suggest a ravenloft novel to me - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

suggest a ravenloft novel to me

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
bigfruits
Jul 09, 2007 7:15:09 hello. ive read dragonlance and salavatore stuff and i wanted to start reading some ravenloft novels. id like to start with a scary, dark story. what book do you suggest?

thanks in advance
-z
#2
zombiegleemax
Jul 09, 2007 8:07:36 I would start at the beginning, "Vampire of the Mists" by Christie Golden, or "I, Strahd" by P. N. Elrod.
#3
gonzoron
Jul 09, 2007 8:39:01 Agreed. The books aren't connected*, so the order doesn't matter, but "Vampire of the Mists" is the first (and best IMHO) and is a great intro to the setting.

(* There are 3 that are sequels to previous ones, so don't read "Lord of the Necropolis" before "King of the Dead", don't read "Spectre of the Black Rose" before "Knight of the Black Rose", and don't read "I, Strahd: The War with Azalin" before "I, Strahd" But otherwise, order doesn't matter.)

PS - Since you've read Dragonlance, you'll want to read Knight of the Black Rose, and Spectre of the Black Rose eventually, since they involve Lord Soth. But I would read VotM first.
#4
darkor
Jul 09, 2007 9:06:31 I would suggest: VotM, I Strahd and both "insert name here" of the black rose.
#5
bigfruits
Jul 09, 2007 9:17:20 ive actually only read the legend of huma and the chronicles. the last book of the chronicles has soth in it at the end. i love the whole idea of how he was damned and how the the banshees "sing" to him every night. have you read lord soth from the warriors volumes? hows that one?

im about to bid on the VotM book right now.

Im looking for a really dark story. do you think the lord of the necropolis would be a good book to read next or should i get the soth books you mentioned? looking for evil stuff

any other suggestions are welcome an appreciated.

thanks for the replies
-z
#6
rotipher
Jul 09, 2007 11:31:23 "Lord of the Necropolis" probably isn't what you're looking for. First, because it's been declared non-canon, and second, because it's more biographical than straight-out spooky. Certainly, it shouldn't be read before "King of the Dead".

Some of the better scares are actually in the novels that aren't primarily concerned with the established darklords. If you want dark, consider:

Dance of the Dead

Carnival of Fear

Tapestry of Dark Souls

Tower of Doom

Scholar of Decay (possibly the best of these)

To Sleep With Evil (recently re-released)

These all focus on protagonists who aren't darklords and have interesting or unusual motivations, and most are a step above most game-fiction in quality. They also offer moral ambiguity and not-very-happy-at-all endings.

Finally, "Tales of Ravenloft" is an anthology with some great stories in it, most of which are quite scary and/or eerily ironic in a Twilight Zone-ish way.
#7
sptjanly
Jul 09, 2007 14:15:10 Mordenheim, Carnival of Fear, Dance of the Dead, Vampire in the Mists, and Knight of the Black Rose are my personal favorites
#8
darkor
Jul 10, 2007 9:03:37 I would sugget you read the Legend trilogy before reading the two "... of the black rose" book, since some part of both RL books can be spoilers. As for Lord Soth, I haven't found it around yet, sorry

Scholar of Decay is an other great book I forgot to mention! ^^'
There is also Death of a Darklord that I loved and found quite dark at times.
#9
orodruin
Jul 10, 2007 19:25:23 None of them! :P
#10
sptjanly
Jul 10, 2007 20:49:15
None of them! :P

He loves his RL novels!
#11
orodruin
Jul 11, 2007 6:05:42
He loves his RL novels!

Yep! I sure do! ;)

I guess if I were forced to recommend one, I'd go with either "I, Strahd", "Tales of Ravenloft", or "Baroness of Blood" (yeah, I know most people really hate that one, but most people seem to like "Vampire of the Mists" too, so it isn't like my taste in RL novels syncs with most other posters here.)

Speaking of which, I seem to remember reading somewhere that "Elaine Bergstrom" and "Elaine Cunningham" were actually the same person. Has this been verified, or is my memory just playing tricks on me?
#12
zombiegleemax
Jul 11, 2007 7:15:07
Speaking of which, I seem to remember reading somewhere that "Elaine Bergstrom" and "Elaine Cunningham" were actually the same person. Has this been verified, or is my memory just playing tricks on me?

No, they are two different people.

http://www.elainebergstrom.com/

http://www.elainecunningham.com/
#13
gonzoron
Jul 11, 2007 8:26:16 Perhaps you may be thinking of Andria Hayday (contributor to many 2e RL products) and Andria Cardarelle (author of To Sleep With Evil), who are in fact the same person.
#14
orodruin
Jul 12, 2007 3:17:30
Perhaps you may be thinking of Andria Hayday (contributor to many 2e RL products) and Andria Cardarelle (author of To Sleep With Evil), who are in fact the same person.

No, they are two different people.

http://www.elainebergstrom.com/

http://www.elainecunningham.com/

Hmmm... it's possible. Thanks. If my memory's this shoddy now, think of how bad it'll be when I hit old age... ;)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 bigfruits Jul 09, 2007 7:15:09	hello. ive read dragonlance and salavatore stuff and i wanted to start reading some ravenloft novels. id like to start with a scary, dark story. what book do you suggest? thanks in advance -z
#2 zombiegleemax Jul 09, 2007 8:07:36	I would start at the beginning, "Vampire of the Mists" by Christie Golden, or "I, Strahd" by P. N. Elrod.
#3 gonzoron Jul 09, 2007 8:39:01	Agreed. The books aren't connected, so the order doesn't matter, but "Vampire of the Mists" is the first (and best IMHO) and is a great intro to the setting. ( There are 3 that are sequels to previous ones, so don't read "Lord of the Necropolis" before "King of the Dead", don't read "Spectre of the Black Rose" before "Knight of the Black Rose", and don't read "I, Strahd: The War with Azalin" before "I, Strahd" But otherwise, order doesn't matter.) PS - Since you've read Dragonlance, you'll want to read Knight of the Black Rose, and Spectre of the Black Rose eventually, since they involve Lord Soth. But I would read VotM first.
#4 darkor Jul 09, 2007 9:06:31	I would suggest: VotM, I Strahd and both "insert name here" of the black rose.
#5 bigfruits Jul 09, 2007 9:17:20	ive actually only read the legend of huma and the chronicles. the last book of the chronicles has soth in it at the end. i love the whole idea of how he was damned and how the the banshees "sing" to him every night. have you read lord soth from the warriors volumes? hows that one? im about to bid on the VotM book right now. Im looking for a really dark story. do you think the lord of the necropolis would be a good book to read next or should i get the soth books you mentioned? looking for evil stuff any other suggestions are welcome an appreciated. thanks for the replies -z
#6 rotipher Jul 09, 2007 11:31:23	"Lord of the Necropolis" probably isn't what you're looking for. First, because it's been declared non-canon, and second, because it's more biographical than straight-out spooky. Certainly, it shouldn't be read before "King of the Dead". Some of the better scares are actually in the novels that aren't primarily concerned with the established darklords. If you want dark, consider: Dance of the Dead Carnival of Fear Tapestry of Dark Souls Tower of Doom Scholar of Decay (possibly the best of these) To Sleep With Evil (recently re-released) These all focus on protagonists who aren't darklords and have interesting or unusual motivations, and most are a step above most game-fiction in quality. They also offer moral ambiguity and not-very-happy-at-all endings. Finally, "Tales of Ravenloft" is an anthology with some great stories in it, most of which are quite scary and/or eerily ironic in a Twilight Zone-ish way.
#7 sptjanly Jul 09, 2007 14:15:10	Mordenheim, Carnival of Fear, Dance of the Dead, Vampire in the Mists, and Knight of the Black Rose are my personal favorites
#8 darkor Jul 10, 2007 9:03:37	I would sugget you read the Legend trilogy before reading the two "... of the black rose" book, since some part of both RL books can be spoilers. As for Lord Soth, I haven't found it around yet, sorry Scholar of Decay is an other great book I forgot to mention! ^^' There is also Death of a Darklord that I loved and found quite dark at times.
#9 orodruin Jul 10, 2007 19:25:23	None of them! :P
#10 sptjanly Jul 10, 2007 20:49:15	None of them! :P He loves his RL novels!
#11 orodruin Jul 11, 2007 6:05:42	He loves his RL novels! Yep! I sure do! ;) I guess if I were forced to recommend one, I'd go with either "I, Strahd", "Tales of Ravenloft", or "Baroness of Blood" (yeah, I know most people really hate that one, but most people seem to like "Vampire of the Mists" too, so it isn't like my taste in RL novels syncs with most other posters here.) Speaking of which, I seem to remember reading somewhere that "Elaine Bergstrom" and "Elaine Cunningham" were actually the same person. Has this been verified, or is my memory just playing tricks on me?
#12 zombiegleemax Jul 11, 2007 7:15:07	Speaking of which, I seem to remember reading somewhere that "Elaine Bergstrom" and "Elaine Cunningham" were actually the same person. Has this been verified, or is my memory just playing tricks on me? No, they are two different people. http://www.elainebergstrom.com/ http://www.elainecunningham.com/
#13 gonzoron Jul 11, 2007 8:26:16	Perhaps you may be thinking of Andria Hayday (contributor to many 2e RL products) and Andria Cardarelle (author of To Sleep With Evil), who are in fact the same person.
#14 orodruin Jul 12, 2007 3:17:30	Perhaps you may be thinking of Andria Hayday (contributor to many 2e RL products) and Andria Cardarelle (author of To Sleep With Evil), who are in fact the same person. No, they are two different people. http://www.elainebergstrom.com/ http://www.elainecunningham.com/ Hmmm... it's possible. Thanks. If my memory's this shoddy now, think of how bad it'll be when I hit old age... ;)