D&D Novels- best authors?

[Aaron L]

Another vote for Paul Kidd. That's it for DnD authors.
For good gaming-related fiction, I head to Warhammer or the old Shadowrun books.

Yeah, I just read Nigel Findleys last book and it was great. My mom got me a few Shadowrun books and I really liked them.

 

[S. Baldrick]

My vote is split between the team of Margaret Weiss/Tracy Hickman and R.A. Salvatore. Although it has been year (or decades), I did enjoy their work. I have also enjoyed every Ravenloft novel that I have read. I have also enjoyed Troy Denning's work as well. (I have heard people refer to Weiss/Hickmans as hacks. However, Tracy Hickman is, in my opinion, one of the best adventure designers on the planet.) Although I have always tried to keep my posts on the positive side I absolutely HATED Kidd's work with Descent into the Depths of the Earth and Queen of the Demonweb Pits. I kept praying that the odious comic relief (the name escapes me) wagon driver would die horribly. As far as I know, it didn't because I couldn't finish that piece of garbage book...I'm glad I got that out of my system. I feel much better now.

 

[CrusaderX]

Paul Kidd's three Greyhawk books are the most enjoyable D&D novels I've read. We need more Justicar and Escalla stories.

The original Dragonlance and Drizzt books were decent, but neither series knew when to end.

So maybe three good Justicar and Escalla stories are enough, after all.

 

[Anti-Sean]

I don't read much in the way of D&D novels - I liked the two original Dragonlance trilogies, but that's about it. That being said, however, I quite enjoyed City of Towers by Keith Baker, and I'm anxiously awaiting the sequel. He did a great job of setting the feel and tone of Eberron in general, and Sharn in particular. And if nothing else, the Eberron glossary in the back of the book is indispensable! If I were running a full-on campaign instead of a one-shot session, I'd be tempted to pick up a copy for each of the players for the glossary alone.
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[Teflon Billy]

Yeah, I just read Nigel Findleys last book and it was great. My mom got me a few Shadowrun books and I really liked them.

I liked Nigel's Shadowrun book's a lot (The gang lord "Ranger" in Lone Wolf was based on me)

I thought that the original poster asked specifically for D&D Novels though

 

[jonesy]

Richard Knaak. His books even work on their own without any knowledge of the rest of a given series.

 

[Darth Shoju]

Richard Knaak. His books even work on their own without any knowledge of the rest of a given series.

Yes! I was trying to remember his name...Kaz the Minotaur right?

 

[NiTessine]

There's that other Paul, too... Paul S. Kemp. I especially enjoyed Shadow's Witness, Book II of the Sembia series. The character of Erevis Cale proved to be so popular he returned for a trilogy of his own, of which two novels have thus far come out, Twilight Falling and Dawn of Night. He also wrote the conclusion of the City of the Spider Queen series, Resurrection.

Kemp can make the Realms feel dark and even gritty while still retaining the high fantasy feel. I like that.

 

[shaylon]

Margaret Weis, Elaine Cunningham, and RA Salvatore. I really enjoyed the Dark Elf Trilogy when I read it, and the dragonlance novels were great reads as well. Elaine is an author I just recently discovered but I have been fairly happy with her fiction (although I still think that the 4th book in her Elfshadow quintet has no business being in the quintet).

-Shay

 

[skinnydwarf]

Have you read Paul Kidd's stuff? I don't have to qualify praise of it by saying "it's good...for game fiction." I've found it to be damned fine heroic fantasy. He's pretty much the only D&D author I can say that about (well, except for Gygax, but he's an acquired taste )

Oh yeah... I forgot about Paul Kidd. I read a short story by him in Dragon once, and it was awesome. I haven't been able to get my hands on any novels by him, though. I think I saw some at the bookstore the other day. Maybe I'll have to go back.