D&D General I'm reading the Forgotten Realms Novels- #202 The Howling Delve by Jaleigh Johnson (Dungeons 2)

[Ralif Redhammer]

I think it'll start off easy enough, but as the fiction line got longer in the tooth, the quality...meandered. I just read The Ring of Winter not too long ago, and that got to be a slog.

If I recall correctly, the first FR novel I read was Spellfire or Curse of the Azure Bonds.

 

[Mistwell]

That's it really. I've got a list- last count 295 books (although that number may go up) and I've given myself 10 years to get through them. I've looked at a variety of websites (thanks to the fine people here at ENWorld) which tell me what order I should read the books, but... the bugger is getting hold of them so as often supply will dictate the order they get read.

I've bought the first 40 books on the list, so I'm committed.

My reasons- I've been DMing in the Forgotten Realms for I don't know how long (off and on- but a lot more since 5e started), and until this point I've never thought to do any background reading- of course I buy all the Wizards stuff, handbooks and modules et al (for most editions all the way back to AD&D) but I've never really paid attention to the geography, or the history- socio-political or economic, or any of it. Mainly because I've been just dying to DM and get to the action, and adept at making up my own little micro-settings within a variety of already mapped out worlds, but now I'm an old(er) git and with time on my hands and the inclination to find out more.

I'm not going to write reviews- they already exist elsewhere, there are also wonderful collections of online material for the Forgotten Realms- garnered from the novels and the myriad other sourcebooks- it would be pointless to attempt to duplicate any of this. So, feel free to ignore this thread- this is more just a reminder to me- read books, post here- keep going. That kind of thing, obviously the stigma and the shame if I don't make it to the end of the run will haunt me for the rest of my days. Nah! I'll survive, so- I'm giving it a go.

Cheers Goonalan

Would love it if you could pop in here after you complete each book with at least a one sentence review? Or any tidbits you thought helpful for DMing in the Realms? Or an interesting observation?

 

[Alzrius]

You might want to skip Rich Baker's The Shadow Stone. Despite being published as a Forgotten Realms novel, it was originally written for Birthright. But by the time it was set to be released, that campaign setting had been closed down, so Baker went back through and made some quick changes to turn it into an FR novel. Even today, the book makes much more sense if you place it in Cerilia rather than Faerun.

 

[Yaarel]

One summer, I read thru most of the scifi books in the library. (Scifi includes both speculative science and fantasy magic.) It is awesome. The memory of the books kinda start to blur together after a while. But there are lots of vivid experiences that say with me!

 

[Goonalan]

#004 Darkwalker on Moonshae by Douglas Niles (Moonshae Trilogy Book 1)
Read 27/8/19 to 1/9/19



Yeah, this is the one I should have read first- in some ways I'm glad I didn't. Set in the Moonshae Isles (obviously) which is home to the Celtic mythos style Ffolk and the marauding Viking-like Northmen. Our hero is a bit of a... I don't know, and neither does he, that might be the problem. The start of the novel gets my back up for a good long while, awfully contrived and a bit (whisper this) unbelievable- when Tristan meets Daryth (a bit Drizzt lite). Also, what's with the faithful side-kick cats/dogs (Guenhywvar vs Canthus) who had the hound/canine companion first Salvatore or Niles. Pawldo is very Halfling.

The above aside it's a cracking read- Kazgaroth (and his boss) versus the Earthmother, plenty of hot druid action (and even more in the later novels) and the Beast in his many forms. Oh, and you've got to shed a tear when the Leviathan goes under, although secretly I was rather rooting for the Northmen (who doesn't love a Viking?).

Still, I found myself rooting for the bad guys a little too often, the central character/s can be annoying (including Robyn) and this doesn't let up in the proceeding novels- just talk to each, tell him/her how you feel and stop bottling up your teenage style sexual frustration/angsty angst. Cut the moping and the self doubt and we'd have room in the novel for another hefty helping of combat action, and there are some supercool bad guys that'd love another scene.

Read?

 

[Mistwell]

Did you really read all four of these books TODAY?

 

[Xenonnonex]

Your sacrifice is much appreciated.

 

[Tkolhoff]

That's it really. I've got a list- last count 295 books (although that number may go up) and I've given myself 10 years to get through them. I've looked at a variety of websites (thanks to the fine people here at ENWorld) which tell me what order I should read the books, but... the bugger is getting hold of them so as often supply will dictate the order they get read.

I've bought the first 40 books on the list, so I'm committed.

My reasons- I've been DMing in the Forgotten Realms for I don't know how long (off and on- but a lot more since 5e started), and until this point I've never thought to do any background reading- of course I buy all the Wizards stuff, handbooks and modules et al (for most editions all the way back to AD&D) but I've never really paid attention to the geography, or the history- socio-political or economic, or any of it. Mainly because I've been just dying to DM and get to the action, and adept at making up my own little micro-settings within a variety of already mapped out worlds, but now I'm an old(er) git and with time on my hands and the inclination to find out more.

I'm not going to write reviews- they already exist elsewhere, there are also wonderful collections of online material for the Forgotten Realms- garnered from the novels and the myriad other sourcebooks- it would be pointless to attempt to duplicate any of this. So, feel free to ignore this thread- this is more just a reminder to me- read books, post here- keep going. That kind of thing, obviously the stigma and the shame if I don't make it to the end of the run will haunt me for the rest of my days. Nah! I'll survive, so- I'm giving it a go.

Cheers Goonalan

WARNING!
HERE BE SPOILERIvv​

That's it really. I've got a list- last count 295 books (although that number may go up) and I've given myself 10 years to get through them. I've looked at a variety of websites (thanks to the fine people here at ENWorld) which tell me what order I should read the books, but... the bugger is getting hold of them so as often supply will dictate the order they get read.

I've bought the first 40 books on the list, so I'm committed.

My reasons- I've been DMing in the Forgotten Realms for I don't know how long (off and on- but a lot more since 5e started), and until this point I've never thought to do any background reading- of course I buy all the Wizards stuff, handbooks and modules et al (for most editions all the way back to AD&D) but I've never really paid attention to the geography, or the history- socio-political or economic, or any of it. Mainly because I've been just dying to DM and get to the action, and adept at making up my own little micro-settings within a variety of already mapped out worlds, but now I'm an old(er) git and with time on my hands and the inclination to find out more.

I'm not going to write reviews- they already exist elsewhere, there are also wonderful collections of online material for the Forgotten Realms- garnered from the novels and the myriad other sourcebooks- it would be pointless to attempt to duplicate any of this. So, feel free to ignore this thread- this is more just a reminder to me- read books, post here- keep going. That kind of thing, obviously the stigma and the shame if I don't make it to the end of the run will haunt me for the rest of my days. Nah! I'll survive, so- I'm giving it a go.

Cheers Goonalan

WARNING!
HERE BE SPOILERS!​

I've been a FR novels fan from the beginning. I used to buy all the novels but got away from that over the last 10 yrs or so. Currently I have 120 FR novels and have read probably half of them or more.

 

[Stunts]

Assuming you have hard time finding some of the books, you can always get the audiobooks. Audible has the majority of them I do believe. I have also started this journey. I've read all the Drizzt books and have followed them for a long time. I recently decided to read others and have quite enjoyed it.

 

[TheSword]

There are some crackers...

I really liked the Drizzt prequels Homeland, Exile and Sojourn... a really fun trilogy for lovers of the Drow and far better than the Icewind dale books IMHO

The Return of the Archwizards series is great

Also loved the Last Mythal series.

Come to think of it, I was partial to Troy Dennings books set in Cormyr.