What are the best Forgotten Realm books or authors

Not that I want to read it, but doesn't hurt to know, what are considered the best books of the extensive Forgotten Realm series? I know many NJO authors have past FR novels.

 

Basically, Salvatore.

I've also heard good things about the Wulfgar books, but don't know who wrote those (might be RAS for all I know)...

 

What dp said. RA Salvatore's stuff with Drizzt - you'll have met him, Gwenhyvar, Wulfgar, Cattie Brie et al in BG2, Excellence - and his Cleric Quarter spring to mind. It's been forever since I read the Dark Elf and Icewind Dale books, but they were a cut above. I remember loving Azure Bonds as a young 'un, too.

However, and I do love RP'ing in Faerun, I think you'll find the DragonLance Chronicles more to your taste. Dragons of Autumn Twilight reads like a transcribed session of someone's AD&D campaign; but the sequels get better. Fae'run is a better land to play in than read about, as you'll find from reading the books and playing BG1, BG2, BG2:ToB, Icewind Dale 1 & 2, and NeverWinter Nights.

E_S

 

Ender is correct, in that I consider to be the second Dragonlance trilogy (Legends) amongst the best fantasy I've read (though I find LOTR interminably boring and enjoy early-Shannara, so take that for what you will). The first trilogy (Chronicles) is very good and you need the backstory, but Legends was just superb.

 

In regards to Salvatore, I know he's a veteran and with dozens of books under his belt, but there's a lot of Drizzt books, though I haven't met him in Shadows of Amn yet until I assault Bodhi's vamps. Not looking forward to that, but anyway . . . How fresh is this Drizzt after so many books? I've observed positive review feedback on Viconia drows; haven't rescued her off that pyre yet, I know she'll compete with poor Aerie for my charms.

I've always been curious as they absorb a considerable amount of shelf space in some shops, dozens of different books and boxed sets. Might as well ask about Dragonlance too; is it mass market pulpfiction, how creative are the trilogy stories when you have the same dragons and fantasy elements in such an expansive series?

So . . . Chronicles and Legend trilogies for Dragonlance, early Drizzt books for FR.

 

Use listmania or similar, it'll give you some insight since I've not read all of them.

ES

 

Denning's done a lot of FR stuff, but of that I've only read his Return of the Archwizards trilogy. You don't really need much knowledge of Faerun to pick up a Realms book since there's a fair amount of exposition.

Anyway, the titles are The Summoning, The Siege, and The Sorcerer. Lots of large-scale magic battles and the like. None of the feebwizzing you dislike so much .

In chronological order for Drizzt you have the Dark Elf and Icewind Dale trilogies, the Legacy of the Drow (four books, I think), Paths of Darkness, and the Hunter's Blades trilogy. Paths of Darkness is technically four books, but one is Drizzt-less and focuses on Wulfgar the barbarian, and another is Drizzt-less and focuses on his nemesis. That one, Servant of the Shard, you may have seen reprinted as "Book I of The Sellswords," since the lead characters have gotten really popular in their own right.

Anyway, I think that Salvatore's writing has only started to slip in Hunter's Blades, which has a more epic feel than the others, but also seems just a little pretentious at times. Or I might just be getting tired of Drizzt. So yeah, definitely read the first two trilogies, and if you're not tired of Drizzt the Legacy series is certainly good, though to fully appreciate the last book in it you'd have had to read his Cleric Quintet, which doesn't feature Drizzt but a pretty powerful cleric. I personally prefer the Drizzt books, but the Quintet isn't bad at all, and has more magic where Drizzt stuff has more swordplay.



The Sembia books, by several different authors, aren't bad, but they're only loosely connected and the best reason I can think of for reading all of them is to get sufficient background to start the Erevis Cale trilogy, which follows immediately after and is by Paul S. Kemp, who did one of the Sembia books, and one of the short stories in the anthology introducing the series.

 

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Noted. Nice saber on Journey into the Void's cover. Almost tempted to get it.

I've taken a fancy to Baldur's Gate 2, but I know breeziness also fancies game books. Was Sith author Karpyshyn good?

 

My only experience with a non-Salvatore FR book is Ed Greenwood?s Elmister: The Making of a Mage, a book which unfortunately ranks among the worst I?ve ever read. However, I?ve heard it said from few different high-brow fantasy snobs that Paul S. Kemp?s Erevis Cale books are the finest work the line has ever produced, and actually stand alone on their own right as representing quality storytelling that defies the Forgotten Realms label.

 

The nemesis would be Artemis Enterei, no?

E_S

 

I've been looking into fantasy comics and came across some Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms ones. They look as good as The Hedge Knight's artwork. I must say.

 

I believe that Weis and Hickman have written a space opera a la Star Wars, but I can't remember what it's called.

E_S

 

Ed Greenwood is really in a class of his own. I have no idea how he?s able to write so many books, given that I?ve never heard anyone say anything favorable about any of his books or stories.

The only Forgotten Realms books I can really recommend are the RA Salvatore Drizzt books. The first three chronologically, the Dark Elf trilogy, are the best of the Drizzt books. The spin-off from the Drizzt series, the Sellswords, is also worth reading. Actually, Servant of the Shard is my favorite Forgotten Realms book period and I?ll probably end up getting his new book in hardcover.

 

I've just started A Thousand Orcs, and it's not half bad actually...

E_S

 

Ed Greenwood is really in a class of his own. I have no idea how he?s able to write so many books, given that I?ve never heard anyone say anything favorable about any of his books or stories.

Ah, ever heard of Mercedes Lackey?

 

I've seen Lackey since she got her start in Sword and Sorceress. Unlike Ed Greenwood, a small portion of what she has had a hand in is readable. The Obsidian Trilogy, co-written with James Mallory, isn?t completely awful. It?s not good enough to actually buy, but it?s worth getting from the library when there?s nothing else around to read. Of course, it?s possible that it?s entirely due to Mallory?s influence.

 

Yeah, I refer to Entreri, and I really am looking forward to Promise of the Witch King. Servant of the Shard's definitely up there with my favorite FR books, too.

I did enjoy the Hunter's Blades Trilogy, don't get me wrong; now that I think about it I think The Thousand Orcs and The Lone Drow are actually very good, but I guess I was expecting more from The Two Swords, a more conclusive finale.

 

Same with Salvatore and the Drizzt books. I loved the Icewind Dale & Dark Elf trilogies. Artemis Entreri: Best. Intro. Ever! And Salvatore pretty much re-made drow society. Again, over time, Drizzt became too uber-tastic.

I agree. The problem I have with the FR universe is that some characters are too godlike to relate to, ie. Drizzt and Elminster. Caramon Majere from Dragonlance is more like the Everyman, a thick as a brick drunk with a strong sense of decency.

But I also agree you can't beat RA Salvatore. I also found a scene from Dark Elf Trilogy that repeated itself in Vector Prime.

 

Its Salvatore for author, but honestly I thought the best book was the first book - " Darkwalker on Moonshea " by Douglas Niles. The problem is the next two entries of that trilogy were terrible.