The Hunter's Blades Trilogy
Encyclopedia
The Hunter's Blades Trilogy is a New York Times best-selling trilogy written by science fiction
and fantasy
author R.A. Salvatore. It follows on from the previous book, The Servant of the Shard and the other books of the Paths of Darkness
series. It contains three books, The Thousand Orcs, The Lone Drow, and The Two Swords. The Two Swords was his 17th work concerning one of the most famous characters Salvatore has created, the drow, or dark elf, Drizzt Do'Urden
. In this series, Drizzt takes a stand to stop the spread of chaos and war from an overambitious orc king across his adopted homeland. The series is followed by the installments in the Transitions series.
King Obould Many-Arrows, allied with a clan of frost giants
, sends a massive army against the towns of the North. On the sidelines, four drow from the Underdark
orchestrate events behind the scenes, playing each side against the other for their own advantage. Drizzt is separated from his friends during the siege at the town of Shallows. He witnesses the apparent death of the other Companions of the Hall
, and turns his attention to slaughtering all of the orcs he can find, whilst reverting again to the Hunter.
(Tarathiel and Innovindil) and their two pegasi
(Sunrise and Sunset) decide to help. The Dwarven druid
Pikel Bouldershoulders loses his left arm at the elbow by a piece of slate thrown by a frost giant. Tarathiel, however, meets his demise at the hands of King Obould Many-Arrows. Meanwhile, the remaining Companions of the Hall, who survived the attack that Drizzt earlier witnessed, are fighting an increasingly desperate battle against Obould's forces.
, where Bruenor and his clan launch a desperate, last-ditch effort to push the orcs back. A desperate rescue attempt succeeds, with Drizzt and Innovindil rescuing the latter's pegasus
, which Obould had captured and chained as a trophy, and Drizzt is unexpectedly reunited with the Companions that he long thought dead. The only major plot line to be tied up in this novel is the question of what Drizzt will do about his relationship with Catti-brie.
Other than that, The Two Swords resolves a few minor plot threads. Drizzt and the surface elf Innovindil bring their quest for the captured pegasus to a conclusion. A few more characters meet their demise in this novel.
Ultimately, the novel keeps the major plot lines active for future novels, and introduces several more.
described it as a "rousing tale of derring-do and harrowing escapes", although in doing so they acknowledged that it was a "light-hearted sword and sorcery novel", which gained some depth through Drizzt's philosophical ponderings about human frailties. Similarly, Paul Brink, writing for the School Library Journal
, acknowledged the author's use of Drizzt to "reflect on issues of racial prejudice".
The Lone Drow debuted on the New York Times bestseller list at number 7. Staff Reviewer Tom Gafkjen from d20zines.com awarded the book a "B" grade. He praised the well-written combat sequences (a point that was also acknowledged by Jackie Cassada when she commented on the first novel in the series) but he did not enjoy the repetitious writing about the character Drizzt brooding over the death of a moon elf. He noted the exceptional writing although preferring the first book of the trilogy. A similarly mixed review came from Publishers Weekly - while mostly negative, the reviewers acknowledged that the novel did (occasionally) rise above the cliché, and that "a few characters do achieve some complexity". Cassada, on the other hand, seemed taken by the second novel in the trilogy, praising the "tense battles, vivid landscapes and memorable characters".
The Two Swords debuted on the New York Times bestseller list at number 4.
It also debuted at number 1 on the Wall Street Journals Bestseller List. Patrick Bergeron II from fantasybookspot.com found The Two Swords predictable and expected key sequences such as the character Drizzt "finding out that his friends had not fallen at Shallows". However he still enjoyed the story and characterisation.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
and fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
author R.A. Salvatore. It follows on from the previous book, The Servant of the Shard and the other books of the Paths of Darkness
Paths of Darkness
Paths of Darkness is the New York Times best-selling series of novels chronicling adventures of the renegade drow elf character Drizzt Do'Urden written by R. A. Salvatore...
series. It contains three books, The Thousand Orcs, The Lone Drow, and The Two Swords. The Two Swords was his 17th work concerning one of the most famous characters Salvatore has created, the drow, or dark elf, Drizzt Do'Urden
Drizzt Do'Urden
Drizzt Do'Urden is a fictional character in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Drizzt was created by author R. A. Salvatore as a supporting character in the Icewind Dale Trilogy. Salvatore created him on a whim when his publisher needed to...
. In this series, Drizzt takes a stand to stop the spread of chaos and war from an overambitious orc king across his adopted homeland. The series is followed by the installments in the Transitions series.
Series titles
- The Thousand Orcs (2002)
- The Lone Drow (2003)
- The Two Swords (2004)
The Thousand Orcs
In The Thousand Orcs, the orcOrc (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, orcs are a primitive race of savage, bestial, barbaric humanoid.-Publication history:The orc was one of the earliest creatures introduced in the D&D game. The D&D orc is largely based upon the orcs appearing in the works of J.R.R...
King Obould Many-Arrows, allied with a clan of frost giants
Giant (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, giant is a type of creature, or "creature type." Giants are humanoid-shaped creatures of great strength and size.-Dungeons & Dragons :...
, sends a massive army against the towns of the North. On the sidelines, four drow from the Underdark
Underdark
The Underdark is a fictional setting which has appeared in Dungeons & Dragons role-playing campaigns and Dungeons & Dragons-based fiction books, including the Legend of Drizzt series by R. A. Salvatore...
orchestrate events behind the scenes, playing each side against the other for their own advantage. Drizzt is separated from his friends during the siege at the town of Shallows. He witnesses the apparent death of the other Companions of the Hall
Companions of the Hall
The Companions of the Hall are a fictional group of characters from a series of R.A. Salvatore novels set in the Forgotten Realms.The five-person group includes Drizzt Do'Urden , Bruenor Battlehammer , Catti-Brie , Wulfgar , and Regis .The characters form the main or supporting cast in most...
, and turns his attention to slaughtering all of the orcs he can find, whilst reverting again to the Hunter.
The Lone Drow
In The Lone Drow, Drizzt Do'Urden is mourning what he believes to be the death of his closest friends. Drizzt only regains his sense of purpose after two elvesElf (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, elves are a fictional humanoid race that is one of the primary races available for play as player characters. Elves are renowned for their grace and mastery of magic and weapons such as the sword and bow...
(Tarathiel and Innovindil) and their two pegasi
Pegasus (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, a pegasus is a magical beast based upon the creature of Greek mythology and Roman mythology.-Publication history:The pegasus first appeared in the Dungeons & Dragons "white box" set ....
(Sunrise and Sunset) decide to help. The Dwarven druid
Druid (Dungeons & Dragons)
The druid is a playable character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Druids wield nature-themed magic. Prior to 4th edition, they gain divine magic from being at one with nature, or from one of several patron gods of the wild, while in 4th edition, they gain primal magic...
Pikel Bouldershoulders loses his left arm at the elbow by a piece of slate thrown by a frost giant. Tarathiel, however, meets his demise at the hands of King Obould Many-Arrows. Meanwhile, the remaining Companions of the Hall, who survived the attack that Drizzt earlier witnessed, are fighting an increasingly desperate battle against Obould's forces.
The Two Swords
In The Two Swords, Obould's horde has pressed the Companions to the very gates of Mithral HallMithral Hall
In the fictional world of Forgotten Realms, Mithral Hall is the fabled dwarven home of Bruenor Battlehammer, an old dwarven city where tunnels were often lined with natural veins of mithral as thick as an arm....
, where Bruenor and his clan launch a desperate, last-ditch effort to push the orcs back. A desperate rescue attempt succeeds, with Drizzt and Innovindil rescuing the latter's pegasus
Pegasus
Pegasus is one of the best known fantastical as well as mythological creatures in Greek mythology. He is a winged divine horse, usually white in color. He was sired by Poseidon, in his role as horse-god, and foaled by the Gorgon Medusa. He was the brother of Chrysaor, born at a single birthing...
, which Obould had captured and chained as a trophy, and Drizzt is unexpectedly reunited with the Companions that he long thought dead. The only major plot line to be tied up in this novel is the question of what Drizzt will do about his relationship with Catti-brie.
Other than that, The Two Swords resolves a few minor plot threads. Drizzt and the surface elf Innovindil bring their quest for the captured pegasus to a conclusion. A few more characters meet their demise in this novel.
Ultimately, the novel keeps the major plot lines active for future novels, and introduces several more.
Characters
- Drizzt Do'UrdenDrizzt Do'UrdenDrizzt Do'Urden is a fictional character in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Drizzt was created by author R. A. Salvatore as a supporting character in the Icewind Dale Trilogy. Salvatore created him on a whim when his publisher needed to...
- Catti-brie
- Bruenor BattlehammerBruenor BattlehammerBruenor Battlehammer is a fictional character in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. The character first appears in the Icewind Dale trilogy by author R. A. Salvatore. He has also appeared in subsequent books as the trusted dwarven companion...
- WulfgarWulfgarWulfgar can refer to:*Wulfgar, the herald of Hroðgar, a character in Beowulf*Wulfgar, the villain in the 1981 Sylvester Stallone film Nighthawks*Wulfgar, one of the Companions of the Hall from the Icewind Dale Trilogy...
- RegisReGISReGIS, short for "Remote Graphic Instruction Set", was a vector graphics markup language developed by Digital Equipment Corporation for later models of their famous VT series of computer terminals. ReGIS supported rudimentary vector graphics consisting of lines, circular arcs, and text...
- Obould Many Arrows
Literary significance and reception
The Thousand Orcs debuted on the New York Times bestseller list at number 11. Reviews were generally positive.Publishers WeeklyPublishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
described it as a "rousing tale of derring-do and harrowing escapes", although in doing so they acknowledged that it was a "light-hearted sword and sorcery novel", which gained some depth through Drizzt's philosophical ponderings about human frailties. Similarly, Paul Brink, writing for the School Library Journal
School Library Journal
The School Library Journal is a monthly magazine with articles and reviews for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with a focus on technology and multimedia. Reviews are included for preschool to 4th grade,...
, acknowledged the author's use of Drizzt to "reflect on issues of racial prejudice".
The Lone Drow debuted on the New York Times bestseller list at number 7. Staff Reviewer Tom Gafkjen from d20zines.com awarded the book a "B" grade. He praised the well-written combat sequences (a point that was also acknowledged by Jackie Cassada when she commented on the first novel in the series) but he did not enjoy the repetitious writing about the character Drizzt brooding over the death of a moon elf. He noted the exceptional writing although preferring the first book of the trilogy. A similarly mixed review came from Publishers Weekly - while mostly negative, the reviewers acknowledged that the novel did (occasionally) rise above the cliché, and that "a few characters do achieve some complexity". Cassada, on the other hand, seemed taken by the second novel in the trilogy, praising the "tense battles, vivid landscapes and memorable characters".
The Two Swords debuted on the New York Times bestseller list at number 4.
It also debuted at number 1 on the Wall Street Journals Bestseller List. Patrick Bergeron II from fantasybookspot.com found The Two Swords predictable and expected key sequences such as the character Drizzt "finding out that his friends had not fallen at Shallows". However he still enjoyed the story and characterisation.
Publication history
| Title | Author | ISBN | Publisher | US Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Thousand Orcs | R.A. Salvatore | ISBN 978-0786929801 | Wizards of the Coast | October 2002 |
| The Lone Drow | R.A. Salvatore | ISBN 978-0786932283 | Wizards of the Coast | October 2003 |
| The Two Swords | R.A. Salvatore | ISBN 978-0786937905 | Wizards of the Coast | October 2004 |
| The Hunters Blades Trilogy - Collectors Edition (Hardcover) | R.A. Salvatore | ISBN 978-0786943159 | Wizards of the Coast | January 2007 |