James J. reviewed The Crystal Shard on 1/2/2009

I loved this first of a trilogy called Icewind Dale Trilogy. Having read many of Salvatore's books I circle back to the found memories of this first installment of his writings. The story holds interest and excitement. The battles are drawn in a very understandable way making it easy to see what is being described. I found the it is easy to just lose track of time in reading this story which I will not give away too much plot. The prime characters are Drizzt a Dark Elf from Deep Earth and Wulfgar a barbarian, then last but not least is my favorite, a dwarf with pleanty of attitude.

The basic plot is that in an isolated region of the Icewind Dale, the villages of Ten-Towns come under attack by a tribe of barbarians. In the midst of battle, a young barbarian named Wulfgar ends up owing five years of his life to a tough dwarf. With the help of Drizzt, a renegade dark elf, the dwarf strives to mold the barbarian into a warrior with both brawn and brains.

Meanwhile, there is no peace for the people of Ten-Towns. The fractioned tribes of barbarians continue to pose a threat, and Wulfgar may be the only person who can avert a deadly battle. But an even more dire menace appears when a weak-willed apprentice mage stumbles upon a magical crystal shard. The shard directs the hapless mage onto a course of destruction that all of the Icewind Dale may be powerless to stop.

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