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4.13 AVERAGE
4.13 AVERAGE
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
⚔️ GENERAL COMMENT
"Age of Myth" ended up being a tough read, and writing a review was complicated as well.
Let's start by saying that, as you can see from the rating, I did enjoy the book. But for a good third of it I thought I wouldn't, or at most that I'd put up with it. You see, apparently separating from Hadrian and Royce took quite a toll on me. I had of course read the blurb and was therefore aware that the setting was completely different time- and inevitably character-wise, but the difference hit me much harder than expected.
✨ THE CHANGE OF GENRE
It felt like reading a different genre. Now, one might argue that epic fantasy (which I associate to the Riyria Chronicles and Revelations) and high fantasy (which I associate to this series) are in the end slightly different version of the same base genre. I won't deny the truth of this statement, but it still felt quite a big jump since it happened in the same literary world.
As a fantasy lover, this is not the first high fantasy I've ever encounter, and yet after reading the first to series back to back it took me quite a while to get used to it again.
⚔️ THE PACE
The pace was initially inevitably slower, since there were several characters to be introduced who at that time were located in completely different areas. And as usual when it comes to different POVs, there's always the risk of one being less liked than the others, which was the case for me this time.
✨ THE CHARACTERS
Characters were actually my main concern when I started reading the book, and I can't say the problem has been fully solved yet. With Hadrian and Royce the spark was immediately there, and I even grew fond of several other secondary characters. Nothing like that quite happened during Age of Myth.
I've developed respect towards some characters like Persephone (who again is proof of the author's astonishing ability to depict strong and realistic female characters) and intrigue towards others like Suri and Malcolm, but I still feel a big sense of distance between me and them which will hopefully lessen during the next books.
⚔️ THE PLOT & THE WRITING STYLE
By now you might be wondering why I even bothered giving four stars, and the answer is: the plot.
You can see that this man really takes his time when it comes to planning out his story and waits to finish the whole series before having it published, because every single time you think you know what's happening, you get a massive slap back from the story and realise that things were definitely not going the way you expected them to. Even just the last few pages of this book deserve at least a one-hour-long discussion.
Another element that needs to be mentioned is the writing style. While I found the more "lore-related" bits usually a bit confusing and boring (sorry, ADHDer who likes going straight to the point here), I find incredible the way the author describes action/combat scenes as well as characters' emotions.
✨ SO WHAT'S NEXT?
All things considered, the only viable option is keeping going with the series. My curiosity has been more than just piqued, and now I. Need. Answers.
For the future readers who've first met Hadrian and Royce like me: take some time to "detox" from the previous series first and start this one with a fresh mind, as if you were approaching a completely different series. That way the change won't hit you back as hard as it did to me before letting me enjoy the story.
"Age of Myth" ended up being a tough read, and writing a review was complicated as well.
Let's start by saying that, as you can see from the rating, I did enjoy the book. But for a good third of it I thought I wouldn't, or at most that I'd put up with it. You see, apparently separating from Hadrian and Royce took quite a toll on me. I had of course read the blurb and was therefore aware that the setting was completely different time- and inevitably character-wise, but the difference hit me much harder than expected.
✨ THE CHANGE OF GENRE
It felt like reading a different genre. Now, one might argue that epic fantasy (which I associate to the Riyria Chronicles and Revelations) and high fantasy (which I associate to this series) are in the end slightly different version of the same base genre. I won't deny the truth of this statement, but it still felt quite a big jump since it happened in the same literary world.
As a fantasy lover, this is not the first high fantasy I've ever encounter, and yet after reading the first to series back to back it took me quite a while to get used to it again.
⚔️ THE PACE
The pace was initially inevitably slower, since there were several characters to be introduced who at that time were located in completely different areas. And as usual when it comes to different POVs, there's always the risk of one being less liked than the others, which was the case for me this time.
✨ THE CHARACTERS
Characters were actually my main concern when I started reading the book, and I can't say the problem has been fully solved yet. With Hadrian and Royce the spark was immediately there, and I even grew fond of several other secondary characters. Nothing like that quite happened during Age of Myth.
I've developed respect towards some characters like Persephone (who again is proof of the author's astonishing ability to depict strong and realistic female characters) and intrigue towards others like Suri and Malcolm, but I still feel a big sense of distance between me and them which will hopefully lessen during the next books.
⚔️ THE PLOT & THE WRITING STYLE
By now you might be wondering why I even bothered giving four stars, and the answer is: the plot.
You can see that this man really takes his time when it comes to planning out his story and waits to finish the whole series before having it published, because every single time you think you know what's happening, you get a massive slap back from the story and realise that things were definitely not going the way you expected them to. Even just the last few pages of this book deserve at least a one-hour-long discussion.
Another element that needs to be mentioned is the writing style. While I found the more "lore-related" bits usually a bit confusing and boring (sorry, ADHDer who likes going straight to the point here), I find incredible the way the author describes action/combat scenes as well as characters' emotions.
✨ SO WHAT'S NEXT?
All things considered, the only viable option is keeping going with the series. My curiosity has been more than just piqued, and now I. Need. Answers.
For the future readers who've first met Hadrian and Royce like me: take some time to "detox" from the previous series first and start this one with a fresh mind, as if you were approaching a completely different series. That way the change won't hit you back as hard as it did to me before letting me enjoy the story.
This one took longer to hook me than Riyria did. The start read a bit too "easily" and too light for me - but once the plot got going I was sucked right into the story, as I am used to from any Sullivan book
.
There are way more characters and plotlines to follow than in his other series - a serious step up in epicness! The only character who I needed a long time to get to grips with was Raith. (Hence the slow start for me.) He just felt like he didn't have any will on his own for so long, and was just swept around by the wind of fate. I loved all the other characters (or hated the bad guys, as I should ;) ).
It was so much fun following them around and hoping they would soon catch up to the things you guessed due to good foreshadowing already. The characters are really what made this one a great read for me - and I hate having to wait so long before I will be able to lay my hands on book two!
Definitely a recommendation for anyone looking for a mix of easy read "popcorn Fantasy" mixed with a big dash of epicness - and of course anyone loving Royce and Hadrian already! ;)
.
There are way more characters and plotlines to follow than in his other series - a serious step up in epicness! The only character who I needed a long time to get to grips with was Raith. (Hence the slow start for me.) He just felt like he didn't have any will on his own for so long, and was just swept around by the wind of fate. I loved all the other characters (or hated the bad guys, as I should ;) ).
It was so much fun following them around and hoping they would soon catch up to the things you guessed due to good foreshadowing already. The characters are really what made this one a great read for me - and I hate having to wait so long before I will be able to lay my hands on book two!
Definitely a recommendation for anyone looking for a mix of easy read "popcorn Fantasy" mixed with a big dash of epicness - and of course anyone loving Royce and Hadrian already! ;)
michael j. sullivan my fantasy king, you’ve done it again
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5 stars
SO good! i havent read anything by michael j sullivan before and now i’m kicking myself because this has been sitting on my shelves for like five years. i do agree with the people who said this isn’t the most inventive fantasy around, but there’s a lot to be valued about a story that covers its basics supremely well. i’ve been having a hard time sticking with books these past few weeks and the feeling of wanting to read at all times is one i cherish whenever it comes by, so this was a very pleasant experience. can’t wait to continue with the series!
SO good! i havent read anything by michael j sullivan before and now i’m kicking myself because this has been sitting on my shelves for like five years. i do agree with the people who said this isn’t the most inventive fantasy around, but there’s a lot to be valued about a story that covers its basics supremely well. i’ve been having a hard time sticking with books these past few weeks and the feeling of wanting to read at all times is one i cherish whenever it comes by, so this was a very pleasant experience. can’t wait to continue with the series!
The writing feels simple, and sometimes themes are bludgeoned into you. The world is the typical Tolkien spinoff palette with some expansion into smaller spirits. There is also a change in perspective for the interactions of the elf-dwarf-human interface, which avoids the cosmic struggle of good versus evil often found in more classical epic fantasy. The setting and plot was more intimate for this reason.
The setting had an Anglo-Saxon on the edge of the Roman Empire vibe. I enjoyed the animistic spirituality and its other manifestations in other cultures. There was an entire page dedicated to the personalities of trees, which felt relevant following Finding the Mother Tree. I will continue the series.
I do find the first two-star review of this book to be hilarious, mostly that they say all epic fantasy looks like ASOIAF. I think it’s because, yes, all classical epic fantasy is quite similar, but that ASOIAF is definitely not the crux.
The setting had an Anglo-Saxon on the edge of the Roman Empire vibe. I enjoyed the animistic spirituality and its other manifestations in other cultures. There was an entire page dedicated to the personalities of trees, which felt relevant following Finding the Mother Tree. I will continue the series.
I do find the first two-star review of this book to be hilarious, mostly that they say all epic fantasy looks like ASOIAF. I think it’s because, yes, all classical epic fantasy is quite similar, but that ASOIAF is definitely not the crux.
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Slavery
Minor: Gore, Racism
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A mediocre start to what will improve in the next few books. Age of Myth is a good book as fantasy novels go. But this one is really focused on creating the characters and build this world. The next few books are far better and the plot begins to thicken (so to speak) and the characters become more complex and interesting.
So if you like fantasy books just for the sake of reading, you will enjoy this book. If you want to read a great fantasy series, this keeps getting better. But if you try to judge the whole series based on this book, you are doing yourself a disservice. You at least need to the next book before you can really become invested in the story.
So if you like fantasy books just for the sake of reading, you will enjoy this book. If you want to read a great fantasy series, this keeps getting better. But if you try to judge the whole series based on this book, you are doing yourself a disservice. You at least need to the next book before you can really become invested in the story.