TSR Best D&D Novels

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Does anyone know the name of the D&D novel that, apparently, exactly replicates 2e combat? With combat rhythm and everything?

I find very few D&D novels that actually resemble D&D rules all that much. I don't think I've ever seen a wizard or cleric who wasn't nerfed (except Cadderly and Elminster) in any novel. Even the kingpriest got nerfed, which was a surprise.

 

[DarkCrisis]

Aside from Drizzt and Dragonlance, the Justicar trilogy is pretty fun.

 

[Ibrandul]

The Forgotten Realms novels I consider to be the best of the best—from the first fifteen years or so of the setting's novel line (I've been reading most of them in chronological order for a few years now):

Azure Bonds, The Wyvern's Spur.

Elfshadow, Elfsong, Silver Shadows.

Daughter of the Drow, Tangled Webs.

Elminster: The Making of a Mage.

Crypt of the Shadowking.

The Ring of Winter.

War in Tethyr.

The Shadow Stone.

Shadow's Witness.

The City of Ravens.

Of these, I would go to bat for the first five listed as superior pulp entertainment, with the rest being merely enjoyable and competently made.

That's not to say the dozens of other FR novels I've read were all bad—some certainly were, but most were at least passable or better. The ones I've listed here are the ones that I think might have a chance of persuading a skeptical observer that there's some value there.

 

[timbannock]

Azure Bonds is great. Ending falls apart a bit, but even that makes it feel like a real campaign given novelization form.

I Strahd and Vampire in the Mists have some great moments.

The first Dragonlance trilogy is really good. I, for one, hated Legends as it feels too meta.

I recall enjoying some of the Dark Sun stuff because it's so different, if nothing else.

Gygax's novels are complete garbage. The misogyny is horrific; I just revisited Saga of Old City last month and immediately sold off the rest of the series, as I recall it only gets worse as it goes on. I also can't get through any of Salvatore's books, despite trying about a half dozen times. YMMV

 

[Weird Dave]

I read loads and loads of the FR and DL novels in the late 90s and early 00s, but fell off the novel bandwagon as D&D 3E waned. I enjoyed the various Forgotten Realms anthology series ("Realms of..."), and I recall really liking Mel Odom's Threat from the Sea trilogy (Rising Tide, Under Fallen Stars, The Sea Devil's Eye). Fell very D&D to me, though that may be because I had never read a novel regarding the sahuagin before!

Recently I started listening to audiobook versions of some of the books released after I drifted away. I really enjoyed listening to the Eberron trilogy Heirs of Ash trilogy from Rich Wulf (Voyage of the Mourning Dawn, Flight of the Dying Sun, Rise of the Seventh Moon). Fun pulp adventure fare across the length and breadth of Eberron, with a good narrator and interesting enough characters. I thought the first two books of Keith Baker's The Dreaming Dark Trilogy were great as well in audiobook - The City of Towers serves as a great intro to the setting in general, and the sequel The Shattered Land expands upon Xen'drik to make it a cool, vibrant place. However, the narrator changed drastically for the third book and it soured me on it (The Gates of Night), which is too bad because it ends on quite a cliffhanger.

Happy hunting!

 

[KahlessNestor]

The Brimstone Angels series by Erin Evans was amazing.

 

[Dioltach]

Does anyone know the name of the D&D novel that, apparently, exactly replicates 2e combat? With combat rhythm and everything?

Not D&D strictly speaking, but in some of Raymond Feist's Midkemia novels you can almost hear the dice rolling.

 

[JustinCase]

Apart from Drizzt (guilty pleasure) and that other Salvatore series The Cleric Quintet, I really enjoyed the Erevis Cale series by Paul S. Kemp.

Other notable books I liked:

Venom in Her Veins, by Tim Pratt
The Gilded Rune, by Lisa Smedman
Chosen of Nendawen series (The Fall of Highwatch, Hand of the Hunter, Cry of the Ghost Wolf) by Marc Sehestedt

 

[Zardnaar]

Lynn Abbey Darksun books, Iron Throne birthright book and WotSQ.

Elaine Cunningham's various works.

 

[cbwjm]

Spoiler done (sorry about that). But I won't remove Rose. The Endless Quest books have given me a soft spot for her

Been a while since I've read those greyhawk novels by Rose Este, I remember quite enjoying them.