Bookflog: Gauntlgrym by R.A. Salvatore (Chapters 6-10)
And so I continue my chapter by chapter reaction to Gauntlgrym. Time to settle down, eat something, pet the cats, fire up the computer and open the book. As usual, spoilers abound.
*checks the reservoir of brain bleach* I'm at a half tank.
Chapter 6
Drizzy and Bruenor are continuing with their dungeon delving. They seem to be taking the shotgun approach with “a hunnerd more maps to follow.” Bruenor is trying to cheer Drizzy up by reminding him that “it's the journey and not the ending.” I think adventuring agrees with Bruenor and that he at least has gotten past the pain of losing the others. They continue to wander around the countryside, making me wonder if I'm looking at a repeat of the Pirate King's strategy of having a Drizzy novel in name only. Certainly everything of narrative importance has been centered elsewhere. If one is going to write a novel where Drzzy just has a cameo, then write a novel where Drizzy has a cameo. Quit padding the screen time unless you've got a quota!
After the intermission, the scene shifts to Alegni. He's found an enclave of Asmodeous worshipers. Smiting ensues and eliminates beyond doubt that Alegni is using Charon's Claw, Entreri's old sword. Barrabus is present as well. Barrabus doesn't seem to have much of a taste for torture and rape, which is presumably what Alegni does to the survivor after the fight. Good for Barrabus!
And back to the Drow and Dwarf Rolling Road Show part A. Bruenor is taking careful notes of each site they visit to make it easier for the next guy to go hunting for Gauntlgrym. Drizzy's feeling slightly abashed at Bruenor's determination that not finding Gauntlgrym is a perfectly acceptable outcome when the dark elf still can't get over his own feelings of loss. And so Drizzy decides to practice bladework rather than letting go of his melancholy. He's been doing that a lot it seems. The obligatory mention of Zaknafein (Drizzy's father, deceased) occurs here.
BEEEP this is an interruption by the main-ish storyline.
Alegni brags to Barrabus about the fight, securing Barrabus's “loyalty” and Barrabus's ability. Alegni, being (literally) the boss from hell, sends Barrabas to Luskan. I'm going to start calling him “Barry” now. Barry has run afoul of dark elves before and doesn't want to meet any of Luskan's quieter masters. He isn't Entreri... Oh no siree...
...And the next section pretty much confirms all suspicions that Barrabus was once Artemis Entreri. Mention is made of Bregan D'Aerthe “parading his lover before him” as part of trying to get him to work for them again. I suppose it could be Morik, but Morik never had any infusion of Shadowstuff (like Entreri did) that we know of and he was a minor character and an indifferent fighter besides. I suppose the real tell would be with more specifics of the lover in question. Half elf or halfling would be Entreri, a sorceress would be Morik.
It's an interesting puzzle. Barry still seems to the have the same characterization that Artie did and there's mention of betraying Jarlaxle twice (and living to tell the tale) and also running afoul of the Shadowvar (who had in interest in Charon's Claw). We'll see how that plays out.
Chapter 7
Jarlaxle, Athrogate, Valindra, the Vyshaan Drood and her vampiric boitoi (why, oh why am I coming up with Twilight jokes? Oy) are dungeon delving in the underbelly of Illusk and moving towards the place where Dor'crae encountered angry dwarven ghosts. Oh yes, Athro finds out that the boitoi is a vampire. He is not amused although Jarlaxle's reassurance is snicker-worthy. The mercenary is actually feeling like a spare wheel on this whole expedition thus far. Much of the book seems like a spare wheel thus far, so his reaction is not out of the ordinary.
Anyway, they find what Athrogate swears is Gauntlgrym. Jarlaxle concedes the possibility. And Dor'crae says that the forges are still warm. Of course, the Northdark is a busy crowded place. Someone would have set up shop for a meditation and hot yoga center in some convenient ruins lying about not doing anything.
As they explore, they find a throne. Athrogate sits on it and promptly gets booted off it. Turns out the throne wants to support the rear end of an honest to goodness dwarven king (not foreshadowing!). Athrogate threatens to turn the head of the first person to start looting into bone and brain paste. Turns out that even though he isn't the nicest of fellows, he's damn respectful to his people's greatest monuments. He wants to see the fabled forges before they head back.
Dor'crea gives Sylora (whom I will now dub Slayra) the means to transport in. Being a wizardly type, she calls in some minions of her own (namely the Asmodeous worshippers. Oh look Thayan influence on the Sword Coast... nothing has changed).
Chapter 8
They find the new residents before they find the forge. The new residents like Dahlia's crow cloak, being deformed crows themselves and all. Slayra and company have a harder time of it but follow anyway. I sense an inevitable battle soon.
They find the forge, gawk at it for a little, take some pictures where Jarlaxle puts bunny ears on everyone he can reach and start exploring some more. They find a lever. Now there are certain rules to dungeoneering. Don't let the rogue guard your stash. Always check for traps. If you find a room with a single orc sitting on a chest, you run like all the Abyss was after you. Never pull any levers or push any buttons whose function you aren't sure of. Guess which dungeoneering rule Athrogate chooses to ignore. Jarlaxle is the only one who seems to think that pulling the lever is a bad idea. I'm inclined to agree with the mercenary. He seems to be one of the two characters in this novel thus far that has any semblance of common sense. The other one of course being Bruenor.
In the middle of this mess, Dahlia tells Jarlaxle that she likes him and then has a little flashback. Apparently she has realized that killing the baby she bore was wrong. NO... REALLY? In order to make amends, she has decided to help Szass Tam destroy Alegni and it involves Arthrogate pulling a lever. At least that's what I'm guessing. None of this has been clearly stated but that's the only logical motive I can think of given her background (although it doesn't really account for her serial killing. Logic and probability have their limits). However, she has JUST NOW REALIZED that a lot of innocent people will die if Athro pulls the lever and so hollers at Athrogate to stop. This is one of the worst turnarounds I've read in a while. Bad lead in, infodump start and there's no attempt to give the Vyshaan Drood a moral conflict or regrets in the first place. This is why character motive is important! ARGH! Someone is going to get his butt kicked!
I need hot chocolate NOW.
Anyway her sudden turnabout is for naught because Artho gets egged on to pull the lever anyway, by Slayra. Slayra takes the vampiric boitoi and Valindra the crazy lich away and leaves some disposable minions to take care of the remainder until the big nasty that Athro tripped finishes the job. Athro is so pissed off that he was used in such a manner that he stops rhyming. Jarlaxle figures out that Gauntlgrym's forge was powered with a really big great granddaddy fire elemental and now it's been set loose. The mercenary realizes it's past time to leave as fast as possible. Running battle ensues. Despite having the means for one of them to escape they opt to all get out instead and part company after the immediate danger has passed.
Dahlia begins with her own version of “oh WOE.” Jarlaxle promises Athrogate that they will get the parties responsible, and get them good. Unfortunately, he realizes that getting the Thayans might be a little more than he can handle at the moment.
Chapter 9
Slayra catches up with Dahlia in Luskan and convinces the Vyshaan Drood to start working for Szass Tam and Slayra by killing the Netherese contingent (who are led by Alegni, in case I forgot to mention it). Dahlia accepts.
They are overheard by Barry who's been talking with Arklem Greeth and has found out that Dhalia is connected with “a drow and a dwarf” somehow. He finds this worrisome. He starts back to Neverwinter to report to Alegni. Then he sees smoke. Dancing to the heat of a big bush fire...
Drizzy is riding around on his unicorn as aimlessly as he has been for the rest of the book so far and beginning to realize that he would really like some different company and some excitement in his rather dull life. He's been finding “excitement” by random combat encounters it seems. You know most people are capable of making friends at least a few times in a 50 year period. It isn't as if there aren't other characters in these books that are still around, enjoying life and who might be able to help Drizzy refocus. I would have thought that the continuing passage of time would encourage Drizzy towards other elves, but then that would be sense in a sense-free zone. I wonder how Tos'un is doing and if Sinnafein is pregnant yet. I wonder what their wedding was like. Hell, I wonder what their courtship was like. Sigh, oh for the things that will never be written...
Anyway, Drizzt wonders what that strange glow rising above the trees is. And then he finds it and wishes he hadn't. Yay pyroclastic flow that everyone important to the narrative is going to survive.
Barry meets up with Alegni in Neverwinter. They blame the Thayans and watch things explode.
Slayra, Dahlia and the rest watch from leeward side. Dahlia feels guilty some more. This would mean more if she ever had a motive.
Drizzy gets a deer in the headlights shock for a moment before the the volcano explodes. He's also on the leeward side it seems.
Alegni escapes by planewalking and Barry survives via Main Character Mojo. Everyone else become a few million hunks of well done steak. They all went together when they went... Time for Tom Lehrer songs!
Chapter 10
This begins with an essay about how Drizzy likes the darkity dark world, because when he's fighting he can forget the “O WOE, MY LIFE IS A PIT OF DARKITY DARK” mood which has been dragging on him like Marley's chains... if Marley's chains were as big as buoy mooring chains.
Anyway, the chapter proper is set 10 years after the last one, which makes me grumble. Will someone please write an improbable slash fan fic involving Drizzt and Bruenor during this time period? I have delicious homemade cookies with which to bribe you!
Dizzy and Bruenor are doing a tour of guard duty for a caravan currently beset by an assortment of zombies in a wide range of sizes and decorator colors. They are headed towards what's left of Neverwinter. Bruenor is pretty contented. Drizzy is restless, if it wasn't apparent form the last four times we've seen him. Bruenor has noticed and does not seem to approve. Thank you once again Bruenor, for being one of the few reasonable characters left in these books, even if no one seems to listen to you when you give advice. Nature is doing what nature does best and bouncing back after the volcano.
In other news, the ghosts of Gauntlgrm start actively looking for a dwarf to help them... Oh look, Bruenor! (not foreshadowing!)
I need to take a break from the book now.