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kaffeinatedkoala 's review for:
Esrahaddon
by Michael J. Sullivan
4.5/5
*I received an ARC in hopes of my honest review*
Context: Esrahaddon is the third book of the Rise and Fall series; however, it functions well enough as a standalone story. I have read the first two Riyiria Revelations books, but none of Sullivan's other works in the world. I sensed a lot of in-universe connections I didn’t fully appreciate, and some I certainly could, but overall, it worked as a standalone.
Esrahaddon is a quintessential epic fantasy that is reminiscent of a grittier, modern Lord of The Rings story. Given the massive page count and demands of telling the tale of one of Elan's most mysterious characters. Esrahaddon demanded an epic origin story, and this tale delivered.
Praise:
I expected a sweeping tale of Esrahaddon's many adventures spanning hundreds of years, but Sullivan instead opted to give a snapshot of his early life (edit: which I should have expected, realizing the timeline of his imprisonment), which was, ultimately, the most important part of it. This was an excellent decision, and Sullivan justifies the length of the novel with a complex tale that provides sufficient plot and character development. The book rarely lulls and remains consistently engaging, avoiding traditional pitfalls of epic fantasies by skipping over travel time and quickly resolving miscommunications, which is a massive boon. Esrahaddon is exceptionally well-paced. Indeed, Sullivan packs so much plot into the novel that it feels as if Esrahaddon could have been a trilogy, but was instead condensed into a book.
The main cast of characters is charming and dynamic. Esrahaddon himself is entertaining and believable as a younger, witty, chaotic version of himself with an underlying darkness that makes him a fascinating protagonist. The goblins are fun, Jerish has an excellent arc, and the Nevrik is surprisingly likeable (if a little unbelievable as a 9 year old).
The twists and plot points are all done well and clearly with a grand, overarching view of the world that becomes increasingly relevant as the book progresses. However, Sullivan never loses sight of his characters, and plot never comes at the cost of character development. The final two hundred pages were stunning.
Critiques:
*minor spoilers follow*
-While I appreciate the maturity of the Elinya romance (the 'less exciting' choice), she was generally far less interesting than Rappaport (which, I suppose, was part of the point). Nevertheless, I felt that Rappaport's character was mostly wasted, and regardless of romance, more could've been done with her.
-While Sullivan's prose is generally good, a handful of sections and references stand out. Occasionally, a switch to the present tense or the use of modern phrases (ex. 'crap' or referring to dogs as 'man's best friend') took me out of the story.
-The elves were, to be frank, boring. Perhaps it's because so much of their story was cut, but their chapters were the only major lull in the story's pacing. Maybe it was their late introduction, but I had trouble keeping track of any elven characters save Ulin.
Overall, Esrahaddon is an excellent fantasy novel with only minor pitfalls and is well worth a read at whatever point you are at in Sullivan's Elan saga-new, old, or somewhere in between. I look forward to reading Heir of Novron and the rest of The Rise and Fall and the Riyiria Chronicles.
*I received an ARC in hopes of my honest review*
Context: Esrahaddon is the third book of the Rise and Fall series; however, it functions well enough as a standalone story. I have read the first two Riyiria Revelations books, but none of Sullivan's other works in the world. I sensed a lot of in-universe connections I didn’t fully appreciate, and some I certainly could, but overall, it worked as a standalone.
Esrahaddon is a quintessential epic fantasy that is reminiscent of a grittier, modern Lord of The Rings story. Given the massive page count and demands of telling the tale of one of Elan's most mysterious characters. Esrahaddon demanded an epic origin story, and this tale delivered.
Praise:
I expected a sweeping tale of Esrahaddon's many adventures spanning hundreds of years, but Sullivan instead opted to give a snapshot of his early life (edit: which I should have expected, realizing the timeline of his imprisonment), which was, ultimately, the most important part of it. This was an excellent decision, and Sullivan justifies the length of the novel with a complex tale that provides sufficient plot and character development. The book rarely lulls and remains consistently engaging, avoiding traditional pitfalls of epic fantasies by skipping over travel time and quickly resolving miscommunications, which is a massive boon. Esrahaddon is exceptionally well-paced. Indeed, Sullivan packs so much plot into the novel that it feels as if Esrahaddon could have been a trilogy, but was instead condensed into a book.
The main cast of characters is charming and dynamic. Esrahaddon himself is entertaining and believable as a younger, witty, chaotic version of himself with an underlying darkness that makes him a fascinating protagonist. The goblins are fun, Jerish has an excellent arc, and the Nevrik is surprisingly likeable (if a little unbelievable as a 9 year old).
The twists and plot points are all done well and clearly with a grand, overarching view of the world that becomes increasingly relevant as the book progresses. However, Sullivan never loses sight of his characters, and plot never comes at the cost of character development. The final two hundred pages were stunning.
Critiques:
*minor spoilers follow*
-While I appreciate the maturity of the Elinya romance (the 'less exciting' choice), she was generally far less interesting than Rappaport (which, I suppose, was part of the point). Nevertheless, I felt that Rappaport's character was mostly wasted, and regardless of romance, more could've been done with her.
-While Sullivan's prose is generally good, a handful of sections and references stand out. Occasionally, a switch to the present tense or the use of modern phrases (ex. 'crap' or referring to dogs as 'man's best friend') took me out of the story.
-The elves were, to be frank, boring. Perhaps it's because so much of their story was cut, but their chapters were the only major lull in the story's pacing. Maybe it was their late introduction, but I had trouble keeping track of any elven characters save Ulin.
Overall, Esrahaddon is an excellent fantasy novel with only minor pitfalls and is well worth a read at whatever point you are at in Sullivan's Elan saga-new, old, or somewhere in between. I look forward to reading Heir of Novron and the rest of The Rise and Fall and the Riyiria Chronicles.