Homeland (The Dark Elf Trilogy #1) is a 1990 fantasy novel written by R. A. Salvatore, narration by Victor Bevine, published by TSR, and audio done by Audible Studios.  Set as the first book in The Dark Elf Trilogy and a prequel to The Icewind Dale Trilogy, the story follows Drizzt Do’Urden from his time of his birth and his upbringing amonst the dark elves.

Plot: The story is basically about a subterranean city where the various noble houses compete for power though this comes in the form of treachery.  The story is basically an origin story and mainly follows drow Drizzt Do’Urden as he navigates the cruel and hostile society of his birth.  It is a pretty slow build but it does give time focus on the characters who all have their own motivations that fuel the story.  The main one follows Drizzt, while there are subplots concerning House Do’Urden’s rising to the top of the other Houses as well as Alton Devir’s plan to destroy House Do’Urden as a result.  I would’ve liked to have seen more planning and manipulation behind Devir’s actions because the storyline feels suppressed.  There’s a strange intensity to the story and there are a lot of twists. (3 out of 5)

Characters:  One of the biggest issues of the story is that nearly everyone is an asshole.  Though the story follows a few characters, the main protagonist is Drizzt Do’Urden, a member of House Do’Urden and an unique Drow as he doesn’t share the same viewpoint as his kin.  Although he’s seen as a failure he’s likable and has a strong developing arc.  Another great character is Zaknafein Do’Urden, who’s House Do’Urden’s Weapon Master, the greatest swordsmen in the city, and Dritzzt’s father.  I like that he’s not an asshole like the rest of the characters.  He actually cares about Drizzt and goes out of his way to protect him.  Drizzt’s second sister Vierna Do’Urden is probably the only other family member that has any kind of personality.  Yes, she’s a total bitch to Drizzt but she does have moments of kindness.  I would’ve liked for her to have had more development as a character. There are a number of other characters who honestly feel underdeveloped.

One of Drizzt’s “antagonists” is his mother Malice Do’Urden, Matron of House Do’Urden.  This lady is nuts and ruthless.  She gave no shits about her family and only wanted more power.  A bit too one dimensional for my taste but a decent antagonist.  The second “antagonist” is the last surviving member of House Devir (which was wiped out in the beginning of the story) called Alton Devir.  He’s got a bone to pick with House Do’Urden and seeks to destroy the noble house.  He’s not much on character but he does have good motivation.  Wished there was a little more to the characters outside of being evil. (3 out of 5)

Audio:  The audio is done really well by Audible Studios.  I loved the reading and can’t for the life of me understand how the hell Victor Bevine pronounced those words so well. (4 out of 5)

Writing:  I honestly thought the writing was good.  R. A. Salvatore is a favorite and he does a great job with the world-building, especially when it comes to the world and culture surrounding the drow.  Menzoberranzan is an interesting city with an interesting culture, religion, hierarchy, and backstory.  The drow society is matriarchal and boy are they brutal.  Menzoberranzan is a horrible place and Salvatore doesn’t hold back on it. This story has a good pace and is pretty brutal; there’s a lot of death, abuse, fighting, and violence. He’s also great at detailing and description without overly going on and on.  The words are pretty damn lengthy and hard as hell to pronounce.  Sometimes this does make characterization difficult because the name’s are so confusing.  Despite the names the writing is good. (3 out of 5)

The Verdict:  In the end, Homeland (The Dark Elf Trilogy #1) is good read.  Tough and edgy but a good read.  I know the society is based around the praise of an evil goddess and everyone’s an asshole but there could’ve been better characterization.  The book has a lot going for it.  There are some good characters, great writing, good world-building, and a good reading.  Homeland (The Dark Elf Trilogy #1) gets 3 out of 5.