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转自:http://chalybsanimus.wordpress.c ... elieve-he-did-that/
WARNING! There are spoilers! If you do not want to know what happens in the book, do NOT continue reading!
I just finished reading The Ghost King by R.A. Salvatore, and since you probably know me in person, you would know that I am a huge Salvatore and Drizzt fan. I have been reading the books since the first trilogy came out, and while I have, at times, been less than impressed with some books, I still come back to continue reading. The newest trilogy, called the Transitions Trilogy, focuses on the changes that Forgotten Realms underwent with it’s transformation from Third Edition to Fourth Edition.
In The Orc King, we saw the formation of an Orcish kingdom, Many-Arrows, in the Silver Marches. Obould, the leader of the orcs, showed great foresight and presence in working towards coexistence with the other kingdoms and cities of the Marches.
In The Pirate King, Drizzt and Regis traveled to Luskan and discovered the city torn apart by war. With the death of the character of Captain Deudermont, Salvatore proved that he is telling stories, and not just mollifying his readers. While Deudermont hadn’t figured prominently in the stories in a very long time, he was nonetheless a loved character.
Which brings us to The Ghost King. With the merging of a mind flayer’s psyche, the newly-made undead form of the dragon Hephaestus, and the remnants of the artifact the Crystal Shard, a new entity appeared: the Ghost King. Bent on revenge and conquest, it began opening portals through the rifts of the magical Weave that once surrounded Faerun and empowered its magic.
Two things happen. Jarlaxle receives mental intrusions by the Ghost King, telling him that he will find Jarlaxle, and kill him. This is enough to spur the pragmatic drow to action, towing he and his dwarven companion Athrogate to Mithril Hall, seeking a way to get Drizzt and his powerful companions on the road to the Spirit Soaring, home of Cadderly, the Chosen of Deneir. While on the road, he discovers something.
The second thing, (and what Jarlaxle discovers) is that Catti-Brie, wife of Drizzt, has become catatonic, her mind caught in the failing magic of the Weave, and trapped between this world, and the dark Shadowfell. Regis, watching over the girl, tries to use his ruby as he did on Bruenor. It drives the halfling mad.
In the course of the story, you meet Danica and Cadderly’s children, already at near adventuring age themselves. Ivan and Pikel Bouldershoulder show up, and serve as both the passion and comedic relief of the group. (Something about a dwarven druid that dyed his hair and beard green, calls himself a “Doo-dad!” and is still passionate really speaks to me) But what really does it is the end.
SPOILER!SPOILER!SPOILER!SPOILER!SPOILER!SPOILER!SPOILER!SPOILER!
Drizzt, Bruenor, Jarlaxle, Athrogate, Thibbledorf Pwent and Cadderly take the fight to the Ghost King. It is not an easy fight, and just when they think they have won, discover that it retreated for a time to the closing Shadowfell to gather energies to repair itself. Preparing for another fight, Drizzt must comes to terms with the fact that, even should they defeat the beast, it still may not free Catti-brie from the fugue state she is in.
It is gut-wrenching to even read about this character who has done nothing but seek happiness, and for a short time found it in the arms of the human girl. There is a very tender scene where he is feeding her porridge, as one feeds a dementia patient. He speaks to her, hoping she will hear him, but knowing she won’t. It tears at a person to imagine this, this great warrior known for fighting the good fight, for standing up when no one else will, reduced to this because of a cruel vicissitude of fate.
He even remarks, to himself, that though he can fight any foe in the world that has form, there is no way he can fight what is happening to his wife. It is a dark, tearful and loving scene that closes with him shedding one last tear, and taking the field. It is not written, but you can almost imagine Drizzt wishing that either he defeats the Ghost King, and his wife is returned to him. Or that he falls in battle, and his wife with him so that they may have eternity together.
The battle is joined again, but they can’t defeat the Ghost King. And so Cadderly, broken and aged by the destruction of his beloved Spirit Soaring, changes himself, becoming the one thing that can stop the beast. Forever to walk the perimeter of the once great Cathedral, warding in the Ghost King, he is seen one last time by Danica and his children. Catti-Brie is still catatonic, and all the companions feel that they have not won the day.
They all set out for Mithril Hall.
There, for one moment, Catti-Brie is given cognizance in the deep of the night. She undresses and joins Drizzt in bed, only to kiss him, and pass from this life. Taken by Mielikki, along with the spirit of little Regis, to a safe haven no one can find, they die. Drizzt is awakened by Bruenor yelling, and rolls to find his wife, his lady love, dead beside him. Both the dwarven king and the drow ranger can do nothing, offering every rich they have to Jarlaxle to find them.
That’s right, Catti-Brie and Regis are gone. Drizzt and Bruenor are alone.
I don’t know where he’s going to go from here, but I have to applaud Salvatore. It takes some serious guts to kill off two so-loved characters, especially at once. And I have to loathe him for tormenting Drizzt even more. I know people will say that that is the nature of the drow, to be angsty and pained. It’s not. He’s not some whiny emo swordslinger. If anything, he is a hero you can look up to for his courage to continue on.
Read this damn book. Now! |
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