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A review by dolnick
Age of Death by Michael J. Sullivan
4.0
3.5/5 Stars.
Sullivan is one of my favorite authors - and my favorite fantasy author - but this was perhaps my least favorite book by him, because it felt like a complete shift in the type of fantasy this series belonged to. What was once quietly on the periphery (in all the other books) took center stage here, and - though I was very, very interested in learning the historical elements that were explored here - the execution of this just did not work for me. I loved the established world of the first four books, and this took me very far away from it. I worry that what was explored here ties to his endgame for the world he has built now through four(ish) series of books (as there were lots of hints to just that), because I don’t know if that is something I would ever want to read. (Though I know I inevitably will, as I’ll read anything he writes.)
Anyway, quick hits:
- The new direction the series took (starting towards the end of the previous book) was not one I was a fan of. Made the whole thing feel like a totally different series. I am interested in the history it is exploring, but not the execution of it.
+ I read it in three days, so obviously it was still quite readable. I always love his writing style.
+ Despite my issues with it, I am so invested in the characters and the outcome. I actively want to read and continue this journey with them, because I care about them.
Sullivan is one of my favorite authors - and my favorite fantasy author - but this was perhaps my least favorite book by him, because it felt like a complete shift in the type of fantasy this series belonged to. What was once quietly on the periphery (in all the other books) took center stage here, and - though I was very, very interested in learning the historical elements that were explored here - the execution of this just did not work for me. I loved the established world of the first four books, and this took me very far away from it. I worry that what was explored here ties to his endgame for the world he has built now through four(ish) series of books (as there were lots of hints to just that), because I don’t know if that is something I would ever want to read. (Though I know I inevitably will, as I’ll read anything he writes.)
Anyway, quick hits:
- The new direction the series took (starting towards the end of the previous book) was not one I was a fan of. Made the whole thing feel like a totally different series. I am interested in the history it is exploring, but not the execution of it.
+ I read it in three days, so obviously it was still quite readable. I always love his writing style.
+ Despite my issues with it, I am so invested in the characters and the outcome. I actively want to read and continue this journey with them, because I care about them.