Streams of Silver

by R. A. Salvatore
First Pubished in January 1989
Part of the Icewind Dale Trilogy
Takes place in 1356 DR

"Yer eyes'll shine when ye see rivers runnin' silver in Mithril Hall!"

Bruenor the dwarf, Wulfgar the barbarian, Regis the halfling, and Drizzt the dark elf fight monsters and magic on their way to Mithril Hall, centuries - old birthplace of Bruenor and his dwarven ancestors.

Faced with racism, Drizzt contemplates returning to the lightless underworld city and murderous lifestyle he abandoned. Wulfgar begins to overcome his tribe's aversion to magic. And Regis runs from a deadly assassin, who, allied with evil wizards, is bent on the companions' destruction. All of Bruenor's dreams, and the survival of his party, hinge upon the actions of one brave young woman.

Review

The second part of the Icewind Dale trilogy is even more exiting than the first. Though the story is a bit more of a standard quest fantasy, it is extremely well done. There’s no McGuffin, just a destination providing for character development as the protagonists journey through the lands of Northwest Toril. Knowledge of the Forgotten Realms is not required for reading this novel. That said, this novel does interact much more with the world or Toril than <i>The Crystal Shard</i> did and some knowledge of the Realms might enhance the story for the reader. However, this still reads well as a fantasy novel and never comes off as a novelized version of a D&D campaign.

Like its predecessor, this novel has wonderful characterization. Every major character has their motivations well defined and has believable reactions to events in the plot. Even the villains have credible purposes for being included in the story.

The action sequences are fantastic. They are suspenseful as well with the protagonists often overmatched, avoiding the often comic book super hero feel that sometimes occurs with FR novel characters. The battle with the Trolls in The Evermoors is nothing short of spectacular.

One of the best of the Forgotten Realms novels.

Effects on Toril

Alustriel Silverhand meets Drizzt Do'Urden for the first time.
Drizzt and Wulfgar's notoriety begins to spread around the Realms.
Bruenor and his companions are turned away from Nesme damaging relations with Mithril Hall