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rainjrop's review against another edition
I nearly immediately noticed parallels with the Nightrunner series, having just blasted through it. However, this novel paled in comparison in every single way. The characters are forgettable, there's no sense of mystery or anticipation, the plot plods along through fantasy cliches, and the exposition and history dumps are painful at best and eye-glazing the rest of the time.
There were some good set ups that could've have been exciting...but they just weren't. My eyes stumbled through a haze of mediocrity. Even when I thought, "Oh, this is where the plot gets going!" it never felt "going." Just flat. I think these instances or plot maneuvers fell victim to the incredibly bland and somewhat clunky prose. There's plain, and then there's this, whatever it is. I'm having a hard time explaining why it turned me off so much and so quickly. The Nightrunner series is made up of pretty typical fantasy adventures, but the fairly straightforward writing style, which could be considered terse at times, still manages to weave magical and compelling tales with complexity and mystery.
There were some good set ups that could've have been exciting...but they just weren't. My eyes stumbled through a haze of mediocrity. Even when I thought, "Oh, this is where the plot gets going!" it never felt "going." Just flat. I think these instances or plot maneuvers fell victim to the incredibly bland and somewhat clunky prose. There's plain, and then there's this, whatever it is. I'm having a hard time explaining why it turned me off so much and so quickly. The Nightrunner series is made up of pretty typical fantasy adventures, but the fairly straightforward writing style, which could be considered terse at times, still manages to weave magical and compelling tales with complexity and mystery.
bunte_socke's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
orvillefartenbacher's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I am really torn on this one. 3.5 stars? Overall I liked it a lot but the decision to combine two books into one really messed up the pacing. I enjoyed “book 1” a lot and then the transition was just strange. It was mentally difficult for me to reset. I liked the two main characters but they were not really distinct and sort of blended together for me. I’ll keep the second (third?) book on my TBR but I’m not clamoring for it.
kristin_hoffman's review against another edition
5.0
As Sullivan has stated that these books originated from his feeling longing for a certain type of book in the fantasy department but finding mostly dissatisfaction, to me the Riyria books fulfill that same desire for that sprawling epic fantasy that I can’t seem to satisfy with any other books. Royce and Hadrian are by far my favorite character duo, and this year I’m rereading the series to get myself back to enjoying reading regularly.
The Crown Conspiracy offers a fantastic introduction to anyone looking to dip their toes into Riyria and I love that it is strong enough to stand alone as its own book, although I will say of the two I prefer Avempartha and would encourage new readers to read Theft of Swords to completion.
The Crown Conspiracy offers a fantastic introduction to anyone looking to dip their toes into Riyria and I love that it is strong enough to stand alone as its own book, although I will say of the two I prefer Avempartha and would encourage new readers to read Theft of Swords to completion.
scorpiobookfairy's review against another edition
2.75
Book one was good, cliche fantasy tropes but enjoyable. The 2nd book put me in a terrible slump and made me wonder if I was reading the same series. I won't be continuing.
eleanora_just's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
beaktastic's review against another edition
4.0
I read this (belatedly) for a group read for Fantasy Fanatics.
Theft of Swords contains the first two books in the Riyria Revelations series which primarly follows the story of Hadrian Blackwater and Royce Melborn, better known as Riyria. Hadrian and Royce are skilled thieves and mercenaries, and already have a fearsome reputation. Then one night they take a job... and wind up being framed for the murder of the King of Melengar. What follows is big adventure to find out who is framing them and why.
I did really enjoy the book. I thought it was pretty exciting and interesting and did keep me guessing a bit (although certain things were fairly predictable and followed some common fantasy tropes and cliches), although I did also think that each book was quite short.
I did wonder if the books would blend seamlessly together since they're in one volume but they were clearly separated and had quite different storylines so felt very different, which is good in that they are clearly different books, but at the same time meant that as one big book it didn't quite flow as well.
As mentioned briefly earlier, the book follows many common fantasy tropes, particularly in relation to dwarves and elves which did put me off slightly as I am quite sick of dwarves and the like. But for the most part I was able to forgive these little tropes.
I fell in love with Hadrian and Royce straight away. I love these sort of partnerships and I just loved these two. Hadrian is a master of combat but with a big heart and Royce is the more masterful thief with a skill for seeing in the dark and the more stoic of the pair. They were perfect main characters, although some parts of their pasts were easy to predict. In book 1 Alric was interesting I guess, although his personality changed very quickly and drastically throughout the course of the book although I guess that's sorta to be expected given how short the book was. Arista is okay although slightly annoying. Myron was kinda loveable as was Thrace in book 2 and I'm really looking forward to seeing more of her in future books.
Overall, an enjoyable book.
Theft of Swords contains the first two books in the Riyria Revelations series which primarly follows the story of Hadrian Blackwater and Royce Melborn, better known as Riyria. Hadrian and Royce are skilled thieves and mercenaries, and already have a fearsome reputation. Then one night they take a job... and wind up being framed for the murder of the King of Melengar. What follows is big adventure to find out who is framing them and why.
I did really enjoy the book. I thought it was pretty exciting and interesting and did keep me guessing a bit (although certain things were fairly predictable and followed some common fantasy tropes and cliches), although I did also think that each book was quite short.
I did wonder if the books would blend seamlessly together since they're in one volume but they were clearly separated and had quite different storylines so felt very different, which is good in that they are clearly different books, but at the same time meant that as one big book it didn't quite flow as well.
As mentioned briefly earlier, the book follows many common fantasy tropes, particularly in relation to dwarves and elves which did put me off slightly as I am quite sick of dwarves and the like. But for the most part I was able to forgive these little tropes.
I fell in love with Hadrian and Royce straight away. I love these sort of partnerships and I just loved these two. Hadrian is a master of combat but with a big heart and Royce is the more masterful thief with a skill for seeing in the dark and the more stoic of the pair. They were perfect main characters, although some parts of their pasts were easy to predict. In book 1 Alric was interesting I guess, although his personality changed very quickly and drastically throughout the course of the book although I guess that's sorta to be expected given how short the book was. Arista is okay although slightly annoying. Myron was kinda loveable as was Thrace in book 2 and I'm really looking forward to seeing more of her in future books.
Overall, an enjoyable book.