Saturday, October 05, 2019

Scott's Take: Theft of Swords: Volume One of the Riyria Revelations by Michael J. Sullivan


Theft of Swords: Volume One of the Riyria Revelations by Michael J. Sullivan collects the collects the first two novels that were self-published as eBooks under the titles of The Crown Conspiracy and Avempartha. These fantasy novels revolve around Royce Melborn, a skilled thief, and his fellow thief and warrior, Hadrian Blackwater. Their partnership and friendship is the backbone of the book.


They had a very simple job. A noble wanted then to steal a certain sword. Doing so would prevent a duel to the death that would involve that same noble. They did the job and that got them framed for the assassination of a king. Things escalate and get far more complicated as readers move through the read. I can’t go into further plot details beyond the basic setup without ruining the read.


This is a very violent and realistic fantasy tale. It is nearly impossible to discuss the villains or any of the other storylines or plot points as they carry through the entire read. There is action, violence, humor, mystery, twists and surprises, and much more in this novel. The two main characters could not be more different, yet they have clearly been friends and partners for a long time. They know how each other thinks and works which is one of the best parts of the novel.


Their friendship and interaction is just a really fun element to me. I can’t really talk about most of the other characters without spoilers. The plot sounds simple, but is far more complicated than the initial premise would seem. I like that there are realistic consequences and lots of character development in the read. Most of the characters change a lot within the novel due to various events while the two main characters pretty much stay the same as things escalate.


Because I enjoyed Theft of Swords: Volume One of the Riyria Revelations by Michael J. Sullivan so much, I have put the second book in the series which also follows this same format of combining two self-published eBooks. That second book of the series is titled Rise of Empire





Theft of Swords: Volume One of the Riyria Revelations
Michael J. Sullivan
Orbit Books (Hachette Book Group)
November 2011
ISBN #978-0-316-18774-9
Paperback (also available in digital and audio formats)
704 Pages (includes glossary, interview, sneak peak of the next book, etc.)


My reading copy came from the White Rock Hills Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.


Scott A. Tipple ©2019

No comments: