| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| riot the outsider |
Posted - 08 Oct 2007 : 19:24:30
Just trying to start a discussion. |
| 30 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Neo2151 |
Posted - 06 Feb 2008 : 19:17:41
quote:
Originally posted by yanic
War of the Spider Queen, drizzts books and cleric quintet for me,Salvatore work gives me the feel of a fantasy world filled with cool characters like Drizzt, Pharaun and so on, I like Elaine work too but she doesnt really give me much cool factor with her characters and she tends to kill them off alot and far too unnecessary for me, but overall her novels are an awesome read
You should read some George R.R. Martin... You don't know anything about seeing your favorite characters die off early until you read A Song of Ice and Fire series   |
| yanic |
Posted - 05 Feb 2008 : 03:30:33
War of the Spider Queen, drizzts books and cleric quintet for me,Salvatore work gives me the feel of a fantasy world filled with cool characters like Drizzt, Pharaun and so on, I like Elaine work too but she doesnt really give me much cool factor with her characters and she tends to kill them off alot and far too unnecessary for me, but overall her novels are an awesome read |
| chance87 |
Posted - 03 Feb 2008 : 00:09:21
Not sure that there's a particular book I can point at. I started with the original Moonshae trilogy and the Wyvernspur trilogy, so they really defined the Realms for me, and would have to be in the top. Everything by Ed and Elaine has been a favorite, as have the Sembia series (and the Cale books that grew out of it) and the War of the Spiderqueen books.
Most RAS books I find enjoyable, but too focused both on combat and Drizz't's intropection to be considered among my top picks.
Ghostwalker, Unclean, and Gossamer Plain are the among the more recent books I'd put in the top (along with Blackstaff, of course.)
Sorry Ed Gentry and Rosemary - reading time has been in short supply the last few months, but your books are on the shelf - have to finish RoW first :) |
| Erik Scott de Bie |
Posted - 02 Feb 2008 : 22:39:55
quote:
Originally posted by Rosemary Jones
It's so nice to be rubbing shoulders in cyberspace with Bruce and Erik. I really enjoy their work! Thanks!
Likewise, RJ! :)
Cheers |
| Rosemary Jones |
Posted - 02 Feb 2008 : 03:19:18
quote:
Originally posted by Broken Helm
The most recent books by Rosemary Jones, Bruce Cordell, and Erik's Ghostwalker were going to be in the next 5.
It's so nice to be rubbing shoulders in cyberspace with Bruce and Erik. I really enjoy their work! Thanks! |
| Neo2151 |
Posted - 29 Jan 2008 : 17:55:42
I'd have to cram the series into a "book" for this topic but I'd definitely say that the books that stand out the most, in my mind, as great reads were all of the Double Diamond Triangle Saga and either of the Murder In... stories. If you want my "mainstream" answer, I really couldn't only pick one. Shandril Saga, Elminster series, War of the Spider Queen, Avatar Series, Cleric Quintet, etc. The list goes on of course  |
| Rinonalyrna Fathomlin |
Posted - 26 Jan 2008 : 23:36:51
quote:
Originally posted by Karzak
You can see Moorcock's thoughts on Drizzt here.
Thanks for the link. |
| Faraer |
Posted - 26 Jan 2008 : 16:06:33
quote:
Originally posted by Jorkens
I agree that The End of Time books, Mother London, Gloriana and others are better books than those I mentioned, but these series are the most influential ones.
Most influential on extruded-product fantasy. |
| Karzak |
Posted - 26 Jan 2008 : 00:40:22
You can see Moorcock's thoughts on Drizzt here. |
| Rinonalyrna Fathomlin |
Posted - 25 Jan 2008 : 23:27:25
quote:
Originally posted by Karzak
The similarities have struck quite a lot of people before. Someone even brought it to Moorcock and asked him how he felt. His answer made me smile.
So, tell us what the answer was. |
| Karzak |
Posted - 25 Jan 2008 : 18:37:41
The similarities have struck quite a lot of people before. Someone even brought it to Moorcock and asked him how he felt. His answer made me smile. |
| Jorkens |
Posted - 25 Jan 2008 : 11:01:10
I agree that The End of Time books, Mother London, Gloriana and others are better books than those I mentioned, but these series are the most influential ones.
As for the likeness between Drizzt and Elric; the idea has struck me before. |
| Karzak |
Posted - 24 Jan 2008 : 22:41:45
quote:
Originally posted by Slaygrim
quote:
Originally posted by Karzak
I imagine you'd have found Exile a lot less "different" had you even been passingly familiar with Elric of Melnibone. Heh.
Possibly, but I wasn't familiar with him and I still am not.
Elric is a white-haired prettyboy who tries to turn against the evil of his people. He wields a magical sword, Stormbringer, and has made a pact to serve an abyssal lord named Arioch. His internal conflict is a lot more interesting than Drizzt's.
Mind you, I don't think the Elric stories are Moorcock's best work. I much prefer Dancers from the End of Time. Oh, man, that book gives me orgasms. |
| Ozzalum |
Posted - 24 Jan 2008 : 21:08:23
I don't know about "best" but my favorite would probably be Siege of Darkness. It's the only DnD book I've read more than once. |
| Slaygrim |
Posted - 24 Jan 2008 : 19:52:08
Thanks for the tip. I'll check it out. |
| Jorkens |
Posted - 24 Jan 2008 : 19:39:27
quote:
Originally posted by Slaygrim
quote:
Originally posted by Karzak
I imagine you'd have found Exile a lot less "different" had you even been passingly familiar with Elric of Melnibone. Heh.
Possibly, but I wasn't familiar with him and I still am not.
Its never to late. Start with the earlier Elric stories from the 60's and 70's. Then start reading the Runestaff series, the Corum series and the...
Yes I am a Moorcock fan. |
| Slaygrim |
Posted - 24 Jan 2008 : 17:37:54
quote:
Originally posted by Karzak
I imagine you'd have found Exile a lot less "different" had you even been passingly familiar with Elric of Melnibone. Heh.
Possibly, but I wasn't familiar with him and I still am not. |
| SirUrza |
Posted - 24 Jan 2008 : 02:00:27
The Crystal Shard, Elfshadow, or Swords of Eveningstar. |
| Karzak |
Posted - 23 Jan 2008 : 22:34:59
I imagine you'd have found Exile a lot less "different" had you even been passingly familiar with Elric of Melnibone. Heh. |
| Slaygrim |
Posted - 23 Jan 2008 : 17:49:01
Favorite book is hard. I'd have to say that the book I enjoyed the most considering the first time I read it alone... was Exile. At this point I was only reading Dragonlance books and I had never read Forgotton Realms and in fact had never even heard of Drizzt. I read Exile and it was so different, unlike anything I had read before. And the duel between Drizzt and Zin'Carla Zaknafein was CRAZY!
It also had Belwar Dissengulp, and the Mind Flayers. Loved it. It reminded me of one of those old "Choose Your Own Adventure" type books, the one where you're underground trying to escape the caverns and there are traps, pits, a dragon, etc. |
| Nimriel |
Posted - 23 Jan 2008 : 16:18:27
I can't really say much for my favorite book, but my favorite authors is Cunningham, Grubb/Novak and Kemp. |
| Mazrim_Taim |
Posted - 23 Jan 2008 : 04:01:56
I'm not as experienced as others when it comes to FR novels but most recently I read The City of Splendors and loved it. I don't know about you guys but the Ed and Elaine team is a winning one for me. And combined with Evermeet it makes me really surprised that EC doesn't write more for the Realms. Those two definitely have a spot in the "best FR book" category for me. I also really enjoyed Elfshadow.
Oh yeah and Blackstaff ranks high on my list as well.
So far as sourcebooks go it'd be, Cloak and Dagger, Lost Empires of Faerun, The Silver Marches, and Empires of The Shining Sea (who doesn't love the Shoon Dynasty?). |
| Broken Helm |
Posted - 23 Jan 2008 : 03:13:22
I'm just going to do novels, in descending order:
1. Swords of Eveningstar
2. Spellfire
3. Swords of Dragonfire
4. The Annotated Elminster (cheating, I know. Just Making of A Mage if I can't use collections)
5. Cormyr: A Novel
6. Death Of The Dragon
7. Homeland
8. Elfshadow
9. Elminster's Daughter
10. City of Splendors
Hmm. Looks like Ed wins, though I really wasn't paying attention to authors when I did that.
If I had to expand it:
11. Blackstaff
12. Dawn of Night
13. Unclean
14. Elfsong
15. Azure Bonds
16. Silverfall
17. Depths of Madness
18. Twilight Calling
19. Stormlight
20. Elminster In Hell
21. Crown of Fire
22. Daughter of the Drow
23. Venom's Taste
24. The Silent Blade
25. The Simbuls' Gift
Hmm. Ed wins again. That surprises me too, though I suppose it shouldn't.
Anyway, that's just my rankings. The tastes of others will differ. I have, I think, read every published Realms novel.
If we're including anthologies and collections, too, The Best of the Realms II (Ed), Realms of Valor, Realms of Mystery, and The Best of the Realms III (Elaine) would make that top 25 for me, in that order but scattered throughout the over-15 rankings, bumping the last four titles above off the list.
The most recent books by Rosemary Jones, Bruce Cordell, and Erik's Ghostwalker were going to be in the next 5.
Of my top ten, it's Elfshadow and Eds 1-2-3 ranked books that I re-read most. Great stuff.
Just my coppers... |
| ajfurst |
Posted - 23 Jan 2008 : 02:10:17
My top four are:
1. Azure Bonds
2. The Crystal Shard
3. Pools of Radiance
4. Finders Bane
Diverging slightly, whilst I enjoy most FR books, my favourites have all been non-RSE and non-series (Fighters, Mages, etc.) Just ones where a good story was told, that wasn't constrained by what series it was in and the reader didn't need to know anything really about the Realms or was told of it beyond what the story required (yeah, that's a backhanded complaint that the reset is totally unnecessary for telling good stories that appeal to new readers ) |
| Ranin |
Posted - 18 Oct 2007 : 07:28:11
I would have to say my fav is Black Wolf by David Gross or the Silent Blade. |
| Erik Scott de Bie |
Posted - 17 Oct 2007 : 18:50:42
quote:
Originally posted by sirreus
quote:
What an honor!
You seem a little down on yourself, sir. you are a great talent and we are all lucky to have you among us.
Thank you for your kind words, good sir!
Cheers |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 17 Oct 2007 : 15:07:11
quote:
Originally posted by Alisttair
The Legacy got me into the realms.
... Which makes me want to add to my previous answer. I was already interested in the Realms, and had purchased a bunch of the stuff. But it was Volo's Guide to Waterdeep that made the setting come alive for me, and thus truly got me into the Realms. Even though it's not my fave supplement, it is definitely in the top 10 (and the only reason it's a top 10 instead of a top 5 is because of the three 2E deity books). |
| Alisttair |
Posted - 17 Oct 2007 : 14:06:09
The Legacy got me into the realms.
The FRCS for gaming. |
| Brakkart |
Posted - 17 Oct 2007 : 14:00:11
Man you don't ask the easy questions do you?
Overall favourite... I'll go with City of Ravens.
Runners up though are:
The Black Bouquet
The Last Mythal trilogy
The Watercourse trilogy
War of the Spider Queen series
Anything with Erevis Cale in it!
Blackstaff
Star of Cursrah
The Year of Rogue Dragons trilogy |
| sirreus |
Posted - 16 Oct 2007 : 18:13:21
quote:
I find it remarkable that my work has been mentioned a couple times, in the same lineups as Elaine's or Jeff's or Ed's or (the list goes on). What an honor!
you seem a little down on yourself, sir. you are a great talent and we are all lucky to have you among us.
as for my favorites: magehound trilogy, starlight and shadows trilogy, bloodwalk, depths of madness, return of the archwizards trilogy, and the demonfey trilogy. |
