The Companions
The Sundering is an event set in the Forgotten Realms. The Sundering is about the separation of overlapped worlds Abeir and Toril, which were overlapped during the Spellplague event. It is also the end of Age of Upheaval.
The Companions is the story of the Companions of the Hall’s reunion by reincarnation of the dead heroes. Cattie-brie, Bruenor, Regis and Wulfgar has one more chance to return the world and help Drizzt in his fight against the Evil.
I got this book from Netgalley. Thank you, Netgalley.
I’ve not read and Salvatore book for 1 year. After receiving the book from netgalley I’ve really become enthusiastic. I remembered how much I missed Drizzt and companions of the hall and Forgotten Realms.
The book starts with a short story which is telling an alternate childhood of Cattie-brie. Later we learn that it is not an alternate short story, it is the story of reincarnated Cattie-brie’s childhood.
The story starts with our deceased friends’ reunion in the otherworld. Cattie-brie told them Mielikki has given them one more chance to return the world to help Drizzt in his fight against the Evil. Stereotypically both Bruenor and Wulfgar takes this offer as an insult and rejects. After lots of discussion Regis and Bruenor accepts reincarnating but Wulfgar rejects it.
Companions of the Hall planned to reunite 21 years after reincarnation at Kelvin’s Cairn up Bruenor’s Climb.
All our characters reborn to slightly different families but at the end they become to resemble their former characters. I really like how they are trapped in their baby bodies. They have their current memories and they know their plan to reunite to help Drizzt but they are completely trapped.
Bruenor born to the King’s first man who is third cousin to the king, twice removed. He was really in a hard situation in his baby body.
Regis born to a really poor kender family, and his mother has died during birth. Regis has an extraordinary ability which allows him to breath in the water. This ability is related to his mother who has water elemental ancestors.
Catti-brie born to a Bedine, which is related to our worlds Bedouins, family who can perform magic.
The chapters are divided between Bruenor, Regis and Catti-brie’s POVs, and tells their story of survival and growing up. Despite seeing Drizzt in cover of the Book we cannot see him in any chapters, this was my biggest disappointment in this book. At the end all companions of the hall reunited in Kelvin’s Cairn 21 years later and find Drizzt.
Beginning with the first chapters I’ve been waiting to read Wulfgar’s POV, but it did not came. But I was sure that he would somehow appear at the end of the book and as I’ve predicted he came to Kelvin’s Cairn.
I’ve really enjoyed the story, Salvatore takes the story to a different part. Probably we would see Companions of the Hall’s new books in the future. I’m planning to read the next book which is titled as “The Godborn”. Also enthusiastic to meet new characters.
About the Sundering
As I’ve summarized at the beginning, the Sundering is an important event in Forgotten Realms. Spellplague has changed the Realms and the worlds Abeir and Toril is overlapped in spellplague. There were many changes in geography, magic, races and gods. After 100 years from the Spellplague, this two overlapped worlds starts to separate and the change starts again, but not returns top pre-spellplague situation.
Currently there are six planned novels in Sundering series, which will tell the changes in Faerun during the Sundering and released every other month from August 2013 to June 2014. The Sundering is also newest version of the Dungeons & Dragons game.
The books are;
- The Companions, by R.A. Salvatore
- The Godborn, by Paul S. Kemp
- The Adversary, by Erin M. Evans
- The Reaver, by Richard Lee Byers
- The Sentinel, by Troy Denning
- The Herald, by Ed Greenwood.
What good is your gold if your friends will not lift you when you have fallen?
How long lived our memory of you when you are gone?
Because in the end, that is the only measure. In the end, when life’s last flickers fade, all that remains is memory. Richness, in the final measure, is not weighed in gold coins, but in the number of people you have touched, the tears of those who mourn your passing, and the fond remembrances of those who continue to celebrate your life.
– Drizzt Do’Urden