Age of Death

The Legends of the First Empire #5

by Michael J. Sullivan, Tim Gerard Reynolds (Narrator), Robin Sullivan (Narrator)

Winter blankets the land, and more than just hope has died. Prevented from invading the Fhrey homeland by the tower of Avempartha, the western army seeks a way across the Nidwalden River before the fane obtains the secret of dragons. As time runs out for both humanity and the mystic Suri, the only chance for the living rests with the dead. Having made their fateful choice, can a handful of misfits do the impossible, or are they forever lost to an inescapable grave? Do gods truly exist? Is it possible to know the future? And what lies beyond the veil of death? In the tradition of Virgil’s Aeneid, Dante’s Divine Comedy, and Milton’s Paradise Lost, the most epic of tales transcend the world of the living. It’s time to see what lies in Elan’s Age of Death.

From Michael J. Sullivan (New York Times, USA Today, and Washington Post bestselling author), comes the second to the last installment in the epic fantasy series, Legends of the First Empire. The series chronicles a pivotal point in Elan’s history when humans rise against the Fhrey who they once saw as gods. Set 3,000 years before the Riyria tales, Legends is a standalone fantasy series which is independent of all other Elan stories. That said, if you do read the other books, you’ll see lies revealed and the truth about historical figures unmasked.

Genres: Fantasy, Audiobook, Fiction, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Adventure, Adult

Audible Audio

First published February 4, 2020

About the author

For a limited time (holiday gift giving) the following titles are on sale and have free US shipping (for orders over $50. Click the image to shop the sale. Out of print hardcoers just $10 each. Deluxe boxsets up to $80 off.



I'm a New York Times, USA Today, and Washington Post bestselling author with 9 Goodreads Choice Award Nominations and 6 Amazon Editor's Picks.

My current released books:

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —— — — — — — —
The copyediting for Out of the Ashes has begun! Recording of the audiobook is scheduled for June 2026.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —— — — — — — —
Coming to Kickstarter 01/27/26

New short stories by: Brandon Sanderson • J.A. Andrews • Bradley P. Beaulieu • Carol Berg • Peter V. Brett • Terry Brooks • Jim Butcher • Delilah S. Dawson • Matt Dinniman • Kate Elliott • Kevin Hearne • Jessica Day George • Lev Grossman • Nancy Kress • Mark Lawrence • Scott Lynch • Jonathan Maberry •Seanan McQuire • Brandon Mull • Peter Orullian • Christopher Paolini • Kat Richardson • Christopher Ruocchio • Anthony Ryan • R.A. Salvatore • Scott Sigler • Shawn Speakman • Michael J. Sullivan • Carrie Vaughn • Brent Weeks • Tad Williams • Janny Wurts
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —— — — — — — —
Indie Author: A documentary for those wo dare to dream is now available for $25.

It features myself, Andy Wier, Will Wight, Travis Baldree, and many more.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —— — — — — — —


I first opened the door to my imagination with typewriter keys while playing hide and seek and finding a black behemoth when I just ten years old. Serious writing started in my twenties, but after more than a decade trying to publish (and getting nowhere), I quit altogether. I returned to writing in 2004, and published my first novel with a small press in 2008. If you had told me that I'd be a New York Times Bestselling author, have 85+ novels translated into 13 languages, and sold more than 2 million copies, I never would have believed you!

Reviews

[Michael]

I don't review my own books, but I do use this space to update readers. So here goes...

02/04/20 - And the book is live. A big thanks to all the people who pre-ordered. You should have your ebooks and audiobooks on your devices!

12/20/19> - Hardcovers are coming off the presses on Dec 30!! Signed early pre-orders (bought directly from us) will ship January 6th. Click here to pre-order a copy

10/19/19 - We are back from New York (we were there for the start of the recording of the audiobook. We still have at least one, and maybe two days of recording left. We are finding some very minor adjustments that we are making during the recordings, so I'm going to wait until we are done before making the ebook. But we are dangerously close to having everything locked down and sending the Kickstarter backers their ebook on the next installment.

10/10/19 - The beta reader feedback is in and incorporated, and I've received the copyedits from both Linda and Laura. I'll just need a few days to accept/reject the copyedits and then we're done! Kickstarter people should receive their copies of Age of Death ebook within a week. If you missed the Kickstarter and want a "manual add" that's still possible. Just fill out his form, and we'll add you!

09/24/19 - Did you miss the Kickstarter? No worries, there is a manual way we can add you to the project, so you can still join in the fun. Just fill out his form, and we'll get you set up!

09/10/19 - The Kickstarter ended and it was a great success!
• 3,120 backers (567 more than my previous best project)
• $119,337 in funding ($8,471 more than my previous best project)
• 2nd most-backed fiction Kickstarter of all time
• 4th most-funded fiction Kickstarter of all time
For those that missed the Kickstarter, there will be a way to participate through the BackerKit pre-order store. I'll be posting when it is live.

09/09/19 - The book is essentially "done" and has gone to the copyeditors for them to work their magic. One will have it back on 10/04 the other on 10/08. It'll take me a few days to go over their changes then we can get the Kickstarter backers their copies.

08/23/19 - Well, yesterday we launched the Kickstarter for Age of Death, and while I'm not surprised the project funded...I was shocked that we did so in just 25 minutes. Currently, it's raised more than $61,000 from nearly 1,700 backers. That makes it the 7th-most backed and 15-most funded fiction project of all time. We already cleared our first stretch goal, and Robin just posted a second one (all backers will receive a bonus short story: Autumn Mists). If you want to get Age of Death 3 months before the retail release, then come on by the Kickstarter!

08/06/19 - And done! Well, mostly. Some time ago, Robin had some major alpha feedback for this book, which made me take apart the engine, and for a while, it was in pieces around my garage. Well, I put it back together, turned the key, and what do you know it started! With the magnitude of the changes, Robin needed to go over it again, and she did. There was still one major area that needed work and after a surprisingly short and easy meeting (they don't always go that way) we had a plan, and so while she finished reviewing the book, I worked on some tweaks to the part she and I agreed to in our "meeting." Well, I finished them about half an hour ago, and at the same time, Robin sent me a file with her full book's review comments (of which are simple "line edit" level changes) - no more structural issues! These types of changes usually go quickly for me, and I predict we can be in beta in less than a week. We'll keep you posted.

07/18/19 - Okay, with Age of Legend officially released we have seen a lot of excitement for this title. So, here are some details. #1 Pre-order pages are already up for the audio and hardcover editions. We hope to have the ebook live in the next few weeks. Official release date is 2/4/20, but we WILL be doing a Kickstarter and people who pre-order through that will get the book in October. The artwork for the cover is finished. Marc Simonetti did a great job, and I hope to be revealing the cover soon. Stay tuned!

03/28/18 - Finished the post-alpha-2 edits on this book, and it should be "done" except for any minor tweaking I might find as I work on post-alpha-2 edits on the final book. What is a post-alpha-2 edit? Well, Robin gave me initial (alpha) on books #4 - #6 "back in the day," and #4 needed some pretty extensive work. That's what I had been spending the majority of my "post Age of War" time on. It was the most extensive rework of a book I've done, but it was (a) essential and (b) I'm now happy with the way that book is (and if Robin agrees it'll start getting reading for beta). Okay, so back to this book. I went over it all given the massive changes to book #4. There were some things I trimmed out that weren't working for me, but very little needed to be revamped. This book was actually in much better shape than I remembered, and if Robin is satisfied with it, It'll go over to beta shortly after Age of Legend. Oh...and we changed the title of this...again...but I think we'll be sticking with Age of Death.

[zuza_zaksiazkowane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Imo najsłabsza z całej serii, ale ja Sullivanowi chyba już wszystko wybaczam, uwielbiam to uniwersum

[Petrik · Rating 4 out of 5]

With twisted revelations and unpredictable story progression, Age of Death has prepared the big stage for the final book in the series.

“Education is never without cost; all the truly valuable lessons leave a scar.”

Age of Death is the penultimate installment in the Legends of the First Empire series by Michael J. Sullivan. And honestly speaking, this is not my favorite installment in the series. Similar to the previous books, the entirety of the narrative felt almost thoroughly compelling. Continuing from where the last cliffhanger in Age of Legend, almost the entirety of Age of Death takes place in two settings. If you can call it two, really. Seriously, writing a review for this book as spoiler-free as possible is actually annoying to do. Not only Age of Death did not progress much of the main storyline, but a myriad of events in this book is impossible to discuss without heavily spoiling the book. Even talking about the actual setting of the narrative itself is a spoiler. This is why my review for this book has been postponed for quite a while, unlike usual. So, there are only two ways to do this. One, to repeat what I said already in my review of the previous books like a broken record. And second, to shorten the length of this review. Look, if you've read this book, you will know why it is so hard to review this particular installment as spoiler-free as possible.

“Few can accept the value of something given, but something earned is cherished.”

If you have reached Age of Death, I think it is safe to assume that you will enjoy reading this book, too. The title of the book is aptly named. And it's impressive how, with each book in the series, Sullivan continuously developed the characters effectively. Age of Death did not progress much of the main story, but characterizations and development-wise, there's no shortage of them in this book. The facade and complexities of the characters I loved and hated are laid bare mercilessly. Despair, finding hope, trust, redemption, and sacrifice; these themes were constantly explored in the narrative. And it is easy for me to say the characters and their constant internal battle and struggle were my favorite parts of Age of Death. But there was a bonus, for me anyway. It is the revelations behind the truth of the lore and world-building of the Legends of the First Empire and also The Riyria books.

“Mawyndulë, the best chronicles are never true, not completely. But make no mistake, it is our stories that define us both as individuals and as a civilization. Long after we’re dead, people remember. And those memories form the building blocks of who we are, what we value, what we believe in, what we stand for, and what we fight against. Truth comes from how we view ourselves and how others see us. Our stories are the most important things we have. The better the tales, the greater the legacy we leave, and the more worthy a world we create.”

Some readers of The Riyria books have mentioned how they felt they were lied to completely, and the crucial world-building plus histories are a lie. And they're not wrong on this. Based on what we get to read in this series, at least half of the world-building and lore we learned in The Riyria books are false. However, remember, this has always been one of the purposes of The Legends of the First Empire series. To show how stories and legends constantly change with each telling and the passage of time. Until they're close to becoming unrecognizable from their first occurrence. I think Sullivan has nailed this, whether readers like it or not. Personally, I find them very interesting and believable. It is, however, unfortunate that many of these revelations were delivered in an info-dump manner. It was hard for them to stick in my brain.

That’s how life works. As you walk through it, you can’t see the big moments coming at you. Don’t notice them until they’ve gone by. We always see them from the back, never from the front, which presents a distorted perspective. Everything looks different from behind in that wonderful reflective afterglow. Afterward, things consistently appear bigger, more obvious, and we think, How could I not have seen that? But the moments that change our lives are indistinguishable from everything else because they aren’t significant—until they are. Do you understand?”

Though still good, Age of Death is one of my least favorite books in the series. Even though I found all the revelations incredibly interesting, I also felt the book (which is already really short) was longer than it should be. Not much of the main story moved forward, and it's a bit of shame because Suri's POV (which moves the story forward) was one of the best sections of the entire book. Once again, going back to the point I mentioned in Age of Legend review, I don't see how it's necessary to divide the second half into a trilogy. And yes, Age of Death ended on a massive cliffhanger once again. I think Age of Death was an intriguing penultimate volume in the series. I believe it is a necessary installment needed to make sure the last book could end up being the best of the series. And I have no doubt Sullivan will deliver on that front.

Picture: Age of Death by Marc Simonetti



You can order this book from: Blackwells (Free International shipping)

You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel

Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!

My Patrons: Alfred, Andrew, Andrew W, Annabeth, Barbara, Casey, Diana, Dylan, Edward, Elias, Ellen, Ellis, Gary, Hamad, Helen, Jesse, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Kristina, Lana, Leigh, Luis, Lufi, Melinda, Meryl, Michael, Miracle, Nanette, Neeraja, Nicholas, Radiah, Reno, Samuel, Sarah, Sarah, Scott, Shawn, Xero, Wendy, Wick, Zoe.

[Nikola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nie no uwielbiam te serie, lecę z ostatnim tomem

[TS Chan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Age of Death took an astounding turn in the direction of the overall story, and it was brilliant!

This book is aptly titled as it would be the death of me. We have yet another cliffhanger ending as the second arc of The Legends of the First Empire series is shaping up to be one continuous story. It was excruciating to say the least, but I can empathise with Sullivan in struggling to find a suitable point to break off for each volume, short of releasing it as a single doorstopper.  A single volume wouldn't work for physical printing purposes, especially if collectors of the hardcovers want to maintain the aesthetics of the books.  And if you've seen their covers and how the hardcovers look like, you'll want that consistency.  They are stunningly beautiful.

The mythology of Elan as we know it (from Riyria) has been blown apart in this penultimate volume.  It is getting harder and harder to write a review for one of these books as we progress towards what is looking to be an epic finale.  Reading The Legends of the First Empire as a huge fan of Riyria (books which I've read about three times already) made it more enthralling as one can now appreciate how much history has morphed into myths and legends over the span of three thousand years.  I'd probably sound like a broken record by now, but it is the gradual unveiling of the truths, the real events and the people behind it, which made this series so incredibly captivating for me.

It would not come to your surprise to know that our beloved characters also continued to grow and develop most compellingly as they venture into a strange new place. I know it sounded vague, but truly I couldn't say anything more except that the resultant worldbuilding in this place was spectacular. Those who've read Age of Legend would know what it was to come.  Even with such anticipation, I was amazed with the revelations that came to light when our brave and intrepid band of unlikely heroes dared to undertake this dangerous and arduous journey. Have I ever said how much I loved that the unsung heroes of this saga were not typical heroes and warriors?

"This war won't be won or lost by birds or dragons, nor by greed or hate, but by the courage and virtue of an unlikely few who will forfeit everything to save the future."

Sullivan's writing kept getting better over the years, but the one thing which has been his hallmark all these time was his excellent characterisation.  I dare you to read his books and come out not caring about the characters. The story of redemption, one of my favourite character themes, is ever present and well-written in Sullivan's books (Riyria was the best example of this). And then we also have the stories of marginalised characters who are and become so much more than what people expect them to be.

Poor indeed are the infallible, for facing failure teaches us how to prosper.

Age of Death is the most exciting and fantastic entry of the series so far. While one would expect that of a penultimate instalment of a series, it was the manner in which the story took a turn that made it so fascinating and thrilling. I have no clue how the story will continue for the finale, Age of Empyre, which is without a doubt one of my most anticipated books of the year.

I received an early copy of the ebook as one of the Kickstarter backers.

Official release date: 4th February 2020

You can pre-order a copy from: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Book Depository (Free shipping worldwide)

You can find this and my other reviews at Novel Notions.

[Anna [Bran. San. Stan] · Rating 5 out of 5]

2024: Time for another re-read!
2021: Holy shit, this series is so good.

This installment picks up where we left off in Age of Legend (# 4): a few of our character are now trying to make their way through the underworld – and it is an unexpectedly painful, perilous journey which provides some serious heart-ache for characters and readers alike. What I particularly enjoyed amidst the hardship was meeting some “dead” characters, both legends long gone and people we’ve seen die in the course of this series.

Also, I found the concept of the underworld compelling: being evil or good does not determine where you end up in one of the three sections of the afterlife – I won’t say what does decide your fate as it would be quite a spoiler.

As hoped, this book reveals a lot of puzzle pieces and it’s so rewarding to see how some of them fit together - and not just that, seeing character arcs develop makes me happy.

We finally find out
⁉️ who mystery Malcolm really is - even if his motives are still unclear (on whose side is he or does he have an agenda entirely his own?
🐉⚔️ how Suri (the only human magic wielder) and her knowledge of how to make gilarabryns (dragons) shapes our characters’ fates – Fhrey (elves) and Rhunes (humans) alike
💔 how Tesh, the best Rhune warrior, is finally forced to reevaluate his quest to get revenge for the murder of his people
🤔 that Tesh and his great love Brin have never had sex in their years-long relationship because of said quest
🧝👸 that Nyphron (Fhrey leader of the Rhune forces) does care about Persephone (keenig of the Rhune people) enough to comfort her in an unusually emotional scene and that their different personalities lead to some fun dialogue which in turn provides some comic relief.
🌎 And we learn to put names to legends of the past.

After another climactic ending, I’m so ready to find out what awaits our heroines and heroes and am equally not ready for this journey through this amazing series to be over after Age of Empyre.
________________________________

“So, to what do I owe the honor of your visit?”[…]
“Does a husband need a reason to see his wife?”
“Apparently, you rarely do so.”

________________________________

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars (updated)

Age of Legend, Age of Death, and Age of Empyre were originally one book. So this is the middle of that story arc and means that this book has a cliffhanger similar to Age of Legend. This book picks up right where that one left off.

Most of the book is about our heroes in completely unchartered territory, the afterlife/underworld. We get a LOT of information about the mythology of the world, which I’ve had to go over a few times to remember it all.

The other major POV follows Suri and the Fhrey in Estramnadon, where the elves (Fhrey) are on the road to civil war. I enjoyed seeing the conspiracy take shape. Other characters, like Persephone, are more in the background here.

If you’ve enjoyed the series so far, you’ll find this one quite satisfying. It’s quick and easy to read, full of adventure. A lot of characters have major growth, and you really end up caring about them. This element complemented all the adventure stuff nicely.

I did the beta and gamma reads for the book. I didn’t catch any real changes beyond some chapter titles.

Language: Mild
Sexual Content: None
Violence/Gore: war violence, injuries; not very graphic
Harm to Animals: None
Harm to Children: None
Other (Triggers): conspiracies, grief, captivity

[Deborah Obida · Rating 4 out of 5]

Age of Death is the 5th book in the Legend of the First Empire six book series, and just like it’s predecessor it ended in a cliffhanger, not cool. This book features great friendship, action scenes and lots of admirable characters. There are some revelations here about Malcolm which is mind blowing, I knew he wasn’t human but I so was not expecting that.

“A closed mind is like a door that can’t be opened—it might as well be a wall.”

Ninety percent of the events in this book took place in Rel, the underworld, I love how the author depicted the underworld.

The plot progression was very slow, I expected things to get in their way but this is a lot, I actually thought they will get out of Rel in this.

“Life doesn’t always turn out the way we want, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t for the best.”

The world building is awesome, the book is written in third person multiple POV like the previous books.

I love the character development so much, I can’t believe that this are the same naive village people I met in book one, oh how they have changed.

My favorite now is Suri, she is stronger than she looks despite all she has been through she is still strong, brave and courageous, Brinand Moya are other cool characters. Persephone was barely in this so I can’t say much for her character growth. Tesh, Tekchin and Gifford are my three favorite male characters.
A fhrey apart from Mawydule has a POV now and it’s Imaly, I like her, she is so cunning and despite that she is kind hearted.

[Robin (Bridge Four) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Death is Just a Door Stars

Age of Death is the fifth book in the Legends of the First Empire series where Michael J. Sullivan (MJS) takes all of the history we learned in the Riyria books and turns it on its head to give us the true story, before years of retellings, exaggerations, forgotten details and twistings happen.

World of note to the reader. Since I’ve read many MJS books, I like to point out that while most of his stories are self-contained with solid end points Age of Legend, Death and Empyre are not. They are more like one larger story split into three parts and so they end at spots that are treacherous for our beloved characters. Be prepared.

As usual this book is very aptly named as some of our characters are wondering through the world of the dead. Will they be able to make it out alive or is there a fate worse than death? It is hard to say at this point because everything seems very dire. Still I love the traveling party that made it across the veil and seeing a few of the characters that we’ve lost in the past.

The good news is that death is not the end, but that is also the bad news.
---THE BOOK OF BRIN

Characters are really MJS’s strong suit. I feel so connected to all of them. Even characters that I hated in Age of Myth are not as flat as they once seemed and now it is very hard to hate them especially reading anything through their eyes. Tressa for instance has become dear to me now in this series by Age of Death, if you would have asked me about her in Age of Myth, I would have wished he a fiery death. Gifford and Roan also have a special place in my heart, since both are broken in different ways. I loved seeing Gifford in death and how he was changed, it was a true reflection of the man.

As one group traverses the perils of the underworld trying to make it to Suri, Persephone is in the dragon camp sure of the death of most of the people she loves. Malcolm is back with his strange knowing and cryptic statements. Sure, he says that there is a chance all of her friends won’t stay dead but for now she is feeling rather alone and useless just waiting for the next shoe to drop.

"This war won't be won or lost by birds or dragons, nor by greed or hate, but by the courage and virtue of an unlikely few who will forfeit everything to save the future."

Malcolm, that is another conundrum. Who is he really? Is he good or evil, or is that statement too simple? Is he really trying to fix something he broke long ago or is this just another little game he is playing with the mere mortals of the world? One more book and perhaps we will know for sure.

Suri, I love that girl so much. She is one of my favorite characters of all time and has been through so much already. She is alone in the Fhrey city, held prisoner as the Fain tries to figure out the secret of dragons. There are plots all around Suri and she will eventually play a greater part, I’m just not sure what it will cost her. Mawyndule also will be a pawn on someone’s side, I’m just not sure whose and may be the tipping point that will either destroy characters I love or help them inadvertently.

This was another great installment in a series of fantastic books. It had all of the little things I’ve come to love in this series. Quotes from the Book of Brin, danger, adventure, loss, sacrifice, hope, love, mythos and mystery are all in there somewhere. I’m definitely excited to see how the series is going to close out and with the final book coming out in just a few months my wait won’t be long.

Thank you to MJS for:

1 – writing out the entire series before beginning to publish the books.

2- Putting them on an accelerated release time schedule, especially for the final book.

3 – Making sure the Audio is ready at the same time as the book release.

Another great addition to my fantasy collection!

[Książkowe Bajdurzenie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5⭐
Tom troszkę na przeczekanie. Jednocześnie jest to na pewno lepszy tom na przeczekanie, niż tom drugi.
Recenzja: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FptZU...

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

WTH was that ending?! I was warned it will end in a cliffhanger, but I expected a milder one, like in the previous volume, not like this! Damn! Well, at least I should be happy that with Kickstarter I’ll get to read the final volume in February, not May.

Anyway, despite the vexing ending, I very much enjoyed the book. It picks up the story from the previous volume but now its focus is on the fellowship trying to save Suri. Their path takes them inside Elan, in the realms of Death. MJS creates even now a rich world, with creatures long forgotten, dead heroes, even gods, with all sorts of challenges and an epic battle.

Despite her imprisonment, Suri forms a sort of alliance with a powerful Fhrey inside Estramnadon; Mawyndulë turns out to be not the prick I thought he was, and Fane Lothian remains the most despicable of all.

I would have liked a bit more about Nyphron and Persephone, but I think they will have the biggest share in the last volume, due to what we know so far about the Empyre.

Nevertheless, it was a fun and easy reading, as is the case with all Sullivan’s books. If you ever feel down, tired or not in your best mood, try one of his books - as a matter of fact, start with The Riyria Revelations Series, if you haven't already; you won't be sorry.

PS: as always, if you need a recap of the previous volumes, here they are: https://firstempireseries.com/book-re...

[Terence · Rating 4 out of 5]

With Suri in the hands of Fane Lothian, Nyphron is convinced he no longer has a chance of winning the war. Persephone finds herself alone. Her brave friends who went to save Suri are dead, but Malcolm tells her that there's still a chance they could return. The group who willingly entered the land of the dead are the Rhunes only hope.

Age of Death like Age of Legend ended in a cliff hanger. At least I know I won't have to wait too long for the last book of the series, but I really wish the story progressed further.

Age of Death clearly shows that in this world, death isn't the end. The reader is granted a view of the afterlife and the realms within it. The history of the world and the gods are mentioned in some detail which was interesting to say the least. The gods aren't exactly what I imagined they would be.

I love the work put into the various characters. I find myself enjoying all of them and what they add to the tale, which is rare. Michael J. Sullivan puts them through what appears like hell at times and they all face it differently. I know it's not reasonable to expect a happy ending for all of them, but I hope things all turn out for the better for each one of them.

Age of Death was a really enjoyable read. Now I just have to wait for the series conclusion, Age of Empyre.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, I don't know what is wrong. I LOVE the writing of Michael J Sullivan. And I have enjoyed so many of his books. So it is surprising that I'm not feeling it with the latter half of this series. I did like this one better than the last one so that is a positive, but I feel like I'm in mourning because there is a huge hole (whether it is in my heart or in the story is my main question.)

It just feels slow and wordy. For me, it feels like he wrote a trilogy but the last book was a little too long, so he decided to split it into 3 separate books. Hence the excess words. With this one he inserted a lot of stories about past incidents, history, people. He also threw in obstacles that felt just like an obstacle with little to glean. There were few "aha" moments. While I love a good backstory, here it made this feel a little long. So 3 stars.....I think. I hope.

[Maja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Send help for I am not okay thAT IS NOT HOW CLIFFHANGERS WORK GODAMIT MICHAEL IT'S PURE CRUELTY THAT'S WHAT IT IS

While it certainly feels like a middle book it's still a real good read. Also I expect a big bang in Age of Empyre aND I'M READY FOR IT

Also a reminder that Suri is the Preciousest of Precious and I love her.

If you came here expecting a proper review, you have came to the wrong place.

also I had half a panic attack at least three times because I thought our little gang might meet Raithe in the Afterlife and my heart would not have been able to handle it but the fact he was nowhere to be found there, makes me even more scared for what's to become of him and how it might develop in Empyre

[Andreas · Rating 3 out of 5]

But... but... you can't end a book like that. Other than the cliffhanger ending this book mostly felt like filler. Although we got to know more of the history of the world, and I always like that sort of thing.

(Quick disclaimer: the version I read was only 349 pages, not 420 like it says here on Goodreads)

3.5 stars

[✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was SO excited about this installment when I started reading it. It was SO much better than the previous two books in the series. I was SO positive this would be the one that would make me fall in love with Legends of the First Empire all over again. Spoiler alert: I'm a complete idiot and naive fool It didn't.

Why?

① Because the book is a filler. A boring, dull filler.

② The pacing is uneven as fish. Suri’s and Imaly’s chapters are pretty entertaining and move along quickly (I wish they were muuuccchhhh longer) but the underworld chapters slow the story down to a crawl (I wish they were wayyyyy shorter).

③ I didn’t give a shrimp about the journey through the underworld: very low stakes, no real sense of danger for the characters (because reasons and stuff), no sense of urgency, neverending descriptions, way too much backstory about how the world and the gods who created it...The whole thing is pretty pointless and adds literally nothing to the series arc. Yay.

④ Again, a Sullivan book that ends before the 90% mark.

⑤ Again, a Sullivan book that ends with a ridiculous cliffhanger.



➽ Nefarious Last Words (NLW™): the final book in the series better be ALL about Suri, or else I might retaliate. Maybe.



P.S. The book has a 4.28 average star rating on GR which seems to indicate that everyone but me read it wrong 😬.
P.P.S. Reading this series is becoming a real pain. Please release Drumindor NOW, Mr. Sullivan, and give us the Royce & Adrian fix we desperately need.

· Book 1: Age of Myth ★★★★★
· Book 2: Age of Swords ★★★★★
· Book 3: Age of War ★★
· Book 4: Age of Legend ★★★
· Book 6: Age of Empyre ★★★



[Pre-review nonsense]

MUCH better than the previous two installments in the series but pretty MEH overall.



➽ Review to come and stuff.

[Marena · Rating 5 out of 5]

You will see his love of the Wizard of Oz throughout this one. Loved it.

[Choko · Rating 5 out of 5]

RTC...

[Patrycja · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25⭐️ Chyba mój najmniej ulubiony tom, totalnie na przeczekanie. Skończcie już z tym pitoleniem ja chce moje grande finale!

[Jody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 4.5 stars ****

[Hamad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Age of Myth ★★★ 1/2
Age of Swords ★★★★
Age of War ★★★★ 1/4
Age of Legend ★★★★
Age of Death ★★★ 3/4

Slightly less better than the previous books but still enjoyed it!

[Samir · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating 3.5 stars.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wowza, if the series started as a "grounded" take on the Epic Fantasy genre this penultimate book of the series showcases how far it has come as Sullivan busts out some Big Dante Energy by taking the majority of our Main Cast literally down into the underworld of Purgatory and Hell, em sorry, Rel and Nifrel on a bonkers quest to rescue Suri from the Fhrey and, hopefully, save the world and so on. No big deal.


Nifrel. Nice place to visit but wouldn't want to spend eternity there.

Meanwhile in the living world Lothian is increasingly unhinged, Suri is coming to terms with her imprisonment in Estramnadon and Persephone and Nyphron are becoming quite defeatist. Looks like a grandstand finale for book 6, which I will be starting shortly.

[Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have read every novel and short story that Sullivan has ever published and consider him to be one of the preeminent writers on the planet today and this was the first time I've ever counted the pages to find out how much longer the books was, it was the first time ever I had to force myself to pick the book up and continue reading.

The world building was fine, the characters were fine ~ my issue had to do with the lack of story/plot. It felt like 400 pages of filler. Everything that happened in this book could have fit into one chapter and when you drag one chapter out for 400 pages it become mind numbingly boring.

Here's my plot summary:
Suri is captive.
Persephone doesn't know what to do.
The Fhrey want dragons.
Everyone else travels across the land of the dead.
The end.

Hoping that Mr. Sullivan gets his mojo back in the next book as I generally love his writing and look forward to each new book he puts out but for me this book was a miss. I notice that it gets very high ratings/reviews so maybe it's just me.

[Tammie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Winter blankets the land, and more than hope has died. Barred by the tower of Avempartha, the western army cannot invade the Fhrey homeland. So it must seek a way across the Nidwalden River before the fane obtains the secret of dragons. As time runs out for both humanity and the mystic Suri, the only chance for the living rests with the dead. Having made their fateful choice, can a handful of misfits do the impossible, or are they forever lost to an inescapable grave?

The last book in this series ended with a big cliffhanger, which is not the usual way that MJS ends his books, but the fact that the books are being released pretty rapidly helps with the anticipation after being left hanging, and this one picked up right where the last one left off. I liked that we got one continuous story without a gap in time.

While this isn't one of my favorite books in the series (I like it about the same as the previous book) it does start to weave some threads together that have been in the making for a long time. I especially enjoyed Suri's chapters as a captive of the Fhrey. I could feel all of her pain as she finally got through to the fane what it costs to make a dragon.

"Now you know why you only face one."

As for the main adventure, I found the underworld to be very interesting and I liked the different characters that we met along the way. As always with Sullivan's books, the biggest strength here were the characters. I've said it in my other reviews, but I love how unlikely the heroes are in this series. I love the growth of each character, even Tressa, who at one time I hated. I love the themes of redemption, love, and sacrifice. I also need to add how much I loved the transformation of Gifford in this new place.

"This war won't be won or lost by birds or dragons, nor by greed or hate, but by the courage and virtue of an unlikely few who will forfeit everything to save the future."

I don't have a whole lot more to add here in my review, just that I continue to enjoy this series and I'm looking forward to reading the last book soon, but at the same time I will be sad that it's over.

Review also posted at Writings of a Reader

[Narilka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 stars

The good news is that death is not the end, but that is also the bad news.
-The Book of Brin

Age of Death picks up exactly where the cliffhanger ending of the previous book leaves off. It makes for an intense start to the book that unfortunately slows back down as the story splits to follow both events in the underworld and how things are going in the regular world.

This is a solid middle book where some forward plot progression is made, albeit at a slow pace. It also wraps up in a cliffhanger-style ending, though I didn't feel urgency of the previous book as I don't feel that the characters are truly in jeopardy. Everyone keeps making the abyss a big deal, how Trilos fell down it and disappeared but we know Trilos is in the garden so obviously the abyss is not the end of their existence. I am genuinely curious to see how these stories will come together for the grand finale and hope the question of who Lothian sacrificed to make his dragon is answered.

[Kitty G Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably my least favourite of the series (as it goes on a tangent through the afterworld/death), but, it's still got good solid moments. I like that we're learning a whole lot of backstory to the world in this, even though I also wanted to find out where the main plot was going and see what happens there. There's a lot of characters we've enjoyed over the series involved in the afterworld plot, but I found it was a little bit padded for what I wanted, and some of it could have been better trimmed down IMO. With that said, I think it's all interesting, it's just not as fast moving or exciting as I think the main plot of Elves Vs Fhrey is, (we'll presumably see the wrap up of this in the final book though and I'm looking forward to that) and I wonder if this would have worked well as a standalone rather than a part of the main series...

Another big cliffhanger ending here and I am planning to dive straight into the final book in the series to see what secrets will finally be revealed. Who is Malcolm, what does he want, and who will be victorious. Are dragons going to be a huge part of the next book (cover indicates maybe) and what sacrifices will be made for them? So many questions and I'm excited for answers. 3*s for this one.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

This did not sustain my interest and enjoyment as the rest of the series has. #notfeelingit

[Esmay Rosalyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

First read 2021: 4.5 stars
Second read 2025: 4 stars

Ooooh dear, talk about a book that lives up to its title, this is just one hell of an emotional rollercoaster. I mean, the number of times that I felt like I was dying inside while reading Age of Death is not even funny, but I honestly love it all the more for it.

Ever since reading this series for the first time 4 years ago, I distinctly remembered this fifth instalment being one of, if not THE, best book in the series for me. And while I still loved it this second time around, it's also the first time that my rating has slightly dropped on re-read.

Don't get me wrong, there isn't a single dull moment in Age of Death, and I absolutely loved going through this wild emotional rollercoaster all over again. I am always a sucker for a good underworld adventure, and this book delivers on that in spades. I mean, if you thought that a book set in the afterlife would lack any type of stakes because of the whole unalive situation, you better think again. The emotional gutpunches just kept coming, and they hurt so damn good.

Moreover, Sullivan's rich imagination absolutely shines here, and I was absolutely eating up all the revelations about the lore of Elan here. Some could call it info-dumpy, I call it HELLA delicious for my nerdy brain. The epicness and mysticism just drips off the page here, and I honestly think there are very few authors who execute the 'gods walking among us' trope better than Sullivan does here.

That said, this book also just hits the ground running and never hits the brakes, and I would honestly not have minded more moments to really process everything that was being thrown at both the characters and the reader along the way. Yes, I get that we are on a desperate time-crunch, but holy smokes did I get exhausted from the relentless action at times. Although now that I am thinking about it, maybe that was the point all along; maybe Sullivan meant for us to feel just as desperate, anxious and exhausted as these characters did, and he damn well succeeded.

See, my deep investment in the characters is honestly just dangerous for my emotional wellbeing, and it's beyond impressive to me how Sullivan was still able to weave so many hard-hitting, introspective moments into all the intense action. The character- and interpersonal relationship development continues to be absolutely phenomenal, and I loved the beautifully and painfully honest exploration of themes like morality, redemption, despair, hope, trust, sacrifice, the purpose of life, and the incredible endurance of the human spirit. Also, I want to be Moya when I grow up.

Now, Suri's and Persephone's separate storylines gave some nice moments to catch my breath, even if their situations were more than dire and my heart was aching for them the entire way through. The whole escalating war between the Fhrey and Rhunes is written in such a complex and nerve-wracking way, and I love that Sullivan is such a master of building up that looming sense of dread and air of impending doom.

What can I say, even if I had some nits to pick with Age of Death, I still think it's better than the vast majority of all epic fantasy books I have read. And in true Sullivan fashion, we end on another diabolical cliffhanger that is just deviously cruel in the best way possible. I'm going to need some time to recover from all this before I dive into the finale, and I am honestly so sad that this journey is almost over again. Ugh, I love this story.

*****************************
2021 review:

Since this is the fifth book in the series and so much has happened already, it is quite hard to write a concise review. So bear with me while I give this my best try.

Age of Legend ended on one hell of a cliffhanger and I am happy to say that this book picks up right where the last one left off. As the title might give away, this book takes our characters on quite an interesting journey through the afterlife.

Whereas the previous installments all felt a bit slow at the start, this one gripped me from the beginning and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole book!

While the plot is certainly fun and engaging, I am honestly just here for the characters. I am so connected to all the characters that have made it to this fifth book (I don't want to spoil who has made it this far) and I can without a doubt say that Sullivan writes some of the best (platonic/familial/romantic) relationships in fantasy. The found family element within these book is so damn good and at this point I am just ready to be adopted into this little family :)

The world also continues to expand and in this book we finally get some more explanation about the mysterious history of the world and its gods etc.
I love how this series feels like 'old-school' fantasy in terms of all the creatures/races, while still being unique and fresh in every possible way. The writing, characters and plot are just so good!

This might very well be my favourite book up to this point, but this cliffhanger (once again!) has me super excited for the final book. I have high hopes and I am fairly certain that Sullivan will stick the landing!

[Kinga · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I mean, how hard would it be to execute someone that you actually know?”

Ha. Haha. Hahahaha. Someone send help.

If I have to summarize this book in a few words, I would have to say that we have some incredibly beloved characters who are as far from a safe life as you can imagine – and then some. Oh, they’re dead already? Then at least they’ll find some peace surely – or so would you think!

Needless to say I was on edge from page one. We did get a fair warning that Age of Legend and Age of Death will end in cliffhangers but wow, was I not prepared enough.

In this particular part, though, we did got answers to a lot of our questions, and now I can’t wait to start Age of Empyre. I did have some fears that describing the afterlife would just make more questions about the world (just as ours do), but I’m quite satisfied with every detail we came across. Especially knowing that this is the broken version, somehow, although we still have to find out more about this.

“What once was broken can finally be made whole.”

The strangest part in all this was that this time, Suri suffered the least. I thought the author had a special agenda against her considering what tortures she had to go through so far (and she’s still just a young girl!), but now I fear that this would change again in the last part… Please, just let my girl Suri find a happy ending!

I also have a feeling that… what if we meet Raithe in Alysin, the paradise? He would certainly deserve to get there.