Theft of swords : volume one of the Riyria revelations (edició 2011)

What a wonderful book! And so full of humour, which is rather rare in fantasy.

I finished it late last night, then immediately went to buy the next sequels.
It's a great story with a fantastic plot and characters that aren't shallow, but three dimensional.

We get to know that there is an ancient language, but we aren't regaled with that, so there aren't lots and lots of passages written in that language, just a word or two here and there.

Tim Gerard Reynolds is the perfect fit for this story. I was again impressed with his narration, it is so beautifully done.
A friend of mine had written in her review that she couldn't stop listening, and I should have heeded her 'warning', because it was the same here. It's not a book you can fall asleep to, so I spent one sleepless night (I made a lot of progress with my knitting, though :D) ( )

Finished the first book, "The crown conspiracy", and I'm giving it 4 stars.
I can't wait to read Avempartha to see what Hadrian and Royce are going to do.
I really liked Sullivan's writing for its conciseness and efficiency. Nevertheless it's an introductory book with a simple plot, but very good characterisation and worldbuilding. Since the the first book has around 3oo pages, I'd say he's done a great job. I'm sure we are going to discover more in the second book.

3.75 stars for the second book.
I found the second part more focused on characterization than plot, but I enjoy it nonetheless. ( )

Sullivan, Michael J. Theft of Swords. Riyria Revelations Nos. 1-2, Orbit, 2011.
Theft of Swords is the combined title for the first two novels of a well-told sword and sandal adventure with the requisite number of dwarves, elves, monsters, feuding aristocrats, endangered villages, suspicious clergy, wizards, and spooky towers. To complain that we have seen it all before would be like complaining that space opera has spaceships. Novels like these do not depend on set dressing, though fans may complain if they are internally inconsistent. Pacing is important, and Michael Sullivan handles it well—the world-building never gets in the way of the action. The cast of characters is also important. Again, we have seen their like before, but our two sword-slinging hero thieves are drawn well with just enough back story to almost prepare for the surprise revelations about them, especially in the second novel. The minor characters are not bad, though secondary characters tend to get lost as the plot complications push them aside. The opening novel has a much tighter focus than the second. The first read very quickly, but the second dragged a bit. I really enjoyed the secondary character of the innocent librarian monk with a photographic memory and wish he had played a bigger part in book two. I am always happy to see self-published writers like Sullivan find a publisher who will take a chance on them. 4 stars. ( )

I thought this was a fun start to a new series. Hadrian and Royce are a pair of contemporary Fafhrd and Grey Mouser type characters in a well conceived world. I really enjoyed their adventures, misadventures and the general plot. This is a 2 book omnibus of the first 2 books in the Riyria Revelations series, which makes sense as the two of them together call themselves Ryria. ( )

OK, probably a 4.5 to be truthful. Good adventure story, with excellent lead characters, who are portrayed as mercenaries, even though they are of high morals: Hadrian Blackwater, a top caliber swordsman, and Royce Melborn, a thief from a fabled sect. First they are hired to recover a sword and become patsies for regicide in the first of two stories; however, they rescue the prince and go off to seek the truth. Then, in the second story, they work for next-to-nothing to save a heart-broken father and their village from a conjured demon. ( )