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Giant Snake
Seeker
80 Posts |
 Posted - 13 Mar 2024 : 22:58:19
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I got the Parched Sea and I’m about half way thru it. Not sure where it’s going, but it says it is the first of the Harpers Series. Anyone read this? Will it provide me with a lot of info on the Realms?
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6666 Posts |
Posted - 14 Mar 2024 : 00:31:29
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Yes, lots of different stories set in lots of different parts of the Realms.
-- George Krashos |
"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6361 Posts |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7989 Posts |
Posted - 14 Mar 2024 : 09:19:25
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I really liked Red Magic. To be honest, it's not really that great, a simple story, a villain, a hero, a Harper. But it's about a topic I was really interested in at the time.
I also really liked The Ring of Winter. It's a standout in the list.
Most people like Elfsong. Because it's about elves. That's the same reason I dislike it.
https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/The_Harpers_series |
[/Ayrik] |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 14 Mar 2024 : 12:07:10
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Echoing Ayrik...
I loved Red Magic... but back then I was a severe fan boy of Thay (I'm still a fan boy, but its more in terms of "you know, we can do the same thing in other geographic areas... its not about the place... its the concepts").
Elfshadow, Elfsong, Silver Shadows, and Thornhold are all must reads by Elaine Cunningham ... there was also another.. dream spheres maybe?.. with the same characters.
Masquerades and Finder's Bane both continue the story of Alias from Azure Bonds, so you MUST read it first.
The Night Parade ... gives an interesting view on Calimshan from the perspective of the Lord of Arabel in Cormyr... but the villains are a throw away group that's never really seen again and are essentially "the boogeymen" made real. The one thing I really liked about this novel back then was that they specifically showed use of spells that were being introduced in the realms, so it was one of the few times we don't just see magic "handwavium" happening. 4 editions later and magic rules constantly changing, I don't know how much I'd be impressed by this.
Of the rest, some of Ed's are continuations of prior series and quite good if you get into Ed's multiple plots with multiple groups storylines, some by the other authors are one offs that give some focus to a specific region (like one is in Vaasa), but I won't say its a great focus or setting impactful. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
Edited by - sleyvas on 14 Mar 2024 19:56:38 |
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Giant Snake
Seeker
80 Posts |
Posted - 14 Mar 2024 : 14:20:32
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| I can accept plenty variance in interpretation. I recently read the Elminster books too and although the elves were fops in Cormanthor, it didn’t break anything for me. Sometimes people hit and miss. But I do like to see all sorts of viewpoints. |
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Giant Snake
Seeker
80 Posts |
Posted - 14 Mar 2024 : 19:58:18
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I appreciate everybody’s suggestions and viewpoints. Red Magic sounds really fun.
I know that the Thay Kingdom is a big threat in any era it appears, even though it seems like trynna get to the Sword Coast never really bears fruit. More things about this are always interesting to me.
I’m somewhat interested in elves. They have enough kinds of them that I don’t think any one book really covers them all. |
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Seravin
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1288 Posts |
Posted - 14 Mar 2024 : 22:32:31
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The Simbul's Gift is the best Thay novel going, Red Magic is a bit cartoonish/juvenile but has some fun moments and does show a side of Thay we don't see often.
The Harpers novels are standalone in the main, but there are series within a series.
I recommend most of them. Ring of Winter and Elfsong are my two absolute favorites in the series and in top 5 of Realms fiction, but I also enjoyed:
Parched Sea and the Veiled Dragon - Ruha is a great character and I usually despise Troy Denning's writing
Masquerades and Finder's Bane (or any of the books by Jeff Grubb/Kate Novak (but really read the Finder's Stone trilogy first!)
Crypt of the Shadowking and Curse of the Shadow Mage are the same characters in a two part series - Mark Anthony is at his Realms best here
Elfshadow and Elfsong are great, but I think after Elfsong the books by Elaine do fall in quality of read to me
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Delnyn
Senior Scribe
USA
958 Posts |
Posted - 14 Mar 2024 : 23:31:39
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quote:
Originally posted by Seravin
The Simbul's Gift is the best Thay novel going,
Lauzoril is the luckiest Red Wizard in Thayan history. That encounter was definitely not what I expected. |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 15 Mar 2024 : 17:03:38
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quote:
Originally posted by Seravin
The Simbul's Gift is the best Thay novel going, Red Magic is a bit cartoonish/juvenile but has some fun moments and does show a side of Thay we don't see often.
YES... Lauzoril was a real person there. Too many of these things, you never see someone having a wife and kids, etc... They have no life other than being an adventurer, etc... I absolutely loved that book EXCEPT for the part where they introduced some dude that was bossing around the Zulkirs. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Seravin
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1288 Posts |
Posted - 16 Mar 2024 : 23:12:08
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Hmm Sleyvas I think the character you're speaking of was the Chairmaster? I didn't see it as so much bossing the Zulkirs as much as calling the convocation of the Zulkirs, which is how they rule Thay - it is the way the game is played when one Zulkir trespasses against another they call a meeting.
I think obeying the rules of the Chairmaster is interesting - it's the Lawful bit of Lawful Evil. At the time Thay was still very much into commerce and trade, I think that requires some laws and rules to function otehrwise a chaotic society wouldn't sustain the wealth. |
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TBeholder
Great Reader
2428 Posts |
Posted - 18 Mar 2024 : 00:00:50
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quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
I absolutely loved that book EXCEPT for the part where they introduced some dude that was bossing around the Zulkirs.
quote:
Originally posted by Seravin
Hmm Sleyvas I think the character you're speaking of was the Chairmaster? I didn't see it as so much bossing the Zulkirs as much as calling the convocation of the Zulkirs, which is how they rule Thay - it is the way the game is played when one Zulkir trespasses against another they call a meeting.
Curiously, some glimpses of lore here via THO support the impression that things are not so straightforward in Thay. It may have been poorly handled (or edited to death) in the novel, of course.
quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
"Aumoaran," about which I know only his name. We Knights saw him from afar, momentarily, once. Able to blast (most) zulkirs into nothingness without much apparent qualm, preparation, or fuss.
quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
That's just what my notes have, along with this cryptic note: "powered by a Tharchioness who can channel its greater powers out through a remote Red Wizard but will burn that wizard internally doing so, fatally if too much channeled, or deny any Red Wizard access to the artifact, at will; zulkirs forbidden to go near" (that would be near the artifact).
Speaking of artifacts, there's also Athora, which is yet another can of worms all by itself. Or rather can of serpents. As summarized over here. |
People never wonder How the world goes round -Helloween
And even I make no pretense Of having more than common sense -R.W.Wood
It's not good, Eric. It's a gazebo. -Ed Whitchurch |
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Cyric78
Acolyte
USA
16 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jun 2024 : 20:17:55
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I've only read a handful of Harper's books. My favorite were Elfshadow, Elfsong, and Silver Shadows by Elaine Cunningham.
It's a little unfair to rank those as the best simply bc those books are more like a trilogy, where most others are stand alone.
My favorite stand alone was definitely Stormlight. |
Edited by - Cyric78 on 20 Jun 2024 20:20:51 |
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Giant Snake
Seeker
80 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jun 2024 : 07:04:54
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| That’s good to know. I like her Starlight and Shadows books for a nice new take on a drow gone over to good |
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Fixin to read the Harpers’ series
