The Best of the Realms, Book 2: The Stories of Ed Greenwood (Forgotten Realms Anthology) [Mass Market Paperback]

Ed Greenwood (Author)

Book Description

Series: Forgotten Realms Anthology | Publication Date: June 1, 2005

A Forgotten Realms anthology featuring the best of Ed Greenwood’s fiction.

This anthology consists of fiction by Ed Greenwood, creator of the Forgotten
Realms world. Greenwood has written hundreds of articles, novels, and game
products set in the Realms, and his signature character, Elminster the Sage of Shadowdale, has become a staple of REALMS fiction and game play for
millions of fans.

AUTHOR BIO: A resident of Ontario, ED GREENWOOD created the Forgotten Realms setting more than 30 years ago and has written hundreds of novels, articles, stories, and game products in the setting. His most recent novel is Elminster’s Daughter.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

A resident of Ontario, ED GREENWOOD created the Forgotten Realms setting more than 30 years ago and has written hundreds of novels, articles, stories, and game products in the setting. His most recent novel is Elminster's Daughter.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Wizards of the Coast (June 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786937602
• ISBN-13: 978-0786937608
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,344,833 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ed Greenwood, creator of the Forgotten Realms setting, is the best-selling author of hundreds of novels, game products, and articles. His most recent novel for Wizards of the Coast is The City of Splendors, a collaboration with Elaine Cunningham. He is also the author of the Band of Four novels published by Tor Books.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Truly Ed Greenwood, for better and for worse., September 13, 2005

By 

Liquid Identity "OCW" (Pennsylvania, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Best of the Realms, Book 2: The Stories of Ed Greenwood (Forgotten Realms Anthology) (Mass Market Paperback)

While Best of the Realms Book II contains some interesting tales, it is mostly for fans of both the Forgotten Realms and Ed Greenwood's writing. Where the stories themselves are intriguing, a casual reader may quickly and easily find themselves lost due to Realms concepts and terminologies which are not explained. This is compounded by Greenwood's writing style which is excessively fanciful, with adjectives and adverbs used recklessly with every turn of phrase. While Greenwood is far from a bad author, neither is he easy to digest.

Authoring aside, the short stories themselves differ greatly in theme and genre. This is refreshing and is exactly what I like in an anthology. Sadly, as is Greenwood's penchant, several stories seem written solely to spotlight the characters he created, most notably Elminster and Storm. Other than examples in character study, these particular tales fall deathly short on substance. Luckily, Ed Greenwood has the whole of the Realms to write about and this is where his stories truly shine.

The best reason of all to read this book is Ed Greenwood's new tale 'The Long Road Home' which gives us a glimpse at the rough times the kingdom of Cormyr went through after the fall of it's beloved King Azoun IV. As a fan of the Realms, I found the subject inticing and the story was one of the few I felt real satisfaction after having read. It is also one of the more accessible stories for readers fairly new to the Realms.

The Best of the Realms Book II contains both exhilerating and exasperating stories. While some felt as if they were drifting aimlessly (and at times very slowly) towards a lacklustre finish, several had me truly entwined in the telling until the end. I only wish every end was fulfilling.

0 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Master of the Realms, July 28, 2005

By 

Chambers (Memphis, TN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Best of the Realms, Book 2: The Stories of Ed Greenwood (Forgotten Realms Anthology) (Mass Market Paperback)

This book contains a nice selection of short stories written by Ed Greenwood, the creator of the Forgotten Realms. This is a curious collection of shorts. Some of his best short stories are included in this collection, while others are but strange and wondrous oddities. This is an eclectic but satisfying mix. The short story seems to be the ideal fit for Greenwood's writing style. These are excellent stories that paint a beautiful picture of the Forgotten Realms, and the folk who call it home.