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4.13 AVERAGE
4.13 AVERAGE
I loved this book! I’ve heard Sullivan’s name many times but never read his works. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and I’m eager for more! The only hesitation is whether I should go back and start with his first book or continue on in this series which is a prequel of sorts to the Ryria Chronicles.
This book in particular was a fun blend of fantasy, fairytale, and ancient mythology. The world was unique, intriguing, and all around different from many traditional tropes of the genre. Can’t wait to continue on!
This book in particular was a fun blend of fantasy, fairytale, and ancient mythology. The world was unique, intriguing, and all around different from many traditional tropes of the genre. Can’t wait to continue on!
Age of Myth is like a prequel to a prequel to a prequel of a series I really love -- and I wasn't sure how I felt about that, even before I started reading.
I think The Lengends of the First Empire will be Sullivan's [b:The Silmarillion|18978|The Silmarillion|J.R.R. Tolkien|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1167173565s/18978.jpg|44921573] -- vaster and grander than the original series, but less appreciated.
That said, Age of Myth is a good read. I liked the characters the more I read them, even the less interesting ones. I'm not sure just how much I'm supposed to hate the Miralyith, but I do, even Arion. I have to imagine there will be something redeeming about them eventually, but at this point Sullivan has done a fantastic job of making a giant set of one-sided villains.
On the other side, we have some reluctant heroes, a new duo, and a cast of supporting characters who still need to feel out their place in the story. I think the advantage that Sullivan has in writing the entire series in advance can be a disadvantage for the reader sometimes -- he knows things will fall into place on a future page even when we don't.
The writing is great as usual, and the basic plot was interesting enough to keep us around for the overarching one of the series. Good banter, as always, and great fight scenes.
I look forward to the next installment!
I think The Lengends of the First Empire will be Sullivan's [b:The Silmarillion|18978|The Silmarillion|J.R.R. Tolkien|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1167173565s/18978.jpg|44921573] -- vaster and grander than the original series, but less appreciated.
That said, Age of Myth is a good read. I liked the characters the more I read them, even the less interesting ones. I'm not sure just how much I'm supposed to hate the Miralyith, but I do, even Arion. I have to imagine there will be something redeeming about them eventually, but at this point Sullivan has done a fantastic job of making a giant set of one-sided villains.
On the other side, we have some reluctant heroes, a new duo, and a cast of supporting characters who still need to feel out their place in the story. I think the advantage that Sullivan has in writing the entire series in advance can be a disadvantage for the reader sometimes -- he knows things will fall into place on a future page even when we don't.
The writing is great as usual, and the basic plot was interesting enough to keep us around for the overarching one of the series. Good banter, as always, and great fight scenes.
I look forward to the next installment!
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I stumbled on this book years ago and it started me on one of my now favorite series. The characters in this series are some of my favorite in a fantasy series I’ve read. They are all well realized and unique. Particular praise goes to the female characters, who are all strong and intelligent, each with their own weakness. The story is a mix of inspiring, adventurous and tragic. Fans of high fantasy will love this. It’s not grimdark but Sullivan is not afraid to give any character a hard time. This is a fantastic start to a great series.
Not quite as fun as the Riyria books, but still an enjoyable read. It is also the first book in a six book series and there is therefore the necessary world-building/setting up to get the reader up to speed with the environment and culture. This book is firmly within the fantasy genre, nothing very new or unique going on here, but sometimes that's exactly what you want from your fantasy. Not everything has to reinvent the wheel or push boundaries. Too many books like that can wear a reader down. It took me a while to get around to reviewing this book, so I'm already about half way through book two and it definitely seems like the pace has picked up. I've been waiting for all six books in this series to be out before reading it and I am glad that they are now all released.
What follows is just some reminders for myself, not a comprehensive review of the plot or events therein. This book mostly focuses on a few main characters in a relatively small portion of the world. We have the village of Dhal Rhen and the characters that populate it. Persephone, Roan, Morya, Gifford, Suri and her wolf round out the principal "good guys". There's some village politics. Raithe and Malcolm are the other principal human characters. Raithe is from the warrior clan of Dureya and Malcolm is a slave of the Fhrey (elves). Together they manage to kill a Fhrey, go on the run, and end up in Dhal Rhen. Our main Fhrey characters are Nyphron, Airon, Mawyndule, and Gryndal. Some of the elves can use magic, but most cannot.
What follows is just some reminders for myself, not a comprehensive review of the plot or events therein. This book mostly focuses on a few main characters in a relatively small portion of the world. We have the village of Dhal Rhen and the characters that populate it. Persephone, Roan, Morya, Gifford, Suri and her wolf round out the principal "good guys". There's some village politics. Raithe and Malcolm are the other principal human characters. Raithe is from the warrior clan of Dureya and Malcolm is a slave of the Fhrey (elves). Together they manage to kill a Fhrey, go on the run, and end up in Dhal Rhen. Our main Fhrey characters are Nyphron, Airon, Mawyndule, and Gryndal. Some of the elves can use magic, but most cannot.
Really enjoyed it!
I think I read the last quarter of the book while holding my breath. Great story, excellent pacing. I can't wait to start the next one.
I think I read the last quarter of the book while holding my breath. Great story, excellent pacing. I can't wait to start the next one.
Kind of boring. Didn’t catch me after ⅓ of the book.. gave up. Should I even be writing a review.?.?
This is my first Michael Sullivan book and apparently I have really been missing out! Loved reading it and am looking forward to reading the next installments (and playing catch-up with a new to me author)!
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
I really liked this book. I don't want to wait for the next in the series, but I haven't actually read the Riyria Revelations or Chronicles, so at least I've got those. Shame on me for starting a series that hasn't been completely released yet... These take place thousands of years before those, but I suppose I'll read them in order of publication.
I really, really enjoyed Age of Myth. After reading some of the best fantasy has to offer (at least in my humble opinion) like George R. R. Martin, Patrick Rothfuss, and Brandon Sanderson it can be really difficult to get into new fantasy novels. And yet I've continued my long search for new series to jump into. For some reason (probably the cover art) I decided to try out Michael J. Sullivan's prequel novels set in the same world as his previous series the Riyria Revelation and Chronicles. It felt a little odd jumping into the world that's already had so many book entries, but that was put to ease.
At the start of the audiobook for Age of Myth, Sullivan himself gives a ten-minute rundown that basically tells you that you don't need to have read the other series to jump in here. This series is set in the same world but happens thousands of years before his other series. Age of Myth doesn't make the best first impression and was to be a bit tedious. Luckily both the world and the characters open up and the novel begins to take shape about 20% in. That starts with his character development as we start to get introduced to the very complex and multifaceted string of main characters that take us through this adventure.
What makes me want to invest in a fantasy series is learning about both the characters and the world dynamics combine. I love understanding the customs, politics, and religion. In this world there are basically two types of humans in this world, one who lives for a normal human lifetime (under a hundred years), and there are the Gods of this world that live for thousands. What's interesting is the two sects don't know each other very well and the dynamics between the two are tinkered with throughout the book. There is also a magic system in Age of Myth in which the Gods utilize to show dominance over the rest of the world. Unlike books from Brandon Sanderson, the magic is more implied to be a thing and isn't described or over complicated with rules.
I really loved the journey of Age of Myth and it only fell a little short towards the very end. For the majority of this book, I anticipated giving it a perfect 5/5 score. The characters are great, the world is interesting, and the mysteries of the world kept me wanting more. However, at the very end you realize that Sullivan showed his hand quite a bit during the book, and by the last couple of paragraphs, the obvious conclusion was the actual one. And although I know I will continue on with the series, the lackluster ending kept this back from being a top-tier fantasy novel.
At the start of the audiobook for Age of Myth, Sullivan himself gives a ten-minute rundown that basically tells you that you don't need to have read the other series to jump in here. This series is set in the same world but happens thousands of years before his other series. Age of Myth doesn't make the best first impression and was to be a bit tedious. Luckily both the world and the characters open up and the novel begins to take shape about 20% in. That starts with his character development as we start to get introduced to the very complex and multifaceted string of main characters that take us through this adventure.
What makes me want to invest in a fantasy series is learning about both the characters and the world dynamics combine. I love understanding the customs, politics, and religion. In this world there are basically two types of humans in this world, one who lives for a normal human lifetime (under a hundred years), and there are the Gods of this world that live for thousands. What's interesting is the two sects don't know each other very well and the dynamics between the two are tinkered with throughout the book. There is also a magic system in Age of Myth in which the Gods utilize to show dominance over the rest of the world. Unlike books from Brandon Sanderson, the magic is more implied to be a thing and isn't described or over complicated with rules.
I really loved the journey of Age of Myth and it only fell a little short towards the very end. For the majority of this book, I anticipated giving it a perfect 5/5 score. The characters are great, the world is interesting, and the mysteries of the world kept me wanting more. However, at the very end you realize that Sullivan showed his hand quite a bit during the book, and by the last couple of paragraphs, the obvious conclusion was the actual one. And although I know I will continue on with the series, the lackluster ending kept this back from being a top-tier fantasy novel.