A review by duvyna
Age of Myth by Michael J. Sullivan

5.0

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Age of Myth is set in a Bronze Age type setting centuries before the events of the Riyria Revelations take place. Age of Myth is a standalone book that does not require you to have read the Riyria Revelations first. For those that have read the Riyria Revelations you will read about land marks, places, events and people that were mentioned as parts of Elan’s history.

Humans also called the Rhune are populous but very primitive and are struggling to make lives for themselves in a harsh land. The Rhune have a treaty of sorts with the Fhrey that mostly keeps the peace. The Fhrey are an advanced elf like race that most of the Rhune think are gods; the Fhrey look down on human as nothing more than bipedal rats. Since the Rhune think the Fhrey are gods, they believe that the Fhrey cannot be killed; that all changes when Raithe, a human man kills an Fhrey. Things will change forever for both the Rhune and the Fhrey do to Raithe’s actions.

Raithe did not set out to kill an Fhrey, he didn’t even think you could kill one of these gods. It as usual boiled down to his father starting it. Raithe was sure he was going to die, until Malcom, one of the Fhrey’s slaves, helped by hitting the Fhrey over the head with a rock. Raithe finished the fight because he didn’t really have a choice; now all that is left is to run and hide from the rest of the Fhrey that is sure to be coming after them. At that moment he really didn’t understand just how much he’d changed the world, but with each passing day he understand more and more of how much has been changed.

Persephone is the widow of chieftain; she helped run their clan for 20 years. With her sons and husband dead she finds herself in an awkward position of not really belonging anywhere anymore. A mystic brings Persephone news of change and danger but she doesn’t understand how any of these events will come about. She’s disappointed because the new chieftain doesn’t seem very good at his job and she’s worried for the people she’s cared for most of her life. Persephone follows the mystic into the forest to try to learn more of what is to come; they run in to Raithe and Malcom. Persephone slowly starts to learn just how much the world is about to change and that she’ll have to do whatever it takes to try to save as many people as she can.

Age of Myth is an epic story about a pivotal point in this world’s history. Michael J Sullivan is an excellent world builder and character developer; he does not disappoint with this prequel. I absolutely loved the Riyria Revelations and really enjoyed being able to read about some of the events that shaped that story. Age of Myth is a wonderful tale of people becoming hero’s even though they never intended to be one and overcoming odds that are seriously stacked against them.

There is violence but I wouldn’t call is overly graphic and I will let my teen read this book, probably good for most older teens and mature younger teens.