| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Charles Phipps |
Posted - 30 Mar 2023 : 01:14:13
https://beforewegoblog.com/ten-recommended-forgotten-realms-novels/
Dungeons and Dragons novels are pretty much responsible for me becoming the fantasy fan I became as an adult. If not for the books I bought at my local Waldenbooks (the literary equivalent of a Blockbuster from the Nineties and just as absent today), I would have rotted my brain on silly things like interacting with my peers or group activities like a healthy functioning teenager. Whew. Glad I avoided that. Just kidding.
One of my favorite settings for Dungeons and Dragons novels were the Forgotten Realms. The creation of Ed Greenwood with other authors adding to it, I always found the setting to be wilder and more fantastic than Dragonlance's Krynn.
People who have been following my work on Before We Go or Reddit will note this is the third article on the subject with Ten Recommended Classic Dungeons and Dragons Novels and Ten Recommended Dragonlance Novels.
Special thanks to Whitney Reinhart who helped me write this.
10. Darkwalker on the Moonshaes by Douglas Niles
The first of the Forgotten Realms novels wasn't actually intended for the setting but was written independently. Nevertheless, I love the people of the Moonshaes. A very simple "beginner's novel" for people getting into fantasy, it's really good and entertaining. The dark god Bhaal wants to take over the Moonshaes and kill the Earthmother. Its sequel trilogy is even better, dealing with the generational nature of Forgotten Realms as well as how even heroes can fall.
Bhaal and his minions are pretty generic "muhahaha" villains while Robyn and Tristan are stalwart goodie-goodies but that isn't always a bad thing. Sometimes you just want a god of darkness invading the peaceful Not-Britons before they are defeated through the power of love. I also liked the fact druids are the focus of the book since they rarely got attention in classic Dungeons and Dragons.
9. Azure Bonds by Jeff Grubb and Kate Novac
Azure Bonds is fantastic as an introduction of the differences between the Forgotten Realms and Dragonlance or, say, something like the Lord of the Rings. Whereas other stories ease you into the weird, Azure Bonds has cloning, a halfling bard, a dragon man paladin, a chatty red dragon, demons, liches, sexy sorceress ex-opera singers, and a magical curse in just the first volume. The characters are likable, entertaining, and just plain weird. It's a reminder why 5th Edition has Tieflings and Dragonborn as starting characters.
Alias is a fantastic protagonist as a sword-swinging sarcastic mercenary with the voice of an angel. She has no respect for the gods, society, her fellow mercenaries, and altruism. Which is problematic when she has a charitable lizard man, a faithful merchant, and a roguish halfling as her associatives.
8. Dissolution by Richard Lee Byers
What do runaway males, a slave revolt, and powerless priestesses have in common? The potential for true chaos and societal collapse. Lolth’s priestesses struggle to contain the secret of Lolth’s disappearance while wizards contrive to exploit their unexpected weakness. Rogue male drow band together and partner with an unlikely ally to incite a rebellion and wreak further havoc on the always precarious balance of power in Menzoberranzan.
In this, the first book of the War of the Spider Queen sextet, the Ruling Council chooses four representatives to determine whether other drow enclaves are affected or if Menzoberranzan stands alone. Phauraun Mizzrym, chief threat to Socere archmage Gromph Baenre; Ryld Argith, a Master of Melee-Magthere; Quenthel Baenre, Mistress of Arach-Tinilith and next in line to the Matron of House Baenre, First House of
Menzoberranzan; and, Faeryl Zauvirr, daughter of Ched Nasad and ambassador to Menzoberranzan must journey into the Underdark and work together to preserve and protect their homeland, their way of life.
7. Elminster: The Making of a Mage by Ed Greenwood
Who knows the Forgotten Realms more than the creator? Ed Greenwood manages to distill the events of an entire trilogy's worth of epic fantasy into a single book. Elminster of Shadow has long been the ultimate quest-giver in the Realms, being a sage on everything but also slightly mad. Reading his origins is a fun deconstruction of classic fantasy tropes as he is a hidden prince as well as farm boy who needs to retake his homeland from the sinister Mage Lords. Along the way, he becomes both lover as well as apprentice to the goddess of magic, Mystra.
Some people have criticized Elminster as a Gary Stu over the years, do to the over-the-top nature of his adventures but I actually appreciate the more interesting story of self-realization that he undergoes. Mystra forces Elminster to live a life as a rogue, priest, and even woman to help give him a perspective on the varieties of lives in the Realms. While he wants to overthrow the Mage Lords, by the time he finally confronts them, he's mostly let vengeance leave his heart. We also get why Mystra wants so many Chosen, magic tends to attract power-hungry lunatics and this turns the public off it.
6. Prince of Lies by James Lowder
The gods are always active in Dungeons and Dragons but the ones in Krynn are far more morally absolute than the ones in Faerun. Here, at least under some authors, they are every bit as petty and conniving as the Olympians. Their flaws are exaggerated and even the gods of good are prone to major screw ups. After the Time of Troubles, three new gods are elevated to ruling over the spheres of Death, Magic, and Evil. Watching Kelemevor, Mystra, and Cyric grow into their roles is a fascinating story.
Prince of Lies has Cyric as the primary focus with the newly crowned God of Evil being absolutely crap at his job. He's more concerned about making his followers worship him fanatically and systematically dismantles the Zhentarim that, previously, were the most effective force for villainy in the Realms. However, just because he's terrible at his job doesn't mean he's not incredibly dangerous. An idiot with omnipotent power is no less terrifying than a genius. Just in different ways. The sequel, The Trial of Cyric the Mad, is also a fantastic follow-up by Troy Denning.
5. Elfshadow by Elaine Cunningham
Arilyn Moonblade is a fantastic character and I really enjoy her as a contrast to Drizzt and Tanis Half-Elven as "outsider" characters. Drizzt is a fantastic character but being a drow means that stories regarding racism always have the tinge of, 'But Drow are a race of evil schemers.' Tanis also has a really dark origin as well. Arilyn Moonblade? She's a half-elf who is hated precisely because elves are blood purity obsessed bigots. Worse, she struggles with the fact that as the only half-elven Moonblade wearer, she is a "model minority" to some while a hated usurper to others. She just wants to kick some Zhentarim ass.
Arilyn is accompanied by a Wizard/Thief/Fighter named Danilo Than. If you're thinking multiclassing into those three classes versus going into Bard is a bit overcomplicated, then you're probably right. Also, it predates a similar joke in Order of the Stick by a decade. It's also one of the rare fantasy romances I'm actually invested in.
4. Canticle by RA Salvatore
While the Legend of Drizzt books are some of the most famous fantasy of all time, certainly up there with the best of "popcorn fantasy", I actually prefer the Cleric Quintet of Bob Salvatore's creations. Cadderly is an agnostic cleric of Deneir who struggles with the existence of his god despite being granted magic by him. He is aided by a beautiful bare-fisted monk named Danic and two oddball dwarves named the Bouldershoulder Brothers.
I like Cadderly as an alternative to Drizzt as he while he constanty questions and philosophizes, he often comes to definitive conclusions. I also feel like priests and clerics are an underrepresented group in fantasy.
3. Daughter of the Drow by Elaine Cunningham
Liriel Baenre is a drow apart. She is the daughter of Gromph Baenre, Archmage of Sorcere and brother to the most powerful Matron of Menzoberranzan. Liriel’s innate magical abilities are beyond those of most drow wizards and under Gromph’s protection, she is allowed to run free and wild throughout the city and wild Underdark tunnels.
She laughs and dances, fights and schemes, studies and explores at will…until Matron Triel Baenre orders her wayward niece to enter Arach-Tinilith, the proving grounds for all of Lolth’s priestesses. But Liriel yearns for more than clerical supremacy. She discovers a way to take her Underdark magic to the surface world but the power players, both priestesses and wizards alike, seek to strip her of her discovery, her freedom, her life.
2. Forgotten Realms Classics by Jeff Grubb
This is cheating because it's a comic book series rather than books but I have to say that Jeff Grubb's Forgotten Realms comics are one of my all-time favorite. The crew of the Realms Master are an eccentric bunch of oddballs ranging from an iron golem to an alcoholic former paladin to an incredibly obnoxious elven priest. The crew only grows stranger from there. It's the willingness to embrace the wackiness of Dungeons and Dragons that makes me happy.
Dungeons and Dragons is, at its heart, not just fantasy. It is all fantasy everywhere shoved into a blender and then you hit frape. This is the kind of book where you have an airship, a winged rogue, liches, and the Time of Troubles. Yet, for all the sillingness, there's actually quite a few stories that are touching or serious. When you hear about a halfling with substance abuse problems, you think it's a joke, but it's actually played entirely straight. Not everything has aged well (a half-drow is split between her dark and light personalities and guess which ones are the evil?) but most of it is awesome.
1. Homeland by R.A. Salvatore
There was really no chance that there could be any other book at the top. As much as I love Everis Cale, the Spellfire books, or the Cormyr series, nothing will ever approach the popularity of the Legend of Drizzt series. While it technically started as the Wulfgar series with The Icewind Dale books, the books that cemented the popularity of D&D’s most iconic ranger (if not character) were the ones about his origins in Menzoberrazan.
Part of what makes the books so great is that they’re so very different from typical fantasy. The decadent corrupt matriarchal society of the drow is incredibly fun. It’s absolutely ridiculous but played dead serious as Drizzt struggles to deal with the fact everyone else he knows is an enormous sociopath. The subsequent books lack the punch of Homeland but subsequent series have given us many more insights into drow society (two of which are on this list). Bob Salvatore may not have created the drow, a lot of the society he depicted was in Vault of the Drow (D3) but he certainly popularized them. |
| 28 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Seravin |
Posted - 06 Oct 2024 : 09:50:31
I think you may enjoy City of Ravens and Prince of Ravens - a book and its sequel. It's a really fun series to read. |
| Giant Snake |
Posted - 05 Oct 2024 : 07:34:04
Let me say I’m still open to reading other books she has. I know she can tell a good story. I admit that any book that spends more than a little time jumping between the mortal plane and dealings of the gods is going to be boring to me. As much as I like the magic and over the top nature of the Realms, I still like the gods to be a little bit mysterious and not fully understandable rather than vulgar and overly humanized. Its more interesting when Lyriel in the Drow trilogy was unsure when the time would come her powers would fail
I’ll look at the others in this thread and give my thoughts there. I still haven’t read quite enough to really give a worthwhile top ten. I’ve never been ashamed to admit the Drizzt books are my favorites and it’ll be unlikely to see that changing. |
| The Sage |
Posted - 22 Sep 2024 : 07:24:07
That’s fascinating to me.
I regularly reread Evermeet at least once every few years… simply because I love finding tidbits of lore I may have missed during previous reads. |
| Seravin |
Posted - 21 Sep 2024 : 09:14:35
I couldn't get through Evermeet either. It's not everyone's cup of tea. I had a lot of problem's with the book's "current day" premise. |
| Giant Snake |
Posted - 16 Sep 2024 : 01:26:21
Normally I don’t like to be negative so I will affirm Elaine’s other books. The Daughter of the Drow trilogy was great and even funny.
I didn’t like Evermeet because it is really all over the map and has no focus. I don’t really enjoy when gods are portrayed directly and vulgarly like they are standard mortal characters unless the author really knows how to make them sound appropriate. Other authors fail in this regard too, but it’s the first quarter of the book and it isn’t really about evermeet. The crashed starship is just not interesting to me at all. I’m not a multiverse enthusiast, narratively.
Overall the book just lacks focus too. I wasn’t really enjoying myself while going through it. |
| The Sage |
Posted - 16 Sep 2024 : 01:13:06
Why wouldn’t you recommend it? |
| Giant Snake |
Posted - 16 Sep 2024 : 00:41:58
I read Evermeet and I would never recommend it to anyone. Surprised after reading her other books.
|
| The Sage |
Posted - 10 Sep 2024 : 09:14:17
I’ve still got my first edition printed copy of Darkwalker … it’s a prized Realms treasure, though it’s sealed up in a protective sheath now because it’s so worn and I don’t want to risk any further damage to it. |
| Seravin |
Posted - 09 Sep 2024 : 23:04:26
I liked Darkwalker well enough, it was a solid book but not really Realms (it was shoe-horned in by TSR back in the day). The sequels were pretty bad in my opinion. But I also still like the Pools trilogy, so I get why nostalgia makes things better :) My entry to Forgotten Realms was Pool of Radiance the computer game, so I really associate that book with early days reading about the Moonsea and Dales and Elminster etc. |
| The Red Walker |
Posted - 05 Sep 2024 : 14:44:19
The Moonshae trilogy for me is hard to top. It was not only my entry point to the realms…. But into fantasy as whole. That trilogy and the Dragonlance chronicles and the pinnacle for me. Who know if I’d have ever read a realms novel without the cover of Darkwalker catching me eye in that Walden book storefront! Hell I’d never even read Tolkien until after reading those. I love every word and perceived flaw equally. And who isn’t a sucker for a story with a great dog? |
| Charles Phipps |
Posted - 26 Aug 2024 : 16:37:11
quote:
Originally posted by Faidh Skuld
Lists are always fun, so I will bite.
--It is hard to imagine anyone actually liking the Moonshae books. They were, in my view, very difficult to read. And I say that as someone who like Niles' adventures and some of his Dragonlance books.
--Same with Canticle. I know the Cleric Quintet is popular, but I really had trouble getting through it.
--Making of a Mage is probably my favorite of the early Elminster books--and Ed shines when world-building--but it would not make my top 10.
My list would look something more like:
1. Azure Bonds
2. Evermeet
3. Ring of Winter
4. Brimstone Angels (I am picking the first book in the series, but I could sub in one of the others)
5. Unclean
6. Homeland (which is my favorite book in the Drizzt series, probably because it does not have Artemis Entreri, who makes me roll my eyes)
7. Daughter of the Drow
8. Horselords (does not seem to get talked about much, but I really enjoyed it --and the entire Tuigan series for that matter)
9. Blackstaff
10. Elfshadow
The Moonshae books have them slay the Avatar of Bhaal and also the tragic story of Diedre, who was one of my favorite characters in the Realms.
I HATE what happened to her and that was a great story as a result.
Not many books corrupt and kill one of their main characters. |
| Charles Phipps |
Posted - 26 Aug 2024 : 16:07:02
quote:
Originally posted by Gary Dallison
I would struggle to finish this list. It includes some great novels, but there are two which are so bad i often skip 20-30 pages at a time.
It feels like a list you would make if you wanted to keep others happy and get them to look at your list so they can validate their own opinions and say how great the list is.
I struggle to believe people can genuinely like all the novels in this list due to the wildly differing levels of quality in terms of writing and plot.
Not gonna lie, I'm kind of offended that someone actually thinks that I'd waste my time assembling a list of books I didn't actually like from decades old fantasy.
:p
I am curious what books you hated, though. |
| jordanz |
Posted - 04 Jul 2024 : 17:15:55
Because Im a fan of high level and or action packed adventuring my Favs are:
1)The Haunted Lands trilogy by Richard Lee Byers
2)The Last Mythal is a trilogy written by Richard Baker
3)The Erevis Cale Trilogy Kemp, Paul S.
4)Spellfire Novel by Ed Greenwood
|
| Giant Snake |
Posted - 01 Nov 2023 : 16:50:41
Just got into the Elminster books and they rock. It’s not an easy thing to make a story about one who becomes such a powerful Wizard. It’s a good change of pace from a fighter main and usual stories. |
| Thelonius |
Posted - 07 Sep 2023 : 18:52:36
My introduction to the Realms were the Time of Troubles trilogy, though I'd agree with Wooly here and go for Azure Bonds and Elfshadows ones. |
| Giant Snake |
Posted - 04 Sep 2023 : 16:50:36
I think Azure Bonds is the only non-Drizzt book I’ve read of the Realms. It’s okay but I kind of want to read one where the man race isn’t boring. That’s generally a problem in fantasy with many races. |
| Shardnax |
Posted - 11 Aug 2023 : 01:44:19
I recall the original Moonshae trilogy as enjoyable if a little dry, but it's been many years. About halfway through Horselords I started skimming chapters. Dragonwall and Crusade were alright, the latter being my favorite from the trilogy. |
| Faidh Skuld |
Posted - 10 Aug 2023 : 20:23:44
Lists are always fun, so I will bite.
--It is hard to imagine anyone actually liking the Moonshae books. They were, in my view, very difficult to read. And I say that as someone who like Niles' adventures and some of his Dragonlance books.
--Same with Canticle. I know the Cleric Quintet is popular, but I really had trouble getting through it.
--Making of a Mage is probably my favorite of the early Elminster books--and Ed shines when world-building--but it would not make my top 10.
My list would look something more like:
1. Azure Bonds
2. Evermeet
3. Ring of Winter
4. Brimstone Angels (I am picking the first book in the series, but I could sub in one of the others)
5. Unclean
6. Homeland (which is my favorite book in the Drizzt series, probably because it does not have Artemis Entreri, who makes me roll my eyes)
7. Daughter of the Drow
8. Horselords (does not seem to get talked about much, but I really enjoyed it --and the entire Tuigan series for that matter)
9. Blackstaff
10. Elfshadow
|
| Shardnax |
Posted - 10 Jul 2023 : 17:38:55
I'd toss someone Azure Bonds and let them go from there. Possibly caution them that the TSR and WotC eras differ.
quote:
Originally posted by TKU
Azure Bonds has been on my 'to read' list for ages now. I really have to get around to reading it.
You might move it nearer to the top. The other books with the characters are also enjoyable. |
| Seravin |
Posted - 09 Apr 2023 : 23:52:53
Hmm series instead of a trilogy? That's easily the Harpers series for me, lots of goodness in that series. Elfsong and Ring of Winter are top 5 books for me in the Realms; but I love others too in there!
I actually think the Cities series is pretty decent
The City of Ravens (The Cities, #1) Richard Baker (Goodreads Author) ...
The City of Splendors (Forgotten Realms: The Cities, #4) Ed Greenwood. ...
The Jewel of Turmish (The Cities, #3) Mel Odom. ...
Temple Hill (The Cities, #2) Drew Karpyshyn (Goodreads Author)
City of Ravens and its sequel are my fave in there, but I like Jewl of Turmish and Temple Hill too. CIty of Splendors SHOULD be epic, but I think it suffered from the editing/writing process. |
| Lord Karsus |
Posted - 08 Apr 2023 : 17:15:16
-If I had to pick one individual book, I'd say Evermeet, by far.
-If I had to pick a series, I think I'd go with The Priests or The Rogues, maybe. Kind of a weird one, but all four books are stand-alone and they give a decent cross-section of the world with nothing too too crazy, and (it's been a while lol) I think they were all pretty good stories. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 01 Apr 2023 : 15:47:34
quote:
Originally posted by Gary Dallison
I would struggle to finish this list. It includes some great novels, but there are two which are so bad i often skip 20-30 pages at a time.
It feels like a list you would make if you wanted to keep others happy and get them to look at your list so they can validate their own opinions and say how great the list is.
I struggle to believe people can genuinely like all the novels in this list due to the wildly differing levels of quality in terms of writing and plot.
I only agree with half of the list, myself, and that includes the comics. I read those as they were coming out, back in the day, and they were among the first things I replaced after the fire. I also have the Classics reprints of them, AND I have them in pdf and epub format, as well (legally obtained, I will add, from a Humble Bundle. In fact, I believe there's another one going on now for those comics) |
| Gary Dallison |
Posted - 01 Apr 2023 : 07:10:08
I would struggle to finish this list. It includes some great novels, but there are two which are so bad i often skip 20-30 pages at a time.
It feels like a list you would make if you wanted to keep others happy and get them to look at your list so they can validate their own opinions and say how great the list is.
I struggle to believe people can genuinely like all the novels in this list due to the wildly differing levels of quality in terms of writing and plot. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 01 Apr 2023 : 06:05:42
quote:
Originally posted by TKU
Azure Bonds has been on my 'to read' list for ages now. I really have to get around to reading it.
It's one of the few Realms novels I re-read every few years. |
| TKU |
Posted - 01 Apr 2023 : 05:34:17
Azure Bonds has been on my 'to read' list for ages now. I really have to get around to reading it. |
| Seravin |
Posted - 31 Mar 2023 : 23:14:42
Azure Bonds for me as the best intro to Realms; Jeff Grubb just gets Ed's Realms in a way that few others do (Elaine also, I just have problems with Elfshadow and like Elfsong better as a novel). |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 30 Mar 2023 : 06:00:21
My go-to recommendations have always been Azure Bonds and Elfshadow. Both of them great stories, but they also showcase the setting in a way that other FR novels just don't manage to do. |
| Irennan |
Posted - 30 Mar 2023 : 02:43:00
Personally, if I were to suggest Forgotten Realms novels to a random reader who's into fantasy, I'd drop Cunningham's and Kemp's names and be done with it. I've enjoyed other authors as well (even rather unpopular ones, like Ed), but as far as believable character developments and story structure go, those 2 are the go to. The general quality of the FR novels is unfortunately lackluster. When the classics came out there wasn't much competition, but now that fantasy market is oversaturated, and that (at least in my country) fantasy readers have become very selective (rightfully so IMO; they especially hate infodumps, even tiny or hidden ones, and are adverse to "invasive, telling narrator" that is extremely widespread in the FR narrative) most of the FR catalogue wouldn't fly. Heck, even books like Daughter of the Drow would probably be dropped very quickly due to the infodumpy introduction. I'd rather go with a safe bet in terms of quality for a new reader. If the setting piques their interest, then they'll likely explore other authors on their own, but the introduction has to be as solid as possible. |
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