Richard Awlinson Books In Order

Publication Order of Forgotten Realms: Avatar Books

Richard Awlinson is the pen name used by the group of authors Scott Ciencin, James Lowder, and Troy Denning for writing the Avatar series. Scott Ciencin wrote the first two books of the series alone, and Troy Denning and James Lowder joined later. All three of them wrote the books as Awlinson. The series was initially intended to be a trilogy and was given the title of Avatar Trilogy. However, when more books were added to the series later, the name was changed to Forgotten Realms: Avatar. All the three authors have penned the fantasy stories around Dungeons and Dragons. The covers of the books have been painted by Clyde Caldwell, Brom, Alan Pollack, and Jeff Easley.

In the initial books, the authors have described the Lynx Company’s remaining members and the Tablets of Fate’s search. The tablets are divine in nature and hold the listings of God that help in maintaining the balance of Chaos and Law during Time of Troubles. A theft of the divine tablets takes place that starts the Time of Troubles and results in the casting of gods to Troil. The theft also causes magic to run wild. The Lynx Company is depicted as comprising of Adon of Sune, Cyric, Kelemvor Lyonsbane, and Midnight as its members. In the last couple of books, James Lowder and Troy Denning have shown the events that occurred after Fate Tablets were returned back to Ao. These events also include the consequences of Company members’ ascension to godhood.

The first author to use the pseudonym of Richard Awlinson was Scott Ciencin. He was a popular American author of children’s books, fantasy, and horror novels. Scott was born as Malcolm Scott Ciencin on September 1, 1962. In addition to writing independently, he has co-authored a few novels with his wife named Denise Ciencin. Scott’s novels had helped him attain the status of a NY Times bestselling novelist. His works were spread in various mediums, including adult fiction and comic books. Scott Ciencin was particularly well known for writing the widely popular Dinotopia series. His literary works comprise of more than 90 books published by various publications such as Scholastic, Simon & Schuster, Harper, Random House, and several others. The other works he was involved in include screenplays, comic books, and video games. Scott was also involved in designing trading cards, creating programs for the Scholastic Books, providing consultation for the development of video games, producing and directing audio programs and TV commercials, and writing about neurology and neurosurgery. Scott used to live in Sarasota, Florida until his death. He died due to a blood clot in his brain in August 2014.

Troy Denning was the second author to write as Richard Awlinson. He was born in 1958 in the US and is well known for his works in the science fiction and fantasy genres. Troy has penned over two dozen books in his career and has also worked as a game designer. He was brought up in Idaho Springs and was motivated to develop an interest in science fiction & fantasy novels at an early age. Troy had started writing when he was 14. His enthusiasm enabled him to send his manuscripts to numerous publications, but the only thing he got in return was rejection slips. However, Troy did not lose hope and continued to write. A rejection slip from Ben Bova, a popular editor, came on his 18th birthday and contained a special note for his efforts. After his graduation, Troy joined a game designing company called TSR in 1981. He held various positions in the company over the years and also worked for different game designing companies.

The high point of Troy’s career came when he penned the third book in the Avatar Trilogy entitled Waterdeep. This 1989 book not only became a bestseller, but also helped him become a noteworthy author of the fantasy genre. Troy claims that he had a great time working with Scott Ciencin. They both chose the surname Awlinson as a joke as it sounded like ‘all in one’. Troy worked as a game designer for a few more years before returning to work as a freelance writer in 1991. He wrote a number of successful novels in his career and went on to enjoy an illustrious career. Troy also co-founded a game company called Pacesetter Ltd. He resides in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin with his loving wife named Andria. Troy enjoys several hobbies in his spare time, including mountain climbing, skiing, boxing, hiking, etc.

James Lowder is another author who used the house pen name of Richard Awlinson. He was born as James Daniel Lowder on January 2, 1963, in Quincy, Massachusetts. Lowder is primarily famous for working within the dark fantasy, horror, and fantasy genres. He wrote the fourth book of the Avatar series, called Prince of Lies. Other than being a noteworthy novelist, Lowder is also known to be a popular film critic and editor. He completed his graduation in 1985 from Marquette University with a BA degree with honors in History and English. Troy also holds a masters degree in Literary Studies from Wisconsin-Milwaukee University. In 1991, Lowder’s name was inducted into the hall of fame of his high school the Whitman-Hanson High School.

The earliest novels penned by Lowder were based on the shared universe of Ravenloft and Forgotten Realms. But, he shifted his focus towards more creator-owned subjects during the late 90s. He even worked as an editor for TSR and contributed to the success of many bestselling books. Lowder has also worked for comic books. He has written scripts for numerous companies like Devil’s Due, Desperado, Image, and DC. His critical essays, and book and film reviews have featured in many publications, including Polyhyedron and Amazing Stories. Besides these, Lowder has penned support material for several role-playing games such as Call of Cthulhu and Dungeons & Dragons.

The Avatar series penned by Awlinson is comprised of a total of 5 books released between 1989 and 1998. Its debut book is called Shadowdale. This book is based on the scenario of Forgotten Realms. The player characters of this novel leave their Shadowdale hometown and begin a long journey to the Waterdeep city. The second book of this series is called ‘Tantras’. It was published in 1989 and depicts the player characters as facing the accusation of murdering Elminster. They get captured and imprisoned. After breaking out of prison, the characters head for the Tantras city and come across many adventures during their journey.