So, I’m a few days late on this review, but it’s been a little hectic. See my post next week about my new writing schedule. But I’m happy to be able to talk about Salvatore’s Streams of Silver.
Streams of Silver, for me at least, seems like the typical second book in a trilogy. I’ve seen this a lot, where the second first book stands alone pretty well. Then the second book happens and draws you in to where you want to read the third book. Often times, the plot carries over, we meet more characters who will eventually carry onwards. And that’s totally okay. Just wanted to point that out.
The two best aspects of this book revolve around two characters, and since characters are the most important aspects of any novel, this makes sense.
The first is Cattie-brie. If you read my review of The Chrystal Shard, you’ll see I was a little (maybe more than a little) disappointed with her passivity and lack of agency in the first novel, being that she’s the only major female character. However, we see Cattie-brie coming into her own here in the second novel, no small part due to Artemis Entreri (I’ll get to him momentarily). While Cattie-bri doesn’t set out on the quest for Mithral Hall, she is dragged into it and finds that inner strength that makes her such a formidable and compelling character later in the series. So, I encourage any readers to power through the first novel with the understand that the contrast from where she starts to where she ends up is worth it.
The second character is Artemis Entreri. When someone asks me what my favorite part of a book is, I will often times say it was the villain. A strongly crafted antagonist, with just as many nuances as the protagonist, always catches my eye. And Artemis Entreri is just that. He is the mirror opposite of Drizzt, a warrior just as skilled with the sword but lacking the dark elf’s passions. And the great thing in the end is that they are nearly equally matched. Not to spoil too much for later books, but Artemis is constantly able to hold his own against Drizzt, which goes against the cliche good morals winning over bad ones.
The book, like I said, sets up for the third novel, with Drizzt and Wulfgar chasing after Entreri and Regis while Cattie-brie seeks to reclaim Mithral Hall in honor of her (believed) dead father, Bruenor.
I give this book a solid 3.75/5
Kristopher L. Campa 