mostly chronological FR novels reading list - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

mostly chronological FR novels reading list

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
tsmpaul
Jul 15, 2010 22:34:17
I've put together my suggested reading order list, for the forgotten realms novels, covering all of the normal novels, not the anthologies, etc. They are listed according to the date in which the story takes place, but also grouped by series as much as possible, so that if only a couple years pass between books in the same series, that series is left intact to be read without putting big gaps in those characters' stories. Where a series spans many years, with big gaps, and may not even deal with teh same characters as the previous book, the books are seperated in the list.

It covers books from the year -700 to the year 1479.

Anyway, for those interested:

forgottenrealmsreadinglist.blogspot.com/
#2
suin_bahhar_02
Jul 16, 2010 9:43:22 Cool, now I can more readily choose to read the contents of a novel relating to a point in a specific Fearunian era. Definately need to check out those set in -700 DR, to get a sense of the feel of that period in FR's history.
#3
jgalley
Jul 22, 2010 11:32:44 geez...and we wonder why FR got a "reboot."

I've always loved the settings but never kept up with the novels/lore all that much (strange for "loving" the setting I know.) However there's no way in hell I'd want to weed through all those books (good books or not) to get up to snuff with half of what was goin on.

needless to say I can't really comment on the how's or why's of certain changes but...looking at that list can you honestly say they didn't need to do something?
#4
gomeztoo
Jul 23, 2010 4:54:27 You may wish to add:
Plague of Spells, takes place in 1385/1396
City of Torment, takes place in 1396

Jgalley: changing the setting does not really make the books go away, nor change their validity to an interested reader. There being so many books was not a problem, imo. what was a problem is that some novels (and increasingly more towards the end), added quite drastic changes, making the novels a requirement to keep up with events rather than a way to tell a story in a setting. But that is a minority of books (even War of the Spider Queen had little repercussions once the series had run its course) - unfortunately they do dominate when it comes to opinion-making of the realmsnovel line.

#5
Nai_Calus
Jul 23, 2010 10:13:54 Further adding to the opinion-making is how god-awful some of the books are while they screw things up. I'm still halfway through the last book of the Lady Penitent trilogy and it's just so hamfisted and awful and EVERYONE except Lolth carries the idiot ball constantly. Maybe Q'arlynd manages not to occasionally. Three novels, the first of which kills off not one but BOTH of the most interesting drow gods with the most potentially awesome story. (There was so, so much that could have been done with Selvetarm. So damned much. Wasted. Vhaeraun as well had a lot of potential. He didn't even get a pathetic death scene. Oh well, he didn't die anyway. Neither did Selvetarm. The entire series didn't happen) The second kills another god, this time in an incredibly stupid and insulting way that's failed in the past. The third finishes it off, taking Ghaunadaur pretty much out of the picture, killing everyone's favourite Mary Sue while not even really having her accomplish anything worthwhile in the process, makes Corellon look like a jerk who isn't even sad about his own daughter's death, and by the end we're left with 'teehee Lolth or GTFO', 'lawlz u r tainted thar iz no hoepz for u' and a deep, festering sense of loathing and the desire to never read another FR novel that wasn't written by Elaine Cunningham, Erik Scott de Bie, Jeff Grubb or Ed Greenwood lest something else be every bit as godsforsakenly awful.
#6
gomeztoo
Jul 24, 2010 14:21:17 Well, you can't blame the autjors for the RSEs - they were instructed to add those.
And I actually liked the Lady Penitent series if I forget they killed of several gods and a chosen (and that high magic was made waaaayyyyyy too easy). It had some nice characters.
#7
Nai_Calus
Jul 25, 2010 12:33:46
I know it's not really Lisa Smedman's fault, but that doesn't keep me from loathing the books and occasionally pondering fire. :D (And considering the other writing I've read from her, I half-wonder if stuff is so wonky and so often widely open to interpretation on purpose. A lot of the time it feels like she didn't like the storyline either.)

But author fault or no, the fact that they DO pull this kind of crap in the novels does give the novels a bad vibe.

And yeah, most of the Nightshadows were pretty cool. Karas in particular was badass. And of course Q'arlynd on the non-Vhaeraunite end of things, and a couple of his apprentices. I didn't like a single one of the Eilistraeeans though. Bunch of obnoxious hypocrites.

I am horribly biased though because I really do hate Eilistraee. (Pfft, we all know that's Eilistraee's mangled corpse floating in the Astral Sea in the second book's prologue. And Vhaeraun didn't die at the end, either. He's just hiding. Waiting for the perfect time to show back up and stab you in the back.)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 tsmpaul Jul 15, 2010 22:34:17	I've put together my suggested reading order list, for the forgotten realms novels, covering all of the normal novels, not the anthologies, etc. They are listed according to the date in which the story takes place, but also grouped by series as much as possible, so that if only a couple years pass between books in the same series, that series is left intact to be read without putting big gaps in those characters' stories. Where a series spans many years, with big gaps, and may not even deal with teh same characters as the previous book, the books are seperated in the list. It covers books from the year -700 to the year 1479. Anyway, for those interested: forgottenrealmsreadinglist.blogspot.com/
#2 suin_bahhar_02 Jul 16, 2010 9:43:22	Cool, now I can more readily choose to read the contents of a novel relating to a point in a specific Fearunian era. Definately need to check out those set in -700 DR, to get a sense of the feel of that period in FR's history.
#3 jgalley Jul 22, 2010 11:32:44	geez...and we wonder why FR got a "reboot." I've always loved the settings but never kept up with the novels/lore all that much (strange for "loving" the setting I know.) However there's no way in hell I'd want to weed through all those books (good books or not) to get up to snuff with half of what was goin on. needless to say I can't really comment on the how's or why's of certain changes but...looking at that list can you honestly say they didn't need to do something?
#4 gomeztoo Jul 23, 2010 4:54:27	You may wish to add: Plague of Spells, takes place in 1385/1396 City of Torment, takes place in 1396 Jgalley: changing the setting does not really make the books go away, nor change their validity to an interested reader. There being so many books was not a problem, imo. what was a problem is that some novels (and increasingly more towards the end), added quite drastic changes, making the novels a requirement to keep up with events rather than a way to tell a story in a setting. But that is a minority of books (even War of the Spider Queen had little repercussions once the series had run its course) - unfortunately they do dominate when it comes to opinion-making of the realmsnovel line.
#5 Nai_Calus Jul 23, 2010 10:13:54	Further adding to the opinion-making is how god-awful some of the books are while they screw things up. I'm still halfway through the last book of the Lady Penitent trilogy and it's just so hamfisted and awful and EVERYONE except Lolth carries the idiot ball constantly. Maybe Q'arlynd manages not to occasionally. Three novels, the first of which kills off not one but BOTH of the most interesting drow gods with the most potentially awesome story. (There was so, so much that could have been done with Selvetarm. So damned much. Wasted. Vhaeraun as well had a lot of potential. He didn't even get a pathetic death scene. Oh well, he didn't die anyway. Neither did Selvetarm. The entire series didn't happen) The second kills another god, this time in an incredibly stupid and insulting way that's failed in the past. The third finishes it off, taking Ghaunadaur pretty much out of the picture, killing everyone's favourite Mary Sue while not even really having her accomplish anything worthwhile in the process, makes Corellon look like a jerk who isn't even sad about his own daughter's death, and by the end we're left with 'teehee Lolth or GTFO', 'lawlz u r tainted thar iz no hoepz for u' and a deep, festering sense of loathing and the desire to never read another FR novel that wasn't written by Elaine Cunningham, Erik Scott de Bie, Jeff Grubb or Ed Greenwood lest something else be every bit as godsforsakenly awful.
#6 gomeztoo Jul 24, 2010 14:21:17	Well, you can't blame the autjors for the RSEs - they were instructed to add those. And I actually liked the Lady Penitent series if I forget they killed of several gods and a chosen (and that high magic was made waaaayyyyyy too easy). It had some nice characters.
#7 Nai_Calus Jul 25, 2010 12:33:46	I know it's not really Lisa Smedman's fault, but that doesn't keep me from loathing the books and occasionally pondering fire. :D (And considering the other writing I've read from her, I half-wonder if stuff is so wonky and so often widely open to interpretation on purpose. A lot of the time it feels like she didn't like the storyline either.) But author fault or no, the fact that they DO pull this kind of crap in the novels does give the novels a bad vibe. And yeah, most of the Nightshadows were pretty cool. Karas in particular was badass. And of course Q'arlynd on the non-Vhaeraunite end of things, and a couple of his apprentices. I didn't like a single one of the Eilistraeeans though. Bunch of obnoxious hypocrites. I am horribly biased though because I really do hate Eilistraee. (Pfft, we all know that's Eilistraee's mangled corpse floating in the Astral Sea in the second book's prologue. And Vhaeraun didn't die at the end, either. He's just hiding. Waiting for the perfect time to show back up and stab you in the back.)