Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves: The Road to Neverwinter

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

by Jaleigh Johnson

Every adventuring party has a starting quest. Join Edgin Darvis and his team of heroic (well, occasionally heroic) heisters in this official prequel to the film Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.

A thrilling original novel, set before the events of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.

Genres: Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons, Fiction, Audiobook, Forgotten Realms, Magic, High Fantasy

288 pages, Hardcover

First published February 28, 2023

About the author

Jaleigh 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.

Reviews

[Meags · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

I’m totally new to the world of D&D but I decided to be a good little reader and tackle this prequel story BEFORE I saw the big screen extravaganza that is Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.

This story sets the scene, introducing most of the main characters in the film, showing how they met and highlighting some of their earliest adventures together, as a rag-tag group of thieves and outcasts.

I liked the characters a great deal, particularly enjoying the dynamic between main character Edgin the Bard (leader of the group) and Holga (barbarian warrior woman), who share a great (but unspoken) sense of camaraderie, bonding over their shared adoration of Edgin’s daughter Kira, whom they have raised together.

Adding to the fun mix is Forge (the charming but dubious con-artist) and Simon (the half-elf sorcerer), who Edgin and Holga welcome into the found-family fold in amongst their exciting, sometimes ill-conceived plans to loot and plunder from the rich and unworthy.

Overall, this was a fun and quick fantasy read, made all the more enjoyable and immersive through a fantastic audio performance, by the legend that is Fred Berman (the guy who brought Kaz Brekker to life!!).

P.S. – I have since seen the film and had a fricken blast watching this world and these characters come to life!

[Micah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars feels high for this but as I was reading I couldn't help but think A) D&D novel writing has come a long way since the late 80's/early 90's and B) Dungeons & Dragons novels certainly don't get much better than this. My expectations were low, considering this is a prequel book for the upcoming movie.

This was a quick read and tons of fun. I think great care was taken to make it read like a novelization of a D&D game. I'm not sure I've gotten that distinct feeling from a D&D novel before, even though I quite enjoy the Drizzt books. It is paced very well, and each act feels like a different adventure that you'd find in a compendium adventure source book.

The action scenes are well written, and the party feels both low level and bumbling but simultaneously capable of handling everything thrown their way. While not the most complex or nuanced characters, each character had a little more depth than I expected.

I don't really have anything bad to say about this. I think a familiarity of D&D and an interest in the upcoming movie enhanced my enjoyment of this but I think this could be an enjoyable novel for most fantasy fans.

[Bon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was delightful, I say as someone with zero Dungeons and Dragons knowledge. I can't account for how well the worlds and lore are represented, but this was such a fun sword and shield vibe and it helped my mood immensely. I loved the various characters, the heist plot, and found family vibes. Those three ingredients are my favorite combo. The narrator did a fine job giving everyone different voices and accents, too. Very fun.

[Ronie Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was searching for an adventure. What I found is a campaign, of a bard and his friends. Just wanting to collect funds through a performance. Yet others see the value of his adventures spirit.

17th of September 2023 and I've gotten around to watching the movie. May I say it's a job well done.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"We are all capable of making our own decisions. Misguided though they sometimes turn out to be."

One of the best movie tie-in novelizations out there, and quite possibly one of the best D&D books as well.

I had so much fun reading this book. In the beginning, I was a little worried it would end up a flop like Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves: The Druid's Call, but those worries dissipated not too long after the prologue.

Jaleigh Johnson captured the heart—the very essence—of the characters. I could hear the characters voices (which was something I did not experience with The Druid's Call) and felt like their actions and reactions were believable—that if fell in line with what was shown in the movie.

I loved the interactions between Kira and the others. I loved learning more about Holga and seeing more of her friendship with Edgin. I could not believe that Johnson was able to make me like Forge despite knowing what he does in the movie. And I adored Simon even more.

Overall, this was a fun book to read! I can't wait to check out more of Johnson's works, especially relating to D&D.

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves: The Road to Neverwinter by Jaleigh Johnson was so much of fun. The author did a fantastic job of capturing the characters voices from the movie and it really fits the tone. I also really like how the story is bookended with Edgin telling his daughter Kira the main story of one of their adventures and how the group came together. If you enjoyed the movie, I highly recommend this prequel novel. I hope we'll get to see more of these characters in the future. whether that's onscreen or in print.

[Donavon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great fun.

[Matti · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book to be a little bland in its writing and slow to get through, but overall okay. It felt a bit like reading about someone else's D&D game, which is about what I expected, it's just something that needs to be done very well for me to get invested. I also don't think this story needs the framing device of Edgin telling his daughter a bedtime story at all. That aside, it establishes the characters (who I like a lot for the most part) and leads into the movie well enough, so it's a good time 👍

[Maurice Spurgeon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad book. Kinda slow at times, but the last 3rd was quite good. Still preferred the movie, but not a bad companion novel to the film

6.5/10

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a light-hearted and fun read. The adventures felt just like how things might go sitting around a table rolling dice with you friends. Make the perfect plan, watch it crash and burn, improvise.

[Andreas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the movie of course, but still a decent little story.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Si os digo que he llorado con este libro, ¿cómo os quedáis? Porque yo mal, desde luego.

Parece una tontería que un libro que cuenta la historia de origen de algunos de los personajes de una película haya podido llegarme tanto, y en realidad no es para tanto, pero yo qué sé, es leer a Holga y ser lágrimas.

El típico grupo de D&D, con sus idas, venidas y mil parafernalias, se va de aventuras y a robar (pero sólo a quien lo merece, ante todo humildad), todo mientras te cuenta el pasado de cada uno. Y vaya pasados. No quiero profundizar mucho en esto porque arranco a berrear, y no es plan.

¿Quieres ver la peli de D&D: Honor entre ladrones, pero antes conocer a algunos de sus protagonistas? ¿O simplemente quieres profundizar mejor en ellos después de verla? Sea como sea, y aunque no vayas a ver la película, este libro es simple, rápido y muy directo, pero si eres una persona llorica como aquí un servidor ve con cuidado (que quizá sea yo el único del mundo, también te digo).

Me faltan el cómic y el libro de Doric (que tienen pintaza ambos, para qué mentir).

Que salga la peli ya, por favor.

[Abby Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a simple woman; I see Chris Pine with a salt-and-pepper beard on a book cover, and I immediately buy said book.
This book was everything I wanted it to be—a fun origin story of a ragtag team of thieves that’s full of sneakery, dungeons, monsters, and a lot of heart. It’s a shorter novel (not even 300 pages), but the editing & pacing was incredibly tight, and I was surprised by the story’s quality and character development. It oozed classic D&D adventure. So much fun.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun! Not as much fun as the movie (since it doesn't have Actual Chris Pine and Actual Hugh Grant) but that's a pretty high bar.

This gives us a nice look into the gang before the events of the movie; it was very enjoyable to see Edgin and Forge working together. Goes over a number of their adventures together (along with Kira, Holga, and Simon, of course), each adventure being a great idea for a D&D campaign complete with boss fight at the end.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can return books to stores after you’ve read them. They won’t know.

[Justin Curtis · Rating 2 out of 5]

as much as i enjoyed the movie, this prequel felt tacked on and underdeveloped and ultimately didn't do much for me. my second spin with this author, who also wrote The Fallbacks—it's clear she has passion for both the game and the genre, but her style/approach to fantasy has too many modernized flourishes for my taste—while i understand what she's trying to do, often there are parts that feel clunky, and instead of working like she probably intends, they instead pull me out of the story as i consider how much differently (read: better) a phrase/joke/idea could have been handled or written. (also: the cover is kind of hideous, i might be none too pleased were i Chris Pine.)

[Rhiannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this felt just like playing D&D. The world and its characters are lovingly crafted. The party reminds me of every D&D party I've ever been in, with quick witted comments, and a companionship that runs deep.

[Chris Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book both because I was excited for the upcoming movie and because I’m an avid Dungeons & Dragons player. I appreciated the little nuances that the book offered related to the game but I don’t feel like it was detracting from the story I could literally picture of the banter between the characters unfolding on the screen, and the writing was very well done, and I did not feel like the book lingered at any point everything continued to build, and I really enjoy the pace of the book. I’m not a big reader, and I was able to finish this book very quickly, I would highly recommend anybody interested in the genre or if they enjoy the movie pick this book up to get to know the characters a little bit better even after the fact

[Trever · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one. It does a great job of capturing the feel of D&D, instead of being just another generic fantasy novel, and it serves as a nice intro to the movie characters - You get to see them meeting up, going on their first capers together, etc. It doesn't really have a plot, per se, it's mainly just an extended series of escalating capers, but still it's an enjoyable read, and pleasantly unpretentious. Recommended.

[Abyss · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hodně příjemná jednohubka, je v tom cítit i ta stejná energie z filmu.

[Misty · Rating 5 out of 5]

A prequel story, showing how the crew came together. Adorable, and just as charming as the movie.

[Greg Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Serviceable book that gets the voice of the actors very right, uses greater Realmslore effectively, while remaining extremely approachable for new readers. Audiobook performance was not my favorite.

[James Wakenell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fun prequel to the film that sets up the characters and their dynamics perfectly!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly delightful, hit just the right spot between a D&D podcast and a cozy domestic fantasy. It leans into a lot of tropes and conveniences of tabletop storytelling that honestly didn't bother me at all. Just a good freaking time!

[Matthew Ferry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A surprisingly fun movie tie-in that has plenty of nods to long-time D&D players without requiring knowledge of the game to be enjoyable. Made me excited for the movie!

[Jordan Meuse · Rating 5 out of 5]

It felt like joining familiar friends for a great D&D session. So many nods to the greater lore and fun characters. Loved it.

[Peter Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a very fun read. It gives a nice back story to much of the principal characters for the upcoming movie. I'd read more of this adventuring group.

[David Pascual · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Quién sabe: puede que sea posible robar esa vida perfecta."

Una historia amena y entretenida que encantará a todos aquellos amantes del rol y Dungeon and Dragons.
Nunca está de más tener un poco más de trasfondo para unos personajes divertidos como estos. Y la historia, o al menos los personajes, son mucho mejores que el libro de la druida, donde simplemente era la mejor haciendo cualquier cosa porque sí, es una crack y no necesitas más explicación.

"Nota mental: encontrar un buen nombre para el club de delincuentes."

[Trin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A friend of mine recommended this to me; he really enjoyed it and I thought it was...fine. Definitely better if you've played D&D and upon hearing, say, Neverwinter evoked as in the title, think, "I've been there!" Otherwise it's a fairly middling fantasy adventure.

(But I didn't understand the framing device at all. Why tell Kira a bedtime story comprised of events she was present for??)

[Marisa Pérez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Se nota que a la autora le gusta jugar a DnD y es como leer una partida. Es de agradecer