and interesting paths though, so I'm trying to give it the benefit of the doubt.

In short, this is a typical installment in the Drizzt saga - not one of the better ones, but not one of the worst ones either. If you've kept up with the series all the way through, no point in stopping before this book (or likely, after it either). Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[J. Griff · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a lot to unravel here as this trilogy ends. Is Lolth really a goddess? Or is she a virus? The majority of the ruling counsel seem to think the former. In a bid for power Matron Melarn on the urging of 2 Yochlols (handmaidens) Eskavidne & Yiccardaria decide to bring a drow army to the surface to recapture Gauntlgrym back from the King Bruenor & dwarves. Gromph being pressured by Matron Melarn takes a neutral stance against the upcoming battle, cutting off the magical portals & the magic that keeps the fire elemental prisoner in Gauntlgrym. In doing this puts a timer on Gauntlgrym before the fire elemental can break free of its restraints causing another Neverwinter scenario. Catti-Brie being very pregnant with her & Drizzt's child is trying to find a way to stop the fire elemental from breaking free with help from Yvonnel Baenre. While trying to warn the Lords of Waterdeep a exhausted Regis runs into Dahlia & Artemis Entreri, unsure which Lords to trust gets the 3 of them battling demons that have possessed a high ranking Waterdavian family. Through the process Artemis is trapped into a cocoon that shows him what kind of afterlife he has in front of him unless he changes his ways. This causes a rift between him & Dahlia, since she's a selfish, self-involved tart. We also don't see Drizzt at all until the last chapter of this book.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would rather have read 2 separate books than 2 books crammed into one.

The first 3/4 of the Relentless jumps back and forth between 2 completely independent story lines (one from an earlier time period). I've read plenty of books that use this technique, and it can be done well, but here it wasn't. The big issue is that there was no sense to it. Usually when this is done there are tie-ins between each story line. In Relentless, the 2 story lines are totally independent. It really was like reading 2 books at the same time, switching every few chapters. The only relation between them is a single minor detail regarding the death of a hand maiden.

[Marcus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Memories

I grew up reading these stories about the lavender eyed drow ranger who had a habit of keeping getting into trouble, either by himself,or with his group of stubborn friends. This book brought back those memories, but was a kind of let down because Drizzt really didn't make an appearance until the end, but it tied together everything that had happened to him up to that point. By and large, it was still a very interesting and good read.

[Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

To much fighting discribed

This book and the other two in this trilogy are the biggest disappointment of this author s to date.I have all of the Dritz books but this set were my biggest disappointment. Way to long sword fighting pages.The back and forth in time was not good.It could have a book for each time period. Not Salvatore s best work by far.

[Jason Sunderland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh

So I was anticipating a longer book. I’ve also not been a fan of the flash back/forward. It makes sense but it is messy.

Oh this was a Drizzt Novel? Where’s Dtizzt...

Not the best but not the worst. Mediocre.

[Komble III · Rating 4 out of 5]

<3

ისეთი კარგია რომ წინა ქაქი წიგნი ვაპატიე. თან ძალიან დიდ ივენთს ჩაეყარა ამ წიგნში საფუძველი, იმედი მაქვს რომ გააგრძელებს სერიას და ამდენი კითხვის ნიშნით არ დაგვტოვებს.

ზაკნაფეინ დო'ურდენი არის ყველაზე მაგარი ანაკინ სკაიუოკერი სამყაროში არსებულ ყველა ანაკინ სკაიუოკერებში <3

[Matthew Russell · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was positively meh. The last several books have honestly read more like he's given over to allowing fanfic writers to fill in for him.

[Silvio Pellas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Could have been so much more

This book could have been so much more. But it lacks a significant amount of depth and character development. It is too superficial. A shame.

[Adam Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sat and finished this one in a 3 marathon session yesterday... not sure why I've been reading snippets here and there and not focusing on it...
SPOILERS AHEAD....




With Drizzt transcending onto the spiritual plane at the end of Boundless, in order to escape the retriever, this book was almost completely without him. For the book to still be so exciting without the main character is a testament to R.A. Salvatore and the love that he has cultivated for his characters over these long years.

I want to focus on 3 points:
1) Zaknafein and his adoption into the Companions of the Hall.
This trilogy has half been dedicated to the backstory of Zak and his time in Menzoberranzan, becoming friends with Jarlaxle, and through the birth and training with Drizzt, all taking place before and during Homeland. I really enjoyed seeing this side of him and the clarification to his past that we never really had before. However, during the other half (picking up from his resurrection at the end of Hero) we get to see him grow and develop to the world as it is now, where Drizzt has many non-drow friends he loves like family. Thinking him dead, they give his weapons and armor to his father and Zak is able to fill that role in combat that Drizzt always had. I look forward to seeing him continue to grow his relationships and be allowed to show love for others, as he couldn't in the Underdark.

2) The Restoration of Pwent, Dinin, and the fall of the belief in Lolth.
Near the end of the book, Kimmuriel communes with the Ilithid hivemind and discovers a truth about Lolth and Menzoberranzan in general. It was not always a city of treachery and chaos... it used to have a lot of hope, giving the drow race a place to grow and thrive away from the surface. Much more teamwork and equality (still not for men LOL) but those ideals are now something that House Baenre and several other houses are going to try to impose on the city. I'd REALLY be interested to see a series of books about that, perhaps from Salvatore, perhaps not.
ALSO, the all-powerful nature of Lolth is called into question when it is proven that her "blessings" don't always come from her, and she genuinely doesn't care about the drow race, instead dividing them and driving them further away from their real purposes. The main way this is explored is that Yvonnel and Quenthel are able to (with the help of other drow priestesses and wizards) perform a ritual to eliminate drider transformations. This has always been known as a punishment from Lolth and that they can reverse it takes away from her assumed divine nature.
Matron Zeerith (known for having the blessings of Lolth throughout this book) had been given a huge army of driders. As they run through this gate (created by Yvonnel and Quenthel), they revert back into their original drow forms and subsequently join House Baenre, seeing the non-power of Lolth. Not only does this bring Dinin Do'Urden back to life (a total surprise for me) but Pwent is also able to run through the gate and cure his vampirism. I'm so so so happy to have him back with the whole group!

3) The birth of Brienelle Zaharina, half-drow daughter of Drizzt and Catti-Brie
The end of this book details the birth of Drizzt and Catti-Brie's daughter (legally Brienelle Zaharina, nicknamed Brie-Zara or simply Breezy) and rejoicingly, the return of Drizzt to the material plane (literally the last sentence! but at the expense of Afafrenfere's life). I've followed these characters since I was a teen (40 now) and this scene made me cry. I really look forward to seeing how parenthood changes Drizzt and Catti.

Yet again I sit in awe of Salvatore and his ability to affect me so deeply with these stories. I sincerely hope they NEVER stop coming, though I know that's extremely unlikely. There is a reason I refer to Drizzt as one of my best friends...

Recommend... but don't start here.

[Edward Silverman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have enjoyed this series for years, and I didn't even come to it for the first ten years. This book answers the question of how a Drizzt and companions book would be without Drizzt. As expected, Salvatore delivers on action. Without Drizzt, the role of angst filled badass fighter was played in flashbacks and modern dalereckoning times was filled by Zaknafein, a character from his earlier trilogy who was both Drizzt's father and a character who cried out for more exposition. This story and trilogy filled that role very well. The companions themselves had ancillary roles in this book. The book was more Zaknafein and Kimmuriel and Drow politics than Cattie Brie, Wulfgar and Bruenor, but everyone did have a role to play. The author seemed to be making a point that there is more story to tell but that the characters we have come to know over the past 30 years aren't necessary for that.
The first 1/3 of the book seemed almost a companion piece or prequel to the first underdark trilogy that explained Drizzt's origins. This worked very well. The last parts of the book, which thankfully ended on a high note were about wrapping up the current predicament. I strangely wasn't as into this at this point as the fate of the characters, which may have been the author's intention, though the action and plotting between characters was certainly satifying, I kept finding myself wondering when Drizzt would show up, if he would, and then would any of the other characters die rather than the resolution of the current battle. I have not researched enough to see if Salvatore is truly done with these characters, and there is clearly still a market for the familiarity that they bring but the heroic journey and subversion of that are things that Salvatore does best-bad guy turning good, and I would also be interested in seeing that in a different world or set of characters.
Any D&D fan should be well acquainted with this series and I'd recommend it to them if they weren't. Fans of Sam Sykes will like this, anyone looking for an accessible entry to fantasy after watching a Tolkien movie may also appreciate this series, though I would start with the second trilogy before starting with this series. And if you like Salvatore, read this book!