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Lord Rad
Great Reader
United Kingdom
2080 Posts |
 Posted - 10 Apr 2005 : 10:18:48
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As I'm coming to the end of my FR novel reading backlog, i'd like to get a few opinions on The Nobles Series. The only one i've read is Escape from Undermountain (which wasn't particulary good), but what are your thoughts and opinions of the rest, any of them definately worth reading?
Just to clarify, the novels in the series are:
King Pinch
War in Tethyr
Escape from Undermountain
The Mage in the Iron Mask
Council of Blades
The Simbul's Gift
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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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Edited by - Lord Rad on 10 Apr 2005 10:19:39
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Kajehase
Great Reader
Sweden
2104 Posts |
Posted - 10 Apr 2005 : 14:10:42
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King Pinch - It's okay, but could be set in almost any generic fantasy-setting.
War in Tethyr - Let's see...
Pros - Depicts some important NPCs if you ever decides to set a campaign in Tethyr.
The author has done his best to make it feel as if it's set in the realms.
Confirms the existence of Gem-dragons in the realms.
Cons - A talking horse ... I didn't realise I was reading a Lucky Luke-album.
In his attempt to make it realms-specific, the writer (Victor Milán), puts in one or two sentences that made, at least, me cringe as I read them.
quote:
from page 291 (paperback edition)
But she could no more control her body than she could that of Elminster in his tower half a continent away.
Elminster of course not appearing at any point in the book.
And again... A talking horse... named Goldie |
There is a rumour going around that I have found god. I think is unlikely because I have enough difficulty finding my keys, and there is empirical evidence that they exist.
Terry Pratchett |
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wwwwwww
Learned Scribe
116 Posts |
Posted - 10 Apr 2005 : 14:21:18
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quote:
Originally posted by Lord Rad
As I'm coming to the end of my FR novel reading backlog, i'd like to get a few opinions on The Nobles Series. The only one i've read is Escape from Undermountain (which wasn't particulary good), but what are your thoughts and opinions of the rest, any of them definately worth reading?
Just to clarify, the novels in the series are:
King Pinch
War in Tethyr
Escape from Undermountain
The Mage in the Iron Mask
Council of Blades
The Simbul's Gift
Well, my opinion of the Nobles Series seems to be higher than some other people, but here goes anyway:
King Pinch: I still need to read this one, but most seem to consider it the best of the Nobles Series.
War In Tethyr: Worth reading. It won't blow you away, but it's a good FR story.
The Mage in the Iron Mask: My personal favorite of the Nobles series (disregarding King Pinch). Quite entertaining, though very different from most FR books. It has some quirky humor that you won't care for, but the story is great. Don't read it expecting a masterpiece, go in expecting an entertaining read.
Council of Blades: A decent story, but it should never have been an FR book.
The Simbul's Gift: Pretty dark. Worth reading. |
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ericlboyd
Forgotten Realms Designer
USA
2067 Posts |
Posted - 10 Apr 2005 : 14:21:37
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The Simbul's Gift is one of the best Realms books I've read.
The others are OK.
--Eric |
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http://www.ericlboyd.com/dnd/ |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 10 Apr 2005 : 15:14:34
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| I got partway into War in Tethyr and gave up on the Nobles series... I read to page 100 of that book, and it simply wasn't grabbing me. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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SiriusBlack
Great Reader
USA
5517 Posts |
Posted - 10 Apr 2005 : 15:24:31
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
I got partway into War in Tethyr and gave up on the Nobles series... I read to page 100 of that book, and it simply wasn't grabbing me.
That sounds like my experiences with two of the novels in this series. Both The Simbul's Gift and Escape from Undermountain did not grab my interest at all. One I believe I was able to finish, the other I could not. |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 10 Apr 2005 : 15:35:35
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quote:
Originally posted by SiriusBlack
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
I got partway into War in Tethyr and gave up on the Nobles series... I read to page 100 of that book, and it simply wasn't grabbing me.
That sounds like my experiences with two of the novels in this series. Both The Simbul's Gift and Escape from Undermountain did not grab my interest at all. One I believe I was able to finish, the other I could not.
I was reading the novels more or less in the order they came out... I read Escape from Undermountain, and I thought it was one of the worst Realms novels I'd read -- especially the way Halaster was portrayed as watching over the Underhalls.
After trying to read War in Tethyr, I totally lost interest in the series. I picked up the later books, but I couldn't bring myself to read them.
When I'm reading a book and it's not grabbing me, I give it until page 100. If I'm not interested enough to continue by that point, I toss the book aside. That's what happened to me with War in Tethyr. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
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SiriusBlack
Great Reader
USA
5517 Posts |
Posted - 10 Apr 2005 : 15:39:29
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
I read Escape from Undermountain, and I thought it was one of the worst Realms novels I'd read -- especially the way Halaster was portrayed as watching over the Underhalls.
That's the one I managed to finish only because I'm an Undermountain fan. I agree with your assessment, it was just bad. The novel felt nothing like a Realms novel. |
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wwwwwww
Learned Scribe
116 Posts |
Posted - 10 Apr 2005 : 20:33:14
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
When I'm reading a book and it's not grabbing me, I give it until page 100. If I'm not interested enough to continue by that point, I toss the book aside. That's what happened to me with War in Tethyr.
Wow. It's a good thing I don't go by that philosophy because I'd have missed out of some of my all time favorite books. I remember reading The One Kingdom and thinking around pg. 175, "Is anything going to ever happen in this book?" Soon after I was blown away. |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 11 Apr 2005 : 00:51:09
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quote:
Originally posted by wwwwwww
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
When I'm reading a book and it's not grabbing me, I give it until page 100. If I'm not interested enough to continue by that point, I toss the book aside. That's what happened to me with War in Tethyr.
Wow. It's a good thing I don't go by that philosophy because I'd have missed out of some of my all time favorite books. I remember reading The One Kingdom and thinking around pg. 175, "Is anything going to ever happen in this book?" Soon after I was blown away.
Really, I hate starting a book and not finishing it. But I think that 100 pages is more than enough of a chance for a novel to have.
I've only bailed on a couple of novels, so it's not something I do terribly oft. I think the last time I did that was several years ago. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
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Lord Rad
Great Reader
United Kingdom
2080 Posts |
Posted - 17 May 2005 : 21:25:23
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| I'm half way through the Council of Blades and so far, based on the flavor, pace and story.... i've had to label it as the worst FR novel i've ever read! It's quite unbearable, I have to continue reading it for completeness but I certainly wouldn't recommend this to any FR fan! |
Lord Rad
"What? No, I wasn't reading your module. I was just looking at the pictures"
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Mumadar Ibn Huzal
Master of Realmslore
1338 Posts |
Posted - 17 May 2005 : 22:14:16
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Must admit that I read all of them front to back... and none had a true lasting impression. War in Tethyr might be the only exception because it is set in Tethyr - where I used to run a game - and as earlier suggested, it featured some VIPs of the region.
Escape from Undermountain felt like someone trying to walk through the module and give it a little flavor dialogue - I surely hope that Ed never envisioned Halastar running Undermountain as depicted in that book.
The others... I'm hard pressed to recall details... as I said above: no lasting impressions. I just bought them for the collection and who knows some possible obscure Realmslore that could come in handy at some point.
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 17 May 2005 : 22:55:26
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quote:
Originally posted by Mumadar Ibn Huzal
I surely hope that Ed never envisioned Halastar running Undermountain as depicted in that book.
Gods, I hated that part!  
That's why I've not read the book since it came out. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
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Kameron M. Franklin
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
228 Posts |
Posted - 19 May 2005 : 01:03:44
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| I read Simbul's Gift as research for Maiden, and found it to have some great depictions of the machinations of red wizards. |
"You keep saying that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." --Inigo Montoya, The Princess Bride |
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Hoondatha
Great Reader
USA
2449 Posts |
Posted - 19 May 2005 : 07:22:20
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I was non-plussed with a lot of the nobles books.
King Pinch I had a hard time getting into. None of the characters really grabbed me.
I kinda liked parts of Escape from Undermountain, and other parts really irked me (the oft-mentioned Halaster scene. I've actually DM'ed Halaster in the Stardock adventure, and, personally, I think I did a much better job).
War in Tethyr just confuses me. I read it and then later read Lands of Intrigue, and now I can't figure out which parts are in the book and which are in the box set. AND there's a bunch of roving characters and other things that just sort of pop up out of nowhere. Anyone know where the second half of the Tethyr story is covered?
Council of Blades is just a *weird* setting. But I looked it up and it really is out in the middle of nowhere between several larger powers. And, as far as I can tell, never covered again. Which is probably a good thing, since that stupid inventor practically reinvents warfare by the end. I did like the firebird and his hippogriff lover, though.
Mage in the Iron Mask was ok, I just was annoyed that as far as all the game info on Mulmaster is concerned, it never happened. All the hints set up in the book about how the twin might take a different path is completely ignored.
The only one of the series I really liked, and have since reread, was Simbul's Gift. The setting wasn't unknown, the characters were more believable, and enough but not too many fireworks flew. I also found myself really liking Lauzoril, especially how he relates to his daughter, and the scene between him and the Simbul at the very end is really nice. I kind of wonder if anything else ever happens between them.
So, anyway, there's my view of them. |
Doggedly converting 3e back to what D&D should be...
Sigh... And now 4e as well. |
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Lord Rad
Great Reader
United Kingdom
2080 Posts |
Posted - 22 Jul 2005 : 17:06:47
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Well i've just finished King Pinch. The first half of the book was really heavy going. Not much happened and there was too much pointless dialog. However, the latter part of the book picked up a lot more and the story was reasonably enjoyable. The main character was ok, however, as Hoondatha stated, I felt no connection or feelings to the other characters who accompanied Pinch.
I'd give the book about a 5/10. |
Lord Rad
"What? No, I wasn't reading your module. I was just looking at the pictures"
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Steven Schend
Forgotten Realms Designer & Author
USA
1715 Posts |
Posted - 22 Jul 2005 : 19:01:52
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quote:
Originally posted by Hoondatha
War in Tethyr just confuses me. I read it and then later read Lands of Intrigue, and now I can't figure out which parts are in the book and which are in the box set. AND there's a bunch of roving characters and other things that just sort of pop up out of nowhere. Anyone know where the second half of the Tethyr story is covered?
WAR takes you through the intro of Zaranda Star, Victor's character, and her work at freeing the people of Zazesspur. I made the novel the opening salvo and START of the true Reclamation War of Tethyr. Anything that happens after Zaranda leaves Zazesspur to drum up support from the rest of Tethyr for her monarchy (as the book closes with everyone de facto declaring her queen/ruler) happens in LANDS OF INTRIGUE.
Thus, while many of the characters were not mine originally, I made use of all of them if they had ties to Tethyr when I rebuilt the country. Including, apparently, resurrecting Perendra Raslemtar, whose death I was not even misinformed about....still confusing, so an inside court joke is to call her Perendra Three-Lives... |
For current projects and general natter, see www.steveneschend.com
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wwwwwww
Learned Scribe
116 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jul 2005 : 02:58:26
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From a literary standpoint, War In Tethyr is one of the better written novels in FR. Victor Milán is quite skilled. His writing style reminds me a little of early 20th century authors (non-fantasy writers). He is excellent at descriptions and setting a scene, and he prides himself on NOT relying on action scenes (which is ironic since he writes science-fiction and fantasy almost exclusively). I think that some people don't appreciate WiT because of its differences in style (no established plot, more like a third-party journal of Zaranda Star's campaign), and the fact that there's a talking horse.
Have just finished it recently for the 2nd time, I personally believe that WiT is one of the most underrated novels in tFR. I wish Mr. Milán had written more. Last I heard, he writes under the pseudonym James Axler.
MINOR SPOILER
The scene where Ao speaks to the orc paladin is absolutely gripping. |
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Kajehase
Great Reader
Sweden
2104 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jul 2005 : 05:03:52
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| Ao? I've always read that as being Torm. |
There is a rumour going around that I have found god. I think is unlikely because I have enough difficulty finding my keys, and there is empirical evidence that they exist.
Terry Pratchett |
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Shadovar
Senior Scribe
785 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jul 2005 : 05:19:15
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| I favor the Escape from Undermountainbook for it was well written and much to my expectations. The War In Tethyr..and The Simbul's gift hardly drew my attention anyway. |
We have fostered trust, recruited loyalty, and gathered the faithful. We have trained thousands. Our legions can cover the land, fill the sky and travel through the darkness. We can hunt any and all that would deny our heritage. Now is our time, now is the time of the Dark Reign(Rain) of the Empire of Shadows.
- High Prince Telemont Tanthul, Lord Shadow
In a speech given to the citizens of Shade Enclave
At the celebration of the Shinantra Battle victory when he revealed that he was THE Lord Shadow of legend. |
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Lord Rad
Great Reader
United Kingdom
2080 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jul 2005 : 10:11:40
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quote:
Originally posted by Shadovar
I favor the Escape from Undermountainbook for it was well written and much to my expectations. The War In Tethyr..and The Simbul's gift hardly drew my attention anyway.
Well I think this series has had the most diverse reviews i've ever heard
Escape from Undermountain general gets poor reviews (I found it slightly less than average... the ending really ruined it for me), whereas some say that The Simbul's Gift is outstanding, whereas others don't rate it at all.
Still, 3 down, 3 to go. |
Lord Rad
"What? No, I wasn't reading your module. I was just looking at the pictures"
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wwwwwww
Learned Scribe
116 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jul 2005 : 13:15:48
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quote:
Originally posted by Kajehase
Ao? I've always read that as being Torm.
Nope, it's Ao. Shield of Innocence calls out to Torm, but it is Ao who answers. Torm hears you, and through him, I hear. Cool scene. |
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fitz
Acolyte
10 Posts |
Posted - 27 Jul 2005 : 12:07:12
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Hello,
I'm back, with a little reading of the forgotten realm's books.
And i want to know if somebody heard a releases of this series.
I want to read those books but i can't buy them in new state.
Thanks |
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DeathRage
Acolyte
19 Posts |
Posted - 27 Jul 2005 : 12:28:27
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quote:
Originally posted by fitz
Hello,
I'm back, with a little reading of the forgotten realm's books.
And i want to know if somebody heard a releases of this series.
I want to read those books but i can't buy them in new state.
Thanks
Perhaps you can try ordering the books from online. |
Take the world as it is, not as it ought to be |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 27 Jul 2005 : 17:44:54
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quote:
Originally posted by fitz
Hello,
I'm back, with a little reading of the forgotten realm's books.
And i want to know if somebody heard a releases of this series.
I want to read those books but i can't buy them in new state.
Thanks
I see them on eBay, periodically (I think there's 2 or 3 of them on there right now).
I don't know any used book websites -- I've never bothered with them. But sometimes used bookstores can be a great resource. My own library wouldn't be as grand if it wasn't for a used bookstore that was within walking distance of my house (sadly, sometime after I moved out and stopped going there as frequently, the place shut down  ). |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
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wwwwwww
Learned Scribe
116 Posts |
Posted - 27 Jul 2005 : 19:13:51
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quote:
Originally posted by fitz
Hello,
I'm back, with a little reading of the forgotten realm's books.
And i want to know if somebody heard a releases of this series.
I want to read those books but i can't buy them in new state.
Thanks
Amazon Marketplace |
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 27 Jul 2005 : 20:28:20
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| Nobleknight.com also sells used, and new, novels. |
For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
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fitz
Acolyte
10 Posts |
Posted - 27 Jul 2005 : 21:34:51
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Thanks for all
I try to have a credit card (if my mother agree) |
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The Nobles Series
