Legendary Character Drizzt Do'Urden Set to Delight Fans in R.A. Salvatore's Latest -- The Orc King

For millions of readers, Drizzt Do’Urden has become a lifelong hero and companion. The iconic character — a drow with jet black skin and striking, long white hair — has been revered since his debut 20 years ago in R.A. Salvatore’s classic first novel, The Crystal Shard. Over the course of these years and 16 novels — all of which were New York Times bestsellers — readers have practically grown up with Drizzt as they’ve watched him mature. That’s why anticipation is building for the upcoming release of Salvatore’s The Orc King. Available Tuesday, September 25th, The Orc King is the first book since 2004’s #4 New York Times bestseller The Two Swords to feature Salvatore’s signature character. The book marks Drizzt’s 20th anniversary and the beginning of a bold new trilogy that will help change the face of the Forgotten Realms® world forever. "I have [The Orc King] pre-ordered at Borders,” blogged a self-described Drizzt fan-girl, Katie O’Keefe from Lorain, Ohio. "I’ve been having adventures with [Drizzt] since I was ten. He’s been an almost constant companion in my life since my childhood, and he’s almost like a friend.” Initial reviews for the book have been strong. "The story line marks the continuation of Salvatore’s maturation as a writer,” noted Kirkus, "… retaining a healthy dose of his patented vividly frenetic action sequences.” According to Publishers Weekly, "Salvatore mixes neatly choreographed battles with philosophical musings from self-styled ‘renegade soul’ Drizzt.” To celebrate the release of The Orc King, Salvatore will travel across the United States to answer burning questions from fans and sign copies of his books. Tour stops include: San Diego, CA: Tuesday, September 25th at Mysterious Galaxy Books, 7 pm Santa Rosa, CA: Wednesday, September 26th at Copperfield’s Books, 7 pm Seattle, WA: Thursday, September 27th at University Book Store, 7 pm Tacoma, WA: Friday, September 28th at Fort Lewis Army Base Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN: Monday, October 1st at Barnes & Noble Roseville, 7 pm Chicago, IL: Tuesday, October 2nd at Borders Oak Brook, 7 pm Kansas City, MO: Wednesday, October 3rd at Borders Overland Park, 7 pm Fayetteville, NC: Thursday, October 4th at Fort Bragg Airborne Philadelphia, PA: Friday, October 5th at University of Penn Bookstore, 3 pm About R.A. Salvatore R.A. Salvatore is best known as the creator of the dark elf Drizzt, one of the fantasy genre’s most beloved characters. Over three million R.A. Salvatore novels have been sold with many translated into different languages and audio versions. His first published novel was The Crystal Shard in 1988. Since that time, Salvatore has published numerous novels, including the New York Times bestselling The Halfling's Gem, Sojourn, and The Legacy. About Wizards of the Coast Since its founding two decades ago, Wizards of the Coast’s Book Publishing division has produced hundreds of titles that have sold millions of copies in over 16 languages. For more information about books by R.A. Salvatore, scheduled author appearances, or other novels published by Wizards of the Coast, Inc., please visit wizards.com/books. Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE:HAS), is a publisher of fantasy series fiction with numerous The New York Times bestsellers. For more information, visit Wizards of the Coast’s website at wizards.com. Wizards of the Coast and Forgotten Realms are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the U.S.A. and other countries.