The Harpers Series. Forgotten Realms

[Carlos]

Just read the first in the Harpers Series. The Parched Sea by Troy Denning.

The Harpers are an altruistic bunch that oppose all the nasty people, beings, things in the world. The parchjed sea is the first novel in the 16 book (so far) series. The novels are all stand alone and so can be read in any order.

The Parched Sea is set in a desert environment of Anauroch, basically it has the Zhentarim invading and trying enslave the desert tribes in order to secure a trade route. The novel revolves around Ruha, an outcast (due to her magic)desert girl and Lander the Harper sent there to oppose the Zhentarim.

The environment is well described as is the social order of the desert tribes. However the plot is quite simplistic and does not twist. saying that it was an enjoyable quick read.

 

[VTChEwbecca]

So would you suggest the series? Have you read any of the others, if so, how were they? I'm interested to learn more (sometimes a good quick read is nice to have around).

 

[Carlos]

Not yet VTChEwbecca, but I bought a dozen of them from ebay a few weeks ago. I'll read another one in a week or so and post here.

 

[Carlos]

Just finished the second in the series.

Elfshadow by Elaine Cunningham (her first published book)

I really enjoyed this one which outshines the first light a lighthouse compared to a torch. Basically some-one in bumping off members of the Harpers. Who is the asassin? The plot revolves Arilyn Moonblade a female half elf who sometimes works for the Harpers, and a human man called Danilo. Arilyn has a kick arse sword, she's a great fighter, and it's her job to find out who the asassin is.

In this book you learn more about the intrigue and power srtuggles that go on between the different races and factions in the fogotten realms universe.

Elaine has created some 3 dimensional characters that are fun to accomapnay through the reading of this book.

From this beginning a further 4 books were written based on these characters
Book 2 - Elfsong
Book 3 - Silver Shadows
Book 4 - Thornhold
Book 5 - The Dream Spheres

A brief intereview from a SF site can be found here


I'm looking forward to reading number 3 now.