Overall Rating - 7/10

Narration - 5/10

This book is narrated by Victor Bevine. Different narration styles can be hit or miss for different people, and Bevine's didn't really hit for me here. He wasn't bad by any means, but his performance was far from dazzling for me. I wish I could pinpoint why, but overall the narration just felt boring for me.

Plot - 7/10

Fast pacing, and one or two good twists. Pace was a little too fast for my taste, making it harder to stay engaged with things happening so fast. That said, the climax was pretty freaking sick. Once

they arrived at Mithral Hall

, things really picked up and holy cow was I in it to the end.

Fantasy World-building - 8/10

Faerûn is a wonderful setting. Salvatore takes what previous D&D creators have begun and masterfully fleshes it out, adding new intriguing details and exciting easter eggs.

Characters - 6/10

I feel ambivalent about the character work in this novel. As expected, Drizzt and his companions all have unique personalities that complement each other well, in how well they get along as well as the nature of their disagreements. But I didn't think there was very much satisfying development (with one notable exception). The characters are all quite unique, and I understand their motivations, but I personally would like more introspection and internal dialogue for the characters with big moments.

Prose - 5/10

I find Salvatore's writing to be overall mediocre. Descriptions of places and events are quite simple, with little fluff. The interludes of Drizzt's introspections (journal entries?) are nice, and I believe Salvatore puts in a bit more effort for his philosophizing.

Theme - 7/10

This book covered multiple themes, the ones that stuck out to me being prejudice, nostalgia, and separating yourself from your past. Each of these themes are clearly presented and executed upon, entwining well with the plot and character development (what little there is, anyway).

Overall Thoughts

I was having trouble with this book for the majority of it, but the 60% mark was when I started to feel more engaged. This might be due to feelings around the narration of the audiobook. Because of that, I excepted the overall rating from the narration score. The plot was a bit too fast for me, but the climax was very well executed and hooked me really well. The characters weren't very engaging despite how distinct and fun they are. Despite some of my gripes, I'm always happy to return to Faerûn and the companions for a new adventurous quest!

Content Warnings

A review by ilovewednesdays Streams of Silver: Legend of Drizzt, Book V by R.A. Salvatore