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mikhel
Acolyte
USA
11 Posts |
 Posted - 17 Sep 2003 : 06:30:06
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An odd and possibly offensive question, but an honest question none-the-less. Has there been a Forgotten Realms novel that you found to be just plain awful? Only one sticks out in my mind and that was the very disappointing "Elminster In Hell". Which really surprised me because Greenwood was the author who got me hooked on the Forgotten Realms to begin with (my first book was the wonderful "Making of a Mage").
To me the story never got off the ground, and I never really felt I had a clear idea of what exactly was going on. To be honest, by midway through the book, it was hard to keep the pages turning. Maybe I was in a funk that week, or some other excuse to take the blame off the book, but I found it to be just plain awful 
P.S. "Elminster In Myth Drannor" is one of my favorite books.
I love Elminster,  I am not bashing him.
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ummm...."I have nothing witty to say right now" |
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Arion Elenim
Senior Scribe
933 Posts |
Posted - 17 Sep 2003 : 06:36:09
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For me...the Finder Wyvernspur stuff was terrible...
And we all know how I feel about Ed Greenwood......
:) |
My latest Realms-based short story, about a bard, a paladin of Lathander and the letter of the law, Debts Repaid. It takes place before the "shattering" and gives the bard Arion a last gasp before he plunges into the present.http://candlekeep.com/campaign/logs/log-debts.htm |
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Lord Rad
Great Reader
United Kingdom
2080 Posts |
Posted - 17 Sep 2003 : 17:49:33
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Now youve started something! 
Ive just finished Hand of Fire and its the worst novel I have ever read! Absolutely nothing happened! I have never struggled so much with a story and writing style as this novel. But its known that I find Ed Greenwoods style quite hard going.
Also another book which was painful to read was The Dream Spheres.... a very disappointing end to an excellent series and surprisingly poor from one of the best FR authors!
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Lord Rad
"What? No, I wasn't reading your module. I was just looking at the pictures"
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Lord Rad
Great Reader
United Kingdom
2080 Posts |
Posted - 17 Sep 2003 : 17:50:37
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quote:
Originally posted by ArionElenim
For me...the Finder Wyvernspur stuff was terrible...
And we all know how I feel about Ed Greenwood......
:)
Which novels in particular, ArionElenim? I quite enjoyed the Finders Stone Trilogy. I havent read Finders Bane yet though. |
Lord Rad
"What? No, I wasn't reading your module. I was just looking at the pictures"
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Yasraena
Senior Scribe
USA
388 Posts |
Posted - 17 Sep 2003 : 18:52:45
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Of all the FR novels I've read, there's only one that comes to mind that I really didn't like.
Hand of Fire. Compared to the first two in the series, it went nowhere with the story, and the ending was not at all to my liking. Shandril went out like a punk. She just gave up in the end. Not a way for a hero to go out, or for a really cool series to end. |
"Nindyn vel'uss malar verin z'klaen tlu kyone ulu naut doera nindel vel'bolen nind malar."
Yasraena T'Sarran
Harper of Silverymoon |
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Bellua Aeneus Lacerta
Senior Scribe
USA
428 Posts |
Posted - 17 Sep 2003 : 23:31:22
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The end of Shandril's Saga left me somewhat lacking also.
I like all of Ed's books. Well, exept when I read The Temptation of Elminster. The more I think about it, the less I get. What was the temptation? El seemed to bumble along till the last possible moment, when Mystra would come along and two-finger pinch the back of his collar and yoink him out of danger. The first part of the book was good, but part two was just wierd. I did enjoy the last little bit where he got some of the seven sisters as little girls. That could have been another book.
I'm pretty sure Ed dropped a hit of acid when he finished writing that book. |
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fanatic
Acolyte
Austria
34 Posts |
Posted - 18 Sep 2003 : 19:01:31
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i have not read the elminster series yet, but i will find some time soon.
the worst book(s) i ever read was the "twilight giants triology".
very hard going stuff with long passages where nothing happens.
another book that was rather strange was "Lord of Stormweather"
i canīt say that i didnīt like it, but it was nothing i expected.
even fantasy has itīs limits!
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even fantasy has itīs limits
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Arion Elenim
Senior Scribe
933 Posts |
Posted - 19 Sep 2003 : 04:13:49
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The final one in the trilogy. I just can't stand saurials. I think they are ridiculous.
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My latest Realms-based short story, about a bard, a paladin of Lathander and the letter of the law, Debts Repaid. It takes place before the "shattering" and gives the bard Arion a last gasp before he plunges into the present.http://candlekeep.com/campaign/logs/log-debts.htm |
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Arion Elenim
Senior Scribe
933 Posts |
Posted - 19 Sep 2003 : 04:16:40
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| Oh...and Rad I completely concur...Hand/Crown of Fire were a total joke. I think that the title needed to be changed to "The Completely Unworthwhile Dialogue Plus Explosions, Fighting and Wandering Around Saga". |
My latest Realms-based short story, about a bard, a paladin of Lathander and the letter of the law, Debts Repaid. It takes place before the "shattering" and gives the bard Arion a last gasp before he plunges into the present.http://candlekeep.com/campaign/logs/log-debts.htm |
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KlarthAilerion
Acolyte
49 Posts |
Posted - 20 Sep 2003 : 00:30:53
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| The Mage In The Iron Mask from the Nobles Series. The attempt to blend the original story into the Realms... didn't work very well. |
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Bladesinger
Acolyte
Turkey
35 Posts |
Posted - 26 Sep 2003 : 21:23:27
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The worst one for me was "The Council of Blades". The other ones I didn't liked were the first two books of Baldur's Gate Trilogy and "Crypt of the Shadowking". I actually stopped reading the latter and didn't continue it for a year.
I also hated "Silverfall" when I first read it but later re-read it and found it enjoyable. |
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Ash
Acolyte
USA
2 Posts |
Posted - 29 Sep 2003 : 22:37:32
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| While I am somewhat out of date on Forgotten Realms novels, I feel this visceral need to weigh in with my opinion on the worst book. For me, it was Red Wizards of Thay, or something like that. I don't know for sure, but I think that TSR just went out on the street and asked some random person if they wanted to write a novel for them. After finishing it, I stopped reading Forgotten Realms novels, except for a few of Salvatore's works. Recently, however, I have made my return to Faerun by reading Dissolution. |
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William of Waterdeep
Senior Scribe
USA
829 Posts |
Posted - 30 Sep 2003 : 00:55:36
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quote:
Originally posted by Bladesinger
The worst one for me was "The Council of Blades". The other ones I didn't liked were the first two books of Baldur's Gate Trilogy and "Crypt of the Shadowking". I actually stopped reading the latter and didn't continue it for a year.
I also hated "Silverfall" when I first read it but later re-read it and found it enjoyable.
Urgh,I just paid dearly for the #2 book in Baldur's Gate Trilogy but still waiting on #3 to arrive. I liked the game,Hope I don't get disappointed by the books.
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Courage isn't the lack of fear but rather believing in and doing what you know is right even though fear is present.
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Arivia
Great Reader
Canada
2965 Posts |
Posted - 30 Sep 2003 : 05:31:31
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| The worst novel for me would have to be The Spine of The World. I like Salvatore's work(and who doesn't?) but I simply cannot finish this book. |
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Lord Rad
Great Reader
United Kingdom
2080 Posts |
Posted - 30 Sep 2003 : 18:21:34
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quote:
Originally posted by Arivia
The worst novel for me would have to be The Spine of The World. I like Salvatore's work(and who doesn't?) but I simply cannot finish this book.
Wow im surprised at this Arivia. I really enjoyed this book. Although I can maybe see what youre saying, it runs like two completely different stories for quite some time.........stick with it though |
Lord Rad
"What? No, I wasn't reading your module. I was just looking at the pictures"
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Arion Elenim
Senior Scribe
933 Posts |
Posted - 30 Sep 2003 : 18:29:15
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I agree with you entirely, Arivia.....I could not possibly be more sick of Wulfgar...he did not need his own novel....
I've mentioned it before, but straight from the horse's mouth, Salvatore has even admitted that he regretted not leaving Wulfgar dead permanently.
I think everyone's had just about enough of the giant, whining barbarian.... |
My latest Realms-based short story, about a bard, a paladin of Lathander and the letter of the law, Debts Repaid. It takes place before the "shattering" and gives the bard Arion a last gasp before he plunges into the present.http://candlekeep.com/campaign/logs/log-debts.htm |
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William of Waterdeep
Senior Scribe
USA
829 Posts |
Posted - 30 Sep 2003 : 23:39:16
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Easy bard..... ,He he he,I haven't read Spine of the World,so I am
at a loss.I am sorry to hear about a book that You,and Arivia didn't
like and even Rad had poblems with.I guess nobody is perfect,not even
Salvatore and Greenwood. |
Courage isn't the lack of fear but rather believing in and doing what you know is right even though fear is present.
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Hoondatha
Great Reader
USA
2449 Posts |
Posted - 04 Feb 2004 : 07:19:59
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| Hmm. My personal least favorites are the entire Avatar trilogy (all five of them) and the two RAS books between Passage to Dawn and Servant of the Shard. While I didn't hate the Twilight Giants books like I did the above seven, I didn't really like them either and I don't think I still own them. Temptation of Elminster is in that same category. And I love El in Hell. |
Doggedly converting 3e back to what D&D should be...
Sigh... And now 4e as well. |
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Adrian Moonbow
Seeker
Denmark
64 Posts |
Posted - 04 Feb 2004 : 07:35:23
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| My bid would be the computer game novelizations. Mostly because I expected a plotline as good as the game. Sometimes it didn't even followed that plotline. I wonder if the writer(s) even have played the game all through. |
"I would have wanted not to die.
I would have wanted never to grow up!"
-Quidam
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 04 Feb 2004 : 14:04:55
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I'm not going to get dragged into "my worst" revelations, but to answer an earlier poster here: the temptation in The Temptation of Power that Elminster faces is "power." Corrupting power, lots of power, near-godhood power (going out of control). And that answer is from Ed himself. It has nothing to do with sex.
Though that might have been a fun book to read... :) |
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Cyric
Senior Scribe
Norway
388 Posts |
Posted - 04 Feb 2004 : 14:16:43
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| all books about Cyric is of course divind and all of thr books i have read was good exept that about Shade just disapointing. |
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Brother Ezra
Learned Scribe
USA
268 Posts |
Posted - 04 Feb 2004 : 17:26:48
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| Please no offense meant to the author if he/she is on these boards, but the worst FR novel I had the misfortune of reading was Pool of Radiance. I am a bibliophile, and I threw the book away after reading about 1/2 of it. I just couldn't stomach it. |
"Suffering is the touchstone of all spiritual growth."
-St. Sollars the Twice-Martyred |
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Crust
Learned Scribe
USA
273 Posts |
Posted - 04 Feb 2004 : 18:15:00
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quote:
Originally posted by Arion Elenim
I agree with you entirely, Arivia.....I could not possibly be more sick of Wulfgar...he did not need his own novel....
I've mentioned it before, but straight from the horse's mouth, Salvatore has even admitted that he regretted not leaving Wulfgar dead permanently.
I think everyone's had just about enough of the giant, whining barbarian....
When does Wulfgar whine? I don't think I've ever heard him complain about anything. RAS might narrate how Wulfgar is "feeling" or what he is "thinking," but I've never heard Wulfgar utter anything close to a complaint.
The fact that Wulfgar was kept alive means that we now have a better idea of how strong Obould is. We're used to seeing Wulfgar killing frost giants with one throw of his hammer. His comfrontation with Obould in Lone Drow was really staggering when you think of the titanic strength of both individuals. Obould pushed him around!
Without Wulfgar, we might not have as strong of an idea of how powerful Obould is. Imagine what will happen when he and Drizzt battle. |
"That's right, hurl back views that force ye to think by name-calling - 'tis the grand old tradition, let it not down! Anything to keep from having to think, or - Mystra forfend - change thy own views!"
Narnra glowered at her father. "Just how am I to learn how to think? By being taught by you?"
"Some folk in the Realms would give their lives for the chance to learn at my feet," Elminster said mildly. "Several already have."
~from Elminster's Daughter, Ed Greenwood |
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Crust
Learned Scribe
USA
273 Posts |
Posted - 04 Feb 2004 : 18:22:06
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For me, based on the level of importance concerning the plot and its effect on the Realms, and the utter disappointment and confusion of the story, The Return of the Archwizards trilogy gets my vote.
I won't even go into the details. The book left me with the following expressions...
  
I couldn't even finish The Sorcerer.
The moment when the Chosen were riding in the stomachs of Galaeron and Aris made be throw the book into the corner of my local laundramat. It still rests there today. I'm kidding, but I really couldn't finish the book. |
"That's right, hurl back views that force ye to think by name-calling - 'tis the grand old tradition, let it not down! Anything to keep from having to think, or - Mystra forfend - change thy own views!"
Narnra glowered at her father. "Just how am I to learn how to think? By being taught by you?"
"Some folk in the Realms would give their lives for the chance to learn at my feet," Elminster said mildly. "Several already have."
~from Elminster's Daughter, Ed Greenwood |
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Maecenus of Westgate
Learned Scribe
USA
111 Posts |
Posted - 04 Feb 2004 : 18:44:14
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| I don't think i'll ever finish The Ring of Winter as I just can't get into the whole dinosaur thing. Also, I really don't think very much of Danillo Thann (or at least what i've read so far of that character) and have trouble finishing some Cunningham books as a result. |
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Lord Rad
Great Reader
United Kingdom
2080 Posts |
Posted - 04 Feb 2004 : 22:30:37
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Hmmmmmmm, as a response to recent posts....
Well I didnt dislike The Sorcerer, it was a bit of a let down for the trilogy and a couple of silly scenes but it was ok.
As for Ring of Winter, I quite enjoyed it!! It made a nice change without loosing the FR flavor.
Spine of the World...whilst quite a different novel, almost in two parts and only coming together in the end, was quite enjoyable. One of my favorite RAS novels in fact!
With regard to Elaine Cunningham novels, I quite like them too, especially Evermeet, Silver Shadows and the Starlight and Shadows series!! FANTASTIC! The only let down was The Dream Spheres....I found it quite bland and a struggle to read. |
Lord Rad
"What? No, I wasn't reading your module. I was just looking at the pictures"
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Danilo Thann
Acolyte
Canada
8 Posts |
Posted - 04 Feb 2004 : 23:06:00
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SPELLFIRE!!
This book was so bad that I swore off ALL of Ed Greenwood's work afterward. I just didn't make any sense really. My opinion might be a little harsh,...and I admit that it has been quite a while since I tried to read this "novel", so maybe my opinion could change. But if I had to pick a least favorite right now, Spellfire would be it!!
Oh, and Spine of the world was not too great either. Wulfgar is a whiner, whether he's lamenting his lot in life privately or vocally. I think bringing him back really damaged the character, now he seems weak, and really just a minor player amongst RAS's other characters. And to further aggravate me, now it seems that he WILL kill of Bruenor by the end of the latest trilogy....what sense does that make?!?!?! |
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Winterfox
Senior Scribe
895 Posts |
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Crust
Learned Scribe
USA
273 Posts |
Posted - 05 Feb 2004 : 13:01:55
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It just blows my mind that Spellfire and Silverfall would fall into this list. Was anyone paying attention while reading? I can't help but imagine that folks who see those books as being so horrible only see them that way because they began reading them with already negative expectations, and that virus wormed its way into every passage. Not because it was there to begin with, but because the reader let it in.
I mean, how can someone consider Spellfire and Silverfall to be so horrible when novels exist like Once Around the Realms or the Baldur's Gate books? Surely there are worse novels than Spellfire and Silverfall.
To each his own, but if someone can be so negative about Spellfire and Silverfall, you're really missing something, either in the books or in the huge collection of FR literature. |
"That's right, hurl back views that force ye to think by name-calling - 'tis the grand old tradition, let it not down! Anything to keep from having to think, or - Mystra forfend - change thy own views!"
Narnra glowered at her father. "Just how am I to learn how to think? By being taught by you?"
"Some folk in the Realms would give their lives for the chance to learn at my feet," Elminster said mildly. "Several already have."
~from Elminster's Daughter, Ed Greenwood |
Edited by - Crust on 05 Feb 2004 14:19:01 |
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Winterfox
Senior Scribe
895 Posts |
Posted - 05 Feb 2004 : 15:08:17
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Ah, so if we don't like Ed Greenwood, we must be readers who pay no attention to what we're reading. I get it. As the Hooded One said, I for one clearly am too dense to appreciate, say, the "literary subtleties" in Spellfire, "shouldn't review anything" or have "personal hatred for Ed Greenwood."
It aaaaall becomes clear now! Surely minds imbued with some attention span and intellect will appreciate the literary mastery in Ed Greenwood's works! Only people who don't pay attention or have pre-conceptions against him can be so negative!
For the record, I enjoyed Cormyr: A Novel, but that may have been Jeff Grubb's part that grabbed me. I picked up Spellfire and Silverfall with, in fact, high expectations and positive outlook. |
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Faraer
Great Reader
3308 Posts |
Posted - 05 Feb 2004 : 16:38:09
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For me, there's a morass of Realms books which (on an uncharitable day) I'd characterize as mediocre novels, or that fail (or don't try) to match various aspects of the Realms, but none that grab me to say 'this is the worst'. I don't like this thread.
There are reasons (of taste and otherwise) not to like Spellfire, or Silverfall, but there are so many different things of worth in them (including, certainly, literary subtleties), and so much love, that it seems a big, perverse stretch to list them as 'worst' on a Forgotten Realms forum, or to take what reads as malicious pleasure in criticizing them. |
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Worst Forgotten Realms novel you have read...
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