The Lost Library of Cormanthyr

The Lost Library of Cormanthyr by Mel Odom is the first book of the Lost Empires series.
==Summary==
Gynneth Skyreach, great-granddaughter of Faimcir Glitterwing, a Cormanthyr librarian who opposed letting humans into Myth Drannor, is escorting a ship holding some of the library when she is set upon by pirates, led by Markiln Hagris, an elven traitor. She sinks the ship rather than let a portion of the library fall to him. 
Years later, the archeologist ranger Baylee Arnvold and his Azmyth bat companion Xuxa are excavating a lost well, along with the amoral treasure hunter Jaeleen. Both Jaeleen and Baylee are former students of Fannt Golsway, an old mage and father figure to Baylee, who is killed by Kyrstarn Fellhammer, a drow noble from Menzoberranzan who left on what she believed was a mission from Lolth to serve the lich Folgrim Shallowsoul, the caretaker of the library of Cormanthyr, with the eventual goal of taking the library for herself. She takes control of a hobgoblin tribe lead by Chomath for later used. 
Baylee attends a foregathering of rangers, meeting up with his friends Aymric Tailpuller, Serellia, and Carceus Ravnei. Cordryn Tsald, a Waterdeep watch officer and Harper sent to find Baylee to question him about Golsway’s murder, arrives with her partner, Watch wizard Calebaan Lahjir, and some other members. 
Shallowsoul sends Kyrstarn into the foregathering with some drow and skeleton warriors to kill Baylee, but they are forced to retreat. Baylee goes back to Waterdeep with Cordryn along with Civva Cthulad, a ranger justifier accompanying Baylee to get revenge on behalf of the rangers killed during the foregathering attack. 
Baylee retrieves a message from Golsway and leaves to recover the wreck of Skyreach’s ship. He slips away from Cordryn, but she follows him. He goes with the treasure hunter Uziraff Fireblade to the wreck. Shallowsoul sends whales to destroy the ship and recover the treasure, killing Uziraff, but Baylee teleports some books to Candlekeep and reunites with Cordryn. 
Baylee finds the library and travels there along with Cordryn, Cthulad, Calebaan, and a contingent of the Watch. Helped by Nevft Scoontiphp, a baelnorn, they arrive just as Krystarn attacks the library with her hobgoblins. In the melee, Krystarn and Chomath are killed by Baylee, and Folgrim is killed as well, although not before he manages to teleport the library to the Astral Plane. Baylee has a chance to save the library, but instead chooses to save Cordryn, and the two start a relationship.
==References==
Category:Novels
Category:Books
Category:Works by Mel Odom
Category:Published in 1998