Age of Swords is set far in the past of the author's popular Riyria Chronicles/Revelations so can be read independently of either Riyria series. It does require reading book one in the current series, Age of Myth as it picks up a few months after the prior book ended and, as is all too common in modern multi-volume epics, there's no summary of what has gone before.

This novel begins with mystic Suri, village chief Persephone, and Arion the Fhrey visiting the tree that gave them good advice in the previous book. But now the tree keeps repeating a message to run and the mystic says, "It's never good when a tree screams." She is right. The tree and their entire village are destroyed by lightning, hail, and giants. The humans and their Fhrey and Dherg allies determine that the destruction was instigated by the Miralytith, the magic-using rulers of the Empire.

For generations, the human Rhune had worshiped the Fhrey as gods, but now, after the events of the first book, they know the Fhrey can be killed, and have access to runes that block the Miralytith's magic. Knowing that the Fhrey are planning further attacks, especially as her village has allied themselves with a band of renegade Fhrey, Persephone decides to gather the various Rhune clans together, appoint Raithe the God-Slayer as king, and fight back against the Fhrey.

But Raithe refuses to be king, saying that the human weapons are not strong enough. When Persephone learns that the Dherg need a magic user to kill a demon, Persephone decides to travel to Neith, in the Dherg homeland, and offer the services of their magic users, Suri and Arion, in exchange for Dherg weapons. Unfortunately, Arion was wounded in the previous book and has only limited painful access to her magic while Suri is still a novice.

Meanwhile, young Mawyndule, prince, and heir to the throne of the Fhrey Empire, becomes involved with a conspiracy to elevate the Miralytith to the status of gods, even over the rest of the Fhrey.

Age of Swords is light, fun epic fantasy with strong, likable characters. Even minor characters have strong personalities and Moya, a minor character in the first book, becomes much more important to this one. It is worth noting that most of the main human characters in the book are female.

Still, much of this volume does not advance the epic's overall arc. About half the book takes place in Dherg and, while interesting, feels a bit tangential. And the inventiveness of Roan and Brin seem too unbelievable, going from independently inventing the concept of writing to being able to read ancient spells in the course of hours. There is a humorous scene where one of the Dherg realizes that Roan did not simply make a wheel for a cart to carry the village's belongings but actually was the first human to invent the wheel. "Very impressive in a sad and stunningly pathetic sort of way."

Overall, these are minor flaws in an enjoyable novel. Fans of David Eddings and Robert Jordan will feel right at home with this series. Readers who have soured on gritty fantasy novels like the Song of Ice and Fire will find Legends of the First Empire a pleasant antidote.

An excellent follow-up to the Age of Myth novel. Book Two of "The Legends of the First Empire" Series; Age of Swords continues a tale as only Michael Sullivan can write. Loyal, uncompromising and affable characters, an exhilarating adventure and we have the recipe for this year's best epic-fantasy. Michael Sullivan does it again with no disappointments.

4.25ish stars.

In a lot of ways this has so many of the same "traditional" elements shared by other traditional fantasy novels, it would be easy for it to seem derivative. Also in a lot of ways, it's written so solidly it still manages to justify its existence. It's kind of cool that it's set in such a primitive age, even with the silly, implausible anachronisms used for the sake of character and plot development. I mean it's cool that Roan conveniently discovers some of civilization's most important inventions within a couple days of each other (even with the help of those dwarfs), but really?

What really sets this story apart is the character work, particularly with the female characters. This novel, much more than Age of Myth, hinges on its great and varied women. Raithe, The God Killer, hardly even makes an appearance! And it isn't even a big deal. I mean he and Malcolm are great, but it was even greater to go on that adventure into the misty mountains. That dragon. So cool, yet so tragic.

I'm sure there are lots of rewarding easter eggs that tie into the Ryria Revelations, but I was not of fan of the first book in that series and can't bring myself to try again, sorry not sorry. Good work to MJS because he's obviously come a long way as an author since then. This is a truly enjoyable series- cool characters, deeply layered, interesting plot, lots of potential, and c'mon the covers are awesome! Recommended.

Michael J. Sullivan, best known for his Riyria novels, started a new series The Legends of the First Empire with book 1, Age of Myth. I enjoyed this first novel (reviewed here) and had high hopes for the sequel, Age of Swords. Unfortunately this second book was hard to read, glum, boring for the first two thirds before speeding into high gear for the last third. Had I not gotten it through NetGalley I’d have tossed it aside well before the half-way mark. (I had the same problem with the Riyria Revelations, thoroughly enjoyed book 1, then floundered about half way through book 2.)

Why is the first half of the book hard to read?

Little Character Development and Action

The characters are the same but we don’t see anything new with them. Persephone is still leading her people despite feeling like a fraud; Raithe is still hanging around but doesn’t quite know why. We don’t see these people doing anything except packing up to evacuate their old home. Sullivan doesn’t show us anything new about any of these people, no character development, no witty dialogue.

Mawyndule has a small role that is interesting at first. A Miralyith young lady plays with his ego and hormones to get Mawyndule to flirt a bit with a Miralyith-supremacy group that manipulates events for a coup attempt. Any reader can see what the young lady is doing but Mawyndule falls for it. This episode is important because it frames the reason why Lothian will decide to war against the Rhune.

Women Power

I’m all for strong female leads in fantasy novels and Persephone is a great character. But Sullivan really went all out in The Age of Swords with smart ladies inventing clever solutions while the men stayed home and boasted and got drunk. It got a little tedious.

Technological Advancement, Or How to Invent Wheels, Writing and Archery in a Week

Rhune lacked the wheel, knew nothing of iron or even bronze, were unaware of writing and no one had bows and arrows.

Brin developed writing for her own use, a beautiful accomplishment. Somehow, a week later she was able to decipher tablets worth of texts that she didn’t write. Moreover, the author of these tablets was an ancient being, alien, not a Fhrey or a dwarf or a Rhune. I’m sorry. Literacy is magic, but not that magic. Look at how we still cannot decipher Linear B which ordinary humans wrote within the last 3500 years.

Roan developed wheels and bows and arrows the same month Brin developed writing. The real problem is that archery is tricky; you can learn the rudiments of sticking an arrow on a bow and shooting in some general direction but it is difficult to do well. I doubt anyone could first figure out the bow, then realize arrows need fletching to stabilize, then give to a friend who can master shooting in a few days. Not going to happen.

Rhune Society and the Fhrey Tribes

We learned a lot about the Rhune society in Age of Myth. It’s a typical tribal/family system with a chieftan (male) supported by his wife and his trusted lieutenant First Sword. Each tribal group has a mystic and a Keeper of the Ways, likely female, who keep the tribe centered on its heritage and past knowledge. The individual tribes vary in terms of how civilized they are, whether they use agriculture or rely on hunting, trade, wealth, so on.

We don’t learn anything more about the Rhunes in Age of Swords that we didn’t know from Age of Myth.

The Fhrey tribes are mostly based on family except for the Miralyith who use magic. Knowing how societies work when one group has special powers that others lack, we can expect infighting between the Miralyith and the rest, and some does show its ugly head in Age of Myth and now in Age of Swords. I think Sullivan can do much more with this although he will need a careful hand to keep it interesting and not polemic.

Mystery Character

Trilos, an older Fhrey (at least looks like a Fhrey) sits in front of the Door every day. Trilos has a suggestion for Imaly, the Fhrey Curator, to avoid tearing the Fhrey apart in a Miralyith vs. everyone else civil war: Blame the Rhunes. This could work despite having so many holes and such leaky logic that no one could seriously believe it. At best it gives Lothian an excuse to avoid a bloodbath at home and instead go kill some negligible folks.

The interesting question is why this mystery person does this. Does he simply want to avoid Fhrey vs. Fhrey war? Or does he want the Rhune to war against the Fhrey? Or something else?

Overall

The Age of Myth set up a detailed fantasy world using characters and its action-filled plot to tell a story and build the world. Age of Swords spent about 60% of itself re-setting up the same world, characters and plot. Sullivan could have avoided all this set up, edited out much of the first half, and had a tight, moving novel.

One star for the first two thirds and four stars for the finale. Let’s say 3 stars.

A sale at Audible landed me a copy of "Age of Myth." Right after I finished it, I requested for an ARC of the "Age of Swords." I did get a copy but I still ended up buying the audible copy so that I can re-read it before I write a review. That's how much I am interested in "Age of Swords."

First thing first… These two books are written as a serial under the title "The Legends of the First Empire." The first book, "Age of Myth" is a standalone book. There is a beginning, conflict, climax and resolution. So, even if you just read this book, you will get a feel of what Michael J. Sullivan is trying to accomplish.

Book 2, "Age of Swords," can be read without reading the first book. But, I don't suggest it. I recommend that you read "Age of Myth" first before reading "Age of Swords." The reason – you will lose some of the humor, the nuances and the character development, which by the way is as important as the story development.

Michael J. Sullivan has a wicked sense of humor. Sometimes, he has a dry wit; nevertheless, there are actually lots of laugh out loud funny moments. No, the series is not a comedy. It is an epic fantasy adventure. But, the humor is there. And like what I said. It is part of the character development.

Now, for my review… There will be spoilers. So if you don't want to continue reading, I understand. I just want you to know that from here on, it is readers beware!

SPOILERS ALERT! SPOILERS ALERT!

The Legends of the First Empire is different from other epic fantasy series because here, the women are the main characters while the men are in supporting roles! If you are a gamer, then you have probably heard of Final Fantasy X-2 wherein the heroes are all girls. To use a 1990s vernacular, in the "Age of Swords," GIRLS RULE!

Oh, don't get me wrong, the male main characters are very memorable. They are not slackers either. But the innovators and the ones who spearhead the story development are the women! This might not be news to us today, but, the setting of the "Legends of the First Empire" is the era when humans just entered the agricultural stage. There are no big cities yet. They have not even learned to write yet. History is still passed down orally.

That said, Michael J. Sullivan proposing in "The Legends of the First Empire" that it was actually women who jumpstarted human civilization give readers a different perspective of history, albeit in fictional form.

A great read! And if you are looking for another fantasy epic to follow (Hint: Game of Thrones is winding down), I recommend "The Legends of the Empire." With books 1 and 2 out and book 3 scheduled to reach store shelves early 2018, this is a good time to get involved.
Both "Age of Myth" and "Age of Swords" are Rated T for Teens due to violence. There are no sex scenes in these two books.

Book two in the Legends of the First Empire continues exactly where the previous book left off and moves on with the plot without wasting time reiterating events. Personally I like this approach in book series where the author is confident that readers are already familiar with what has happened.

While the plot continues on as before, we do get a lot more characters and the concentration is on different view points than previous. On occasion this is a bit annoying; it feels like we only some get a full account of some while so many others are left to the wayside. Fortunately all the points of view are interesting save one - that of Mawyndulë the elven prince whose chapters of whining teenager idiocy were quite hard to get through. A few plot elements felt maybe a bit too Lord of the Rings-esque. And honestly, the main heroines inventing the writing, the wheel,AND the bow within what must be just weeks requires quite a bit of suspension of belief. Still, the main plot of the upcoming war feels solid, with the politics and logistics feeling even surprisingly realistic.

Writing is good as ever and pacing feels perfect (except, again, with the prince). I did miss a bit of the odd couple dry humor that exists in Sullivan's Riyria books, and in the first volume of this series between Raithe and Malcolm.

All in all, I enjoyed this book a lot and am quite looking forward to the next installment.

I rated the previous book in the series 4 or 4.5 stars and, as I suspected, now that I have gotten to know the characters better, I love them even more. The storyline is exciting and involved, both within this individual book and as part of the series, and the characters are great! I especially love Suri and Gifford and a new character, Tesh. A word of warning: there is a heartbreaking event that affected me on a scale similar to that of Dumbledore's death. It's been a week and I still have to keep reminding myself that this is only a work of fiction--a sure sign that it's a good book if I feel like the characters are real!

Highly recommended.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me a digital copy.

Age of Swords continues the action of the first book in the series, Age of Myth. Persephone, now the chief of her clan, must lead her people to safety after their village is destroyed by the Fhrey. Realizing that the Fhrey will no longer leave her people in peace, she must try to unite all the clans if they will have any chance of surviving the impending war.

The girl power in this book is great. I can't say much more about that without revealing spoilers, but the women in this story kick butt and it is terrific. Michael J. Sullivan has further developed characters that were more peripheral in the first book, which enhances the depth of the narrative and the overall world-building. The engaging action draws the reader through the story and leaves you ready for the next installment! Fantasy fans will enjoy this series, especially if they start at the beginning.

Once this book got going it picked up speed and raced straight for the finish line, giving me enough closure to feel satisfied with certain elements, and leaving the main arc open for the conclusion of the tale, which is set in the early history of Sullivan's Ririya paracosm.

It did take a while for me to get into the story flow and stay there. Part of that was some trouble with the elves. In spite of their thousands of years, they read exactly like humans in their quick tempers, greed, tangled emotions, their inability to perceive the long view. They read like people with short lives. Finally I mentally lopped off the last three zeroes in any mention of years and they came into better focus.

Another aspect that threw me out a little, though I appreciated what Sullivan was doing . . . appreciated from the outside, so to speak. I couldn't stay in the story world as Roan and Brin kept inventing 30 millennia of civilization in a few months, as new things were needed, a la Ayla in Clan of the Cave Bear. I kept being tossed out of this book and thrown back to my objections to Ayla's singlehanded invention of civilization. Each time I had to make the effort to refocus my way back into this story, as I loved the characters, loved the friendships, and wanted to see where building events would take them.

Finally, I could have used fewer chapters with the young elf villain, as it was so obvious what was going to happen. Though I have to say, the coda to that was very, very chilling. That bit I did not expect.

The dwarves were awesome.

Elements I really appreciated: the central pair is middle-aged, and they show their years in so many believable ways. Raithe doesn't want to be keenig (king) for very good reasons; Persephone is so used to disaster and finding ways to deal that her quest, which by the way is comprised mostly of females, is to her yet another attempt at dealing. Even though she's not sure what she's doing. She has no notion how awesome she is.

I loved Suri and Minna, I loved Moya's becoming a badass, I loved the three dwarves and their different callings.

I really want to see what happens with Gifford the pot maker, and old Padera, and so many others. Sullivan does a great job in peopling his stories; even the minor characters have their own arcs.

In short, though I bumped a bit in getting going (and another reader will be just fine with all those elements) once the quest began I felt the tension line shift into high gear. I enjoyed this book and look forward to the next.

Storm clouds have been gathering since the events of Age of Myth, the first book in Michael J. Sullivan‘s new epic fantasy series, LEGENDS OF THE FIRST EMPIRE. The Fhrey (elves) have been feeling threatened by the Rhunes (humans) ever since the Rhunes shifted from a nomadic lifestyle to a more settled one, with crops and flocks of animals as well as hunting. Their population started exploding, and the Rhunes now outnumber the long-lived Fhrey by a factor of twenty to one (one million Rhunes vs. fifty thousand Fhrey). The killing of two Fhrey by Raithe, a Rhune warrior, provided the final impetus for a Fhrey attack.

As Age of Swords (2017) begins, a few months after the end of Age of Myth, trouble arrives for the inhabitants of Dahl Rhen with a literal bang. A magical lightning storm, mixed with apple-sized chunks of hail, destroys their village and the surrounding forest. As the storm ends, a gang of giants attacks what’s left of the village and its people.

Persephone, the recently-named chieftain of Dahl Rhen, calls on her people to gather all the belongings and supplies they can carry, and travel to Tirre, a Rhune town by the sea. She’s sent runners to all ten other clans to convene a summit there to unite all of the Rhune people to fight
against the Fhrey, and to appoint a single “keenig” to lead all of the Rhune. While the chieftains argue over who should be the keenig, Raithe, Persephone’s nominee for the job, refuses, arguing that with the Fhrey’s far-superior bronze swords, not to mention their magical powers, humans don’t stand a chance.

One possible answer lies with the Dherg or, as they call themselves, Belgriclungreians (nevermind, dwarves), whose technological capabilities exceed even those of the Fhrey. Three exiled dwarves propose a deal to Persephone and Arion, the magically gifted Fhrey who has been living with the Rhune and training young Suri in the use of her magical Art. If Arion will help take care of a “giant” problem in the dwarves’ ancient city of Neith, they will help Persephone deal with the dwarves’ to try to get the humans better weapons … even better than bronze! So Persephone, Arion, Roan (an ex-slave who is a mechanical genius) and several other women leave the Rhune summit on their own quest, with no idea of the danger that awaits them in the land of the dwarves.

In his Author’s Note at the beginning of Age of Swords, Sullivan calls this book his “favorite book of this series,” but I thought it was slightly weaker than Age of Myth. The pacing dragged at times, especially in the chapters dealing with Mawyndulë, the immature and selfish son of the Fhrey ruler. Mawyndulë is in the running for the fictional character with the most breathtaking combination of sheer uselessness and an overinflated sense of self-importance, ever.

Readers who like novels with a strong theme of woman empowerment will find much to love in Age of Swords. It was good to see this happen in a relatively primitive society, although it did strike me as unlikely that, in a Neolithic era clan, a group of women would take off on a dangerous trip without taking any men along (other than some dwarves of debatable usefulness).

I also found Roan’s level of inventive genius over the top, not to mention suspiciously convenient at several key plot points. She was particularly busy in this book; her inventions included (view spoiler)and more. Leonardo da Vinci has nothing on Roan! At the same time, Roan is a sympathetic woman, given some depth of character, as she tries to overcome the deep psychological scars inflicted by her old master. Nursing a near-hopeless love for Roan is Gifford, a gifted potter with crippling birth defects, whose outward injuries are a counterpoint to Roan’s inner ones. Through another character’s recollections, Sullivan offers some deeply intriguing comments about Gifford’s future role, shedding some new light on that character.

Overall, Age of Swords is compelling reading. Several characters develop in intriguing ways, rising to the occasion when trouble comes. And it ends very strongly, with a few twists and turns that really increased the reading pleasure. It left me ― and, I think it’s safe to predict, will leave most readers ― anxious for Age of War, the next novel in this series, scheduled for publication in April 2018.

Many times when fantasy novels split their main narrative in multiple parallel but at-the-time unrelated stories or narratives, there are one or two good ones that I'm excited to read and one that's a total dud that I can't wait to get through (see: the Catelyn Stark chapters in the Song of Ice and Fire series). This is the rare book where the two (at times three) parallel stories are equally interesting in their own way. Persephone and friends go questing in the primary storyline, while Mywandule is tempted by a rebel faction until they <spoiler>attempt to kill his father and overthrow the government</spoiler>. One is more of the standard high fantasy action set piece, although with excellent character development and worldbuilding thrown in, while the other is more political intrigue. Structurally it's similar to James S.A. Corey's Expanse series, with the main characters racing through space on adventures while Avasarala negotiates government politics. It would be silly to read this story without having read the first in the series, Age of Myth, but it stands on its own as a cohesive tale. Looking forward to the next in the series, presumably coming sometime next year.

One of my favorite authors is Michael J. Sullivan. In one of my first ever posts on the site I described his work as “the comforting home cooked meal of fantasy” and I stand by that statement. I would not describe his work as boundary pushing, but his classical fantasy stories have always been something I look forward too as I never get tired of them. He currently is working on his third series set in the same world, set of five “Ages” that set up the world for his other books. You can find my review of the first book in the series, Age of Myth, here – but today I want to talk about book number two that just came out, Age of Swords. This review has mild spoilers for the first novel.

Age of Myth is set in a time in Sullivan’s world that is almost prehistoric, where humans have barely invented fire. The world he has created is dominated primarily by three races, humans, elves, and dwarfs. The first book shows that the power structure between these three is decidedly one sided: with humans at the bottom of the food chain worshiping the elves (and the dwarves somewhere in the middle after losing a war to the elves badly due to powerful magic). The aptly named Age of Myth sees a shift in this power structure as the humans stop revering the elves as gods, and instead see them as powerful oppressors that need to be thrown down with an Age of Swords. The story in book two is about answering the question: how do we beat a race of semi-immortals who have magic that can shatter mountains?

Age of Swords expands Sullivan’s series a lot from the first book in a variety of different ways. First, we are introduced to a large number of new characters and POVs that tell the story. While some of these new characters had minor appearances in the first book, they are much more fleshed out in Swords. Sullivan states in a foreword at the beginning of Swords that his cast for the series was simply too large to introduce in one book, and I find I agree with him. While I like almost all his characters, the cast is enormous and I found myself a little overwhelmed by it at some points. However, while it was a lot to take in at first I eventually found myself adjusting to, and appreciating, the number of characters.

On top of expanding the cast, Age of Swords does a fantastic job of fleshing out the world and culture of Sullivan’s world. In his previous novels and series, he focused heavily on humans and left the culture of the other races a bit to your imagination. In Swords we get to dive a little more into the elves, but more importantly into the story of the Dwarves. Something interesting about Sullivan’s writing is that what often feels like lazy copying on other authors, feels like intentional tribute with him. The plot lines around the Dwarves in Age of Swords surrounds them being ousted from their homeland by essentially a Balrog. While that sounds like he ripped of Tolkien, it feels like more of a reimagining of the classing LotR story that Sullivan has made his own. It was by far my favorite part of the story and it left me wondering why we don’t spend more time with dwarves in classic fantasy and why everyone is so obsessed with elves.

On the the other hand, while I had a lot of fun with Age of Swords, it definitely had some issues. The first and foremost is that while the book does a good job continuing to develop the plot, it definitely feels like a bridge book that just exists to set up the sequels. The actual movement of the plot in the story felt extremely small compared to Sullivan’s other work – and some of the character development felt forced. In addition to this, I did not enjoy one of the key plot devices of the book. Humans start the novel in the stone age, with nothing but basic tools and knowledge of various crafts. Age of Swords see humans go through a period of innovation where about three people invent about 100 things a piece that radically change the level of technology for humans. These things range from major inventions, such as the wheel and bow and arrow, to smaller things like belts and pockets. The innovation itself feels like it is a bit too much too quickly, and the discoveries that lead to the various inventions can often feel forced and repetitive. This becomes a serious issue for me because inventing these things felt like it took up almost a third of the page space.

In the end I enjoyed Age of Swords, though I think it is unfortunately Sullivan’s weakest book to date. This has not made me think any less of him as one of my favorite authors, and I am hoping that the hiccups that I experienced in this novel will only serve to expand the plot further in the sequels.

Rating: Age of Swords – 6.0/10

3.5 of 5 stars

With six books in total now planned for The Legends of the First Empire series and four more left on the docket, it’s understandable that we have to pace ourselves. That may explain why I found Age of Swords to be on the slower side in comparison to its predecessor Age of Myth, which still holds a slight edge for being the more enjoyable book. That said, this was still a solid sequel, and there were even a few areas which I felt were improvements over the previous book.

Set thousands of years before the events of Michael J. Sullivan’s beloved Riyria Revelations, Age of Swords is the second in a new sequence of books that takes us back to the dawn of this world, introducing us to the precursors of many of the races and locations you’ll find in the time of Royce and Hadrian. This would be a fine series to start with if you’ve never read the author before and would like to give his work a try, though beginning with Age of Myth is a must—Sullivan has a way of foreshadowing the big events at the end of his series by planting subtle seeds for them in the earlier books, and trust me when I say that you won’t want to miss a thing.

We pick up the tale here following the spark of rebellion lit by Raithe the God Killer, turning the bitter enmity that has always existed between the Rhune and the Fhrey into a full-blown war—one that the Rhune are sure to lose, if they cannot unify the tribes against their common foe. After all, what chance do they have, when the most powerful of the elf-like Fhrey are practically immortal and possess magic? Already they have retaliated against the humans for their attempt at defiance, by sending lightning storms and giant beings to destroy the settlement of Dahl Rhen.

Persephone, once the wife of a clan chieftain, now finds herself to be the new Rhen leader. After gathering her supporters, she leads them on a campaign to rally the other Rhune clans to their cause. Among those who follow her are Brin, the Dahl’s newly appointed Keeper of Ways; Suri, the only human known to possess the power of magic, along with her loyal wolf companion Minna; Roan, a traumatized girl with an uncanny talent for tinkering and creating new inventions; Gifford, a good friend of Roan who has a heart of gold but was also born with a congenital disability; Moya, a young woman who wishes to defy tradition by becoming a warrior; and Arion, the exiled Fhrey sorceress who now finds herself traveling with the humans and training Suri to become a mystic.

Eventually, Persephone’s journey leads her to the dwarves, a race that disdains both the Rhune and the Fhrey with equal measure. But with the need for well-crafted weapons to use in the coming war, our characters have no choice but to agree to the dwarves’ demands. In exchange for their help, Persephone and her team agree to descend into the dark depths of the ancient dwarven city to vanquish a demon that has taken residence there.

Needless to say, the women are the real winners here. This book revisits a lot of the characters we first met in Age of Myth, but as Sullivan promised, many of those who played smaller roles are now getting their chance to shine in Age of Swords. As a fan of stories about misfits and outsiders, I loved this new development—especially when our group of Dahl Rhen underdogs the ones providing the catalyst for important turning points. There’s no shortage of stories about the fighters in epic fantasy, but not as much attention is usually given to the inventors, scholars, and deep thinkers whose achievements keep the gears of the world well-oiled and moving. This is why I really enjoyed this book, as it shifts the focus from Raithe to those who fight the war in less apparent ways. The actions of those like Suri or Brin may never earn them cool nicknames like “God Killer”, but their deeds are no less heroic or deserving of recognition. This novel pays tribute to these characters, and I’m grateful to the author for it.

In terms of criticisms though, the one big downside to this story was the uneven pacing. Long stretches of subdued activity, like when the characters are discussing history or magic, were only punctuated by infrequent and brief periods of excitement, while huge technological or cultural advancements felt like they were accomplished in days. These pacing issues kept me from powering my way through this one like I did with Age of Myth, and though a lot seemed to have happened in this book, at the end of the day it didn’t actually feel like we moved the series that much more forward. In other words, in longer fantasy series like this it’s often natural to see the plot go through multiple peaks and dips, and this book felt very much like a “dip”.

Still, these minor flaws aside, there’s lots to like about Age of Swords and I found the book enjoyable overall. As I alluded to before, it’s not unusual to see a sequel take a step back to regroup and reorient itself while setting things up for more to come, which is what I think is going on here especially given the care and forethought Michael J. Sullivan likes to put into his foundation building for later novels. I’m looking forward to see how this series will unfold, and will be picking up the next book without hesitation.

It is such a wonderful feeling to come back to Persephone, Raithe, Arion, Suri… I kept having flashbacks from the first book and remembering how good it was. This calls for a re-read!

While they were also on the first book, to my delight these supporting characters have a much greater place and role in Age of Swords:

Roan, a genius mechanic young woman, touch-averse mostly because of the abuse she suffered from her father.
Brin, a bright young woman with the title of Keeper of Ways.
Moya, a fearless and beautiful young woman.
Minna, Suri’s white wolf.
Gifford, a disabled young man with a speech-impermeant, best potter of the village, and the nicest of all people.

Raithe is not as present than in the first book, but that didn’t bother me that much. Since Age of Myth introduced so many great characters and this sequel gives those the importance they deserve, I’m happy with this. Moya gets so much development, same for Suri, Gifford and the other listed above. (I’m literally trying not to yell about how much I love them <3)

Persephone might remain my favourite. Now chieftain, she shows great strength but without ever losing sight of who she is, never sacrifying her integrity and her individuality to fit in a world not yet used to women in a position of power like this. She is a strong woman, not for her fighting skills but for her incredible personality. She trusts her skills, her authority and leadership, she trusts her people and will do anything for them.

I love that the whole village is important and we don’t just get to know the main characters. We end up caring and rooting for so many people. A recurring theme in the novel is grief, because from the events of book 1 almost everyone lost someone. All the characters are coping in different ways, together.

While the stakes are starting to get higher in this book, you can feel it’s a sequel and most of the big stuff will happen later. While you could call it a set-up book, it didn’t make me enjoy it less. The book took the time it needed to let the reader witness the characters’s growth and development. You know how I love The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet for the characters and their relationships, well this book could almost be the fantasy equivalent because while the plot does not move that much, the characters are AMAZING. And mostly the women to be honest. And what an amazing squad of brave women they make ❤

Without some of the things I’m going to talk about next, this could have been an all time favourite. Still, I’m sure this is a book I’ll love to reread later, because so many amazing things happened and it moved me deeply.

A thing that bothered me is that, at first, everyone kept on calling the Dherg people “Dherg” when they specifically said this was an insult to them and told them their actual name (Belgriclungreians). But then they ended up being renamed Dwarfs (because of course). I feel there’s a missed opportunity here, about people not being willing to call a people with their actual name. I kept hoping for them to try but I’m a bit disappointed it didn’t happen. I get that the author is trying to bring the whole human/elf/dwarf in an original manner, but on this case, it didn’t felt okay.

I still don’t like Mawyndulë’s point of view. He is the antagonist and I feel like the author is trying to add nuance to him, but I just don’t like being in the head of such a despicable person, even if it makes me understand a bit his actions, he’s still awful. There wasn’t that many chapters from his perspective but it still felt too much for me, and a bit predicable.

The wheel, writing, barrels, bow and other big inventions are invented in a short period of time by one or two characters and I found that quite convenient? It’s a fantasy novel so eh, why not, but it did make my eyes roll a bit I have to admit.

The pacing might feel uneven to some people, but it wasn’t a problem to me. Like I said, I love how it managed to make time for a lot of “secondary” characters, so much that I don’t feel like they are secondary anymore. It all just seem like an amazing cast of characters that I can’t get enough of and am glad ended up in such a great novel.

As a whole, I’d say I love this book more than the first – that I already loved. This is one I’ll buy as soon as it is out in paperback and read again with great pleasure. 2017 is starting to feel like the year with all the best sequels to me!

If you thought you will never cry for the series, you will in Age of Swords. A flood of tears will be shed for the least likely conception of a menacing creature in The Riyria Revelations. Age of Swords will improve upon the plot that the Age of Myth was built. Heroes will be born in the most unlikely way when women show perseverance, tenacity, resilience and truest of intentions. It's a fantasy read that's unlike your traditional fantasy read that it's a refreshing one. You'll be engrossed in ways you least likely expect.

Copy furnished by Net Galley for the price of a review.

Screaming trees, murderous lightning, fearsome giants and giant killers. Metal-clad dwarfs. Terrifying face-eating raows. A vast cavern across the sea plays host to monsters and secrets. The dirty unkempt individual who stares fixedly at The Door - is it true wisdom he imparts or merely inane prattle? Vows versus promises. Who can be trusted and who will betray?

There is no character, good or bad, major or minor, who isn't drawn with care and attention. This is the second book in the series and I'm all in. Ready for the third. The sooner, the better.

I think I enjoyed this even more than book one, perhaps because I've already met many of the characters. In this second book, Persephone attempts to unite the people of Rhune - a difficult task since they have been enemies for centuries. She is a strong character, but I like her friends even more. There are some funny parts, and one part in particular made me cry. We also meet another race, and learn more about the politics of all three races. I definitely recommend this series

1.) Age of Myth ★★★★★

“Every life is a journey filled with crossroads. And then there are the bridges, those truly frightening choices that span what always was, from what will forever be. Finding the courage, or stupidity, to cross such bridges changes everything.”

It hurts my heart, but I didn't love this one as much as I loved Age of Myth! It was still a really solid addition to an epic fantasy series that I know is going to continue to be one of my favorites. And this book still follows some of my favorite characters of all time, while also introducing us to some new faces and even new races! Be still, my dwarf loving heart.

This series is set 3,000 years before Michael J. Sullivan's Riyria Revelations, but this series is meant to be read separately and there will be no spoilers if you haven't completed it or even started it. I'm guessing it will only add to the reading experience, but you won't be hindered going in blind, like me.

Age of Myth is the book that starts this epic tale, where we get to see many different characters, with their own perspectives and paths, be woven together because of a war that shouldn't be happening in the first place. We have a recently dead Chieftain's wife of one of the Rhunes (humans) clans, who is now forced into the role, even though other men want to constantly fight her for it, yet she is without a doubt the best person to lead. We get to see a young girl and her sidekick pet wolf, who have grown up in the magical forests in this world and has more power than she even knows. We learn about the Fhrey (elf) clans, who believe themselves Gods, and we get to see their inner turmoil and we also get to focus in on one unbelievably strong woman who is forced to make tough choice after tough choice. Lastly, we get to follow a poor Rhune man, who hasn't had the easiest of lives, forced into choosing between running forever or saving the very people who have stripped him of his faith in humanity all his life.

“Losing leaves a bitter taste that lingers long after the sweetness of victory has been forgotten.”

Yet, in Age of Swords we get to see these characters develop more, while also seeing a few side characters shine just as brightly. As I said above, we learn about Dwarves, or Dhergs, or Belgriclungreians, who are nothing short of amazing. We get to see disabled representation, and the way that uncivilized human clans, and some of the world leaders we have today, treat those individuals. We also have representation of a surviving girl, coping with her pain and grief, unable to be touched by others, becoming one of the most important Rhunes in existence with her craft. We get to see the primal beauty of a girl learning to craft a written language so her, her clan, and her family's stories are never forgotten. We get to see a woman who was only valued for her beauty, become the warrior she has always wanted to be. And lastly, we get to see a young Fhrey boy coming to terms with the power he holds, while also being given the choice of what kind of leader he wants to be. Oh, and we get giants and demons and dragons and old gods, too!

Have I sold you yet? Because Michael J. Sullivan truly crafts some completely unforgettable characters. The magical girl with the wolf sidekick, Suri, is one of my favorite characters in all of literature. She is written expertly and impossible not to love. This series is worth a try just for the privilege of meeting her alone. I don't mean to gush about Suri, but she is so important to me and it's downright impossible to not gush about her! And in general, Michael J. Sullivan writes some amazing and strong female representation that is sometimes hard to find in high fantasy.

But besides Suri, this book is about winning smaller battles to eventually try to win a much larger war that seems pretty impossible to win. This book is about how we segregate people who are different than us. This book is about hope, and having faith in the darkest of times. This book is about found families and how you should surround yourself with people who will love you unconditionally and without question or reward. This book is about love and the reckless and desperate things we will do to find or keep it.

“Funny how things that shouldn’t matter actually meant so much and how things as permanent as homes moved.”

I feel like I can't say too much without giving away spoilers, but my favorite scenes in Age of Swords were, hands down, the ones with the quest inside the mountain. They were so amazing, and I felt like I was right there and a part of the adventure. I also felt so many Hobbit feels and I was completely living for this entire journey.

I also love the message about how the Fhrey and Rhune clans are divided. See, the Rhunes are split up into seven clans because they live in different regions, but the Fhrey are split into seven clans completely based on power and privilege. The Fhrey honestly have a working class at the bottom and a class that believes themselves Gods at the top. There is a huge discussion in this book about how the highest clan wants to keep the lower clans down, and it is a really important message that I think many people could see parallels in to our actual world today. I really appreciated it, and I loved reading about it.

“The gathering that changed the course of human history was nothing more than a circle of chairs filled mainly with stupid, vain men.”

Speaking of the Fhrey people, Michael J. Sullivan is going to torment me until book six about the mysterious door, isn't he?

This world is huge in this book, which means there is a lot of world building, and I completely understand the necessity of making this story cohesive, but I just felt myself not as invested in some of the other storylines as I would have liked. Again, Suri's storyline is my favorite, and I also really enjoy Persephone's, but the rest just fell a little flat for me.

I loved seeing a new language being created. I loved the new characters and races. I loved seeing sacrifice, even though I felt like my heart was being shattered in a million pieces. I loved seeing so many characters faced with moral dilemmas that brought about the constant question of what is the right thing to do. And I loved seeing these characters slowly, but surely, realize that past torment and pain does not make you broken.

Yet, even with all of this being said, not that much happened in this book. There were very few exciting moments, but for the most part this book just felt mostly boring to me. I simply couldn't put down Age of Myth, but I mostly made myself pick up Age of Swords. I know this book was setting up important ground work for the rest of the series, which I wholeheartedly appreciate, but it's ultimately the reason I have to give this a lower rating.

I still completely recommend this series, and I truly believe with my whole heart that this is going to be a series I carry with me forever. The characters, the messages, the greater picture at hand, all of these things are building up into something unforgettable, and I can't wait to get my hands on Age of War!

“Persephone had been so fixated on getting swords that she never considered the perils of where the path might lead, or what she’d need to suffer to travel it.”

Ahoy there me mateys! I received this fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings. If ye haven’t read the first book in this series, age of myth, then ye might want to skip this post and go read the first book. Worth the read. If ye keep reading this log then ye have been forewarned and continue at yer own peril . . .

age of swords (Michael J. Sullivan)

Title: age of swords

Author: Michael J. Sullivan

Publisher: Del Ray

Publication Date: TODAY! (hardcover/e-book)

ISBN: 978-1101965368

Source: NetGalley

So I be lucky again! Arrrr! Ye see a ways back in time, I won me first ever book from Goodreads Giveways, which happened to be the first book in this series: age of myth. It was also me first experience reading the works of Mr. Sullivan. The novel was one of the best books I read in 2016 and I adored it. So then when I saw book two on NetGalley I requested it and the publisher said yes! Arrrr!

The only problem was finding an uninterrupted day where I could lock meself in me cabin with the understanding that anyone who bothered me was going to be run through by me cutlass! But of course being Captain, I recently had me heart's desire and read this gem in one sitting. It be first-rate.

The highlight fer me was how this story continued to portray strong female characters. While there are side stories in this novel, the main action involved me favorite women from the first novel including, but not limited to, Suri, Persephone, Moya, Brin, Roan, and Arion. In fact this group is a powerhouse of different strengths and talents who work together and trust each other. Empowering and awesome. Many of the men sit back on the sidelines arguing and accomplishing nothing. Made me laugh. Of course not all of the male characters are pointless. We get to see me other male favorites like Raithe and Gifford as well. There are a quite a few new characters introduced that I know I will enjoy discovering in later books.

The storytelling overall was full of action and the time spent reading whirled right by. I was completely enthralled for 99.99% of the novel. I perhaps even shed more than a few salty tears. There were only a few quirks that made this novel slightly less fun than the first.

One was the point of view chapters of Mawyndule. He is a hateful, spoiled, annoying brat. While I understand his existence, his naivete and attitude made me sigh when I had to hear what was inside his head again. I would love to make him walk the plank and then be eaten by treacherous sharks with the remainder of him sunk to the bottom of Davy Jones' Locker never to be heard from again.

The other minor problem was that a large portion of the book took place in what felt like the mines of Moria with the Balrog. As I read that famous trilogy every year for 16 years, it took me a little bit to shake the sensation of deja vu. I decided in me head that it was deliberate homage and got over it. Besides even though it is an epic fantasy, the characters are me true joy and I loved watching the consequences of their choices whether it be heartbreak or growth.

This is not to say that the plot, politics, world building, magic, and other elements of the story don't float me boat. They did. Plus the ending was delightfully foreshadowy. I loved this novel and already know I want the other four. The author suspects we might be able to get our hands on the rest of the series on an accelerated schedule. Arrrr!

Side note: for an excellent breakdown of the different series by Michael Sullivan and his advice for reading same, check out this page on his website.

So lastly . . .

Thank you Del Ray!

The author’s website had this to say about the novel:

Raithe, the God Killer, may have started the rebellion by killing a Fhrey, but long-standing enmities dividing the Rhune make it all but impossible to unite against a common foe. And even if the clans can join forces, how will they defeat an enemy whose magical prowess makes the Fhrey indistinguishable from gods? The answer lies across the sea in a faraway land populated by a reclusive and dour race With time running out, Persephone leads a small band of misfits in a desperate search for aid—a quest that will take them into the darkest depths of Elan. There, an ancient adversary waits—an enemy as surprising as it is deadly.

To visit the author’s website go to:

Michael J. Sullivan - Author

To buy the novel go to:

age of myth - Book

To add to Goodreads go to:

Yer Ports for Plunder List

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It is a sweeping tale of discovery in a mythical time. The characters, story, and Bronze Age setting make this a highly entertaining second installment. Can book three please come out soon?

My Review:
About a year ago, I was fortunate enough to be approved for the ARC of Age of Myth, by Michael J. Sullivan. I loved the characters, and epic storytelling. My only frustration was that the story ended and I would need to wait a year to read the next installment!

I finally was able to receive the ARC of the next book in the series, Age of Swords, and it was worth the wait! Everything that I loved about the first book is amplified in the next. Plus, the characters journey on an epic adventure worthy of The Lord of the Rings, trilogy.

What I Liked:
Characters:

In a book where all the characters are preparing for war, you might be surprised that the focus of the story is on the many outstanding female characters. Here are just a few of my favorites:

Persephone is the widow of the Rhune chieftain, Reglan, who is the obvious choice to succeed him. Even in this patriarchal society, everyone can see Persephone is a strong leader (and was probably advising Reglan). She is fiercely devoted to her clan, and will do whatever it takes to make sure they survive, even leading her people into a war with the Frhey.

Arion is one of the Fhrey, an elf-like race of people that were thought (until recently) to be gods. She is powerful in the "Art", which means she can manipulate the elements to do magic. She is the natural enemy of the Rhune (primitive people), but has switched sides and is helping the Rhune to find a way to fight the Fhrey. I enjoyed how she mentored Suri and became almost a big sister to her. I think she embodied the spirit of sisterhood that some women are luck enough to tap for comfort and support.

Stunningly beautiful, Moya has been written off as nothing more than a whore. But she longs to be useful and trains for combat so she can be Persephone's "Shield" (bodyguard). I loved her spirit and determination. She knows what others think of her. And, while she is hurt, she pushes past everyone's perceptions of her to forge her own identity.

Roan is also a damaged soul. The ex-slave has been through horrible abuse and can't stand to be even casually touched. She is the group's tinkerer and comes to invent many useful devices for her people. Reading about her bursts of inspiration was a delight.

Teen-aged Suri is the group's mystic and seems to possess Arion's talent for The Art. She had the toughest journey in the novel, going from carefree child to an adult who must assume responsibility far too soon.

Setting:

Although this is a fantasy novel, it seems to be set in the Bronze Age. I loved this because of all the amazing technical innovations that the characters made throughout the book. I also enjoyed the mix of historical fiction and fantasy. It almost seems possible that in a time of world-changing discoveries (that must have seemed to be magic) there would be elves, demons, and gods.

Story:

I love storytelling which focuses on characters finding out who they are meant to be. Discovering these talents is not always joyous. It means sacrificing some desires to make room for the work of becoming your true self.

In the book, several of the characters must travel to a faraway land in order to find what they need to defeat the Fhrey. Everyone thinks they are fools to do it. And those who go are tested beyond almost all reason. But they emerge with wisdom, and are transformed. I can't say more without revealing spoilers, but this is a Bronze Age road trip to end all road trip