New D&D Novel “The Fallbacks: Dealing with Dragons” (First Look)

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In 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 the upcoming 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 announced a sequel entitled The Fallbacks: Dealing with Dragons, which is slated for release in July 2025 and is available for pre-order now 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.

What is “The Fallbacks: Dealing with Dragons” about?

So far we know very little about the plot of the book, with the Penguin Random House website book page offering the following short excerpt:

The Fallbacks return for another adventure in Dungeons & Dragons’ Forgotten Realms!

The Fallbacks might not be Faerun’s first choice for saving the day, but if the money’s right they’ll get the job done. In this ragtag band of adventurers, each member plays a vital role: Tess the disciplined elven thief; Anson the courageous fighter; Lark the cunning bard; Baldric the wily cleric; Cazrin the inquisitive wizard; and Uggie, their pet monster who eats garbage. Squint a little and they’re the heroes Faerun needs.

Fresh off a harrowing journey into the infinite dungeon of Undermountain and the defeat of a powerful undead lich (with the help of a giant hungry worm or two), the adventurers are now a proven and dedicated team, ready for a new adventure which will take them to strange new realms.

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 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, their beloved pet otyugh.

*** 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.

Final Thoughts

It’s great to see that Wizards of the Coast and Penguin Random House are continuing to showcase original D&D novels instead of simply going back to the well of Dragonlance novels or Drizzt books. The fact is the first Fallbacks novel was a fun read that felt in many ways like the literary successor to the Honor Among Thieves film in terms of its blend of action, humor and heart.

We’ll definitely be picking this one up when it launches in July 2025 and will have a full review then. In the meantime, you can pre-order it now from your local bookstore, game shop or on Amazon.

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