This book of Salvatore leads us to the times prior the Demon Wars. The main character is a poor disabled child turned to a masked hero, kinda crossover between Robin Hood and Zorro. Yes, it isn't one of Salvatore's best books and the characters tend to be a bit papier mache but the story itself is enjoyable and exciting. Strong part of the book is depicting the opposition of the churches, the old and the new faith. And yes, I'm convinced once again that the best author describing a battle scene is R.A. Salvatore. ( )

The Highwayman takes the reader back to the familiar surroundings of The Demon Wars trilogy. There is no requirement for the reader to have read any previous works, since this is a prequel. Salvatore's world of Corona is a land where religious factions are vying for followers and the common people are mercilessly used as fodder in war and city construction. The Highwayman is the spawn of the evil actions of men, and this novel is the history of his creation, chronicling his parents lives and his own past adolescence. The narrative is well written and the scenario in which events are set against is captivating. The central theme itself is one of revenge, love and betrayal; themes which suit the fantasy genre well. However, for the plot to be cohesive Salvatore stretches plausibility until you doubt the viability of the central theme to the story. As a fantasy story it is not a run of the mill quest or war epic, and therefore I'd encourage fantasy readers to pick up Highwayman since it is refreshing. It's a shame that the transformation of characters within the book fail to keep your disbelief suspended. ( )

This is a bit of a different approach for a Salvatore novel - there's no dwarves or barbarians. This book goes back to the time when the gemstone magic of Corona has just been discovered, and is fighting for control with the ancient established religion. It very much parallels the christianity vs. paganism conflicts in our world. Its not bad, but its not great either. ( )

Yet another disappointing book from Salvatore. I heard the main character described as a combination of Zoro and Robin Hood, unfortunately that's all he was. I enjoyed the initial section of the book, and the contrast between the paganish ways and the new church of Honce was interesting. Overall, not a very gripping story, and foregetable characters. ( )

http://www.sfreader.com/read_review.asp?ID=501 ( )