OT Forgotten Realms book recomendations

[Hanny]

Hi

Just read the entire Salvators Drintz series, from icewind dale to Hunters,(http://www.amazon.co.uk/Legacy-Drow...=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1222367624&sr=8-2) and really found something worth reading for a change!, best £30 odd quid ive spent on books for many a year, so my question is, is The war of spider queen series as good?, customers seem very happy with it (http://www.amazon.co.uk/War-Spider-...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1222367538&sr=8-1) or can anyone recomend other Realms books that should be hot footing it to my door?.

 

[Breunor]

I actually quite liked the Cleric Quintet, I thought it was on par with and perhaps slightly better than the Drizzt books, although this is apparently a minority opinion. I think the first few books wre particularly good, books 2 and 3 are probably the best.

The Avatar Trilogy is very important for understading the history and setting of Forgotten Realms, but for a reader is mediocre at best.

I'm not crazy abotut he Elminster Books, but you should probably try one or two if they are your cup of tea. Greenwood is THE creator of the Forgotton Realms so it can be interesting to take his perspecitve, but I'm not crazy about him as a wirter.

I did like War of the Spider Queen.

Remember, there are probably about 120 + Forgotton Realms books of some sort with multiple authors, so there is something for everyone. I think Slavatore and Elaine Cunningham have had the strongest following. I've probably read about 25 to 40; most of them are fun but not exceptional. I do recommend them, but there is a lot better Fantasy out there also.

Best wishes,

Breunor

 

[Morkonan]

Hi, frequent longtime lurker here.

I'd recommend the following:

The Avatar Trilogy: Starting with "Shadowdale" http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Forgotten-Realms/Richard-Awlinson/e/9780880387309/?itm=6

This series forms the basis of most of the Lore in the Forgotten Realms. You basically have to read it if you want to understand what occurred during the "Time of Troubles."

The Harpers Series: Any of them will do. "The Parched Sea" is the first. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Forgotten-Realms/Troy-Denning/e/9781560760672/?itm=9

They are standalone books, some with recurring characters, some not. They are excellent for getting an idea of the creator's minds concerning political turmoil and behind the scenes and events in the Forgotten Realms. They are also very refreshing in that the stories are from different characters' perspectives so you won't get a boilerplate type feeling from every single book. Because of the interconnectedness of some of the events mixed with the varying character's perspectives, you can get an almost "Thieve's World" type feel. (The much beloved collaborative effort edited by Asprin & Abbey, now resurrected in story form by Lynn Abbey after their falling out..)

Of particular note is a spinoff of the Harpers Series: "Elfshadow" http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Forgotten-Realms/Elaine-Cunningham/e/9780786916603/?itm=1

IIRC, this details two characters in the Harpers series that readers especially enjoyed. It's well worth the read.

There are plenty of series and books based on the Forgotten Realms. Not all of them are of similar quality though. The two series above should give you enough reading material for a few weeks, at least.

I liked Salvatore's work until the characters became constructs that the story acted upon rather than characters who were set within a story. A subtle, yet significant difference of techniques. But, I suppose its inevitable with a series as revered as that: The characters are the only thing it can be certain that the audience enjoys so the story takes second-stage. The characters became fairly wooden after that and I lost interest in them. I prefer the unsullied ideals I formed of them early in the series to the latter, drawn out and exhausted archetypes.

 

[Nimbus]

Aside from the Cleric Quintet by R.A. Salvatore recommendation(which I agree with).
I would also recommend the Moonshae Trilogy by Douglas Niles which is probably my favorite forgotten realms series, he continues theis adventure with most of the same characters in the Druidhome trilogy.
I also would highly recommend the Avatar series by Scott Ciencin and troy Denning in the forgotten realms following the adventures of Midnight(Mystra) and Cyric and Kelemvor and their ascension into godhood. This series worked really well for me.
I found the Finders Stone series to be a good read, but have not revisited it as much as the first series I listed.
Finally I would also recommend Shandril's Saga by Ed Greenwood.

 

[Vehem]

I actually quite liked the Cleric Quintet, I thought it was on par with and perhaps slightly better than the Drizzt books, although this is apparently a minority opinion. I think the first few books wre particularly good, books 2 and 3 are probably the best.

I'll second that - I also reckon they were actually better than the Drizzt books (Drizzt had a slight issue of pacing - given that in the first book the heroes defeat both a greater daemon and an ice wyrm as I recall - bit hard to follow that).

 

[fuzzy_bunnies]

I tend to stick to authors rather than particular series', bud I'd recommend checking out the Dragonlance line of books by Weis and Hickman. That was the first series I read and hooked me to the rest of the FR books.

Just a quick note, I sometimes find that the "original" books are better than books other authors write in the same universe only because they sometimes start changing lore and the flavor of the world changes. I noticed that a lot with the Dragonlance Tales series of books (short stories written by other authors). I'd avoid those if you read the original first.

I'd also recommend David Eddings' "The Elenium" series, I loved those too.

 

[Breunor]

I tend to stick to authors rather than particular series', bud I'd recommend checking out the Dragonlance line of books by Weis and Hickman. That was the first series I read and hooked me to the rest of the FR books.

Just a quick note, I sometimes find that the "original" books are better than books other authors write in the same universe only because they sometimes start changing lore and the flavor of the world changes. I noticed that a lot with the Dragonlance Tales series of books (short stories written by other authors). I'd avoid those if you read the original first.

I'd also recommend David Eddings' "The Elenium" series, I loved those too.

On a technical note, Dragonlance is not in the Forgotton Realms world, its a differnt universe. But, having said that, I do strongly recommend them and I think they are better than most of the FR stuff.

I also liked all of Eddings' stuff, both the Belgariad and the Elenium. The only issue I have with Eddings is that he is a tad repetitious. Once you have read all of his books, his next few seem familair; but they are LOTS of fun for the first 10 or so.

Best wishes,

Breunor

 

[slowcar]

If you don't mind i drag this a bit more into Off-Topic.
(while i liked the FR novels, and dragonlance even better, especially the legends, there are some books i like a lot more

my alltime favorite:
steven erikson, the game of thrones series. best fantasy ever (just my opinion)
(currenty reading ian c. esslemont who writes in the same world, i love it)

one of the best:
Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind
(i was seldom that immersed and emotionally involved)

Another favorite series:
George R. R. Martin, the song of ice and fire.

 

[fuzzy_bunnies]

George R. R. Martin, the song of ice and fire.

I went through this series... got irritated when I found out he wasn't finished though!

PS don't read these books if you don't like lots and lots of surprise deaths

 

[Chip56]

Another favorite series:
George R. R. Martin, the song of ice and fire.

yep that one is really good. I like it that the heros aren't invincible.

I would also recomend:
Markus Heitz (german autor) (a must have: the dwarfes. That book has a super ending)

Tad williams if you accept long beginnings (the memory, sorrow and thorn series needs almost the whole first book before it really gets going)

 

[Morkonan]

Aside from the Cleric Quintet by R.A. Salvatore recommendation(which I agree with).
I would also recommend the Moonshae Trilogy by Douglas Niles which is probably my favorite forgotten realms series, he continues theis adventure with most of the same characters in the Druidhome trilogy.
..

Those are both outstanding series and I recommend them as well. The Cleric Quintet series also has some characters which overlap into other series.

I can't believe I forgot about the Moonshae trilogy! That's an excellent series and well worth the read.

 

[lurker123]

Yep, a song of ice and fire is good. The good guy's, the ones you expect to last the rest of a normal fantasy series end up dieing and getting properly owned by the bad guys. Instead of the good guy's having minor stumbling blocks like other series. Magic is more mysterious in it since it's not common and most of the main characters don't have it inherently. There are probably no mages that throw fireballs around and can wipe out an entire army. A lot of the powerful magic is centered around a forgotten past.

Having said all that it's years away from being finished and may never be completed, so if you don't want to read something that may never be properly finished you should pass it by. It is probably unsuitable for people under 18 years of age in the eyes of many as well.

 

[Marnok]

I'm going to mention "Realms of Infamy", because I just googled myself and this book has a wizard called Marnok.

Why are there so many Fantasy/RPG characters called Marnok? I joined this internet thingy in good faith, only to find everyone else copying my ideas, often before I have them.

And why are so many of these Fantasy/RPG Marnoks wizards? I was the Wizard Marnok before most of them were born.

 

[Domingo]

Ditto on the Cleric Quintet. An excellent series.

I also particularly liked Evermeet: Island of Elves and the various Realms of... novels.

 

[Hanny]

Thanks all!!, added the Cleric series, and a couple of the Elimeinster ones, to the gnomes at Amazon to find for me.

 

[Xuenay]

On a technical note, Dragonlance is not in the Forgotton Realms world, its a differnt universe.

They are in the same multiverse, however - you can even travel between them, though most characters don't know that. Characters from both the Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms worlds have visited the world of Ravenloft, for instance.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plane_(Dungeons_&_Dragons)