The Companions: Forgotten Realms: The Sundering, Book 1

"The Companions" is the first volume of "The Sundering" series from Wizards of the Coast, a major cross-media event that transfers the Forgotten Realms from its 4e incarnation to the next edition. Written by R.A. Salvatore, "The Companions" revisits the characters of his original book - "The Crystal Shard" - and of its many sequels: Bruenor, Regis and Catti-Brie.Readers more up-to-date with Salvatore's novels than me will realise there is a basic problem with using those characters: they're all dead! However, as comics have taught us, death does not have to be permanent. The book deals with how they come back to life and their adventures before they join up with Drizzt again. The popular drow is barely in the book; it instead revolves around the journey of his companions to meet and help him again.The introductory chapters are written surprisingly poorly, with some clumsy exposition and an excess of commas, but the book improves swiftly once the real heart of the story begins. The book alternates between the viewpoints of the three companions as they are reborn as infants and face the challenges of being adults in children's bodies. Yes, that's right, they have to go through childhood again!The book takes place over a twenty year span. Wulfgar, the one-time companion of Drizzt appears at the beginning, but refuses to be reborn; as I'm not familiar with the intervening books since the original trilogy, I was taken aback at how unpleasant he'd become and I wasn't unhappy at all to not be reading about his rebirth.Each of Catti-brie, Regis and Bruenor have interesting childhoods, especially so given they're going through them with adult knowledge. I was particularly engaged by Bruenor struggles to fit into dwarven society: he was a king, and he finds it very difficult to follow in the traditions of his new father when he knows he'll eventually have to find Drizzt. Regis has a number of adventures in Delthuntle in Aglarond, particularly with the Assassin's Guild there, and eventually he has to be forced out - the life he was otherwise leading was a good one for him. Catti-brie finds herself being trained by Netherese wizards, completing the training she started in her earlier life. With the powers of a cleric, druid and wizard, the reborn Catti-brie looks like being a power to contend with in the post-Sundering Realms.Of course, the primary interest to me with this book was to discover exactly what was going on with the Sundering, the major event that is running through six novels and several D&D adventures this year. "The Companions" doesn't deal with the Sundering directly. Instead, you get hints of it from some of the other characters in the book, particularly from the Netherese wizards training Catti-brie.In particular, the Netherese are concerned that the planar conjunction that allowed their shade overlords to return to Faerun is beginning to fade - the reborn Netherese empire is therefore imperiled. The effects of the spell-plague are fading and the Weave is reforming - the art of magic changes during the novel, and wizards need to go back to the "old" ways of casting spells. For this book, at least, the Sundering is very much a background element; it's happening, but it's hasn't shook the world - at least, not yet.The biggest weakness with "The Companions" comes from its position in the series of "The Sundering", as - unless something unexpected happens in the following five novels - its protagonists won't show up again until Salvatore's next book, which isn't part of "The Sundering"! Did this really need to be part of that series? It feels far more that it's included to leverage the popularity of Salvatore's work. This book really feels like part of the Drizzt series instead of the Sundering series; if we're very lucky a few of the other characters might turn up in one of the other Sundering novels.The book also reads very much as a transitional book; it's setting up things for later works. Someone not familiar with the characters could quite easily jump into the series here. However, those looking for a story complete in itself will be disappointed; the book, whilst complete in telling the second childhoods of the main characters, leaves their business particularly unfinished. Proper reunions will have to wait for later books by Salvatore.Ultimately, "The Companions" is an enjoyable read, but suffers from problems relating to its dual nature. It far more continues the story of Drizzt than being part of "The Sundering". It's well-written, but it's ambiguous placement makes it weaker than I would have liked.

a great story and a just reward for our heroes. for those who fail to see the true significance of this particular book let me fill you in with some marketing back story. The real strength of R.A. Salvatore's writing is the way it convincingly reflects the source material from whence it came.When Wizards of the Coast acquired TSR They set out to publish books that showed readers and RPG players what could be possible within the structure of the famous forgotten realm setting of Dungeon & Dragons. When the ambition of the powers that be at WOTC decided that the traditional D&D game should try to bite off a piece of the huge MMO rpg pie that was cooked up by worlds of warcraft and their ilk, they revamped the entire game to mirror the structure of online play. probably in the hopes that the familiarity would garner them the riches and accolades.the revamp was to be reflected in the novels released around the same time. the changes in game play were explained as the spellplauge and the resulting fallout. it wasn't good time to be a character in this setting. death, horror, turmoil and despair became the canvas many books were painted on. no one was sparred and it was awful (in the sense that it was happening and we were witnessing it).Fans of Drizz't were disappointed and dismayed at every turn when nothing positive emerged from the changes. But in the real world things weren't going quite as planed either. The fourth edition D&D wasn't seeing the success it had promised. It wasn't bad, it just didn't catch on liked they (WOTC) had hoped. In fact gamers continued to play the previous edition and third party publishers found success in the open gaming license and managed to generate some truly amazing supplements.Okay then what do you do when something doesn't work? you fix it. I imagine that knowing glances sailed around a huge conference table until somebody smart enough to verbalize the solution spoke up "We got to change it back.".All of this is conjecture to be sure. But in this particular book there is actual imagery of the change. This story is really saying that the true experience of story and game design are returning to the style and format that made it great. like watching a fallen and disgraced hero lift himself (or herself, no judgment there) from the ruined battlefield to rejoin the fight with greater conviction and courage. Imagine Steve Jobs returning to Apple after watching it flounder and stumble without his direction. this book is that metaphor.R.A. Salvatore has been vilified and cursed for writing books and stories that did the best possible job of portraying the setting that became the fourth edition D&D. And now he will be hailed as hero again as his fans are rewarded for never abandoning his signature hero and companions.the angst of bruneor, the conviction of catibrie, and the courage of regis lift this book to lofty heights that the forgotten realms setting once enjoyed. it was an absolute pleasure to read and I no longer look toward the next installment with the trepidation I once held. Just like the companions themselves, I am eager to rejoin them in their quests. I can't wait for the next book and that's the way it should be when everything old is made new again.

I’ma bit fan of RA, but his latest books are hard to follow as there are just too many characters - most with names that don’t exactly roll off the tongue - to be able to keep up with. There also seems to be an array of subplots here which make things even more difficult to follow.I have all RA’s books, but have found the latest particularly hard to enjoy. This may be me, of course, as when I read a book I want to get lost in it and not have to think too hard about who’s doing what to who and why…Didn’t someone once say “ The straightest path is the best path…”

This book has me split. On the one hand, I love the Forgotten Realms as a setting and how it ties into games (playing Neverwinter at the mo and Baldur's Gate gets dusted off every year or so for a play through). On the other hand, this is the most dramatic reset point for Wizards of the Coast that I can remember. It is part of a series of book that sets up the new world rules and reminds me more of a DC/ Marvel reaction to being stuck with something - they basically just reshape the world so that it makes sense again. Think of every time they kill or incapacitate Bruce Wayne or Batman only to bring him back. Or kill Superman. Or Spider-Man. This is the Wizards version, bringing back old characters that the readers have loved from the grave - in some cases, after more than a hundred years have passed.We'll see how the new direction unfolds; however Salvatore for his part has done a good job of giving old characters a new start, making them both fresh and recognisable at the same time. Any Drizzt fans will have already bought this, but it's not his story for the most part.

R A Salvatore takes us back to the Heroes of the Hall in style with the opening tale of The Sundering, (another) world shaking event set to change the face of our beloved Realms once again.While I havent been a fan of these shake-ups to tie in with the changes of rules editions, as the books are based upon the RPG I guess we have to accept them, but this time it feels more like the Forgotten Realms are heading back to the setting I remember from the original trilogy of books.One of the best Drizzt tales in a long time.

Very good book. As a Drizzt fan from the very beginning I have fallen away over recent years as the books & storylines became ever more complex (And lost what made them good in my opinion). This seems to be a reset of sorts & whilst I am only 3/4 of the way through it so far it has been excellent. I am very much looking forward to the others in the series.

This book is the best RA Salvatore wrote ever.Got so hooked to it from the start, that managed to read it over the weekend (doing nothing else).That's something never have done over the 25 years reading Forgotten Realms novels.Also leaves hope that the upcoming Hunter Trilogy will be as good, as any other in the past.And compensates for the poor ending of the Last Threshold from the very first chapter.