Here's a short book review for "Nolyn" by Michael J. Sullivan:
Michael J. Sullivan returns to his beloved Elan universe with "Nolyn," the first installment in the gripping new Rise and Fall trilogy. Readers are instantly transported to the frontlines of the Goblin War, where deception and ancient legends intertwine in this action-packed fantasy adventure.
The story follows the heir to the empire, reassigned to rescue duty in what initially seems like a routine mission. But when the operation goes awry in the depths of enemy territory, the young soldier finds himself at the center of an unfolding mystery that portends a seismic shift in the world's future.
From the outset, Sullivan spins an intricate web of political intrigue, introducing a rich cast of characters and factions vying for power and influence. His talents for worldbuilding are on full display, expanding the historical tapestry of Elan while staying true to the nuanced cultures he's established over previous series.
Where "Nolyn" truly shines, however, is in its masterful blend of mystery and adventure. Sullivan melds genre tropes with surprising depth, presenting surface-level heroics that slowly peel back to reveal profound existential questions. The action sequences are visceral and cinematic, fueled by clever magic systems and creative fantasy elements.
Longtime fans of the Elan universe will delight in the subtle connective threads to prior books, though "Nolyn" stands firmly on its own as an entry point for new readers as well. Sullivan's acclaimed skill for characterization is as sharp as ever, ensuring emotional investment amidst the sword-and-sorcery spectacle.

An author I've been recommended to read many times but a narrative style I really struggled to connect with and therefore, struggled to get through the story.

I'm not sure why, but it won't let me choose that I won't be giving feedback on this one. Thank you so much for the opportunity to review this title. It's just not for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me an advanced copy of this book to read and review.

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I found the subject matter really interesting. The book was well written and easy to understand. I highly recommend this book.

Because of problems with my computer and e-reader my I didn't read the book and my copy has expired.

A great addition to the universe of Michael J Sullivan! looking forward to the next installments in this series

It is a Sullivan Book so what should I say other than it is amazing.

But I must say I would definitly advice to read the legends of the first empire series first as this book does contain spoilers for the series.

If you have read Legendes I would say immediatly pick this one up Nolyn is probably my new favorites sullivan character and that is saying something as he writes some of the best characters on my opinion.

The battle scenes are fantastic and I absolutly love the building of a relationship between Nolyn and his squad.

Absolutely fabulous and trademark Sullivan. I love the settings and characters created and his work always has a friendly warmth to it that is very comforting!

Nolyn is the first book in the new Rise and Fall Trilogy by Michael J. Sullivan. Its also the first book I've read by Sullivan so I was unsure on what to expect not having read any of the previous books from this world that I've heard so much about.

I could see very early on why people love Michael J. Sullivans work. His Writing has a certain hypnotic way of drawing the reader into a bear like embrace and refusing to let go until the very end. Its one of those story's that gets you immersed and completely lost in this wonderful world.

The characters in this book was really made it special. There is so many different types of characters and all with a unique story or characteristics. I genuinely believe that every character in this book could have their own book based on their lives and it would still have you 100% engrossed.

The story itself was just fascinating and insanely entertaining. For someone like myself who has maybe jumped into the world a little bit late, there's still that excitement that you get to read all the previous books from this world and the also the other two in incredible Trilogy.

I think everyone from die hard Sullivan fans to newbies like myself need to jump into this Trilogy. It's guaranteed to impress.

Nolyn was not my cup of tea. I enjoyed Sullivan's Riyria Revelations and Chronicles trilogies. I enjoyed Age of Myth but bounced hard off the sequel. I was able to finish Nolyn but it took a bit of effort. I've found that Sullivan's writing has gotten less enjoyable with time. I felt the plot was over-simplified, the events unlikely in the extreme, the conflicts easily avoidable, and the characters not particularly likeable. Any of them. I finished it out of a sense of obligation, not because I wanted to see how the story ended. I won't be recommending this book to anyone.

I may support his next Kickstarter in the hope that the next book is a bit more my cup of tea and I am looking forward to Esrahaddon, if for no other reason than nostalgia from the original trilogies.

Overall, loved the book, and if you love fantasy with lore that spans across multiple series, I would highly recommend Nolyn. There’s witty banter, there’s great storytelling and dialogue, amazing and desperate plots, characters you love, hate, and feel lukewarm about, funny characters, scary characters, you name it. It’s fast-paced and there are some pretty graphic deaths. The chapter with the city invasion brought goosebumps to me. It was intense, and more than once I had to get up and process the twists that were being thrown in. The ending was pretty sweet, but it’s kind of heavy all the same.

Thank you to netgalley for allowing me to read books ad give critical feedback to authors and publishers. Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me to read the eARC of this book.

Apologies for the late review of this book.

This is a long book based on a fantasy world where a war is currently taking over the land and the exiled lead male is reassigned back into the folds of war, this fantasy was hard for me to get into at first as the writing style was hard to get into but after I got into the story about 30% in I started to get into the world and then enjoyed it.

I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was suggested for the 2022 list. It was not nominated for the award. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2022/01/readers-advisory-announce-2022-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

I'll add a full review to my site, Amazon and GR within the next week. I've been catching up on a lot of reading having had a break due to several projects.

Thank you for the arc. I also have my signed copy and leather copy via Kickstarter!

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. I tried to pick it back up multiple times but every time it seems like I wasn't in the headspace for it. Through no fault of the book, I would say, so it feels unjust to be rating it. I will be rating it a 5 because I have to rate it.

To be honest I found it hard to get into this book, probably because I was new to the author's works. I returned to it after reading some of the other reviews and I'm really glad I did. I still think the first few chapters ar slow going but things rapidly improve after that and I was soon absorbed. It's a well crafted novel and now that I am familiar with the world and characters I'm sure I will be coming back for more.

My thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for this ARC.

I'm a big Michael Sullivan fan so I was very excited to read the first instalment of the Rise and Fall series and it did not disappoint! I loved the time jump while having a few subtle nods to the Legend of the First Empire. The story and all characters were all engaging and I loved the twist at the end! Sullivan is a master storyteller and worldbuilder and his stories always seem fresh and unique. I can wait for the next book to come out and would definitely recommend it!

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the opinions expressed in this review are my own.
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Before going into this, I was not aware that Nolyn is set in the Riyria universe. I was delighted to realize that despite having not read the Riyria series, I never felt lost in this story. Sullivan did a great job of including references to the events of the older series as well as of providing plenty of information and world-building for readers completely new to the world.

Sullivan has a flair for world-building and I thoroughly enjoyed learning about this world. Nolyn is a great character, but I felt that the other characters were not as developed.

More importantly, the perspectives of the antagonists really reduced the sense of mystery and tension from the story as most of the answers were revealed from the antagonist's POV before Nolyn even came across them.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read and I would definitely like to continue the series for the worldbuilding alone but I really do hope the next instalment has more mystery.

Overall rating: 3/5 stars

Book review - Nolyn by Michael J. Sullivan - 4⭐⭐⭐⭐

I received an e-arc in return for an honest review.

Nolyn is an adrenaline filled ride through one of the most accessible epic fantasy worlds ever written. Expect humans🧔, elves🧝‍♂️, goblins🧟‍♂️ and a whole lot of epic fights⚔ and shadowy👥 manipulations.

For those of you that don't know this yet, Michael J. Sullivan is one of the most accessible epic fantasy writers ever. His writing style is very energetic, filled with a lot of humor and amazing action.🙌

Nolyn on its own is a brilliant tale of two halve elves, the titular Nolyn and Sephryn, who struggeling with their place in a world filled with humans and elves. Nolyn himself is a wonderful character. The crown prince of the empire leads a mismatched band of humans on a quest to secure a better future for humanity. On the other hand we have Sephryn who gets pulled into a shadowy heist, stealing from the emperor🤴🏻📯. Their long lifespan present a wonderful view of a human society.

In the larger series of books set in the world of Elan, Nolyn serves as a snapshot of an important historical event that changes the world from The First Empire to the world of the Riyria Chronicles. This is a pro because there is no commitment to another long series, but as a standalone book without reading The First Empire books first the book is not very strong. Hence the four stars instead of five.😊

All in all Nolyn is enjoyable and a must read for fans of Sullivans world of Elan.

A major thanks to Grim Oak and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC!