The Leaning Pile of Books is a feature in which I highlight books I got over the last week that sound interesting—old or new, bought or received in the mail for review consideration. Since I hope you will find new books you’re interested in reading in these posts, I try to be as informative as possible. If I can find them, links to excerpts, author’s websites, and places where you can find more information on the book are included, along with series information and the publisher’s book description.
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This past week brought new editions of the books in The Dark Elf Trilogy by R. A. Salvatore, which were rereleased on May 21. More of The Legend of Drizzt books will follow, starting with a rerelease of The Icewind Dale Trilogy in September.
I read a bunch of The Legend of Drizzt books a long time ago and found them to be great fun, but The Dark Elf Trilogy are actually the ones I remember most fondly. The Underdark and drow characters were most compelling to me, and I had actually already been thinking about rereading this trilogy since I can’t stop playing Baldur’s Gate 3. (I’m excited to revisit these partially because I don’t remember enough about the different houses that come up in the game and partially because I want to refresh my memory before doing a run as a cleric of Lolth.)
Homeland (The Dark Elf Trilogy #1) by R. A. Salvatore
The Penguin Random House website has an excerpt from Homeland.
I just love seeing Guenhwyvar on the cover.
Discover the origin story of one of Dungeons & Dragons’ greatest heroes, drow ranger Drizzt Do’Urden, in the thrilling first adventure in The Dark Elf Trilogy.
As the third son of Mother Malice and weaponmaster Zaknafein, Drizzt Do’Urden must be sacrificed to Lolth, the evil Spider Queen, per the tradition of their matriarchal drow society. But the unexpected death of his older brother spares young Drizzt—though he is still at the mercy of his abusive sisters.
As Drizzt grows older and proves himself to be a formidable warrior at Melee-Magthere Academy, he realizes that his idea of good and evil does not match that of his fellow drow, who show only cruelty to the other creatures of the Underdark. Can Drizzt stay true to himself in a such an unforgiving, unprincipled world?
Exile (The Dark Elf Trilogy #2) by R. A. Salvatore
The Penguin Random House website has an excerpt from Exile.
Drizzt Do’Urden fights for survival in the labyrinthine Underdark in the second book of The Dark Elf Trilogy.
Ten years have passed since we last saw Drizzt Do’Urden and his magical feline companion, Guenhwyvar—and much has changed. Exiled from Menzoberranzan, the city of his childhood and the hub of drow society, Drizzt now wanders the subterranean maze of the Underdark in search of a new home.
But loneliness is not the only thing that preys on Drizzt: His drow enemies, including his own siblings, would like nothing more than to see him dead. With murder on their minds, they begin their own search of the Underdark tunnels, forcing Drizzt to watch his back at every turn.
Sojourn (The Dark Elf Trilogy #3) by R. A. Salvatore
The Penguin Random House website has an excerpt from Sojourn.
Lone drow Drizzt Do’Urden emerges from the Underdark into the blinding light of day in this epic final chapter of The Dark Elf Trilogy.
After years spent in the ruthless confines of the Underdark, Drizzt Do’Urden has emerged from the subterranean society of his youth to start a new life. Accompanied by his loyal panther, Drizzt begins exploring the surface of Faerûn, a world unlike any he has ever known. From skunks to shapeshifters, Faerûn is full of unfamiliar creatures and fresh dangers, which Drizzt must learn to navigate if he is to survive.
But while Drizzt acts with the best intentions, many of the surface dwellers regard him with fear and mistrust. Can he find faithful allies in this foreign land—or is he doomed to be a lonely outsider, just as he was in the Underdark?
