Maestro: Homecoming, Book II by R.A. Salvatore : Review

Something terrible, unspeakable, immense, has come to Menzoberranzan and is leaving death and destruction in its wake. The primordial of Gauntlgrym stirs, sending Cattie-brie and Gromph to Luskan, and the ruins of the only power that can keep the beast in check. The damage of the Darkening, of war, and of a demon-ravaged Underdark has sent cracks out across the North. Some of this damage may never be repaired.

And Drizzt is going home. But not to Mithral Hall. Not to Icewind Dale. He’s going to Menzoberranzan. Bruenor is ready to march with him, bringing along an army of dwarve to end the scourge of Menzoberranzan, but Drizzt needs to see what’s happening there. The dwarf army may not be necessary. The City of Spiders might already have fallen to the demons and their wicked prince. But even if that’s true, what’s to say the demons will stop there?

Last year when I finished the previous book in the Legend of Drizzt series by R.A. Salvatore I promised myself I was done with this series for good, it had come so far from what I loved about the early books in the series. Yet, when I saw Maestro was available to review I was unable to stop myself from requesting a copy of it. I think it’s a testament to how much I did enjoy the early books in the series that I keep coming back for more — despite being disappointed with the last few books. So I was a bit surprised by how much I found myself enjoying this book, at least in the beginning.

I found the idea of Drizzt going home and having to confront his past really interesting and was unable to put it down at first. Then I came to about the half way point and it was like running into a wall, it took me days to get through the rest of the story. I’m not sure why Salvatore felt the need to resurrect the Companions of the Hall if he was just going to separate and abandon 2/3rds of them within just a couple of books. Except for Drizzt, my favorite characters are barely even referenced in this book, and the action all but stops about half way through the book. We go from action scene to action scene, to long philosophical ramblings. We also get a Drizzt who suddenly starts questioning who he is once more.

While I may not have enjoyed the last couple books, they did do a good job of showing Drizzt accepting the way his life turned out, so it bothers me that in just a couple of chapters he’s back to his old self-doubt. After 25+ books I’m getting a bit tired of Drizzt and his emo teenager phase.

I can’t really say I disliked this book any more than I did the last one, but I can say that I don’t think it was any better. I think it had the potential to be one of the better books in the series, and it’s my opinion that the potential ended up being wasted. I would like to say I won’t read the next book in the series again, but I don’t want to make a liar of myself once more. Despite the fact that I haven’t really enjoyed the series lately, there is one thing Salvatore does a good job of, and that is leaving me with the need to know what is going to happen to Drizzt in the end. Even if I think he’s going to milk the character and series for as long as it is possible

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.