The Spine of the World


 * This article is about the novel. For the mountain range, see Spine of the World.

The Spine of the World is the second book in the Paths of Darkness series by R.A. Salvatore, with the assistance of author Philip Athans. It was later reissued as book twelve of the Legend of Drizzt series.

"The Road to Redemption

Even the brutal streets of a treacherous city can't hide a tortured soul forever.

The barbarian Wulfgar sets upon a dangerous path toward redemption when an old friend finds him in the city of Luskan. Wulfgar's journey twists up the windswept peaks of the Spine of the World. He will persevere, for at the end lies his most prized possession—the life he thought he'd lost forever."

Summary
This book does not include Drizzt and instead it focuses on heroes that have appeared before, but have not been as well developed, Wulfgar and Morik the Rogue. Wulfgar struggles with demons of his past--his time spent in the Abyss. As the book progresses, Wulfgar slowly climbs out of his despair, finally setting out to find the life he thought lost to the darkness. Featured, is a city with a brand new cast of characters in the Spine of the World, pocketed in the mountains, a city called Auckney. It is ruled by Feringal Auck, a rash acting young man. He falls in love with the young peasant Meralda, who sets up a plan to make him think that she has not been sleeping with other men, or one man in particular, Jaka Sculi. She is only doing this so the king will get her sick mother well. Jaka almost ruins everything by appearing at the day of their wedding and jumping off of a cliff. Her plan to avoid detection involves accusing Wulfgar of molesting her. Wulfgar is set free by her, and saves her child from being thrown out of a window. He takes the child, Colson, as his own and asks Delly Curtie to help raise her.