Reviews

Review Roll: Homeland

Drizzt's first outing takes a chapter to get going, then brings the drow underworld properly to life.

The quick take

It took a little while to get going for me, but once it did, the world felt properly alive. The battles are exciting and well written, and I'm looking forward to the next Drizzt book.

What it's about

Homeland is the first book in R. A. Salvatore's Dark Elf Trilogy, diving into the early life of one of D&D's most famous characters, Drizzt.

Drizzt was born to be sacrificed to appease the goddess and advance his family's status, but treachery changed his destiny and set him on a path against the drow's traditions, with revenge and a scramble for power running through the story

We follow Drizzt from his early years at home, learning the fighting skills and tactics that stay with him, through his time at the Academy, where the drow try to indoctrinate him into what's expected of him, until he sets out on his own with his one true friend.

What worked

The world feels alive, and the battles and fight scenes are exciting and well written.
The threads of revenge and power-grabbing keep the story interesting.
Guenhwyvar, the panther familiar Drizzt can summon, and the bond between them.
The world-building and learning more about drow society helped flesh out other D&D things I've enjoyed, like Baldur's Gate 3, recently. Sometimes it was just little things that clicked into place.

What didn't

It was a little slow to get into, but that soon passed. I think it's just Salvatore's writing style, as it takes me a chapter to feel at home. It was the same with his two Star Wars novels, Vector Prime and the Attack of the Clones novelisation. Great writer, not a dig!

New to D&D?

No game knowledge needed. It's set in the D&D world, but it's very much a fantasy novel, and the book sets everything up well. The little D&D lore I know added some extra layers beyond the story, but it isn't essential.

The physical book

This one sits at position 18 on the shelf, with spine art showing part of a green cape, grey flowing hair and a belt buckle. The pages have black edging, which gives it a premium feel. It's comfortable to hold, the pages have a nice texture, and the front has a great image of Drizzt and his feline companion.