The 20 Best Forgotten Realms Books Series
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First published almost 40 years ago as a Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting, the Forgotten Realms has since become a world wide fantasy phenomenon, appearing in countless RPG supplements, toys, comic books, video games and more recently, the Honor Among Thieves D&D film.
Yet nowhere is the enduring appeal of the Forgotten Realms more apparent than in the nearly 400 novels which have been published-to-date, selling millions of copies around the world and introducing countless readers to iconic locations like Waterdeep and Baldur’s Gate, not to mention memorable characters like Elminster and Drizzt Do’Urden.
For new and returning readers, however, the series can often be overwhelming and it’s hard to know where to start and which books are actually worth picking up. To help readers explore this unique series, we’ve put together our picks for the best Forgotten Realms books of all time. To keep things simple, we’ve broken them down by series, including the titles, publication dates and links to further reading.
So grab your adventuring gear and prepare to explore the unknown as we delve into the literary depths of the Forgotten Realms!
Table of Contents
What is the Forgotten Realms?
How many Forgotten Realms book are there?
Is there a Forgotten Realms reading order?
What are the best Forgotten Realms books?
What is the Forgotten Realms?
The Forgotten Realms is originally a Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting created by award-winning Canadian fantasy author Ed Greenwood in the late 1960s. Greenwood first conceived of the world as a setting for a series of unwritten novels he’d outlined as a child. When he later worked for game publisher TSR, Greenwood ported the concept of the Realms over to the D&D system, with the first official game publication released in 1987.
Since that time the Forgotten Realms has been further developed by countless other authors, editors and game designers. It’s also served as the backdrop for hundreds of novels, game supplements, comic books, trading cards, toys and video games, including the popular Baldur’s Gate and Neverwinter Nights series. The setting also continues to be a key part of Dungeons & Dragons itself, appearing in every edition of the game since the late 80s.
The planet on which the Forgotten Realms exists is known as Toril, with the majority of stories taking place on the continent of Faerûn, although other continents such Kara-Tur, Zakhara and Maztica also appear in various novels and game supplements).
How many Forgotten Realms Books Are There?
As of May 2023, there are over 400 Forgotten Realms novels, with the vast majority published in the 1990s. Notably, the number of books published in the Forgotten Realms has decreased significantly in the past decade, with current Dungeons & Dragons license holder Wizards of the Coast scaling back on literary content.
This number doesn’t include the additional publications featuring the Forgotten Realms, including graphic novels, visual dictionaries and supplemental materials.
Rivalled only by the Dragonlance books in terms of size and scope, the novels of the Forgotten Realms continues to be incredibly popular, with numerous titles having appeared on The New York Times best seller’s list.
Do the Forgotten Realms Books Have a Reading Order?
With hundreds of Forgotten Realms books to choose from, it can be hard to know where to start. The good news is that there there is no reading order. In fact, you can literally start almost anywhere, with just about any book.
That being said, certain books are part of a larger series with the same characters and plot threads. For example, readers will likely need to want to make their way through Legend of Drizzt books in order. For the most part though, there is no bad place to start and the series can be enjoyed in almost any order.
What are the best Forgotten Realms Books?
Below we’ve broken out our picks for the 20 best Forgotten Realms book series published to date.
20. The Harpers Series
This sprawling, 16 book series is written by numerous authors and follows a diverse range of characters who work for or become involved with The Harpers, a secret organization dedicated to protecting the Forgotten Realms from the forces of evil. The series introduces a number key characters, many of whom would appear in later books and influence much of the lore of Faerûn. They’re a great starting point for no readers looking for a fast and fun introduction to the Realms.
1. The Parched Sea (1991)
2. Elfshadow* (1991)
3. Red Magic (1991)
4. The Night Parade (1992)
5. The Ring of Winter (1992)
6. The Crypt of the Shadowking (1993)
7. Soldiers of Ice (1993)
8. Elfsong* (1994)
9. Crown of Fire** (1994)
10. Masquerades (1995)
11. Curse of the Shadowmage (1995)
12. The Veiled Dragon (1996)
13. Silver Shadows* (1996)
14. Stormlight (1996)
15. Finder’s Bane (1997)
16. Thornhold (1998)*
* Republished as part of the Songs & Swords series
** Republished as a part of the Shandril’s Saga Trilogy.
19. Shandril’s Saga
Written by Forgotten Realms creator Ed Greenwood, this series follows the adventures of Shandril, a young orphan girl who discovers that she possesses incredible magical powers that a variety of forces want to control. These early Forgotten Realms books helped to establish some of the most important characters in Faerûn, including the arch-mage Elminster. It’s a classic foundational series that’s definitely worth reading.
1. Spellfire (1988)
2. Crown of Fire* (1994)
3. Hand of Fire (2002)
*Also considered part of the The Harpers series
18. The Moonshae Trilogy
Written by Douglas Niles, these are actually the very first Forgotten Realms books ever published. The story takes place in the Moonshae Isles (a region of Faerûn inspired by Celtic culture and myth) and follow the adventures of Prince Tristan Kendrick as he defends his kingdom from ancient demons, powerful wizards and treacherous nobles. Action packed with plenty of character development and world building, the series is a great read that still holds up almost 40 years later.
1. Darkwalker on Moonshae (1987)
2. Black Wizards (1988)
3. Darkwell (1989)
17. The Cormyr Saga
This trilogy of books takes place in the kingdom of Cormyr (essentially the Forgotten Realms version of Camelot), a land ruled by a powerful nobility and honorable knights. The first book in the series is a detailed history of Cormyr, breaking out how the kingdom was founded and following numerous characters over the centuries. It’s a well-written epic that both new and Forgotten Realms fans will likely enjoy.
1. Cormyr (1996)
2. Beyond the High Road (1999)
3. Death of the Dragon (2000)
16. The Finder’s Stone Trilogy
This early series of Forgotten Realms books focuses on the amnesiac swordswoman Alias, as she seeks to uncover her identity and track down a valuable magical artifact with the help of a misfit band of fellow adventurers. Notably, this classic trilogy also inspired the popular 1989 video game Curse of the Azure Bonds.
1. Azure Bonds (1988)
2. The Wyvern’s Spur (1990)
3. Song of the Saurials (1991)
15. The Elminster Series
Written by Forgotten Realms creator Ed Greenwood, this series of books follows the exploits of the legendary arch-mage Elminster, who remains one of the most powerful and influential figures in all of Faerûn. The series chronicles the wizard’s life over hundreds of years and includes some of the biggest events to occur on Toril. The result is a must-read for fans interested in learning about the history of the Realms and one of its most iconic characters.
1. Elminster: the Making of a Mage (1994)
2. Elminster In Myth Drannor (1997)
3. The Temptation of Elminster (1998)
4. Elminster In Hell (2001)
5. Elminster’s Daughter (2004)
6. Elminster Must Die (2010)
7. Bury Elminster Deep (2011)
8. Elminster Enraged (2012)
9. The Herald* (2014)
10. Spellstorm (2015)
11. Death Masks (2016)
The first three books are also collected as Elminster Ascending
* Also part of The Sundering series
14. The Haunted Lands Series
Written by Richard Lee Byers, this series takes place in the land of Thay (home to the infamous Red Wizards). The story kicks off with the country facing massive invasion of undead. A group of unlikely heroes (each with their own agenda) bands together to fight the horde, while also dealing with powerful sorcerers and political intrigues. It’s an action-packed Forgotten Realms series that offers a more modern take on some well-established fantasy tropes.
13. The Year of Rogue Dragons
Written by Richard Lee Byers, this series follows the exploits of renegade dragon hunter Dorn Graybrook. The adventure kicks off when a mysterious plague turns all of the dragons in the Forgotten Realms insane, with Graybrook having to put together a band of adventurers to stop them before they lay waste to all of Faerûn. Featuring a ton of action, a great premise and an incredibly unique character it’s definitely essential reading for fans of the Realms.
12. Blades of the Moonsea Trilogy
Written by longtime D&D game designer Richard Baker, this series follows the adventures of elven swordmage Geran Hulmaster. Returning to his homeland of Moonsea after a difficult exile, Geran soon discovers a powerful evil that has arisen and finds himself facing undead forces, foul monsters and ancient magic. It’s an action-packed series with a surprising amount of heart that few other Forgotten Realms novels are able to pull off.
11. Starlight and Shadows Trilogy
Written by longtime Forgotten Realms scribe Elaine Cunningham, this series follows the adventures of Liriel Baenre, a free-spirited dark elf princess who heads to the surface world to seek a new life. There she joins forces with a young barbarian warrior named Fyodor. Over the course of the series the two unlikely companions find themselves facing down powerful magical forces, drow assassins and ancient artifacts.
1. Daughter of the Drow (1995)
2. Tangled Webs (1996)
3. Windwalker (2003)
10. Avatar Series
Written by multiple authors, this series documents the Time of Troubles, an important milestone in Forgotten Realms lore in which the gods were forced to walk the earth in mortal form, leading to massive upheavals and destruction throughout the world. An important part of the overall history of Faerûn, the events in this series essentially reshaped the modern Realms and introduced a number of key characters. The books themselves are action-packed, fun and explore some surprisingly deep concepts when it comes to the nature of religion and power.
1. Shadowdale (1989)
2. Tantrus (1989)
3. Waterdeep (1989)
4. Prince of Lies (1993)
5. Crucible: The Trial of Cyric the Mad (1998)
9. The Sundering Saga
Written by a variety of different authors and featuring some of the most popular characters in the Forgotten Realms, this series is set against the backdrop of The Sundering. This world shattering event impacted both the novels as well as D&D game materials and resulted in the death of several major gods and entire cities and continents wiped out of existence. While the series remains a key part of modern Forgotten Realms lore, the books themselves are also incredibly well written, with a ton of action, intrigue and adventure.
1. The Companions* (2013)
2. The Godborn (2013)
3. The Adversary** (2013)
4. The Reaver (2014)
5. The Sentinel (2014)
6. The Herald*** (2014)
* Also considered part of The Legend of Drizzt series
** Also considered part of the Brimstone Angels series
*** Also considered part of the Elminster series
8. Songs & Swords Series
This series follows the adventures of Arilyn Moonblade, a half-elf warrior who possesses an incredibly powerful magical sword with a mysterious history. She later joins forces with Harper agent and bard Danilo Thann. Over the course of the books, the two heroes finding themselves facing down conspiracies, evil cults, deadly monsters and mysterious magical forces. Featuring action, complex characters and a variety of unique locations, the books remain a foundational part of the Forgotten Realms literary development.
1. Elfshadow* (1991)
2. Elfsong* (1994)
3. Silver Shadows* (1996)
4. Thornhold* (1998)
5. The Dream Spheres (1999)
6. Reclamation (2008)
* Also considered part of The Harpers series
7. The War of the Spider Queen Series
Set in the city of Menzoberranzan and the shadowy wilds of the Underdark, this series of novels chronicles a brewing civil war among the Drow. The books themselves follows a variety of different characters and deals with warfare, political intrigue and demonic forces. It’s a complex, but incredibly well written series that further explores dark elf society, and is something that readers and fans of Drizzt Do’Urden will likely really enjoy.
1. Dissolution (2002)
2. Insurrection (2002)
3. Condemnation (2003)
4. Extinction (2004)
5. Annihilation (2004)
6. Resurrection (2005)
6. Brimstone Angels
Written by Erin M. Evans, this series of books follows the adventures of two tiefling sisters, Farideh and Havilar. The unlikely heroes end up making a pact with a powerful demon and gain a series of incredible powers. They later find themselves facing down variety of threats, with potential repercussions for all Faerûn. Smartly written and full of quirky characters and action, the result is some of the best Forgotten Realms books ever published.
1. Brimstone Angels (2011)
2. Lesser Evils (2012)
3. The Adversary*(2013)
4. Fire in the Blood (2014)
5. Ashes of the Tyrant (2015)
6. The Devil You Know (2016)
* Also part of The Sundering series
5. Erevis Cale Trilogy
Written by Paul S. Kemp, this series follows the adventures of Erevis Cale, a former assassin serving the Goddess Mask. Erevis later turns his back on his dark past and sets out on a path of redemption. Along the way he’s drawn into a web of political intrigue and magic, while also developing stange new powers. Notably, Erevis remains one of the most popular characters in the Forgotten Realms, with the character later appearing in several other books and short story collections.
1. Twilight Falling (2003)
2. Dawn of Night (2004)
3. Midnight’s Mask (2003)
4. The Twilight War Trilogy
This follow-up series to the Erevis Cale trilogy finds the former assassin once again facing down new threats. At the same time, he finds himself losing his humanity as he becomes altered by shadow magic. Most of the action in the series of novels finds Erevis and his companions battle the forces of the evil goddess Shar, as the spectre of war spreads throughout Faerûn. It’s a smart and thoughtfully-paced series that really shows a level of depth and character development that most early Forgotten Realms books were never really able to achieve.
1. Shadowbred (2006)
2. Shadowstorm (2007)
3. Shadowrealm (2008)
3. The Cleric Quintet
Written by Drizzt Do’urden creator R.A. Salvatore, this five book series is set in the remote wilds of the Snowflake Mountains and follows the adventures of Cadderly Bonaduce, a young priest of the god Deneir who battles a series of dark forces that threaten his religious order. Fast paced and packed with Salvatore’s unique blend of action, these books remain an absolute blast to read over 30 years after they were first published.
1. Canticle (1991)
2. In Sylvan Shadows (1992)
3. Night Masks (1992)
4. The Fallen Fortress (1993)
5. The Chaos Curse (1994)
Also available in a Collector’s Edition.
2. The Icewind Dale Trilogy
Written by R.A. Salvatore, this series first introduced the legendary dark elf ranger, Drizzt Do’Urden and his companions, as they battle powerful wizards, dread monsters and other foes throughout Faerûn. While we probably could have included all of the 40+ Drizzt novels on this list, this is really the trilogy that started it all. It’s not only a key part of the Forgotten Realms, but remains a classic work of the fantasy genre.
1. The Crystal Shard (1988)
2. Streams of Silver (1989)
3. The Halfling’s Gem (1990)
The trilogy is also available as a Collector’s Edition.
1. The Dark Elf Trilogy
While this trilogy was published after Icewind Dale, it’s actually a prequel that chronicles Drizzt Do’Urden’s upbringing in the underground city of Menzoberranzan and his eventually journey to the surface world. This is the series that really showcased what the legendary dark elf ranger is all about, offering up a pitch-perfect blend of action, character development and world building. The end result is the greatest Forgotten Realms books ever written.
1. Homeland (1990)
2. Exile (1990)
3. Sojourn (1991)
The trilogy is also available as a Collector’s Edition.
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Ollie Delano is a Staff Writer who lives in Chicago, Illinois where he majored in Journalism at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. He’s been playing Dungeons & Dragons for over 10 years and currently plays in a weekly game group where he rolls way too many natural 1s and chugs way too much Mountain Dew. His favorite D&D campaign setting is Eberron and his favorite character to play was a Tiefling rogue named Draxiss who enjoys both literal and figurative backstabbing.
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