Revelation and the End of All Things by Craig Koester

Revelation and the End of All Things is a very interesting study on the book of Revelation and how it has been used in our time. Dr. Koester walks the reader through the understanding of the history and the culture of the period. The author's goal is to break down the images and ideas that have grown up over time around this book and recapture its true meaning. For Koester the book of Revelation is not a cryptic story of the future. Rather it is a book that describes the hope that the Church held that no matter what the earthly powers thought, the power of God stood over all. Hope is the main theme of Revelation and Dr. Koester does a good job of brushing away the fear that many have and helping the reader to regain that hope.

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Streams of Silver by R. A. Salvatore

In the aftermath of the battle against the wizard Akar Kessel and the Crystal Shard Drizzt, Bruenor, and Wulfgar decide to go on a search for the great dwarven realm of Mithral Hall. Bruenor is the rightful king, but his people had been driven from the Hall and the path has been forgotten. They are joined by Regis who seems to be in a strange hurry to join in an adventure. In the meantime Cattie-Brie is kidnapped by a new nemesis, Artemis Entreri. Entreri is hunting Regis and intends to have him. The travelers face many adventures. Catti-Brie finally escapes and warns them about Entreri. Together they continue the search for the famed dwarven halls. The search takes them through a number of adventures and they meet new friends along the way.

An important theme running through this story is the treatment of Drizzt. As a Drow (dark elf) he is feared and hated. He understands this because of the well known viciousness of his people, but it still hurts him at times. More than that his friends truly experience this hatred and have little patience for it. This helps to cement their bond as a group.


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Exile by R. A. Salvatore

This is the second novel in R. A. Salvatore’s Dark Elf trilogy. This novel follows Drizzt as he tries to find his way alone after fleeing his people. Along the path he makes new friends and learns about his true nature.

Driven from his native city by the hatred of the Spider Goddess Loth the noble warrior Drizzt has taken to the wilds of the Underdark. His family is still searching for him. After nearly killing his sister he decides to flee from the region. He makes a number of friends and begins the process of learning how to live in a world that is not based on treachery and cruelty. No matter where he goes the malice of his family will not escape him. Finally his mother sends the reanimated corpse of his father and mentor to kill him. As he learns to trust others and how to live in the larger world Drizzt starts to understand what it means to live.

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The Crystal Shard by R. A. Salvatore

The Crystal Shard is the fourth book in R. A. Salvatore's Legend of Drizzt series. It is also the first book in the Icewind Dale trilogy. This book gives us our first glimpse at several characters who will later be known as the Companions. The book is divided into two sections. In the first part the barbarian tribes who live in the frozen tundra north of Icewind Dale are brought together to attack the Ten Towns of Icewind Dale. The Ranger Drizzt Do'Urden is a drow elf. A dark elf from the great city of Menzoberrranzan. The drow are know as a treacherous and evil race. Drizzt has escaped his heritage and lives on the surface with his friends, the dwarven leader Bruenor, Bruenor's adopted human daughter Catti-Brie, and a halfling named Regis. Drizzt helps the people of Icewind Dale, first by scouting the attacking barbarians, then by fighting on the side of the Ten Towns. During the battle Bruenor knocks a young barbarian named Wulfgar unconscious. After the battle Bruenor takes the young Wulfgar and indentures him for five years to atone for the attack on Ten Towns.

Five years later the story picks up with Wulfgar becoming close to the dwarf and the others. Bruenor makes the young barbarian a great weapon, the battle hammer Aegis-Fang. Drizzt then teaches Wulfgar the art of fighting. During this time a failed wizard named Akar Kessel is left to die by his treacherous colleagues. He comes across the Crystal Shard named Crenshinibon. This crystal is a sentient artifact that is obsessed with power. The wizard begins using the shard to gain control over orcs and trolls. He is joined by a demon named Errtu. Together they decide to use the Crystal to conquer. Of course their first test attack is on the Ten Towns. Once again the Ten Towns must fight a horde of enemies. What is the outcome of this battle and how does it affect our heroes? You have to read the book to find out. I've told you enough already.

The book is a classic example of excellent Sword and Sorcery Fantasy. Salvatore is a master of this genre. He is well known for his fight scenes. His blow by blow description makes the battles come alive. It would be unfair to just consider this to be a slash and spell kind of book. One of the most important themes of the book is the growth of the character of Wulfgar. As a barbarian he has to overcome his racial hatred for the people of the Ten Towns, the dwarfs, and most of all, Drizzt. His growth during the time he serves Bruenor is not just in age and physical stature. He also grows in his understanding of others. How he uses that growth is an important part of the story and of subsequent novels.

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Homeland by R. A. Salvatore

First book in the early history of the Drow warrior Drizzt Do’Urden. Born into the underground culture of the Drow (dark elves) Drizzt seems incapable of understanding the evil that his culture is founded on. He is trained to be a warrior and becomes the most formidable fighter in the great drow city. His own innate moral sense is challenged, but not destroyed by the cruelty of his culture. Finally, when he only pretends to kill a surface elf child in cold blood, he is forced to flee the city into the deadly regions of the Underdark.

This is the first novel in the Dark Elf Trilogy by RA Salvatore. It gives the story of the birth and training of the great fighter. It also gives us an insight into the culture of the Drow. It is the perfect place to start reading about this hero. Drizzt’s rejection of his own heritage and the willingness to abandon it all show him to be a true hero. This is classic Sword and Sorcery Fantasy. This novel is more than fancy sword fights. At its core it’s about seeking out truth and taking responsibility for your own destiny, even if the whole culture is against you.

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Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow

This is an excellent book on the life of George Washington. Washington is such a powerful figure in our society that it is hard to write on him. For many he is a semi-divine figure. That is true of his admirers and his critics. The admirers try to place him on a pedestal like a god. His critics seek to tear him off of a pedestal with all the rabid zeal of iconoclasts. Chernow gives us a picture of a human George Washington. He is very free with his praise, but doesn’t hesitate to point out his flaws as well.
The “Great Man” theory of history has fallen out of favor these days. It is impossible to look at the American Revolution and the Early Republic period without considering George Washington. A lesser man might have failed and the Revolution would have ended with a British victory and the death of the leaders of the Revolutionary generation. A lesser man might have prevailed on the field of battle, but succumbed to the lure of power and the American Republic would have become a dictatorship or a New World Monarchy. Washington was a greater man than that.
He did have his failings. He could be vain and had an explosive temper. He tried to temper those personal flaws. He rarely lost his temper in public and always tried to stifle his vanity. His occasional lapses do not make him a failure, rather they make him all the more human.
Chernow is a good writer. His books are designed for a general readership so it is not weighted down with the unnecessary baggage of academic writing. There are times where it seems that he re-emphasizes points that he has made quite clear. For example: we are told many times about Washington’s financial troubles. He goes into detail in many different places as if he is trying to convince the reader that this is true. It seemed a bit redundant at times, but that is only a small niggling point.
Overall this is an excellent book and I highly recommend it.
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Macbeth: A Novel by David Hewson and A. J. Hartley

Macbeth: A Novel by David Hewson and A. J. Hartley is very interesting take on the Macbeth story. The authors used Shakespeare's "Scottish Play" as the jumping off point for their novel. They did not simply convert the play into a novel. They also looked at the historical Macbeth and tried to bring in the world in which the characters lived. In some ways the characters are very different. We get to hear the name of Lady Macbeth. We learn why she hates Duncan so much. In many ways Macbeth is even more tragic here than in the play.

As a lover of history I loved the way that the authors weave the sordid world of the Scottish kingdom into the tale. Duncan recaptures his place as a rather reviled man. Macbeth is shown as the great hero who falls. In the book he falls a little slower than in the play, though far swifter than the fifteen years Macbeth actually reigned.

In addition to Macbeth and Lady Macbeth the Weird Sisters are given a prominent place in the book. They are even weirder here than in the play. I won't give away what the authors do with those strange creatures, but I certainly didn't see it coming.

I listened to it as an audiobook. It was made even better by the wonderful Scottish actor Alan Cumming. Fans of Masterpiece Mystery will recognize him as the host of that program. It was a good book and a lot of fun. An adventurous teacher might even use this in a class along with the play. Be warned, there is language, sex, and violence.


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