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4.22 AVERAGE
4.22 AVERAGE
Full review on my blog!
I love love loved this! As the title if The Crown Tower, I knew this would be about the infamous heist that was referenced a lot in the Riyria Revelations. You have no idea how curious I was to finally learn what went down that one time when Royce and Hadrian first stole something and then put it back!
But it’s not only the story of the heist that we get. This is how Hadrian and Royce met. We get some insight into their past (I mean, we all know that is a very limited process whenever Royce is concerned), which gives the characters even more depth. Sullivan already did a great job in terms of character development in the books I already read, but this is more about understand how the became who they turned out to be, what their motivations are, etc. So good!
What I hadn’t realized (which in hindsight is a bit stupid of me) is that this would also be Gwen’s origin story. I knew that her story is intertwined with Riyria but I hadn’t expected Sullivan to go all out and dedicate a good portion of the novel to her. Again, I am so excited about it. Gwen is an amazing character and I had always wanted to know more about her, so this is perfect for me.
I have absolutely no complaints about this book, other than that it had to end at some point. The writing is concise, the plot is smart, the characters are intriguing. There are chapters that are downright heartbreaking, there is funny banter. This doesn’t feel like an easy to cash in on fans who already like his characters. This is the first book and what I hope will be another amazing series.
I love love loved this! As the title if The Crown Tower, I knew this would be about the infamous heist that was referenced a lot in the Riyria Revelations. You have no idea how curious I was to finally learn what went down that one time when Royce and Hadrian first stole something and then put it back!
But it’s not only the story of the heist that we get. This is how Hadrian and Royce met. We get some insight into their past (I mean, we all know that is a very limited process whenever Royce is concerned), which gives the characters even more depth. Sullivan already did a great job in terms of character development in the books I already read, but this is more about understand how the became who they turned out to be, what their motivations are, etc. So good!
What I hadn’t realized (which in hindsight is a bit stupid of me) is that this would also be Gwen’s origin story. I knew that her story is intertwined with Riyria but I hadn’t expected Sullivan to go all out and dedicate a good portion of the novel to her. Again, I am so excited about it. Gwen is an amazing character and I had always wanted to know more about her, so this is perfect for me.
I have absolutely no complaints about this book, other than that it had to end at some point. The writing is concise, the plot is smart, the characters are intriguing. There are chapters that are downright heartbreaking, there is funny banter. This doesn’t feel like an easy to cash in on fans who already like his characters. This is the first book and what I hope will be another amazing series.
This was, once again, a very fun story and while I may not rate it quite as high as I did Riyria Revelations, I am really looking forward to reading on, as The Rose and the Thorn continues the adventures of Royce and Hadrian and the beginning of Riyria.
You can read my full review here:
http://fantasy-faction.com/2013/the-crown-tower-by-michael-j-sullivan
You can read my full review here:
http://fantasy-faction.com/2013/the-crown-tower-by-michael-j-sullivan
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
tense
fast-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
It doesn't seem that I have just read a close to 400-page book, the way the story just flowed through.
Hadrian is back from the forest, by account of a letter, stating that his father is dead, and that he should go to Sheridan and look for the professor that wants to give him his last possessions and wishes. He left his home as a kid, not understanding his father's training to make him a warrior, but to work only as a blacksmith. He still doesn't understand what is his purpose in life.
After a series of unfortunate events, including the murder of all in the barge he gets on his way to Sheridan and the mistery of the hooded man and the disappearance of said barge, Hadrian finds only two things with professor Arcadius: a pendant and a mission with said hooded character.
Royce, on the other hand, just wants to get this mission done with, and doesn't understand the professor's reasoning. An orphan, 'raised by wolves', and who just lost his only friend, he's quicker to kill than to trust.
Meanwhile, Gwen is over her life: when her mother said she had to do everything to get to and stay in Medford, and another mysterious figure gives her gold coins to fulfill that destiny, she is sick and tired of waiting. How can she improve her life and of her colleagues, under the thumb of a inescrupulous person?
The author decided to take a step back in the story and so we have now the beginning of Hadrian and Royce's friendship, as well as Gwen, until the fateful day they all get together.
Hadrian is back from the forest, by account of a letter, stating that his father is dead, and that he should go to Sheridan and look for the professor that wants to give him his last possessions and wishes. He left his home as a kid, not understanding his father's training to make him a warrior, but to work only as a blacksmith. He still doesn't understand what is his purpose in life.
After a series of unfortunate events, including the murder of all in the barge he gets on his way to Sheridan and the mistery of the hooded man and the disappearance of said barge, Hadrian finds only two things with professor Arcadius: a pendant and a mission with said hooded character.
Royce, on the other hand, just wants to get this mission done with, and doesn't understand the professor's reasoning. An orphan, 'raised by wolves', and who just lost his only friend, he's quicker to kill than to trust.
Meanwhile, Gwen is over her life: when her mother said she had to do everything to get to and stay in Medford, and another mysterious figure gives her gold coins to fulfill that destiny, she is sick and tired of waiting. How can she improve her life and of her colleagues, under the thumb of a inescrupulous person?
The author decided to take a step back in the story and so we have now the beginning of Hadrian and Royce's friendship, as well as Gwen, until the fateful day they all get together.
After finishing the First Empire Series (10/10) and attempting to read Rise and Fall (only made it to one book) I decided to pick up Crown Tower and finally get to know Hadrian and Royce, the two characters MJS's fanbase seems to love to the Earth and back.
I LOVED Hadrian from page one. In a world that could easily produce nothing but grim dark edge lords, this Lawful Good golden retriever of a human being is such a delight to read. Then there is Royce: the Neutral Evil, edge lord, "trust no one," brood brood, cry listening to butt-rock while standing on roof tops cause I think I'm Batman, generic DND Rogue backstory, and general recluse asshole of the series. I understand that he exists to be Hadrian's foil but he was really hard to like. His budding friendship near the end of the book makes putting up with this living gargoyle worth it though. And his character is actually really enjoyable once he pulls the stick out of his ass. I do think he is at his peek when he is actively bleeding out. He suddenly becomes a quippy on the level of Spider-man and actually starts talking to Hadrian like he is a person and not a total burden. What I am trying to say is that by the end of the book he was growing on me and I am definitely interested to see how Hadrian and Royces Grumpy/Sunshine fantasy romance plays out. Ugh, I mean. Bro-mance. Definitely.
Loved Gwen and her plot line. There honestly wasn't enough of her. There were times were I could give two shits about what the love birds were doing and just wanted to go back to the girls' plot line.
Looking forward to the next book.
I LOVED Hadrian from page one. In a world that could easily produce nothing but grim dark edge lords, this Lawful Good golden retriever of a human being is such a delight to read. Then there is Royce: the Neutral Evil, edge lord, "trust no one," brood brood, cry listening to butt-rock while standing on roof tops cause I think I'm Batman, generic DND Rogue backstory, and general recluse asshole of the series. I understand that he exists to be Hadrian's foil but he was really hard to like. His budding friendship near the end of the book makes putting up with this living gargoyle worth it though. And his character is actually really enjoyable once he pulls the stick out of his ass. I do think he is at his peek when he is actively bleeding out. He suddenly becomes a quippy on the level of Spider-man and actually starts talking to Hadrian like he is a person and not a total burden. What I am trying to say is that by the end of the book he was growing on me and I am definitely interested to see how Hadrian and Royces Grumpy/Sunshine fantasy romance plays out. Ugh, I mean. Bro-mance. Definitely.
Loved Gwen and her plot line. There honestly wasn't enough of her. There were times were I could give two shits about what the love birds were doing and just wanted to go back to the girls' plot line.
Looking forward to the next book.
I am generally not a fan of fantasy books (except if they’re written by Sabaa Tahir - and now Michael J. Sullivan). This book is a prequel to Mr. Sullivan’s first book with Hadrian and Royce. The point of The Crown Tower is to explain how Royce and Hadrian met and became partners, answer: It was painful (the becoming partners, not the book).
I like how Mr. Sullivan kept the reader waiting until the very last moment to explain how Gwen DeLacy and Hadrian and Royce are connected. I also love the shaping of the two different characters, especially Royce who swears he was raised by wolves and doesn’t seem to have a kind bone in his body, until the fateful events which brought him and Hadrian together.
All in all, an excellent book, and I plan on reading the rest of Mr. Sullivan’s books.
I like how Mr. Sullivan kept the reader waiting until the very last moment to explain how Gwen DeLacy and Hadrian and Royce are connected. I also love the shaping of the two different characters, especially Royce who swears he was raised by wolves and doesn’t seem to have a kind bone in his body, until the fateful events which brought him and Hadrian together.
All in all, an excellent book, and I plan on reading the rest of Mr. Sullivan’s books.
I loved seeing how Hadrian and Royce met. Did not disappoint.
“Trust me. I want you to improve. I want you to fall from much higher up.”
“The Crown Tower” by Michael J. Sullivan is the first book in “The Riyria Chronicles”. It is a sequel to “The Riyria Revelations” series (which was published first), and it tells the story of Hadrian and Royce from the very beginning. I like reading from the chronological order of the story, so I started with this one.
Hadrian Blackwater has nothing to fight for anymore. He was a soldier in different armies and killed loads of people across half of the world. But he is bone tired and fed up with this existence. When he receives a letter informing about his father death he doesn’t hesitate and go to see his father friend, who know his parent’s last wish. To his surprise the eccentric old wizard presents him with very weird proposal. But to take on this simply impossible mission he must team up with Royce, a thieving assassin whom he truly despises.
It’s like a classic fantasy tale. Two totally different people forced to work together to acquire some artefact. But it quickly turns out that the focus of this story is solely on its characters. I was surprised because after reading this book’s description, I was expecting an epic adventure full of hardship and challenges. But no, here the mission itself is just a few chapters long. That doesn’t mean the book is bad, on the contrary.
All characters are very distinctive, and I couldn’t decide who I like more, noble Hadrian or clever Royce. But they are not the only stars in this story. I really liked Gwen, the entrepreneur prostitute who one day decide to stand up and fight for a better life for herself and her friends. The old wizard was also a remarkable persona. I totally adored his explanations of how magic works.
The whole story is full of humour and witty commentary, not only from main characters but also from random people who were given just a few pages in the story. It makes it very easy and quick to read. The ending also suggests that a lot is going on behind the scenes of the main story. It definitely picked my interest and I hope soon I’ll come back to read more about this dynamic duo and their adventures.
“The Crown Tower” by Michael J. Sullivan is the first book in “The Riyria Chronicles”. It is a sequel to “The Riyria Revelations” series (which was published first), and it tells the story of Hadrian and Royce from the very beginning. I like reading from the chronological order of the story, so I started with this one.
Hadrian Blackwater has nothing to fight for anymore. He was a soldier in different armies and killed loads of people across half of the world. But he is bone tired and fed up with this existence. When he receives a letter informing about his father death he doesn’t hesitate and go to see his father friend, who know his parent’s last wish. To his surprise the eccentric old wizard presents him with very weird proposal. But to take on this simply impossible mission he must team up with Royce, a thieving assassin whom he truly despises.
It’s like a classic fantasy tale. Two totally different people forced to work together to acquire some artefact. But it quickly turns out that the focus of this story is solely on its characters. I was surprised because after reading this book’s description, I was expecting an epic adventure full of hardship and challenges. But no, here the mission itself is just a few chapters long. That doesn’t mean the book is bad, on the contrary.
All characters are very distinctive, and I couldn’t decide who I like more, noble Hadrian or clever Royce. But they are not the only stars in this story. I really liked Gwen, the entrepreneur prostitute who one day decide to stand up and fight for a better life for herself and her friends. The old wizard was also a remarkable persona. I totally adored his explanations of how magic works.
The whole story is full of humour and witty commentary, not only from main characters but also from random people who were given just a few pages in the story. It makes it very easy and quick to read. The ending also suggests that a lot is going on behind the scenes of the main story. It definitely picked my interest and I hope soon I’ll come back to read more about this dynamic duo and their adventures.