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hey-zeus
Acolyte
4 Posts |
 Posted - 12 Feb 2005 : 04:29:11
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I just bought the entire(well almost) Harper series on ebay. I've read up through Ring of Winter and I'm halfway through Crypt of The Shadowking. So except for RoW and Elfshadow they all seem pretty mediocre. I disliked Night Parade...realy disliked Night Parade . Anyway, I'm just curious if I can expect things to go uphill or down from here. What are some favorites, and are there any I should just skip?
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"I didn't know what was a country! Do they speak English in what?" |
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 12 Feb 2005 : 05:32:01
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All the ones by Elaine Cunnningham (though they've been grouped into their own series--Songs and Swords--by now).
I also liked Stormlight, because I like Storm, though that novel got rather repetitive towards the end. |
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 12 Feb 2005 : 05:38:03
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| I can't pick one but: Stormlight, Spellfire, Elaine's novels in that series, Kate and Jeff's novels in that series, Red Magic still keeps my interest and I reread that novel all the time. |
For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 12 Feb 2005 : 05:58:35
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| Skip Soldiers of Ice... The ones by Elaine are really good. Masquerade, a kind of sequel to the Finder's Stone trilogy, was really good. Finder's Bane was initially a Harper novel, too, and that one is quite good. |
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Winterfox
Senior Scribe
895 Posts |
Posted - 12 Feb 2005 : 07:50:03
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EC's books are a given. I also liked Finder's Bane and, uhhm, does Tymora's Luck count as a Harpers novel? I forgot.
Could never get my hand on Masquerade. Damn. |
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Alaundo
Head Moderator
United Kingdom
5692 Posts |
Posted - 12 Feb 2005 : 10:17:20
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Well met
I quite enjoyed the Harpers series. A good variety of tales and interesting reads, on the whole 
Without a doubt, read Masquerades and Finder's Bane (preferably having read the Finder's Stone trilogy first). Of course, Elfshadow, Elfsong and Silver Shadows go without saying (Silver Shadows being my favorite of the three). I also really enjoyed Veiled Dragon, not many mention this novel but it sticks in my mind somewhat as being a very enjoyable read. Stormlight, also a nice read, very localised. Incidentally, Ed Greenwood wrote a fair amount of information for us here at Candlekeep on Firefall Vale. |
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Edited by - Alaundo on 12 Feb 2005 10:17:58 |
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Reefy
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
892 Posts |
Posted - 12 Feb 2005 : 13:52:38
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| Aye, Elaine's books in the series are great, Elfsong being probably my favourite Realms book. |
Life is either daring adventure or nothing. |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 12 Feb 2005 : 14:19:44
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quote:
Originally posted by Winterfox
EC's books are a given. I also liked Finder's Bane and, uhhm, does Tymora's Luck count as a Harpers novel? I forgot.
Could never get my hand on Masquerade. Damn.
I think that Tymora's Luck was published after the Harpers series was closed off and the Harpers books shuffled into other trilogies. It was published as a Lost Gods book. Interestingly, in the front of the book, it refers to Finder's Bane as a Harpers novel, but in the back, it puts Finder's Bane into the Lost Gods books. |
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VEDSICA
Senior Scribe
USA
466 Posts |
Posted - 12 Feb 2005 : 23:21:53
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| I too liked Elaine's books in the series.I believe Red Wizards was part of that series.I enjoyed that one as well. |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 13 Feb 2005 : 03:16:10
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quote:
Originally posted by VEDSICA
I too liked Elaine's books in the series.I believe Red Wizards was part of that series.I enjoyed that one as well.
Red Wizards, by Jean Rabe, was the third Harpers novel. It's been years since I read that one... I should prolly re-read it sometime soon. |
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 13 Feb 2005 : 04:57:34
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by VEDSICA
I too liked Elaine's books in the series.I believe Red Wizards was part of that series.I enjoyed that one as well.
Red Wizards, by Jean Rabe, was the third Harpers novel. It's been years since I read that one... I should prolly re-read it sometime soon.
Is starting to feel like I'm being the ignored scribe. I could have swore I mentioned that novel earlier in this thread. :) |
For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
Edited by - Kuje on 13 Feb 2005 04:58:04 |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 13 Feb 2005 : 05:48:38
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quote:
Originally posted by kuje31
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by VEDSICA
I too liked Elaine's books in the series.I believe Red Wizards was part of that series.I enjoyed that one as well.
Red Wizards, by Jean Rabe, was the third Harpers novel. It's been years since I read that one... I should prolly re-read it sometime soon.
Is starting to feel like I'm being the ignored scribe. I could have swore I mentioned that novel earlier in this thread. :)
I'm sorry, did you say something?  
I was just adding a bit more info, and a personal comment.  |
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SiriusBlack
Great Reader
USA
5517 Posts |
Posted - 13 Feb 2005 : 07:06:19
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quote:
Originally posted by kuje31
Is starting to feel like I'm being the ignored scribe. I could have swore I mentioned that novel earlier in this thread. :)
Well technically, you did call it Red Magic. |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 13 Feb 2005 : 15:23:44
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quote:
Originally posted by SiriusBlack
quote:
Originally posted by kuje31
Is starting to feel like I'm being the ignored scribe. I could have swore I mentioned that novel earlier in this thread. :)
Well technically, you did call it Red Magic.
Oh, my bad, it is called Red Magic... I guess I'm just too used to typing "Wizards" after typing "Red"!  |
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 13 Feb 2005 : 17:02:00
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quote:
Originally posted by SiriusBlack
quote:
Originally posted by kuje31
Is starting to feel like I'm being the ignored scribe. I could have swore I mentioned that novel earlier in this thread. :)
Well technically, you did call it Red Magic.
Yes, because that's it's title. :) BAH. BAH, I say! |
For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
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Steven Schend
Forgotten Realms Designer & Author
USA
1707 Posts |
Posted - 13 Feb 2005 : 20:20:27
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While I've nothing but love and respect for Elaine and Ed and all their characters and novels, I have to confess.....
My favorite Harpers novel is THE WYVERN'S SPUR by Kate & Jeff Grubb for one simple reason--it was among the first products I received upon starting at TSR (think they were the first shipment of products in February 1990) and it was one of the first novels I read as part of getting up to speed on the Realms.
Before my hiring, I had only read FR1, the grey box, and CRYSTAL SHARD; after my hiring, I believe I eventually got around to reading everything, but haven't reread most of it in years......
Steven
Who liked the nonstandard NIGHT PARADE if only as viewed as a Grant Morrison era Doom Patrol adventure in the Realms (a comparison made long ago by James Lowder) |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 14 Feb 2005 : 00:28:50
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quote:
Originally posted by Steven Schend
While I've nothing but love and respect for Elaine and Ed and all their characters and novels, I have to confess.....
My favorite Harpers novel is THE WYVERN'S SPUR by Kate & Jeff Grubb for one simple reason--it was among the first products I received upon starting at TSR (think they were the first shipment of products in February 1990) and it was one of the first novels I read as part of getting up to speed on the Realms.
Before my hiring, I had only read FR1, the grey box, and CRYSTAL SHARD; after my hiring, I believe I eventually got around to reading everything, but haven't reread most of it in years......
Steven
Who liked the nonstandard NIGHT PARADE if only as viewed as a Grant Morrison era Doom Patrol adventure in the Realms (a comparison made long ago by James Lowder)
My friend, while I do love The Wyvern's Spur, I hasten to add that to the best of my knowledge, it wasn't a Harpers novel... It was the second book of the Finder's Stone trilogy. |
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Edited by - Wooly Rupert on 14 Feb 2005 00:32:07 |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 14 Feb 2005 : 00:47:18
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
My friend, while I do love The Wyvern's Spur, I hasten to add that to the best of my knowledge, it wasn't a Harpers novel... It was the second book of the Finder's Stone trilogy.
True. Azure Bonds, the first book in the Finder's Stone trilogy, pre-dated the Harper series. I read it before I entered the open call that kicked off the Harper series, and read The Wyvern's Spur not long thereafter. What makes this confusing is Masquerades, a later Alias book, was included in the Harper series.
There were a few dotted lines being drawn back then. Crown of Fire, the second book in what is now the Shandril trilogy, was originally published as part of the Harper series, while the first book, Spellfire, was not. The FR product tree was fairly complicated for a while there.
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Edited by - ElaineCunningham on 14 Feb 2005 12:00:36 |
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SirUrza
Master of Realmslore
USA
1283 Posts |
Posted - 14 Feb 2005 : 02:18:17
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| Elfshadow is easily my favorite Harper novel. I miss Arilyn! |
"Evil prevails when good men fail to act."
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Lina
Senior Scribe
Australia
469 Posts |
Posted - 14 Feb 2005 : 04:41:05
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| I enjoyed all of EC novels and those by Ed as well. |
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SiriusBlack
Great Reader
USA
5517 Posts |
Posted - 14 Feb 2005 : 15:46:13
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quote:
Originally posted by SirUrza
Elfshadow is easily my favorite Harper novel. I miss Arilyn!
For all those Arilyn fans, check out the 2/13 entry in Elaine Cunningham's blog where a certain moonblade wielder is discussed some. |
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SirUrza
Master of Realmslore
USA
1283 Posts |
Posted - 15 Feb 2005 : 20:56:40
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quote:
Originally posted by SiriusBlack
quote:
Originally posted by SirUrza
Elfshadow is easily my favorite Harper novel. I miss Arilyn!
For all those Arilyn fans, check out the 2/13 entry in Elaine Cunningham's blog where a certain moonblade wielder is discussed some.
 I know, I read it. Just wish it'd been news that she'd been given the go ahead to start up on another Arilyn novel. :) |
"Evil prevails when good men fail to act."
The original and unapologetic Arilyn, Aribeth, Seoni Fanboy. |
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Darth KTrava
Learned Scribe
USA
172 Posts |
Posted - 25 Feb 2005 : 04:01:00
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I've got various Harpers novels on my bookshelf but have only read Finder's Banewhich I enjoyed as I liked the Finder's Stone Trilogy prior to that. Haven't found a copy of Masqueradesyet.
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 25 Feb 2005 : 05:35:27
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quote:
Originally posted by Darth KTrava
I've got various Harpers novels on my bookshelf but have only read Finder's Banewhich I enjoyed as I liked the Finder's Stone Trilogy prior to that. Haven't found a copy of Masqueradesyet.
If you liked Finder's Bane, you need to track down the book that follows it, Tymora's Luck.  |
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Xysma
Master of Realmslore
USA
1089 Posts |
Posted - 02 Mar 2005 : 14:37:21
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quote:
Skip Soldiers of Ice...
It's funny that you say that, a friend of mine loved this book, read it in one sitting, said he couldn't put it down. I put it down alright, back on the shelf, and started on Azure Bonds instead. I'm glad I made that decision. Don't get me wrong, I'm going to read it, it's a Forgotten Realms book after all, I'll just read it when I don't have anything better. |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 02 Mar 2005 : 22:52:01
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quote:
Originally posted by Xysma
quote:
Skip Soldiers of Ice...
It's funny that you say that, a friend of mine loved this book, read it in one sitting, said he couldn't put it down. I put it down alright, back on the shelf, and started on Azure Bonds instead. I'm glad I made that decision. Don't get me wrong, I'm going to read it, it's a Forgotten Realms book after all, I'll just read it when I don't have anything better.
... Like a phone book? |
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Crust
Learned Scribe
USA
273 Posts |
Posted - 05 Mar 2005 : 05:35:08
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My favorite Harper novels are Elfshadow, Crown of Fire, and Stormlight.
I pounded through the Harper books in preparation for DMing FR. I remember liking all of the Harper books, including Soldiers of Ice. I remember being interested in the ecology of the gnolls in that book. Night Parade is my least favorite Harper novel. |
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Edited by - Crust on 05 Mar 2005 05:38:04 |
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Favorite Harpers novel.
