Michael J. Sullivan

The Riyria Revelations — (2008-2010) The Riyria Revelations were originally published by an independent publisher but were picked up and released in omnibus edtions by Orbit in 2011:

1. Theft of Swords contains The Crown Conspiracy and Avempartha.
2. Rise of Empire contains Nyphron Rising and The Emerald Storm.
3. Heir of Novron contains Wintertide and Percepliquis.

Publisher: In The Crown Conspiracy, Royce Melborn, a skilled thief, and his mercenary partner, Hadrian Blackwater, make a profitable living carrying out dangerous assignments for conspiring nobles until they become the unwitting scapegoats in the murder of the king. Sentenced to death, they have only one way out and so begins this epic tale of treachery and adventure, sword fighting and magic, myth and legend. Whether you are looking for a single novel, or a multi-book saga, The Crown Conspiracy is the place to begin. It is a heroic fantasy adventure written for a general audience and conceived as a single epic tale. This series is told through six self-contained episodes, each complete in its own right. Across the entire chronicle, mysteries build, characters deepen, and plots thicken, but none of the books end in a disappointing cliffhanger or require you to read a previous book to fully enjoy the one you are on.

Omnibus editions:


Original independently published editions

Theft of Swords

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 going to go.

The next thing to know about this book is that it’s, well, actually two books. (Like a two patty burger! Sorry. I’m really done now.) Theft of Swords is an omnibus containing The Crown Conspiracy and Avempartha, the first two books in Michael J. Sullivan’s RIYRIA REVELATIONS. If you follow fantasy blogs at all, you’re probably familiar with how this omnibus came to be. (And if you happen to write a fantasy blog you’re definitely aware, thanks to the vigorous “leave no stone unturned” guerrilla marketing campaign that’s partly responsible for making this series such a big success.) In a nutshell: these books were originally self-published. They became such a big indie success that Orbit has now picked up the series. Orbit is re-releasing the original six books in a set of three omnibus editions: Theft of Swords, Rise of Empire, and Heir of Novron.

The two novels contained in Theft of Swords have been reviewed so many times, including several times here at Fantasy Literature, that it’s probably not necessary to go into a huge amount of detail. Their main characters are the thief Royce Melborn and the warrior Hadrian Blackwater, best friends who are both immensely skilled at what they do. They make a living taking on various assignments for nobles (often playing one noble against the other for double the profit) until one job gets them unwillingly involved in a far-reaching plot that affects the royal family of a kingdom and, eventually, the future of the entire world of Elan. As the plot evolves and thickens, you learn more about the structure and history of Elan, including multiple races (humans, elves, goblins, dwarves), deities, and political affiliations. For more details, simply take a look below for some excellent reviews of The Crown Conspiracy and Avempartha.

The two fantasy novels in Theft of Swords are extremely entertaining. There’s lots of action, flashes of humor, and some surprisingly (for a fluffy action fantasy novel) emotional moments. The characters are (at this point at least) paper-thin, but they’re mostly likable and the heroes are easy to root for. There’s simply not a dull moment to be found here. The fantasy world occasionally feels like a composite of familiar elements, but there are also hints that some more original pieces are waiting in the wings. Michael J. Sullivan is great at breaking down the world and its history into manageable chunks so they don’t overshadow the adventure, but if you take a step back and put all those pieces together, you can see that there’s more complexity here than you’d initially expect. The books don’t exactly brim with originality, but they’re so much sheer fun that it’s easy to get swept along.

One noticeable difference between the two novels in this omnibus, at least for a first time reader like myself, is that The Crown Conspiracy seems much more of a standalone story than Avempartha. It introduces the characters and the world, but its plot feels self-contained, whereas Avempartha seems to be the start of a longer story arc. The Crown Conspiracy also feels much more lighthearted. Which reminds me of a somewhat related topic: I suggest taking a break between the two books. The first book has a lot of forward momentum, and everything slams to a halt at the start of book two because it’s, well, a whole new novel. You can avoid the feeling that the plot suddenly moves at a creep rather than a gallop by picking up something else to cleanse your palate (which is officially my final food-related metaphor for this review.)

For people who have read the original books, there are a few differences between those and the ones found in this omnibus, including a new opening section for the first book, a glossary in the back, and a list of countries, deities, and political parties in the front. However, unless you’re a collector, I don’t think it’s necessary to get the omnibus if you have the original editions.

Here at FanLit, we give books star ratings, and I’m giving this one 3.5 stars, which for me means “between good and excellent.” This rating isn’t based on gorgeous prose, or deep characterization, or striking originality. It’s simply based on sheer, plain fun. This book reminded me of how much fun I had when I first discovered fantasy, *mumble* years ago. It reminded me of reading the original DRAGONLANCE trilogies, or even David Eddings’ BELGARIAD and MALLOREON series: I just kept turning pages until there weren’t any pages left to turn, without worrying about (or even being aware of) things like originality and depth. Much like those titles, Theft of Swords seems to straddle the line between YA and regular fiction, which might also make it a good series to get younger readers into fantasy. I had a blast with this book, even if I occasionally had to force myself to put away my mental red pencil so I could just enjoy the ride. If you’re in the mood for some straightforward, old-fashioned adventure fantasy, and you haven’t had the chance to check out the RIYRIA REVELATIONS yet, pick up a copy of Theft of Swords. —Stefan Raets

The Crown Conspiracy

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 — the stories that got a lot of us 35+ year-olds hooked on fantasy to begin with — The Crown Conspiracy brings back that excitement. When I started reading about Royce and Hadrian, Lieber's famous sword-and-sorcery duo, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, immediately came to mind, but I actually like The Riyria Revelations better.

Mr. Sullivan writes in such a way that within only a few paragraphs the reader becomes immersed in the adventure without even realizing they just left the real world. He actually makes the plot seems simpler than it really is. Unlike many authors who claim that each book in their series is a self-contained story, The Riyria Revelations truly are. I’m now halfway into the second one, Avempartha, and it’s easy to tell that they can be read in any order. And somehow, Sullivan is still able to thread each complete tale into a larger story. It’s nothing short of genius.

A few pages into The Crown Conspiracy, and I found myself as delighted as a cat who caught a mouse. I’ve been reading “dark” and “gritty” fantasy for so long that I forgot how enjoyable it can be to follow the adventures of heroes instead of anti-heroes. This is the first new fantasy series in years (except for David Gemmell’s novels) that didn’t make me feel like I was committing to another epic that will most likely last longer than my first marriage. Books like these have too long been missing from the genre. Michael Sullivan has brought back the pure fun of reading fantasy. —Greg Hersom

The Crown Conspiracy

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 for one murder, Royce and Hadrian are then freed to save the life of the Royal Prince, Alric, who considers them the murderers of his father. So, the stage is set with plenty of danger, some interesting characters, and some villains to threaten the heroes.

The Crown Conspiracy is easy reading, replete with familiar situations and comfortable. This is the sort of fantasy that I grew up with, and it was a real joy to get back to it. You won't find yourself comparing these books to Steven Erikson or Janny Wurts, but they hold their own against David Eddings and early Raymond E. Feist. As long as you’re not expecting high literature, The Crown Conspiracy is a great read. —John Hulet

Avempartha

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 a darn good time. Mr. Sullivan has put the fun of a YA adventure into a story for mature readers. Royce and Hadrian are the Fafhrd and Gray Mouser for this generation of fantasy readers.

The Riyria Revelations is the best of both worlds; Fantasy fans can escape to a new world of kings and kingdoms where elves, dwarves, and dragons are in residence, and mysterious sorceries are a force to be reckoned with. But you won’t have to commit decades of your life to follow The Riyria Revelations. These books read fast and have the feel of an action-adventure series, but the continuous background plot is deep enough to satisfy readers who prefer more complex epics. —Greg Hersom

Nyphron Rising

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 focusing on Arista and another storyline. I understand why he did that, but I would prefer to spend more time with Royce and Hadrian because they are most fun!

Nyphron Rising is a great story — a fun plot with new characters and plenty of action! Sullivan’s writing style is easy to follow and the story is complex enough to be exciting, but not so complex that you have to keep backtracking to remember who’s who and what happened when.

The Riyria Revelations is a very welcome change of pace and is worth setting on your bookshelf as something to read when the heavy-hitters (e.g., Wurts, Erikson, and Martin) have left you needing a breather! —John Hulet

Nyphron Rising

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 complexity. Enter Michael J. Sullivan and his Riyria Revelations. This series is a straight-up action/adventure done fantasy style, and “there ain’t a darn thing wrong with that.”

Mr. Sullivan brings back a type of story that’s had very little presence in this genre in the last twenty years or more. I, for one, wish him much success and hope his career is a long one. Making swashbuckling tales popular again creates more excellent choices for fantasy readers. —Greg Hersom

The Emerald Storm

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 leader Degan Gaunt.

So far, The Emerald Storm is my favorite book of the series. There are a few elements reminiscent of classic adventure literature, a who-done-it mystery, a pirate tale, and a thriller-type plot twist or two. I particularly enjoyed the warrior-tribe culture of the land of Calis.

As with all these books, parts might be just a little over-the-top, and there are few things, like the system of magic, that veteran fantasy-readers may find too simplistic, but that’s the kind of story this series is. Mr. Sullivan is focusing on just having fun. The theme is in tune with the likes of The Three Musketeers or Pirates of the Caribbean. It’s a series that could be considered more or less kid-friendly, but definitely not categorized as YA. When thought of in those terms, RIYRIA REVELATIONS is on its own out there in the fantasy genre, or, at least, the only story like it that stands out. —Greg Hersom

The Emerald Storm

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 wanted to skip ahead to the main characters.

Still, Sullivan keeps the plot moving: bad people get away with being clever and devious, good people are killed, and there is enough fighting and adventure to make up for shaky attempts at drama and intrigue. I guess that I expected some swashbuckling adventure and The Emerald Storm didn't have as much I wished for. —John Hulet

Wintertide

Wintertide is 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 this book do play a very interesting role.

THE RIYRIA REVELATIONS is a swashbuckling fantasy; action, adventure, and intrigue are its strong suits. The world-building and system of magic are left to a bare minimum by design — even more so in Wintertide than in earlier installments — which is a good thing in this kind of tale. You won’t find the complexity of MALAZAN EMPIRE or A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE here. Nor will you find a “dark and gritty” fantasy. RIYRIA REVELATIONS is just a plain ol’ fashioned good time. The stories read fast and there’s no nagging pressure that you need to be able to recall all the details from previous books. In fact, the plot is simple enough that you might even be able to skip a book and still gain a solid grasp of what’s going on. The books are good enough, though, that you won’t want to miss a single one.

Michael J. Sullivan’s genius is that THE RIYRIA REVELATIONS series is as much fun as YA fiction, but written for grown-ups. —Greg Hersom

Wintertide

Wintertide is 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 meaningful to the story. He moves back and forth between characters to show the passage of time instead of trying to keep time with one character. As readers we are not privy to everything that is happening, but only to those events that really matter. It makes the story move right along.

As always, the character of Royce is compelling to me. Over the last four books, Sullivan has shown us his history and what has shaped him. In Wintertide, Royce continues to evolve as he is torn between different loyalties. For a man who has survived by avoiding ties to anyone or anything, this is very interesting to read about.

Michael Sullivan has done a wonderful job with Wintertide. The balance between action, excitement, character development and story leads to a page-turner that is over much too quickly. This is not a book to try and read as an intro to the series; it ties back to previous storylines a great deal. That’s not a problem, just an observation for readers who have not read everything up to this point. I really liked Wintertide, and Sullivan has gotten me back on the bandwagon! —John Hulet

Percepliquis

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 conflict, complete with many characters who have their own backstories and subplots. That’s not to say the sheer fun of it has been sacrificed.

Michael J. Sullivan writes for an adult audience while infusing his novels with all the charm of the favorite stories of our youth. This quality made the RIYRIA REVELATIONS stand out among its contemporaries. All the genre’s mainstays are here — elves, dwarves, goblins, religions and mythologies, medieval settings, kings, princesses, warriors and wizards, magic, and dragons — but Sullivan uses them all in his own unique way.

Royce and Hadrian started out as a typical “brains-and-brawn” duo comparable to Fritz Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. That’s in no way a bad thing, but it enriched the series to see them develop into their own original characters.

While I enjoyed the heroic actions of the Riyria, the noble deeds by many other characters were so endearing that I found myself just as interested in their stories. I don’t want to even remotely risk a spoiler, but I will say that this series ending tugged at my jaded heart. That is no small accomplishment, because my usual reading preference is dark-n-gritty tales.

There are some small details throughout the series that might have been done just a little better. Of these, the dialog is most noticeable, at least to this reviewer. At times, the conversations just didn’t quite seem to fit in the traditional fantasy setting. However, this is easily overlooked, especially when these books are viewed as a whole, completed work.

The RIYRIA REVELATIONS doesn’t suffer from the “middle books syndrome” that too many series do. Not only does Sullivan maintain the level of interest that he set in The Crown Conspiracy, but the story consistently gets better with each book, making Percepliquis everything that the end of an epic should be and more. —Greg Hersom