![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kalinara posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
i_read_whatSo, my updates have been more sporadic than I like these last two months. I'm hoping to get back to a regular schedule after the New Year.
Anyway, where we left off, we got some unnecessary backstory and a barbarian invasion. Let's see what happens.
So we start off with the barbarian horde, as directed by deBernezan. Apparently things are going as planned. The barbarians are resisting their instincts for war songs and the like so that they can be stealthy and effective.
Meanwhile, we get some information about what the townsfolk are doing. Apparently there's a decent sized force waiting in Termalaine, intending to ambush the small force and then run off to aid Bryn Shandar.
And it works: Agorwal, the spokesman of Termalaine gets to shoot Barbarian King Haalfdane in the chest. Nice. (We also get a nice moment about Kemp of Targos, who had given Regis trouble before. He's commanding the defenders, but he gave Agorwal the first blow.)
Anyway, the defenders have the advantage of desperation, and dwarven made weapons and shields. Regis is also present, though understandably he's reluctant to fight a battle of big folk. I don't blame him. But he realizes that it's time to take a stand. He spots deBernezan and mistakes him for a member of the townsfolk. It almost goes badly, but Regis manages to pull out his pendant and hypnotize deBerzenan, then he whacks him with a mace. Good man.
Meanwhile, the main host of barbarians, lead by Heafstaag and Beorg, are heading to Bryn Shander. And as we know, the townsfolk are ready for them, both within the city, and then the dwarves and the Easthaven armies outside.
Speaking of Bruenor, he's doing well. He has seven notches to put on his axe-handle and is about to add number eight: a tall, gangly barbarian youth "too young even to show any stubble on his tanned face". We're told that the youth has "the composure of an experienced warrior." And that he doesn't have the "savage fire of barbarian bloodlust . . . but rather an observant, understanding depth."
Mr. Salvatore isn't exactly subtle in his description of the heroes. (Because, yes, of course, this is the standard bearer from before.) Anyway, Bruenor rather regretfully takes him down.
And Drizzt of course gets the big fight with Heafstaag the Elk King. He uses the usual drow abilities: a globe of darkness which blinds their enemies and faerie fire. I enjoy that actually, because I think too many fantasy writers are obsessed with "fair fights". Drizzt is half Heafstaag's size, he should cheat. Anyway. They fight. Heafstaag is strong but Drizzt wins. Unfortunately, other barbarians intercede and carry Heafstaag away before Drizzt can be sure he's dead. Drizzt himself is injured too.
Finally Beorg's group is the last to be defeated and for all my bitching, I think this is a lovely little bit: "Nearly eight hundred barbarians remained, and they fought with the confidence of the blessing of their god. They held their formation for almost an hour, singing and dying, before the lines broke down and chaos erupted.
Less than fifty escaped with their lives."
Sometimes Mr. Salvatore really has a lovely turn of phrase.
In the aftermath, Bruenor meets Regis and hears about how he "slew the traitor that brought the horde upon us" And Bruenor laughs to his "equally amused companions" that there's clearly more to that story.
And this irrationally pisses me off. Yes, Regis won via trickery. But how exactly is using the ruby any less legitimate than Drizzt's use of his globe of darkness or faerie fire. Or for that matter, Guenhwyvar the cat? We're meant to laugh at goofy, cowardly Regis, for pretending to be courageous, but he's not a fighter. He legitimately reached out to someone he thought was an ally, was attacked, and defended himself. His defeat of deBernezan was legitimate damnit.
Meanwhile, Kemp of Targos finds Drizzt, unconscious after his battle with Heafstaag. His brief moment of three-dimensional non-assholishness earlier is clearly forgotten as he starts kicking Drizzt. Bruenor shows up in time to punch him in the kidney, while Cassius, who was watching, screams that Bruenor should be taught manners.
Agorwal defends Bruenor, pointing out that his city would have been destroyed if not for Drizzt, and proclaims that Drizzt will always be welcome in Termalaine. Cassius tries to throw Agorwal out of the city, while Kemp yells that he won't forget this. The last line of the chapter is another lovely turn of phrase:
"And so it went that the alliance of the people of Ten-Towns lasted only as long as their common enemy"
Heavy action sections are hard to review, because a blow by blow description would be redundant, but at the same time, there's not much else to talk about. Here, I think the action was written and paced well. We got general summaries, combined with a more zoomed in look at each of our heroes' individual battles. Each character gets a triumphant moment (even if the narrative seems to want to deny Regis his). Bruenor's is the most interesting, not just because it involves another lead character, but because it actually provides some meaningful introspection without fucking up the pacing or anticipation of the scene.
And it's far more meaningful than Drizzt's endless flashback last chapter. Sure, backstory can be interesting, but I want to know who these characters are NOW. And now I know that Bruenor is a man, or rather dwarf, who can look at an enemy and see a young boy, and feel regret and sorrow for the waste even as he does what he has to do. I like that, it's depth. Like when Regis was spurred into action by the insult to Drizzt earlier, showing that his sense of justice and love for his friend is stronger than fear or anxiety. We're getting some good development for our heroes.
Unfortunately, while the heroes are developing nicely, the villains are still basically cardboard. I was hoping we'd see some kind of nuance with Kemp or Cassius, to show that they are a little more than just stereotypical corrupt council leader villains. But...nothing yet. Shame.
Anyway, where we left off, we got some unnecessary backstory and a barbarian invasion. Let's see what happens.
So we start off with the barbarian horde, as directed by deBernezan. Apparently things are going as planned. The barbarians are resisting their instincts for war songs and the like so that they can be stealthy and effective.
Meanwhile, we get some information about what the townsfolk are doing. Apparently there's a decent sized force waiting in Termalaine, intending to ambush the small force and then run off to aid Bryn Shandar.
And it works: Agorwal, the spokesman of Termalaine gets to shoot Barbarian King Haalfdane in the chest. Nice. (We also get a nice moment about Kemp of Targos, who had given Regis trouble before. He's commanding the defenders, but he gave Agorwal the first blow.)
Anyway, the defenders have the advantage of desperation, and dwarven made weapons and shields. Regis is also present, though understandably he's reluctant to fight a battle of big folk. I don't blame him. But he realizes that it's time to take a stand. He spots deBernezan and mistakes him for a member of the townsfolk. It almost goes badly, but Regis manages to pull out his pendant and hypnotize deBerzenan, then he whacks him with a mace. Good man.
Meanwhile, the main host of barbarians, lead by Heafstaag and Beorg, are heading to Bryn Shander. And as we know, the townsfolk are ready for them, both within the city, and then the dwarves and the Easthaven armies outside.
Speaking of Bruenor, he's doing well. He has seven notches to put on his axe-handle and is about to add number eight: a tall, gangly barbarian youth "too young even to show any stubble on his tanned face". We're told that the youth has "the composure of an experienced warrior." And that he doesn't have the "savage fire of barbarian bloodlust . . . but rather an observant, understanding depth."
Mr. Salvatore isn't exactly subtle in his description of the heroes. (Because, yes, of course, this is the standard bearer from before.) Anyway, Bruenor rather regretfully takes him down.
And Drizzt of course gets the big fight with Heafstaag the Elk King. He uses the usual drow abilities: a globe of darkness which blinds their enemies and faerie fire. I enjoy that actually, because I think too many fantasy writers are obsessed with "fair fights". Drizzt is half Heafstaag's size, he should cheat. Anyway. They fight. Heafstaag is strong but Drizzt wins. Unfortunately, other barbarians intercede and carry Heafstaag away before Drizzt can be sure he's dead. Drizzt himself is injured too.
Finally Beorg's group is the last to be defeated and for all my bitching, I think this is a lovely little bit: "Nearly eight hundred barbarians remained, and they fought with the confidence of the blessing of their god. They held their formation for almost an hour, singing and dying, before the lines broke down and chaos erupted.
Less than fifty escaped with their lives."
Sometimes Mr. Salvatore really has a lovely turn of phrase.
In the aftermath, Bruenor meets Regis and hears about how he "slew the traitor that brought the horde upon us" And Bruenor laughs to his "equally amused companions" that there's clearly more to that story.
And this irrationally pisses me off. Yes, Regis won via trickery. But how exactly is using the ruby any less legitimate than Drizzt's use of his globe of darkness or faerie fire. Or for that matter, Guenhwyvar the cat? We're meant to laugh at goofy, cowardly Regis, for pretending to be courageous, but he's not a fighter. He legitimately reached out to someone he thought was an ally, was attacked, and defended himself. His defeat of deBernezan was legitimate damnit.
Meanwhile, Kemp of Targos finds Drizzt, unconscious after his battle with Heafstaag. His brief moment of three-dimensional non-assholishness earlier is clearly forgotten as he starts kicking Drizzt. Bruenor shows up in time to punch him in the kidney, while Cassius, who was watching, screams that Bruenor should be taught manners.
Agorwal defends Bruenor, pointing out that his city would have been destroyed if not for Drizzt, and proclaims that Drizzt will always be welcome in Termalaine. Cassius tries to throw Agorwal out of the city, while Kemp yells that he won't forget this. The last line of the chapter is another lovely turn of phrase:
"And so it went that the alliance of the people of Ten-Towns lasted only as long as their common enemy"
Heavy action sections are hard to review, because a blow by blow description would be redundant, but at the same time, there's not much else to talk about. Here, I think the action was written and paced well. We got general summaries, combined with a more zoomed in look at each of our heroes' individual battles. Each character gets a triumphant moment (even if the narrative seems to want to deny Regis his). Bruenor's is the most interesting, not just because it involves another lead character, but because it actually provides some meaningful introspection without fucking up the pacing or anticipation of the scene.
And it's far more meaningful than Drizzt's endless flashback last chapter. Sure, backstory can be interesting, but I want to know who these characters are NOW. And now I know that Bruenor is a man, or rather dwarf, who can look at an enemy and see a young boy, and feel regret and sorrow for the waste even as he does what he has to do. I like that, it's depth. Like when Regis was spurred into action by the insult to Drizzt earlier, showing that his sense of justice and love for his friend is stronger than fear or anxiety. We're getting some good development for our heroes.
Unfortunately, while the heroes are developing nicely, the villains are still basically cardboard. I was hoping we'd see some kind of nuance with Kemp or Cassius, to show that they are a little more than just stereotypical corrupt council leader villains. But...nothing yet. Shame.