The Best of the Realms: The Stories of Elaine Cunningham

by Elaine Cunningham

Book Overview

This collection of stories spans the entire 16-year career of one of the Forgotten Realms line's most prolific and popular authors (Songs & Swords). A favorite among fans, Cunningham is one of the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786942886
• ISBN13: 9780786942886
• Release Date: May 2007
• Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
• Length: 345 Pages
• Weight: 3.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 4.3" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

Excellent Anthology

This is a collection of 15 short stories Ms. Cunningham has produced over the years. Three of them are published here for the first time and the others have been published in various "Realms of" anthologies and Dragon magazine. I found this to be a very enjoyable collection and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys the Forgotten Realms series. One caveat, while these are all wonderful tales if does help if the reader is familiar with the Forgotten Realms, especially Ms. Cunningham's works. Here is a listing of each of the stories in the anthology and a little bit about what I thought of each. #1 - The Knights of Samalar - This story helps to give some closure to the events of the final Harpers novel "Thornhold". This was an excellent story with an intriguing cast of characters. While "Thornhold" is one of the few books by Ms. Cunningham that I have not read, it stood well on its own. #2 - The Bargain - This story takes place following the events in "Elfshadow". Danilo Thann and Arilyn Moonblade are great characters because they both have such intriguing histories. I enjoy Danilo's and Arilyn's banter, it makes for a very enjoyable read. #3 - Elminster's Jest - While this is not a short story, but a ballad, it is still very entertaining. It kept me giggling for quite some time. #4 - The More Things Change - This story gives a little history on my favorite of Ms. Cunningham's characters, the moon elf, Elaith Craulnober. It goes back and gives the reader and little insight into how Elaith came to be who he is today. Think, "Batman Begins" in a very condensed form. #5 - The Direct Approach - This story centers around Lirel, the drow from the "Starlight and Shadows" series. I am not as familiar with this series as I am the rest of Ms. Cunningham's work but it was entertaining none the less. I really enjoyed the ending. Word to the wise, never under estimate a scantily clad barbarian with a really big sword. #6 - Secrets of the Blood, Spirits of the Sea - This was probably my favorite story of the series. I have always enjoyed "origin" type stories where we find out how a particular race came to be. I found myself really caught up in the story and thought the ending, while sad, was fantastic. After reading this one, I immediately went back and read it again. #7 - The Great Hunt - This is another story featuring Elaith and Arilyn. This time Danilo is absent and you get to witness the interaction between Arilyn and Elaith. On the surface they seem polar opposites but they have more in common than they care to admit. #8 - Speaking with the Dead - This is another entertaining story involving Danilo, Arilyn, and Elaith. This time Danilo comes to Elaith's rescue. I enjoyed the scene where you get to see a little of Elaith's persona behind the cool facade. #9 - Stolen Dreams - This the same story as "Speaking with the Dead", but from another characters point of view. You get some interesting back story on some

One of the Realms' Best

As a long time fan of Elaine Cunningham, I was delighted to see the release of this collection. This anthology was every bit as enjoyable as I had hoped. Catching up with some of my favorite characters from all of the Forgotten Realms was a real pleasure, as was revisiting the tales I had previously read in other anthologies. I was thrilled to see some of the loose ends from Thornhold tied up in "The Knights of Samular." I was glad to see the good hearted but naïve Algorind come into his own and the treacherous Sir Gareth revealed. I also loved the additional information on Ashemmi, one of my all-time favorite personalities in the Realms. "Answered Prayers" was an answer to my prayer that I would get a chance to see what became of Liriel. This story was fun, I particularly enjoyed the way Liriel handled the situation with the hunters. Also, Liriel's companions piqued my interest and certainly left me wanting more. Most important though, we see where Liriel is 10 years after Fyodor's death and how his death has shaped her life up to this point and the tough decision she has to make. Elaith Craulnober adds much to any tale and these are no exception. "The Great Hunt" gives us a rare glimpse of Elaith actually using magic, an ability that he often keeps hidden from others. This story also shows the depth of feeling Elaith has for Arilyn Moonblade, the daughter that should have been his. In "Games of Chance," we see Elaith's continued struggle with the moonblade that rejected him, and his hopes and fears for his daughter Azariah. This story further examines the dichotomy of Elaith's character and reminds us of how truly dangerous he is. "Fire is Fire" first appeared in the Threat from the Sea Antholgy and still stands as one of my favorite stories. Reading this one again was a joy, the dual perspective of the sahuagin warrior and the young mage was excellent. Seeing through the eyes of the sahuagin was an interesting experience, and to me it was quite amazing that Elaine could so easily step into such an alien mindset and make it feel real. Elaine Cunningham is an excellent author; the Songs and Swords, Starlight and Shadows, and Counselors and Kings trilogies are some of the best published in the Forgotten Realms setting. Her short stories are excellent, and this collection brings together the best of them along with some new tales that give us the opportunity to catch up with old friends.