The Cormyr Saga is a trilogy of novels written by three authors, Ed Greenwood, Jeff Grubb, and Troy Denning. It highlights the tumultuous last years of Azoun IV's reign of The Forest Kingdom as it faces a plethora of threats that could prove its doom. I read these all in January and February
2024.
Corymr by Ed Greenwood and Jeff Grubb (1998) - Exceptional
Beyond the High Road by Troy Denning (1999) - Acceptable
Death of the Dragon by Ed Greenwood and Troy Denning (2000) - Good
Cormyr: A Novel is book one in the trilogy, and is written by two giants of Realmslore, the creator Greenwood and original overseer Grubb (who I'm used to seeing write with his wife, Kate Novak).
This is the origin of the most powerful nation in Faerun, Cormyr. It’s also my favorite nation in the Forgotten Realms, I’ve read several books set in it, by Ed Greenwood, Jeff Grubb and Kate Novak, Erin M. Evans, Mel Odom, Scott Ciencin and more.
After the dedication and epigram, the book opens with a note about chronology. It mentions the naming of the years by Alaundo the Seer and also that Dale Reckoning is used in place of Cormyr Reckoning for the sake of the reader. 1 DR is -24 CR as the first Obarskyr king was crowned about a generation after the raising of the Standing Stone establishing the Dalelands.
The prologue opens with the dragon Thauglor in the Forest Country on the hunt. It is -400 DR, about 1700-1800 years before most Forgotten Realms events. It is the Age of Humanity, but that race has only barely made its way to the Dalelands, and Sembia would not be founded for another thousand years. At this point, Jhaamdath has not yet fallen and neither has Netheril. Though the latter will fall within the century and the former will follow a century after that. Elminster would not be born for six hundred years.
Mention of duskwoods on the second page followed by phandar, silver barks, shadowtops, felsul, manyroots and laspar tells us this is Greenwood’s Forgotten Realms, as the fictional trees found in a large chunk of the Realms are hardly mentioned by other authors.
Thauglor the Black hunts buffalo, nothing intelligent and so it’s not very enticing but we are shown the great wyrm’s dominion and lack of civilization, his standing alone. This in some way aligns the dragon with nature. This is expanded when a young wyrmling, a descendant of his, flies up to share the meal.
This is Kreston, “Spawn of Casarial out of Miranatol, grandchild of Hesior, blood of the mighty Thauglorimorgorus, the Black Doom.” And it is this Black Doom that is so ancient his scales are beginning to turn somewhat violet.
But he may have found the start to his own doom, an elf is in the Forest Country, and where one elf is surely there will be more.
This portion of the narrative largely follows Ondeth Obarskyr of Impiltur, but his name should tell you he will become important (for those unaware, Obarskyr is the royal family of Cormyr). He with his wife Suzara, and his sons Rhiiman and Faerlthann, and his brothers Andar and Villiam. They arrived via Marsember, apparently a port town at the time, and homestead in what will become Suzail. Ondeth is a good man, but can he prevent all strife with the local elves?
The story also coincides with the late second edition timeline of the Forgotten Realms. Chapter 1 is set in 1369 DR on the sunset of Azoun IV’s reign, and the vying for succession is getting heated.
We catch up to Azoun IV hunting in the King’s Forest. He has a couple old compatriots and one young guard named Aunadar Bleth. The rest of the party is a mile away on the prowl, maybe for the legendary Ghost Stag that only the king may hunt.
Bleth himself is favored by Queen Filfaeril and the crown princess, Tanalasta. He doesn’t immediately become a suspicious character but isn’t openly disliked either. Though Tanalasta largely comes off as a child in a woman’s body, she’s just a tool for manipulation. Vangey, Royal Mage, is essentially the main character.
The two royal cousins at the start are Duke Bhereu Ammaeth of High Horn and Baron Thomdor Ammaeth of Arabel. I don’t see how one could have such a low rank, especially as being Warden of Eastern Marches. I feel he should be at least a Marchion which is the equivalent of a Marquis or Margrave and it’s just below Duke in rank, while Baron is very low in ranks of nobility. And being over the Easter Marches implies he is a Marchion, as "marches" is where the title comes from.
Other characters include Iliphar Nelneuve, Lord of Scepters. He leads the elves going into the Forest Country and acts like he owns the place. He showcases a feud between dragons and elves that really put both sides as having good arguments. Neither is good nor evil, so much. The last couple sentences of his introduction connected with me more.
Mistinarperadnacles, or Mist, from the novel Azure Bonds, makes a cameo as does Giogi Wyvernspur from that series and star of The Wyvern’s Spur. As do royal swords Symylazzar, Ansrivarr, Orbyn, etc.
Alea, an elf, showcases the racial prejudices that crop up in the Realms. Baerauble Etharr is a supposed civilized man next to the barbaric humans the elves war against. He’s also an ancestor of Vangerdahast. There’s also Gantharla, Itharl, Sagrast, Amedahast, Thanderahast, Elvarin, Emthrara, et al.
When Alusair is introduced she is hunting swine-nosed orcs in the Stonelands. These orcs are guilty of raiding a caravan east of Eveningstar. She’s fierce and loyal. I really like her, she reminds me some of Raedra. I may need to seek out novels she stars in as she is not in this one as much as I'd like.
Also, we get some scripture for the church of Malar, the Beastlord. We see the sword Symylazarr. The lore bits Greenwood always deliveries!
We get to see this is far from Cormyr’s first crisis. Can a kingdom only last so long because of strong magics protecting it? This is a true epic, telling the founding of a nation and people and full of politics. A great ending with surprising developments. It’d work as a standalone too but does connect well with the next two.
This reminded me of the later politicking in Brimstone Angels series my Erin M. Evans. The grand scope and information it gives you in Cormyr makes this a good place to start too, though there are of course several others. It also has the best usage of Red Wizards I’ve seen yet. Overall, an Exceptional read.
“Key’anna de Cormyr”
We guard this wooded land.
Beyond the High Road is by Troy Denning, the only one in the series with a single author and easily the weakest.
A Paladin of Torm is on the hunt for a criminal. This man has slaughtered many Purple Dragons and turns out it’s more of a monster, a vampire or maybe something worse. This Paladin is a member of the Sleeping Sword, a group of warrior nobles essentially in fugue and only woken when a prophecy concerning the doom of Cormyr needs to be addressed.
After this encounter we are brought to heir-apparent, Princess Tanalasta. She’s working on getting married so she can produce an heir. She is almost thirty-six years old, and after the close call in the previous book, she is taking her birthright more seriously.
It’s now 1370 DR, the following year of the Abraxis Affair from book one.
She’s changed much, a hint of this showing at the end of Cormyr. Now she is pursued by suitors and is much more capable of reading their intent. She must find someone sincerely hoping for the good of the realm and hopefully someone she does love or can.
She bashed heads with Vangerdahast, who she has little patience for though he’s the most trustworthy servant of King Azoun and Queen Filfaeril. Particularly where the key suitor is concerned, Donnath, son of the duke who is of Warden of the East Marches.
She’s also turned to primary worship of Chauntea, goddess of harvest. This seems an odd choice for the royal family, and is met with disapproval by them. It does make sense as the land is facing blight.
There is a great amount of Forest Kingdom nobility, even a brief appearance of Kay and Giogi Wyvernspur who played a pivotal role in the first book and the earlier The Wyvern’s Spur (though this isn’t necessary to read before Beyond the High Road).
I’m not a huge fan of how Denning treats Vangey, it’s similar to how Karen Traviss treats Dr. Halsey in her Halo novels but not as bad.
But the ghazneth is a very interesting and unique enemy. Also, the Sleeping Sword is awesome though we get little of it. There is also some understanding of the Realms and morality that other authors don’t grasp, such as a conversation on evil elves where it’s made clear not just drow can be evil. It’d be better if they had said not all drow were evil too, but still, it was nice.
We also get a look at ancient elven language, which is a nice treat. Also more Cormyrean history. It’s also more sexual than most Forgotten Realms novels, even a sex ceremony of Chauntea called the Seed Ceremony for conception purposes shows up.
Not my favorite by Denning but not his worst. Some nice moments but I look forward to Greenwood having some of the reins in book 3. I enjoyed book 1 more. Also while the first can stand alone this feels like setup for book three. There is some fun mystery and good action too. It's Acceptable.
The final volume, Death of the Dragon, is explosive and conclusive.
This is a follow-up to book two.
This one starts with Alusair, the adventuring Princess of Cormyr, the second child of King Azoun IV and Queen Filfaeril. She is searching for Rowan Cormaeril as he is important to the heir to the throne. But where is Rowan?
She stumbles upon more ancient things dealing with elves and the ghazneth, terrifying creatures made after betraying Cormyr, including old King Boldovar the Mad and Suzara of which Suzail.
Tanalasta is still in the north in danger and King Azoun goes to war. While Vangey is missing. The royal family goes through some changes and it’s sweet to see their love for each other during this difficult time. Tanalasta is also more likable than she was in book two and so is Vangey. This is probably some of Greenwood’s influence. Alaphondar is also present.
Nalavarauthatoryl is an enemy that comes to light, the dragon in question and key to the plot and future of Cormyr. We see her home plan full of goblins that feed the Goblin War.
Again it is somewhat sexual at times, or has nonchalant nudity the Realms is somewhat known for. But it’s also dark, somewhat melancholic and bittersweet. There is some great character development and things on display. Besides greed for power we have sacrifice and forgiveness.
I very much enjoyed the ending of this one, though overall the first book is the best. Lots of changes bringing the Realms from 2e to 3e in this one, but only politically, not cosmologically as was the case in 1e to 2e. Overall this inspired my current campaign I've been running for nigh on a year, set during the same time period in eastern Cormyr. It's a GOOD series, at least give the first one a try.
