Classic Dungeons and Dragons adventure book. I loved it. I felt that it could’ve been more. I think for me it might have been pacing but overall I loved the book!

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for an advance copy of this fantasy novel, the second in a series, dealing with a group of adventurers dealing with internal and external problems, problems that could mean the end of their fledgling adventuring careers, and maybe even their life and souls.

I had been reading fantasy novels for a awhile before I was introduced to role playing games. This was in sixth grade, in Earth science where our labs went from learning about the ground we lived on to imagining what creatures lived below the surface, deep in the caverns below our feet. I don't think I ever did so much for my parents in an effort to earn allowance money for modules and the infinite amount of manuals game playing needed. Soon there were novels. game books at first, than Dragonlance chronicles, which I read with bated breath. Ravenloft and soon the Forgotten Realms books, which I devoured. I drifted away from fantasy though. I kept getting older and the books all seemed to stay the same. So I missed a lot of changes, though every bookstore I worked in had tons of D&D stuff, and plenty of people buying them. I've come back to fantasy in the last few years and one of the big surprises I have had is that the Dungeons & Dragons books have grown quite a bit, in story, ideas, characters and motivations. And I have a lot of catching up to do. Dungeons & Dragons: The Fallbacks: Dealing with Dragons by Jaleigh Johnson is the second to feature The Fallbacks an Expendables-like mercenary group who gets the worst jobs, have the worst enemies, and have the worst of luck.

The Fallbacks have been knocked down, but have gotten back up again, meaner, more experienced and ready for a fight. The only problem is the fight seems to be amongst themselves. Each member seems to be dealing with secrets, with issues of trust, and doubt, and these problems are being used against them, but enemies they don't even understand yet. Tess is the leader of the group, an elven thief tasked by her mentor to forge a group to deal with troubles in the land, but Tess seems to be missing a lot in her group. Anson is a fighter with a broken sword that tosses lightening, but is broken inside because of his brother, who might be using him for devious reasons. Lark is a bard who is being persuaded by enemies he doesn't know who, and wants only to hide, but even that has been stripped away. Baldric is a cleric who has never settled for one God to worship, when so many others can be asked for bargains and deals. This has backfired, allowing a dark spirit to gain a hold on him, one that is steadily winning. The only two without problems are the wizard Cazrin, dealing with love, and Uggie their mascot, familiar, who is constantly hungry. Tasked to weed out cultists from a wizards school, the band splintered as they are set off, hoping that the fallback plan of just fighting, fighting fighting, will get them through.

I really enjoyed this book quite a bit. The book starts in a battle and really doesn't let up. Johnson has a very good grasp on the characters and each one is unique and different. They fight differently, feel differently, and work well as a team. Each has a part of the story which is rare in many of these multi-character books. The writing is really good, with a nice sense of pacing, a one gets a feel for the world, the threats, and what the characters are doing and why. Johnson is also very good at throwing in weird magic, that makes sense, and are some of the most original that I have read. A traveling Inn, a healing lantern. Teleporting daggers. Some of these might be from the new rules for D&D that I don't know, but Johnson uses them well to advance the story.

This is the second book, so I suggest starting with the first. There is a bit of a leaning curve getting up to speed with what is going on, past threats, and how the band got together. I really enjoyed this book far more than I thought I would, and really look forward to more in this series, and really anything that Jaleigh Johnson writes.

A Fast-Paced, Character-Driven Fantasy That Balances Classic Tropes With Bucket Loads of Heart

Jaleigh Johnson’s The Fallbacks: Dealing with Dragons is an brilliant exemplary entry in the expanding canon of Dungeons & Dragons fiction. As the second installment in her adult fantasy series, the novel sharpens its thematic focus on found family, reluctant heroism, and mythic legacy, while retaining the wit and compact pacing that made its predecessor, Bound for Ruin, such a surprise standout.

The titular Fallbacks—a ragtag group of second-tier adventurers—return with more chemistry and cohesion than ever. Tess, the pragmatic elven rogue; Lark, a bard whose charisma masks emotional depth; Cazrin, the anxiety-ridden wizard; and their companions bring heart, humor, and vulnerability to every encounter. Johnson’s portrayal of this ensemble succeeds not by grandiosity, but by nuance. These are not heroes chosen by prophecy—they are survivors, often overlooked, and all the more compelling for it.

Though Johnson’s novel is set in the venerable Forgotten Realms, she avoids the pitfalls of franchise fiction. The world-building is confident yet expansive, allowing readers unfamiliar with D&D lore to engage fully, while rewarding veteran fans with subtle, meaningful nods. Dealing with Dragons allows us to explore Faerun and get to their motivations more but at the same time is cleverly concise and on target without feeling rushed but still sharp and and well developed, and its plot—centered on a growing threat from ancient draconic forces—maintains urgency without sacrificing character development.

Crucially, the novel’s tone balances drama with levity. Johnson’s humor is organic, often emerging from character dynamics rather than contrived punchlines. The result is a fantasy novel that feels lived-in and emotionally grounded, even when its characters are dealing with arcane catastrophes or navigating monster-infested ruins.

Thematically, Johnson is interested in loyalty, redemption, and the idea that heroism isn’t always loud or legendary. The dragons, when they appear, are not just adversaries but reflections of the past’s inescapable weight. This lends the narrative a mythic resonance, especially in its latter chapters, where choice and consequence collide with satisfying payoff.

While The Fallbacks: Dealing with Dragons is a continuation it at the same time does not scrimp on the world building. Johnson treats the shared world as a platform rather than a constraint, creating a story that is distinctly her own. It is, ultimately, a character-driven novel that respects the genre’s traditions while speaking in a thoroughly modern voice.

Highly recommended for readers of ensemble fantasy, character-first narratives, and anyone craving a smart take on epic adventure full of character-driven adventures with wit and substance.

Smart, witty, and heartfelt, and unapologetically fun.

I had so much fun with this book! The dynamic of the party is exactly what I want in a DnD story! I enjoyed seeing each of the party members grow in themselves and with each other in this second installment! It was great delving into more of the cities, magical items and lore of DnD! Who doesn't love a magical tavern, dangerous missions, secrets to uncover and...DRAGONS! I am a huge sucker for a good bard and LARK is definitely my favorite, besides our best girl Oty!!! You deserve all the dead rats and bacon you can get!

As someone who is trying to get back into reading novels set in the D&D universe. This was a wonderful addition!
The characters are well written and have different personalities and the pacing is amazing

I'm grateful to have received an ARC for this book. All around, this book was a very enjoyable book. I still really liked the characters from the first one, but I feel that their relationships to each other are written even stronger now. The pacing was great and the plot was engaging. A great book if you're looking for a light, easy, and fun book set in the DnD world of Faerun.

This was a fun, quick adventure! As a D&D newbie, I enjoyed the references to pieces of the lore and settings I’ve encountered in campaigns and other media and I think it did a pretty good job of highlighting the different skills and personality party members can bring and how a campaign can play out. Narratively, it wasn’t very complex and I can see where people may be looking for more depth if they’re looking for a fantasy story, but this was still a very fun time and I’m glad I had the opportunity to read and review!

Random House provided an early galley for review.

I have read several of the author's Marvel novels in the past. This is the second book in the new series of Dungeons and Dragons novels by her (the first, The Fallbacks: Bound For Ruin, came out in 2024 and slipped under my radar).

This novel opens with the crew in the middle of a mission. We're introduced to them through their actions; not a lot of details given at first on the back stories as (I suspect) much of that came in book one. Still, the narrative is easy enough to follow with necessary information dropping in as needed.

The Fallbacks are an interesting mix of personalities. Several take classic character archetypes and give them a subtle twist. As far as the world and creatures that inhabit it, it is targeted for readers familiar with the world of D&D as not a lot of time is spent fully describing things outside of what the story needs. That can be a double-edged sword.

Overall, I found the novel to be very enjoyable. As someone who dabbles in his own fantasy tales of similar tone (both as a dungeon-master and a writer), I will certainly draw some inspiration from tales such as this one.

Sinopsis en español :

Puede que los Ret-backs no sean la primera opción de Faerun para salvar el día, pero si el dinero es correcto, harán el trabajo. En esta banda de aventureros, cada miembro juega un papel vital: Tess, la disciplinada ladrona elfa disciplinada valiente; Lark, el bardo astuto; Baldric, el astuto clérigo; Cazrin, el mago inquisitivo; y Uggie, su monstruo mascota que come basura. Entrecierra un poco los ojos y son los héroes que Faerun necesita.

Recién salido de un viaje desgarrador a la infinita mazmorra de Undermountain y la derrota de un poderoso lich no-muerto (con la ayuda de un gusano hambriento gigante o dos), los aventureros son ahora un equipo probado y dedicado, listos para una nueva aventura que los llevará a nuevos y extraños reinos.





Reseña:


Cuando pedí el ARC por alguna razón no me di cuenta que no era el primer libro, lo sé, en la primera oración de la sinopsis dice claramente que vuelven. Esto me pasa por distraída, pero bueno, tuve que leer el primer libro para poder entender.
Estuvo entretenido, no me encantó, pero estuvo bien para despejarme.



Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Fallbacks by Jaleigh Johnson is a fun character driven story following a typical D&D party.

Whilst I did like how well the team meshed together in this book, it didn’t really explore deeper into any of the actual plot. It did seem just a touch surface level.

I did enjoy reading this however and it felt very fast paced and it kept my attention throughout.

3/5

Oh, this was a delicious read.

The Fallbacks are back, and things are bigger than ever (and given what they dealt with last time, that might be a big surprise). Ashardalon is back, for one thing! And he's not the only one.

As before, this adventure deftly combines charming characters with a rollicking adventure in a way that feels like playing the game -- this could be any of my main tables I play at, honestly, from the focus on roleplaying through encounters to the way the characters interact to the interesting angles on game mechanics (I LOVE that Baldric's calling on gods is always something where he has to negotiate an offer to get his power; as a player, it reads like, ok, we know what the mechanics do, but in world, the character has to do something to allow it, and I can practically see the player with papers spread out around him that have lists of the different gods and things he might offer them in exchange for which powers). The story is a fun little adventure I could see being played; if not at my own table, this would easily be a live play I'd watch.

It also feels like modern D&D in a way that few tie-in novels tend to. It's not just that it feels like a game in progress (which, I love Drizzt, for example, but those books feel like in-world explorations, rather than something that could fit in a series of game sessions). It's the roleplay focus, it's the style of exposition, and it's the queerness. I'm going to shout out the queerness explicitly, because I'm sure some people will complain about it and I want to put my voice forward in support of it before that can happen. Again, it feels like it could be happening at the tables I play at; I can tell so much I'm welcome here as someone who engages with this world. Love how queer it is. Oh, and it was so balanced with the first book! The characters who got main focus in that had less in this one (while still present, contributing, and involved) and vice versa.

The worst part about reading an ARC is knowing I have to wait even longer for the next book. I'm very excited to learn who's hunting Lark, why Anson's brother tricked him, what [spoilers] wants with Baldric, and more. Hats off to you, Jaleigh Johnson! I haven't been this excited for a book that hasn't even been announced yet in a long time.

I'll be honest: I didn't expect this to be good.

A lot of people who write "licensed" fiction are, let's face it, hacks - and hacks who, all too often, don't have much of a grasp of the basic mechanics of prose.

This author is better than that, and better than the average writer in general.

Because the characters are a D&D adventuring party, it's an ensemble cast. Those can be difficult to do. Giving multiple characters distinctive viewpoints, voices, motivations and backgrounds, and then meshing them together in such a way that they both clash and support each other and all contribute to the overall plot, is not a trivial task, and here it's handled well. The characters have some dimension to them, and they all have believable arcs which are complementary.

The plot trots along at a good pace without sacrificing characterization, though you are expected to be familiar with the world of the Forgotten Realms; its places and creatures and organizations get minimal description. It even took me a while to realize Tess, the group's leader, was an elf, partly because I was left to assume that the people whose species wasn't specified were human, and (unless I missed something) Tess's elven ancestry wasn't mentioned immediately. There's also a good deal of reference back to the previous book, which I haven't read, but I didn't feel lost because of it; everything said about the events of that book is said in a context where it's relevant to whatever's going on in this book.

Overall, it felt like a good, solid pulpy adventure with well-intentioned, capable but flawed characters who bounced off each other in interesting ways.

Review: A crew of magical adventurers called the Fallbacks, leaps and cavorts their way to dungeon treasure. The End. Well there is more, but not much. Lesbian trysts, a missing brother, dragon possession and Familiar love round out the story lines. The gem in this chest are the inter-personal conflicts and resolutions. This interplay really drew me in. Additionally, the dungeon looting, monster killing and fight scenes were spot on.

I received this ARC for an honest review.

Rating: 4.6/5

Wait- I didn’t know what I wanted existed 😍🧝🏼‍♂️
I love the vibe of D&D but don’t really have the time to invest playing it IRL. I already consume media for live games, etc. but THISSS , agh! Brb buying all the books they’ve published thus far.
Thank you for the eARC! I was very intrigued from the first 20 pages and struggled telling myself to go to sleep many many pages later. I binged this book in a couple days!