Best Forgotten Realms Novels
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I'm not a fan of a lot of FR writers. I read Salvatore in my youth, but found Greenwood to be.. exhausting. Looking for some of the better books that give some insight on important events in the realms or important characters of less fame than Elminster and Drizzt.
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Funny, I was pondering a similar thread.
Thanks glow ^_^
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@AWESOMEMAN:
I'm not a fan of a lot of FR writers. I read Salvatore in my youth, but found Greenwood to be.. exhausting. Looking for some of the better books that give some insight on important events in the realms or important characters of less fame than Elminster and Drizzt.
I totally agree on that.
I've read the Elminster Series by Greenwood, didn't like that one much. I've stayed away from Drizzt books, except for one. It was ok, but it's not the kind of stories I want to read about.
I have read The Rogues series. I don't quite remember what I think of it actually, other than it was much better than the Eminster Series. Maybe I should re-read them…
I have read The Priests serues, quite interesting to read the stories about priests of evil gods.
Also, my favorite of the novels I've read is The Haunted Lands series. Even despite the fact that the books lead up to 4th edition events and the total transformation of Thay, and I do not like this transformation (yes, much of the story is told in Thay!). The main character is a bard too :)
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I liked the Avatar series. Gives good insight into the relationship between Gods, and how they themselves see their portfolios as "jobs", with viewpoints that aren't necessarily defined by them, fully understanding that they are actually more limited than mortals are, with highly reduced abilities of perception and will, often forcibly limited only to their sphere. (I don't know how I feel about that, it makes the Gods very "humanlike" but that's how it is.)
Like how Talos flirts with Sune when they all meet up in their club house, despite their churches being officially opposed. They're like "yeah, I do my thing, you do yours they're opposed by their very nature, but you're still smokin hot, babe." (Sune by the way, is a total jerk.)
It sounds a lot more epic than what you're asking, but since it doesn't focus on divine / mortal dealings, only divine /divine, it's not as epic (in context) as it might look.
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(Was going to edit, but hit quote by accident)
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The Watercourse Trilogy is by Philip Athans
Takes place in the city of Innarlith, featuring a (mostly) low level cast of characters such as cormyrian "engineers", aristocrats, an up and comming Red Wizard, and politicians in a very down to earth FR story heavy on intrigue and character interaction and development. My favorite trilogy by far. Has a "CoA PW" feel to it alot of the time.
Erevis Cale Trilogy and Twilight War TrilogyBoth trilogies are about Eravis Cale, chosen of mask. First trilogy details him accepting and growing into this role. And second trilogy deals with the sembian civil war, and the attempted shadovar takeover. Erevis Cale plays a smaller role in the second trilogy, with a Paladin of Lathander, and Prince Rivelan Thantul playing important roles as well. Both are well worth a read if you like darker FR stories.
All three trilogies give alot of visability to what avarage commoners go through everyday, how the gods fit in, how trade and politics works etc. All three are worth a read.
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The only one I recall among the sea of hopeless mediocrity was Troy Denning's Pages of Pain. It is Planescape, though, and not for everyone. For the sheer epicness, War of the Spider Queen is also OK but a bit inconsistent and sometimes outright tedious (6 volumes).
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I liked the whole series about house Uskreven? That sembian noble house. Each book had a different character perspective, with overlapping enteraction, quite awesome to be fair.
Otherwise, the Avatar and Shadow Avatar series describe the most important timeline of the FR.
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So, you're asking for the best suggestion from a bad set of books?
In that case, the Avatar series wasn't bad. Jeff Grubb's stuff was usually good.
