The Scarlet Pimpernel - Baroness Orczy

One of my favorite movies growing up was The Scarlet Pimpernel. I'm referring to the 1982 version with Anthony Andrews, Jane Seymour and Ian McKellen. I quote it from time to time, mostly strange moments that have no meaning to anyone but myself, but I purchased the DVD to show my kids why I say things like, "I spit upon their graves." I was pleasantly surprised how much they enjoyed the movie. They even showed it to some of their friends!

Anyway, fast forward a bit to me searching for something to read. Since this is one of the coolest stories, I wanted to give it a shot. As a general rule, I tend to stay away from reading books related to movies since it's normally a disappointment (I'm looking at you Timeline). I do break the rule more than I used to, and here I go again.

It's the French Revolution, and many members of the aristocracy are being beheaded daily by the guillotine. Some of them are lucky enough to be saved by the Scarlet Pimpernel and his league of brave soldiers. Using clever disguises, they smuggle some of the doomed out of France and safely to England. The Scarlet Pimpernel has become a thorn in the side of the Revolution, and they have employed Chauvelin to discover his identity.

The book starts farther ahead than the movie. Percy and Marguerite are already married in the book, and the tension is already present in their marriage. The main "rescue" is also different, but I'm not here to spoil anything. Even though the rescue might be a bit less high-profile, it was no less exciting. It's been a long time since I literally couldn't put a book down, but I HAD to finish this yesterday.

I loved this book. And I can honestly say that I still love the movie. It was more loosely based on the book, but the beloved poem is in there, so I can't complain. 

I learned a few things. There are other Scarlet Pimpernel books, and chronologically, Orczy also wrote two books that predate Percy. She also wrote quite a few sequels, but not all of them were successful. The Scarlet Pimpernel was originally a play, which I found to be interesting. Orczy wrote many novels during her life, and I want to read more of her work. I'm going to try and track down some of her non Scarlet Pimpernel works as well as getting more Percy in my life, but I have another book waiting for me, so the Baroness will have to wait. Great Book!!

Sojourn (Legend of Drizzt #3) - R.A. Salvatore

This is the finial book in the initial trilogy of the iconic character Drizzt Do'Urden. I actually finished this one up a few nights ago, but I've been thinking about how I want to record my thoughts without spoiling the plot. And that's a hard thing to do.

All the books are connected since they are the epic tale of one character. Drizzt is a dark elf on a journey of finding out who he is and where he belongs. It takes him all three books to do this, and I doubt he's done. At the end of the first book, he's left his corner of the Underdark. At the end of the second book, he's decided to travel out of the Underdark and brave the outside world. He spends this third book trying to prove to surface dwellers that he isn't a threat, something he is rarely able to do.

In all these book, Drizzt experiences loss and loneliness that hits home with me. I wrote down a few passages from each book that I thought were especially thought provoking, and I still think about them occasionally. 

I'll stand by my initial impression that you should read these in order. If you're a fan of Dungeons and Dragons, I don't see why you wouldn't be interested in these. They're well written, engaging, and I can't wait to dive into the next set of them. BUT! I am going to try and pace myself. I'm going to try and see if I can find something outside my comfort zone for my next read, then I might go back to Drizzt. Good Book!

Exile (Legend of Drizzt #2) - R. A. Salvatore

This is the second book in the series. The first is Homeland, and the third is Sojourn. I feel it's best to read these in order. You're following the life of a character, and you'll be better off following that journey chronologically.

Ten years after Drizzt leaves his homeland, he's struggling with the isolation. He still has his magical panther, but it isn't enough anymore. Drizzt will put his life on the line to end that isolation, but he isn't sure of the consequences. His family has also decided that they want to find him to try and regain favor with the Spider Queen.

This was another good one, but I had some emotional moments while reading. I'm not going to go into detail about the story line, because I think that's something you'll want to discover on your own if you decide to read it. I can fully understand why this is the only author my husband will read. He has a great style, and I care about the characters. Salvatore is a talented author, and I'm happy to have so much material to get through. I might read something else once I get done with this trilogy, but I plan on going back to Drizzt soon after that.

I'm partway into Sojourn, and I'll probably finish it pretty soon. Good Book!

Homeland (Legend of Drizzt #1) - R. A. Salvatore

A while back, we purchased a bunch of the Drizzt Do'Urden books through a Humble Bundle. We own a few of them in DTB form, but I read this one on my Kindle. Even though this isn't the first book in publication order, it is first chronologically. I decided to read some of them because my family plays Dungeons and Dragons, Drizzt has always been an interesting character to me, and finally, this is the only author my husband will read voluntarily.

In the beginning, Drizzt was meant to be a sacrifice to the Spider Queen. His family is actively trying to eradicate another house, and an opportunistic murder saves the life of Drizzt. From the moment of his birth, it is clear that Drizzt isn't any ordinary drow. He may have lavender eyes, but it's his view of the world around him that causes the most concern to his family.

It's clear that he's meant to be a warrior, and Drizzt takes pleasure training and learning from the family's weapons master. The bond between the two is tested at times, but the real test will come once Drizzt realizes his full potential as a fighter.

I enjoyed this book a lot. So much that I immediately read the next one in the series directly after finishing this one. I found the characters engaging and interesting, and truly liked the writing style of the author. The fight scenes didn't drag on, and I didn't mind longer descriptions. Since this is based on the D&D universe, there were times that I looked up what something looked like (a drider, for instance) just so I could envision it in my head accurately. It was purely a personal preference. 

I read much of the second book during a 4-hour flight delay, so I've already finished it. I'm hoping to write a review for it in the next day or two. Good Book!