Another good book in the series. The characters progress and expand, while there are some powerful scenes and good intrigue in the book.

Oh and Drizzt essays are back :)
Not to mention that the interactions between Entreri and king Gareth are 5 star material ... as usual Salvatore seems to be very keen on making his readers think and ponder about some very interesting and serious issues.

All in all, a very good book, indeed.

****** For Audible Listeners ******

While I liked the story in and of itself, the digging into Atremis's past, the new narrator almost killed it for me. I don't know why it was a new audible publishing company or narrator, but it hurt the flow of the books because I was, in my mind, constantly correcting the names. No disrespect to this narrator, I'm sure he's good with other books, but after 10+ books with Mr. Bevine,I would have rather read this one rather than listened to it.

Not having Victor Bevine as a narrator for Road of the Patriarch did not bother me as much as it did most of the other listeners for this book. There were a few annoying differences, but mostly it didn’t seem all that bad. This book again dealt primarily with Jarlaxle and Artemis Entreri. Drizzt only came in for a commentary in the middle; in the previous book in this sub-series, he didn’t even do that. So, it seemed like there were fewer types of characters in this one than in some of the others. Therefore, less to get annoyed with the narrator about.t

Jarlaxle and Artemis return to the castle they defeated in the previous book, and Jarlaxle declares Artemis king of it. This brings down the wrath of the King of the Bloodstone lands on them. The King and his friends are already suspicious of them because of the goings-on in the previous book. But suddenly they up and disappear, leaving the attacking army confused.

They also take on the local Assassin’s Guild, leaving them hopelessly confused too. I confess to being confused right along with them.

The most interesting thing in this book appears to be its forays into the earlier lives of Artemis and Jarlaxle. As well as a side-venture into the past of the dwarf Athrogate. The visit with Artemis’ younger self is the most interesting, as well as the longest.

In my quest to re-read the Drizzt novels and catch up on the new ones, I, once again, opened the Sellswords Series. Oy, I seem to recollect now that I never finished this series because of how painfully boring it is. Poor character development, the terrible idea to ruin the best villain in the Drizzt saga with a conscience, and no real good conclusion to a bad trilogy. I think R.A. was bored and wanted to write something different but his heart wasn't really in it. I can't think of any other reason why this is so uncharacteristic of his usual writing. I almost gave up on this book about 10% in but I forced myself to finish. I'm beginning to remember why I abandoned the Drizzt series of books after this trilogy and the upcoming Obould storyline. They're just too slow to keep me turning the pages. Maybe I need a break from these to refresh my interest...

Big sigh.....

Road of the Patriarch by R.A. Salvatore is the third, and final, book of the Sellswords trilogy. The first being Servant of the Shard and the second being Promise of the Witch King and continues the tale of Jarlaxle and Artemis and their journey together as Artemis seeks to come to grips with his past.

As with most Salvatore books this one has a decent mix of characters, however, no matter how well constructed the plot is- this book is largely about character development. Fans of Salvatore have watched both Jarlaxle and Artemis grow as characters through several books. Aside from the Drizzt books, the growth of Artemis in this book may be the single biggest development in a character in one book I have read in a long time. We learn a little about Jarlaxle's past, but this book focuses mainly on Artemis. Jarlaxle is merely along for the ride. There are some things in this book that are not usually found in Forgotten Realms books, some of the content...but to say that the journey that Artemis undertakes in the second half of the book is gritty and filled with heartache.

The plot of this book can really be divided into two parts. The first part focuses on Jarlaxle and Artemis' time dealing with Grandmaster Kane and the Citadel of Assassins in the Bloodstone Lands, while the second half focuses quite a bit on Artemis' individual journey that leads to some shocking moments. i will say that the second half of the book seemed, at times, slightly rushed. Mostly because Salvatore knew what he wanted to happen and needed to fit it all in. I am guessing this book could have been 400+ pages easily. The plot is well laid out and everything that happens makes perfect sense. Salvatore obviously invested a great deal of time making sure the story stayed true to the characters and their situation. This allows the reader to care that much more about what is going on in the story.

Salvatore has a knack of weaving a believable story with characters that seem so real. We all know Artemis is a very skilled assassin, yet, while reading this book you can't help but care deeply for his story and his past and how that played a part in who he is. If you are looking for large scale battles, this book may be disappointment for you. However, if you are looking for an excellently crafted character driven story, I am pretty certain you will enjoy this. This is classic Salvatore and fans will surely find something in this book to enjoy.

Fans of the Forgotten Realms and Salvatore will find this book and enjoy it. New fans would be encouraged to go back and read the rest of Salvatore's Forgotten Realms books before reading this one, that way, all of the events and discussions will make more sense. However, picking up the Sellsword series would be OK as well. I will continue to recommend Salvatore as an author I enjoy a great deal. This was a ride well worth taking.

The only reason I gave this book two stars is because it was writing by R.A. Salvatore with two great matching characters.
Read only 100 pages, and stopped because nothing happened, just being happy of the success of what happened in the last book.

Too many characters and not enough character development, as a result. Although, I did enjoy the sections dedicated to the back story of Entreri and Athrogate.

Not at all what was expected from these two characters, but enjoyable.

Not overly impressed, but was not looking for amazing necessarily. I like Salvatore's style, and just like a TV show, I was looking forward to see what some of my favorite characters would do next. And they delivered. It's more of a character discovery/development book, and I enjoyed the road and the characters met along the way. Hope there are more Jarlaxle/Entreri books down the line.

Road of the Patriarch is the third novel of the Sellswords series by R.A. Salvatore. The hardcover edition was released in the US on October 24, 2006.

“To her, to her dying breath, you were the untouchable one, the one whose flesh her dagger could not penetrate.”

THE ASSASSIN

A cold and emotionless killer for whom every soul has a price, even his own, embarks on a path to find out just how high that price can be.

THE MERCENARY

A dark elf of limitless guile dares to challenge a king, and carve for himself a place in the inhospitable World Above.

ILNEZHARA and TAZMIKELLA are ancient dragons of great power, accustomed to easily manipulating the humans around them. But not all humans are so easily led. When they pushed Enteri and Jarlaxle into the heart of the Bloodstone Lands, not even they could have imagined the strength of the human assassin’s resolve, or the limitless expanse of the drow mercenary’s ambition.

Previously when I reviewed the earlier books in this series I said the following:

“Here's what I wish to see from R.A. Salvatore:
I'd like to see his protagonists actually get in over their head sometimes. I'd like to see Jarlaxle not have a magical item for very occasion for a change.”

Well, I got what I asked for...for the most part.

The protagonists in this tale are the drow mercenary Jarlaxle and the assassin Artemis Enteri; characters whom were originally a part of the tales of the drow ranger Drizzt Do’Urden and Company. These characters were apparently popular enough to have a spinoff series starting with Servant of the Shard.

This spinoff series The Sellswords started with Jarlaxle and Enteri and their attempt to establish themselves in the surface world using The Crystal Shard: Crenshinibon, an intelligent artifact that plays upon it’s bearer’s own desires for power. I say “their” attempt but really it’s about Jarlaxle; Artemis Enteri is largely a pawn, caught in a delicate but deadly web of deception amongst the drow of Bregan D’aerthe. Artemis Enteri was already well established in Calimport and all along The Sword Coast, and the opportunist drow intended to use that for all it was worth.

Servant of the Shard ended with Jarlaxle and Enteri leaving their lives on The Sword Coast behind after several misadventures.

Promise of the Witch King picked up where the previous book left off: two Sellswords seeking adventure in a far away land: Vaasa and Damara. Lands that were until recently under the sway of the Witch King Zhengyi. In the employ of a couple Dragon-Sisters they started collecting items left behind by the great lich and in doing so made a great name for themselves.

Road of the Patriarch begins with another of Jarlaxle’s brilliant and entirely self-serving plans: to establish for themselves (himself) a domain on the surface. Enteri and Jarlaxle are caught in a web between The Citadel of Assassins and King Gareth Dragonslayer, Paladin of Ilmater. Of course, Jarlaxle wants to find the best way to manipulate the situation to his benefit, working both sides towards each other.

This doesn’t go so well as Artemis is tired of being manipulated. His mind and heart opened through the repeated use of a magical flute he was gifted (yet another manipulation by Jarlaxle). Without giving too much away, it’s awful nice to see Jarlaxle’s plans foiled, especially by Enteri.

Both of the protagonists get in well over their heads…and in ways the reader doesn’t really see coming as clearly in previous books. For once, the super-heroic team-up of Jarlaxle and Enteri are outclassed…mostly.

The very best part of this is that from the very start we get to see the origins of Artemis Enteri. Through the manipulation of Jarlaxle, who really is simply interested in seeing how people tick, Artemis Enteri has begun questioning himself, his past and considering for the first time…a future.

Readers who read about Enteri from the beginning knew him as a passionless killer, who never thinks of the past or the future, simply the next job, and being the absolute perfectionist when it comes to his “art”.

Not so in this series. Artemis Enteri is cracked open like an egg.

Enteri, with Jarlaxle and Athrogate the Dwarf in tow, return to the home place of the assassin: Memmon, a coastal city between Calimshan and Tethyr. Memmon is a nest of vipers and of stark contrasts between those with gold and those without it.

It really is well written…again resulting in a long night of reading. This is easily Salvatore’s strongest book in this series. I’d say it’s stronger than several of the Drizzt books. Largely because of the reasons I hoped for in the previous review: surprise! Fandom of a series will only get you so far. This book really does come through strong: good solid story, surprises, character depth. It has it all.

In summary, Road of the Patriarch is a helluva fun ride!

Satisfying ending to the Sellswords trilogy. Without spoilers, I will say that the story took several turns I wasn’t expecting. It was odd at first but I’m viewing it less as an eclectic story and more of a winding tale in the same vein as the main character. Recommend the read and the trilogy if you’re already immersed in the Drizzt universe, but its not a bad stand alone series either.

A little meandering and unsure of its arc, but with very enjoyable character development.