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Dungeons & Dragons: The Fallbacks: Bound for Ruin
Meet the newest Dungeons & Dragons party in the first epic adventure of The Fallbacks.
To become renowned adventurers, this party needs to survive their first job.
Tessalynde is an ambitious young rogue who dreams of leading Faerûn’s foremost adventuring party. While the crew she’s gathered isn’t the stuff of legend yet, she’s confident her guidance can get them there.
The Anson, a fighter too stubborn to stay down, even when the odds are stacked against him. Cazrin, a self-taught wizard determined to test her theoretical mettle against the real world. Baldric, a cleric who refuses to tie himself to a single deity when he can trade favors with them all. Lark, a bard with as many secrets as songs. And, of course, Uggie, a monstrous pet otyugh who loves giving hugs and eating trash.
Their first recovering a mysterious spellbook from a lost temple for a hefty payout. Tess hopes this assignment can turn her group of fledgling freelancers into a true team. But when their client is killed, their coin and his murderer both vanish, leaving the party to take the fall.
Stuck with a sentient, bloodthirsty grimoire and pursued by mercenaries and the undead, this is hardly the mission Tess envisioned. Her crew must save the day, get the gold, and clear the party’s name—which they haven’t even agreed upon yet! With the threats against them mounting, a single mistake will see this party over before it even begins.
Can this band of mismatched misfits stay together in the face of danger? Or are they bound for ruin?
To become renowned adventurers, this party needs to survive their first job.
Tessalynde is an ambitious young rogue who dreams of leading Faerûn’s foremost adventuring party. While the crew she’s gathered isn’t the stuff of legend yet, she’s confident her guidance can get them there.
The Anson, a fighter too stubborn to stay down, even when the odds are stacked against him. Cazrin, a self-taught wizard determined to test her theoretical mettle against the real world. Baldric, a cleric who refuses to tie himself to a single deity when he can trade favors with them all. Lark, a bard with as many secrets as songs. And, of course, Uggie, a monstrous pet otyugh who loves giving hugs and eating trash.
Their first recovering a mysterious spellbook from a lost temple for a hefty payout. Tess hopes this assignment can turn her group of fledgling freelancers into a true team. But when their client is killed, their coin and his murderer both vanish, leaving the party to take the fall.
Stuck with a sentient, bloodthirsty grimoire and pursued by mercenaries and the undead, this is hardly the mission Tess envisioned. Her crew must save the day, get the gold, and clear the party’s name—which they haven’t even agreed upon yet! With the threats against them mounting, a single mistake will see this party over before it even begins.
Can this band of mismatched misfits stay together in the face of danger? Or are they bound for ruin?
304 pages, Hardcover
First published March 5, 2024
About the author
Jaleigh Johnson
31 books288 followersJaleigh Johnson lives and writes in the wilds of the Midwest. Her middle grade debut novel The Mark of the Dragonfly is a New York Times bestseller. Her other books from Delacorte Press include The Secrets of Solace, The Quest to the Uncharted Lands, and The Door to the Lost. She has also written fiction for Dungeons and Dragons, Marvel, and Assassin's Creed. Johnson is an avid gamer and lifelong geek.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
November 29, 2023
Huge thanks to Random House Worlds for the advanced copy!
I'm a big fan of anything fantasy, and doubly so when it has "Dungeons & Dragons" printed somewhere on the cover, so when I got the chance to review The Fallbacks: Bound for Ruin, I was HYPED. And all I can say is: this did not disappoint.
Tessalynde (Tess to her friends) dreams of putting together Faerûn's best adventuring party. She already has Anson the fighter at her side, as well as Uggie the otyugh, and goes to recruit three more members to balance the party: Cazrin the wizard, Baldric the (unorthodox) cleric, and Lark the bard. Together they take on their first quest in hopes of lauching their reputation as Faerûn's new greatest adventurers, but of course, things don't quite go as planned, and it's up to them to save both their reputation and their lives.
It's a character-driven story with little conflict between party members, which is honestly refreshing. Everyone gets their turn in the spotlight, so if you're like me and ready to give your credit card info to Lark with no strings attached (I was hooked on his character from the moment he showed up, sue me), you'll get some chapters from his point of view, as well as everyone else's. And I mean everyone. Uggie's chapters are works of genius adding vital character and depth to everyone on the team.
One of the things that made Honor Among Thieves one of my favorite movies ever was how it felt like I was watching a D&D campaign play out, and the same can be said for this book. It feels like a group of friends made a D&D group and played through a campaign. If you like Critical Role or Dimension 20, you'll love The Fallbacks.
I'm a big fan of anything fantasy, and doubly so when it has "Dungeons & Dragons" printed somewhere on the cover, so when I got the chance to review The Fallbacks: Bound for Ruin, I was HYPED. And all I can say is: this did not disappoint.
Tessalynde (Tess to her friends) dreams of putting together Faerûn's best adventuring party. She already has Anson the fighter at her side, as well as Uggie the otyugh, and goes to recruit three more members to balance the party: Cazrin the wizard, Baldric the (unorthodox) cleric, and Lark the bard. Together they take on their first quest in hopes of lauching their reputation as Faerûn's new greatest adventurers, but of course, things don't quite go as planned, and it's up to them to save both their reputation and their lives.
It's a character-driven story with little conflict between party members, which is honestly refreshing. Everyone gets their turn in the spotlight, so if you're like me and ready to give your credit card info to Lark with no strings attached (I was hooked on his character from the moment he showed up, sue me), you'll get some chapters from his point of view, as well as everyone else's. And I mean everyone. Uggie's chapters are works of genius adding vital character and depth to everyone on the team.
One of the things that made Honor Among Thieves one of my favorite movies ever was how it felt like I was watching a D&D campaign play out, and the same can be said for this book. It feels like a group of friends made a D&D group and played through a campaign. If you like Critical Role or Dimension 20, you'll love The Fallbacks.
July 5, 2024
This was pretty fun. As soon as I saw this was by Jaleigh Johnson, I knew I had to read it given how much I loved her Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves: The Road to Neverwinter. While this didn't hit the same highs, it still fun if you're looking for a fantasy adventure romp.
March 11, 2024
This was fine, nothing really more than that. It was a fun adventure with familiar locations and cool enemies, but everything felt very surface level. It felt like a "safe" book, like they wanted to put out another DnD book but didn't want to take any risks with it. Glad I read it though!
May 8, 2024
two stars felt harsh but three seems a touch generous. it was a decently fun read for the most part, but there were things i could have done without: Bards—after feeling slightly under utilized—now feel overexposed, especially in central roles. i also chafed a bit at how “inside sports” some of the writing was: the thief doesn’t just constantly check for traps, she has to tell us she is constantly checking for traps. combined with the adventuring party calling itself an adventuring party, everyone openly talking about healing potions and magic items and so on …. it was a dash too self aware. how the party comes together, the characters and their backgrounds, is all fine, if occasionally clunky. i love D&D but if this is the new standard for how they build their books, …
April 20, 2024
2.5 rounded to 3
I picked this book up because some friends and I are going to be playing D&D soon. While the story was good, and the characters were likeable this book was kinda meh for me.
This was a quick and easy read that had me wanting more. I would put this book at an easy young adult level.
I wanted this to be more in-depth, less surface level. This book felt safe, like there were no chances being taken. It felt easy, but I guess I wasn’t looking for easy when I picked this up.
The world of D&D is familiar to me, but this book felt like a soft introduction to it all. Maybe they are hoping to bring in new readers? But for some of us who know the world it was a little bit of a let down.
I sadly won’t be continuing the series, and honestly I don’t think I will pick up anymore novels about D&D.
I picked this book up because some friends and I are going to be playing D&D soon. While the story was good, and the characters were likeable this book was kinda meh for me.
This was a quick and easy read that had me wanting more. I would put this book at an easy young adult level.
I wanted this to be more in-depth, less surface level. This book felt safe, like there were no chances being taken. It felt easy, but I guess I wasn’t looking for easy when I picked this up.
The world of D&D is familiar to me, but this book felt like a soft introduction to it all. Maybe they are hoping to bring in new readers? But for some of us who know the world it was a little bit of a let down.
I sadly won’t be continuing the series, and honestly I don’t think I will pick up anymore novels about D&D.
August 31, 2024
Better than I expected, loved how the cleric worked and how the party came together over time
June 3, 2024
I won this ARC on twitter. As someone who plays D&D I was excited to see what would come of this.
I think the author can write, and I her characters.
That being said, if you're looking for depth or a strong fantasy you're not going to find it here. This is more for newbies or people who don't quite understand how D&D works. I can tell what bits were what if played in a normal game - what rolls, what spells, why this and this was done instead of that. And in my opinion, it took away the fun and mystery of what could happen in the story.
So, if you never read a D&D book before you'll enjoy this a lot more than I did. It's more of a 2 star read, but I gave it 3 because of novelty of it all.
I think the author can write, and I her characters.
That being said, if you're looking for depth or a strong fantasy you're not going to find it here. This is more for newbies or people who don't quite understand how D&D works. I can tell what bits were what if played in a normal game - what rolls, what spells, why this and this was done instead of that. And in my opinion, it took away the fun and mystery of what could happen in the story.
So, if you never read a D&D book before you'll enjoy this a lot more than I did. It's more of a 2 star read, but I gave it 3 because of novelty of it all.
June 16, 2024
A lighthearted fantasy adventure perfect for DND lovers! This book was fun, fast-paced (read in one day), with a ragtag group of characters that you can’t help but love! Dare I say this is cozy-fantasy adjacent?
March 20, 2024
Good fun! An enjoyable and lighthearted story that read well during a few days on vacation. Nothing particularly original (a new party learns to work together as they explore some of the better known areas in the Forgotten Realms) but paced well enough with likeable characters.
It looks to be the first in a series. Might be back for another adventure for a future vacation!
It looks to be the first in a series. Might be back for another adventure for a future vacation!
March 26, 2024
Solid forgotten realms novel with good characters, plot and integration of dnd concepts
September 24, 2024
Full of three-dimensional characters from the beginning, rib breaking humour from the start, daring do and epic world building! :D
February 3, 2024
I received an advanced copy. Started off and remained fast paced. I definitely needed to refer back to the cover art because you are introduced to quite a few characters in the first few pages. Each of the characters is lovable and it's a fun and enjoyable read. This was my first time reading any D&D books and I was able to follow along easily.
March 23, 2024
My first book by Jaleigh Johnson, and it's a good one!
It is a straightforward adventure story set in D&D's Forgotten Realms setting, and it introduces us to a likeable cast of misfit adventurers.
The story moves along at a breezy pace, giving glimpses into the characters' pasts and dropping some little hints about them, probably to be expanded upon in later stories. The overall plot is nothing really shocking, but good enough to have kept me reading to find out what happened next.
All in all, it read like a fun and upbeat adventure story, the tone not unlike the recent D&D Honor Among Thieves movie. And I hope we see more of the Fallbacks in further stories.
Also, I did not know what an Otyugh was before reading this, but Uggie is precious and must be protected at all costs.
It is a straightforward adventure story set in D&D's Forgotten Realms setting, and it introduces us to a likeable cast of misfit adventurers.
The story moves along at a breezy pace, giving glimpses into the characters' pasts and dropping some little hints about them, probably to be expanded upon in later stories. The overall plot is nothing really shocking, but good enough to have kept me reading to find out what happened next.
All in all, it read like a fun and upbeat adventure story, the tone not unlike the recent D&D Honor Among Thieves movie. And I hope we see more of the Fallbacks in further stories.
Also, I did not know what an Otyugh was before reading this, but Uggie is precious and must be protected at all costs.
Read
June 9, 2024This was a fun read about a bunch of imperfect people (two humans, an elf, a dwarf, and a tiefling) coming together to form an adventuring party, only to find themselves in the middle of some high-stakes action as they try to come together as a team. Each character has a personal backstory that highlights the obstacles they must face in order to learn how to trust other members and themselves to do what needs to be done. I assume this is going to be a series because the story definitely ends with plenty of plot hooks to explore.
The novel takes place in the Forgotten Realms, although that term shows up nowhere on the cover or title page.
The novel takes place in the Forgotten Realms, although that term shows up nowhere on the cover or title page.
Read
May 2, 2024A bit middle of the road, tame story with fairly predictable outcomes but overall entertaining. Does a lot of telling and not showing, especially with how the characters perceived each other. Great, well done characters, great plot, engaging dialogue, and as a DND player I enjoyed it, but for how tame and safe it felt, I found myself disengaging from the storyline sometimes.
I did really enjoy the Faerun name drops and that was sometimes the most exciting part of this book, but that's just a predictable outcome to the kind of nerd I am about these things lol
Would recommend for an early YA audience, or highschool level DND enthusiasts.
I did really enjoy the Faerun name drops and that was sometimes the most exciting part of this book, but that's just a predictable outcome to the kind of nerd I am about these things lol
Would recommend for an early YA audience, or highschool level DND enthusiasts.
May 2, 2024
These were the kind of tropey pulp books I grew up reading as a kid. I've read countless D&D books set in the Forgotten Realms, but it has been a long time since I have done so. The Fallbacks is a light breezy read that feels familiar as a Dungeons & Dragons party is put together to do a job and are forced to overcome one unfortunate mishap after another. I had pretty low expectations for this book, and I can actually report that this book was just executed what it was meant to be. By the end of this short novel the author is able to make all the characters in the party memorable and she was able to capture some witty banter similar to the D&D movie that was recently released. While some of it didn't quite land I have to admit, a couple of times I did chuckle. I would say the strength of this novel is the ending as the author describes a final battle that was fast, visceral, and rewarding. I almost gave this book 4 stars because of it, but I couldn't quite get there. The prose of this book was fine, but nothing exceptional, on par with what you would expect out of a property licensed book, but I thought it was good enough. You get to read about some iconic places from the Forgotten Realms which is D&D's main setting, and I think they handled the magic system of D&D, which can be quite cumbersome to describe, with a deft hand. If you are a hardcore D&D fan then I would recommend this one...if not you can skip it, there's better fantasy out there. This one was at least fun. C+
May 13, 2024
Alright, I would have given this book 5 stars out of 5 before I even read it, just because of what I envisioned with the cover and the blurb alone.
And holy Otyugh did it rise up to my expectations. Johnson perfectly entwines what it feels to play in a campaign with a written fantasy story. To people who have yet to play D&D, this book is what it feels to play the game. And to people who already play the game, it feels as a written down version of somebody's campaign (in all the good ways!).
Here's hoping this turns into a series!
And holy Otyugh did it rise up to my expectations. Johnson perfectly entwines what it feels to play in a campaign with a written fantasy story. To people who have yet to play D&D, this book is what it feels to play the game. And to people who already play the game, it feels as a written down version of somebody's campaign (in all the good ways!).
Here's hoping this turns into a series!
April 10, 2024
This book is just a charming little time. It's far more in line with modern takes on D&D, especially the Honor Among Thieves film. I'm always going to be a sucker for a story about a group of loveable idiots becoming a found family after a heist gone wrong, and this doesn't disappoint. It's just a fun party of adventurers in the run from a vengeful lich while tooling around a bunch of famous locations in Faerun. I'd come back for more.
March 22, 2024
Unmemorable characters. Considering this is a fantasy setting already fully fleshed out, the characters and adventure were totally underwhelming. I expected meeting a new Drizzat or Elminister but found Uggy my favorite POV.
March 25, 2024
The Fallbacks feels like a spiritual successor to Jaleigh Johnson’s previous Forgotten Realms novel, Road to Neverwinter; both books are about the beginnings of an adventuring group, the leader of which is led by a rogue of some sort, and comedy is a big focus. However, I think Road to Neverwinter does it better. I didn’t hate this book by any means, but it was lacking in many areas.
First, what did I like? The portable tavern was really cool. It wasn’t a new idea by any means, but it’s still a fun thing to incorporate into the story. I really liked Anson’s character, I thought he was the most intriguing of them all. And I loved the casual queer representation, it seems like Wizards of the Coast is pushing for a more queer-normative world in their novels, which is wonderful. I wish one of the main characters was queer (although I’m not sure that Lark isn’t), but still.
What didn’t I like? The plot wasn’t super engaging. It was interesting at first, but it wasn’t developed as much as I would have liked. I think much of that has to do with the characters, which is my next point. Cazrin is the central character of this novel. In terms of the actual plot, she is the main character. And yet, she gets very little actual development. She learns to trust her friends over her pursuit of knowledge, but it doesn’t feel like she really changed all that much by the end. We don’t get to see her struggles throughout the journey. The other characters are fine, but they also don’t get much development. Lark and Baldric have interesting character traits (Baldric especially), but neither of them have an arc of any sort.
Tess and Anson are the only two that I feel get proper development. Tess grows slowly throughout the novel until the end, where we get this beautiful line: “It had taken Tess a while to understand why she’d been last, but in the end she believed that was the way it was always supposed to be. She would never have been able to feel fully at home in the tavern if the rest of the group didn’t also feel they belonged there together. She couldn’t be the party’s leader if there wasn’t a party to lead.” By the end of the novel, I feel like we have gotten to know Tess and we can see a very clear arc. She’s the only one who has a true arc.
Anson doesn’t get an arc, but he is the most complex out of the whole cast. He has an interesting past which informs his unique worldview which brings an interesting perspective to the table. We don’t explore it much, but it’s obviously there. If this becomes a series, I’m hoping more focus will be directed on Anson.
In short, Johnson should have focused on two or three central characters and their journeys instead of trying to tell all of their stories. With such a plot-heavy book, it’s hard to also tell an ensemble-driven story, and this is a good example for why that is. This isn’t a bad book by any means. It’s a good setup for a series, but it doesn’t deliver on many character moments that I wish it did.
First, what did I like? The portable tavern was really cool. It wasn’t a new idea by any means, but it’s still a fun thing to incorporate into the story. I really liked Anson’s character, I thought he was the most intriguing of them all. And I loved the casual queer representation, it seems like Wizards of the Coast is pushing for a more queer-normative world in their novels, which is wonderful. I wish one of the main characters was queer (although I’m not sure that Lark isn’t), but still.
What didn’t I like? The plot wasn’t super engaging. It was interesting at first, but it wasn’t developed as much as I would have liked. I think much of that has to do with the characters, which is my next point. Cazrin is the central character of this novel. In terms of the actual plot, she is the main character. And yet, she gets very little actual development. She learns to trust her friends over her pursuit of knowledge, but it doesn’t feel like she really changed all that much by the end. We don’t get to see her struggles throughout the journey. The other characters are fine, but they also don’t get much development. Lark and Baldric have interesting character traits (Baldric especially), but neither of them have an arc of any sort.
Tess and Anson are the only two that I feel get proper development. Tess grows slowly throughout the novel until the end, where we get this beautiful line: “It had taken Tess a while to understand why she’d been last, but in the end she believed that was the way it was always supposed to be. She would never have been able to feel fully at home in the tavern if the rest of the group didn’t also feel they belonged there together. She couldn’t be the party’s leader if there wasn’t a party to lead.” By the end of the novel, I feel like we have gotten to know Tess and we can see a very clear arc. She’s the only one who has a true arc.
Anson doesn’t get an arc, but he is the most complex out of the whole cast. He has an interesting past which informs his unique worldview which brings an interesting perspective to the table. We don’t explore it much, but it’s obviously there. If this becomes a series, I’m hoping more focus will be directed on Anson.
In short, Johnson should have focused on two or three central characters and their journeys instead of trying to tell all of their stories. With such a plot-heavy book, it’s hard to also tell an ensemble-driven story, and this is a good example for why that is. This isn’t a bad book by any means. It’s a good setup for a series, but it doesn’t deliver on many character moments that I wish it did.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 15, 2024
TLDR: Do you want a book to introduce you to D&D? Then this book is for you. If not is probably a pass.
When I was a kid in the 90s reading D&D books I was always confused why they were Fantasy Stories without any elements of the Game Engine.
This book does just that and I understand now why they didn't do that before. It feels wrong and reads at a lower level.
If I had this book when I was a kid I probably would have loved it and given it 5 stars chomping at the bit for the next. Instead I had problems with immersion and connection to the story and characters. As for a sequel, I would probably still read it, but with lower expectations now that I know the style.
The Positives:
Do you want to read people playing D&D? Then this book is absolutely for you.
The Characters are likable and the chapters from their perspectives really help to flesh them out and is one of my favorite writing styles. Especially when their view reveals misconceptions that they or the other characters have.
The most enjoyable chapters are the Otyugh's. They open an entirely different writing style and what I imagine a Dog's POV is like. When I read the first chapter from her POV was when I moved this book into the like category.
The Magic Inn and how it changes and why where also highlights.
0 clerical errors!!! Amazing!!! I don't know if I have read a book in the last 5 years that did this.
The Negatives:
The game engine being evident in the writing.
The story is basically tiny Lord of the Rings. They have an item and have to go to where it was created to destroy it to prevent it being captured by ultimate unkillable evil. It also corrupts the bearer.
Lark: I don't know if he is supposed to be an unlikable character, but I expected his chapters or by the end of the book that I would begin to like him, but instead I was hoping he just left or was killed. If he is supposed to be a heel or represent "That Player" then congratulations you nailed that archetype, but I'm just not sure that was the intent.
When I was a kid in the 90s reading D&D books I was always confused why they were Fantasy Stories without any elements of the Game Engine.
This book does just that and I understand now why they didn't do that before. It feels wrong and reads at a lower level.
If I had this book when I was a kid I probably would have loved it and given it 5 stars chomping at the bit for the next. Instead I had problems with immersion and connection to the story and characters. As for a sequel, I would probably still read it, but with lower expectations now that I know the style.
The Positives:
Do you want to read people playing D&D? Then this book is absolutely for you.
The Characters are likable and the chapters from their perspectives really help to flesh them out and is one of my favorite writing styles. Especially when their view reveals misconceptions that they or the other characters have.
The most enjoyable chapters are the Otyugh's. They open an entirely different writing style and what I imagine a Dog's POV is like. When I read the first chapter from her POV was when I moved this book into the like category.
The Magic Inn and how it changes and why where also highlights.
0 clerical errors!!! Amazing!!! I don't know if I have read a book in the last 5 years that did this.
The Negatives:
The game engine being evident in the writing.
The story is basically tiny Lord of the Rings. They have an item and have to go to where it was created to destroy it to prevent it being captured by ultimate unkillable evil. It also corrupts the bearer.
Lark: I don't know if he is supposed to be an unlikable character, but I expected his chapters or by the end of the book that I would begin to like him, but instead I was hoping he just left or was killed. If he is supposed to be a heel or represent "That Player" then congratulations you nailed that archetype, but I'm just not sure that was the intent.
March 27, 2024
I loved reading this book. I started to play D&D with my son this year, and his explanations about the characters that we pick to play never made much sense to me. Now I understand what the various roles of the players are, because the characters in the book were so well described and how they each contributed to the adventuring party. Tess did a great job of finding a party that could work well together, and help each other become the best they each could be in their specialized fields. At first I just thought they were a bunch of misfits that couldn't hack it with other groups, weather it was their families, or other adventuring parties. When Cazrin stated that she felt seen by the members of the group, that was when I started to better understand that even though they weren't necessarily understood by their families or other groups they had found their people, the ones who really got them as themselves. The inclusion of Uggie was one of my favorite parts of the story. Even though she's not a main character I think she adds some necessary humor, and a unique perspective of what's happening in the story. It's also so cute how some of the party try to pretend that they don't really like her, when it's pretty clear that they do. I'd recommend this book to anyone who might be interested in reading about the fascinating world of D&D. It was a great into to this genre at least for me.
April 26, 2024
A short book packed with D&D tropes that bad players love, and cringe filler. The main character that the world revolves around has monsters giving her helpful advice right before being defeated, and a miniature non-stinky otyugh pet, that is as intelligent and non-monstery as needed, that just fell in love with her because, again, world revolves around her. A clotheshorse bard, a cleric that doesn't dedicate himself to anyone since every god is willing to throw their aid behind him, and a kleptomaniac rogue, because of course.
I'd hoped to take a break from oft badly written, anime inspired, gamelit to something better crafted and more sensible, but boy was my choice of this book a mistake.
The otyugh is right out of a bad little kid anime, and was CONSTANTLY being referenced. I'm just surprised it didn't have a catch phrase like PIKA! PIKA!
The book was meant to be humorous, but it isn't. To someone PLAYING a kleptomaniac rogue it can feel funny, but to someone READING about it, it's just dumb and childish without a skilled author portraying it in a humorous manner, and this author just doesn't do it.
Similarly everything else, from the dungeon, city, magic and characters feels like boxes being checked and superficial, not presented in at all in a way to be enjoyable.
I'd hoped to take a break from oft badly written, anime inspired, gamelit to something better crafted and more sensible, but boy was my choice of this book a mistake.
The otyugh is right out of a bad little kid anime, and was CONSTANTLY being referenced. I'm just surprised it didn't have a catch phrase like PIKA! PIKA!
The book was meant to be humorous, but it isn't. To someone PLAYING a kleptomaniac rogue it can feel funny, but to someone READING about it, it's just dumb and childish without a skilled author portraying it in a humorous manner, and this author just doesn't do it.
Similarly everything else, from the dungeon, city, magic and characters feels like boxes being checked and superficial, not presented in at all in a way to be enjoyable.
June 19, 2024
a solid 3.5 stars! like this book was good but there was nothing special about it necessarily ya know?
i liked the characters. they reminded me of the cast of balders gate. lark reminded me a lot of astation and he was maybe one of my favorite characters. i also likes the wizard but i forgot how to spell her name lol. i’m curious about the stories of the characters. this book set up a lot of background questions for everyone that i would be curious to see if they get answered if this book series continues
the story itself was okay. it was very journey. which was good but at times very slow. also like previously mentioned this book leaves a lot of questions and plot to be explored in a future book. yet it still felt like a complete story if you didn’t want to read more.
this book isn’t for everyone but i think most people could enjoy it if they like fantasy. i would say tho it’s best for people with a background/ knowledge of dungeons and dragons (or related lore such a balders gate) because this book assumes you know the setting and lore already! but if thats your jam i think you might like this book! its an easy dnd themed read!
i will say tho.. i hated that it assumed you knew the lore but then repeated background lore stuff at the same time? like it assumes i know waterdeep but then like mentions how their an adventure group several times? it was a weird balance
i liked the characters. they reminded me of the cast of balders gate. lark reminded me a lot of astation and he was maybe one of my favorite characters. i also likes the wizard but i forgot how to spell her name lol. i’m curious about the stories of the characters. this book set up a lot of background questions for everyone that i would be curious to see if they get answered if this book series continues
the story itself was okay. it was very journey. which was good but at times very slow. also like previously mentioned this book leaves a lot of questions and plot to be explored in a future book. yet it still felt like a complete story if you didn’t want to read more.
this book isn’t for everyone but i think most people could enjoy it if they like fantasy. i would say tho it’s best for people with a background/ knowledge of dungeons and dragons (or related lore such a balders gate) because this book assumes you know the setting and lore already! but if thats your jam i think you might like this book! its an easy dnd themed read!
i will say tho.. i hated that it assumed you knew the lore but then repeated background lore stuff at the same time? like it assumes i know waterdeep but then like mentions how their an adventure group several times? it was a weird balance
August 16, 2024
““Does that sound odd? To have a book for a friend?” “Not at all.” Tess had read some books in her time that had become lifelong friends. It was always a comfort to revisit them.”
The Fallbacks: Bound for Ruin, set in the Dungeons & Dragons universe, tells the story of a eclectic group of adventurers that want to be world famous. Their biggest obstacle? Making it out of their first mission alive and finding trust in each other along the way.
This book was a delightful and fun read. Fast paced with unique characters, I really enjoyed this book. I have never played DnD but have watched plenty of Critical Role and this was spot on with the feel and flow of what happens when you play/watch that game. I felt I was sitting at the DnD table playing along as I read this book.
You don’t need to be a DnD fan or even have to know what that is to enjoy this book. It is just pure fantasy fun. Wonderful themes of trust, friendship, and loyalty are all throughout this novel. If you just want a quick funny, fun, adventurous read, pretty good book to pick up. I hope the author continues with these characters because they grew on me the longer I read. Would love to see what they get up to next.
For parents, no sexuality, very little language, and some violence, makes this a fun book that Teens can enjoy. Happy Reading!
The Fallbacks: Bound for Ruin, set in the Dungeons & Dragons universe, tells the story of a eclectic group of adventurers that want to be world famous. Their biggest obstacle? Making it out of their first mission alive and finding trust in each other along the way.
This book was a delightful and fun read. Fast paced with unique characters, I really enjoyed this book. I have never played DnD but have watched plenty of Critical Role and this was spot on with the feel and flow of what happens when you play/watch that game. I felt I was sitting at the DnD table playing along as I read this book.
You don’t need to be a DnD fan or even have to know what that is to enjoy this book. It is just pure fantasy fun. Wonderful themes of trust, friendship, and loyalty are all throughout this novel. If you just want a quick funny, fun, adventurous read, pretty good book to pick up. I hope the author continues with these characters because they grew on me the longer I read. Would love to see what they get up to next.
For parents, no sexuality, very little language, and some violence, makes this a fun book that Teens can enjoy. Happy Reading!
April 30, 2024
The first Dungeons and Dragons novel starring a completely new set of characters for a while, if you exclude the middle grade Dungeon Academy books, this is something which has been needed for a while. Lately all DnD novels have been continuations of long standing series, such as R.A. Salvatore's Drizzt novels or the new Weis and Hickman Dragonlance novels, and while these have been a joy to read there has been a distinct sense of DnD novels winding down a bit.
During the 90s and early 2000s there was a crazy proliferation of DnD novels, there seemed like there was always something new on the shelves to read, this stream dwindled down to a couple of releases a year in recent times. Not that long ago, however, Jaleigh Johnson had already given us a treat in the shape of a Honor Among Thieves tie-in novel which was really fun and captured the spirit of the movie really well.
That is very much the mood that Johnson brings to this new novel, with a whole new party, full of whimsical characters with dark secrets in their past, mixing fun action with more emotional beats and some good comedy. I mean the party has a pet Otyugh. And easy read and a fun novel, I'd like more of this please.
During the 90s and early 2000s there was a crazy proliferation of DnD novels, there seemed like there was always something new on the shelves to read, this stream dwindled down to a couple of releases a year in recent times. Not that long ago, however, Jaleigh Johnson had already given us a treat in the shape of a Honor Among Thieves tie-in novel which was really fun and captured the spirit of the movie really well.
That is very much the mood that Johnson brings to this new novel, with a whole new party, full of whimsical characters with dark secrets in their past, mixing fun action with more emotional beats and some good comedy. I mean the party has a pet Otyugh. And easy read and a fun novel, I'd like more of this please.
September 2, 2024
I really like Jaleigh Johnson’s tie-in novel for the 2023 DND film. It was incredibly good, mores so than I ever expected. I saw this at target, with its excellent wrap-around painted cover and had to check it out.
It’s a decent story. Like the film it’s a light-hearted take on the familiar forgotten realms setting, compared to the more epic take of RA Salvatore or dark take of Baldur’s Gate 3.
It starts out very strongly. It’s chaotic and fun. As it goes on it’s a decent adventure. It’s light with a Saturday morning cartoon feel, but with some PG-13 violence.
Ultimately, it falls short of the heights the tie-in novel reached. The characters are okay, some more unique than others. They have a very our world 20-something looking for acceptance and working through their personal drama feel. Which to me feels out of place in a fantastical world, but others may like that more relatable touch.
Overall, it’s a fun read if you like the Forgotten Realms setting and just want something light and fluffy to enjoy. I’d happily read more books with these characters. There’s plenty of back doors in this book so I presume we’ll be getting more.
It’s a decent story. Like the film it’s a light-hearted take on the familiar forgotten realms setting, compared to the more epic take of RA Salvatore or dark take of Baldur’s Gate 3.
It starts out very strongly. It’s chaotic and fun. As it goes on it’s a decent adventure. It’s light with a Saturday morning cartoon feel, but with some PG-13 violence.
Ultimately, it falls short of the heights the tie-in novel reached. The characters are okay, some more unique than others. They have a very our world 20-something looking for acceptance and working through their personal drama feel. Which to me feels out of place in a fantastical world, but others may like that more relatable touch.
Overall, it’s a fun read if you like the Forgotten Realms setting and just want something light and fluffy to enjoy. I’d happily read more books with these characters. There’s plenty of back doors in this book so I presume we’ll be getting more.
April 12, 2024
I really liked this! As an avid D&D fan, I really took this as just plain fun. There's a lot of criticism about how it really doesn't do anything new and it's a very run-of-the-mill adventure, but to me, that's where the fun is! Besides, my groups are so utterly insane that this was a nice reprieve.
I liked having moments when I identified certain spells or effects and knew that some of them "made their save" or "failed their save". It was pretty cool to know almost exactly how the magic worked.
I really liked the characters even if they were all fairly "predictable". I really enjoyed Tess and Cazrin's friendship too (maybe something more in the future??) as well as Tess and Anson's friendship (which felt familial to me). I love me a good found family book and this one ticked all those boxes. I loved .
All in all, a fairly predictable and safe D&D novel, but extremely fun and fast paced nonetheless. I sincerely hope there's more!
I liked having moments when I identified certain spells or effects and knew that some of them "made their save" or "failed their save". It was pretty cool to know almost exactly how the magic worked.
I really liked the characters even if they were all fairly "predictable". I really enjoyed Tess and Cazrin's friendship too (maybe something more in the future??) as well as Tess and Anson's friendship (which felt familial to me). I love me a good found family book and this one ticked all those boxes. I loved .
All in all, a fairly predictable and safe D&D novel, but extremely fun and fast paced nonetheless. I sincerely hope there's more!
June 15, 2024
Being a huge Dungeons and Dragons fan (I DM weekly for my friends and am an avid follower of Critical Role), I was incredibly excited to return to the Forgotten Realms with The Fallbacks: Bound for Ruin. Unfortunately, I found this book a little disappointing and quite a slog at times. Any player or DM reading this novel will find their immersion frequently interrupted by not-so-subtle allusions to game mechanics and other meta elements of D&D. This style of D&D storytelling stands in stark contrast to other Forgotten Realms series, such as the Drizzt books, which do not treat their stories like novelisations of a tabletop roleplaying game. Furthermore, the characterisation sometimes lacked subtlety, and a number of character arcs felt rushed and consequently unconvincing. Despite these flaws, the main storyline around the cursed tome was quite engaging, and certain creative choices, such as the pet otyugh and the visits to Candlekeep and Undermountain, were certainly fun.
June 20, 2024
Recently got back into playing DnD as well as exploring Faerun with Baldur's Gate 3, so thought I'd also dive back into some DnD Fantasy Novels. I was never a Forgotten Realms literature guy, mainly focused on Dragon Lance. I wasn't expecting much from this book. It's written by the same author that wrote the novelization of the Chris Pine Film and some prequels. Same tone as the movie, which itself was fun. But this was less of a high fantasy and more of a plotted out DnD campaign. There's some humor in it and very little character development. It's simply a story with little consequence where the characters are about creating an adventuring party for the sake of adventuring. It wasn't great, good or bad; just fine. I read the majority of it over a weekend getaway by a pool and finished it up over a couple more evenings while at a different pool.
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