Starlight and Shadows volumes 1-3

Forgotten Realms tend to be a hit-or-miss for me.  In this case, I only liked two of the three books.  The first book built the two main characters and the world they existed in - since this is a series about drow, but is definitely not canon (according to the boyfriend), the author needed some space to build this fluffier version of drow.

That isn't to say that the characters here were lame or anything; the author just decided to add aspects to drow life that I don't think is what the creator (R.A. Salvatore?) had in mind precisely.

For example, she describes this scene, a party that the main character Liriel throws in Menzoborranzan.  Her house is described as being filled with young aristocracy dining on poisonous fish (not unlike fugu) and dancing competitively to an offbeat rhythm.  The dance lasts for what must have been hours, until only one remains, then the space is turned into some sort of baths/spa area for servants to relax sore limbs.  While I find the idea intriguing - drow luxuriating and reveling in excess much like how wealthy humans do - I do feel that it doesn't suit the characterization of Lolth's favored race very well.

In any case, the main character is Liriel, a magically gifted drow female who chooses not to study to become a priestess.  She instead decides she wants to explore the world, but is afraid to do so on the surface where her drow magic apparently doesn't work (also not canon).  Thus, she searches for a way to bring her magic up to the surface, coming across a berserker human,. Fyodor in the process.

Put short, I enjoyed their adventures in the first two books.  It was interesting, and made sense.  But the third book just seemed determined to reach a conclusion I didn't want, and so it felt out of place with me.  Overall, not a terrible read, but I felt like I'd wasted my time if it was going to end like that.  Meh.