Part of the 'Forgotten Realms' series by various authors, this fantasy begins in the barren desert where nomadic tribes such as the Bedine live according to their own laws. A little girl, just five, is rumoured to be able to call enough water to tend a garden, and outsiders come with cruel knives to steal her. But little Ruqia calls down sorcery in her distress, and they pay dearly. She renames herself Catti-brie.

THE COMPANIONS are Catti-brie and others from previous books; Regis, Bruenor and Wulfgar, who fell in battle or died of age and are now mystically brought together in a woodland outside the world. They agree to try for reincarnation and when they do, they bring their own memories along to new baby bodies in scattered lands. Before too long young Bruenor, once more a dwarf, is battling a horde of orcs, while halfling Regis is discovering that he cannot drown as he dives for deepwater oysters. Catti-brie still has her powers. The friends have agreed to meet up on Spring Equinox of a certain year. The lure of adventure is too much for some of them and they encounter dark elven vampires, liches, shapeshifters and enchanted weapons. Regis and Catti-brie manage to meet up, but there is no word of their friends, and Icewind Dale is still in the grip of a hard winter near the equinox. Can the adventurers who strengths complemented each other have survived apart?

This is a scattered story because of the spread of characters and we don't get a sense of a strong quest or battle to be fought, unlike some of the other books in this series. The new reader won't recognise the placenames and battle references but if you enjoy this book you might be inspired to read some earlier tales set in this world. Anyone who likes fantasy books could read this one as it is not such a dark fantasy as The Godborn, another instalment. However there is plenty of blood spilt in battle and other violence, reflecting the times when people live by their weapons and their wits. RA Salvatore has pulled these characters together to live new adventures and many readers of the series will be pleased with THE COMPANIONS.