The Crystal Shard

Has anyone ever read any of R.A. Salvatore's books? He's a really great author. He's probably my favorite author. He writes a lot of fantasy, especially in the Forgotten Realms (Dungeons and Dragons) world.

I have read at least 14 of his books, some of them are five book trilogies, most are three to four book trilogies though. I have read them all at least two to three times over. They never get old to me. I read them all in order, then I start over again. As I reread them, I don't quite remember them the same. Instead, I find new interesting things that I never noticed before. As I mature and grow wiser, I understand things that I may not have understood the first time I read his books.

He is a great author, and I would recommend almost any of his books anyday of the year. He is one of the few authors who can make a book really come to life for me. Instead of wanting to put the book down and do something else, it really entrances me. I have actually read for hours past when I should have been in bed because they really are that intriguing and exciting.

The Crystal Shard is the first book in a three book trilogy. It is about an apprentice who killed his master and father who took him in as an orphan because he was promised supreme power by a few other powerful wizards. Akar Kessel is his name, and he has always been a bumbling fool. The wizards, Dendybar and a couple others tell him to kill his father and master.

Akar did, and the wizards laughed at his foolishness and left him to die in the frozen waste known as Icewind Dale.

He eventually discovers an ancient artifact that has survived tens of thousands of years. It is an extremely powerful, scheming artifact. It saves him from freezing to death, and he eventually grows to great power with the artifact. The artifact eventually warps his mind to try to wipe out the nearby settlement/grouping of towns known as 10 towns.

There is much more to the story than just this, and it is one of his better books. I would really recommend it to anyone.