Dissolution, by Richard Byers. Back in the day, R.A. Salvatore created the character Drizzt Do'Urden (if anyone every figures out how to pronounce that first name, please tell me), who proved to star in a number of very popular novels. But that's not important, nor is the argument as to whether Salvatore is a hack or not; rather the setting in which Drizzt originated and another most definitely skilled author are important. Byers makes the city of Menzoberranzan come alive with a variety of perspectives from his characters whom are easy to like even when they are just plain evil and decadent. Which all of them are.
Also, Byers' experience in fencing serves him in great stead in his writing. Each of the fight scenes is exciting and also absolutely clear. The only slight criticism I might make is that he occasionally described actions with weapons such as hammers with fencing terms, which threw me off a bit. There were also a few things that really interested me - one, as the entire culture that the characters spring from and are based in is completely despicable from a general moral code, at times I struggled with conflicting feelings. That is, I wasn't sure how I felt identifying with a character that I found witty and likeable when he nonchalantly suffocates a prostitute he just screwed over mightily (no pun intended), for a non-gruesome example. Also, as the setting takes place entirely underground, even if the drow are adapted for such living by seeing in the infrared and whatnot, what kind of circadian rhythms do they have going? There is some approximation of day/night cycles in the story, so that seems to imply something. And, with the brutally matriarchal society (figure that one out), I'd be interested to see how some Freudian psychology might apply, because many results of the gender-hierarchy certainly play themselves out in the plot.
Moreover, the novel presented something of an interesting zen exercise, in htat I could read it and practice not judging the drow culture as negative or positive, but just observing it as is. After all, within the story it seemed a viable model for civilization, just running on different underpinnings and assumptions for its rules.

Now, the ridgehand - a strike that utilizes the thumb-side blade of the hand or inside blade of the wrist, as far as I've seen it taught. There are three ways I've seen it used: one, in karate, as a sort of clotheslining augment to sweeps or just a strike in that pattern. Two, as an strike to the side of the neck from straight-on with a very shallow arc, also in karate. And three, as a strike to the ribs or back of head from a grappling position, ie, from within a bearhug or from under a mount in traditional jujitsu. Out of the three, I like the jujitsu method best, though the shallow-arc pattern is also intriguing, but the other kind I've had trouble with, if only because I don't usually fight in a way that puts me in position for it. In any case, does anyone else know of any techniques involving a ridgehand that might be interesting, or have any ideas?

Word of the day: apposite - being of striking appropriateness and pertinence