R.A. Salvatore’s The Pirate King, the second book in his Transitions Trilogy, set in the Forgotten Realms, debuted at #3 on the New York Times bestseller list.  This was the highest debut ever for a Salvatore novel, topping a #4 debut in 2004.  

The Transitions Trilogy is one of two Salvatore trilogies featuring Forgotten Realms; he’s also working on the Stone of Tymora trilogy, a Forgotten Realms series for young adults (see “WotC Refocuses Its Publishing Program”).  Wizards of the Coast is now limiting its fiction publishing to Dungeons & Dragons and Magic:  The Gathering titles.