Fantasy Aficionados discussion

I didn't see a thread for this author so I hope it is okay to start one. His books are the Riyria Revelations:

The Crown Conspiracy
Avempartha
Nyphron Rising
The Emerald Storm
Wintertide
Percepliquis (not out yet - darn!!)

The books are also being re-released by Orbit books as:
Theft of Swords (Crown and Avempartha)
Rise of Empire (Nyphron & Emerald)
Heir of Novron (Wintertide & Percepliquis)

What I really like about this series is that it starts out so simple but there are layers of complexity and twists galore. I heard that he wrote all six books at once and it really shows as I've re-read them several times and can see little connections between them.

The one thing that these books do, that I don't think I've ever seen before is that each book gets better and better (no "sagging" in the middle of the series). I'm sure the last book is going to be incredible when it comes out.

Anyone else in this group read these?

I've never heard of him before. I'll check him out.

I've read all of his works. I actually started with Wintertide which worked as a stand alone but I was pretty pissed that I started in the middle of the series as I ruined parts of earlier books for myself. The book didn't give any indication anywhere that it was a certain number in the series which is a total pet peeve.

With that being said, he's a good author, though his storylines lack depth. He's relatively unknown but not bad

I've read the first two in the series, and thought they were ok but not great. I might continue with them at some point, but they're not high priorities. (Actually, I was pretty underwhelmed with the first book and wasn't planning on continuing but then I got a free e-book copy of the second so gave it a chance, and I did think it improved.)

Grant - I think part of the reason they don't number them is because they've decided to market the books as each being able to stand-alone:

"The Riyria Revelations is a six-book fantasy series of which five books are currently released (The final one is due in April 2011). Instead of a string of sequels this series was conceived as a single epic tale divided into individual episodes. All were written before the first was released so that plot elements are intertwined, yet each is self-contained and can be read independently from each other."

However, as you said, later books reference events which happen in earlier books. When I was reading Avempartha (the second) it basically summed up events that happened in the first book, and I know I woulda been pretty pissed if I'd read Avempartha first thinking that they were all completely self-contained, 'cause they're really not.

I mean, in the sense that each as it's own adventure which gets tied up I guess it is, but since there is an overarching plot and that gets developed throughout the series, I consider it something that's definitely best read in order.

I read the first two books and never got around to the third.

I thought the story was enjoyable enough but it never quite grabbed a hold of me. By the time I finished the second I found my attention pulled elsewhere.

Maybe I should try again sometime =D

I read the first, but it felt really flat to me. I have the second and will read it someday...

I've read the first three, and have the fourth waiting. I intend to read them all. The first is the weakest, I think, and after that they get better. I wouldn't say they were great literature, but straightforward, enjoyable romps, really. The two main characters are great fun.

As with anything I'm sure it depends on what you are looking for. Pauline is correct in that they are designed to be just enjoyable romps with a couple of likeable main characters.

As the series advances it gets more complex and there are a lot of twists that come along the way. I know it's unconventional but I actually wrote the whole series before releasing the first one and by doing so my focus was always on making the last book the most powerful. To do so I build the story and character development over time and so yeah, the earlier books are by definition the weakest links.

In many ways, people that leave early only have a fraction of the story...and I understand why they might feel underwhelmed. It is only after the last book comes out when the entire scope of what I was trying to do is revealed that I'll know whether I was successful or not. It's just a bit over a month for that final installment - so I'm obviously pretty anxious to see what people say then.

I'm pleased to say that the first two books have gone into a second printing. Very nice considering they have only been out for a few weeks.

I'm surprised to see so many people kind of "meh" on this series. I think Michael is right that it depends on what you are looking for. I think for me...I really like the layers that are built throughout this series. I'm actually re-reading it for another book club here on goodreads and I'm thoroughly enjoying it all over again. I'm amazed that it is even better than I remember - especially since now I can see little hints and mentions that didn't mean much the first time through.

Michael...glad to hear the books have gone into a second printing. I hope you sell a ton!

It doesn't concern me...I've learned long ago that people have different tastes and my books are not going to appeal to everyone. But for those that like fast, fun, traditional reads it seems to be "finding a home". So far Theft of Swords has made 3 of the "Best of 2011 Lists."

Library Journal Top 10 Scifi/Fantasy
Only the Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Top 5 of 2011
Barnes and Noble's Blog: Best Fantasy

Congratulations Michael!

Theft of Swords is in the mail. I bought it after reading Sullivan's free e-story "The Viscount and the Witch." I wanted to see what the full story is like from an author who's gone from independently published to traditionally published (and should I stick a "traditionally" in front?).

The short story freebie also has an introductory chronicle of Michael's writing and publishing journey.

http://www.tomkeplerswritingblog.com/...

I'm about 40% of the way through Theft of Swords. Two things I'm enjoying: 1) the unexpected humor in some of the dialogue, and 2) enough depth of plot that the good guys/bad guys are slowly revealed--with some wondering allowed.

I allowed myself that freedom in a short story I just wrote--just not explaining some things, but rather providing a couple of bits of information and then leaving the rest to the imagination. A heady experience!

I'm looking forward to completing the novel.

I've read the first four and found them all very enjoyable, getting better and better as the series went on, and now I'm really starting to look forward to the conclusion of the series. I'm trying to decide whether I should reread the earlier books before the final two parts are out - anyone got any advice? I have the feeling there's lots I missed the first time round!

Pauline wrote: "I've read the first four and found them all very enjoyable, getting better and better as the series went on, and now I'm really starting to look forward to the conclusion of the series. I'm trying ..."

Pauline...I'm re-reading the series now - and it is also being discussed in a group here on Goodreads that I'm moderating: Fantasy Book Club Series

We'll be reading all the books which is really cool and some of us are alreaady discussing "later books".

I would definitley say re-read. In doing so you'll find a ton of little thing that you didn't realize the first time around. The fact that the books were all written at once really shows as I keep finding litle tidbits on my re-read. I don't think I've enjoyed a reread so much before and am doing so because of the "nuggets" I keep finding here and there.

In reading Theft of Swords, I'm now into the second part, Avempartha. Knowing the series was originally six books and that I'm less than a third of the way through allows me to pace myself and let the details unfold.

I have the first five on my Kindle and am anxiously awaiting the day I can afford the sixth after it is released so I can read this series. I don't like to start reading a series before I have all the books because money is so hard to come by for me that I never know when I'll be able to afford to buy a new book again.

Tom wrote..."Theft of Swords is in the mail. I bought it after reading Sullivan's free e-story "The Viscount and the Witch." I wanted to see what the full story is like from an author who's gone from independently published to traditionally published (and should I stick a "traditionally" in front?)."

Thanks Tom - and good luck with your own publishing pursuits - not an easy business to be in but very rewarding. It' really hard to know what to call what used to be just "publishing" there is a lot of fragmentation now and some take offense to the word "traditional" although "legacy" is a lot worse ;-).

The way I break things down is via distribution ... "traditional" or "large" or whatever you want to call them have a sales model that is based around attracting "big buyers" i.e. those that purchase for B&N and libraries, Cosco, and other big purchasers. They do both print and ebook but concentrate on print.

Non-traditional publishing - at least in my mind are those that use print-on-demand and ebook and mainly sell through online channels like Amazon and directly via their own websites. It could be an author doing it themselves...or a smaller publisher who wants to minimize upfront cash outlays.

I think there is no "right way" to publish. - Each author should do what aligns best with their goals. At the present time big-six works for me...but I've not turned my back on possible independent projects in the future.

Tom wrote: "I'm about 40% of the way through Theft of Swords. Two things I'm enjoying: 1) the unexpected humor in some of the dialogue, and 2) enough depth of plot that the good guys/bad guys are slowly reveal..."

I noticed that most fantasy (at least the ones I've read) are always very serious and dire. I think that humor comes out almost all the time especaially when stressed or scared - it's a release mechanism. I have very "clear" ideas of both Royce and Hadrian and how they talk - editors hate me because I rarely let them touch their dialog...some things I'm protective over.

The slow reveal is a huge risk...I've had many people stop after the first book with "not impressed...there is no depth and the characters are shallow" and in many ways I have to agree with them. When I wrote the series, I wasn't planning on publishing so I wrote for myself, family, and friends (so I knew that would read to the end) This gave me the freedom to develop things a bit at a time...Had I written it for publishing a lot of the stuff that is "sprinkled" would have been front loaded. I could have changed this after signing with Orbit, but ultimately I told the story this way for a reason and I decided to stick with it. For those that read the whole thing I think they'll get a nice experience. For those that drop off early...I can understand their points.

Pauline wrote: "I've read the first four and found them all very enjoyable, getting better and better as the series went on, and now I'm really starting to look forward to the conclusion of the series. I'm trying ..."

Hey Pauline...thanks for the support. I say if you have the time then do a re-read. I think you will get some stuff out of it that you may not have noticed the first time through.

Elizabeth wrote: I don't think I've enjoyed a reread so much before and am doing so because of the "nuggets" I keep finding here and there."

You are absolteuly correct - I've enjoyed your comments in the Fantasy Series Threads yeah there are a ton of little things planted. I glad you are enjoyig the Easter Egg hunt."

Carolyn wrote: "Congratulations Michael!"

Hey Caroyln..thanks! You're one of the "old school" people who "knew me when." I really appreciate all the support you guys (people on goodreads) have given me on this crazy journy.

Caity wrote: "I have the first five on my Kindle and am anxiously awaiting the day I can afford the sixth after it is released so I can read this series. I don't like to start reading a series before I have all ..."

There are many people who wait for the full series to be finished - I understand that quite well. Which is another reason I'm excited that Orbit put out all the books in such quick succession (68 days from the first to the last). My hope is that the series as a whole will get a nice "bump" when the last book hits the street.

Michael wrote: "I say if you have the time then do a re-read. I think you will get some stuff out of it that you may not have noticed the first time through."

Thanks, I've already started rereading (beginning with 'The Viscount and the Witch', of course, which is a lovely introduction to Royce and Hadrian, and then the new opening to 'The Crown Conspiracy'). I've already spotted loads of nice little snippets that just whizzed over my head first time round! I'll update my reviews of each book as I finish them.

Michael, it's so nice that you take the time to post on the forum when you must be so busy. Good luck with the release of the final book - hope it sells by the truckload :-)

I posted a review of Theft of Swords on my blog and at Goodreads. I found the novel enjoyable, and thinking about it prior to writing the review increased my appreciation.

Here are the first two sentences of my review:

On a Goodreads online discussion, author Michael J. Sullivan said about his books: "They are designed to be just enjoyable romps with a couple of likable main characters." Either Sullivan is too self-effacing, or he underestimates the power of well-written books that are "enjoyable romps with a couple of likable main characters."

http://www.tomkeplerswritingblog.com/...

For those that don't know... The Goodreads Group: Fantasy Book Club Series has been reading all of the Riyria Revelations for the last few months. We have takend them book by book so even if you've read just the first one you might want to come on over and chat. Michael has also been involved in the conversations and so that has been a great deal of fun as well.


Hope to see you there.

Hey everyone, last night I noticed that the ebook price of Theft of Swords was cut by 50% by Orbit. They didn't tell me that this was happening - so I don't know how long it will last but now you can get two books (The Crown Conspiracy and Avempartha) for just $4.99 - so that's just $2.50 per book.

Amazon | Nook | Kobo | Sony ereader | iBookstore

Michael wrote: "Hey everyone, last night I noticed that the ebook price of Theft of Swords was cut by 50% by Orbit. They didn't tell me that this was happening - so I don't know how long it will l..."

And so the "marketing magic" continues . . .

Yes Orbit has done a good job marketing the series. Theft of Swords has been on both the Historical and Epic Fantasy bestsellers lists since it was released - and that's been over six months!

I have nothing to complain about certainly.

New author interview went live at: Writer's Disease

For those that are interested, I've started a "private" abd "secret" group here on goodreads where I can be a bit more open about things like "upcoming releases" before announcements are made.

It's a "by invitation only" by the only requirement is that you ask. If you are interested then send me private message and I'll invite you.

For those that aren't familiar with "secret" groups they are basically "off the radar" except for those in them. So it won't show up on your group list, nor will any posts in it go to your feeds.

I'm calling it "The Dark Room" named after the room in the Rose and Thorn where Riyria holds it's meetings.

Hope to see you there.

While it has been out for a while now, I only recently received the Japan version of the first book of the Riyria Revelations: The Crown Conspiracy which is contained in Theft of Swords. Here is the cover:



It's even illustrated. My son has taken Japanese in high school, and my daughters best friend is majoring in the language (she leaves to intern in Japan shortly, with a goal toward teaching there). It's been a gas listening to them read it.

That is very cool. You should see if you can get a copy of it to Jia at Dear Author. She's really into Manga.

Does she read what I'll assume is Kanjii do you know?

Michael wrote: "Does she read what I'll assume is Kanjii do you know?"

not a clue.

Great cover, Michael. The Japanese are so good at it!

Hey all, big news!! Orbit (my publisher) and I have just announced a new series coming in August 2013, The Riyria Chronicles. This is a prequel to Revelations and tells the tale of how Royce and Hadrian first met and their first job together. The second book in the series we are still working on from a "date" perspective.

What year?

Oops - sorry that should have been 2013. Let me go fix that.

;)

I'll look for it. I haven't read any of your books yet...but they are in line.
:D

Great Brenda. Depending on when they get around to bubbling to the top of the TBR you can either start with The Crown Tower or Theft of Swrds. I wrote them so that people can read in publishing order or chronological order.

Thanks for the tip, Michael.

I love bloggers...they have been so instrumental in uniting readers and authors, ya gotta love people who spend so much time on such endeavors and most make nothing in the process. Like most writers, they do it for love, not financial reward.

Ryan at a site Battle Hymn is doing a great job at doing just this. I recently had the honor of being reviewed by him and he did a very interesting interview as well.

Theft of Swords Review

Author Interview

I finally got a copy of Theft of Swords. I'm reading it now. It seems like a interesting book so far.

Great Kevin - thanks for letting me know - I do hope you enjoy.

Michael wrote: "Great Kevin - thanks for letting me know - I do hope you enjoy."

I well let you know how I feel about the book overall as soon as I finish the book. I will be putting up a review.

Every day Amazon picks one title in each of the following categories: books, romance, teens, scifi/fantasy to be the Kindle Daily Deal. They highly discount the book for 24-hours only.

Today 12/23/2012 my first book Theft of Swords which contains two novels: The Crown Conspiracy and Avempartha will be sold for just $1.99 that's a 75% savings off the standard $7.99 price.

If you haven't read my book but have been curious about it...or if you want to give a gift to a friend that might like it, today is a great day to do exactly that as it is less than $2...which also makes a great stocking stuffer for Xmas in just 2 days.

Thank you for the heads up Michael.

I've always been curious....does this effect you.... as the author?

Effect me in what way? In the respect that I will get a lot more sales (at a lower price) yes it does. But I would prefer more readers rather than more $'s so it is a good from my perspective.