Neverwinter
Neverwinter is the latest Dungeons & Dragons novel following the adventures of Drizzt Do’Urden published by Wizards of the Coast and written by R.A. Salvatore.
By Aaron T. Huss
“I am Drizzt Do’Urden, hardened by the whips of the drow matrons and softened by the honest love of friends. The Companions of the Hall are no more, and at long last I have a sense of finality. My journey takes me from Guantlegrym, as it once took me from Mithral Hall, but I doubt I shall return. It is time to let go of that which is past and seek new roads…”
Overview
Neverwinter is an interesting set of three plotlines that all converge at the end for one big “hoorah”. The main, and obviously most prevalent, plotline is that of Drizzt Do’Urden and his current companion Dahlia, the elf. The story has an underlying purpose consisting of the desire to destroy “the big bad” which happens to consume one of the other two plotlines.
The interesting part of the Drizzt story is that he’s not the purpose of the storyline but rather a player and a facilitator. The actual storyline revolves around his elf companion Dahlia and her desire to reach the evil Sylora Salm and subsequently destroy her. However, Drizzt takes them on a peculiar side-quest which often reads more as a diversion and a delay rather than an integral piece to the storyline. Yes you get to learn more about the two and they develop a bond that aids in the ultimate goal, but it really just makes for better reading than plot advancement.
The second plotline is that of Sylora Salm and her attempts to crush Neverwinter by use of an undead army backed by a powerful archlich. While this simple explanation is very bland, the true fiction results in the aggressive nature of Sylora and her struggles with those in command as she not only attempts to prove herself but also attempts to become much stronger. The result is a dramatic flair in an obviously hostile situation.
The third plotline is more of a background story that enhances the other two depicting the enslaved warrior Artemis Entreri as he fights to protect Neverwinter against the incoming undead army. His story is one that weaves into the Drizzt plotline due to a past history and a new alliance. Essentially, though, Artemis is more like a sidekick and his story brings the other two together and enhances them because of his direct ties with Neverwinter.
Translation
It’s not difficult to translate Neverwinter into a role-playing game as it reads like part of an extended campaign. Every combat is styled like you would envision combat during a Dungeons & Dragons game, or really any fantasy game. Not just because Drizzt is a drow and Dahlia is an elf, but rather because their fluid moves and integral use of magical weapons and items breathes life into what combat in role-playing games is really about.
These combats are extremely dynamic with plenty of strategic movement and equipment choice (such as activating your boots to run faster). It is a constant back and forth of action between the active combatants with every move and clash of steel being represented through colorful description and exciting details.
In addition to the combat, the overarching storyline reads like a role-playing game. The two are on a specific quest to take down “the big bad”. They first make a few side trips that can either lead to good or bad results. In the end, the two make it to the final confrontation and prove they are worthy of a heroic title. The best part about how it’s written in fiction, however, is that not everyone views them as heroic even though their efforts are heroic. This helps to make the storyline more realistic considering there are always people who look down upon even the heroic.
Ratings
Style: 8 out of 10
Neverwinter carries a fairly simple reading style with lots of dialogue and plenty of action. Because there are three separate plotlines that converge in the end, much of the book is spent hopping from story to story as each one advances to that central point. Each piece is developed properly and avoids ending abruptly to jump back to one of the other storylines. The dialogue, however, can get a bit excessive and more scenic and cinematic story could be incorporated.
Storyline: 10 out of 10
The overarching storyline does an excellent job of advancing and developing throughout the book. The individual plotlines are interesting enough to keep the reader going from chapter to chapter without getting bored. The main characters are well-developed and an understanding of their background is brought to fruition. This is important for those who have not read previous Drizzt books and for those characters that do not appear elsewhere. It would be difficult to understand the decisions these characters make without understanding at least part of their history.
