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beaktastic's review
5.0
I've read Michael Sullivan's Riyria Revelations series, so as soon as I heard about this I wanted to read it, and I read it as soon as I could! And I'm so happy I did! Again, this is an instance where I wish that GoodReads did half star ratings so I could give it 4.5 stars, but I rounded up cos I love Riyria :)
The Crown Tower is the first book in the Riyria Chronicles, a prequel series to the Riyria Revelations that does not require you to have read the original series to enjoy it (although I personally think it would be better as you'll gain more from it). It tells the story of how the infamous Riyria duo, Hadrian Blackwater and Royce Melborn, first met and their first job together. At first, the pair cannot stand to be together let alone work together, but if they're going to survive the job they'll have to learn to work together. We also learn the origin story of Gwen DeLancy, a whore in Medford who refuses to let herself and other girls be used and abused by the tavern owner or the customers, but she also will have an important part to play in Hadrian and Royce's future.
I really enjoyed this book. Like I said before, you don't need to have read the Riyria Revelations books to read this one, as it was carefully written to ensure that no hints of information or secrets revealed in those books are revealed in this one, which makes it good for newcomers to the series, but also makes it a bit more realistic I think? There are hints aplenty to certain things though which veterans of Riyria will see and enjoy, and this is why I personally think reading Revelations first is better as you'll gain more from this book, but it still isn't necessary.
It's been a couple of months since I read the Riyria Revelations, but reading this book felt like slipping on an old shoe - it fit perfectly and I immediately fell in love with Hadrian and Royce all over again (particularly Hadrian, I love Hadrian). I immediately fell into the world once again and it all felt comfortable and natural, there was no re-adjustment needed which was nice.
Hadrian and Royce were once again superb lead characters, and it was nice to see them both before they had a positive and more maturing effect on each other. It was nice to see them hating each other as well. :)
The overall story was good and enjoyable, typical Sullivan fare which is great :D I liked reading about a story that Hadrian and Royce mention several times in Revelations. I also loved reading Gwen's origins, as it's something that we didn't really see before so it was nice to this time.
I did feel that the story ended rather suddenly though, and it would've been nice to have a more final scene for Hadrian, Royce and Gwen, as I do feel that for newcomers to the series Gwen's importance to the story isn't necessarily obvious this way, but that is a minor niggle.
Overall, a great book and Riyria story, whether you're a newcomer to the series or a Riyria veteran, although I do feel veterans will get more from the story than newcomers.
The Crown Tower is the first book in the Riyria Chronicles, a prequel series to the Riyria Revelations that does not require you to have read the original series to enjoy it (although I personally think it would be better as you'll gain more from it). It tells the story of how the infamous Riyria duo, Hadrian Blackwater and Royce Melborn, first met and their first job together. At first, the pair cannot stand to be together let alone work together, but if they're going to survive the job they'll have to learn to work together. We also learn the origin story of Gwen DeLancy, a whore in Medford who refuses to let herself and other girls be used and abused by the tavern owner or the customers, but she also will have an important part to play in Hadrian and Royce's future.
I really enjoyed this book. Like I said before, you don't need to have read the Riyria Revelations books to read this one, as it was carefully written to ensure that no hints of information or secrets revealed in those books are revealed in this one, which makes it good for newcomers to the series, but also makes it a bit more realistic I think? There are hints aplenty to certain things though which veterans of Riyria will see and enjoy, and this is why I personally think reading Revelations first is better as you'll gain more from this book, but it still isn't necessary.
It's been a couple of months since I read the Riyria Revelations, but reading this book felt like slipping on an old shoe - it fit perfectly and I immediately fell in love with Hadrian and Royce all over again (particularly Hadrian, I love Hadrian). I immediately fell into the world once again and it all felt comfortable and natural, there was no re-adjustment needed which was nice.
Hadrian and Royce were once again superb lead characters, and it was nice to see them both before they had a positive and more maturing effect on each other. It was nice to see them hating each other as well. :)
The overall story was good and enjoyable, typical Sullivan fare which is great :D I liked reading about a story that Hadrian and Royce mention several times in Revelations. I also loved reading Gwen's origins, as it's something that we didn't really see before so it was nice to this time.
I did feel that the story ended rather suddenly though, and it would've been nice to have a more final scene for Hadrian, Royce and Gwen, as I do feel that for newcomers to the series Gwen's importance to the story isn't necessarily obvious this way, but that is a minor niggle.
Overall, a great book and Riyria story, whether you're a newcomer to the series or a Riyria veteran, although I do feel veterans will get more from the story than newcomers.
amiewg's review
4.0
After Heir of Nevron, I said I'm never talking to the boys again....I lied. This was so fun, light, and warm. It's everything I loved about Theft of Swords. I wish there was some more humor, tho. I did a lot of smiling, but I wanted to lol and lmao like in Theft of Swords.
What I especially appreciated about this is that I didn't have to be an adult during this audiobook. For once this year, I was not solving world hunger or debating the ethicality of AI. For the 1st time this year, I was just a girl who could be head empty and enjoy the ride.
If you want a cozy fantasy rec, here you go. But like my cozy, not the definition of cozy.
What I especially appreciated about this is that I didn't have to be an adult during this audiobook. For once this year, I was not solving world hunger or debating the ethicality of AI. For the 1st time this year, I was just a girl who could be head empty and enjoy the ride.
If you want a cozy fantasy rec, here you go. But like my cozy, not the definition of cozy.
cruicky86's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
capgambit's review
3.0
Fun read. I felt it ended a little early and maybe could have been developed a little more but a good read nonetheless. The revelations were better but then again this is a prequel and Hadrian has just met Royce so it can't be quite as good.
baldwinme40's review
4.0
The epic bromance of a lifetime. I checked it out because I was promised two dudes who hate each other being forced to work together (check) and a knife-happy assassin with a tragic backstory (check), and a tough lady character (check!!). My favorite things, and this book delivered!
I love these guys and I love Gwen and I'm mad because I thought it would be a satisfying stand-alone but noooo! guess who has to go back to the library ASAP for a billion more Hadrian & Royce adventures???
4/5 overall because pacing wasn't great; the two main characters don't team up for the real heist until halfway through which is when the real fun began for me, and then it was over far too quickly. Also, does Arcadius really have nothing better to do than to get his OTP together?? His motives were never clear to me.
I love these guys and I love Gwen and I'm mad because I thought it would be a satisfying stand-alone but noooo! guess who has to go back to the library ASAP for a billion more Hadrian & Royce adventures???
4/5 overall because pacing wasn't great; the two main characters don't team up for the real heist until halfway through which is when the real fun began for me, and then it was over far too quickly. Also, does Arcadius really have nothing better to do than to get his OTP together?? His motives were never clear to me.
jashanac's review
3.75
Summary:
World of Elan -- 1,000ish years after the end of The Rise & Fall series. 3,000ish years after Legends of the First Empire. Cutthroat loner thief Royce and honorable highly-skilled soldier Hadrian are forced together by a mysterious and cryptic old professor who seems to have a larger plan for them. During this one-time-only mission they form a begrudging bond and respect for each other.
Re-Readability:
Duh, I will absolutely re-read this. It's MJS World of Elan.
Writing:
I really enjoy MJS' writing style. Very much more straight-forward, not flowery, but I find that he has a knack for writing incredibly poignant lines and scenes that just hit me right in the soul.
Characters:
Royce & Hadrian are so fun. I also liked getting so much more of Gwen here. Her backstory is so awesome. And Pickles!!!!! Pickles was so much fun.
Plot:
This was actually a very quick read for me -- I read the first two chapters then set it down for like a week to focus on a different book I was in the middle of, and then once I picked this back up I read over 200 pages in one day. Which is very unlike me! It was paced really well for me.
Also of course, seeing the connections and having some of the answers to the questions that the book presents and that the characters have (which are left unanswered) was really fun.
Themes:
Friendship. Morality. Doing what is right even when it is difficult. Perseverance. Resilience. Not giving up even in the face of immense odds.
World of Elan -- 1,000ish years after the end of The Rise & Fall series. 3,000ish years after Legends of the First Empire. Cutthroat loner thief Royce and honorable highly-skilled soldier Hadrian are forced together by a mysterious and cryptic old professor who seems to have a larger plan for them. During this one-time-only mission they form a begrudging bond and respect for each other.
Re-Readability:
Duh, I will absolutely re-read this. It's MJS World of Elan.
Writing:
I really enjoy MJS' writing style. Very much more straight-forward, not flowery, but I find that he has a knack for writing incredibly poignant lines and scenes that just hit me right in the soul.
Characters:
Royce & Hadrian are so fun. I also liked getting so much more of Gwen here. Her backstory is so awesome. And Pickles!!!!! Pickles was so much fun.
Plot:
This was actually a very quick read for me -- I read the first two chapters then set it down for like a week to focus on a different book I was in the middle of, and then once I picked this back up I read over 200 pages in one day. Which is very unlike me! It was paced really well for me.
Also of course, seeing the connections and having some of the answers to the questions that the book presents and that the characters have (which are left unanswered) was really fun.
Themes:
Friendship. Morality. Doing what is right even when it is difficult. Perseverance. Resilience. Not giving up even in the face of immense odds.
iono's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Murder, Sexism, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death of parent, Blood, Sexual content, Violence, Medical content, and Racism
Minor: Grief, Rape, and Alcohol
piamikaela's review
4.0
[4.5/5] after reading revelations, i was more than excited to read about hadrian and royce's origin story. i was also pleasantly surprised to find that we would also get gwen's, and thought that her perspective was a great addition. mixing in the perspectives of other characters and seeing familiar faces from an outside perspective, like what was done with rose, was also brilliant.
had someone not read revelations yet, however, "the crown tower" remains exciting and interesting. despite the somewhat slow start, sullivan creates a wonderful dynamic between hadrian and royce: polar opposites who somehow need to learn to get along, and maybe find themselves a partnership for the ages while they're at it.
had someone not read revelations yet, however, "the crown tower" remains exciting and interesting. despite the somewhat slow start, sullivan creates a wonderful dynamic between hadrian and royce: polar opposites who somehow need to learn to get along, and maybe find themselves a partnership for the ages while they're at it.