Salvatore?

[Wolfbrother]

Just curious about what you guys think of him? He doesn't seem to get mentioned very often, but he seems to be a fairly popular writer.

Would anyone recommend him to me? I have never read his work. I generally like some elements of magic/fantasy, but I am more of an epic kind of guy. I like Song of Ice and Fire, and Wheel of Time, and Sword of Truth, but I was not a big fan of the Shannara series for example.

Thoughts?

 

[Gav]

This RA Salvatore?

His first few dark elf books are actually quite good (iirc). After a while I found him to be quite reptitive. I'd read the first couple though.

 

[sassy1]

I haven't read any of R A Salvatore's books myself, but one of my friends at college was a huge fan of his books, so they can't be that bad!

 

[that old guy]

I read one of his books years ago and thought his writing rather pedestrian, to be honest. However, I may have to reconsider over this:

R. A. Salvatore & Green Monster Games challenge interactive media's limits - Computerworld Blogs

...more for me being a Red Sox fan than anything else. Doubtless (okay, hopefully) the villiains will all come in Yankee pinstripes.

 

[Joel007]

The Dark Elf Trilogy are some of the most involving books I've ever read
His work does seem a bit on the lighter side lately, but I tend to read his books for a relaxing tale of swashbuckling adventure. The characters are complex and deep enough to feel real, and the setups are done in the style of a D&D adventure.
I read his books as a much needed break from Ian Irvine's dour outlooks, but with still plenty of action. The books have about the same effect on me as watching Zorro did, I tend to prance about waving swordlike objects after reading too much

 

[Connavar]

I found his books boring the ones i have read.

His characters are too much of sterotypes,flat,uninteresting etc

He does action alright but thats not the only thing i want and i can get better action and the rest from other writers.

 

[Somebloke]

Good when you're forteen and covered in acne. Otherwise rather cardboard.

 

[Connavar]

Good when you're forteen and covered in acne. Otherwise rather cardboard.

Hehe well put!

Thats what i was thinking too when i was reading him.

 

[Sathai]

I've read his Icewind Dale trilogy. I thought they were ok, but not really my cup of tea. They are more of the "sword and sorcery" type of books , so if you like that kind of thing you may enjoy them.

 

[Nikitta]

I've read one of his trilogies and quite liked it. It's nowhere near "epic", not even by the standards causing some people to call almost everything "epic" and it's not the deepest thing I've ever read, but does everything really have to be?

It's good action with characters that have just enough flesh on them to feel real and for me to care what happens next. Sometimes, that's just what I'm in the mood for because I might feel like some light, non-challenging reading sometimes. If you're never in the mood for such a thing, then you probably won't like Salvatore, though.

Of the three series you mention, I've only read part of one and I didn't like it, so our tastes might be wildly different.

 

[Werthead]

He a solid writer when you're a teenager, or if you're looking for something lighter (although he's a far better writer than Eddings or Brooks; maybe a notch below Feist on the scale). IIRC, his entry in The Encyclopedia of Fantasy is a rather dismissive, "He is an adept user of standard material."

In other words: he's okay. Nothing special.

 

[Joel007]

I think of him as a creative D&D player first, and a writer second. After all, he did create one of the most popular characters in the forgotten realms

 

[Somebloke]

I think of him as a creative D&D player first, and a writer second. After all, he did create one of the most popular characters in the forgotten realms

By cheating concerning rules about double-weapon fighting.

 

[Joel007]

I take it you haven't played any of the recent games then.

 

[Somebloke]

I take it you haven't played any of the recent games then.

All I'm saying is that back in the eighties...

 

[Crazihors]

i like the first of his dar elf novels when i read it, but then i bought the highwayman and i found it rather flat and uninteresting in comparison

 

[GOLLUM]

Salvatore is fairly standard fare but I've got almost everything he's written. Dark Elf trilogy was the best by him.

 

[Joel007]

I've just read his Spearwielder trilogy, was most impressed by the style. Even relatively new to the writing scene (compared to the later stuff I've read), he puts an impressive amount of new ideas and comic moments into the story. Having a leprechaun along for the adventures was very amusing, and some of the references to Tolkien made me laugh out loud.

 

[ragnarblackmane]

I recommend you read all of his Drizz't and Artemis books. The later books do not decline in quality, though the Thousand Sword Trilogy was written much differently than his earlier works, but the trilogy is decent enough.

 

[Caine]

Just to chime in on RAS--

I enjoyed Icewind Dale trilogy and Dark Elf Trilogy immensely. Granted, it was a while back, but just like Eddings' Belgariad, I have fond memories of RAS' Icewind Dale and Dark Elf trilogies. Haven't read any of RAS' more recent stuff however.

RAS' books are fun, they're light, contain some engaging swordplay, and I like Drizzt. What more can I ask when I want a change a pace from the Mievilles, Bakkers, Martins, and Hobbs (though I haven't read much from Hobb).