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A review by emleemay
Age of Myth by Michael J. Sullivan
2.0
This is why I no longer read much epic fantasy.
The genre is so... familiar. Perhaps its unfair to blame [b:Age of Myth|26863057|Age of Myth (The Legends of the First Empire, #1)|Michael J. Sullivan|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1507307691s/26863057.jpg|24657657] for that. Perhaps the real culprit is the limitations of this genre (or the perceived limitations at least) because all epic fantasy series contain the same or similar elements, they blend into one, they all start to look the same after a while, and they all start to look like A Song of Ice and Fire.
Sullivan is a competent writer with a flowing style that doesn't suffer from the same density employed by many other fantasy writers. There is intricate world-building, developed characters and bloody battles - and yet, I don't know about you, but I've seen this all before. This world feels like a mash-up of several others, the characters remind me of other fantasy characters, and the action cannot make up for the lack of emotional stimulation.
It is too neat, too safe, too recycled. "What will happen?" is a thought that never crossed my mind. It seemed I already knew.
[b:Age of Myth|26863057|Age of Myth (The Legends of the First Empire, #1)|Michael J. Sullivan|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1507307691s/26863057.jpg|24657657] opens with Raithe killing one of the Fhrey - a strong race of creatures deemed "godlike" and believed, until now, to be immortal. He earns himself the title of "God Killer", yet another addition to the Kingslayer, Kingkiller (etc.) trope. But, of course, this changes everything. Not only is Raithe wanted by the Fhrey, but he has also uncovered a dark truth - the Gods can be killed.
Gods, warriors, giants, seers, goblins, clans reminiscent of Westeros' houses, wolf companions reminiscent of the Stark direwolves - I can't pinpoint anything original or standout here. Granted, originality is hard to come by in the narrow confines of genre, but that is why authors need to step it up with a sparkling writing style, memorable characters, or just some charm and narrative charisma.
Unfortunately, [b:Age of Myth|26863057|Age of Myth (The Legends of the First Empire, #1)|Michael J. Sullivan|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1507307691s/26863057.jpg|24657657] is simply forgettable in the vast sea of the fantasy genre.
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The genre is so... familiar. Perhaps its unfair to blame [b:Age of Myth|26863057|Age of Myth (The Legends of the First Empire, #1)|Michael J. Sullivan|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1507307691s/26863057.jpg|24657657] for that. Perhaps the real culprit is the limitations of this genre (or the perceived limitations at least) because all epic fantasy series contain the same or similar elements, they blend into one, they all start to look the same after a while, and they all start to look like A Song of Ice and Fire.
Sullivan is a competent writer with a flowing style that doesn't suffer from the same density employed by many other fantasy writers. There is intricate world-building, developed characters and bloody battles - and yet, I don't know about you, but I've seen this all before. This world feels like a mash-up of several others, the characters remind me of other fantasy characters, and the action cannot make up for the lack of emotional stimulation.
It is too neat, too safe, too recycled. "What will happen?" is a thought that never crossed my mind. It seemed I already knew.
[b:Age of Myth|26863057|Age of Myth (The Legends of the First Empire, #1)|Michael J. Sullivan|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1507307691s/26863057.jpg|24657657] opens with Raithe killing one of the Fhrey - a strong race of creatures deemed "godlike" and believed, until now, to be immortal. He earns himself the title of "God Killer", yet another addition to the Kingslayer, Kingkiller (etc.) trope. But, of course, this changes everything. Not only is Raithe wanted by the Fhrey, but he has also uncovered a dark truth - the Gods can be killed.
Gods, warriors, giants, seers, goblins, clans reminiscent of Westeros' houses, wolf companions reminiscent of the Stark direwolves - I can't pinpoint anything original or standout here. Granted, originality is hard to come by in the narrow confines of genre, but that is why authors need to step it up with a sparkling writing style, memorable characters, or just some charm and narrative charisma.
Unfortunately, [b:Age of Myth|26863057|Age of Myth (The Legends of the First Empire, #1)|Michael J. Sullivan|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1507307691s/26863057.jpg|24657657] is simply forgettable in the vast sea of the fantasy genre.
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube | Store