RPG Novels that Don't Suck?

Best Selling RPGs - Available Now @ DriveThruRPG.com
For some reason there is no sign of this on the GW site but they will be republishing Kim Newman's Genevieve vampire novels and a collection of the novellas starting in April with Drachenfels, followed by Genevieve Undead and Silver Nails. They are also reissuing Beasts in Velvet, which I believe is a non-Genevieve novel.

Newman is hot right now with his Anno Dracula series that also features Genevieve but hopefully this means they will also be eventually reissuing the Brian Stableford and Ian Watson novels under their proper names as well.
 
Last edited:
Ulairi said:
The Crystal Shard series and the trilogy that has his origin story are okay. The Cleric Quintent is good. I also like the Avatar trilogy that starts with Shadowdale
Click to expand...

While I made the erroneous decision of wading through both Quintet and Crystal Shard as teen and find them dreadfully milktoast now, I will risk my credibility by stating that I thought R.A Salvatore's non-Forgotten Realms-but-still-obviously-DnD-inspired novels set in Corona were decent entertainment. There are still about a hundred sf/fantasy novels that I would recommend first but the Highwayman Quartet or whatever it is called is like a tie-in novel that never was. Maybe because its his own setting Salvatore's work feels a bit more vivid and colourful?

I am also a huge sucker for Warhammer 40k and have read almost every Horus Heresy novel thus far, including Primarch tie-ins.
 
Two good RPG tie-in novels I've read in the past month:

The Poison Eater by Shanna Germain (set in the Numenera universe) was absolutely superb. One of those books that keep you up at night turning pages to see what happens next.

The Pierced Heart by Robin D. Laws (which, disclaimer, I was reading for work) for Over the Edge is very good.
 
Simlasa said:
Is there any other good World of Darkness fiction out there?

I tried reading one of the World of Darkness books... I don't recall the name but it was a collection of short stories based on Wraith.
Pretty awful stuff...
Click to expand...

If it's any help, wait till a sale is on (don't worry they happen a lot for the fiction). The vampire line was where they put the most effort but is still of variable quality. The clan novel saga is worth a look to get the feel of the entire gothic metaplot of vampire and for the interesting experiment in editing they did but stop reading the first time something stupid happens. That way the cool stuff outweighs the stupid stuff. After that the dark ages line had some cool books but I'd read it by order of your favorite clan rather then order of publication. The Gehenna trilogy is very meh and not worth the hype.
 
Voros said:
For some reason there is no sign of this on the GW site but they will be republishing Kim Newman's Genevieve vampire novels and a collection of the novellas starting in April with Drachenfels, followed by Genevieve Undead and Silver Nails.
Click to expand...
But will they remain unaltered from the original versions (which were good reads)... or be touched up to agree with GW's various retcons? I kinda don't trust GW to things go un-touched.
 
Simlasa said:
But will they remain unaltered from the original versions (which were good reads)... or be touched up to agree with GW's various retcons? I kinda don't trust GW to things go un-touched.
Click to expand...

Do they do this to their fiction books? Sounds terrible.
 
Justin Alexander said:
Two good RPG tie-in novels I've read in the past month:

The Poison Eater by Shanna Germain (set in the Numenera universe) was absolutely superb. One of those books that keep you up at night turning pages to see what happens next.

The Pierced Heart by Robin D. Laws (which, disclaimer, I was reading for work) for Over the Edge is very good.
Click to expand...

I may have got The Pierced Heart in a OtE Bundle, thanks.

I see that the excellent RPG designer Gareth Hanrahan has a novel out recently, The Gutter Prayer, it seems to he getting proper distribution and attention outside RPG circles.

Anyone reading it?

39836383.jpg
 
Just found out that Paul Park wrote this D&D novel. Park is one of the finest English language sf writers today, in some ways to me he is the Gene Wolfe of his generation. The idea of him writing a D&D novel is pretty crazy.

8643

From some of the online reviews complaining that this book is ‘confusing’ and others noting that the characters and prose are a significant cut above the D&D usual it sounds like Park tried to write a good book with his full attention.
 
My favorite game company novels are all by Games Workshop. The first two Troll Slayer books are great. After that it goes downhill pretty rapidly to the point where I won't read them anymore. And in the 40k setting, all of the Ciaphas Cain books by Sandy Mitchell are great. Unlike most of the other 40k books, they don't take themselves so seriously and actually quite funny.
 
Greg Stafford’s epistolary novel King of Sartar is the best game tie-in I’ve read. It’s a collection of myths, legends, royal genealogies and other lore from Greg Stafford’s world of Glorantha. However, like Milorad Pavic’s Dictionary of the Khazars, there is an overarching story buried within.

I did enjoy the Gaunt’s Ghosts 40K novels by Dan Abnett as well.
 
Not an rpg novel yet I recommend the Deed if Parkisson (not sure if I spelled that correctly) .if one is not sure how to play or run a Paladin I recommend reading it. The author played D&D and was tired of seeing the class run and DM poorly.
 
sureshot said:
Not an rpg novel yet I recommend the Deed if Parkisson (not sure if I spelled that correctly) .if one is not sure how to play or run a Paladin I recommend reading it. The author played D&D and was tired of seeing the class run and DM poorly.
Click to expand...
Paksenarrion. It's a fun military fantasy trilogy. But her Paladin s are a bit weird. To the point where they come over as knights errant rather than a militant holy order.
 
goblinslayer said:
My favorite game company novels are all by Games Workshop. The first two Troll Slayer books are great. After that it goes downhill pretty rapidly to the point where I won't read them anymore. And in the 40k setting, all of the Ciaphas Cain books by Sandy Mitchell are great. Unlike most of the other 40k books, they don't take themselves so seriously and actually quite funny.
Click to expand...
Some of the Horus Heresy novels are quite good. I liked Scars and Path of Heaven about the Primarch Jaghatai Khan and Master of Mankind about the Emperor. That's not to say I'd recommend them if you didn't like 40K, they'd be fairly opaque.
 
Stevethulhu said:
Paksenarrion. It's a fun military fantasy trilogy. But her Paladin s are a bit weird. To the point where they come over as knights errant rather than a militant holy order.
Click to expand...

Never read the book, but if I may pick a nit -- Paladins as originally conceived in OD&D (based on Holger Carlsen from Poul Anderson's Three Hearts and Three Lions, and possibly on the Arthurian Percival/Parsifal) are very much knights-errant. The original militant holy order type (with side orders of undead hunter and combat medic) is the Cleric.

Of course, both classes have drifted considerably from their original concepts, so Clerics nowadays tend to be presented as inexplicably mace-toting wandering vicars and Paladins as proper knights of religious orders, but there you go.
 
Stevethulhu said:
Paksenarrion. It's a fun military fantasy trilogy. But her Paladin s are a bit weird. To the point where they come over as knights errant rather than a militant holy order.
Click to expand...

I'm actually reading the third book right now. I think her take on Paladins is a good one for a D&D type polytheistic world. Gird isn't like the Holy Roman Church. They don't really have any authority other than what people allow them to have. And I really like how her powers are vague. Detect Evil doesn't automatically pick out the bad guys. She just gets bad vibes and has to actually investigate things but it also alerts her to dangers about to happen. This is much more interesting than how it usually works in D&D.
 
The Butcher said:
Never read the book, but if I may pick a nit -- Paladins as originally conceived in OD&D (based on Holger Carlsen from Poul Anderson's Three Hearts and Three Lions, and possibly on the Arthurian Percival/Parsifal) are very much knights-errant. The original militant holy order type (with side orders of undead hunter and combat medic) is the Cleric.

Of course, both classes have drifted considerably from their original concepts, so Clerics nowadays tend to be presented as inexplicably mace-toting wandering vicars and Paladins as proper knights of religious orders, but there you go.
Click to expand...
Charlemagne, Roland and Arthurian myth in general seem to be heavy influences on Paladins. Clerics are more your Van Helsing types. The mace restriction thing is one of those odd D&D-isms. But then, I've said for many years that the only thing D&D really represents in terms of style and genre is itself. To the point where the WotC editions have become weird snakes, eating their own tails and drawing upon themselves for inspirado.
 
Stevethulhu said:
Charlemagne, Roland and Arthurian myth in general seem to be heavy influences on Paladins. Clerics are more your Van Helsing types. The mace restriction thing is one of those odd D&D-isms. But then, I've said for many years that the only thing D&D really represents in terms of style and genre is itself. To the point where the WotC editions have become weird snakes, eating their own tails and drawing upon themselves for inspirado.
Click to expand...

Quoted for truth, as we used to say.

The blunt weapons restriction seems to originate with the apocryphal story of the Pope forbidding Odo of Bayeux, a bishop and William the Conqueror's kinsman, from "shedding blood" in the Battle of Hastings, resulting in Odo riding into battle with a mace.
 
goblinslayer said:
I'm actually reading the third book right now. I think her take on Paladins is a good one for a D&D type polytheistic world. Gird isn't like the Holy Roman Church. They don't really have any authority other than what people allow them to have. And I really like how her powers are vague. Detect Evil doesn't automatically pick out the bad guys. She just gets bad vibes and has to actually investigate things but it also alerts her to dangers about to happen. This is much more interesting than how it usually works in D&D.
Click to expand...

Moon never actually played D&D, she just sat in some sessions and didn't like D&D's interpretation of the paladin and thought she could do it better.
 
RA Salvatore... Naw, just kidding. Lol

I liked Spellfire from te Forgotten realms and also Raymond E Feist based his books off of his Midekemia role playing game, so that may count.
 
Black Company novels from Glen Cook and the out of print Green Ronin sourcebook of the same name are both worth looking through. One of the few authors who at the time when everyone was writing heroic characters and similar backgrounds. He wrote what I consider the premier dark fantasy series imo. Great character development. Not afraid to kill characters though not George " I am out of ideas so I will kill character for the sake of it" Martin.

The Banned and the Banished series from James Clemens aka James Rollins. Strong female character. I like the way the handle magic and even though the character is powerful we never get the usual case of making the primary character too powerful only to depower them in a cheesy way in too many fantasy series.

Malazan Book of the Fallen If you enjoyed the Black Company I suggest reading this series also Dark Fantasy. The author was inspired by Glen Cook and has all the above to recommend going for it. The only issue I had and it was more an issue of personal taste. All the books after the third book all were released between 800+ pages. So unless you want to read 10 thick books I suggest reading 3-4 then taking a break.

Discworld series of novels. If you want to take a break from serious fantasy novels and want so light reading I suggest this series. Very tongue in cheek with a mix of serious and comedic writing. What's not to love and one of the characters is a sentient magical trunk. The style of writing is very repetitive so as the Malazan series to be read in small doses.
 

Attachments

  • Colour-of-magic.jpg
    Colour-of-magic.jpg
    42.9 KB · Views: 2
Faylar said:
RA Salvatore... Naw, just kidding. Lol

I liked Spellfire from te Forgotten realms and also Raymond E Feist based his books off of his Midekemia role playing game, so that may count.
Click to expand...
Some of Salvatore's non Forgotten Realms books are fun in a trashy way. I always wanted to steal the setup behi d his demon wars series for a campaign. There's a good idea under the cheese.
 
My favorite non-TSR D&D novels are the Thraxas novels by Martin Scott and the Goblin Quest novels by Jim C. Hines. Both series feature very D&D-like settings and both are fun reads.
 
goblinslayer said:
My favorite non-TSR D&D novels are the Thraxas novels by Martin Scott and the Goblin Quest novels by Jim C. Hines. Both series feature very D&D-like settings and both are fun reads.
Click to expand...
My favourite non-TSR/WotC D&D novels are Vlad Taltos, but Thraxas would be a very close second:smile:.
 
The Butcher said:
Clerics nowadays tend to be presented as inexplicably mace-toting wandering vicars
Click to expand...
Well, swinging that incense-burner around should teach you something about flails, right? And they're both blunt weapons, so the cleric should be proficient in maces, too!
And since a flail is considered to be a proper weapon for villains, see Mordred using it against Arthur, the authors are just allowing them the closest weapon:tongue:!

Just kidding, it's obviously a legacy item with no justification:evil:!
 
AsenRG said:
My favourite non-TSR/WotC D&D novels are Vlad Taltos, but Thraxas would be a very close second:smile:.
Click to expand...

It's a real shame that Thraxas isn't more popular than it is. It's a really great series and would make for an excellent fantasy tv show. I'm glad that the author is back writing again.
 
Simlasa said:
For being an 'afterthought' the campaigns were nicely done... Lichemaster, McDeath, Orc's Drift... Magnificent Sven and the Temple of Rigg. The authors did seem to have something in mind beyond just lining them up and knocking them down.
Click to expand...
Baulderstone said:
I really liked the campaigns like McDeath that Simlasa mentions, but they have little connection to what Warhammer is today. WFRP had time to exist as an RPG before the canon came into being. With 40K, the RPGs didn't come along until much, much later.
Click to expand...

Speaking of McDeath, I painted him up just a few years back...


IMG_3261.JPG
 
Now that I'm reading this thread I want to know why we never got any official, TSR-endorsed, Boot Hill-branded* novels?!?! Everybody knows Westerns > science fiction > fantasy! :gunslinger:

I guess I'll have to write my own Boot Hill fan fiction... :cry:

* 100% intentional pun
 
Dumarest said:
Now that I'm reading this thread I want to know why we never got any official, TSR-endorsed, Boot Hill-branded* novels?!?! Everybody knows Westerns > science fiction > fantasy! :gunslinger:

I guess I'll have to write my own Boot Hill fan fiction... :cry:

* 100% intentional pun
Click to expand...

DocSammy could help with that...
 
Dumarest said:
Now that I'm reading this thread I want to know why we never got any official, TSR-endorsed, Boot Hill-branded* novels?!?! Everybody knows Westerns > science fiction > fantasy! :gunslinger:

I guess I'll have to write my own Boot Hill fan fiction... :cry:

* 100% intentional pun
Click to expand...
Because Louis Dearborn L'Amour was doing it without TSR paying a dime:smile:?
 
I liked "Tales of the Old World" (or something like that) for Warhammer. It's a collection of short stories. Pretty neat.

M.A.R Barker's Tekumel novels are enjoyable. Fun fact: one of the characters was Dave Arneson's PC when he gamed with The Professor.
 
There is "Tales of Peril: the Complete Boinger & Zereth Stories of John Eric Holmes", it combines all of Holmes short stories and novella. Cool cover art:
front_cover-amazons_lighter_final-small.jpg
 
On the sidetrack: Captain Carrot from Discworld is probably the best depiction of a D&D paladin I have read. He always does the right thing, really believes that most people are decent and good, is a stickler for laws and reguations (he's the only one in the Watch who has read the operations manual, and he's memorised the damn thing.) And everyone (Everyone!) finds him extremely convincing and likeable (18 CHA does wonders).

And he's murder in a fight Tough as a rock. Has a magic sword. Thinks he is a very tall dwarf. He just lacks magic spellz.
 
I recommend the Nightlords and Eisenhorn series from Black Library. For pure rpg stuff I liked the Grail Covenant series from White Wolf. I’ve also read the first couple of Dark Sun books also, which I thought were pretty good.
 
saskganesh said:
On the sidetrack: Captain Carrot from Discworld is probably the best depiction of a D&D paladin I have read. He always does the right thing, really believes that most people are decent and good, is a stickler for laws and reguations (he's the only one in the Watch who has read the operations manual, and he's memorised the damn thing.) And everyone (Everyone!) finds him extremely convincing and likeable (18 CHA does wonders).

And he's murder in a fight Tough as a rock. Has a magic sword. Thinks he is a very tall dwarf. He just lacks magic spellz.
Click to expand...
Yeah, he even writes like someone who had to put his best rolls in Cha, Wis, Str, and Con, and then didn't want to get an AC penalty:grin:!

Dumarest said:
Say what?!
Click to expand...
I was just going to say he's only outmatched by the samurai bodyguard Usagi Yojimbo:tongue:! But your picture covers them both.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Banner: The best cosmic horror & Cthulhu Mythos @ DriveThruRPG.com
Back
Top