Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Troy70 Sep 29, 2014 9:28:05	I have never read any of the realms novels.   I would like to start reading them.   Where should I start from?   The Sundering be a good series to start at.
#2 biotech66 Sep 29, 2014 10:53:10	The Sundering isn't a bad place to begin.  With that you will have a good enough background to understand the current state of the realms.  However, you will have to do some extra reading online as some people that are mentioned are not fully discussed.
#3 Arawn76 Sep 30, 2014 4:48:17	The sundering is a good jump on point as there are a shedload of realms novels.   If you enjoy the Companions then you can move on to the Companion Codex and if you enjoy the Adversary I think Erin Daniels(?) has a new novel as well.   Going backwards the novels are very hit and miss. Personally I enjoy the Drizzt novels (people love or hate them so YMMV) and I always loved the Douglas Niles Moonshae novels but I'm welsh so any book with even slight celtic overtones gain points with me lol.
#4 Par-Salian Oct 01, 2014 5:11:22	I'm on a mission, and have been for the last 3 years (I'm a slow reader!), to read all of the Forgotten Realms novels and I've read 193 so far. In my view and based on what I've read I would suggest going for a trilogy rather than a stand-alone novel to give you more of a feel for the realms. I'd strongly recommend any of the following:   The Avatar Series (5 books)   Counselors & Kings Trilogy   The Dark Elf Trilogy   The Empires Trilogy   The Erevis Cale Trilogy   Finder's Stone Trilogy   Haunted Lands Trilogy   There's so many more I'd recommend too but didn't want to overload you with too much information!   Finally in my view you can't go wrong with anything by R.A. Salvatore, Elaine Cunningham, Lisa Smedman, Richard Baker, Richard Lee Byers and Paul S. Kemp.   Hope that helps!
#5 Caolin Oct 02, 2014 23:16:31	Troy70 wrote:
#6 Lexal Oct 06, 2014 3:16:48	I stared with the sundering and I ended up falling in love with the Brimstone Angels. I can't wait for the next book.   Arawn76 wrote:
#7 aaronmph85 Oct 08, 2014 2:44:48	What books should i read in order to get the back story to the charcters that show up in the series "The Sundering"?  I am a huge R. A. Salvatore fan and have read all the books relating to the life of Drizzt and all of his companions, but i dont know very much out side of that.  any suggestions would be much appreciated.
#8 Lexal Oct 08, 2014 14:22:25	From what I've seen, Drizzt, Elminster, and Freidah are the only ones that have been in previous books. everyone else's first book is in the sundering. The Drizzt reading list is already in a post above, I posted up the other Freidah books (brimstone angels, lesser angels, the adversary, and the upcoming fire in the blood, in that order.) For Elminster, I found a list from another fourm, here's the copy and paste:   1. Elminster Series (Written after the Shandril saga, but starts with Elminster as a young boy) - Making of a Mage (212 - 241 DR) - Elminster in Myth Drannor (241 - 261 DR) - Temptation of Elminster (759 - 767) 2. Elminster at the Magefair, short story (1355 DR) 3. Shandril Saga (Some chronologies suggest reading it first, probably because it was written first. Elminster is not a main character, secondary characters appearing in other books are introduced) - Spellfire (1356 - 1357 DR) - Crown of Fire (1357 DR) - Hand of Fire (1357 DR) 4. Shadows of the Avatar trilogy (It takes place during in the time of troubles simoultaneously with the Avatar series, by other writers, which also includes an Elminster cameo. I read the Avatar series first, but can't say if it would be better the other way around). - Shadows of doom (1358 DR) - Cloak of shadows (1358 DR) - All shadows fled (1358 DR) 5. Elminster in Hell (1372 DR, stand alone book) 6. Elminsters Daughter (1373 DR, stand alone) 7. The Sage of Shadowdale series - Elminster Must Die! (1479 DR - The year of the ageless one, as stated in the book itself)) - Bury Elminster Deep (1479 DR) - Elminster Enraged (1479 DR) 8. The Herald.