Forgotten Realms Recommended Reading

[Mobey_Wee]

I need some new reading material, so help me out ...

I've pretty much only read Salvatore so far. I tried to read some of the Elminster stuff and I just couldn't do it. Not sure what it was, but it didn't take. I've recently picked up some stuff by Richard Baker, which I haven't started, but I've read some excerpts and I like his stuff so far.

I'm very interested in the realms, and learning all the lore I can. Most of my info comes from source books so far. So what are some of the other "important" Realms novels?

[Saph]

I don't know if it's "important" or not, but Azure Bonds is the best D&D book (or RPG-based book, in fact) I've read. It's good as a FR novel and also as a general D&D one - how adventurers think and how a party functions. It's by Kate Novak and Jeff Grubb.

- Benedict

[Texas Jedi]

I need some new reading material, so help me out ...

I've pretty much only read Salvatore so far. I tried to read some of the Elminster stuff and I just couldn't do it. Not sure what it was, but it didn't take. I've recently picked up some stuff by Richard Baker, which I haven't started, but I've read some excerpts and I like his stuff so far.

I'm very interested in the realms, and learning all the lore I can. Most of my info comes from source books so far. So what are some of the other "important" Realms novels?

I would read all of the books by Ed Greenwood. He helped create the Forgotten Realms and his books. He has the Elminster Series, A series during the Time of Troubles, and a few individual books.

I would read the Cormyr Books those are great books. That cover an important country in the central of Faerun.

I would also anything by ElaineCunninham. Her books have great characters in it and give some deapth into the area of the Sword Coast.

I would also recommend the Time of Trouble books by Troy Denning. I personally do not like his writing style. His books conclude way to fast, and easy for how tough the treats are.

I would also read both of the Moonshae triologies they have a good set of characters that grow really well.

I would also recommend the Maztica triology. If you like studying about Meso-American culture then this book is similar to the Aztecs, and the Inca, and the conquerers like Cortez.

[Texas Jedi]

I don't know if it's "important" or not, but Azure Bonds is the best D&D book (or RPG-based book, in fact) I've read. It's good as a FR novel and also as a general D&D one - how adventurers think and how a party functions. It's by Kate Novak and Jeff Grubb.

- Benedict

Shoot I forgot about that Series. I would also GREATLY recommend the 3 books by Kate Novak, and Jeff Grubb.

[Atamasama]

I really liked the Moonshae books. In fact, I think they were the first Forgotten Realms books I ever read, and got me interested in others.

The Salvatore books by far are the best, of course, (Cleric Quintet and all the Drizzt books in particular) but you've already read them so that's moot. :p

[Mobey_Wee]

Awesome, great place to start.

Who wrote the Moonshae trilogies?

[evil-frosty]

I liked a few books my richard lee byers. The Rogue Dragon Series was good and so is hiss trilogy on thay.

[LibraryOgre]

Awesome, great place to start.

Who wrote the Moonshae trilogies?

Doug Niles, who wrote a lot of awesome stuff.

For what you should read, that depends on what you want. The Moonshaes is very much Celtic fantasy. I'm currently reading Ed Greenwood's new series, that started with the Swords of Eveningstar. I'm finding it hilarious, simply because of all the interlocking plots going to hell at once.

I liked the Elven Trilogy that came out a couple years ago... I think it was called the Last Mythal Trilogy.

[afroakuma]

I dearly wish I could find Song of the Saurials, having finished both the first two and Tymora's Luck (but not Finder's Bane... ).

I concur with Azure Bonds and its companion pieces. Individual Harpers novels are often good.

People disparage the Avatar series, and while I can certainly see why, I did find them to be a good enough "light" read.

Spellfire is... ridiculous in the extreme. Every notable Realms character less Szass Tam seems to make an appearance at some point.

Concur on Cunningham and the Moonshaes.

[arguskos]

It isn't a novel, but if you REALLY want an info dump about the Realms, pick up the Grand History of the Realms. Note that it's a massive info dump of a book, but for just a pile of lore, it really can't be matched.

[Mobey_Wee]

oops, someone delete this or something. quick before i look like i don't know what i'm doing...

[Mobey_Wee]

I liked the Elven Trilogy that came out a couple years ago... I think it was called the Last Mythal Trilogy.

I think those were by Richard Baker, I had planned on picking those up, glad someone mentioned them. He also wrote the swordmage, which is the one I've only read excerpts from so far, wanted to read the last mythal first.


I didn't really like Troy Denning's star wars books, so I doubt I'll like his realms. his style didn't really keep me reading.

I'll probably give Ed Greenwood another shot as well, and either start the elminster series or the last mythal series next.

I'll also be ordering a grand history of the realms, I've been halfway looking for it, but I'm just going to order it.

I'm currently dm'ing a realms campaign 4e rules, closer to 3e continuity wise. So thanks for all the suggestions (and keep them coming)

[Harperfan7]

It's weird, Ed Greenwoods Making of a Mage is a fantastic book, but I didn't like the other Elminster books.

The City of Splendors was really good.

Elfshadow by Elaine

Dissolution, the first of the War of the Spider Queen books

I wouldn't read the last Last Mythal book. It didn't live up to the first two.

I also wouldn't read the lastest Salvatore books, I think he pretty much stopped trying. A lot of the others are really good though.

[Zephyros]

If you like drow (that is insidious plotting and much chopping taking places almost everywhere) you should read the War of the Spider Queen followed by Lady Penitent (which has more of an Avatar feeling to it)

They are a surprisingly good light read even though Salvatore supervised the whole thing. Maybe that's what he should do... supervise!

[kkortekaas]

If you can get your hands on them, I'd suggest the Harpers. While they're all part of the same "series" they are standalone books (except for one or two sequels). They're good because they bounce you around to various locations in the realms.

A couple that I remember really enjoying. (A couple of them were re-relased under differet trilogies later on)

Harpers 2 - ElfShadow - First appearance of Arylin Moonblade
Harpers 3 - Red Magic - Deals with Thay and Sazz Tamm
Harpers 4 - Ring of Winter - good 'ole jungle romp in Chult
Harpers 5 - Soldiers of Ice - Vihon Reach, and a book where gnomes are prominate, but they're arse kicking gnomes.
Harpers 6 - ElfSong - Kinda a sequal to Elfshadow
Harpers 7 - Crown of Fire - Sequal to Spellfire, follows Shandrill
Harpers 11 - Silver Shadows - more Arylin Moonblade stuff

I also recomend The Maztica Trilogy and The Horde Trilogy. The maztica trilogy paralles the whole Incan / Aztec conquest by the spanish, and the Horde Trilogy paralles Ghengis Khan's rampage into Europe.

[Gorbash]

What? Nobody suggested Erevis Cale Trilogy yet? How dare you?

No, really, that is a hands-down, best D&D series I've ever read. Once you start reading you literally can't put it down. Forget the Salvatore foolishness, his every character died at least twice, Paul S. Kemp really knows how to write a book. Good story, excellent characters and their development... You don't see very often characters who are in morally grey area (bordering on black) in these types of books, yet here you have plenty of them.

Do yourself a favor and start reading this, I promise you'll like it.

[Morty]

Various sets of short stories might give examples of how things look in Faerun from the perspective of in many cases ordinary people, but their quality varies from passable to rather bad, so read at your own risk.

[Thane of Fife]

I very much enjoyed The Threat from the Sea trilogy by Mark Odom. I also enjoyed Ghostwalker, though it wasn't much of a Realms book.

On the other hand, I fairly disliked a lot of Elaine Cunningham's stuff.

[bosssmiley]

Icewind Dale trilogy, Moonshae trilogy and possibly the Horselords trilogy. Oh, and the first book of the original Dark Elf trilogy.

Most D&D game fiction leave me cold. Jack Yeovil, Bill King and Ian Watson's old Warhammer stuff though...

[Mobey_Wee]

I also wouldn't read the lastest Salvatore books, I think he pretty much stopped trying. A lot of the others are really good though.

The Hunter's Blade Trilogy was a really tough read. It just kept going on and on and on. You can only kill so many orcs and have it still be interesting.
BUT, The Orc King I actually did enjoy, and The Pirate King, I actually loved. For me, it was like reading Icewind Dale again. Most people I've talked to either loved the 2 Transitions books out so far, or hated them, I haven't seen much in between.

[herrhauptmann]

I second the Erevis Cale trilogy, as well as the other books by Paul S. Kemp.
My first of his books was actually Shadowbred (Twilight War trilogy), the intro caught my attention very well. He does more than just say 'Joe was afraid,' he alters his sentence structure to make you feel afraid for Joe.

Bloodwalk, and Bladesinger (excellent use of flashbacks) I felt were awesome. I've read Ghostwalk, and felt that it sort of went all over the place. The goals of the villains were pretty weak, and their plots were ridiculous and constantly changing.

Rogue Dragons Trilogy, it's like the author sat down with 'Draconomicon' and tried to bring in every possible dragon. Main villain forgot one of the rules of the evil overlord, "When I hear a callow youth has started on a quest to destroy me, I will destroy him while he is still a callow youth." Some other objections.

Shadowdale, Tantras, Waterdeep, Prince of LIes, Crucible. All regarding the time of troubles. Initially printed under the penname Richard Awlinson, so multiple authors could collaborate and get the books grouped together.

Lady Penitent trilogy by Lisa Smedman

Do not recommend windwaker trilogy (windwalker?) by Elaine Cunningham. She's very descriptive, but Gromph's daughter (forget her name) is not my favorite character. Either as written or portrayed.

A moot point, but I don't recommend Salvatore either, too many characters are comic relief. Villains are often ridiculous "The assassin ran the knife blade down his cheek and said 'I love to keep it in the family' " --Nightmasks. Is that supposed to be threatening to a reader over the age of 7?

War of the Spiderqueen was a little long, but it was interesting to watch a variety of Chaotic Evil characters work together. Especially when different authors write them differently.

Spellfire Trilogy (lumped in with the Harpers books) was ok. Made me want to play a spellfire channeler after I read it.

Silverfire: Story of seven sisters. Is all about the 7 sisters, adn the first FR book I read. I still have it.

[AslanCross]

I've only read the Icewind Dale Trilogy and the Legacy series, but I also recommend Grand History of the Realms. It puts a lot of things into context, and also tells us what happens in the years the novels don't cover (mostly the chaos surrounding the Spellplague).

[Thane of Fife]

Am I the only person who ever read the Threat from the Sea? I don't think I've ever seen it mentioned anywhere, bar as a tiny footnote on an enormous Forgotten Realms timeline somewhere. And yet it's probably my favorite set of Forgotten Realms books out there - it's got pirates, paladins. sahuagin, all the best cities of the Sword Coast.

[Quirinus_Obsidian]

The Lady Penitent series is just awesome. My DM and I are working on statting out Halisstra