New D&D Novel “The Fallbacks: Dealing with Dragons” (Review)
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Over the past few years, Wizards of the Coast has been slowly getting back into the literary game with a number of new Dungeons & Dragons novels featuring original characters written by well-known fantasy and sci-fi authors. This includes titles like Spelljammer: Memory’s Wake by Django Wexler and Ravenloft: Heir of Strahd by Delilah S. Dawson.
In early 2024, we also saw the release of The Fallbacks: Bound for Ruin, which was written by award-winning novelist Jaleigh Johnson. The book is set in the Forgotten Realms and follows the exploits of a new group of adventurers who find themselves framed for murder and hunted by a bloodthirsty lich after they recover a cursed magical book. Now, publisher Penguin Random House has released a sequel entitled The Fallbacks: Dealing with Dragons, which is available for order now at your local bookstore or on Amazon.
So just what can we expect is this latest outing from Faerûn’s most unlikely heroes? Below, we fall back into all the details. (In the full interest of transparency, we have received a review copy of the book from Penguin Random House but have not received any other financial compensation or incentive for this review).
What is “The Fallbacks: Dealing with Dragons” about?
The Fallbacks: Dealing with Dragons picks up almost immediately after the events of the first book, following the exploits of the elven rogue (and leader of the Fallbacks) Tess, the human fighter Anson, the human wizard Cazrin, the tiefling Bard Lark, the dwarven cleric Baldric, and of course, their beloved pet otyugh Uggie.
Now based out of the city of Baldur’s Gate, the group finds themselves picking up odd adventuring jobs to earn gold and cement their reputation, while also dealing with a range of personal issues. Anson is trying to track down his missing brother, Cazarin finds herself in a romantic entanglement, Lark is determined to find out why he is being hunted, and Tess is trying to keep them all alive long enough to become one of Faerûn’s greatest adventuring companies.
Their biggest issue, however, the mysterious otherworldly entity that has been haunting Baldric and which threatens to take both his sanity and his soul. They soon learn that this entity is none other than the ancient dragon god Arshadalon and set out to find a way to stop him, while tangling with a group of powerful cultists.
The book is a solid mix of action and humor, occasionally dipping it’s toes into the cozy fantasy genre. It’s also filled with a wide range of D&D lore, including familiar creatures, magic items and factions from the Forgotten Realms (including the Harpers and the Arcane Brotherhood), plus unique locations such as the infamous Sunless Citadel and the city of Luskan.
What’s most impressive, however, is the character development, with the chapters alternating between all of the Fallbacks (including Uggie), and showcasing real growth and depth in a short amount of space.
What happened in “The Fallbacks: Bound for Ruin”?
*** SPOILERS AHEAD ***
The Fallbacks: Bound for Ruin starts off with the fledgling group of adventurers undertaking their first mission after being hired to recover a spellbook known as The Ruinous Child from a lost temple to Oghma (god of knowledge) near Waterdeep. When they return to the City of Splendors, however, they find their client is murdered and they are in the prime suspects.
Now in possession of a sentient, bloodthirsty grimoire they set out to clear their name and find out more about the book. They soon find themselves pursued by Zhentarim mercenaries and the liches Lorthrannan and Valindra Shadowmantle who are both after the Ruinous Child. At first, the heroes attempt to hand off the book to scribes at the library fortress of Candlekeep, but after this turns out to be a dead end they decide to try and destroy the book themselves. They learn the cursed tome is written by a long dead sorcerer named Alagesheth the Wise who has uncovered the secret to making lich’s invincible. The Fallbacks also learn, however, that they can destroy the book by venturing into Alagesheth’s long lost laboratory, which is hidden deep within Undermountain; a sprawling mega dungeon located beneath Waterdeep. Of course the heroes manage to save the day, stop the liches and come together as a party.
If you’re a fan of D&D and the Forgotten Realms, chances are you’ll dig the book (we gave it a 17 out of 20 in our review). It’s a fun, light, entertaining read that at times almost border on cozy fantasy. What really sets its apart, however, is the strong characterization, with each member of the Fallbacks having their own unique personality and twist on some of the classic D&D archetypes. In fact, the book has several flashback scenes and chapters from different character POVs, including one hilarious chapter told from the perspective of Uggie.
*** END SPOILERS ***
Who is author Jaleigh Johnson?
Jaleigh Johnson is a New York Times bestselling author based in the US. She’s best known for her World of Solace fantasy series (which is geared towards middle grade readers) but has also written or contributed to a number of other D&D novels, including The Road to Neverwinter (a prequel to the Honor Among Thieves film) as well as Spider and Stone (a 2012 novel set in the Underdark of the Forgotten Realms) and The Howling Delve (the second book in the “Dungeons” series of Forgotten Realms novels which was published in 2007).
She’s also contributed to several Forgotten Realms anthologies, including Realms of War (which was published in 2008) and Mistshore: Ed Greenwood Presents Waterdeep (which was published in 2009), so Johnson is no stranger to the fiction of Faerûn.
Is the “Fallbacks: Dealing with Dragons” Worth Picking Up?
Pros
- Characters are well written and show real growth from the first book
- A solid blend of action, humor and drama
- A fast and fun read, with snappy dialogue and prose
Cons
- Will need to read the first book to get the most out of it
- Cozy fantasy vibes might not be to everyone’s liking
- Can be a little cliched and melodramatic in places
The first Fallbacks novel was a welcome surprise when it comes to Dungeons & Dragons literature and in fact, was popular enough that the characters will also be appearing in an upcoming Dark Horse comic book series. So it’s great to see author Jaleigh Johnson returning to the characters, with Dealing with Dragons being even better than the first book, with a fast and fun plot, a lot of heart and an impressive amount of character development.
If you’re a D&D fan, cozy fantasy lover or looking for a quick and entertaining read, Dealing with Dragons is definitely worth picking up.
Final Review Score: 18 out of 20
The book will be available on July 29th, 2025, but you can order it now from your local bookstore, game shop or on Amazon.
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Jason Volk is the Publisher of Dungeons & Dragons Fanatics and lives in the wilds of Western Canada. He has been playing D&D for over 25 years and is a huge fan of Dragonlance and the Forgotten Realms. His favorite character of all time was a Necromancer named Neek who spent most of his adventuring career resurrecting the corpses of slain monsters. When he’s not playing TTRPGs, Jason enjoys video games, Magic: The Gathering, Warhammer 40K, watching football and spending time with his wife and adorably nerdy children.
