Charon's Claw

the story has been building quite nicely and we journey back to the halls of Gauntlgrym for a fantastic finale. Its nice to have the Drow back after a long time and ofcourse Drizzt and Artemis side by side is always a pleasure. Some very nice set pieces and so well crafted characters make this one memorable. Onwards.

Let's start with what I didn't like: Dahlia. Dahlia is a hard character to process. She's raw, she's aggressive, and she runs counter to Drizzt, the character who I know and love. She is frustrating because she represents the emotions and impulses that Drizzt fights against in others, yet she flaunts them and enjoys seeing Drizzt squirm.

With that out of the way, how was the rest of the book? In one word: excellent. The entire book is a spring with tension constantly building as Drizzt, Dahlia and Artemis work their way to Gauntlgrym to destroy Charon's Claw, both freeing and killing Artemis from his enslavement to the sword. The whole time everyone knows he's going to die, yet the trudge forward, remaining quiet about Artemis's impending death. If this alone was the story, it would be good, but the way Salvatore then twists in the fates of the dark elves and finally reveals the relationship between Alegni, Dahlia, and Effron, was absolutely fantastic.

If you're a fan of the series, then you've either already read this book or your planning on it. If you haven't read this series, then this is not the best place to start, but know that the series is a long haul and one worth the time.