Gauntlgrym: The Legend of Drizzt

By R. A. Salvatore

With nothing left to lose, Drizzt and Bruenor begin an arduous search for the lost dwarven kingdom of Gauntlgrym
 
The peace between the dwarves of Mithral Hall and the orcish Kingdom of Many-Arrows has not come without its costs. But even grief and old age cannot dissuade Bruenor Battlehammer from pursuing his dream of finding the fabled kingdom of Gauntlgrym—ruins said to be rich with ancient treasure and arcane lore. As always, Drizzt Do’Urden is at his side, ready to make the most of his friend’s final years.
 
But Jarlaxle and Athrogate are two steps ahead. In their own search for treasure and magic, Jarlaxle and Athrogate inadvertently set into motion a catastrophe that could spell disaster for the unsuspecting people of the city of Neverwinter—a catastrophe big enough to lure even the mercenary Jarlaxle into risking his own coin and skin to stop it. Unfortunately, the more they uncover about the secret of Gauntlgrym, the more it looks like they can’t stop it on their own. They’ll need help from the last people they ever thought to fight alongside again: Drizzt and Bruenor.
 
Gauntlgrym is the first book in the Neverwinter Saga and the twenty-third installment in the Legend of Drizzt series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Oct 5, 2010
• ISBN: 9780786958047

R. A. Salvatore

Over three decades ago, R. A. Salvatore created the character of Drizzt Do’Urden, the dark elf who has withstood the test of time to stand today as an icon in the fantasy genre. With his work in the Forgotten Realms, the Crimson Shadow, the DemonWars Saga, and other series, Salvatore has sold more than thirty million books worldwide and has appeared on the New York Times bestseller list more than two dozen times. He considers writing to be his personal journey, but still, he’s quite pleased that so many are walking the road beside him! R.A. lives in Massachusetts with his wife, Diane, and their two dogs, Dexter and Pikel. He still plays softball for his team, Clan Battlehammer, and enjoys his weekly DemonWars: Reformation RPG and Dungeons & Dragons 5e games. 

Reviews for Gauntlgrym

[timmyp-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

*Spoiler* So hard to judge this book. It is as well written and as captivating as any of Salvatore's Drizzt books. I guess my personal attachment to Drizzts companions has clouded my objectivity. I didn't like having Bruneor die nor realizing that Cattie-Brie and Regis were gone for good. Thus I didn't like the story. I actually put down Salavatore for a while before being able to read the next in the series. Salvatore can do whatever he likes with his characters but it would have been nice to have them along a little longer...

[gsb68 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not up to the standards of previous titles in the series.

[loucypher_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love the whole Drizzt series and this was a very well written Salvatore novel. But maybe because Im older maybe because its the 21 book in the series but I was hoping for a little more character development and a little less against all odds fighting that ends everyone of the previous 20 novels. Here's hoping the next book is a little better and that Barrabus the Gray is who I think he is.

[elbakerone · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

R.A. Salvatore has done it again. Twenty-one books later the Legend of Drizzt epic is still not running out of steam. In the first book of the newest trilogy, Neverwinter, an older though not impeccably wiser, Drizzt sets off with his long-time friend the dwarf king Breunor Battlehammer on an adventure to find a lost Dwarven city, the titular Gauntlgrym. Unexpectedly a different dwarf and dark elf pair - Salvatore anti-heroes Jarlaxle and Athrogate - are first on the scene; and not surprisingly, mischief and mayhem erupt leading all four to team up - along with a newly introduced elfish warrior named Dahlia - to find the treasure and save the world. Though the plot borders on cliche, and was arguably used in one of Salvatore's earliest books Streams of Silver, Gauntlgrym adds a fresh twist and a new element of danger and conflict. This isn't the book to start with for those jumping into The Legend of Drizzt (Homeland or The Crystal Shard is the way to go) but this is a book for those that enjoy the deep fantasy setting and are already acquainted with the characters. With a fast-forwarding of time only possible in a book with protagonists known to live for hundreds of years, ties are cut from past generations and rather than an awkward transition coming out of the tearful ending of Salvatore's previous novel The Ghost King, Gauntlgrym is able to start on a rather clean slate. I both loved and hated this setup for the book. On the one hand, I enjoyed that Salvatore was turning over a new leaf and embarking on a new phase of the Drizzt saga. However, the way that time was jumped in the book provided a shaky start to the story. Salvatore has always been an expert at writing emotion for his main characters so beginning the tale with old grief and buried scars rather than nursing raw wounds seemed an odd choice. Once the time frame of the adventure was settled into, the narrative took shape into what every Salvatore fan expects - sweeping battle scenes, grand adventures, and inner character conflict leading to growth. Dahlia was a fascinating new companion to the saga as well. Her story composed some of the most dramatic segments of the novel and with aspects of both heroine and villain within her character she promises to be an intriguing addition to future books in the series. Overall, this may not be Salvatore's greatest book, but it's still highly engaging and entertaining - and definitely a must read for those that love his style and his heroes

[thecrow2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It’s always good to read a new Drizzt book. The story itself is good, probably a bit too stereotypical. The characters are good, no surprise here. The Hungarian transition could have been better.

[sensitivemuse · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Drizzt fighting? check. World run amok? check. Another story plot where lots of changes are going to happen? check. Yet another book that will please the majority of Drizzt fans all over the world. The last trilogy (Transitions) was one that took me a while to get used to. It could have been because of the drastic changes happening to Drizzt, or it could have been the writing style (I found some parts to be extremely slow) but Gauntlgrym calmed my fears and woes. I could not put down this book while I was reading it.The plot was most definitely a good read and as exciting as I thought it would be. The action is consistent with all of Salvatore’s novels and I’m glad that has not changed. Drizzt has changed, whether for better or for worse we’re still not sure. His development as a character is still wonderful to read and it’s always amazing to see him develop - especially when you think he’s already reached his limit (or maybe he has?) The pace was definitely faster than most of Salvatore’s novels - yet that could be because I was just so engrossed with the overall plot and how the story was going.Again, as usual it’s always nice to see other beloved characters from Salvatore’s other works to make an appearance. I’ve always enjoyed (and squeed) when Valas Hune came along as he’s one of my favorite characters outside of Drizzt and his circle of friends also to note, Gromph also appears as well (another squee came from me when I read this part). So seeing a cameo appearance from him was nice to see in this book. There are new characters to add, and Dahlia of course, is the most fascinating one of all. I liked her personality and she was a strong character that could possibly be a potential fighting companion to fight alongside Drizzt, they did seem to fight along really well together. I am really looking forward to reading more about her, as she seems to be a great idea for yet another plot for Drizzt to deal with.Drizzt fans will be happy with this book. It opens up quite a few possibilities for Drizzt to explore, and with a new set of characters there’s a lot more in store for him. There are also quite a few changes, and although it was sad to see some of the other characters go, I am hoping the new ones will keep Drizzt adventures going for yet another fantastic round. Fans will love this one, and newbies should read the entire Drizzt saga from the beginning in order to fully appreciate it. I can’t wait for the next book!