Looking for D&D style novels to read

[Degwerks]

I'm looking for D&D style novels to read, and it looks like only R.A. Salvatore has been writing in D&D-verse still. Which by the way I'm pretty sure I'm all caught up on.

Any books out there in this style of writing? Like it's in a D&D like setting? or just some books that you can really get lost in right away.
Thanks.

[NRSASD]

I've always had a soft spot for Elaine Cunningham's Elfshadow series.

[Palanan]

If you want an old-school feel, you could find a copy of Alan Dean Foster’s Shadowkeep from 1984. This was a novelization of a computer game by the same name. I never played the game, but Shadowkeep was a fun read, feeling very much like a basic D&D game.

[Thane of Fife]

The Deed of Paksenarrion is something of a classic of near-D&D fiction, supposedly originating from Moon's thoughts on what a paladin should be like.

It's a fairly old trilogy at this point (published in the early '90's), but she wrote a few follow-on series as well, the most recent of which is in the last ten years.

[tomandtish]

When 3.0 came out Wizards published 10 novels. They were done under the pen name T H Lain, but were actually written by several different authors.

Honestly the Forgotten Realms novels (which Salvatore is a part) have passed the 500 mark a while ago.

There's also Greyhawk Classics, which were 7 novels that also came out around the start of 3.0. Unfortunately, 3 aren't available except second hand (Against the Giants, Descent into the Depths of the Earth, and Keep on the Borderland). Also, for some reason the list doesn't show Against the Giants and does have an actual RPG supplement on it. Incidentally, White Plume, Descent, and Queen are a trilogy with the same main characters. Everything else stands alone.

[JadedDM]

Well, if you're a fan of Dragonlance, Weis and Hickman have a new novel coming out next month. It's the first of a new trilogy.

[Degwerks]

Well, if you're a fan of Dragonlance, Weis and Hickman have a new novel coming out next month. It's the first of a new trilogy.

This is the kinda stuff I was hoping for.

I've been caught up on all the other D&D books so far, wish someone would still make more, like Salvatore did by switching to a different publisher.

[halfeye]

Have you considered web serials? some are pretty D&Dish, some aren't. The Wandering Inn is vaguely D&Dish and huge, the author says it's perhaps somewhere between 1/3 and 2/3 done, and it is already the longest piece of fiction in the English language.

[Delicious Taffy]

Having never (knowingly) read a D&D novel and with limited access to books (not important why), what sort of style are they in? Is there like a section every couple of pages where the author rolls a d20 and shows the math for the protagonist's results?

[JadedDM]

Having never (knowingly) read a D&D novel and with limited access to books (not important why), what sort of style are they in? Is there like a section every couple of pages where the author rolls a d20 and shows the math for the protagonist's results?

No, they're just pretty standard high fantasy novels, but with D&D settings and characters. Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance, Greyhawk, Planescape, Spelljammer, etc. Pathfinder had a few, as well.

[Degwerks]

Having never (knowingly) read a D&D novel and with limited access to books (not important why), what sort of style are they in? Is there like a section every couple of pages where the author rolls a d20 and shows the math for the protagonist's results?

Like the previous poster said, they're based in the D&D worlds. I'm also interested in other fantasy books that are "basically D&D" in all appearances, like the spellcaster has to rest to recover his strength, needs to finds books or scrolls or a teacher to learn different spells.

Just really needing a good series to tackle.

[Rynjin]

Have you considered web serials? some are pretty D&Dish, some aren't. The Wandering Inn is vaguely D&Dish and huge, the author says it's perhaps somewhere between 1/3 and 2/3 done, and it is already the longest piece of fiction in the English language.

As much as I like The Wandering inn, Mark of the Fool and The Hedge Wizard would be closer to what the OP is looking for in terms of serials.

Both are very D&D in the way their magic is arranged. Or, specifically, in the case of Fool the author is an avid Pathfinder player and several of the action scenes in the series are actual encounters he's thrown at his ongoing PF group, just with the characters replaced by Fool's and how they'd handle the situation.

[Dire_Flumph]

If books like the D&D style tie-in fiction are what you're looking for, have you tried the Pathfinder Tales novels? Been a few years since I read any, but they seemed comparable in quality. Big Finish also did full cast audio plays of three of their Adventure Paths which were well done.

[Satohika]

Song of Ice and Fire is a unusual take on fantasy genre. Despite of its infamy as being very dark and bleak I will recommend it, especially the third book.

[brionl]

Like the previous poster said, they're based in the D&D worlds. I'm also interested in other fantasy books that are "basically D&D" in all appearances, like the spellcaster has to rest to recover his strength, needs to finds books or scrolls or a teacher to learn different spells.

Just really needing a good series to tackle.

I'll put in another vote for The Deed of Paksennarion. You can even buy an ebook of all three.

https://www.baen.com/the-deed-of-paksenarrion.html

[Black Jester]

You cannot get more D&D-ish with your novel selection than the original Appendix N.

Anderson, Poul: THREE HEARTS AND THREE LIONS; THE HIGH CRUSADE; THE BROKEN SWORD
Bellairs, John: THE FACE IN THE FROST
Brackett, Leigh
Brown, Frederic
Burroughs, Edgar Rice: "Pellucidar" series; Mars series; Venus series
Carter, Lin: "World's End" series
de Camp, L. Sprague: LEST DARKNESS FALL; THE FALLIBLE FIEND; et al
de Camp & Pratt: "Harold Shea" series; THE CARNELIAN CUBE
Derleth, August
Dunsany, Lord
Farmer, P. J.: "The World of the Tiers" series; et al
Fox, Gardner: "Kothar" series; "Kyrik" series; et al
Howard, R. E.: "Conan" series
Lanier, Sterling: HIERO'S JOURNEY
Leiber, Fritz: "Fafhrd & Gray Mouser" series; et al
Lovecraft, H. P.
Merritt, A.: CREEP, SHADOW, CREEP; MOON POOL; DWELLERS IN THE MIRAGE; et al
Moorcock, Michael: STORMBRINGER; STEALER OF SOULS; "Hawkmoon" series (esp. the first three books)
Norton, Andre
Offutt, Andrew J.: editor of SWORDS AGAINST DARKNESS III
Pratt, Fletcher: BLUE STAR; et al
Saberhagen, Fred: CHANGELING EARTH; et al
St. Clair, Margaret: THE SHADOW PEOPLE; SIGN OF THE LABRYS
Tolkien, J. R. R.: THE HOBBIT; "Ring trilogy"
Vance, Jack: THE EYES OF THE OVERWORLD; THE DYING EARTH; et al
Weinbaum, Stanley
Wellman, Manley Wade
Williamson, Jack
Zelazny, Roger: JACK OF SHADOWS; "Amber" series; et al

The absolute essentials are probably Fritz Leiber's Lankhmar stuff, R.E.H.'s Conan (if you can tolerate the pretty casual racism), Jack Vance and Moorcock. These more pulpy sword and sorcery style tales are also super accessible and very heavy on the action. I belong to the minority of people who enjoy fantasy literature but get very little satisfaction out of Tolkien, but gets pumped by decent sword and sorcery. Less exposition, more action.

Not included in that list, but worthy of it:
(in order of recommendation)
Saunders, Charles: IMARO and follow-ups. DOSSOUYE. Excellent tales of high adventure set in fantasy Africa. Imaro is a little bit an answer to Conan ("what if... we have a man's man protagonist in an action adventure tale, but, hear me out... it doesn't treat nonwhite characters as subhumans?"), Dossouye follows a female protagonist. Both include a fair ratio of demons and foul sorcerers that must be slain.

Lynch, Scott: THE LIES OF LOCKE LAMORA and following. The so-called gentlemen-bastard books are focussing on heists in a dark-ish fantasy world, focussing on a pair of loveable rogues and their harebrained schemes. It is quite humorous but can get surprsingly dark and vicious at times, but not necessarily cynical. Great book, very entertaining read.

Speaking of Cynical:
Abercrombie, Joe: THE BLADE ITSELF, BEFORE THEY ARE HANGED, LAST ARGUMENT OF KINGS. There are more, but I found that Abercrombie's books got diminishing returns after the first trillogy. These are fantasy books including a few very common tropes of epic fantasy tales, but they are very embittered from their outlook. I liked them well enough when I originally read them, but they are bit edgy to be edgy. Nonethless, it is well-written prose, holds your tension well and is quite exciting.

LeGuin, Ursula: Pretty much all EARTHSEA stuff is quite excellent. Just ignore the TV mini series completely. That one is not just bad, it is also quite different from the actual novels. Le Guin's books are a bit lighter and friendlier.

[Precure]

Did you read every dragonlance novel? I can give some suggestions.

[Catullus64]

Gotta give a recommendation to Erin M. Evans' Brimstone Angels books. They're a fun, breezy read, and pretty much the only new D&D-licensed books in years that aren't just a continuation of a decades-old series.

If you're not bound by the Dungeons & Dragons IP specifically... then pretty much everything Black Jester pointed out is a good place to go.

[Iku Rex]

By R.W. Krpoun :

The Ebon Blades Series
Two half-orc gladiator-slaves are hired/bought as muscle by a small adventuring party. Very good.

The Phantom Badgers Series
Centered around a mercenary company (adventuring band?) in a fantasy world.

[runeghost]

When 3.0 came out Wizards published 10 novels. They were done under the pen name T H Lain, but were actually written by several different authors.

Honestly the Forgotten Realms novels (which Salvatore is a part) have passed the 500 mark a while ago.

There's also Greyhawk Classics, which were 7 novels that also came out around the start of 3.0. Unfortunately, 3 aren't available except second hand (Against the Giants, Descent into the Depths of the Earth, and Keep on the Borderland). Also, for some reason the list doesn't show Against the Giants and does have an actual RPG supplement on it. Incidentally, White Plume, Descent, and Queen are a trilogy with the same main characters. Everything else stands alone.

I'll second the recommendation of the Greyhawk Classics.

For straight-up D&D books:

There are a number of Gord the Rogue books, written by Gary Gygax himself, and set in Greyhawk,

Andre Norton's Quag Keep is likewise set in Greyhawk, and may be the first "rpg players turn into their characters" book.

J. Eric Holmes, the author of the 1977 Basic D&D set wrote a number of stories about D&D adventures, recently collected and published (in a sadly limited print run) as Tales of Peril: the Complete Boinger and Zereth Stories of John Eric Holmes.

Keith Baker, who created the D&D Ebberon setting also wrote a trilogy set in Eberron that is very D&D themed.

There's one other one whose title and author escape me, that I'm mentioning in case someone here can provide those... it's a standalone novel, set in a very D&D-like setting, where there's a vast, ancient and abandoned underground empire full of treasures. The protagonist is a thief/bandit, who comes up with a clever scheme based on a treasure map, gets unwillingly roped into an expedition by the local crime boss. like 90% of the story is pure, classic dungeon-delving.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Maybe not exactly what you're looking for, but I've been told my writing can be kind of RPG-like, at least in terms of plotting and pacing. I have an underwater high fantasy that might be right up your alley?

Spoiler: The Pitch

Show

“Check in on our son” sounds like such a simple job. Spend a week or two in the saddle riding to a neighboring city, talk to the kid and his foster parents, and report back. Oster Torchsworn has been doing this sort of thing for more than a decade. A body wracked by cerebral palsy hasn’t stopped him from carrying messages, negotiating trade deals, and carrying out the odd spy mission on his clients’ behalf.

The fact that both cities lie at the bottom of a vast, sunless ocean makes things a little more complicated, but it’s been four hundred years since the last remnants of humanity abandoned the surface to the demons. Everyone’s had plenty of time to develop the skills and spells they need to stay alive in the Twilight Depths, and Oster has probably spent more time on the back of his sea lion, alone in the dark seas, than he has inside the glowing air shells of humanity’s cities.

It's a shame that sometimes things only look simple at first glance. His employer’s son turns out to be just one of many similar children to have vanished without a trace, and soon Oster will find himself embroiled in a conspiracy that gets worse at every turn. Alongside an autistic swordswoman and a naïve priest, he’ll face slavers, demagogues, demons, and worse as the walls of humanity’s last refuge begin to crack.

And if you're not attached to the D&D particulars and just want an interesting setting with well-defined (and limited) magic, Brandon Sanderson will have your back every time. Mistborn is usually the recommended starting point.