New D&D Novel: The Fallbacks: Bound for Ruin (Review)
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Upcoming novel from Random House seeks to introduce new party of adventurers
When it comes to fantasy literature, there’s no denying that Dungeons & Dragons has had a massive impact on the genre. In fact, the game has spawned literally hundreds of D&D novels which have sold millions of copies around the world and introduced readers to iconic settings such as the Forgotten Realms.
The heyday for D&D novels, however, was undoubtedly in the 90s and early 2000s. In recent years, however, the stream of new D&D novels has largely dried up, with Wizards of the Coast and their publishing partners only periodically releasing new titles, most of which are either focused on popular characters like Drizzt Do’Urden or long-running settings like Dragonlance.
Now, it seems that Wizards of the Coast is taking a gamble by releasing a new novel featuring a new cast of characters. Entitled The Fallbacks: Bound for Ruin, the book – which was just released in early March 2024 is now available on Amazon.
So just what can we expect to find in this all new D&D novel? Below we break out all the details.
What is the Fallbacks: Bound for Ruin About?
The book is published under the Random House Worlds imprint and written by New York Times bestselling author Jaleigh Johnson, who is best known for her World of Solace fantasy series and has written a number of other D&D novels.
The series, which is set in the Forgotten Realms, is also clearly designed to tap into the current zeitgeist around Critical Role’s Vox Machina series (both the actual play series and the Amazon animated show) as well as the recent Honor Among Thieves film, with The Fallbacks introducing a party of five characters based on the D&D classes.
- Tessalynde: An ambitious female rogue who yearns for recognition and is the leader of the Fallbacks.
- Anson: A resilient fighter who he refuses to yield, no matter the odds.
- Cazrin: A self-taught wizard who is eager to validate her skills in the real world.
- Baldric: A cleric who doesn’t pledge allegiance to one deity, preferring a more versatile approach to divine intervention.
- Lark: An enigmatic bard with a secret behind every song she sings.
- Uggie: a monstrous pet otyugh with a love for hugs and eating trash.
The story kicks off with the group hired by an enigmatic wizard to recover an ancient spellbook, known as the Ruinous Child, that’s been hidden away in a forgotten temple. Getting the book, however, turns out to be the easy part of the job.
The heroes quickly discover that other sinister forces – including a powerful arch-Lich – are also looking to get their hands on the book and suddenly finding themselves on the run for a murder they didn’t commit. What turns out to be a simple snatch and grab turns out to have much higher stakes, with the fate of Faerûn itself hanging in the balance.
Is the Fallbacks Worth Picking Up?
Pros
- A solid blend of action and fantasy storytelling
- Characters are well written with a ton of humor
- Snapping dialogue and a solid writing style
Cons
- Heavily stepped in D&D lore (which may be offputting to new readers)
- A little overly reliant on cliches and ending drags a bit in places
- Not particularly innovative (although definitely an above average D&D novel)
It’s great to see the Forgotten Realms back in novel format and there’s no denying that author Jaleigh Johnson is a sold writer, even if she does lean a little too much into some well worn cliches from both fantasy and Dungeons & Dragons.
That being said, if you like D&D and are looking for a quick and fun read, then chances are The Fallbacks is something you’ll enjoy.
Final Review Score: 17 out of 20
The Fallbacks: Bound for Ruin is currently available from local booksellers, game stores and Amazon.
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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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