Sojourn is the third and last book in the Dark Elf Trilogy by R. A. Salvatore. It was written published 1999 by Wizard of the Coast. This is by many considered one of the old classic in fantasy and the first time I have read the trilogy. As this is the last book I will review it and the entire series in an a overall review.
The plot continues where the last one left off with Drizzt coming to the surface to build himself a life only to encounter death and prejudices. He meets both friends and enemies as he slowly adapts to the surface along with learning more about himself and the world around him.
The plot felt unfocused and I wondered if this book wasn’t planned. First, he wanted to settle with humans, that didn’t work out. Then he learns to become a ranger and defend his friend’s home. Then suddenly he steals from a gold hoarding dragon, a scene very similar to the one in the Hobbit. Then he saves a little girl kidnapped by the one hunting him before Drizzt continues his search for a home by going to Icewind Dale.
All while being Roddy, a bounty hunter who hunts Drizzt for revenge since Drizzt defeated him. Roddy is as bland as villains come. His personality is that he is cruel and his actions is irrational, almost insane. He is there because the book needs a villain so, let’s have a random character hunt him. (Me: Like in the second book? But in that one it was someone who actual mattered.)
Drizzt as a character feels gloomy. The master of brooding along with having sudden impulses such as suddenly wanting adventure even though he in previous books only wanted a home. I guess they didn’t want him to settle down so they could write 32 more books.
Then we have the old, blind man who is a ranger. The old man becomes Drizzt’s friend and mentor. Yes, if it sounds familiar it is because by now the wise old man who becomes a mentor is a trope. And by the way, he is also a hermit. Yep, it checks all boxes.
I cannot count up other characters, for though they are there such as Dove and the boy Liam. All of them are there as small and most of all temporarily. I can hardly remember them. They are countless but I just cannot remember them. Frankly, I don’t need to either since they aren’t important to the plot.
Frankly, this book was quite boring much to the aimless wandering. This felt like a book of countless mini bosses without a larger plot. The characters are flat and cliché. Though for those who enjoy it, I do not, there is a lot of fast paced battle. I would rate this book a 5 out of 10. No more, no less. This is a book I would skip. It doesn’t really add anything, most likely because it is a bridge between this trilogy and the next one instead of being the end of the Dark Elf trilogy.
Now, for the entire series. I found the entire series very weird. It doesn’t have any overall plot other than telling the life of Drizzt. The goal seems to be finding a home for Drizzt but the author merely throws in a, now he is home, at the end without really feeling like the story has earned it. Especially considering that there are 32 more books about Drizzt. There is no ending, the characters are often temporary and feels more like characters making an appearance from other series than actually being characters themselves.
It has mindless action, often very long, and with all but deep plot. There are some bright points such as the relationship between Drizzt and his father Zac. I also liked the friendship between Drizzt and Belwar. If you have read the books you will noticed the pattern. Both characters make an appearance in the first and second book. The third book felt very distant from the two first that had at least some common points. The third books did not and ended this trilogy on a bad note.
The trilogy felt more like a sidestory written because of the popularity of the original series, whatever that might be. Which is also why the characters felt flat. You should already knew them if you have read the original story. I don’t know if any of this is true but that is what I felt when I read the story.
The writing was traditional, especially the dialog that was made to sound very old. Which make the dialog stick out like sore thumb. That it the writing felt in some cases a bit repeating. Take a drink every time the author has written, and now Drizzt understood. I personally felt that it made the story feel slow and dull. Certain scenes became to long, and the dialog was not as striking because the writer was to focused on making it sound traditional to consider the pacing.
All in all, the series was traditional. I can see why people might like it when it first came out since it is deep with lore and creatures. A High Fantasy in its truest form but I was disillusioned by it. It did not caught my attention and, with the exceptions of a few scenes and characters, it just felt like a story written because someone wasn’t given a choice.
The series in a whole would by me be rated a 6 out of 10. I did not like it but it does feel like a good example for a traditional fantasy series without the more hybrid fantasy stories of today. It is one I would recommend for fans of the games or fans of traditional series with deep lore like that of Tolkien’s books. This one definitively follows in the footsteps of Tolkien. Though, not as well according to me.
With Kind Regards
Senefer.
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