I have started reading the Forgotten Realms series of books. They are of the fantasy genre and set in the D&D game world of, well, The Forgotten Realms :p

It is quite an extensive series, now up into the 30’s in books with various spins offs. I have read a few before, but those were in the middle of the series. So I figured why not try to work through them from the beginning.

Most times looking up reading orders can be tricky, but this time around it was pretty straight forward.

So I started in on “Sword Play” by Clayton Emery. And as always,, I try not spoiler,, even as old as this is,, but beware anyway.

A good enough, in world, starting place. Centered in the Empire of Netheril and around Sunbright, a barbarian warrior and how he being used as the subject of a game between two Mages, or Wizards.

As a first book in a series, the author does lay down a good deal of world building. Sometimes this can get a bit tedious, but here, it gave me enough, but knew when to move along.

But things moved in waves. Waves with jarring starts and stops. There just wasn’t a smooth flow to anything. First you are two or three pages of describing the scene, and only describing the scene..stop. Then two or three pages of plot,,stop. Back to scene description..stop. Back again to plot.. stop.. on and on. My brain was getting whiplash.

But where this book shined was the action. If only the book as a whole was written like the action sequences. The pace kept you glued and the vivid accounts pulled you into the fights.

Sword play did cover a few of the D&D bases. Dragons, mazes, magic, monster fights, elves. But not nearly as many as I expected. But again, this was only the first of many in this line.

All in all the book is good. But the unevenness of it took its toll. The characters and over all story were familiar but interesting enough. It did wrap up at the end good enough to be a stand alone,, but it is actually the first part Netheril Trilogy.

And since I was right there, I did also make my way to the second book as well.
“Dangerous Games” again by Clayton Emery.
Again following Sunbright the Warrior and Candlemas the Mage from Sword Play as they become ripped across time.

More creature fights, magic and action. But except for the very beginning, much better storytelling this time around.

Of the two book so far in this Trilogy, I think I like this one,, Dangerous Games more as it seemed to settle into a groove and just flow so much better.

If I had to make a recommendation based just on the first book (Sword Play), I’m not sure I would have done so. But Dangerous Games was much more enjoyable.. not great by any stretch, but it at least kept me interested. But maybe not interested enough to hit the third of the three,,, just yet.