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 Question about the order of FR novels
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Avix
Acolyte

22 Posts

Posted - 18 Mar 2013 :  11:26:47  Show Profile Send Avix a Private Message  Reply with Quote  Delete Topic
Greetings fellow scribes,

I realize that the question which I'm about to ask had been asked many many times before but I need a bit of advice or clarification.

In what order would you recommend me to read the Forgotten Realms books?

a) order by publication date
b) order by timeline
c) the novels can be read without any order (except book 1, 2, 3, etc..)

I'd like to hear your thoughts on this topic

Avix

Thauranil
Master of Realmslore

India
1591 Posts

Posted - 18 Mar 2013 :  11:34:46  Show Profile Send Thauranil a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Well my own reading of the FR novels was pretty haphazard and remains so to this day. I just pick whichever series is interesting and/or is easily available and start reading and this method has not diminished my love for the realms one bit.
I do however tend to read the more current novels first.
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Avix
Acolyte

22 Posts

Posted - 18 Mar 2013 :  11:37:21  Show Profile Send Avix a Private Message  Reply with Quote
What about the continuity of the FR world? What if the newer books are further on in the continuity than the older ones?
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Dennis
Great Reader

9933 Posts

Posted - 18 Mar 2013 :  12:24:45  Show Profile Send Dennis a Private Message  Reply with Quote

If you’re a sucker for continuity or a full-fledge “completionist,” then you can read the novels by publication order. If you’re like me (or most of us, I think) who read only those with characters, setting, plot, etc. that interest you, then you can drop by the Experienced help for recommending FR Novels thread and ask away.

Every beginning has an end.
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Avix
Acolyte

22 Posts

Posted - 18 Mar 2013 :  12:27:40  Show Profile Send Avix a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Dennis


If you’re a sucker for continuity or a full-fledge “completionist,” then you can read the novels by publication order. If you’re like me (or most of us, I think) who read only those with characters, setting, plot, etc. that interest you, then you can drop by the Experienced help for recommending FR Novels thread and ask away.



Thanks Dennis! I believe I will :)
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Artemas Entreri
Great Reader

USA
3131 Posts

Posted - 18 Mar 2013 :  22:15:58  Show Profile Send Artemas Entreri a Private Message  Reply with Quote
The good news is that most of the Realms books publication dates and chronological dates progress together.

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artificial_sunlight
Acolyte

Netherlands
14 Posts

Posted - 19 Mar 2013 :  09:00:22  Show Profile Send artificial_sunlight a Private Message  Reply with Quote
When I started reading FR I didn't knew anything about the realms. So I read the books i could find. I started with Themple Hill (cities, stand alone novel wich I got free with BG2:SoA). After that I bought the BG2 novel, Elfsong and Halls of Stormweather. After that I was hooked. But I didn't read the series in the right order.

In the Netherlands its hard to find the books in book stores, I didn't know much Dutch webstores and I didn't had a creditcard for ebay(creditcards are uncommon in the Netherlands and I know nobody below 30 that has one (except myself)).
So long story short I read the books I could find.

Now more than a decade later I own more than 200 realms books and I try to read them in order. For that I am compiling a list, with publication, timeline and serie order. On top of that I'm trying to fit the short stories (Realms of....) in the timeline. Something like this:

< -9800* Moonshae 0.1 The First Moonwell (Best of the realms 1, Realms of Magic, Story 09)
1345 Moonshae trilogy 1 Darkwalker on Moonshae
1346 Moonshae trilogy 2 Black Wizards
1346 Moonshae trilogy 3 Darkwell
1356 Moonshae 3.1 The Lord of Lowhill (Realms of Valor, Story 01)
1365 Druidhome trilogy 1 Prophet of Moonshae
1365 Druidhome trilogy 2 The Coral Kingdom
1365 Druidhome trilogy 3 The druid queen

So I started to read the first Realms book (Darkwalker) but before that I read the First Moonwell. Now I'm reading The lord of Lowhill.
After this I start with Spellfire.
I'm waiting with Drizzt, read the first 3 Elminster books (Spellfire has Elminster cameos, I think) and will read the Druidhome later.

Some series with special intrest to me, I have read fist, like Baldur's gate and the Avatar series.

Here is my list, Its not yet complete but I think I'm far https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B67inKVTk0XOZG92SklZT05yS0U/edit?usp=sharing (It's an Excel document shared by google)

Like Entreri said, most novels are published in chronological order. Notable exceptions are many books of Ed Greenwood, Netheril Trilogy (-700 DR), Drizzt (jumps back with Dark Elf).

Dutch FR Story Collector

Edited by - artificial_sunlight on 19 Mar 2013 09:01:38
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Thauranil
Master of Realmslore

India
1591 Posts

Posted - 19 Mar 2013 :  13:05:12  Show Profile Send Thauranil a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Wow cool list , hope you get it finished soon.
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Avix
Acolyte

22 Posts

Posted - 20 Mar 2013 :  11:39:05  Show Profile Send Avix a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Wow! Thanks for all the answers guys! I've finished reading Darkwell yesterday and according to the PubOrder I should read The Crystal Shard.

I have to tell you that here in Poland, we don't get many FR novels. Most of them are Salvatore's books (Legend of Drizzt mostly). Thankfully though, most (if not all) FR books are sold in Kindle format via Amazon. I've been reading fantasy since I was a kid but ironically all I've heard about the Forgotten Realms was from video games (Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale). My first FR novel that I've read from start to finish was Darkwalker on Moonshae and I've gotta tell you that despite all the negative reviews I've seen on various sites I've become INSTANTLY hooked and I'm staying along for the ride, through the Sundering and beyond....

I apologize for ranting :)

Avix
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charger_ss24
Learned Scribe

USA
108 Posts

Posted - 20 Mar 2013 :  14:36:33  Show Profile Send charger_ss24 a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Avix

Wow! Thanks for all the answers guys! I've finished reading Darkwell yesterday and according to the PubOrder I should read The Crystal Shard.

Avix



Publication order, yes, you would start with the Icewind Dale trilogy. However, if you want to dive into the immense Legend of Drizzt series (24 books or so?), I'd reccommend starting with the Dark Elf trilogy, THEN start on the Icewind Dale trilogy, as that's the chronological start of the series.
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artificial_sunlight
Acolyte

Netherlands
14 Posts

Posted - 21 Mar 2013 :  09:40:05  Show Profile Send artificial_sunlight a Private Message  Reply with Quote
For the legend of Drizzt I recomend this list http://rasalvatoreforums.yuku.com/topic/4372/master/1/
Its made by BEAST I think (also on candlekeep)

And the only thing I thought that was a bit odd is that they call the world Forgotten Realms instead of Fearun/Toril.

Dutch FR Story Collector
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
Moderator

USA
36779 Posts

Posted - 21 Mar 2013 :  12:20:08  Show Profile Send Wooly Rupert a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by artificial_sunlight

For the legend of Drizzt I recomend this list http://rasalvatoreforums.yuku.com/topic/4372/master/1/
Its made by BEAST I think (also on candlekeep)

And the only thing I thought that was a bit odd is that they call the world Forgotten Realms instead of Fearun/Toril.



This has been explained, in the past. The Realms are a section of the continent called Faerűn, on the planet Abeir-Toril. The inhabitants just call it the Realms.

The Realms has connections to Earth and other worlds; that's where we get our legends of dragons and such. But we have forgotten about those connections... So to us, they are the Forgotten Realms.

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TBeholder
Great Reader

2378 Posts

Posted - 22 Mar 2013 :  05:27:31  Show Profile Send TBeholder a Private Message  Reply with Quote
There are e.g. book lists at o-love. Ordered by Realmsian timeline. Ordered by publication date.

People never wonder How the world goes round -Helloween
And even I make no pretense Of having more than common sense -R.W.Wood
It's not good, Eric. It's a gazebo. -Ed Whitchurch
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DandelionClock
Seeker

67 Posts

Posted - 12 Mar 2015 :  09:31:27  Show Profile Send DandelionClock a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I'm aware I am resurrecting an old topic here, but it fits.

Looking at the list posted above (ordered by publication date, on o-love) as well as this one:
http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_novels_in_order_of_publication
I noticed that "The Stowaway" by RA and Geno Salvatore is on neither. It's set in the forgotten Realms, too, though.
It seems it was for a younger audience? Does anyone know wether there's more stuff missing from these lists?
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Artemas Entreri
Great Reader

USA
3131 Posts

Posted - 12 Mar 2015 :  16:56:49  Show Profile Send Artemas Entreri a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by DandelionClock

I'm aware I am resurrecting an old topic here, but it fits.

Looking at the list posted above (ordered by publication date, on o-love) as well as this one:
http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_novels_in_order_of_publication
I noticed that "The Stowaway" by RA and Geno Salvatore is on neither. It's set in the forgotten Realms, too, though.
It seems it was for a younger audience? Does anyone know wether there's more stuff missing from these lists?



Does anyone know if these Geno Realms books will get printed as mass market paperbacks?

Some people have a way with words, and other people...oh, uh, not have way. -Steve Martin

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sonofsaline
Acolyte

USA
6 Posts

Posted - 04 May 2015 :  21:49:54  Show Profile Send sonofsaline a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I have been collecting the FR books since the beginning of the year, and am about 85% complete. I am reading them in publication order, although I am reading trilogies and series together, for the most part. For instance, I read the Moonshae trilogy, then the Icewind Dale trilogy, and now I am on Spellfire. Spellfire was continued in Crown of Fire, which is book 9 of the Harpers series, and then Hand of Fire, which was much later. Since those sequels seem like they were afterthoughts, I will be reading them in publication order. In other words, I'm not going to read book 9 of the Harpers before I read books 1-8. So, after Spellfire, I will be reading the Finders Stone trilogy, the Avatar trilogy, Pool of Radiance, the Maztica trilogy, etc. It's just my personal preference, but sequels that happened years later as an afterthought, I will read in publication order.
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Artemas Entreri
Great Reader

USA
3131 Posts

Posted - 04 May 2015 :  21:57:48  Show Profile Send Artemas Entreri a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by sonofsaline

I have been collecting the FR books since the beginning of the year, and am about 85% complete. I am reading them in publication order, although I am reading trilogies and series together, for the most part. For instance, I read the Moonshae trilogy, then the Icewind Dale trilogy, and now I am on Spellfire. Spellfire was continued in Crown of Fire, which is book 9 of the Harpers series, and then Hand of Fire, which was much later. Since those sequels seem like they were afterthoughts, I will be reading them in publication order. In other words, I'm not going to read book 9 of the Harpers before I read books 1-8. So, after Spellfire, I will be reading the Finders Stone trilogy, the Avatar trilogy, Pool of Radiance, the Maztica trilogy, etc. It's just my personal preference, but sequels that happened years later as an afterthought, I will read in publication order.



Enjoy the ride!

Some people have a way with words, and other people...oh, uh, not have way. -Steve Martin

Amazon "KindleUnlimited" Free Trial: http://amzn.to/2AJ4yD2

Try Audible and Get 2 Free Audio Books! https://amzn.to/2IgBede
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