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A review by songwind
The Death of Dulgath by Michael J. Sullivan
4.0
The sixth Riyria novel serves up a tasty helping of what I've come to expect from Michael Sullivan - adventure, humor, a bit of mystery, and some self reflection.
The main plot servers largely as an introduction to and exploration of Dulgath, a province in the southern country of Maranon. Hired to "consult" on the best way to kill a countess (excuse me, the areas where security needs tightening, of course) Royce and Hadrian arrive to find an unusually temperate, happy place where even the common people love their Lady. It doesn't take long for Royce to find the many holes in the castle's defenses, nor to realize they've stepped in something even more murky and confusing than they expected.
In addition to the storyline itself, there is a fair amount of personal growth for Royce and Hadrian. They've been together for some time now, and each has begun to affect the other. In addition, their circumstances have also started to wear some of the sharp edges off of Royce's paranoia and Hadrian's ennui.
The only somewhat down note is that the villains are a bit monotone. They are universally ruthless, greedy and self absorbed. They're believable and their actions are internally consistent, but they aren't very interesting.
I quite enjoyed two new characters in this book - Sherwood the portrait painter and Scarlet Dodge, entertainer and alchemist.
The main plot servers largely as an introduction to and exploration of Dulgath, a province in the southern country of Maranon. Hired to "consult" on the best way to kill a countess (excuse me, the areas where security needs tightening, of course) Royce and Hadrian arrive to find an unusually temperate, happy place where even the common people love their Lady. It doesn't take long for Royce to find the many holes in the castle's defenses, nor to realize they've stepped in something even more murky and confusing than they expected.
In addition to the storyline itself, there is a fair amount of personal growth for Royce and Hadrian. They've been together for some time now, and each has begun to affect the other. In addition, their circumstances have also started to wear some of the sharp edges off of Royce's paranoia and Hadrian's ennui.
The only somewhat down note is that the villains are a bit monotone. They are universally ruthless, greedy and self absorbed. They're believable and their actions are internally consistent, but they aren't very interesting.
I quite enjoyed two new characters in this book - Sherwood the portrait painter and Scarlet Dodge, entertainer and alchemist.