I will not reveal any spoilers for A Theft of Swords in this review, but I will say that it is a fun, fast read that I couldn’t put down at a few points.

We learn a lot more about Royce and Hadrian, and begin to piece together a puzzle that we didn’t even know we were working at. It’s safe to say that Sullivan has thought through his characters very well, and that every one of them has an agenda, some are just a little more in the shadows than others. We’re exposed to more and more of the nations of Avryn, the political turmoil, and the re-emergence of a threat a millennia old. The story takes them to Dahlgren, where an unknown terror is destroying the land. I hope that doesn’t take anything away from it because it is roughly the same length as The Crown Conspiracy, but since no introduction is needed to our heroes Royce and Hadrian the book takes off and doesn’t slow down. If this story were not a slow build up to this, I would have thought it was too much too soon, but Sullivan sets the stage nicely and has well thought out explanations for all.īook Two, Avempartha is a really fast read. How is he 900 years old you ask? Who gives a shit, this book is awesome! Then Hadrian and Royce break a 900 year old wizard out of jail, no big deal. A few chapters later, we learn about the history and religion of the old Empire and how it split into the existing factions. In one early chapter we learn there are dwarves, half-blood elves, and full-blooded wild elves. What I really enjoyed about The Crown Conspiracy is that Sullivan uses each chapter to introduce a new piece of his world, and it is not a data dump upfront in the classic fantasy novel approach. Book One starts out fairly slow and even paced, and then erupts into a flurry of action that gets us familiar with Avryn geography, races, history, politics, religion and magic.

Sullivan to introduce his readers to the land of Avryn, which is part of a a much larger world called Elan. One of their riskier jobs, one they know they should turn down, sets off a chain of events that allows author Michael J. They have everything that a couple of thieves could want, a fierce reputation, a sweet hideout, and the opportunity to make some coin. They are known through their “dummy corporation” Riyria as freelancers that can pull off impossible jobs. Book One, The Crown Conspiracy, is a fast paced adventure, where we are introduced to two thieves, Hadrian and Royce.

The first volume in the three-volume Riyria Revelations series A Theft of Swords is actually an omnibus edition of the first two books The Crown Conspiracy and Avempartha.

Riyria revelations review