The Silent Blade

Last updated
The Silent Blade
The Silent Blade (Dungeons & Dragons novel).jpg
Cover of the first edition
Author R. A. Salvatore
Cover artist Todd Lockwood
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Series Paths of Darkness
Genre Fantasy novel
Media typePrint (Paperback) (Hardcover)
Followed by The Spine of the World  

The Silent Blade is the first book of the Legend of Drizzt grouping Paths of Darkness. It is the eleventh book in the ever expanding Legend of Drizzt series and is followed by The Spine of the World which came out the next year. It was released in June 1998 from TSR and then later from Wizards of the Coast.

Contents

Publication history

The Silent Blade was written by R. A. Salvatore. [1] It was republished in February 2009 as the eleventh book in the Legend of Drizzt series. [1]

Todd Lockwood painted the cover for Silent Blade. [2]

Plot

In The Silent Blade, Wulfgar, a mighty barbarian, tries to come to terms with his freedom from the Abyss, from the torturous clutches of the balor Errtu and fails, fleeing from his friends to the port city of Luskan. Confused and angry, he finds a job in The Cutlass, a local tavern, as a bouncer in return for a room and alcohol, which he has become dependent on to dull the pain of his six-year-long entrapment in the Abyss. Many miles to the south Artemis Entreri returns to his hometown of Calimport, only to find that a lot of things have changed in his old thieves guild... and many more will change if he and his new drow sponsors have anything to do with it. Meanwhile, Regis finds that many evil and wicked beings are seemingly enchanted by his ruby; which had belonged to Pasha Pook. The truth is that one of his "friends", a giant, is following him because of The Call of Crenshinibon. Drizzt himself travels with the rest of his friends to see Cadderly Bonaduce who has said he will attempt to use his powers as the chosen of Deneir to destroy Crenshinibon. Drizzt and company are duped by Jarlaxle and his lieutenants who impersonate Cadderly and take the crystal shard for themselves.

Reception

The Silent Blade debuted on The New York Times bestseller list at No. 32. [3] A reviewer in Publishers Weekly commented: "among devotees of Forgotten Realms, it will generate eagerness and enthusiasm." [4]

The Silent Blade won the Origins Awards for Best Game-Related Novel of 1998. [5]

Reviews

Related Research Articles

Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories. Several years later, Greenwood brought the setting to publication for the D&D game as a series of magazine articles, and the first Realms game products were released in 1987. Role-playing game products have been produced for the setting ever since, as have various licensed products including novels, role-playing video game adaptations, comic books, and an upcoming film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drizzt Do'Urden</span> Fictional character from Dungeons & Dragons

Drizzt Do'Urden is a fictional character appearing 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 him to replace one of the characters in an early version of the first book, The Crystal Shard. Drizzt has since become a popular heroic character of the Forgotten Realms setting, and has been featured as the main character of a long series of books, starting chronologically with The Dark Elf Trilogy. As an atypical drow, Drizzt has forsaken both the evil ways of his people and their home in the Underdark, in the drow city of Menzoberranzan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R. A. Salvatore</span> American writer

Robert Anthony Salvatore is an American author best known for The Legend of Drizzt, a series of fantasy novels set in the Forgotten Realms and starring the popular character Drizzt Do'Urden. He has also written The DemonWars Saga, a series of high fantasy novels; several other Forgotten Realms novels; and Vector Prime, the first novel in the Star Wars: The New Jedi Order series. He has sold more than 15 million copies of his books in the United States alone and twenty-two of his titles have been New York Times best-sellers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catti-brie</span> Fictional character from Dungeons & Dragons

Catti-brie is a fictional character in the Forgotten Realms setting, based on the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. The creation of American author R.A. Salvatore, she is primarily known as the love interest of the drow ranger Drizzt Do'Urden and has appeared in multiple media alongside Drizzt.

<i>The Thousand Orcs</i> Book by R. A. Salvatore

The Thousand Orcs is a fantasy novel by American writer R. A. Salvatore, the first book in his series The Hunter's Blades Trilogy. In it, Drizzt Do'Urden is separated from his friends while orcs, giants, and a few drow are determined to destroy everything in their path.

<i>The Lone Drow</i>

The Lone Drow is a 2003 Forgotten Realms novel and the second book in R. A. Salvatore's book series, The Hunter's Blades Trilogy. In this novel, Drizzt Do'Urden is mourning what he believes is the death of his closest friends. He is helped to regain his sense of purpose after two elves and their pegasus decide to help. He goes around killing orcs and preventing new clans from joining the army that has been gathering. While this happens, Drizzt's friends are fighting desperately against the horde.

The Icewind Dale Trilogy is a trilogy of epic fantasy novels by the American writer R.A. Salvatore. The books are The Crystal Shard, Streams of Silver and The Halfling's Gem. They tell the tale of ranger Drizzt Do'Urden the drow, Wulfgar the barbarian warrior, Regis the halfling, dwarf king Bruenor, and Bruenor's adopted human daughter Catti-brie. It is the first of Salvatore's Forgotten Realms novels which introduces some of the best-known characters in that world. The final book of this series, The Halfling's Gem, appeared in The New York Times Best Seller list.

<i>The Hunters Blades Trilogy</i>

The Hunter's Blades Trilogy is a fantasy trilogy by American writer R.A. Salvatore. It follows the Paths of Darkness series and is composed of three books: The Thousand Orcs, The Lone Drow, and The Two Swords. The Two Swords was Salvatore's 17th work concerning one of his most famous characters, Drizzt Do'Urden. In this series, Drizzt tries to stop an orc king from spreading chaos and war. The series reached the New York Times bestseller list and is followed by the installments of the Transitions series.

<i>The Crystal Shard</i>

The Crystal Shard is a 1988 fantasy novel by American writer R. A. Salvatore. The first book in The Icewind Dale Trilogy, it was his first published novel.

Paths of Darkness is an epic fantasy series of novels chronicling adventures of the renegade drow elf character Drizzt Do'Urden written by R. A. Salvatore. It is the follow-up series to Legacy of the Drow and is followed up by The Hunter's Blades Trilogy, and also followed on from the Servant of the Shard in The Sellswords trilogy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Cleric Quintet</span> Novel series by R. A. Salvatore

The Cleric Quintet is a series of five fantasy novels by American writer R. A. Salvatore, set in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. They follow the story of Cadderly Bonaduce, a scholar-cleric, as he attempts to stop the "Chaos Curse" unleashed upon the world. It is also a spiritual journey for Cadderly, where he begins to see things in a new light and becomes closer to his god.

<i>Passage to Dawn</i>

Passage to Dawn is a 1996 fantasy novel by American writer R. A. Salvatore. It is the fourth and final book of his Legacy of the Drow series.

<i>The Two Swords</i>

The Two Swords is a fantasy novel by American writer R. A. Salvatore, the third and final book in his series The Hunter's Blades Trilogy. 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. It follows The Thousand Orcs and The Lone Drow.

<i>The Spine of the World</i>

The Spine of the World is the second book in R. A. Salvatore's book series, Paths of Darkness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Todd Lockwood</span> American fantasy and science fiction artist (born 1957)

Todd Wills Lockwood is an American artist specializing in fantasy and science fiction illustration. He is best known for his work on the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, and for his covers for the books of R. A. Salvatore. His art has also appeared in books from Tor Books, DAW Books, and on magazine covers, including Satellite Orbit magazine in 1984–1985, Asimov's Science Fiction, Analog Science Fiction and Science Fact, Realms of Fantasy, Dragon Magazine, and Dungeon Magazine.

<i>The Orc King</i>

The Orc King is a fantasy novel by American writer R. A. Salvatore, the first book in the Transitions series.

Transitions is a series of fantasy novels by R. A. Salvatore, the famous science fiction and fantasy author, consisting of three novels: The Orc King, The Pirate King, and The Ghost King. It continues the tale of the famous renegade drow Drizzt Do'Urden and his friends. This series is a follow-up to The Hunter's Blades Trilogy. Like the rest of the saga, it is set in the Forgotten Realms, a popular Dungeons & Dragons role-playing setting.

<i>The Ghost King</i>

The Ghost King is the third book in the Transitions series, written by R. A. Salvatore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wulfgar (Forgotten Realms)</span> Fictional character

Wulfgar, son of Beornegar, is the barbarian hero of Icewind Dale in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, and one of the Companions of the Hall along with Drizzt Do'Urden, Catti-brie, Regis the halfling, and Bruenor Battlehammer. He is the creation of R.A. Salvatore.

Sam Wood is an artist whose work has appeared in role-playing games.

References

  1. 1 2 "Wizards Product: Silent Blade, The (Paperback)". Archived from the original on February 15, 2009.
  2. Kenson, Stephen (April 1999). "Profiles: Todd Lockwood". Dragon . Renton, Washington: Wizards of the Coast (#258): 96.
  3. "BEST SELLERS: November 15, 1998". The New York Times . Retrieved 2008-05-16.
  4. Zaleski, Jeff (September 28, 1998). "The Silent Blade". Publishers Weekly. 245 (39): 78.
  5. "Origins Award Winners (1998)". Academy of Adventure Gaming, Arts & Designs. Archived from the original on 2007-10-31.
  6. https://archive.org/details/sim_chronicle_october-november-1998_20_1-2/page/n53/mode/2up