R.A Salvatore’s The Legend of Drizzt Books in Order: A Reader’s Guide

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First published over 35 years ago, R.A. Salvatore’s Legend of Drizzt has since become one of the most popular fantasy book series of all time, selling over 35 million copies worldwide and earning numerous top spots on The New York Times bestsellers list. Today, the series encompasses almost 40 novels and a slew of tie-in books, with the popular dark elf ranger and his companions also appearing in toys, comic books, video games and memorabilia.

Many new readers, however, can sometimes feel a bit overwhelmed given the extensive number of books. That’s why we’ve put together this guide to help new and returning fans explore the Legend of Drizzt books in order. We break out all the novels by chronological order and publication date, dig into some of the tie-ins and supplemental materials, and offer a few tips for new readers interested in meeting the famed drow warrior for the first time.

So hold onto your scimitars as we slice into the ultimate readers guide to R.A Salvatore’s The Legend of Drizzt books.

Table of Contents

What is the Legend of Drizzt series?

The Drizzt Books in Chronological Order

The Drizzt Books in Order of Publication Date

Related Drizzt Books

Advice for new readers

What is the Legend of Drizzt Series about?

Written by award-winning fantasy author R.A Salvatore, The Legend of Drizzt currently consists of 39 novels that follow the adventures of Drizzt Do’Urden, a dark elf (also known as a “drow”) who turns his back on his evil, subterranean race, eventually making his way to the surface world where he becomes a noble ranger.

The novels are set in the world of Faerûn, better known as the Forgotten Realms, which was first created as a campaign setting for Dungeons & Dragons RPG, and as such the books are closely tied-in to the game’s concepts, monsters, magic and locations.

Over the course of the series, Drizzt befriends a group of heroes in the remote frozen wilds of Icewind Dale. These individuals are eventually known simply as “The Companions” and include the mighty barbarian Wulfgar, the mischievous halfling thief Regis, the surly dwarven warrior Bruenor Battlehammer, and Catti-brie a fearless human archer and Bruenor’s adopted daughter. Drizzt is also joined by his faithful companion Guenhwyvar, a magical panther which he can summon using a small enchanted figurine.

Throughout the series, Drizzt also often finds himself facing a number of familiar enemies, including the forces of the drow city of Menzoberranzan, the human assassin Artemis Entreri and the dark elf mercenary known as Jarlaxle, not to mention an army of deadly monsters and other creatures.

Naturally with almost 40 novels in published to date, the series has become fairly complex, with Drizzt and his companions experiencing significant changes and growth over the course of the novels. That being said, it’s still surprisingly accessible to new readers and there are a number of jumping on points. The series, however, is really known for its introspective philosophy, unique characters and creatures, high fantasy setting, and incredible action.

Drizzt Books in Chronological Order

The following is a list of The Legend of Drizzt books in chronological order, detailing Drizzt’s adventures from his early days in Menzoberranzan to his many adventures in the surface world. Notably, this isn’t actually the order in which the books were first written by R.A. Salvatore, but for many new and returning readers it remains the best order in which to enjoy the series.

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Drizzt Books in Order of Publication Date

While some readers may choose to read The Legend of Drizzt books in order of publication date, this may not be the best approach. That’s because R.A. Salvatore often published books from two different series at the same time. For example, the first book of the Sellswords Trilogy series was published before the third book of the Paths of Darkness Trilogy. Similarly, some of the books occur in different time periods throughout Drizzt’s life. For example, the Dark Elf trilogy takes place before the events of The Icewind Dale Trilogy, despite being published afterwards.

That being said, if you are interested in taking this approach, below are the Drizzt books in order of publication date.

1. The Crystal Shard (1988)
2. Streams of Silver (1989)
3. The Halfling’s Gem (1990)
4. Homeland (1990)
5. Exile (1990)
6. Sojourn (1991)
7. The Legacy (1992)
8. Starless Night (1993)
9. Siege of Darkness (1994)
10. Passage to Dawn (1996)
11. The Silent Blade (1998)
12. The Spine of the World (1999)
13. The Servant of the Shard (2000)
14. Sea of Swords (2001)
15. The Thousand Orcs (2002)
16. The Lone Drow (2003)
17. The Two Swords (2004)
18. Promise of the Witch King (2005)
19. Road of the Patriarch (2006)
20. The Orc King (2007)
21. The Pirate King (2008)
22. The Ghost King (2009)
23. Gauntlgrym (2010)
24. Neverwinter (2011)
25. Charon’s Claw (2012)
26. The Last Threshhold (2013)
27. The Companions (2013)
28. Night of the Hunter (2014)
29. Rise of the King (2014)
30. Vengeance of the Iron Dwarf (2015)
31. Archmage (2015)
32. Maestro (2016)
33. Hero (2016)
34. Timeless (2018)
35. Boundless (2019)
36. Relentless (2020)
37. Starlight Enclave (2021)
38. Glacier’s Edge (2022)
39. Lolth’s Warrior  (2023)

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Related Drizzt Books

There are also a number of books that aren’t part of The Legend of Drizzt series, but which are closely related to R.A Salvatore’s novels.

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Advice for new readers

With almost 40 books in total, The Legend of Drizzt series is quite extensive and can be a little daunting for new readers. Our advice is to start reading them in chronological order, beginning with The Dark Elf trilogy and moving into The Icewind Dale Trilogy (although there is some debate on this approach, with some fans suggesting starting with The Icewind Dale Trilogy, then moving into The Dark Elf Trilogy). The Hunter’s Blades trilogy can also be a good starting point for new readers and doesn’t require any knowledge of previous books to enjoy it.

We also recommend pacing yourself. Not all of these books need to be read one after the other, so taking a bit of time in between is really the best way to get the most enjoyment from the series (sometimes there really is too much of a good thing). In fact, there are plenty of other amazing Forgotten Realms books out there that are also worth picking up.

Ultimately, there’s a lot to love with The Legend of Drizzt and, if you’re a new reader, you can expect a ton of fantasy action and adventure ahead. Happy reading!

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