Wizard Books

Just as good as the original Alias novels; colourful, well-written, and enjoyable. Highly recommended.

This is a great book leading into the life of young Joel, priest of Finder. Novak and Grubb do a good job showing his tourmoil for turing his back on all bards by worshipping the god "of wreckless fools" and his future triumph in the planes.

This was the curtain call for the highly talented and very creative team of Novak and Grubb who helped create most of TSR's fantasy worlds: Forgotten Realms, Al Quadim, Spelljammer and Planescape are all Mr Grubb's visions. I honestly thought this was about the return of Bane-an evil god from the Forgotten Realms who was previously killed.

This writing team can make a very humorous spectacle and some very great storytelling. This story takes elements from Forgotten Realms, Spelljammer and ends with Planescape. Its hats off time as these old worlds are "phased out" with Wizards of the Coast. I felt these worlds had ran thier course, with the exception of Forgotten Realms. Jeff Grubb has one more novel-Tymora's Luck.

The books itself is not great, but it has its moments. It was not what I expected, and this was not a good thing.

This book is very easy reading matirial. It's story isn't comlicated and the conflicts arn't so bizzar. But above that this book is very fun to read, you can't wait to read what'll happened next .And more to it, the book show a thological conflict about who need who more the god his followers or the opposit. The butiful thing his that you see it without any complication and annoying thing in the plot. this book worth it's money

Oh, poor Bane, did you misplace your essence again? =) No, But this book is wonderful! The troubled cleric, unsure that he would be good, meets his god! Finder, the God of Reckless Fools, =) is a stunning performance! Never again will I say no to Forgotten Realms! I'm currently a 12th Wizard, 4th sorceror, 4th bard, 3rd D&D, for you who understand that...

A solid and pleasurable read for those experienced in the Dragonlance world. This novel is divided into three parts, each telling a climatic event within the history of the Elderwild elves.
The first story touches upon events in the life of Kagonos, the first Pathfinder of the "wild" elves. Through his pact with a dragon, to his timely defeat of an orge horde, to his final separation from the "house" elves, Kagonos remains a fairly wooden character and extremely difficult to like. While there are some brief flashes of reverance and grief, this "founder" of the Kagonesti tribes only potrays stoicism and a bordering on rage-like anger. Through out his tale, Kagonos never encounters fear or doubt, he is never asked to change or develop. He is presented as an unfeeling machine and continues that feel to the end.
The second story arc is the best tale of the three and focuses on a young brave named Ashtaway, the nephew of the tribes current Pathfinder. What Ashtaway accomplishes in the history of Krynn is not as profound as what Kagonos did, but what he changed within himself and the mindset of his tribe is the better story. Battling through worry and revenge, Ashtaway confronts his own people to protect the life of a human. He has the opportunity to mend mistakes and couragously defend what is correct rather than what is easy. Compounded on the growth of the main character is the appeal of the foreigners that Ashtaway meets. Sir Kamford, Highbulp Toofer and Hammana have a life of there own, there own fear, doubts and goals. Add onto that a very well written battle sequence and this story trumps its counterparts.
The third story is a chronicle of survival, then revenge and then right back into survival. Here the story tells of our young protagonist, a Kagonesti elf named Iydahoe and his bouts with the empire of Istar. These events range from fourteen years before to the day of the Cataclysm. While our main character has some epiphanies about life and the right path to take, this story is actually driven by the events that are taking place around him. While the world is falling down about his shoulders, Iydahoe goes nearly insane and loses all hope. While this is a good place for drastic character development, Iydahoe is spared that inconvenience by an apparition that leads them to safety. With that considered this third tale had the ability to be just as powerful as the second but the transitions were rushed and the true weight of what the character was dealing with was only realized in a few aspects of his journey. The most intriguing aspect of Iydahoe's story in found in what actually took place during the infamous Cataclysm and the nightmarish days preceeding it.
All in all this is a fun supplemental book to the Dragonlance realm. The history of the Kagonesti separating from the Silvanesti elves, the role a single elf played in the war during the time of Huma and how the Kagonesti fought back from the brink of extinction during the time of the Cataclysm gives more life to the living, breathing world of Krynn.

I wished this book was not broken up in 3 different sections.

I wish it just dealt only with the start and the beginning of the wild elves and just left it with that, instead of jumping in time in Parts 2 and 3 over to Huma and the Land of Istar.

The introduction and the first Part is awesome reading. I loved every second of it. The first wild elf meets palandine (who is called by a different name in this book)/the good dragon god in the mountains where the ancient Ogres inhabit.

The Introduction and Part 1 of the book happens many thousands of years before The Land of Istar is torn down/The Cataclyism. This book is one of the first events of the entire Dragonlance storyline/timeline/Saga.

The 2nd and 3rd Parts of the book was pointless, and a total waste of time to read.

The 2nd Part of the book talks about some backstory to Huma and the 3rd Part of the book talks about some knights of Istar, which really has nothing to do with anything, and is not important at all to the overall storyline/timeline/saga.

Just read this book for the Introduction and Part 1, and forget about Parts 2 and 3.

So actually, this book is only about 100 or 150 pages long if you take out and completely ignore Parts 2 and 3.

along with DL's CHRONICLES this ranks among the best DL books i've read. with lots of action, magic and even drama, this book's collection of stories about the wild elves always holds your attention and you never get to skip pages out of boredom. an essential DL book. trust me i have about 30 of them.

Niles has completed a huge story in a few pages with this novel. The time covered is amazing in itself, but the great thing about it is that it is like getting three short novels in one book. A very fun read! The only thing I would like to have seen is three books instead of one. The individual "Pathfinder" stories were good but a longer more in depth story would have been even better. Still, a great, easy, read.

This is a very well-written book that gives the history of the Kagonesti, or Wild Elves, by following the story of three separate characters who lived in three different ages. This book should be of interest to Dragonlance fans, but might seem a little esoteric to people with little or no knowledge of the world of Krynn and its inhabitants.

This book does a great job of giving the story of the origins of the Kagonesti and how they broke off from the other elves on Krynn. This first part was the best in the book.

The second and third parts, while still interesting, are not quite as good. They tell of the first positive interaction with humans and the days leading up to the Cataclysm. I would really have liked to see another part that leads closer to the War of the Lance and shows how the Kagonesti came to be servants among the other elven nations. This book leaves that question unanswered.

All that being said, Niles is a wonderful author and writes a good book.

Good book. I really enjoy this series, I've read all four at this time. The only negative I have on this particular book, is I've returned it three times because of pages falling out of the binding. Each one I've received as replacement has the same problem. Luna does not list this book as available any longer so possibly pulled because of a printing problem?Sorceress of Faith (The Summoning, Book 2)

This book is very good. Keeps you attention so well you don't want to put it down. Great mix of adventure, romance, and fantasy.


my only objection is the paper back books tend to have loose pages.r

There's a reason why Robin D. Owens is on my must-buy list, and this is one of them.

It's the second book in the series about alternate dimension world Lladrana, following shortly after Guardian of Honor. I have to laugh at the reviews--so many of them say it's either better than or not as good as the first. Personally, I think it's just as good as Guardian of Honor, and kudos to Robin for expanding the series by making this one different from the first.

This time, it's the Sorcerers on Lladrana who are summoning an Exotique. Or rather, the Marshalls are summoning one for them. The Sorcerers do not work together well enough to summon on their own. On Lladrana, Sorcerers are the scholars, which makes the new Exotique perfect for them: graduate/perpetual student Marian Harasta.

Marian is also interested in magic and spells, and is doing a spell of her own when she's summoned. So the adjustment to the world of Lladrana is different for her than it was for Alexa.

When she arrives, she's claimed first by Jaquar, who she's drawn to, but something tells her he's a danger to her. He's challenged in rapid succession by two other sorcerers, who are finally overruled by the oldest and most powerful sorcerer, Bossgond, who announces he'll be her teacher, and whisks her off to his tower.

Marian's love of learning serves her well, but she's adamant that she not stay on Lladrana, needing to return to earth to be with her brother, who's seriously ill with MS. She agrees to help in exchange for their help in curing him.

Jaquar is one of the most powerful sorcerers on Lladrana, but his interest in the project is more personal: the monsters killed his family, and he wants revenge. His plan was to send the Exotique into the monsters' nest to destroy it. And if she's killed in the process, well, that's the price you have to pay.

That plan changes once he gets to know Marian--even if he hadn't found her personally appealing, it's much easier to plan the sacrifice of someone who's anonymous. Still, it's difficult for him when he takes over her weather training, realizing how powerful she is, and how well she'd accomplish his initial plan, and balancing a growing love and respect for her with his need for revenge.

The weather magic, at which both Jaquar and Marian excel (Bossgond's specialty lies elsewhere), is fun and exhilarating to read about, and Marian's hamster Tuck is just a delight.

The conflicts in Sorceress of Faith are more emotional than physical (which I believe accounts for the differences of opinions in the reviews as to which book is better), but they're no less suspenseful for that.

I loved Marian's eagerness to learn new things, and her easy acceptance of the existence of the different world--both well-explained by her personality and her past. Her love and worry for her brother were the driving force in her life, contrasting poignantly with her painful relationship with her cold, disapproving mother.

I was turning pages far too late at night, needing to find out how Marian resolved being torn between a whole world that needed her and one person who needed her (her brother). Ah, to be an end-reader.

I won't say how it turned out, but it was very satisfying. I loved this second visit to Lladrana, and seeing another side of it. I can't wait to read the next book.

as a meteorologist, I truly enjoyed the weather side of things as well. I loved the merging of science and paranormal gifts. Amazingly seamless, with a well written story that draws the reader in instantly. If you've got a few hours (for me it took 4, but I'm a fast reader), have a seat, and dig in! You'll love it.

This book is a perfect sequal to the first. If you like strong women who are trying to find themselves you will love this book.

very handy for playing the game and the cover looks really good. there are extra things in it that is why it is version 3.5. the special edition part is more just the cover but is still very good

The players hand book is the most widely bought book in the dungeons and dragons gamers book set. i love that they have brought it out in the lovely leather bound book and updated some of the rules. i love haveing it in my colection plus it makes the other players in the game a little jeoules seeing it on the table. i have the whole set now of the d&d specail edtion and i love the set.

what can i say...everything about this book is great...only complaint i have is now that i have it i need to find some people to play with. BUY IT! !!

You can judge this book by it's cover. All the updates for the Player's Handbook is gathered in one place.

This book is so worth the bragging rights that come with it. It also always has this really cool crackle when you turn the pages.

This book was extremely creative and unpredictable. I really like how it tells the story from the viewpoints of multiple characters: not just the main character, Natalie, but also of Merlin, and Jo, and Tim, who are pretty much just as important to the story as Natalie. My only complaints are 1. that it was a bit difficult to visualize the landscapes and follow the fast-paced plot, and 2. That there isn't a sequel!

I loved this book. It was a good thriller. You could never tell what would happen next. It was hard to put down. I would love to have a second book in the series.

I love this book and have recommended it to many people. I think the plot is intresting and I also would say that, MAGEHOUNDS ROCK!

Spellfall is the story of a girl name Natalie or Nat for short. She is the normal girl with a stepmom, a drunk father, and a stepbrother who isn't nice all the time. Only one day at the store she discovers a shining wrapper. It turns out to be a spell. Then the next morining she is kidnapped and thrown into the world of magic.
This story is great. In the main run it is based on the power of friendship. For example Merlin and Natalie. When Nat befriends Merlin she shows him that he is more than what his father thinks. And with this strengh he is able to save the beautiful Haven.

I'm sure other people have adequately reviewed this book. I haven't read the reviews and don't want to. I have my own opinion of it. The warning is: there's a swear word about two-thirds of the way through the book; a totally unnecessary one. I hate it when children's books have "bad" swear words (or any, actually) in them. Also, I think they're calling it a fantasy, but it's Science Fiction--I mean, a name like "organazoomers" to describe tree cells that transport people . . . that's a sci fi name! So don't buy this book. If you want to, read it, but it's not in the same class as Harry Potter. It is poorly plotted, none of the characters are very likeable and Earthaven may be worth saving to the people that live there, but it was too easy to feel that they were really nasty people who weren't worth saving.

'The Virtu' is the continuing story of half-brothers Felix Harrowgate and Mildmay the Fox. Felix is no longer insane, Mildmay is now crippled, and the brothers begin their journey home to Melusine. Felix is convinced that he can repair the Virtu, and regain his place in court as a wizard at the Mirador.
Mildmay, on the other hand, is not too sure about going home. He is also told that there is a prophecy concerning him, and its not a good one. He asks Felix to cast an 'Obligation d'ame', which binds Mildmay to Felix by magic, and it cannot be undone. Due to this binding, many unseen issues arise throughout the book, that is just one of the many twists and turns in the plot.
Also joining the story are Mehitabel Parr and Gideon. Malkar also comes back, and you have a very exciting and involving story.
I liked this book just as much as the first book in the series, 'Melusine'. I found that Sarah Monette has kept a steady pace throughout this story, and I love the fact that no one is really what they seem. The characters are multi-layered, and as a reader you are constantly surprised by the things that develop throughout this story. This book is written with the same verve and force as the first book, and I didn't find that there were any slow spots.
The descriptions of Melusine, court life, and the struggle between Mildmay and Felix are well written. Yes, there are still times that you may find that you don't like Felix, or the downtrodden attitude of Mildmay, but this is always balanced by what events shaped them as a person. For example, you find out that Felix was forced into prostitution as a boy, and forced to be a lover of Malkar, It explains a lot about why Felix acts the way that he does. Mildmay, on the other hand, was not educated, and he was trained to be an assassin and cat burgler. Because of his rough ways, he is not welcome at the court of Mirador, and Mildmay is very isolated and lonely.
I would recommend that you read the first book in the series called 'Melusine'. The plot continues from 'Melusine', and it would be hard to figure out what is happening in this book if you haven't read 'Melusine'. This book does not have a glossary or a map, but I didn't need either to understand the plot.
This story often shows the ugly side of the human character, and I was hard put to find anyone essentially 'good'. But I appreciate this from the author. Its gets boring to always read about 'outwardly' good people!

Prior to this book, read the first book in the series, "Melusine", and just ignore the embarrassing artwork that looks like Fabio's red haired cousin. That book, with it's dual first person narration creates unique and distinct character voices and a refreshingly original take on the fantasy wizards n theives genre, will suck you in. The fact that one of the voices is of a character who has been deliberately driven stark raving bonkers just adds to the fascination.

The author never stoops to explain the convoluted magic/nonmagic world of the novels, it is inferred through the character's accounts, and gradually unfolds to gain a separate reality of its own, in the tradition of the excellent fantasy works by McMasters Bujold, Le Guin, McKillip, Kage Baker, Jordan, Herbert, even early McCaffrey (yes I said it).

I did have a little personal difficulty with the fact that one of the main characters is gay, and this is an important part of his character and situation. I got over it however, because this is just one aspect of the story that revolves around two unlikely brothers drawn together in the most difficult of circumstances. It is just one of the things that shows how different the brothers are.

How would you like to finally meet your high-falutin wizard half-brother just when he's been driven out of his mind by a dangerous magical assault and kicked out of the prestigious ruling party as the worst kind of traitor? If you are thief and murderer Mildmay, you will yearn for family you never had, and respond with single minded loyalty, in the face of every kind of dissuasion, difficulty, and disaster--not the least of which is the lack of gratitude from the brother in question. Will they find a cure? Can Mildmay outrun his own past? Will they elude capture? Will Felix even remember Mildmay and his sacrifices if they do?

In "The Virtu", the two brothers are still together far from home, Felix is (mostly) no longer crazy, and thief/murderer Mildmay is unwelcome damaged goods in the eyes of the sycophants and wizards who surround Felix. In a successful continuation of the two voices/first person narration, these two completely disparate personalities tolerate and sometimes care for each other in their own unique ways. Felix's struggles to repair the damage he has caused to his home city and to his brother are paralleled by Mildmay's struggles with a wizard's curse, his dubious past, and his inescapably prophesied future. Wizardly and non-wizardly adventures and rescues abound, but it's the two strong personalities that make these books un-put-downable. By tying himself to Felix, Mildmay has let himself in for more trouble than anyone can imagine, and in the end, it is Felix's fault. Will Felix stop hurting and using people? Will Mildmay quit his stubborness and learn to ask for help, or will he tell Felix where to put it? read for yourself!

THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I HAVE EVER READ, I WAS JUST FINISHING THE MOONS TREATOR, AND I WAS SCARE THAT I WILL NEVER FIND A BOOK AS GOOD AS THAT ONE, BUT I WAS WONDERFOUL MISTAKE, SARAH MONETTE IS NOW ONE OF MY FAVORITE WRITERS I READ THE BOOK IN 2 DAYS, FELIX SUPERV, SORRY IF MY REVIEW IS NOT VERY GOOD BUT IM FROM MEXICO AND MY NATURAL LENGUAGE IS THE SPANISH.IS WAS A LITTLE SLOWER THAT MELUSINE, AND I REALLY THINK THAT THE PERSON OF THE GIRLFRIEND OF FOX IS REALLY ABSURD, I WISH FELIX HAD FOUND HAPINESS WITH HIS GORGEOS BUT MUTE BOYFRIEND, BUT HEY, I WILL WAIT FOR THE NEXT BOOK.

This book is the sequel to Melusine, and that's by way of saying they're more like two volumes of a single tale than two standalone books. Melusine gets Felix and Mildmay to where they were going, but once they're there they have to patch themselves up and then get home...and that's only the beginning.

The first book introduced the characters as individuals, and used various adventures during their journey to let you get to know them better. This book is all about the characters interacting--specifically Felix and Mildmay, who remain the two POV characters in this continuing first person narrative.

Felix was psychologically damaged in the first book, requiring Mildmay to protect him. In this book, it's turnabout as Felix recovers and Mildmay quickly finds himself out of his depth. A common thief without any magic, he's looked down upon by the wizards who Felix seems constantly surrounded with, and in some cases he finds himself helpless at their hands. What's more, too much has happened for him to return to his old life, and he's cast adrift to find a new niche for himself. He's in over his head with Felix himself, too: the hapless madman from the first book is gone, replaced by a powerful, confident and charismatic man who's used to getting his way through any means necessary.

But Mildmay is no pushover, and Felix isn't all-powerful, and the two of them quickly discover how much they need each other--a prospect that doesn't comfort either of these men who're used to living their lives in emotional isolation. But it makes for great reading, let me tell you. This book is saturated with the developing relationship between the two brothers, touching scenes and false starts and sometimes lashing out as they increasingly realize they're in this together.

The plot here is more integrated and consistent than in the first book, where it mostly consisted of spurts of activity among a lot of boring travel. This time, Felix has a goal that drives the action: he wants to get home to fix his screw-up, redeem himself, and take vengeance on the man who hurt him. Mildmay mainly follows along and bails the reckless wizard out of trouble. They pick up some new companions and some old ones, including perhaps the only two sane and stable characters in the series. The labyrinth motif deepens in this book into a true theme that echoes on every level from the literal to symbolic, as the characters find themselves lost in actual labyrinths and emotional ones, and even the maze-like turns of prophecy and fate.

But don't expect a happy ending. Just when everything seems to be working out alright and the end is in sight, Felix manages to screw it all up royally. He gets what he wanted, but all is definitely not well, to the tune of another two books following to clean up the mess he makes. And poor Mildmay...if you like writers who are cruel to their characters, this is definitely a book for you. Mildmay claims he can find his way through any maze, and he and Felix had both better hope that's true.

"The Virtu" picks up almost precisely where "Melusine" leaves off, and is as strongly and cleverly written. The world building is excellent, the characters are complex and interesting. Monette is an amazing author and I look forward to reading more books by her. However, Mildmay's character seemed somehow off in "The Virtu." He's not as confident as he was in "Melusine," not as snarky and capable and witty. He went from being strong and active to being passive and almost cringing. And that bothered me. It seemed that the stronger Felix got the weaker Mildmay got, and while that's an interesting technique in general it didn't seem to gibe with Mildmay's established character. In addition, Felix has the hots for his half brother, which on one level makes sense... they didn't meet until adults, they are essentially strangers, and Mildmay has a lot of traits that Felix, in general, finds appealing and hot. Yet once again, it felt tacked on.

Several bits of "Melusine" and "The Virtu" seemed very Yaoi to me (personalities and physical traits, rape-as-badguy-indicator, glowy incestuous feelings, the faaaabulous femmy gay guy), so if you like Yaoi you'll probably get a kick out of this. To me, however, a lot of it felt like... I don't know... fanservice?

HOWEVER, quibbles like that aside, I greatly love both books in this series and the way Monette deals with a princess-in-disguise in "The Virtue" is enough for me to fall madly in love with her writing. Monette's an incredibly strong writer, snarky and sarcastic, poetic, and one of those rare artists who can craft an incredibly unlikeable character and still make him interesting and almost loveable.

Fan of this old series and was tired of the old d20 rules. These rules seem more "realistic".

So why only three stars, well first let me say that the rules and mechanics of the Alternity system are second to none and are straight forward enough to allow the GM to do what he is supposed to and tell a good story. Where this book falls down though are the specifics sections.

Alternity is a generic Sci-fi rules system which you can use to run games in the far-future (featuring spaceships, aliens, and whatnot) through to cyber-punk (near future with large corporations running the show and bionic implants enabling charcters to perform the impossible) right down to modern day (conspiracies, alien abductions, ghost, vampires etc...). So whilst the rules work for all these settings some of the specifics dont, for example the spaceship section is a waste of time if you are running a near future setting. Now this information isnt badly presented and I found it very interesting even if it wasnt going to play a part in my campaign. IMO it would have been better to leave these specifics to seperate volumes where they can be dealt with in detail.

So in conclusion, the Alternity system is good and you should play it, its a shame that this book doesnt live up to the systems potential.

As a veteran gamer who probably has more gaming material than should be healthy, I'm pleased to see TSR introduce the very promising Alternity game. This book is for gamemasters who wish to run an Alternity game and is the companion volume to the Alternity Players Handbook.

The rules are explained simply and concisely with all the tables and charts well organized and easy to find. More importantly, unlike much of the game products out there, this book is vividly written with inspiration and flair, bringing alive the technology, citizens, and cultures of the setting. All this is finished off by quality art as well. This terrific book prompted me to add the Alternity game to my gaming cabinet. If I can find any fault at all, it is that some sections like equipment and starships are a little brief - I suppose the publishers wanted to leave room for future supplements (what else is new?). A fine effort, nonetheless.

The Alternity Gamemaster Guide is one of the more solide products TSR's published recently. The Player's Handbook, however, set a high standard for Alternity - and the Gamemaster Guide falls a bit short.

That's not to say that it's bad. (Actually, it's almost as good as the Player's Handbook.) With a random star system generator, starship and vehicle components, artifact rules better than AD&D's, templates for NPCs and aliens, and the FX system, what more could you ask for? The answer is "a lot."

The FX rules are a good example of this. The system is way out of whack; for a chapter predestined to attract attention, the rules on Faith, Arcane Magic and Super Powers need serious revision. The same goes for starships; if you don't like stardrives, you're outta luck. And these are only the start of the list of bugs. The alien creation rules seem designed to spawn supermonsters (check out the Elves in the Appendix), and need a point-based system. The system generation rules also need to be defaulted off of. (According to the list, A5 and R5 environments don't exist in the universe!) No equipment creation rules? No random encounter system? In a game touted for its all-encompassing flexibility, the Alternity Gamemaster Guide is almost a fluke. Don't get me wrong; this is still a crucial book to buy. If you get it, though, get Starships (and maybe the Arms & Equipment Guide, even if you don't use Star*Drive). You'll be glad you did.

A core rulebook for TSR's new science fiction roleplaying game, the Alternity Gamemaster Guide provides ideas and essential rules for running an Alternity campaign. Alternity brings flexibility to the sci-fi gaming universe, allowing the gamemaster to create any sort of campaign, from friendly exploration and alien contacts to gritty, grim wars of vast planetary destruction.

Use of this book assumes ownership and working knowledge of the Alternity Player's Handbook. It covers the basics of running a roleplaying game for novices, Alternity's special quirks for the experienced gamemaster, adventure and campaign design, and fast-play rules for the impatient. Sections deal with details of handling character creation, personal statistics and their effects, hero careers, and non-player characters. Tips are given for designing new hero careers, alien races beyond the five provided in the Player's Handbook, and a variety of vehicles, star systems, individual planets, spacecraft, and alien artifacts. The Guide contains many short tables for effects and characteristics, and for determining species lifespans (as determined by technology level). Brief optional rules are also presented for mutants, psionics, cyborgs, artificial intelligence, and "special effects" (any magic, miracle, or superpower beyond the other rules provided).

For players' displeasure there are statistics for 15 dangerous animals from good old Terra and 20 generic alien creature types to modify for every alien need. TSR fantasy fans will find an appendix of conversion rules for bringing AD&D characters, races, equipment, and spells into an Alternity game.

For ease in using published adventures and accessories, a sample nonplayer character statistics form with explanatory notes is provided. Also included are forms for ship design, ship status, and solar system design/record. There is an index of both this book and the Player's Handbook.

Alternity Gamemaster's Guide is an essential element in what promises to be an exciting new game in the science fiction game genre.

--Sharon Daugherty for Skirmisher Online Gaming Magazine

I have the first 3 books and thoroughly enjoyed reading them.
I am looking forward to other books by this author in this series.

I LOVED this book. I'm a big fan of the Scarlet Pimpernel and Zorro and now Danilo Thane. I love the way he plays the fop, but really gets down to business when he needs too. His relationshiip with his uncle Khelben Blackstaff is too funny. I also recomend Elfsong where you meet Danilo for the first time. He is absolutly hillarious.

Definitely two of my all time favorites, Elfshadow and Elfsong, bring to life the story of Arilyn Moonblade, a half-elf Harper, and her adventures in the World of Faerun, as she tries to cope with her dual heritage and seeks to unlock the mysteries of her magical moonblade sword.
The books are so incredibly well written that the reader feels that they have been transported to the Forgotten Realms universe and are actually present among the characters, seeing what they see, feeling what they feel, sensing what they sense. Elaine Cunnigham has truly outdone herself and has presented us with a masterpiece of literature the likes of which we have seen only in JRR Tolkien's work, RA Salvatore's The Dark Elf and Icewind Dale trilogies and in authors Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's Dragonlance Chronicles and Legends trilogies.
She has done a FANTASTIC job of both acquiring vast knowledge relevant to Faerun as well as presenting this material relating to the customs, the religion and the history of Toril, efficiently and successfully! Her solid grasp of factual detail makes her very capable of providing the necessary background needed to carry out the difficult task of writing Forgotten Realms novels, which is something often missing from the work of many Fantasy authors. Consequently, from the moment you pick up the books you have trouble putting them down and if that is not a clear sign of a fantastic writer/author who can come up with a great plot, I don't know what is!
Elves, spies, assassins, honor, bravery, magic, and swordfights are all about. Elfshadow and Elfsong make up for a great trilogy along with Silver Shadows and are a "must read" together with Evermeet, especially for all those who have a soft spot for everything Elven! In short, it's what Fantasy reading SHOULD be! One should seriously start thinking about turning these books into movies...

Again, Cunningham shows that she has an amazing talent for setting up a premise, and an equally distressing talent for ruining it with trite conventions, poor character development, and laughable dialogue.

This is giving nothing away, but this is an example of what I am talking about: In the first ten pages of the book, you have a great premise defined; the villian needs a magical artifact to wreak revenge. She makes a deal with a dragon for the artifact. In return, she gives the dragon a scroll with a riddle on it that outlines her entire plan, and how to defeat her.

Huh?!?

Is she a James Bond villian?

That has to be one of the stupidest things I have ever seen. Of course the heroes get the scroll, and spend the entire second half of the book solving it and ruining her plans.

And it really is a shame, because Cunningham does a great job of defining the world, showing politics in the Forgotten Realms, and creating motivations for the villians.

It could have been so much more. If you are under 13, and a D&D fan, pick this book up. If you want great fantasy, go read David Gemmell or George R.R. Martin.

This is the best of Cunningham's books. It has a fast-paced plot with a number of interesting elements, but escapes being too complicated, Cunningham's usual flaw. Danilo and Elaith Craulnober come to the fore with no Arilyn around to darken the tone. The ambiguous relationship between the noble Human and the self-centered, evil, yet oddly likeable elf helps drive the action forward, and the bickering between them provides some good comedy moments. The supporting characters are likewise fun, and are well-written to provide assistance or insight to the main characters at the appropriate moments. The villains of the piece are not unsympathetic either, as they have good reasons for their actions, and all of them find themselves caught up in circumstances beyond their control.
I'm still not certain why Garnet, the rebel bard and Harper, should have left the means of undoing her plan with the dragon - a misplaced sense of fair play, perhaps? It would have been nice to have more of an explanation into how the status of bards had declined and how their role in the Harpers changed, and why Garnet was so bitter about it. And the unravelling of her plot and the arrival of the dragon in Waterdeep seemed a little too melodramatic to me.
Yet those should not be taken as seriously detracting from this book. It's a fun read, well written and with some surprisingly poignant moments. A good example of what Cunningham is capable of at her best.

This book is all about Devils and the Plane where they reside. I mean all about them. In my mind there are three really fantastic masterminds in Dungeons and Dragons: Dragons, Mindflayers and Devils.

If you're looking for content you can use all the time, then this isn't the best book for you. Go look at the compendiums or the Complete books. If you want villains and powers to tie together an entire campaign from level 1 into epic, than this is for you.

Included inside is a very nice tale of the creation of hell and the devils that can be easily adapted for your home brew world. Then theres feats, spells, prestige classes, descriptions of the layers and lots of new devils.

Again I must stress that the prestige classes, feats and spells are really geared towards either serving devils or fighting them. This book is a commitment to a devil themed campaign. It does so beautifully.

With the help of this book, my main villain just became a pawn in planar politics. My PCs have lots of options, on how to progress forward. I've got lots of ideas and environments for epic feeling quests before we get to the main devils. I highly reccomend it.

Well, I have to congratulate Wizards for adding another great book to the list of accessories. Our group runs several high level to epic level campaigns and this is a must for anyone who wants to involve the Blood War and the politics and intrigue of hell to your campaign. The new stats for the all the major players are here along with prominent followers and factions for each lord. There are many new feats and skills specific to just these planes as well as a few new presige classes that you can use for PC's and NPC's. The other great things is the plethora of roleplaying ideas for each of the nine hells, including cities, landmarks and many maps to really help you flush out your campaign. Things like this and other information make it a must for your collection so that when your party meets Mephistopheles, its an experience that they will never forget!

This book is a very good addition to any D&D campaign that plans on traveling to the Outer Planes, or fights extraplanar threats on a regular basis. The maps of the nine layers, and the detailed write-ups of the unique leaders of each of the layers add to it's usefulness. The extra devils are also useful to allow for rotating of devilish threats.

If you are a cruel DM (at times) then this is the book for you. Nothing like a trap door to Hell to get your adventuring party set-up for a TPK. In all seriousness, this is a great source for Devils in any DM's line-up, I am glad I picked it up.

This book gave great inside views into hell. It gave the facts on how hell lives, sleeps and breaths, along with the ArchDevils to go with it. If your planning on running a adventure in hell for a duration of time i suggest this book.

Twenty years old this year, the Forgotten Realms Gray Box is still impressive today.

On the heels of their success with Dragonlance, TSR cast about, looking for a more open-ended, less-scripted, and traditional AD&D-style campaign setting. For years, Ed Greenwood and friends had been playing his campaign world, and early Dragon magazine readers were frequently tantalized with articles such as Pages from the Mages, calendar-building, and magical treasures, all hinting at Greenwood's setting, the Forgotten Realms.

TSR released this set (and also began the excellent FR-series modules) in 1987, the last years of AD&D 1st edition. Packed with 2 books, 4 poster maps, and 2 clear hex overlays, the Gray Box is chock-full of information and adventure hooks. Of course, you'll be wanting more, but there's plenty here to get started.

CAUTION: It's been a long time since this set was in production, and the boxes were often the first to be lost. Read seller descriptions with care, as the first dozen listings for sale are typically missing books, maps and/or box. Do yourself a favor and get a complete set.


Wayne Gralian
Wayne's World of Books

A quick commentary: in my humble and deluded opinion I think the introduction of numerous supplements and add-ons dilutes the power of the imagination...

Having said that, this boxed set hit the mark with a vengeance. Not only does it leave a ton of stuff to the imagination by providing a basic fantasy framework; but the framework it does provide is just the type needed that can explode in the imagination to thousands of possibilities. Extra books and more detailed boxed sets simply draw more boundaries - even if it seems there's more material in the box it's just more boundaries and more guidelines...

This set is highly recommended and high quality!

This is it! The first Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, by Ed Greenwood and Jeff Grubb, whom I, like so many other fans out there, owe our thanks to for creating this wonderful, fantastic world. This first Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting is the one that began the tradition of providing vital information concerning the magical world of Toril. Ranging from background history, to city and social descriptions, to important people and characters, to the respective gods and pantheons, to adventure hooks and actual adventures-like the great adventure in the ruins of Myth Drannor-included in the set, to magical items and artifacts, to new spells and monsters, to fantastic maps and transparent hex overlays, this accessory has it all and more!
For the FR enthusiast, like myself, I also strongly recommend the next, second FR Campaign Setting (Second Edition AD&D), which by the way is also in boxed set form (it will take a bit of searching, but it's well worth it), as well as the latest (so far) Third Edition D&D Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, which even though is quite expensive, is still very useful to all FR fans, in providing an update of events. In short, if you don't have it, GET IT! It is highly addictive and so worth it!

Ed Greenwood and Jeff Grubb-Need I say more?
This is the second Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting following in the tradition of providing vital information concerning the magical world of Toril. Ranging from background history, to city and social descriptions, to important people and characters, to the respective gods and pantheons, to adventure hooks and encounter tables, to magical items and artifacts, to new spells and monsters, to maps and specialty classes, this accessory has it all and more!
For the FR enthusiast, like myself, I also strongly recommend the previous edition, which by the way is also in boxed set form (it will take a bit of searching, but it's well worth it), as well as the Third Edition Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, which even though is quite expensive, is still very useful to all FR fans, in providing an update of events. In short, if you don't have it, GET IT! It is so worth it!

I've like some of the FR stuff in the past, but this is the best it's ever been.

A TRUE powergamer at heart, this book blew me away because I read it past the character changes and new game material.

This book has all the characters you've read about, and they're no longer munchkins. A fairly complete history (finally!). It has all the geography instead of little bits and pieces. Complete maps. An explanation for most obscure things. Adventure hooks for almost every geographical area. God descriptions, organizations, etc... Some spells, character classes, prestidge classes (the new kits).

It truly feels alive! It's like having all the old boxed sets, the F&A series, and the FR Adventures book all rolled into one!

The best D&D product that I have bought in a loooooong time (12+ years) -- ranks up there with the 3e PHB, but without the typos (and ranger!).

I only wish they would have detailed Karatur, Maztica, and Al-Qadim in enough detail to adventure there once in a while (if they only gave as much as they did to each of the Dalelands to each of those I'd be happy: an NPC or two, a couple cities, and a couple adventure hooks as to why the PCs would go there...)