Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan

The first thing you should know about Theft of Swords is that it’s not a fine dining experience. This book is not the literary equivalent of going to a fancy restaurant and getting one of those huge plates that are mostly empty except for a tiny stalk of asparagus artfully drizzled with a delicate sauce. Instead, it’s more like sitting down hungry and getting a big, tasty burger you can just grab and sink your teeth into. (Vegetarians, please substitute for the vegetarian equivalent of a big, tasty burger. I’ve been trying to think of one, and I can’t. A veggie burger just doesn’t feel the same.) In other words, this book is straightforward. It’s huge. It’s low on subtlety but high on enjoyment. It is (and I fully realize this is not proper Literary Theory terminology) juicy. At this point I think I’ve stretched the food metaphor about as far as it’s goin... Read More

The Crown Conspiracy by Michael J. Sullivan

Books like The Crown Conspiracy have too long been missing from the genre.

Royce and Hadrian are professional thieves who call themselves the Riyria. Royce is small, agile, dexterous and, on the surface, the meaner of the two; he would be the brains of the outfit. Hadrian is big, strong, an expert with weapons, and more easy-going; he’s the brawn. When they take a job that seems too good to be true, they find themselves framed for the assassination of the king and become fugitives with a prince in tow.

In a genre that is overwhelmed by series of wheelbarrow-sized door-stopper-volumes with plots so complicated that only the author can follow them, and long waits for the next book, The Riyria Revelations is a much needed return to fantasy’s grassroots. For fans who miss the straightforward adventurous tales ... Read More

The Crown Conspiracy by Michael J. Sullivan

Michael J. Sullivan's The Crown Conspiracy is like a breath of fresh air. After a seemingly endless flood of heavy, gigantic fantasy books, this short, fairly simple opening to a new series was very welcome. I didn't feel like I needed to take pages of notes to figure out everything that was going on!

The main characters are a pair of common miscreants named Royce Melborn and Hadrian Blackwater. They are both criminals, but not without conscience. Royce is the planner and thief in the pair while Hadrian is the muscle and the fighter. They almost reminded me of Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser.

Our heroes are drawn into a conspiracy (hence the title) to kill the royal family of Melengar. Framed... Read More

Avempartha: Fafhrd and The Gray Mouser for this generation

Our heroes, Royce and Hadrian, are “hired” by a peasant girl to retrieve a magic sword from an ancient impregnable tower that was build by elves. Her village has been plagued by a terrible monster and this elven sword is the only weapon that can kill it. Of course, there’s more to it. It’s becoming apparent that these two who call themselves the Riyria are being used in a clandestine power struggle that began centuries ago. In Avempartha, we get some more hints about the duo’s past and some ancient dark secrets are revealed about Elan’s history.

Avempartha is the second book of Michael J. Sullivan’s The Riyria Revelations and it’s evident that he’s got a good thing going. These tales are nothing fancy (or even all-that original), but they are simply ... Read More

Nyphron Rising by Michael J. Sullivan

Michael J. Sullivan's Riyria Revelations is really growing on me. For someone who enjoys the complex, highly detailed fantasy of Erikson and Wurts, this is something much simpler, but equally satisfying.

Nyphron Rising follows Avempartha, but it's not really a direct sequel — if you haven’t read book 2, you won’t have any problem jumping straight back into the adventures of Royce and Hadrian. This time they’ve been hired by Princess Arista of Melengar to meet with another group who are rebelling against a newly re-arisen Empire.

Royce and Hadrian are the central characters but Sullivan spends nearly as much time focus... Read More

Nyphron Rising by Michael Sullivan

Now that the Imperialists have a puppet for their throne, the war for conquest has begun. Knowing that Melengar cannot stand against the Imperialists’ might, Princess Arista employs Royce and Hadrian to escort her on a self-imposed mission. While working for the princess, Royce has his own agenda: to secretly investigate Hadrian’s past to determine if what the wizard Esrahaddon has told him about his friend is true. This secret has the potential to topple the powers of Elan.

Nyphron Rising, the third book in The Riyria Revelations, is another consistently entertaining installment. Some interesting new characters are introduced that add a little more depth to a story that’s been, up to this point, a comparatively light read.

As enjoyable as epic fantasy can be, many times the sheer fun of it all gets lost in compl... Read More

The Emerald Storm: The action steps up even more

This is supposed to be the Riyria’s last mission: to put an end to the master assassin/spy Merrick Marius’ assistance to the Imperialists. With no idea where to find him, Royce and Hadrian disguise themselves as sailors in order to board the Emerald Storm, which is the ship believed to be delivering a message to Merrick.

Mr. Sullivan has stepped up the action even more for his 4th book about Royce and Hadrian, the professional thieves known as the Riyria. As they sail the Emerald Storm, unknown enemies conspire against them. Raiders hound the ship’s wake and their destination is the jungle islands just past the edge of civilized world, where warrior tribes and outlaw bands plot to ally themselves with the Imperialists. And, their goal now just within their grasp, Thrace’s Princesses Arista and Amilia intensify their scheme to free the rebel... Read More

The Emerald Storm by Michael J. Sullivan

The Emerald Storm is the fourth installment by Michael J. Sullivan in the Riyria Revelations series. Chronicling the high seas exploits of Royce Melborn and Hadrian Blackwater, The Emerald Storm continues where Nyphron Rising left off and our heroes return in order to save civilization. Again.

The further revelations about the history and motivations of both Blackwater and Melborn are highlights of The Emerald Storm. These are great characters, so time spent developing their history is worthwhile. Princess Arista, the Empress, and her secretary receive their own storylines as well. However, I just didn't feel that interested in what was happening with them this time around.I knew that Sullivan needed them to tell the story, but I just... Read More

Wintertide by Michael J. Sullivan

Wintertideis the next to last book in THE RIYRIA REVELATIONS series. As with the rest of these books, this is a fairly self-contained story, but at the same time the reader can feel the momentum building toward an explosive conclusion. Hadrian is forced into a deadly deal to kill an honorable knight by making it look accidental in a tournament, while Royce is desperate to be done with Riyria’s contracts so that he can try his hand at domesticated bliss with his true love.

Wintertide is my favorite book in the series so far, which is as a series should be: each installment a little better than the last. It seems that Mr. Sullivan has really hit his stride with Wintertide. The series is at its best when he concentrates more on Royce and Hadrian than on other characters. However, the street orphans introduced in t... Read More

Wintertide by Michael J. Sullivan

Wintertideis the fifth book in Michael J. Sullivan’s Riyria Revelations. This fast-paced, highly entertaining series continues to chronicle the adventures and trials of Royce and Hadrian, our dynamic heroes.

Wintertide is truly a culmination. Many of the storylines that we have been following are drawing to a sort of nexus. In the city of Aquesta the new Emperor is to be crowned after marrying the heir to the throne, Modina (Thrace), while several rebels, Degan Gaunt and Arista, are executed. It’s a veritable powder keg of problems and opportunities for the likes of Hadrian and Royce.

Here is what makes Wintertide so good: The pace of the book is very even, but very quick. Sullivan doesn’t gloss over details, but he doesn’t spend pages going over things that are not mea... Read More

Percepliquis by Michael J. Sullivan

Royce and Hadrian, the former professional thieves collectively known as the Riyria, along with their companions, are on a dangerous quest to recover an ancient horn that has the power to stop the merciless onslaught of the elves. They will discover that their world, Elan, has a deadly secret history and that many key people are not who they are thought to be. Percepliquis is the grand conclusion of the RIYRIA REVELATIONS.

What started out as a straightforward fantasy adventure in The Crown Conspiracy has evolved into a full-blown epic in Percepliquis. Mr. Sullivan accomplished this so discreetly that I didn’t even realize how complex the story had become until I cracked open this book. The exciting escapades of two partners in crime have grown to be a world-encompassing high fantasy... Read More

Some of your favorite authors take some time to answer our questions:


What are you working on these days?


Morgan Keyes (Mindy Klasky): I just finished the sequel to Darkbeast, which is tentatively called Darkbeast Rebellion. (It should be in stores about a year from now.) Next up, I'm working on a totally new fantasy series, about a boy born without magic in a society where everyone else has special powers.

Stephen Deas: Edits to my next dragon book and the first draft of the one after. Other things I can't talk about just yet, but I can say that I'm putting ideas together for a collaborative Space Opera series.

Read More

Some of your favorite authors take some time to answer our questions:
Got any news to share?
Morgan Keyes (Mindy Klasky): Darkbeast hit stores on August 28 -- it's a traditional middle grade fantasy novel about a girl who has to choose between saving her best friend (a raven) and following the religious expectations of her people. I'll be making a number of personal appearances (check out my website -- and I am always happy to make school visits (in person, if close enough, or by Skype.)


Michael J. Sullivan: I'm pleased to announce that I'll have a new series coming out from Orbit called THE RIYRIA CHRONICLES. These will be prequels that explore how Royce and Hadrian first met an... Read More

Some of your favorite authors take some time to answer our questions:
Got any news to share?
Ken Scholes: I do... I recently turned in Requiem, volume 4 of the PSALMS OF ISAAK, and it will be out from Tor Books in June 2013.  And I've just recently taken the plunge to become a full time writer.

Pati Nagle: This summer my first mystery novel was published! Written under the pen name Patrice Greenwood, it's set in a tearoom in Santa Fe so it combines two of my great loves, tea and New Mexico. A Fatal Twist Of Lemon is available in print and as an ebook from Evennight Books and Book V... Read More