This article contains spoilers forThe Legend of Drizzt.WithDungeons & Dragonsrecurring character, Drizzt Do’Urden, appearing in books continuously since 1988, he has starred in some excellent stories and some average ones. Regardless of the varying quality of the books he features in, he has transformed the landscape ofD&Dand carved out a place for the drow in the global high fantasy formula.Dark Elf Drizzt Do’Urdenis the product of American writer R.A. Salvatore. He cropped up first in theIcewind Dalebooks, but after proving his popularity, he went on to feature in 38 other novels.
Drizzt Do’Urden’s two scimitarsand the Companions of the Hall accompany Drizzt on his journeys across the Forgotten Realms in R.A. Salvatore’s books. The campaign setting gets explored across 13 book series published by Wizards of the Coast, who also publish the legendaryD&Dtabletop game. Drizzt experiences adventure and battle galore, with romance and character development thrown in, slowly but surely. Therefore, while ranking these books is a little subjective, there are certainly standouts, underlining marked progress in Drizzt’s stoic, but legendary character.
13The Sundering
The Companions (2013)
The Companionsis actually very interesting in a number of ways but falls victim to the franchise element of the Drizzt books.It relies too much on prior knowledge of other goings-on, and on the existence of other novels.The Sunderingis a fairly unique book series in R.A. Salvatore’s Forgotten Realms world, with only one novel out of the six constituting a Drizzt Do’Urden book.The Companionsis included both inThe SunderingandThe Legend of Drizzt, but the otherSunderingbooks focus on other characters.
Drizzt is often the focus of Salvatore’s work, resulting in an overarching book series retroactively titledThe Legend of Drizztand encompassing the Drizzt-focused novels in Salvatore’s bibliography.
The Sunderingbooks are tied together through their focus on the Sundering, a cataclysmic event mastered by Mielikki, Catt-brie’s new goddess.Each book feels a little stilted, andThe Companionsis a good example of the series getting lost in world-building, having to link somehow to multiple other arcs while standing alone. Drizzt’s philosophical journal entries are a treat, but the narrative itself goes nowhere.
12Companion’s Codex
Night Of The Hunter (2014), Rise Of The King (2014), Vengeance Of The Iron Dwarf (2015)
Companion’s Codexis fun and quick to read but feels a bit repetitive and convoluted.Night of the Hunterhas a valuable focus on Drizzt and Artemis Entrari. It is refreshing to read the Companions of the Hall on such top form and Entrari’s plotline offers an arguably even more engaging arc. The sparkling writing that is often present in Salvatore’s books occasionally gives way to mechanical fight scenes, butthe battles are gripping inRise of the KingandVengeance of the Iron Dwarf.
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Road of the Patriarch
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Fight scenes are the bread and butter ofThe Legend of Drizzt, and if that turns readers off, they would probably do well to investigate other fantasy series. However,there are so many conflicting storylinesin this novel that it can be hard to keep up, siphoning emotional relevance from some of the fighting. The problem withThe Legend of Drizztis often the convoluted missions, and all three books suffer a little in this regard.
11Way Of The Drow
Starlight Enclave (2021), Glacier’s Edge (2022), Lolth’s Warrior (2023)
Starlight Enclavehas the strength of being amazingly written, but the weakness of hardly featuring Drizzt. Drizzt provides the compulsion to consume a lot of the books in R.A. Salvatore’s body of work. In the grand scheme of things,this series lacks a bit of focus, without Drizzt to pull narratives together. ButWay of the Drowonly compares unfavorably toall the books featuring Drizzt Do’Urdenin a very wide comparison indeed, featuring a lot of unmissable action.
In many ways, this series starts to complicate the moral axioms of its world in contemporary and door-opening twists.
Jarlaxle is a highlight ofWay of the Drow. He is a gray-scale character that complicates black-and-white morality, and he has some intriguing moments in this trilogy.The often heroic Ice Drow get a lot of attention inStarlight Enclave, stepping away from the idea of most drows being bad. This idea was built up a fair bit in the first few Drizzt books. In many ways, this series starts to complicate the moral axioms of its world in contemporary and door-opening twists.
10Neverwinter Saga
Gauntlgrym (2010), Neverwinter (2011), Charon’s Claw (2012)
This series exhibits a bit of a difference from previous Drizzt Do’Urden books, allowing for a slightly more adult tone. Drizzt interacts significantly with Dahlia, creating a carnal moment for the beloved character in a series where he was mostly celibate. This tonal shift represents a cultural dynamic wherebyfantasy gradually became grittier over the years. The results are a grown-up set of novels that suit Drizzt and his depth.
10 Fantasy Book Heroes Drizzt Do’Urden Fans Would Love
Drizzt Do’Urden is a classic hero in the fantasy genre, and most epic book series incorporate strong and steadfast archetypal characters like him.
However, some readers may prefer the sparkling innocence of some of the earlier Drizzt books. The tone of high fantasy can vary greatly. InThe Dark Elf Trilogy, R.A. Salvatore’s Tolkienian influence shines a lot more than it does inNeverwinter.Fans of George R.R. Martin may appreciate this trilogy, with its political elements and pursuit of more varied relationships than previous Drizzt books.
9Homecoming
Archmage (2015), Maestro (2016), Hero (2016)
Far from a bad series,Homecomingjust isn’t R.A. Salvatore’s best attempt atThe Legend of Drizzt. The stories across all three books are fast-paced, which is part of the appeal of the Drizzt books. However,the narratives often seem scant on detail, sacrificing character development to the plot. And, while the plotlines are fairly absorbing, their complexities can make them confusing.
Fantasy warrior Drizztgets a fairly typical treatment inArchmage, making for an entertaining fantasy adventure.NeitherArchmage,Maestro, norHerobreak any boundarieswithin the Forgotten Realms or fantasy in general, which positionsHomecomingas a safe read for those who enjoy formulaic genre writing. However, there is a lack of creativity inHomecoming, compared toThe Dark Elf TrilogyorSellswords.
8Legacy Of The Drow
The Legacy (1992), Starless Night (1993), Siege Of Darkness (1994), Passage To Dawn (1996)
Legacy of the Drowis a classic ’90s set of Drizzt books and retains that star-spangled high fantasy feel that R.A. Salvatore mastered inIcewind Dale, but it has some key flaws.This long series seems a little emptycompared to its earlier counterparts.Starless Nightmay encapsulate the flaws in this series the most, with Salvatore’s characteristic fight scenes dragging on past their welcome.
Despite that,ranger Drizzt Do’Urdenheads back to Menzoberranzan in this foursome of books, making for a nostalgic return to one ofD&D’smost beguiling environments.Passage to Dawnmeanders a littleand perhaps doesn’t have much of an exciting direction to go in, making this book series seem a little stuck overall. Fortunately, Salvatore certainly returned to form in later novels.
7Generations
Timeless (2018), Boundless (2019), Relentless (2020)
Generationsis a great entry intoThe Legend of Drizzt, it just perhaps lacks a tiny bit of the magic that the first few books captured, comparatively.Timelessdives into Drizzt’s father, which is actually one of the best ways of exploringthe drow Drizzt Do’Urden. As such, those who are motivated by Drizzt’s psychology should definitely dive intoGenerations. Zaknafein is a fascinating character in his own right.Boundlessalso features some emotional moments that make sense of Zaknafein’s fatherhood.
The action in this series remains strong, but the intrigue of the drow goddess, Lolth, is the real tie-in to the wider world, which makes the series feel relevant to the other books.The pacing of the novels is a little jarring, with a lot of slow narrative and then a sudden burst of rapidly occurring events. For those who appreciate the slower and more psychological elements of these books,Generationscould be a highlight. If not, it could lack interest.
6The Sellswords
This series doesn’t actually focus on Drizzt Do’Urden, but it does focus on the brilliant Artemis Entrari, who is often villainized in the Drizzt books. However, he provides a powerful counterpoint to Drizzt in the books, often proving that he may be far more suited to being Drizzt’s soul mate than his enemy. This complex relationship makes the Artemis focus in these books a huge highlight.
The Sellswordsbooks also explore Jarlaxle, another huge selling point inThe Legend of Drizzt. Plus, the last book inThe Sellswordstrilogy is quite key to future novels, so for those committed to pursuing the entire series,skippingSellswordsisn’t recommended. However, for those seeking a way into the Drizzt books or a short, sharp burst of his story - this series isn’t the one.
5Paths Of Darkness
The Silent Blade (1998), The Spine Of The World (1999), Sea Of Swords (2001)
Paths of Darknessis not bad in terms of its storytelling, but it disappoints in that book two strays far from Drizzt’s perspective. While Drizzt is not the only reason to keep reading R.A. Salvatore’s books, he is the pull for many readers, and for good reason.The lack of Drizzt is sorely feltreadingThe Spine of the World, with other characters feeling a little superficial in comparison. When violence is anchored to Drizzt’s personal drama, it is much more engaging. However, the Artemis Entrari redemption arc inPaths of Darknessmakes reading these three books well worth it.
In many ways, Entrari has more chemistry with Drizzt than Catti-brie, the Moriarty to his Sherlock, or the Vegeta to his Goku.
Entrari is a key character in the Drizzt books, and Salvatore finally makes good use of him here. It is a relief to read these books and feel that in the future,Entrari and Drizzt could finally start to see the connection that they always deserved. In many ways, Entrari has more chemistry with Drizzt than Catti-brie, the Moriarty to his Sherlock, or the Vegeta to his Goku. This book series works towards that yin and yang duology, developing an enchanting element of the Drizzt books.
4Transitions
The Orc King (2007), The Pirate King (2008), The Ghost King (2009)
Transitionsis really one of the better trilogies inThe Legend of Drizzt, demonstrating some of R.A. Salvatore’s boldest moments.Drizzt and Catt-brie get marriedat some point betweenThe Pirate KingandThe Orc King, defining a victory for the will-they-won’t-they couple. Although this appears to happen outside the main narrative of the trilogy, it marks a solidifying ofThe Legend of Drizzt’skey romance.
The Ghost Kingoffers up some major character deaths, marking an absolutely massive turning point in the Drizzt books, and helping give weight to this series' title. They don’t feel unearned, either, withThe Orc KingandThe Pirate Kingallowing the characters a suitable swansong. And yet, they are still shocking, proving that Salvatore is able to create impact through character deaths, which is sometimes dubious in his work.
