The Lost Library of Cormanthyr

Forgotten Realms: Lost Empires #1

by Mel Odom

The Lost Library of Cormanthyr

Is it just a myth? Or does it still stand . . . somewhere in the most ancient corners of Faerûn?

An intrepid human explorer sets out to find the truth and what starts as an archaeological expedition soon becomes a race against time as an undying avenger is determined to protect the secrets of the ancient, xenophobic elven empire of Cormanthyr.

Lost Empires is a bold new series that uncovers the secrets of the lost, ancient Forgotten Realms world.

Genres: Forgotten Realms, Fantasy, Fiction, Dungeons and Dragons, Adventure, Collections, Ebooks

315 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 1, 1998

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

aka Jordan Gray

Mel Odom is a bestselling writer for hire for Wizards of the Coast's Forgotten Realms, Gold Eagle's Mack Bolan, and Pocket's Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel book lines. His debut SF novel Lethal Interface made the Locus recommended list . The Rover was an Alyx Award winner. He has also written a scientific adventure of the high seas set in the 19th century entitled Hunters of the Dark Sea. He lives in Oklahoma.

Reviews

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a book based on an RPG, this was a lot of fun. It's about a library, and the hero likes books, so I figured it was worth a try. Lots of swordfighting & magic, and even skeleton warriors. Plus a talking bat. Who could resist all that? :)

[Judi · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a bibliophile, I wish this book had ended differently. 'Read all the books!' has been the top entry on my (non) bucket list. I know it's impossible but I have to try. And I hated hearing about the library at Alexandria burning in school for the same reason. And as Baylee says towards the end: the journey is the joy. An entertaining read. Recommended.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding something is half the joy of the hunt. Some great exploration.

[Jason Kalinowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wonderful adventure. Baylee, a ranger, whose companion is a telepathic bat (Azmyth Bat) named Xuxa, is spurred onto an adventure to discover the Lost Library of Cormanthyr. This is 1 of 4 standalone books in a grouping called the Lost Empires. This journey has dark elves (drow), skeleton warriors, a lich and a festival of rangers! Priests, mages, rangers and magical items. The story flows well but my hero is Xuxa, who keeps eyes out for Baylee so he can take on his adventure!

[Geoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read.
Odom is one of my favourite Realms authors.

[Tom · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Odom's Master Sergent, so I thought if any author had the chance to elevate some IP-fantasy, work-for-hire, it might be him, but I didn't find myself wildly engaged by this book. The concept of a litch's sanctum being the Macguffin in an Indiana Jones-style adventure in the Forgotten Realms is a great elevator pitch, and if you're sold based on that, I say give this book a try. It just wasn't everything I hoped it might be.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mel Odom's style is mostly efficient and simple to read, while keeping a good brisk pace. The plot was interesting enough, dealing with a search for a vast storehouse of hidden lore. The ending was satisfying too. The problem with this story is that it's marred by the author's inconsistencies. In the early parts of the book, a character was introduced that felt like a main character, but a few chapters in, and that character was never mentioned again (no explanation). The author was unbalanced in its development of male and female characters, being more concerned with outward appearances only for the females. Also, the main character was never in much real danger or in a really difficult situation, so it was difficult to get into any suspense. The author's style is brisk, but he does have a tendency to over-describe something during an action scene (and most action scenes end too quickly). Overall, the storytelling, the plot, and the characters were good enough, but the story could have been much better.

[Stuart Schneider · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a terrific story. Fast moving, loved the characters and particularly the writing. The wit, plot line, its ties to other stories in the Forgotten Realms. This is why when you find an author who can write you just follow the author along at least until he fails to maintain that level of quality and this author has never disappointed. A terrific start to the Lost Empires line of books. I just hope the ones that follow are just as good. Based on the authors to come, I do not think I will be disappointed.

[Mical · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I must say this was a fantastic read. Although the protagonist was a bit too naive for my tastes, he acquitted himself well and was, if nothing else, original in concept and intelligent in execution. This is one of those 'old school' fantasy books that lead the genre, before cliches became, well, cliches; and showing the Forgotten Realms in much of it's glory and prestige.

[Summer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I agree with reviews that call this 'D&D meets Indiana Jones' ... very fun, lots of action, extra love from me for including a skeleton fight scene (<- my tabletop RP guilty pleasure.) Baylee is a little "Gary-Stu"ish at times but he is still likeable. Lots of fun characters. It is a tad obvious this was based on a game session. If you want a casual D&D adventure read though, this is a good one

[Garry Wyatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

An old favourite that I often enjoy re-reading.

[D.E. Chandler · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fine adventure in true Forgotten Realms style. Very nicely done.

[Ed · Rating 5 out of 5]

really great read.

[Brad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Outside of the great known authors of the Forgotten Realms books, Mel Odom wrote a good one with this book.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read the whole thing.

[Joseph Tavernier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Felt like two different writers worked on this. The overall story and mystery is good, but the pacing is a bit off. A character shows up early, sticks around for a few chapters, has a backstory with the protagonist. It's easy to think she's going to play a role in the overall story. Nope. When she leaves she is GONE.
One of the main POV characters dies near the end of the book very anticlimatically. We know her goals, her motivations, her powers, her skill, her thought process. But then she dies and is swept under the rug. No last thoughts, no reaction from her minions, no seeing how her goddess greeted her in the afterlife, if her devotion was warranted. A lot of development, no payoff.
The climax ends about three pages before the end of the book. These last pages are called the Epilogue but it's really more the falling action than a proper epilogue.
This book is part one of a series; maybe the other books fix these problems, but I'm not sure. I was never really into the Forgotten Realms. I have no idea how many ideas/characters from this book were borrowed from the other entries.
I feel like if you're into fantasy, there are a lot better reads out there, but this isn't a bad book by any means. It's good 80% of the time, Xuxa the telepathic bat familiar is a great character, but it makes some odd choices.

[Tommy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was really a nice read.
If you want some D&D and good popcorn fantasy you'll be perfectly served by this book.
If there's anything to critizise, then it's that the protagonist is too perfect to be true, and sometimes it becomes annoying... slightly.

[Kagan Oztarakci · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Wealth is a burden only weak men choose to carry."

[Charles Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun read.

[Liam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Forgotten Realms meets Indiana Jones. I enjoyed it, though Baylee was too perfect most of the time.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely a re-read but 1st read decades ago when it 1st came out.

[Joel Håland · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light read with a simple story and some interesting characters.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dated but enjoyable launch of the Forgotten Realms stories.

[Alissa Howell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fun fantasy story.

[Daniel Millard · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've always loved stories of treasure hunting, and so the Lost Empires quantegy appealed to me considerably. Despite enjoying Mel Odom's "Threat From The Sea" trilogy, I felt that the scant 300-page length of this short novel didn't afford him the proper time necessary to carefully unfold the plot. WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW.

While the first hundred pages or so moves at a satisfying rate, is well-detailed, and gets the reader engaged with the book's protagonist, Baylee Arnvold, once the proper quest for the Lost Library of Cormanthyr picks up, pacing is thrown to the wind.

The second half of the book is a rapid, tumultuous rush to a fairly unsatisfying finish. In its hurry to reach its climax, there are a couple of pointedly ridiculous sections - such as relatively young, violence-disdaining Baylee slashing apart a dozen drow singlehandedly (what??). The primary antagonist was built up through so much of the book, only to be given an extremely short and undramatic death, and when the story finally moves into the Lost Library itself, there's precious little description of the wonders that ought to be within.

Ultimately, I was underwhelmed by this book,even though Odom starts strong and has a very good premise. Judging by the prologue and first dozen chapters, this ambitious story would have made a very good trilogy, with the events of this book spread out amongst three.

As it stands, the story is good, but far too much time and ground are covered in 300 pages to make it effective.

[Jesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one.

Some good history. The polt was a bit long winded, getting around to what was really going on and stuff. But, as always, I was looking for some good history about the realms, and this one did deliver.

The best part is that in the end, the Library is still hidden! Wow!

I liked the main character's familar, a telepathic bat with twin tails that shoot lightning! I know there was other things I liked, so check it out if you like the realms stuff.

[K. Axel · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the absolute best Realms books written to date, mostly because it keeps true to the high adventure theme of the setting. The hero(es) travel around in the realms, uncovering the ancient realms, revealing secrets... a good Forgotten Realms book by an author who went on to write more than just shared world books.

[Eran · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dry and dull writing, mediocre characters, and hardly any plot for most of the book (it gets a bit better towards the end). Mostly feels that the author cares more about expressing how DND savvy he his rather than telling a story. Luckily this the series seems to be of standalone books by different authors, maybe the next would be better.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I rate FR novels (and other game tie-in lit) based on how cheesy/silly/absurd/fun the story and the characters are, rather than on "high-brow literary merit", or some such. 80s and 90s fantasy tropes get bonus points, and generally, I also prefer lighter fare rather than over-wrought angst filled stuff. This book definitely delivers on all those counts!

[Shinjak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good fast read. I liked the main character and the world around him, despite some inconsistencies in the author's narrative. I'm not sure if there are more books about this character, but I for one would like to see more of his exploits.