The Dungeons and Dragons TV series has the D&D fandom speculating. Drizzt is very likely to feature as a protagonist in the series. Whether you have taken an interest in Drizzt as a DnD player or a fiction consumer, you’ll be delighted to know that his legend is fleshed out in a series of well-written novels, thanks to R.A. Salvatore.
In this article, you will learn about the high fantasy series and the chronological order in which you should read the Drizzt books. You will also find out the best books in the Drizzt canon, along with the background of the series’ author.
So, let’s get started with the best Drizzt titles in popularity and acclaim.
Our best Drizzt Books at a glance:
Who is R. A. Salvatore: The Author of The Legend of Drizzt
Fans of the Legend of Drizzt series love R.A. Salvatore, the author of the high fantasy novelist best known for his narratives in the Forgotten Realms, the setting for standard Dungeons and Dragons games. Salvatore is the celebrated author of multiple high fantasy series, but he had an interesting journey before becoming the recognized novelist that he is.
Robert Anthony Salvatore, professionally known as R.A. Salvatore, was born on January 20, 1959, in Leominster, Massachusetts. With six siblings, Salvatore had plenty of rough-and-tumble play as well as comradery in his formative years.
His siblings encouraged his imagination, but it was his Leominster High English teacher who encouraged his literary interests. Salvatore credits his success as an author in part to his English teacher. In his high school years, Salvatore was already on track to be a novelist, but the period that set him up for high fantasy authorship was his time at Fitchburg State College.
That’s when Salvatore discovered J.R.R. Tolkien, who is considered the godfather of all contemporary high fiction. The influence of Tolkein is evident from Salvatore’s immediate pivot from a tech degree to a literary one almost immediately after Christmas, on which he was gifted a Tolkein title.
He got a job writing almost immediately after graduation. His last non-literary job was his part-time bouncer gig, which he credits for his intense battle scenes. His experience as a bouncer did teach him the dynamics of staredowns, conflict de-escalation, and confrontations in general.
Every author has a point where he turns pro. For Salvatore, this point was self-initiated. Without any advance or contract, he started writing his first manuscript. He sent his work to multiple publications, including ones that throw away 100% of their unsolicited submissions. His work caught the eye of TSR, Inc., which didn’t want to publish it but liked his style for a publishing slot they had.
He was invited to audition for a Forgotten Realms book, and he impressed the editors with his writing. Salvatore was chosen because he could adapt to the pre-established world while building it up with his writing believably and engagingly. Salvatore wrote The Crystal Shard in 1988 in just two months, marking the beginning of his bibliography.
Drizzt Books In Order Of Publication
The Dark Elf Trilogy
The Icewind Dale Trilogy
Legacy of the Drow Series
Paths of Darkness Series
The Sellswords Series
The Hunter’s Blades Trilogy
Transitions Series
Neverwinter Saga
The Sundering Series
Companions Codex Series
Homecoming Series
Generations Series
The Way of the Drow Series
The Best Drizzt Books
Streams of Silver
This book follows the events of the Drizzt debut, The Crystal Shard, and shows a drow attempting to embrace his life as a semi-redeemed individual. Still, he is faced with racism and prejudice, which makes him consider a return to his previous ways.
This book is considered a very significant entry in the Drizzt canon because it sets him up as a morally anxious character with the tendency to weigh self-preservation against moral goodness. It was possible with the ending of Crystal Shard to make Drizzt a complete face character with a heel past, but Salvatore took a more gray approach.
The Crystal Shard
Despite being the fourth book chronologically, The Crystal Shard is the first book to be written with Drizzt as the main character. It is significant for more reasons than being Drizzt’s debut. It also has the feeling of openness that the later books in the Forgotten Realms series don’t.
The realms were not as tangible and complex back then, and you can feel the freedom. The discovery aspects of fiction are compelling to those who love world-building novels. And the Crystal Shard is one of the most important novels in the Forgotten Realms in general and Drizzt in particular.
Passage to Dawn
In Passage to Dawn, Drizzt gets an unwelcome visitor and goes to investigate who sent it. What is set up as a hostile assassination attempt turns out to be a cry for help. A reluctant Drizzt takes on the call of adventure and decides to help break a creature’s banishment. This book is a must-read because it truly feels like following a DnD campaign, with the author being the dungeon master.
Legend Of The Drizzt FAQs
Do You Need To Read The Legend Of Drizzt In Order?
You need to read The Legend of Drizzt in chronological order instead of the publication order for maximum effect. That means the Dark Elf trilogy, which was published later but chronicles events before the Icewind Dale trilogy, must be read first.
After the Icewind Dale Trilogy, the chronological order and the print order became uniform. So by flipping the first two trilogies and reading the rest in the order of publication, you’ll follow the story in the right order.
What Reading Level Is The Legend Of Drizzt?
The Legend of Drizzt is ideal for readers ages 12 and above, though kids ages 8–12 can also understand it. Its ATOS reading level is 7.4, and it is a fairly accessible series for minors who like to read.
The Drizzt stories might have some themes that young adults would appreciate more, but nothing unsafe for younger readers or too hard for tweens or teens to understand.
Is Drizzt Part Of DND?
Drizzt is a part of DND’s Forgotten Realms world, where his fictional story, as well as role-playability, is set. The Legend of the Drizzt novels takes place in the DND universe. With multiple campaign settings, only the Forgotten Realms features Drizzt.
So, one can say that Drizzt is a part of one of the DND universe timelines. That doesn’t mean that every DND media has to reference him. Drizzt might be a part of the DND TV series, but that’s not confirmed, and plenty of DND campaign characters in different settings could be used for the series.
What God Does Drizzt Follow?
Drizzt follows Mielikki, the goddess of rangers. There are different gods in the Lost Realms, including Auril, goddess of winter; Azuth, god of wizards; and Bane, god of tyrants. Different gods govern different phenomena, like Beshaba for misfortune and Cyric for lies.
But the ones with the most devout worshippers govern professions like Chauntea for agriculture and Deneir for writing. Drizzt’s God governs a profession, more specifically, the profession of rangers.
Why Does Drizzt Have Purple Eyes?
Drizzt is a Drow, and Drows can have eyes of any color. The most common eye color among Drow is red, and purple or lavender eyes usually allude to human or elf ancestry. Consequently, they are seen as a sign of a drow’s gentle nature or moral uprightness.
Is Salvatore Done With Drizzt?
R.A. Salvatore has not announced the conclusion of the Drizzt series. He has also not declared that he is done with the character, indicating that he will write future stories set in the Forgotten Realms.
Wrapping It Up
Drizzt is one of the most popular characters in the DnD universe. Many players love his character design and his intriguing backstory. But only the readers of the legend of Drizzt know his complete story.
The article above covers the best books in the series alongside a complete list of Drizzt books in chronological order. You can use it as your guide to the Legend of Drizzt bibliography.
