I won this in a GOODREADS giveaway. ( )

A good comeback novel I should say!!! ( )

A good comeback novel I should say!!! ( )

Salvatore's Timeless takes us back into the world of that most unusual of drow, the ranger Drizzt Do'Urden. Following dual timelines, we get a chance to see Zaknafein Do'Urden long before Drizzt's birth, and his reunion with his son, centuries later. Zak has been returned from the dead, resurrected by an as yet unknown agent, for as yet unknown reasons. Is it a gift to Drizzt, a lesson, or a means to his downfall? And how will Zaknafein himself adapt to this vastly different future in which he has found himself unceremoniously thrust?

I loved the chance to learn more about Zaknafein before Drizzt comes along. You can see where Drizzt gets some of his personality traits from. Both can be headstrong, stubborn, and quick to judge. It's honestly kinda funny, but often Drizzt seems the more mature of the two now. No doubt his history and experiences have granted him the ability to be more fluid and adaptive in his thinking. He escaped Menzoberranzan before becoming too jaded. Zaknafein lived his entire life there.

It was nice to see a younger Jarlaxle as well! He's one of my most favourite secondary characters in Drizzt's world, along with Entreri. It was hilarious to see how he lost his hair! Poor Jarlaxle. I've decided he must also be part cat. He certainly seems to have nine lives. And I dare you to show me a cat that doesn't have a magical hole they can use to hide or get in to seemingly impossible places and spaces. It's great he used it to trap Zak in.

While I enjoyed following Drizzt again, I hadn't read the previous three books and, well, I gather important stuff happened >_ ( )

***Spoilers ahead, you’ve been warned***

It’s greatly recommended you read previous novels leading up to this one. Mind you, it would help immensely if you read the entire Drizzt timeline (which is a lot!) but since that is a lot of books to catch up on, the last few trilogies leading up to this one would likely help. My mistake was not doing so and I was left with lots of gaps and holes that I didn't quite understand. A lot of references were made about past adventures. Admittedly, I was lost for some parts of the book but, since I love Drizzt and his buddies I definitely will go back and reread this one and read the past novels to catch up on what I have missed.

The best part of about this book is Zaknafein and how he meets up with Jarlaxle - which is always an adventure in itself. The chapters are divided evenly into both past and present. I preferred the chapters featuring Zaknafein and Jalaxle. You had past characters appear again and that old nostalgic feeling comes back when you’re reading about them. Their adventures and intrigue were fun to read, the fighting scenes excellent, and there’s even a slight comedic section of Jalaxle and the subject of his hair.

The chapters set in the present are all right. Zaknafein is resurrected to reasons unknown and it’s encountered with suspicion. You’ll have all your characters coming back and naturally you’ll be happy to see them. I noticed some things have definitely changed with them. So it really felt like I was missing something (I probably did, hence why I have to go back and read the past novels for this) I like the exchanges between Zaknafein and Drizzt. Ah but the fighting scenes that included them both were enjoyable to read. They were in sync and it felt like watching a dance. It was beautifully descriptive.

The plot was good and it obviously leaves room for more to come. That being said, I can’t wait to hear further and read more about Zaknafein. He’s got a long way ahead of him and lots to catch up on. I look forward to it. In the meantime, I think it’s time to play catch up on Drizzt and company.

As mentioned earlier, really don’t recommend if you haven’t read Drizzt before. You’ll be lost and the read won’t be as enjoyable. I suspect if read in the particular order, it will be a great read and can’t be missed. ( )