Compulsively readable fantasy novel that could moment to get involved with but when I did the pages literally flew by. Highly enjoyable read and highly recommended.

**Review based on eARC from NetGalley**

I've come to the point that I will read anything that Michael J. Sullivan writes, so when I learned that he was writing a prequel to his Riyira stories (well, more like a "super-prequel" - it's a prequel in the sense that The Silmarillion is a prequel to The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings), I jumped at the chance to read the eARC.

And it did NOT disappoint. Sure, it took me a while to get used to the fact that these characters lived centuries before Royce and Hadrian, but after I learned about Persephone and Raithe and Maeve, I came to love them just as much. Especially Persephone. I hear so many complaints that there supposedly aren't enough interesting female heroes in fantasy (whether or not that complaining is justified is another discussion altogether), but Persephone blew all those arguments out of the water. From her first appearance, she is the hero of the story (and the fact that she's a woman isn't even a huge deal - not the ham-handed way I've seen other writers try to shove Strong, Female Characters(tm) in their novels). Her actions are perfectly natural for her character. She takes charge because that's just what she does and no one on her side questions it. She has fears and flaws like anyone else, and she acts on what she believes is right.

Raithe's story is compelling as well, though I don't want to spoil too much. Suffice it to say that he is certainly someone to keep an eye on in future installments of this series.

Yet another brilliant novel from Sullivan and I look forward to reading more!

I have not read any of the series previous to this. I loved this book. I wish the whole series were available because I need to read these first now. Great prequels!

love this new series, the stories, al the characters, but I think my favorite is Suri; she is just so pure, so unspoiled and her ability to with the elements, animals and everything except people is just written so wonderfully. The only thing I dislike is that there will be only one book released every summer for the next six years; I was lucky that I had the first two ARC’s and I just hope that after I read close to 200 books before next summer that I will care enough and remember how much I really liked this series. That is one of the pitfalls when you read as much as I do.

This series is set 3000 years before Riyria begins and you don’t need to know the history to enjoy this new series, I didn’t but I will e reading them very soon and maybe that will help me remember that I want to continue this series, but I don’t think I can stretch them out for four years, so I’ll probably read book 3 and that’s all.

Sullivan has an ability to create many characters that that the readers will care about and this is true in this book, although there are characters that you will hat also as there needs to be to have a great series. The world building is also great and goes along way in setting up the next story as the humans must find a way to defend themselves against the elves that will be looking to kill them. I'd recommend this to readers of all ages who enjoy great fantasy but it may get too violent for younger readers. WONDERFUL!

5/5 STARS: **I want to thank the author and/or publisher for providing me with a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are mine.**

I had this to read, but then found it at the library as well, and since I can ONLY listen to fantasy, and needed something good, I got the audio book. I already knew I liked Sullivan's writing, and was eager to dive into a new series by him. And this offering didn't disappoint.

A solid fantasy story with interesting world-building and characters you will either love and hate, Age of Myth delivers what most of us are looking for in fantasy--an escape but also a mirror to reality. I really enjoyed Suri and very much connected with her and Persephone. Even the characters I didn't like I was able to appreciate, and that takes some talent on the writer's side.

A great read for fans of fantasy, and even those who haven't learned to love fantasy yet!

This book is fantasy at its best. Sullivan’s characters are all quite likeable, which in the fantasy realm lately hasn’t been the case. The premise is fantastic

This is the start of the a new epic fantasy series. Men worship/fear the Fhrey as gods. Human eek out a living in dahls and try to stay out of the way of the Fhrey. But when Raithe kills one of the Fhrey it sets into motion events that will change the way of the world. I liked that this book actually had female characters that had major roles. The world building is fantastic and so is the character growth. But what made me really excited was the ending, because it was a bit of a twist that I wasn’t expecting and makes me look forward to reading the next book in the series

Age of Myth is a story set far enough back in the world of Sullivan’s Ryria Revelations series world that you can read it as a stand alone series without spoiling anything. This is a very interesting plan, and as a fan of that series, I enjoyed seeing the history of this world. The set up has a son and father crossing a river that breaks the laws of their people and the gods on the other side. I enjoyed the immediate empathy we get with our main character and the suspenseful twists that will follow. All of the characters were relatable in a way that made me glad to have discovered this new cast of heroes and heroines. The basic story line is how our young hero crossing the river sets off a war with gods. I’m not great at summarizing plot, and it has been a few months since I read this, but my general take was that I enjoyed the story, but the plot line about who would be the new chieftain of one of the featured villages wasn’t as entertaining as the story’s other aspects. Sullivan weaved in some nice twists, and a strong emotional climax. The narrator is top notch, and overall, Age of Myth is a great example of fantasy that can bridge the gap between young readers and adults alike.

In 2012, I picked up The Theft of Swords – Volume 1 of The Riyria Revelations, which contains the first two books of the series, The Crown Conspiracy & Avempartha by Michael J. Sullivan. I found the books to be quite good and continued on with the series. By the end of the series I had become an avid fan along with a ton of other people and Michael J. Sullivan’s books continue to rank in my favorites. Michael started out writing stories for his children and he now has a huge fan following. He is very involved with his fan base and his books are continually at the top of the Best Sellers in Fantasy. Let me tell you, it’s well-deserved.

Age of Myth is book 1 of The Legends of the First Empire series by Michael J. Sullivan. The book starts off with an Author’s Note for those who have read the Riyria books, noting that this series is set three thousand years before the events in those novels. But let me clarify that you don’t have to have read those series prior to reading this one, although I highly recommend you read them some time very soon.

For Herkimer and his son Raithe, life on their side of the river in Dureya is not fruitful. Dureya is a barren land and their clan is hungry. So one day Herkimer and Raithe dare to cross the river to hunt and they end up getting caught slaughtering one of the deities’ deer. The deities are those who are called the Fhrey, the most powerful in the land and known throughout as immortal beings.

In Dureya, Herkimer is the only man to wield a sword—a metal blade. Herkimer is known as Coppersword and he is a feared and respected man. Because Herkimer fought on the side of the Fhrey for over 30 years against the GulaRhunes, he thinks his indiscretion of being caught with weapons on their side of the river may be excused. But that’s not the case, and in the ensuing fallout, Raithe’s father Herkimer is killed by one of the Fhrey, Shegon. Raithe then grabs his father’s blade and in turn strikes Shegon. Raithe is shocked to learn that although the Fhrey are very long-lived, they are not immortal, as myth would have it. Shegon now lies dead at his hand and Raithe’s life, along with everyone else’s, will forever be changed when the world learns that the gods can indeed be killed.

It’s the end of one era and the beginning of another as Raithe finds himself on the run in a strange land with one of the deity’s servants, Malcolm, by his side. As they venture into the Crescent Forest, Raithe realizes that although Malcolm professes to think of his life with the Fhrey as if he were a slave, rather than a servant, he has really led a pampered life compared to Raithe. The two make very off-kilter traveling companions, with the self-effacing Raithe now becoming a legend, accompanied by his hilarious sidekick, Malcolm who takes delight in embellishing Raithe’s feats in order to further his fame as Raithe of Dureya, “The God Killer.”

Raithe and Malcolm make their way into the village of the Mystic Dahl Rhen, where the chieftain, Reglan of the House of Mont, currently rules Clan Rhen. They are brought before Reglan’s wife, Persephone, the Lady of the Lodge. Persephone has lost her first son at birth, the second to sickness, and recently the only one who had grown to adulthood was killed by Grin the Brown. Now, as these two newcomers arrive in Dhal Rhen, Persephone learns that Reglan has also fallen to the bear known as Grin the Brown while seeking revenge for their son’s death. But Persephone will need to put aside her grief to become a leader to her people.

There is also another recent arrival to Dahl Rhen, a girl named Suri, who is accompanied by a white wolf named Minna. Legend has it that Suri was stolen as a baby by the crimbals, creatures of the forest. In Suri’s case, she somehow got away during her first year of life, and was found and raised by Tura. A child fortunate enough to get away from the crimbals is known as a malkin because they are never quite right again. Suri is indeed an unusual girl, one of those naïve and mysterious characters that I find utterly captivating. She has mystical abilities and talks to the trees. Her latest visions have led her to seek Raglan in Dahl Rhen to let the chieftain know that “we’re going to die.”

These are just some of the great characters we are introduced to in Age of Myth, which is the start of an epic six book series. No one builds unforgettable characters, both male and female, like Mr. Sullivan and I cannot wait to see what happens next. Which leads us to the other great thing about Michael J. Sullivan, and that is, as with the Riyria series, the entire series is already written. What that means for us as readers is that we won’t have to wait years for the next book in the series. They already have scheduled release dates. Yippee! I can’t tell you what this means to me! I’m sure a few of you fantasy readers know who I am referring to when I say “oh come on already” whilst I’ve been anxiously awaiting the release of the next book in the series. I know I can name two series that fit this scenario right off the bat! (Note: Not included in the two, but one author who can be excused for this is Robert Jordan, who was diagnosed with a terminal illness while writing his series and did sadly pass away.) Oh but, I got off on a soapbox rant, didn’t I? Back to the subject at hand-->as I said in the beginning of my review, I am always so happy to pick up a book by Michael J. Sullivan, and this book was certainly no exception to that rule. Sullivan is an extraordinary talent in the world of writing and I am confident that if you read his books you will absolutely agree. I didn’t stop with getting the ARC of this book. I actually purchased an autographed copy from the author’s website. Not something I usually do but I have become that much of a fan. I want to read these books over and over and over again  Read Age of Myth, you’ll love it!

I want to thank the publisher (Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine) for providing me with the ARC through NetGalley for an honest review.