Wow, a fantasy book that isn’t
Young Adult? It’s a little unsettling, actually, that so many entries in the
fantasy genre (and this blog) are geared to a younger audience. Perhaps not
that surprising, since literary works are considered more “adult” and
“serious”, but even sci-fi gets to explore adult themes more widely. Aside from
Game of Thrones and The Lord of the Rings, much of fantasy falls under YA or
romance. I’m hoping that novel series like Forgotten Realms will keep cropping
up and drawing in older readers in search of stories both insightful and
entertaining.
The appeal of these Dungeons and Dragons books, like its
tabletop origins, is that people across the age spectrum with a love for
fantasy can appreciate and enjoy them. That’s certainly the case with
Salvatore’s The Legend of Drizzt series, or at least his first chronological
installment, Homeland. There’s
good-old action and lore to excite the action junkie and lore nerd, but he also
teases out some social commentary about oppressive societies that use fear and
propaganda to control its population, and how suffocating it is to live in
them, unable to escape. While the world of the drow (dark elves) in
Menzoberranzan bears witness to obviously questionable morality, it can make us reflect on those aspects in our own culture an outsider might find
objectively horrifying but we accept on a daily basis.
But first, let’s get into the characters and story. As the first book in a series following the life of Drizzt Do’Urden (a name I will probably never pronounce correctly), Homeland naturally opens with the birth of said protagonist, the youngest member in the House Do’Urden in the city-state of Menzoberranzan. He and his kind, the drow elves, live miles below ground in caverns called the Underdark, where all sorts of nasty beasts live, including the drow themselves. Outside research informs me that the ancestors of these elves were cursed after committing some unpleasant atrocities, but in the book the leaders and teachers of Menzoberranzan impress on the next generation that they were driven underground by the evil surface elves, which turned out okay because the Spider Queen Lolth rescued them and brought them to the Underdark to serve her will. Yay for arachnid deities who totally don’t want to exploit you to slake their own bloodlust!
One of the elements of drow society that makes me a little
uncomfortable, and which contributes to Drizzt’s miserable experience in that
world, is the fact that it’s a matriarchal society. It’s uncomfortable in the
sense that, as the drow are frequently referred to as evil by the few sympathetic
characters (Drizzt’s mentor Zaknafein, for example) and the narration itself,
the logical extreme suggests that a society led by women is inherently
problematic. But I see Salvatore’s intent: it flips the story on how people see
oppression. To a readership very likely dominated by men, Drizzt’s abuse from
his mother, Matron Malice (one of the less subtle but more pronounceable drow
names), as well as his sisters, is apparent in its cruelty, yet hardly
different from what many women in our own still face. That said, it’s easy to
spin the gender role switch in a misogynistic light. It doesn’t help that
Drizzt and Zak are the only humane characters, thereby excluding just about any
positive female figure. There is a glimmer of hope for Drizzt’s sister Vierna,
but she loses any chance at freedom or redemption once she becomes a priestess
of Lolth. Again, you could argue that the privilege awarded to the gender
deemed superior in a society makes it harder for anyone of that gender to
reject the status quo. Even so, you get the sense that Drizzt and Zak are
“stronger” for their moral insight, perpetuating the “strong rebellious male”
trope we see in fiction time and time again.
Man, I keep getting sidetracked by the social dynamics of
this book! Well, Homeland brings up
these issues, and whether or not you agree with how these dynamics play out,
it’s to the book’s credit that these questions come up at all. Character-wise,
Drizzt makes a solid protagonist, a moral individual guided by honor who stays
true in the face of relentless backstabbing by elders and peers alike. Tension
gradually builds regarding his fate in this toxic world, even if the rational
part of your mind knows that he will escape because, hello, this series is all
about a drow wandering the Realms. You can also probably guess Zak’s
fate—remember what happens to all good mentors—but it still gouges out your
heartstrings.
Other than these two guys, the most compelling trait of the
other drow characters is the lengths they will go for their personal ambitions.
That in itself can be entertaining—same way you’re mesmerized as well as
horrified watching Richard III or Petyr Baelish scheme and betray their way to
success. But neither Matron Malice nor her daughters, nor anyone else tangled
in the web of murder and deceit that has entrapped Menzoberranzan, have much
dimension beyond their ambition and cruelty. I suppose there’s sympathy to be
had for Alton Devir, the sole survivor of a secret massacre committed by House
Do’Urden, who hungers for revenge. Too bad he’s kind of an idiot, by turns
lucky and unlucky. You don’t get too torn up when he predictably fails (part of
his plan is to kill Drizzt—you know that’s not gonna work out). The story
would’ve benefited from a little more nuance and complexity for the supporting
characters. Attempts are made, like with Alton and Vierna, but Salvatore
probably didn’t want the drow to be too likable and undermine Drizzt’s
struggles.
All that said, there’s a healthy balance of fight scenes and
political intrigue and world-building to pull you along, as well as a
struggling hero to root for. I recommend this book to anyone who is just
getting into D&D and is interested in the drow. This was my first venture
in the Forgotten Realms, and the setting and tension Salvatore sustains throughout
compels me to return to the Underdark, against my better judgement, and watch
Drizzt continue his quest for a better life. Oh, and he’s got a pet panther!
What more could you want?
Rating: 4/5
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