Introduction

The Thousand Orcs, the first book in R.A. Salvatore's upcoming The Hunter's Blades Trilogy, is an exciting romp through the Icewind Dale area of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting. Telling the continuing adventures of everyone's favorite Drow Elf character Drizzt Do'Urden and his friends Catti-brie, Regis, and Wulfgar, The Thousand Orcs is non-stop excitement from the first page to the final sentence.

Plot

When orcs begin attacking trade caravans in the Icewind Dale area, nobody is prepared for what is about to happen next. An army of orcs led by King Obould Many Arrows assisted by some of Gerti Orelsdottr's frost giants is about to cry havoc and let loose the dogs of war on the peaceful communities of Icewind Dale.

King Bruenor Battlehammer of Mithral Hall, a great dwarven stronghold in the Silver Marches, heads to Mirabar, a chief rival of Mithrall Hall. When several of the Mirabar dwarves welcome King Bruenor, Marchion Elastul, the leader of Mirabar, is not too happy about that and decides that his dwarves cannot be friendly to the dwarves of Mithrall Hall. After King Bruenor and his party leave, Elastul decides that Mirabar is not the place for dwarves that are friendly to Mithrall Hall.

Meanwhile, the survivors of an attack on a dwarven caravan are busy trying to get to Mithral Hall. They manage to find a small town that takes them in and tends to their wounds. Less than ten days after they leave, a band of orcs and frost giants destroys the town.

When the survivors of the caravan meet up with King Bruenor, they tell their story and half of the band split up to check on the town. When they get there, they find that the town has been destroyed and go on a quest to find the destroyers.

Writing

The writing in The Thousand Orcs is top-notch, it's what you would expect from R.A. Salvatore. He doesn't get too long-winded like other fantasy authors do, but at the same time, his sentences aren't short and choppy either. There is a perfect balance in this book. R.A. Salvatore is pretty talented and it shows.

Overall Assessment

The Thousand Orcs is yet another masterpiece by R.A. Salvatore. Salvatore's writing is top-notch and you won't be able to put this book down until you finish it. Salvatore manages to pull you in for another adventure with Drizzt Do'Urden, perhaps one of the most popular fantasy characters in the history of Dungeons and Dragons.

The novel ends with a great cliff hanger and when the second book hits in October 2003, we'll be in for a real treat.

If you liked The Thousand Orcs

Read: The Icewind Dale Trilogy
Watch: Dungeons and Dragons
Play: Icewind Dale