Forgotten Realms novels

[poilbrun]

Coul someone point me to a website where there are reviews of the FR novels and their link to each other? I'm beginning to read them (I started with the Avatar Trilogy), and I'd link to read them "chronologically".

Thanks

 

[Daebryn Bladestorm]

If you want to read the books in "chronological" order, here is a good site that lists which books and stories go where.

FR Novel Chronology

As for reviews of the different books, I dont know anywhere right off hand (although asking around here will get you some good and bad ones ). Try doing a search on Google.

 

[BigFreekinGoblinoid]

Coul someone point me to a website where there are reviews of the FR novels and their link to each other? I'm beginning to read them (I started with the Avatar Trilogy), and I'd link to read them "chronologically".

Thanks

----

Here's my review: They all suck. Especially the Shadow series'

" I watched every disgusting frame of that movie. Three times! "


PS - If you have not already, read George RR Martin's Song of Fire and Ice books, beginning with " A Game of Thrones" - now there is some good reading!

 

[poilbrun]

My point is to get to feel the FR a bit better, so I decided to being reading some of the novels set in that world...

I found reviews at http://www.candlekeep.com.

Thanks for your help, the chronology will certainly help!

 

[sandman]

I loved Prince of Lies. The gods of FR are pretty damn cool and you get a good glimpse of their personalities in this book. I gave it to our DM to read but he is a slacker!

 

[dagger]

Re: Re: Forgotten Realms novels

So typical...I like Martin and all the D&D books..... *shrug*.


Dont worry too much about the nay sayers Poilbrun, just read what you like.

----

Here's my review: They all suck. Especially the Shadow series'

" I watched every disgusting frame of that movie. Three times! "


PS - If you have not already, read George RR Martin's Song of Fire and Ice books, beginning with " A Game of Thrones" - now there is some good reading!

 

[Dagger75]

Re: Re: Forgotten Realms novels

----

Here's my review: They all suck. Especially the Shadow series'

" I watched every disgusting frame of that movie. Three times! "


PS - If you have not already, read George RR Martin's Song of Fire and Ice books, beginning with " A Game of Thrones" - now there is some good reading!

I second the vote for starting the Song of Fire and Ice, it rocks.
I am a recent convert

But if you want to read FR books, I would go with the Dark Elf Trilogy. Everybody may hate Drizzt but I thought the books were pretty good. Then read The Crystal Shard book series. ( I forget what the series is called), another Drizzt book but I liked them. Most books deal with stuff that happened in the Avatar Trilogy so you might to read that. Well I hope this helps.

 

[ruleslawyer]

My point is to get to feel the FR a bit better, so I decided to being reading some of the novels set in that world...

I found reviews at http://www.candlekeep.com.

Thanks for your help, the chronology will certainly help!

poilbrun: As a potential "nay-sayer," I hate to chime in on this one, but I must say that you may wish to read some of the original FR source material before starting on the novels. As a rule, the novels represent the perspectives of individual authors, each of whom is trying to "make the Realms his own" and introduce/promote his own characters. The novels therefore do not necessarily reflect a common "feel," IMHO. The major progenitors of a "Realms feel" really are Ed Greenwood, Steve Schend, and Eric Boyd, all of whom have written really excellent material in the form of Dragon magazine articles, short pieces in Polyhedron (especially Ed's "Everwinking Eye" column) and on the WotC website, and the following excellent source material, absolutely none of which is stats-heavy:

-The original (1e) FR boxed set, available as an Electronic Software Download in .pdf form from www.svgames.com
-Pages from the Mages
-Prayers of the Faithful
-Faiths and Avatars, Powers and Pantheons, and Demihuman Deities
-Gateway to Ravens' Bluff

You may want to check these materials out as well. I tend to find that the best part of FR is that the game materials themselves contain a great deal of flavor; IMHO, more than the novels do, as a rule.

If you must start on the novels (sigh), I'd recommend beginning with the short story anthologies (all called Realms of ...). Elaine Cunningham's Elfshadow novel is pretty good as well (although I know nothing of the sequels). My least favorite FR books:

-Anything by Troy Denning except The Parched Sea
-Evermeet
-Daughter of the Drow
-RAS's last trilogy (can't remember the names of the books, but they involve battles between Menzoberranzan and Mithril Hall)

 

[Sigma]

Re: Re: Re: Forgotten Realms novels

I second the vote for starting the Song of Fire and Ice, it rocks.
I am a recent convert

But if you want to read FR books, I would go with the Dark Elf Trilogy. Everybody may hate Drizzt but I thought the books were pretty good. Then read The Crystal Shard book series. ( I forget what the series is called), another Drizzt book but I liked them. Most books deal with stuff that happened in the Avatar Trilogy so you might to read that. Well I hope this helps.

I agree. The RA Salvatore books are pretty decent. I'm not a big fan of the first three crystal shard books, but the drow trilogy is great.

And my advice to you is _not_ to read the avatars. Ask someone here to give you a 5 minute summary of what happens, and use the brain cells for something more useful, like your great aunt mildred's birthday and shoe size. Those books aren't just bad, they redefine bad for a whole generation.

(your mileage may vary).

 

[sandman]

I agree... the Avatar series stunk, but Prince of Lies is da'bomb. ;p