Books to read while we wait, in the "Time of Troubles"
IronGiant
Member Posts: 1
I vaguely remember reading a book a long, long time ago, only because I remember a character in the book coming across a load of gold and saying "too bad its worthless, money is made of iron now..."
What is the best book or series of books set before, during and after the time of troubles?
What is the best book or series of books set before, during and after the time of troubles?
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"Name of the Wind" by Rothfuss
On Topic! Im a sucker for greenwood so Shandrils saga (Spellfire and crown of fire, ignore hand of fire) are great for PRE-TOT. The shadow of the avatar series is fantastic for during. AND if you want a good AFTER-TOT book, there are hundreds of them...but to keep with my greenwood pattern, Elminster in hell
To maximize the experience imo best way to get to them is to go through Drizzt series up to Siege of Darkness (including Siege of Darkness) from R. A. Salvatore , then move to Starlight and Shadows about Liriel from Elaine Cunningham.
For WOTSQ series to have that epic feeling it is best to go through the books I said as you understand how things stand in Menzoberranzan at the beggining of the series.
My second best is without any doubt The Cleric Quintet by R. A. Salvatore which is bloody awesome, well was until R. A. ruined it for me in Ghost king from Legend of Drizzt but as solo 5 books they are great.
If you don't like drows or clerics there is also The Twilight war trilogy which to me is third best, problem with it though is that to maximize the experience of the story you need to go through Sembia 7 book storyline which tbh is kinda boring, and after that Erevis Cale trilogy which is so so.
The Twilight war continues on Erevis Cale trilogy so you get the picture.
There are few other great stories out there so just say what sort of story you would like to go through and I'll tell you which story is closest to what you are looking for.
Don't get me wrong, there's tons of good works out there. Rothfuss' first novel was great, but the second one was in my opinion very weak. Greenwood's work is always excellent and funny, but I grow tired of seeing El always reduced to dust (literally): after so many books I want him to ascend to deity! Salvatore's other novels are great too, but it's pretty much always the same chant... the Sellswords' trilogy being one notable exception along with the Cleric Quintet.
If you want to improve your knowledge on the post time-of-troubles era, I also advise reading Denning's Return of the Arch-wizards. Other great books in this direction are the evergreen Greenwood's Shadow of the Avatar Trilogy.
Hope this info helps a bit.
But that is preferences. Ofc there is also Haunted lands and Brotherhood of the Griffin from new book series
Last Mythal about restoration of Myth Draenor is also a great series.
One series that I must caution to AVOID in big circle though is: watercourse trilogy. My God... Philip Athans is a great editor but he should avoid writing books. He also made worst of the 6 books in War of the spider queen six book series.
I didn't mention 2 story continuations on WOTSQ series that are Lady penitent which I LOVED and Empyrian Odysey which I hated, for a simple reason of bringing Spellplague which brought to DnD 4th edition that sucked in all directions if you ask me.
The best series I have read so far is Salvatore's Sellswords trilogy.
The rise of kelemvor, Cyric and midnight - and an absolutely epic story, in terms of telling the tale of the time of troubles. Yes other books exsist decribing the period, but not with the focus of the avatar series, which entire plot is about ending the time of troubles, and returning the world back to normal conditions.
Another great trilogy, is the Moonshae one, The secluded story of a island kingdom, well excecuted - and by an absolute favourite of mine - author: Douglas Niles.
Haven't read these since the early 90s and great to read again.
I loved Spellfire! I second this.
Hard to explain what he does wrong, it all looks okey but somehow he misses that requirement to make a story for readers to submerge into. You just don't feel connected to the story, characters seem out of place, strange and weird. Example from watercourse, lead female character is haunted by ghosts and is half mad. In the end she falls in love with protagonist and they live happy together. On it's own that is okey, but he never solved her madness or haunting, fifty pages before the end of the series she was still half mad and haunted, and he never changed that. She just turned for 180 degrees instantly and ghosts, ah who gives a rats ass about ghosts I guess.
That is the problem with Athans. All his books suffer from such problems, not solving key issues he created in the series, or even worse with BG series killing off main characters on stupid retarded ways like Imoen and Jaheira (Well it wasn't Athans who killed them but Drew Karpyshyn but Athans approved it as editor and writter of first two parts).
That BG series were written by Smedman, Byers or Baker I think books could have done game justice, but like this... ah, books to avoid, simple as that. books to avoid.
Oh god, I wish I hadn't read what you said about the BG books.
I have the books and found it hard to get into the first book and stopped around Chapter 3. I really dislike the name Abdel Adrian and his background just annoys the hell out of me since it's completely different and makes no sense compared to the game.
One day I'll get around to reading this train wreck, but I think I'll put it on the back burner for now.
But i agree everything else about the books are atrocities.
Wait what... weave broke down? Spellplague? WTF am I reading here? Third book happening 100 years later...?? WTF is this?! Worst magacataclysm event ever if you ask me and it ruined dnd badly for me. I still can't force myself into years 1480+ and spellplague.
Dnd 4th edition and storyline with it was fail if you ask me. 4th edition itself sucks on so many levels and storylines are really really bad for the most part. Most writters either stopped or even decided against writting in 4th edition. Not to mention this Abolethic Sovereignity BS that they added into the world, or Abysal plague that they spread into all the worlds, Dark sun and Eberon, think Dragonlance also. Just one fail after another.
In a way I can't wait for 5th edition, I hope that then they will fix some of the stupid things that they did and maybe we will be able to read some good books. I know Paul S. Kemp didn't want to allow publishing of his new book that is continuation on Twilight war as long as 4th edition is out. He to my knowledge is first writter that is writting by 5th edition rules.
There are going to be 6 novels that usher in "the sundering" (5e/Next forgotten realms)
The Companions, by R.A. Salvatore
The Godborn, by Paul S. Kemp
The Adversary, by Erin M. Evans
The Reaver, by Richard Lee Byers
The Sentinel, by Troy Denning
The Herald, by Ed Greenwood.