"R A Salvatore - Icewind Dale Trilogy 1 - Crystal Shard, The" - читать интересную книгу автора (Salvatore R. A)

Come gather 'round Hardy men of the steppes
And listen to my tale
Of heroes bold and friendships fast
And the Tyrant of Icewind Dale
Of a band of friends
By trick or by deed
Bred legends for the bard
The baneful pride of one poor wretch
And the horror of the Crystal Shard



Dedication

To my wife, Diane and to Bryan, Geno, and Caitlin for their support and
patience through this experience.

And to my parents, Geno and Irene For believing in me even when I
didn't.

Whenever an author takes on a project like this, especially if it is his
first novel, there are invariably a number of people who help him
accomplish the task. The writing of The Crystal Shard was no exception.
Publishing a novel involves three elements: a degree of talent; a lot of
hard work; and a good measure of luck. The first two elements can be
controlled by the author, but the third involves being in the right place
at the right time and finding an editor who believes in your ability and
dedication to the task at hand.
Therefore, my greatest thanks go to TSR, and especially to Mary
Kirchoff, for taking a chance on a first time author and guiding me
throughout the process.
Writing in the 1980s has become a high-tech chore as well as an exercise
in creativity. In the case of The Crystal Shard, luck once again worked on
my side. I consider myself lucky to have a friend like Brian P. Savoy, who
loaned me his software expertise in smoothing out the rough edges.
My thanks also to my personal opinion-givers, Dave Duquette and Michael
LaVigueur, for pointing out strengths and weaknesses in the rough draft, to
my brother, Gary Salvatore, for his work on the maps of Icewind Dale, and
to the rest of my AD&DR game group, Tom Parker, Daniel Mallard, and Roland
Lortie, for their continued inspiration through the development of
eccentric characters fit to wear the mantle of a hero in a fantasy novel.
And finally, to the man who truly brought me into the world of the AD&D
game, Bob Brown. Since you moved away (and took the pipe smoke with you)
the atmosphere around the gaming table just hasn't been the same.